Golden State Warriors will face the Atlanta Hawks on Friday without Draymond Green, who has been suspended for exceeding the NBA's technical foul limit. The 33-year-old forward received his 16th technical foul during the second quarter of the Wednesday game against Los Angeles Clippers, leading to an automatic one-game suspension without pay as per NBA rules.
The suspension came after Green tossed a ball that hit Clippers point guard Russell Westbrook's head following a Clippers bucket with 40.8 seconds left in the second quarter. Despite the possibility of the suspension being rescinded after further review, Green seemed doubtful, saying, "If that's a tech, then every word you say on the court is a tech. We'll see."
While Green has reached 15 technical fouls twice before, it is the first time he has crossed the technical foul limit in his 11-year NBA career. The Warriors currently sit at the No. 6 spot in the Western Conference with a record of 36-34 following their loss to the Clippers.
Also read | Draymond Green: Comparing his game to Tupac's thoughtful but aggressive persona
{{/usCountry}}Also read | Draymond Green: Comparing his game to Tupac's thoughtful but aggressive persona
{{/usCountry}}Green's absence may affect the Warriors' chances of securing their playoff spot, but they will have to do their best in the remaining four games of their current five-game road trip. The NBA has also announced that any technical foul Green is called for in the Warriors' final games will result in a $5,000 fine, and every two techs will result in another one-game suspension. The Warriors are looking forward to Green's return when they visit the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday.