Draymond Green’s return to the court was short-lived on Saturday night, and in classic Draymond fashion, it didn’t go quietly.
Early in the second quarter of the Warriors’ matchup with the Suns at Chase Center, Green was ejected after picking up two quick technical fouls - one for a shove, the other for arguing. The moment unfolded as the teams transitioned back on defense.
Suns guard Collin Gillespie appeared to slow up in front of Green, who responded by extending his arms and giving Gillespie a clear shove. That earned him his first tech.
The second came seconds later, as Green continued jawing at the officials.
It was a flashpoint in a game that already had some heat baked in. Just two days earlier, these same teams met in a nail-biter that ended with a controversial foul call and a Suns win at the buzzer.
That game saw its own share of fireworks - Suns forward Dillon Brooks picked up a flagrant for hitting Steph Curry in the midsection on a contested three. So, when the teams squared off again on Saturday, it didn’t take long for tempers to resurface.
This time, it was Warriors star Jimmy Butler who lit the fuse early. After a made basket in the first quarter, Butler tossed the ball at Brooks - a clear message that Thursday’s antics hadn’t been forgotten. Green’s ejection came not long after, in the following quarter, adding another layer to the growing tension between these two Western Conference teams.
Draymond Green has been ejected from the game following this sequence 😳 pic.twitter.com/U5pE3NQDje
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) December 21, 2025
For Green, this was familiar territory. He entered the night with 20 career ejections and had already racked up four technical fouls this season. As he headed off the floor, visibly frustrated and shouting in the direction of the officials, teammate Moses Moody and several Warriors staff members stepped in to guide him toward the locker room.
It’s yet another chapter in the ongoing saga of Draymond Green - a player whose passion and edge have defined his career, but who continues to walk the thinnest of lines between intensity and volatility. And with the Warriors in the thick of a season where every game matters, the question once again becomes: can they channel that fire without getting burned?