Draymond Green was ejected less than four minutes into the Warriors’ win on Wednesday night over the Magic after arguing with a referee, and on Thursday, the power forward showed remorse for his actions.
On Thursday’s episode of “The Draymond Green Show,” the Golden State star said he wished he handled things differently with official Ray Acosta.
“It just can’t happen. I said what I said. I deserved to be kicked out at that point,” Green said on his podcast. “Kind of wish I would have turned my body and angled it and gone to the bench, but yeah, it just can’t happen.”
Draymond Green spoke about his ejection on his podcast. The Draymond Green Show/YouTube During the first quarter on Wednesday, Green began arguing with Acosta after being called for his first foul.
The jawing continued after Steph Curry was called for a shooting foul, and Green got in Acosta’s face and yelled at him.
One technical foul didn’t stop him, and Acosta gave him a second, ending Green’s night — just over three and a half minutes into the game.
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Crew chief Mitchell Ervin told reporters after the game that the second technical foul was given “after a prolonged diatribe, Green directed egregious profane vanguard towards a game official.”
It was Green’s fourth ejection of the season, a career-high for the Warriors’ veteran, and his second this year that came in the first quarter.
According to ESPN Stats & Info, Green is the first player to be ejected at least four times in a season since Kevin Durant in 2017-18.
Draymond Green argues with referee Ray Acosta moments before being thrown out of the game Getty Images Durant was ejected five times that season.
“I’m not going to overreact, like, ‘Oh man!'” Green said on his podcast. “Stuff is never as good as it seems — it’s never as bad as it seems. I know where I am. I understand what I’m doing moving forward. And my position is just make sure that’s the exception and not the rule.”
The Warriors still won, 101-93, even without Green playing almost the entire game.
Andrew Wiggins led Golden State with 23 points, while Curry and Klay Thompson added 17 and 15 points, respectively.
The Warriors remain in the 10-seed spot in the Western Conference, staying a game ahead of the surging Rockets, who have won 10 straight.
