Written by Marc Stein at ESPN.com
The NBA elected not to suspend Golden State Warriors star Draymond Greenfor his kick to the groin area of Oklahoma City Thunder center Steven Adams in Game 3 of the Western Conference finals Sunday.
Green’s foul was upgraded from a flagrant foul 1 to a flagrant foul 2, with a $25,000 fine attached, but the league has decided not to issue a suspension.
He now has three flagrant foul points this postseason, and one more would result in an automatic suspension.
Green and Golden State coach Steve Kerr had been lobbying for the flagrant foul to be rescinded, insisting the kick was unintentional.
Though Kiki VanDeWeghe, the NBA’s executive vice president of basketball operations, said in a statement that Green’s actions were “unnecessary and excessive and warranted the upgrade and fine,” he seemed to agree with Green’s explanation that he was exaggerating his shooting motion.
“During a game, players — at times — flail their legs in an attempt to draw a foul,” VanDeWeghe said, “but Green’s actions in this case warranted an additional penalty.”
Green was adamant on Monday that NBA official Scott Foster told him that he believed the contact was incidental.
“I said, ‘Scott, how am I getting a flagrant because my leg went in the air trying to follow through on a shot?’ He said, ‘Draymond, I’m not saying it’s intentional. Honestly, I don’t think it was intentional at all. But you caught him in the groin area, so I have to give you a flagrant,'” Green said. “I didn’t argue it. It said, ‘OK, that’s understandable.'”
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