Draymond Green cannot help himself.
The Warriors entered Wednesday's game against the Magic fighting to stay in the Play-In picture with 11 games remaining in the NBA season. They held a one-game lead over the Rockets for 10th place in the Western Conference.
Golden State pulled off a 101-93 win at Orlando, but the team did so largely without Green.
Less than four minutes into the game, the All-Star forward received a pair of technical fouls for arguing a foul call. He was ejected with 8:24 to play in the first quarter.
Why was Green ejected? And how did teammate Steph Curry and head coach Steve Kerr react? The Sporting News breaks down the sequence and the aftermath below.
Draymond Green ejected vs. Magic
Green played less than four minutes in the Warriors' game Wednesday night against the Magic before he was ejected.
In the first quarter, Orlando star forward Paolo Banchero attacked the rim against Andrew Wiggins, finishing through contact as he drew a foul for an and-one.
Even though Green wasn't defending on the play, he didn't care for the call. The Warriors forward got in NBA official Ray Acosta's face, arguing the foul. He picked up one quick technical foul as his teammates, Stephen Curry and Chris Paul, tried to remove him from the situation.
Green wouldn't let it go, though. He continued to bark at the referee as he headed toward the bench, so Acosta gave Green a second technical foul, ejecting him from the game.
Draymond picked up two technicals and was ejected after having words with the ref pic.twitter.com/tn2muDIXGo
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) March 27, 2024
Green addressed the incident on Thursday saying on his podcast, "The Draymond Green Show," that he deserved the ejection.
Draymond talks about the ejection on "The Draymond Green Show."
— 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) March 28, 2024
"It just can't happen. I said what I said, I deserved to be kicked out at that point. Kind of wish I would have turned my body and angled it and gone to the bench, but yeah it just can't happen."
Stephen Curry reaction to Draymond Green ejection
Curry was visibly upset with Green's lack of composure after the ejection.
The Warriors were already without starting forward Jonathan Kuminga in the contest due to left knee soreness. Without Green, they were down another key defender against the Magic with their playoff hopes at stake.
After the game, though, Curry embraced Green as he walked to the locker room.
Draymond and Steph embrace after the game 🤝
— The Sporting News (@sportingnews) March 28, 2024
🎥: @warriors https://t.co/gOKLUW4yqK pic.twitter.com/YgitQj4vrR
Kerr described the ejection as "too bad" and "unfortunate" in his postgame comments, though he didn't quibble with the referees' decision: "He deserved it."
The coach recently had discussed his pride in Green's growth over the course of the season. This ejection did not diminish that, he said.
History of Draymond Green's ejections, technical fouls
Green picked up his ninth and 10th technical foul against the Magic, tying him for ninth-most in the NBA this season. This was also his fourth ejection of the season, which leads the NBA.
This was the second time that Green has been ejected in the first quarter of a game this season. He also was tossed in the first quarter when he put Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert in a headlock back in November.
Additionally, Green served an indefinite suspension (which lasted 12 games) after kicking Suns center Jusuf Nurkic in the head back in December.
MORE: Draymond Green suspension timeline: Complete history of most controversial plays
Green is making the wrong kind of progress toward Rasheed Wallace's all-time ejections record (29). This marked Green's 21st career ejection, which is the second-most in NBA history.
