Report: Draymond Green Challenged Kevin Durant About Free Agency During Heated Argument
Golden State Warriors forwards Kevin Durant and Draymond Green let their frustrations be known at the end of regulation during Monday night's game with Los Angeles Clippers. According to The Athletic's Shams Charania, Green also challenged Durant about Durant's impending free agency during the heated exchange.
Green grabbed a rebound off a Clippers miss with six seconds left and instead of passing to Durant, who was calling for the ball on the way upcourt, took the ball himself and ended up turning the ball over with a chance to win the game.
The two-time Finals MVP let Green know about it when they got back to the bench, with the two getting into a shouting match and having to be calmed down by their teammates.
The Warriors eventually lost the game 121–116 in overtime, their second defeat in the last three games.
"Just team spirit," Warriors guard Shaun Livingston said. "Team spirit. Guys wanted a different outcome than what happened. Obviously, Dray had the turnover, guys might have thought they were open or wanted the basketball, didn't get it. Things happen like that in sports. But it was good to see some fire, some emotion."
“We’re in transition and we have KD and Klay,” Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said, explaining the last sequence in regulation. “I like the idea of pushing the ball and not letting them set up their defense. I generally do that late in games.”
Green was in no mood to explain what happened after the game, while Durant did not speak to the media.
“It don’t matter,” Green said. “You all are going to report what you want to report.”
Adrian Wojnarowski and Marc J. Spears of ESPN.com report the argument carried into the locker room after the game and it was "one of the most intense" scenes of this current era of Warriors basketball. It did not get physical and nobody had to be separated, but Green's vigorous defense of himself helped increase the volume in the room.
Teammates "loudly" confronted Green for his "decision-making" on the last play of regulation, and the organization is now working through the aftermath.
Durant finished with a triple-double, scoring 33 points with 11 rebounds and 10 assists before fouling out with 3:45 left in overtime.
