Draymond Green was ejected in the third quarter of last night’s Warriors-Suns game for hitting Jusuf Nurkic in the face.
With his third ejection of the season, Green is now at risk of further punishment by the NBA. After last night’s game, the Golden State enforcer claimed he hadn’t meant to strike Nurkic.
“As you know, I’m not one to apologize for things that I meant to do, but I do apologize to Jusuf because I didn’t intend to hit him,” Green said. “I sell calls with my arms. I don’t fall to sell a call. I’m not a flopper. So I was just selling a call because he was grabbing me and pulling my hip back. So I spun away, and unfortunately I hit him.”
Draymond:
“As you know, I’m not one to apologize for things that I meant to do, but I do apologize to Jusuf because I didn’t intend to hit him.”
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) December 13, 2023
We’re skeptical that the league will buy that explanation. Nurkic sure didn’t.
“What’s going on with him I don’t know,” Nurkic said postgame. “That brother needs help. I’m glad he didn’t try and choke me. But at the same time, it had nothing to do with basketball. I’m just out there trying to play basketball and they’re out there swinging. I think we saw that often. I hope whatever he got in his life it gets better.
“What’s going on with him? I don’t know. Personally, I feel like that brother needs help.”
Jusuf Nurkic speaks on Draymond Green’s ejection pic.twitter.com/qcCKAkT0QL
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) December 13, 2023
Phoenix beat the Warriors to 119-116 to drop Golden State to 10-13 on the season.