The Golden State Warriors might be the best team in basketball, but they’re far from perfect.
The Memphis Grizzlies proved as much Friday night, coming from 24 down to shock Golden State in overtime, 128-119. It was an ugly loss for the Warriors, considering they were leading by two points with a little over 30 seconds to play in regulation and had the ball. Here’s what happened on that possession:
Warriors' Kevin Durant calls for ball on crucial late possession, Stephen Curry relents, Draymond Green reacts w/ frustration pic.twitter.com/VROJSAZ0cZ
— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) January 7, 2017
Rather than run an offensive set, Stephen Curry reluctantly flipped the ball to Kevin Durant, who launched a contested 3-pointer as his teammates stood idly by. Draymond Green appeared especially irked by the play, not even moving as Durant’s shot went up.
Never one to hide his feelings, Green lit into Durant as the team returned to the court following a timeout.
Draymond ain't happy with KD pic.twitter.com/bc97cDJaZg
— Full Court Prez (@fullcourtprez) January 7, 2017
Green is a very emotional player, but it’s still pretty shocking to see anyone chew out Durant like this, especially in the middle of the court.
Yet Green’s confrontation with Durant might not be as bad as it looks. After the game, Green argued Golden State’s loss could be a positive because it identified the team’s struggles in the fourth quarter.
“Our fourth-quarter offense has been atrocious, and I don’t know if you could see,” Green said, via ESPN.com. “… I’m actually happy we lost (Friday), because there’s some things that we need to correct in order to win a championship, and that’s our goal. … So I’m kind of thrilled that we lost because you usually make corrections when you lose.”
The Warriors are averaging just 25.6 fourth-quarter points per game, 13th in the NBA. If they can take a lesson from Friday’s game, though, they’ll become an even greater force to be reckoned with.
