The Golden State Warriors rolled past the Orlando Magic with a commanding 120-97 win, a much-needed statement game in a season that’s been anything but smooth. On the floor, Golden State looked like the team we’ve come to expect over the last decade - fluid ball movement, sharp shooting, and a defense that finally clicked. But off the court, a different kind of drama took center stage.
Late in the third quarter, Draymond Green and head coach Steve Kerr had a visible exchange on the bench. Moments later, Green headed to the locker room and didn’t return to the game.
Given the context - Green’s recent ejection against the Suns and the ongoing scrutiny around his behavior - the moment raised eyebrows. Was this just another flare-up, or something deeper?
After the game, Kerr addressed the situation with his usual calm but firm tone. “We had it out a little bit, and he made his decision to go back to the locker room to cool off,” Kerr said.
“Everything is private. I got nothing further to add.
He wasn’t going back in [the game].”
That’s about as much as you’ll get from Kerr when it comes to internal matters. But his words - and the way he said them - suggest this wasn’t just a minor spat.
Green, the emotional engine of the Warriors, has always walked a fine line between passion and volatility. And while that edge has helped define the Warriors’ identity, it’s also become harder to manage as the team tries to squeeze one more run out of its aging core.
Still, the Warriors didn’t flinch. The team stayed locked in, closing out the win with the kind of poise and execution that’s defined their dynasty. For all the noise, the on-court product - at least for one night - looked like vintage Golden State.
And that’s what Kerr is banking on.
He’s been around dynasties before - as a player with the Bulls and Spurs, and now as the architect of this Warriors era. He knows how these things rise, and more importantly, how they fade. Reflecting on the Warriors’ journey, Kerr admitted this run didn’t start with the same fanfare as other dynasties.
“This one sort of snuck up on us,” Kerr said. “We didn’t really know, but once it did, we knew we were in the middle of it, and that was pretty cool.”
But Kerr also acknowledged what’s becoming increasingly clear: the end is near. The dynasty isn’t over - not yet - but the window is closing. And Kerr, ever the competitor, isn’t ready to shut it just yet.
“Well, it is closing, as we speak,” he said. “We just don’t know exactly when it’s gonna end, and what we’re hanging onto is the idea that we still have something left in the tank. And if all the pieces fall into place, we think we have a shot, and so we’re trying to get one more.”
That’s the mindset right now in Golden State: one more. One more playoff push.
One more run with Steph, Klay, and Draymond. One more chance to remind the league that this core - flawed, aging, but battle-tested - still knows how to win.
The Warriors aren’t pretending this is 2017. They know the landscape has changed. But if they can channel the focus they showed against Orlando, and if they can keep the internal fires from burning out of control, there’s still a path forward.
For now, the team moves on with a win in hand, a locker room that’s been through the wars, and a coach who still believes there’s something left to fight for.