Draymond Green Fires Back After Ejection in Heated Suns Loss

Draymond Green was ejected from Monday night’s game against the Phoenix Suns two minutes into the third quarter.

It was his first ejection of the season, in the Warriors’ eighth game.

It was the 31st ejection of his career.

The flashpoint came on a hard foul against Suns center Khaman Maluach.

After the whistle, Green picked Maluach up and threw him to the floor.

Officials called a technical foul for the throwdown.

Dillon Brooks sprinted in from the top of the key.

Brooks and Green grabbed each other’s jerseys.

Green put a hand on Brooks’ neck.

After a review, both players received technical fouls.

Because it was Green’s second technical of the night, he was ejected.

Golden State was trailing 68-57 at the time.

The Warriors rallied and won 116-113 for their fifth straight victory.

Stephen Curry scored 34 points to lead the comeback.

Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski said the ejection ignited the team.

“I loved it,” Podziemski told reporters.

“It fueled our team.”

He added: “We didn’t have that edge to start the game. Then that kind of changed the game for us. Everybody locked in a little bit more and came together for Dray. I think it was needed.”

After the game, Green explained his side on his show.

“You must stand on that type of time as a big man,” Green said.

“If you don’t, your paint get ran through, no rim protection cause there’s no respect after that, that’s gotta happen,” he continued.

“So the next time you gonna try something you gotta think about it.”

Green then pointed to what he saw as the real story.

“The plot twist is like Dillon Brooks running up, spewing the things out that he was spewing out, Miles Bridges was trying to de-escalate,” Green said.

“You were trying to be the villain and that type of energy will not ever be respected,” he added.

Brooks gave a different account after the game.

“I was just trying to de-escalate it,” Brooks said.

“He was just tweaking all game.”

That is the opposite of how Green described the exchange.

That contradiction is the main reason the debate has continued.

The game stayed tense after Green left.

Late in the fourth quarter, Charles Bassey tangled with Jalen Green on a rebound.

Miles Bridges ran in and shoved Bassey.

Officials gave Bridges a technical for escalating the situation.

That is not quite the de-escalation role Draymond described.

Bassey was blunt about it, calling the Suns’ approach “fake toughness.”

Green has become Golden State’s starting center this season.

In that position, reputation matters as much as technique.

In Green’s view, a big man who lets a physical play go unanswered invites opponents to attack the paint all night.

The four-time NBA champion argued that the throwdown was a necessary statement.

This ejection was the latest in a long history between Green and the Suns.

Almost a year ago, on Dec. 20, 2025, Green was thrown out of a Warriors-Suns game barely ten minutes in.

That ejection came two days after Dillon Brooks hit Stephen Curry with a flagrant foul in Phoenix.

Now the same matchup produced the same result.

The NBA reviewed the incident for possible suspension.

According to Bleacher Report, Green will not be suspended by the NBA after the fight with Brooks.

Green is rostered in about 30% of Yahoo fantasy basketball leagues.