Inside Draymond Green’s Ejection After Tangling With Khaman Maluach And Dillon Brooks

Draymond Green was ejected early in the third quarter after wrapping his arms around Phoenix Suns center Khaman Maluach to pull him down and subsequently placing a hand on Dillon Brooks' neck during the resulting scuffle.

The fiery confrontation instantly altered the complexion of Monday’s showdown between Golden State and Phoenix.

Golden State was locked in a tight battle on November 2 before the sudden disruption stopped play entirely.

Tensions boiled over when Green and Maluach fought for position on the hardwood.

According to The Associated Press, Green first tumbled to the floor during physical contact with the Suns' rookie big man.

Rather than releasing the play as he fell, Green wrapped both arms firmly around Maluach.

The veteran forward used his momentum and grip to drag the seven-foot center down directly with him.

Before either player could cleanly untangle on the hardwood, Dillon Brooks rushed directly into the scene.

CHAOS AT MIDCOURT

Brooks immediately confronted Green, prompting an intense exchange between the two long-standing rivals.

The gathering quickly transformed from a physical tangle into an aggressive shoving match between multiple players.

During the heat of the standoff, Green raised his arm and placed a hand on Brooks’ neck.

Game officials and team staff members sprinted in immediately to pull the opposing groups apart.

Brooks received a technical foul for his aggressive role in escalating the altercation.

Green, however, bore the brunt of the officiating crew’s ruling for his series of actions.

The veteran forward was assessed consecutive technical fouls on the same possession.

Under NBA rules, receiving two technical fouls in a single game triggers an automatic ejection from the contest.

Green was instructed to leave the court immediately and headed back to the locker room.

The abrupt departure forced Golden State to navigate the remainder of the second half without their defensive anchor.

NAVIGATING A SUDDEN ROTATION VOID

Losing Green so early in the third quarter placed significant strategic pressure on head coach Steve Kerr.

Green serves as the central communicator for the Warriors’ entire defensive scheme.

His voice directs rotations, warns teammates of weakside screens, and coordinates perimeter switches.

On the offensive end, Green operates as a primary playmaker who routinely relieves pressure off the team's shooters.

Without his high-post passing, Golden State had to quickly redistribute ball-handling and playmaking duties.

Despite the sudden disruption, Golden State managed to close out a gritty 116-113 victory over the Suns.

The narrow three-point margin showed how closely contested every single possession had become down the stretch.

Following the final buzzer, Kerr noted that Green remained in good spirits despite the early ejection.

Yet the controversial sequence left fans and analysts divided over whether the incident warranted an outright disqualification.

POSTGAME FALLOUT AND CRITICISM

The physical clash prompted sharp postgame commentary from both inside the locker room and across national media.

Warriors center Charles Bassey addressed the physical nature of the game and openly questioned the Suns’ tactics.

Bassey argued that genuine physical basketball is about hard work rather than instigating confrontations.

“Like I said, it was all fake because being physical doesn’t mean you have to scuffle with guys,” Bassey said after the game.

“And I mean, that doesn’t mean you’re tough, you know what I mean?” Bassey added.

“Being physical is playing hard every possession, you know, going out there, fighting for rebounds and, you know, doing what I’m doing,” Bassey continued.

“That’s being physical, you know, challenging every shot and going out there, you know, two or three guys trying to box me out on the offensive end,” the Warriors center explained.

“And that’s being physical, still getting the rebound,” Bassey stressed.

Bassey concluded his postgame assessment by stating: “But I mean, what they’re doing is all fake. That’s a fake toughness, man.”

Bassey had engaged in his own separate physical exchange with Jalen Green later in the night.

That secondary fourth-quarter confrontation ended with Miles Bridges collecting a technical foul for shoving the Warriors center.

FORMER PLAYERS WEIGH IN

Bassey’s remarks drew a swift and critical public response from former NBA player and current broadcaster Eddie Johnson.

Johnson took to social media to highlight Green’s extensive history of on-court infractions.

“Bassey is definitely a surprise element for the Warriors, but obviously his eyesight is a little off when you have the ultimate groin kicker on your team,” Johnson wrote on X.

The pointed remark revived previous disputes between Johnson and the Golden State organization.

Back in January 2026, Green had publicly criticized Jordan Poole for not stepping into a fight between Mark Williams and Jose Alvarado.

Johnson responded at that time by bringing up Green’s own infamous 2022 practice altercation with Poole.

Meanwhile, former NBA champion Matt Barnes also weighed in on the third-quarter incident involving Phoenix.

Barnes called out Brooks directly, suggesting that the Suns wing backed down after charging toward Green.

ANALYSTS QUESTION ON-COURT VALUE

While some debated the optics of the scuffle, ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins focused his evaluation on Green’s production.

Perkins offered a scathing critique of the veteran forward during an appearance on HoopsHype.

“Draymond Green has been more of a liability than an asset,” Perkins asserted bluntly.

“We know that he is known for as one of the best defensive players that we have ever seen,” Perkins noted.

“I get that. But I am talking about this season,” Perkins added during the broadcast.

“This season, he has to give more, dog,” Perkins continued.

Perkins highlighted Green’s modest offensive production to support his argument.

“Three points, 38% from the field, 26% from the three,” Perkins observed.

“Unless it comes to fighting, this is our first time even having a discussion about Draymond and his impact on the game,” Perkins said.