The Golden State Warriors had a rough night in Houston on Wednesday, falling 109-94 to the Rockets in Game 2 of their playoff series.
While the scoreboard told one part of the story, the atmosphere inside the Toyota Center added another layer, as Draymond Green found himself the target of relentless heckling from the Houston crowd.
Throughout the game, fans repeatedly chanted “F*** you Draymond,” trying to get under the skin of the Warriors‘ outspoken forward.
But when asked about it during postgame media availability, Green wasn’t fazed in the slightest. In fact, he shrugged off the crowd’s effort as derivative.
“It’s not original,” Green said, shaking his head at the question. “I’ve been there before and won a championship while it was happening…can’t steal other people’s s***. That belongs to Boston.”
Green was referencing the 2022 NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics, where the crowd at TD Garden was notoriously hostile toward him. The Warriors went on to win that series in six games, securing Green‘s fourth NBA title. So when it comes to verbal jabs from opposing fans, Green has seen and heard it all-and he’s walked away with hardware to show for it.
However, the confident words didn’t mask the Warriors‘ struggles on the court Wednesday night. Without key contributors at full strength, Golden State looked far from championship form.
Injuries and illness leave Golden State shorthanded
One of the biggest blows for the Warriors came early in the game when Jimmy Butler-who had played just over seven minutes-took a hard fall on his back and was forced to exit. He didn’t return, and his absence left a clear void in the Warriors‘ defensive intensity and floor spacing.
Adding to the team’s problems, rookie Brandin Podziemski, who had already been listed as questionable due to illness, was clearly not himself. His limited presence further weakened Golden State‘s rotation.
Green finished the night with a modest stat line: eight points, five rebounds, and five turnovers.
Stephen Curry, normally the team’s offensive engine, managed just 20 points in a game where the Warriors never found their rhythm.
The Rockets out-rebounded Golden State 47-33, exploiting the energy gap created by the Warriors‘ thin rotation.
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