STEPHEN CURRY had just located Draymond Green wide open for a three-pointer on the wing, extending the Golden State Warriors` lead to 30-20 in the second quarter of Game 1 against the Minnesota Timberwolves and forcing a timeout. As Green headed towards the huddle, he noticed Curry on the opposite side of the court, moving with difficulty. Green hadn`t seen Curry strain his hamstring moments earlier on a drive and went to check on his long-time teammate.
“I`ll be back,” Curry told Green, limping towards the tunnel and locker room.
Curry did not return to the game.
With the team`s superstar receiving treatment in the locker room, Green secured a rebound on the very next possession and immediately pushed the ball up the court. Moments later, he sank another three-pointer from the top of the key.
The familiar “Booooooom!” often roared by him or his teammates after a Green three echoed through the silenced Target Center. Within a minute, Green hit his fourth three-pointer, extending the Warriors` lead to 14 points with seven minutes left in the second quarter. Despite Curry`s unexpected exit, the Warriors` advantage grew to a peak of 23 points in the third quarter, ultimately leading to a 99-88 victory and an early series lead.
At a crucial moment when the Warriors could have faltered without their primary offensive threat, Green injected energy into the team. Beyond anchoring a defense that limited Anthony Edwards to missing his initial 10 shots and held Minnesota to just 88 points – only their second time scoring under 90 this season – Green also facilitated the offense alongside Jimmy Butler. He finished Game 1 with 18 points, eight rebounds, and six assists. His four successful three-pointers were second on the team only to Buddy Hield`s five.
Green has shown significant improvement since his challenging Game 6 performance against the Houston Rockets, which he described as “embarrassing.” His elevated play is a key factor in Golden State`s recent two-game winning streak. He will need to maintain this high level of performance with Curry expected to miss at least through Game 4 due to a Grade 1 left hamstring strain, starting with Game 2 on Thursday.
Five nights prior, with the Warriors facing elimination in Game 7 in Houston, the players held a critical team meeting at their suburban hotel. Green shared with ESPN that the meeting was initiated by Curry, Butler, and himself. Green openly expressed his feelings to his teammates, a practice he has developed over recent years with the help of therapy and counseling. He pledged to lead the Warriors with greater composure and promised to set the right tone in Game 7.
That commitment carried directly into Game 1 in Minneapolis.
“He`s our leader,” said Warriors coach Steve Kerr. “And when he`s playing effectively, as he was [in Game 7], he`s incredible to watch. His defense, commanding that side of the court, combined with being patient, avoiding turnovers, and being in the right offensive spots. I think the guys realized after Game 6 that we were disorganized, we were out of sorts.”
JUST 24 HOURS before the sixth Game 7 of his career, Green recognized the need to refocus. In Game 6, he recorded eight points, seven assists, five rebounds, and three blocks, but also four turnovers and displayed poor disposition, including a flagrant foul 1 early in the 115-107 loss.
Before engaging in physical battles with Steven Adams and Alperen Sengun in Game 7, Green intentionally mellowed out by listening to some 1990s R&B, including Jodeci and H-Town, alongside contemporary artists like SZA and Brent Faiyaz.
He also had candid conversations with his most trusted confidantes: his wife, Hazel Renee, his Michigan State coach, Tom Izzo, his best friend and former Spartan teammate, Travis Walton, and even his barber.
Izzo provided necessary tough love to his former player, Green told ESPN.
“I spent those two days feeling embarrassed about what I delivered [in Game 6], what I showed the world,” Green stated. “I wanted to return and prove who I am again, with poise, but maintaining the same fire and tenacity.”
He visited a spa and practiced meditation, utilizing techniques learned from hours of therapy, counseling, and check-in sessions with NBA executives following his indefinite suspension last season for his actions involving Rudy Gobert and Jusuf Nurkic.
When Kerr joined the team meeting on Saturday, he initially planned to outline the keys for Game 7 and emphasize the need for better leadership from Green. Green noted that Kerr essentially echoed what he had already shared with his teammates moments before.
“It felt like an old married couple repeating the same points,” Green said with a laugh when speaking to ESPN.
Their partnership has resulted in four championships. Kerr has consistently described Green as one of the most competitive individuals he`s coached and declared him “the best defender I`ve ever seen in my life.”
On the morning of Game 7 during the team shootaround, Kerr had an extended side conversation with Green. Kerr was observed pointing towards the court multiple times, while Green listened intently and nodded in agreement.
Green described the talk as “one of the best conversations we`ve ever had.” Kerr shared stories and reminded Green of his career achievements. He pointed out that “nobody will remember” the final score of Game 7 compared to Green`s overall legacy, encouraging him to play with joy and poise while setting an example for the rest of the team.
During that same meeting, Curry addressed the team about controlling the controllable aspects that don`t appear in the box score.
What he witnessed from Green in Game 7 was precisely how the emotional forward can navigate what is expected to be another physically demanding series that will test his composure.
“There`s no better lesson than [Game 7],” Curry commented on Sunday. “It`s about making it about basketball. He doesn`t need to be silent or expressionless. We want that intense and fiery Draymond, but channel that energy towards us, towards our huddles. Even when he had that brief exchange with [Fred] VanVleet, he didn`t overreact, didn`t go argue with the refs or plead his case. It didn`t go his way, but he kept it focused on basketball.”
GREEN IS WELL AWARE that attention will be on how he physically and mentally handles Gobert. He produced perhaps his most memorable offensive highlight of the season by dribbling from half court, going between his legs in isolation at the top of the key, and blowing past Gobert for a one-handed driving dunk with 28 seconds left in a 114-106 win on December 8th. Immediately after, Green used Curry`s signature `night night` celebration.
Green largely maintained his composure against Gobert throughout the regular season, but he faces an automatic one-game suspension if he accrues two more flagrant foul points or three more technical fouls. Green referenced a famous line from comedian Charlie Murphy on `Chappelle`s Show` to describe his tendency to push boundaries.
“I`ve always walked that line,” Green said after the Game 4 victory over Houston. “That`s just who I am. A habitual line-stepper.”
When Green received a technical foul in Game 7 after flailing and making contact with VanVleet`s face, he showed frustration on the bench but was calmed by Butler and assistant coaches Terry Stotts and Jerry Stackhouse. Curry had a noticeable, prolonged handshake with Green, seemingly to reassure his emotional teammate.
In the hostile environment of the Toyota Center, where fans chanted obscenities at him, Green responded with 16 points, six rebounds, five assists, and two blocks, serving as the defensive anchor that limited Houston to 89 points. And he kept his on-court theatrics to a minimum.
This was the type of performance Kerr needed from Green.
On Thursday, Green will play a playoff game without Curry screening or passing to him for the first time since the 2018 Western Conference semifinals, when Curry was sidelined with a knee injury in Game 1 against the New Orleans Pelicans. The Warriors hold a 9-3 record in playoff games without Curry, but that was with a younger Green and former teammates like Klay Thompson on a deeper roster, and Kevin Durant participated in six of those wins.
Kerr will rely on Green to take on greater playmaking responsibilities, a role Houston attempted to counter in the first round by often assigning VanVleet to guard him. Green is currently just the eighth player in NBA history to achieve 1,000 rebounds and 1,000 assists in the playoffs, joining an elite list including Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Scottie Pippen, and Jason Kidd.
Without Curry, Green will likely spend time playing point guard to alleviate ball-handling duties from Butler and organize the team`s offense. Kerr stated that the coaching staff spent Wednesday devising the best strategy to operate without Curry.
“I had four turnovers,” Green noted while reviewing the Game 1 box score on Tuesday night. “Your margin for error shrinks significantly without Steph. We`ll see what Coach has planned. I`m not going to try to be like, `Oh man, I need to be Steph.` I can`t do that.”
“But I might need to handle the ball a bit more. Just play my role, execute the game plan Coach provides. If that means I need to make more plays, I`ll try to do that.”
Even after the motivating Game 1 victory, Green continued to provide leadership, injecting life into his team. Despite Curry visibly limping as he left the locker room, Green insisted that the Warriors “won`t panic.”
His commitment to improved leadership will be tested now more than ever.
“I need to maintain a similar approach for my guys,” Green said after Game 7 regarding the importance of playing with poise, especially against Gobert. “Forget anyone else [like Gobert]. But for my teammates, I need to stay consistent, so I`ll be focused. It will be good. But finding that balance, that line, and not crossing it is crucial for me and this team. I gave them my word, and I`ll continue to keep it.”
