Let’s be real. If you are playing against Draymond Green, especially in a big game, it has to be extremely annoying.
That seems to be the way the Celtics felt during their Game 2 clash with the Warriors and Green, who was in full agitator mode throughout the 107-88 Golden State win. Green got his customary early technical foul when he got mixed up with Grant Williams, and continued to talk junk consistently all game while playing excellent, physical defense.
Things popped off again late in the second quarter after Green fouled Jaylen Brown while shooting a 3. When both players landed, Green’s feet touched Brown’s head. Brown took exception, Green pushed Brown in the back, Brown stood over Green and Green grabbed Brown’s shorts to lift himself up as both players were separated.
Technical fouls were not levied against either player, but Brown seemed to believe that Green should’ve been dinged for the shorts pull.
“I feel like that was an illegal play,” Brown said postgame. “I feel like they could’ve called it but they let it go in terms of a technical either way. But I don’t know what I’m supposed to do there. Somebody got their legs on the top of your head, and then he tried to pull my pants down.
“I don’t know what that was about but that’s what Draymond Green does. He’ll do whatever it takes to win. He’ll pull you, he’ll grab you, he’ll try to muck the game up, cause that’s what he does for their team. It’s not nothing to be surprised about, not nothing I’m surprised about. He raised his physicality to try to stop us and we got to raise ours. Looking forward to the challenge.”
Green has learned — though some would argue he’s unfairly allowed — how to mix things up on the court without going over the line and getting kicked out. He certainly did that on Sunday, and will almost certainly do it again in Game 3.
If the Celtics do indeed match his physicality in Game 3, we should be in for a treat.