Stephen Curry had just connected with Draymond Green for an open three-pointer on the wing, giving the Golden State Warriors a 30-20 lead in the second quarter of Game 1 and prompting the Minnesota Timberwolves to call a timeout. As Green headed back to the huddle, he noticed Curry on the opposite side of the court, struggling to move. Green went to check on his long-time teammate.
“I`ll be back,” Curry told Green as the point guard limped towards the tunnel and locker room.
Curry did not return to the game.
With the team`s superstar icing his injured hamstring in the visitors` locker room, Green secured a rebound on the next possession and quickly advanced the ball. Moments later, he sank another three-pointer from the top of the key. Shortly after, Green hit his fourth three, extending the Warriors` lead over the Wolves to 14 points with seven minutes left in the second quarter. Even without Curry, Golden State`s advantage grew significantly, reaching as much as 23 points in the third quarter, culminating in a 99-88 victory and an early series lead.
At a time when the Warriors might have faltered without their primary scorer, Green energized the team. Beyond leading a defense that stifled Anthony Edwards into missing his first 10 shots and held Minnesota to just 88 points – their second-lowest total of the season – Green also assisted Jimmy Butler in running the offense, contributing 18 points, eight rebounds, and six assists in the Game 1 win. His four three-pointers were the second-most for the team, trailing only Buddy Hield`s five.
Green has regained his composure after feeling “embarrassed” by his rocky Game 6 performance against the Houston Rockets and is playing a key role in Golden State`s recent two-game winning streak. He will need to maintain this high level of play with Curry expected to be out until at least Game 4 with a Grade 1 left hamstring strain, starting with Game 2 on Thursday night.
Five nights prior, facing elimination in Game 7 on the road in Houston, the Warriors held a critical team meeting decided upon by Curry, Butler, and Green. Green shared his feelings openly with his teammates, a practice he`s developed over recent years with the help of therapy and counseling. He pledged to lead the team with greater poise and set the right tone in Game 7, a commitment that extended into Game 1 in Minneapolis.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr praised Green, stating, “He`s our leader.” Kerr added that when Green is playing effectively, “he`s an incredible player to watch,” highlighting his defensive command, his patience, his ability to avoid turnovers, and his smart positioning offensively. Kerr noted that after Game 6, the team felt “scattered” and “out of sorts.”
Just 24 hours before his sixth career Game 7, Green sought to refocus. He listened to relaxing R&B music from the 90s like Jodeci and H-Town, along with contemporary artists like SZA and Brent Faiyaz.
He also had candid conversations with his closest confidants: his wife, Hazel Renee, his college coach Tom Izzo (who offered tough love), his best friend and former Spartan teammate Travis Walton, and even his barber.
Izzo`s tough love was much-needed, Green told ESPN. “I spent [those] two days embarrassed just at what I gave [in Game 6], what I gave to the world,” Green said. “I wanted to come out and prove again just who I am with poise but with the same fire, same tenacity.”
Green visited a spa and meditated, utilizing techniques learned from hours of therapy and counseling sessions that followed his indefinite suspension last season for incidents involving Rudy Gobert and Jusuf Nurkic.
When Coach Kerr later joined Saturday`s team meeting, he initially intended to outline the keys for Game 7 and tell Green he needed better leadership. However, Green felt they were like “an old married couple repeating the same things,” as Kerr echoed sentiments Green had just shared with his teammates.
It`s a partnership that has yielded four championships. Kerr has consistently stated that Green is one of the greatest competitors he`s ever been around and “the best defender I`ve ever seen in my life.”
On the morning of Game 7 at the team shootaround, Kerr had a significant discussion with Green. Kerr was seen pointing towards the court multiple times, while Green listened intently, nodding in agreement.
Green described the talk as “one of the better conversations we`ve ever had.” Kerr shared stories, reminded Green of his career accomplishments, emphasized that Game 7`s outcome wouldn`t define his legacy, and urged him to play with poised enjoyment, setting an example for the rest of the Warriors.
During that same meeting, Curry spoke to the team about focusing on controllable aspects of the game that don`t appear in the box score.
He saw Green`s Game 7 performance as the perfect example of how the emotional player can handle the physical and mentally taxing series expected ahead.
“No better lesson than [Game 7],” Curry said Sunday. “Like make it about basketball. He doesn`t need to be a mute and not talk and be demonstrative. We wanted that type of [intense and fiery] Draymond, but conserve the energy towards us, our huddles. Even when he had that kind of mix-up with [Fred] VanVleet, he didn`t react, go talk to the refs, try to plead his case. It didn`t go his way. He kept it about basketball.”
Green is aware that he will be closely watched, especially regarding how he handles Rudy Gobert both physically and mentally. While he mostly maintained his composure against Gobert during the regular season, Green is known for pushing boundaries. He famously quoted a comedian, stating after a previous game, “I`ve always walked that line. That`s who I am. Habitual line-stepper.” Green faces an automatic one-game suspension with two more flagrant foul points or three more technical fouls.
When Green received a technical foul in Game 7 after making contact with VanVleet, he was visibly frustrated on the bench, but teammates and coaches, including Butler and assistants Terry Stotts and Jerry Stackhouse, helped calm him. Curry also offered a lengthy handshake, seemingly to ensure his emotional teammate remained focused.
In a hostile environment where fans directed chants at him in the Toyota Center, Green responded with his play, contributing 16 points, six rebounds, five assists, and two blocks, and leading a defense that held Houston to just 89 points. He significantly minimized his usual on-court theatrics, delivering the composed performance Kerr needed.
On Thursday, Green will face the challenge of playing a playoff game without Curry, a situation not seen since the 2018 Western Conference semifinals, when Curry was sidelined in Game 1 against New Orleans. While the Warriors have a positive 9-3 playoff record without Curry, those games involved younger core players, a deeper roster, and often included Kevin Durant (who played in six of those games).
Coach Kerr anticipates relying more on Green for playmaking with the ball, something Houston tried to counter in the first round by having VanVleet guard Green. Green is in an elite group, being one of only eight players in NBA history with over 1,000 playoff rebounds and 1,000 playoff assists, joining Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Scottie Pippen, and Jason Kidd.
Without Curry, Green will likely take on some point guard duties to ease the ball-handling load on Jimmy Butler and organize the offense. Kerr stated the coaching staff was strategizing on Wednesday about how to best navigate Curry`s absence.
Reflecting on his four turnovers in Game 1, Green acknowledged, “Your margin for error shrinks dramatically without Steph.” He added, “I`m not going to come out and be like, `Aw man, I need to be Steph.` I can`t do that. But I may have to handle a little more. Just play my role, honor the game plan that Coach gives us, if that`s me making more plays, I`ll try to do that.”
Following the impressive Game 1 victory, Green continued to energize his team through leadership. Even though Curry was seen limping, Green insisted that the Warriors “won`t panic.”
His commitment to improved leadership is crucial now more than ever. Green emphasized, “I have to keep it similar for my guys,” stressing that maintaining his focus and composure is vital for the team, regardless of external factors like facing Gobert. “Finding that balance, finding that line, not crossing it is important for me and this team, and I gave them my word. I`ll continue to give them my word.”