Draymond Green Makes Aggressive And Dirty Plays In Warriors Loss To Rockets

Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green made some pretty rough plays against the Houston Rockets in their recent loss.

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Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

The Golden State Warriors fell to a disappointing 96-106 loss to the Houston Rockets last night. The franchise saw superstar point guard Stephen Curry be held to a shockingly low three points in the loss as they simply had no answer for the Rockets’ aggressive defense. However, Draymond Green tried his best to match the Rockets’ on-court aggression with his defensive possessions.

Unfortunately, aggression soon turned into some unsportsmanlike plays on the court. This could be soon during some needlessly aggressive defense on Alperen Sengun on an inbounds play, getting warned by the referee, and then intentionally elbowing Sengun after daring the referee to call a foul.

Green would also pick up a flagrant one on an audacious layup attempt, decking Sengun in the face with his elbow on his way up. 

These plays led to a lot of angry fans, as Sengun could’ve gotten hurt on either one of these plays. However, the tone of the game was incredibly aggressive, with the Rockets using physical defense to contain the Warriors. 

Fans even joked about Draymond’s tendency of getting into these physical tiffs during games against European centers.

This game was another example of referees not calling as many fouls toward the end of the season to start giving competitive teams a taste of how the whistle will be during the Playoffs.

Green has been making a late push for Defensive Player of the Year. This game didn’t hurt his case as they held the Rockets to a below-average 106 points, but it might have boosted Amen Thompson’s name into contention for similarly impactful defense on a better team.

Draymond put up two points, three rebounds, and four assists in the loss to the Rockets. His primary matchup, Sengun, put up 19 points and 14 rebounds.


Ime Udoka On Draymond Green’s Defensive Ability

Before the game, Rockets head coach Ime Udoka spoke openly about how Draymond impacts the game defensively. After joking that Amen Thompson is much better than Draymond, he gave Green the flowers he deserves.

“Much better than Draymond. That’s a joke, I love Draymond. Played with him, obviously, and had him in USA Basketball. Very different guys and do different things. But what he did for us, what he does for Golden State, what he did for us with USA Basketball, we needed a quarterback back there.” 

“You saw the importance, what he did to set our defense, and the success we had over there. He’s been doing this his whole career, one of the best to ever do it, and the versatility of him to guard all positions and the recognition and IQ on the defensive end. It’s everything for Golden State.”

Udoka might have a different view of Green after the game, but he likely anticipated Green making it hard for Sengun. What’s important is that they got the win, and Sengun stood up to the challenge and was a crucial component of their win.

Green might be the front-runner for DPOY right now, but prospects like Amen Thompson are nipping at his heels. I would continue backing Evan Mobley for the award, but it seems like it is still all to play for as the season enters its final week.

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Ishaan Bhattacharya is a content manager for Fadeaway World from New Delhi, India. With his expertise in NBA content creation, Ishaan brings a wealth of experience to his role, contributing to the site's authority and reach within the basketball community. Over the last year, Ishaan has interviewed Ray Allen and Mark Tatum, while also covering the 2023 NBA Abu Dhabi Games which saw the Dallas Mavericks take on the Minnesota Timberwolves.Since joining Fadeaway World in March 2022, Ishaan Bhattacharya has become known for his unique perspective on the NBA. He consistently delivers this insight through his daily news coverage and detailed opinion pieces on the most significant topics in the league.Before his tenure at Fadeaway World, Ishaan worked in corporate communications, where he serviced prominent sports brands, including NBA India, Sports18, Amazon Prime Sports, and Royal Challengers Bangalore. This experience in strategic communications for leading sports entities has enhanced his ability to craft impactful narratives and connect with a global audience.A true MFFLer (Mavs Fan for Life, for the uninitiated), Ishaan is a massive fan of the Dallas Mavericks. When he is not upset about Jalen Brunson walking in free agency, you can see Ishaan as an avid gamer and content creator. His passion for basketball extends beyond the Mavericks, as evidenced by his thoughtfully curated NBA Mount Rushmore, featuring LeBron James, Michael Jordan, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Bill Russell—each representing distinct eras and bringing their unique qualities to the game.Featured On: ESPN, Sports Illustrated, Bleacher ReportYahoo Sports, NBA, Fox Sports, The Spun
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