HOUSTON (AP) — Golden State’s Draymond Green spent the last two days embarrassed after losing his poise early in a Game 6 loss to the Houston Rockets.
He told the team in a meeting before Game 7 that he’d set a much better tone on Sunday night.
He did just that, keeping his cool to help the Warriors advance to the Western Conference semifinals with a 103-89 win.
“He said: ‘I’ve got to be poised and I have to be better and we’re gonna come in here tomorrow and get it done,’” coach Steve Kerr said. “I think his emotional stability tonight, just his poise from the start I thought it set a great tone.”
In Game 6, Green picked up an offensive foul at the 8:53 mark of the first quarter for shoving Jalen Green. The play went to review and the foul was determined to be a flagrant-1.
The four-time NBA champ believes that play contributed to how things went down in the 115-107 loss Friday night and said that was the reason they got “bullied.”
“I pouted way too much last game,” Green said. “So, I spent the last two days embarrassed just at what I gave to the game, what I gave to the world.”
To make sure he kept his emotions in check this game the notoriously fiery player spent time at the spa, meditated and listened only to slow music in the last two days. Only songs from artists such as Brent Faiyaz, SZA and 90s R&B stars were on his playlist leading up to this game.
“I know I can ratchet my intensity up,” he said. “I know I’m gonna be… (intense), and I felt like I was going too far.”
He said he was dying to get back on the court and show that he could be a much better leader as the Warriors tried to advance to the next round. And Green delivered a strong defensive performance with no emotional lapses that cost the team Sunday night.
“I wanted to come out and prove again just who I am with poise but with the same fire and same tenacity,” he said. “I think I delivered that and gave our guys something to follow.”
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