Draymond Green returned to the court for the Golden State Warriors on Saturday night to face the Utah Jazz. He wasn't around for long.
As the Warriors and the Jazz battled through the first half of action, Green found himself in hot water with the referees as he argued over calls. Two technical fouls led to an ejection.
Since Green is recognized as one of the more outspoken veterans in the game, he has to be able to take what he can dish. The 17-year NBA veteran Eddie Johnson had words for Green, calling him out on social media for putting himself in a position to leave his team early.
"This guy on his podcast analyzing Mark Williams reluctance to Punch Jose Alvarado and everyone else's negatives in what they should do," Johnson wrote on the social media platform X.
"[Draymond] continues to leave his team high and dry when they need him most is amazing!"
The Warriors ended up faring well without Green on the court on Saturday.
Although they trailed when he left the game before halftime, a second-half rally led to a 123-114 victory for the Warriors, which helped them improve to 19-17 on the season.
Jimmy Butler and Quinten Post each scored 15 points. Steph Curry returned after missing Friday's action and led the way with 31 points and five assists. The sprained ankle wasn't bothering him enough to keep him from helping the Warriors pull off a bounce-back victory.
As for Green, he left after 12 minutes of action. His night concluded with eight points, three rebounds, and two assists. He was a minus-15 throughout the first half. With his pair of techs on Saturday, Green is second in the NBA with 12 technical fouls this year.
The Warriors will be back on the court on Monday night to take on the Los Angeles Clippers. Barring any unexpected setbacks, Green should be good to return.
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