MEMPHIS (CBS SF/AP) — Over the years, outspoken Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green has gained the reputation of being a gritty player who is not afraid to verbally joust with referees over a call.
But his ejection from Game 1 of the NBA Western Conference semifinals for a foul that was elevated to a flagrant 2 triggered a cascade of social media responses like this one from Atlanta star Trey Young.
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“Can’t officiate the PLAYER officiate the PLAY,” he posted. And he wasn’t alone.
“Flagrant 2?” posted Utah star Donovan Mitchell.
“We gotta have better context with these rules man,” posted Oakland native and Portland star Damian Lillard.
“Man, things have changed. Back in the day , the foul that @Money23Green committed, would have been 2 frees throws ONLY,” tweeted Lakers great James Worthy.
Fortunately, the Warriors were able to overcome the ejection and come away with a 117-116 victory Sunday afternoon.
The ejection came with 1:18 left in the second quarter. Green originally was called for a foul on Brandon Clarke. Officials reviewed the play where Green hit Clarke in face while attempting to block his shot. He then tugged on Clarke’s jersey, who went down on his stomach.
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It appeared as though Green tried to help hold him up as Clarke hit the court.
Officials took their time reviewing the play as Memphis fans chanted “Throw him out!” Then they determined Green committed a Flagrant 2, sending him to the locker room with six points, four rebounds, three assists and five turnovers in 17 minutes.
The official explanation was that Green hit Clarke in the face and threw him to the ground on a follow-through.
“The first part was the wind-up and significant contact to the face, and then the pull down from the jersey grab and throw down to the floor to an airborne vulnerable player makes that unnecessary and excessive,” referee chief Kane Fitzgerald told a pool reporter after the game. “That’s what led to the flagrant foul penalty two.”
Golden State coach Steve Kerr said after the game that he was surprised by the call.
“We knew that was a tough break that didn’t go our way and we were all kind of shocked by the decision, but we were confident and determined and the guys stayed with it,” Kerr said.
Warriors star Steph Curry also felt the foul didn’t rate an ejection.
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“Nobody wants to see that. It’s not good for the game,” Curry said. “I didn’t think it deserved that, obviously. You get an emotional rise out of it, but you try to stay locked in and deal with the circumstances and give ourselves a chance to win.”
Source: sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com.