The Golden State Warriors faced a difficult start against the Phoenix Suns on Saturday at Chase Center. Trailing by 11 early in the second quarter, the Warriors saw Draymond Green ejected from the game. While it may seem unusual, his absence sparked a remarkable comeback.
Green was ejected after receiving two technical fouls: the first for shoving Suns guard Collin Gillespie and the second for taunting the lead official, Pat Fraher. This left the Warriors without their defensive anchor for the rest of the game.
Early Struggles Against the Suns
The Warriors gave up 44 points in the first quarter alone. Phoenix shot an incredible 70.8% from the field, including 60% from three-point range. Dillon Brooks scored 12 points on perfect shooting, and Devin Booker added 11 points. The Warriors’ defense looked slow and disorganized.
Stephen Curry explained, “We were giving up straight-line drives and open shots. They were hitting 3s or walking to the basket for easy layups. Our defense was asleep in the first quarter.”
Team Rally Without Green
Once Green left the court, the Warriors realized they needed to come together. Gary Payton II said, “Sometimes we rely on Draymond to clean up everything, but once he’s out, we all have to work together. Everybody felt it, and when we play as a unit, we can be really good.”
The Warriors tightened up their defense, holding the Suns to just 31.8% shooting overall and 17.6% from three-point range during the second and third quarters. Golden State took a 93-87 lead into the fourth quarter and extended it to 11 points before Phoenix cut it to one point. Curry sealed the win with a reverse layup with 5.7 seconds left, giving the Warriors a 119-116 victory.
Coach Kerr Praises the Effort
Coach Steve Kerr acknowledged the team’s improvement after a tough start. “The game settled down after the first quarter. We made mistakes early, then focused on defense in the middle quarters. They scored a little at the end, but the defense was much better overall.”
The win snapped a three-game losing streak and helped the Warriors regain confidence. Despite a late Suns run, Kerr emphasized the need for better execution in close games. “We need to execute better down the stretch and limit open looks. We have lessons to learn, but the team did well covering for Draymond.”
Conclusion
Draymond Green’s ejection turned into a turning point for the Warriors. His teammates stepped up defensively, rallied together, and secured a hard-fought win. This game showed that Golden State can overcome adversity and perform as a united team, even without their star defender on the floor.
