The Golden State Warriors got a much-needed win by beating the Phoenix Suns 119-116. It would have been a disastrous loss for Golden State, as it would have been their fourth consecutive defeat. Thankfully for the Warriors, Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler combined for 53 points.
Draymond Green only got to play eight minutes, as he was ejected from the game with two technical fouls. It was a surprising call because most people did not expect that to happen, but the Warriors had to play almost the whole game without their best defender.
Kerr calls out the refs and Dillon Brooks
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr admits that at least one technical foul was warranted because Green was talking to the referees. However, Kerr disliked that the second technical was quickly called on Green, which led to the ejection.
Kerr was livid about the call, which led to him also getting a technical foul. It was a bad stretch for the Warriors because they lost a top defender and playmaker. However, it appeared that the Warriors were fueled by Green's ejection.
More: Ranking 3 Key Golden State Warriors Trade Targets
"I thought it was weak. He was yelling at the refs, so he definitely deserved one. But then, he was walking to the bench, and he yelled something, and the second technical. We saw one guy on their team literally punch Steph in the stomach the other night. Pre-meditated, punches him in the stomach, no ejection for that," Kerr said after the game.
Dillon Brooks was the player that Kerr was talking about, which was why he was livid. Kerr wanted to call it out because it was not the best moment for the referees, given the context a couple of days prior.
Curry credits the ejection as the motivation for the Warriors
The Warriors needed a win after their struggles in the past few weeks. They lost to the same Suns team on Thursday, so they wanted to get revenge for that. However, it was a tough matchup for the Warriors, especially when Green got ejected.
Thankfully for the Warriors, Curry and Butler stepped up in his place. Curry himself credited the ejection as some sort of a wake-up call for the Warriors, as they needed that to get the win.
More: Warriors' Steph Curry makes basketball history never done in NBA for his position
"Yeah, it's tough. We were energized at the beginning of the game, knowing that it was a good opportunity to bounce back. There was a weird, choppy, physical game in the first quarter. It spilled into the second, I think it woke us up because we knew without him, we had to play tougher," Curry said after the game about the ejection.
Now, the Warriors are 14-15 on the season, clinging to the eighth seed in the Western Conference. It will be a tough stretch moving forward, but the Warriors are ready to improve in their quest to make the postseason.