Draymond Green seals Warriors' Game 4 win with another play to remember him by
SAN FRANCISCO — Draymond Green was stunned and stoked, simultaneously.
He didn't expect to be isolated at the free-throw line, on an island with the outcome of Game 4 to be determined by his resistance. Houston's strategy for a game-winning bucket, its last stand to even this Western Conference first-round series, couldn't be to go at him. HIM? No way. He isn't that lucky.
Advertisement
But with 13.4 seconds remaining Monday, the Rockets inbounded the ball to Alperen Şengün and, as the clock ticked under 10 seconds, he went for it. Şengün sized up Green and went iso.
The Golden State Warriors' defensive anchor couldn't believe it. He also couldn't wait.
If confidence was measured on a scale to 100, Golden State's level of belief is all the way up if the game comes down to Green making a play on defense.
'I feel like 100,' Steve Kerr said.
Said Steph Curry: '101.'
'He's the best defender I've ever seen in my life,' Kerr said. 'He rises to the occasion. On top of being a great defender, he's an incredible competitor. We've seen it. I've seen it for 11 years. Game on the line, Draymond making a stop. It's like having Steph Curry take the shot.'
Green didn't miss, and the Warriors hung on for a 109-106 win that put them up 3-1 in the best-of-seven series.
DRAY GOT THE STOP 🚫 pic.twitter.com/UHEW3zUIJS
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) April 29, 2025
These opportunities don't happen often. To win the game with a stop. To flex his superiority in a clutch moment. To make defense preeminent. Especially coming off finishing third in Defensive Player of the Year voting, getting to go one-on-one with Şengün at his best? That's Draymond's jam.
Yes, Green desired a second DPOY. He wants first-team All-Defense even more. But of utmost importance, more than a trophy, more than accolades, more than stats, he wants you to remember him.
No doubt, NBA fans will remember his verbosity, his rage that often burns out of control, his many controversies, his bullying tactics on players and refs, his untimely technicals and costly suspensions, his embrace of villainhood. But with those, it must be remembered that Green was the best in his era at his craft. That his excellence produced the biggest of wins, at a level only a small percentage of players ever claim. In an era dominated by Curry and LeBron James, two of the greatest ever, Draymond Green forged his name.
Advertisement
He's seared himself into the annals of basketball history with an inventory of high-stakes moments just like the one Monday night at Chase Center — where his defense makes an impact equivalent to a big shot and his stamp on the game was undeniable. This is how he gets the cachet of clutch. This is how a master of the intangibles makes sure he's felt.
'They always try to go at him,' Warriors center Kevon Looney said. 'It never works. Gotta come with a better plan than that.'
Şengün, the Rockets' 6-foot-11 maestro in the post, had spent the better part of the second half devouring Warriors defenders like warm simit. But most of that was while Green sat on the bench with foul trouble. Şengün scored 17 points in the 12 minutes, 15 seconds Green sat with five fouls. And Şengün missed three free throws in that span.
But it was a bit of fool's gold. It adequately hurt Golden State and nearly delivered victory to Houston. But Şengün's hot streak set him up for failure on Houston's final possession. He was 3-for-11 against Green to that point. He's struggled all series dealing with the Warriors' undersized big. If not for that run of interior dominance, he might've known not to try Green in that moment.
'I told Dray,' Jimmy Butler said, 'if you get a stop, I will get the rebound.'
If.
This is the same defender who picked the pocket of Nikola Jokić in the post to stamp Game 3 in a 2022 first-round series against Denver.
Draymond was fired up after getting the steal on Jokic 🔥 pic.twitter.com/zFlhaKjdqe
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) April 22, 2022
The same defender who blocked Kyle Lowry's 3-pointer to seal Game 5 in the 2019 NBA Finals against Toronto. Who sent away a LeBron James drive in the final moments of overtime in Game 2 of the 2015 NBA Finals. Who snuffed out a Jaren Jackson Jr. 3-pointer to cap Game 4 against Memphis in the 2022 second round.
Advertisement
For Green, 'when,' not 'if,' was the appropriate word.
He lives for these moments. He gets stronger at the end of games, in part because he despises being scored on when it matters most. It's a bent triggered by trauma. Back in the 2013 playoffs against Denver, when Green was a rookie, he was schooled so badly it made him sick. Literally. He was so angry and disgusted, he felt ill. In his mind, he was getting worked over, outsmarted by a craftier player. It created in him this soul-trembling disdain for getting cooked on defense.
He's been looking for that player since, to thank him for the foundational lesson that shaped his career. But Green said he still hasn't come across Andre Miller.
But the lessons from the veteran guard are still there, which is why Green tightens up and laser focuses. All the film study, all the leverage tricks. All his strength. It gets activated in these moments.
Şengün felt the resolve of a defensive legend when he lowered his shoulder into the 'Golden State' on Green's chest. Knowing it was coming, Green firmed up to absorb the contact. And despite watching Şengün's array of moves all second half, Green knew what was coming next: a right-handed jump hook. Because, as Green declared before, Şengün likes to spin back to the middle.
Green stepped forward, angling himself to be there when Şengün completed his spin, and kept his left hand straight up to force Şengün to get it over his 7-foot-2 wingspan.
'He doesn't let 'em get to their spot,' Looney explained. 'He knows the game so well, he knows how to get guys off their pet moves. And he's got a level of physicality. He knows they ain't calling nothing when the game's on the line. Which is how it should be. You gotta earn it.'
It's not that Green can't be scored on. He has been. A lot in his career. And that was a makeable attempt by Şengün. Green was fully prepared to tip his cap had the Rockets' big man made it.
Advertisement
But the difference in this series, as projected from the beginning, would be the Warriors' experience. It played out at the end of Game 4 and worked in the Warriors' favor.
The Rockets didn't actually call for Şengün to go one-on-one vs. Green. They ran the same play that had worked twice: a pick-and-pop with Şengün handling and Fred VanVleet setting the screen. VanVleet hit his eighth 3-pointer after the Warriors rolled with Şengün and left him open, tying the game at 104. Then, with the Warriors up three, Şengün scored against Gary Payton II, who was switched onto the big man after VanVleet's screen. Not wanting to leave VanVleet open, Green had to accept the switch. Şengün scored easily, cutting the Warriors' lead to one.
So on the next defensive possession, Payton made the adjustment. He smacked the VanVleet screen — pressing so close to the screener that he couldn't set the pick — and gave Green the space to go under the screen and stay attached to Şengün. The switch didn't happen.
Which left Şengün needing to make a decision. He chose to attack Green.
Green was so close to being a culprit in this game. What happened while he sat with five fouls underscored his significance to the Warriors' defense, and to their chances. Which means Green getting involved with Dillon Brooks and Tari Eason, on separate occasions, is problematic for their end game. Fair or not, he must do what he needs to do to stay on the court. Monday was a reminder of how quickly his improved composure could go awry because the target is still on his back.
But none of that mattered because Şengün chose to go at him. And Green had a chance to add another defensive stop to his highlight reel.
'The amount of poise he has when everything he does, it's always blown out of proportion,' Butler said of Green. 'If it was anybody else, it wouldn't be that. To stay so calm, to come out there, get stops, kick us off on the offensive side of the ball. You're a special human being. That's why he's the Hustle Man of the Year. Remember that.'
Remember him.
(Top photo of Draymond Green and Stephen Curry celebrating after Monday's win: Ezra Shaw / Getty Images)
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
an hour ago
- New York Post
Why trading for a new coach isn't a reliable Knicks recipe
It has been a week since the Knicks fired their most successful coach of the century, ending Tom Thibodeau's five-year tenure after falling two wins short of the NBA Finals. The Knicks appear to be in no great rush to fill the league's only head coaching vacancy, with time to explore the potential of trading for seemingly unavailable candidates, including Houston's Ime Udoka, Minnesota's Chris Finch and, most seriously, Dallas' Jason Kidd, all of whom the Knicks reportedly have interest in. Trading for a coach is rare for many reasons, beginning with the cooperation of one team to allow another team to poach a successful coach under contract. Houston reportedly has 'no interest' in letting Udoka leave. The interest between the Knicks and Kidd is mutual, but that's not the same as getting permission for an interview.
San Francisco Chronicle
3 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Oilers unravel in Game 3 against the Panthers and now are chasing the Stanley Cup Final
SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Falling behind early, parading to the penalty box and losing grip of their composure, the Edmonton Oilers find themselves in an all-too-familiar position: trailing the Stanley Cup Final against the Florida Panthers. Not much went right for them in Game 3 on Monday night, a 6-1 blowout loss that put them down 2-1 in the series after taking the opener at home. Many of their 85 penalty minutes, the most by a team in the final in nearly four decades, came in garbage time, but there is far more concern about the mistakes that piled up to put them in a hole. 'We didn't play very well,' said Evander Kane, who was whistled for two of his three minor penalties in a miserable first period and got a misconduct late. "That's evident. We have nobody to blame but ourselves. We can definitely be a lot better.' Stuart Skinner got pulled after allowing five goals on 23 shots, but captain Connor McDavid acknowledged, 'I don't know how much we're going to put on Stu.' The play in front of him was disjointed and disconnected, at 5 on 5, on the power play and on the penalty kill. If not for Skinner, the score could have gotten out of hand much earlier because the Western Conference champions had their worst showing since perhaps the first couple of games of the playoffs. 'It was a weird game,' McDavid said. 'Obviously it wasn't our best — not our best at all. I don't think our best has shown up all series long. But it's coming. We'll shift the focus to finding a way to get a win in Game 4.' Even with an extra day off before Game 4 on Thursday night, coach Kris Knoblauch scheduled practice for his team Tuesday afternoon. There is much to discuss and work on. 'Collectively, goaltender, defense, all our forwards, we all have to be better,' Knoblauch said. "They played a heck of a game, and we're going to have to raise ours.' Being more disciplined is a good place to start. After giving up a goal to Brad Marchand 56 seconds in, Edmonton took four minor penalties in the first period. The dam eventually broke on a power-play goal that made it too tough a deficit to overcome. 'Almost half the period you're killing, so it's not a good way to get into your game,' McDavid said. "Never got to our game.' The Oilers' play was almost indistinguishable from how they've looked for much of this run, getting balanced scoring and star performances from McDavid and Draisaitl. Ill-timed defensive breakdowns proved costly, and guys lost their cool — like Jake Walman squirting water at Panthers players on their bench from his place on the visiting side. 'I obviously did that for a reason,' Walman said, reluctant to explain why. 'It's just gamesmanship, I guess.' By the time brawls ensued in the third period, the game was out of hand. Players downplayed the margin of defeat, quick to try to spin their thoughts forward to what they need to do to tie the final. 'We know what we're going to be up against,' Skinner said. 'It doesn't change how we're going to respond again. We've got two days to come back and I think there's some things that we're going to have to change.' That could mean lineup changes and certainly some major adjustments by Knoblauch and his staff. The Oilers also need to be better prepared to play in Game 4, perhaps channeling the pain from back-to-back losses. 'Losing in the playoffs, whether it's in round 1 Game 1 or the Stanley Cup Final, it's never a good feeling, but we've been here before," Kane said. "We've been down in series before, and we've had tough losses. It will sting right now and we'll flush it tomorrow and get ready for Thursday.'
Hamilton Spectator
3 hours ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Oilers unravel in Game 3 against the Panthers and now are chasing the Stanley Cup Final
SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Falling behind early, parading to the penalty box and losing grip of their composure, the Edmonton Oilers find themselves in an all-too-familiar position: trailing the Stanley Cup Final against the Florida Panthers. Not much went right for them in Game 3 on Monday night, a 6-1 blowout loss that put them down 2-1 in the series after taking the opener at home. Many of their 85 penalty minutes, the most by a team in the final in nearly four decades, came in garbage time, but there is far more concern about the mistakes that piled up to put them in a hole. 'We didn't play very well,' said Evander Kane, who was whistled for two of his three minor penalties in a miserable first period and got a misconduct late. 'That's evident. We have nobody to blame but ourselves. We can definitely be a lot better.' Stuart Skinner got pulled after allowing five goals on 23 shots, but captain Connor McDavid acknowledged, 'I don't know how much we're going to put on Stu.' The play in front of him was disjointed and disconnected, at 5 on 5, on the power play and on the penalty kill. If not for Skinner, the score could have gotten out of hand much earlier because the Western Conference champions had their worst showing since perhaps the first couple of games of the playoffs. 'It was a weird game,' McDavid said. 'Obviously it wasn't our best — not our best at all. I don't think our best has shown up all series long. But it's coming. We'll shift the focus to finding a way to get a win in Game 4.' Even with an extra day off before Game 4 on Thursday night, coach Kris Knoblauch scheduled practice for his team Tuesday afternoon. There is much to discuss and work on. 'Collectively, goaltender, defense, all our forwards, we all have to be better,' Knoblauch said. 'They played a heck of a game, and we're going to have to raise ours.' Being more disciplined is a good place to start. After giving up a goal to Brad Marchand 56 seconds in, Edmonton took four minor penalties in the first period. The dam eventually broke on a power-play goal that made it too tough a deficit to overcome. 'Almost half the period you're killing, so it's not a good way to get into your game,' McDavid said. 'Never got to our game.' The Oilers' play was almost indistinguishable from how they've looked for much of this run, getting balanced scoring and star performances from McDavid and Draisaitl. Ill-timed defensive breakdowns proved costly, and guys lost their cool — like Jake Walman squirting water at Panthers players on their bench from his place on the visiting side. 'I obviously did that for a reason,' Walman said, reluctant to explain why. 'It's just gamesmanship, I guess.' By the time brawls ensued in the third period, the game was out of hand. Players downplayed the margin of defeat, quick to try to spin their thoughts forward to what they need to do to tie the final. 'We know what we're going to be up against,' Skinner said. 'It doesn't change how we're going to respond again. We've got two days to come back and I think there's some things that we're going to have to change.' That could mean lineup changes and certainly some major adjustments by Knoblauch and his staff. The Oilers also need to be better prepared to play in Game 4, perhaps channeling the pain from back-to-back losses. 'Losing in the playoffs, whether it's in round 1 Game 1 or the Stanley Cup Final, it's never a good feeling, but we've been here before,' Kane said. 'We've been down in series before, and we've had tough losses. It will sting right now and we'll flush it tomorrow and get ready for Thursday.' ___ AP NHL playoffs: and
