SAN FRANCISCO -- Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green was ejected for the first time this season -- and 31st time of his career -- after receiving two technical fouls in the same sequence during Monday night's 116-113 win over the Phoenix Suns.
With 10 minutes left in the third quarter, Green was knocked to the court while under the hoop defending Suns center Khaman Maluach. Green immediately bounced up, grabbed Maluach and was called for a personal foul before tossing Maluach to the court after the whistle for what officials called a "throwdown" that led to the first technical.
Phoenix forward Dillon Brooks then ran from the top of the key to confront Green for the hard foul. The longtime rivals grabbed each other's jerseys and locked into a brief staredown, needing to be separated.
"I was just trying to de-escalate it," Brooks said. "He was just tweaking all game."
After review, officials called a double technical on Green and Brooks, triggering an automatic ejection for Green.
"That's just the greatest NBA basketball players on earth competing," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. "Nothing serious happened."
Green, who didn't speak to reporters postgame, has three technical fouls in six games this season. It marked the 23rd regular-season ejection of Green's 15-year career. He has also been ejected eight times in the playoffs.
"He lit a fire in all of us," Stephen Curry said of Green. "We had to respond. I'm glad we did."
The Warriors, sleepwalking on the second night of a back-to-back set against a rested Suns team, were down 67-57 when Green was disqualified. After the ejection, they outscored Phoenix by 13 points to win a fifth consecutive game.
Green's replacement, backup center Charles Bassey, had the best game of his career. Bassey finished with 19 points and eight rebounds in 23 minutes, setting the stage for Curry to finish off the Suns.
Curry scored 34 points in his 33 minutes, including five 3s and 11 free throws. He is 51-of-52 from the line this season and is averaging 30 points (third in the NBA) through six games.
