The Warriors needed a spark-and as strange as it sounds, Draymond Green getting tossed in the second quarter may have been exactly that.
Down 11 to Phoenix in the first half, Golden State looked flat, especially on the defensive end. But when Green was ejected after a pair of quick technicals-first for shoving Suns guard Collin Gillespie in transition, then for taunting lead official Pat Fraher-the entire energy shifted.
The Warriors, suddenly without their emotional anchor, responded with grit and urgency. What followed was a collective defensive stand that helped snap a three-game skid and reminded everyone what this team can still be when it locks in.
“Sometimes we take advantage of Draymond, what he does for us, and we count on him to clean up everything,” said Gary Payton II. “But once he’s out of there, we know we all got to come together and do it collectively.
I think everybody felt that. And when we’re doing that as a unit, we can be pretty damn good.”
Phoenix came out firing, putting up 44 points in the first quarter and throwing down five dunks. It looked like it might be a long night for the Warriors.
But after Green’s exit, Golden State responded with a level of defensive intensity that’s been missing during their recent slide. Over the second and third quarters, they held the Suns to just 31.8% shooting from the field-a dramatic turnaround that flipped the game’s momentum.
Stephen Curry acknowledged the wake-up call: “I think it woke us up. Because we knew without him, we’re going to have to play even tougher, dig deeper down the rotation. I think everybody was kind of on alert and trying to have his back.”
Head coach Steve Kerr didn’t hold back when asked about the ejection. He called it “weak” and pointed to a recent incident involving Dillon Brooks as a comparison.
In the previous matchup between these two teams, Kerr believes Brooks landed a “premeditated” punch to Curry’s stomach. The play was reviewed and ruled a flagrant 1, but Brooks stayed in the game.
Kerr’s frustration was clear.
“How can you not be upset?” Kerr said.
“This is a guy who broke Gary’s elbow in the playoffs, clotheslining him with one of the dirtiest plays I’ve ever seen. So it’s not like there’s not a track record there, and it’s right there, they look at it.
I don’t know what the point of replay is if you’re not gonna kick a guy out for literally punching somebody. It’s bizarre to me that he was not, first of all, ejected from that game, and then suspended or fined.
Nothing. Nothing.”
Beyond the drama, the night also offered a glimpse into the Warriors’ future-and their depth. Rookie guard Will Richard stepped into the spotlight with a 20-point performance. He only got the opportunity because Kerr made the tough call to sit Buddy Hield, ending the veteran’s 199-game streak of consecutive appearances.
“I told him beforehand, I feel terrible,” Kerr said. “He had a streak of 199 games in a row, it was one of the longest streaks in the league and one of the things I love about Buddy is he’s there for you every single night.
He’s the greatest teammate ever and just an amazing spirit and a key part of our team, and it felt terrible not to play him. But I sat Will the last five or six games and we needed to get him back out there-and you can see why.”
Kerr made it clear that Hield’s time will come again. “Buddy’s time will come back around, it always does. He has got the right attitude, he’s going to keep working and getting shots up and I know things will work out for him.”
In a separate interview, Kerr reflected on his long run with Curry and Green, and how much he values coaching them. He even shared a little-known draft-day story: back in 2009, when he was the GM of the Suns, he nearly pulled off a deal to bring Curry to Phoenix.
That didn’t happen, but Kerr’s connection to Curry has only grown stronger through the years. And even with his contract expiring after this season, Kerr made one thing clear: “I will never leave Steph Curry.”
Saturday’s win wasn’t just about snapping a losing streak. It was a reminder of the Warriors’ identity-one forged through adversity, held together by chemistry, and still capable of rising to the moment when the lights are brightest.