Draymond Green Supports Santa Cruz Warriors in Comeback Win

Draymond Green was at Kaiser Permanente Arena to support the Santa Cruz Warriors in their win over the Salt Lake City Stars.

SANTA CRUZ, Calif. — The Santa Cruz Warriors (13-10) flipped the switch late in their game hosting the Salt Lake City Stars (6-17) at Kaiser Permanente Arena last Friday night, winning the contest 113-104.

The Sea Dubs will have a challenge on their hands as they prepare to face the Stars again Saturday night at 7:00 p.m. PST as part of a back-to-back home series against Salt Lake City.

But one of the biggest stories of the night was that Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green was in the building on Friday, there to support Golden State’s D-League affiliate. With Kevon Looney, Patrick McCaw, and Damian Jones on assignment, it made sense for the heartbeat of the team to come show the young guys some love.

"“I just wanted to come check out a game. I usually get out to a game once a year, or maybe sometimes twice a year. I thought it was good game to check out with Kevon playing down here, and Patrick with Damian, also,” said Green.“And then also my trainer and former teammate Travis Walker is coaching with Salt Lake City, so it was a perfect game for me to check out.”"

Looney was by far the most impressive out of the three assignees, posting 18 points (8-13 FG, 0-2 3P, 2-7 FT), 20 rebounds, one assist, two steals, and two blocks in 23 minutes.

McCaw added 10 points (3-9 FG, 1-5 3P, 3-4 FT), two rebounds, five assists, one steal and one block in 32 minutes, while Jones contributed six points (3-6 FG), seven rebounds, one steal, and four blocks in 25 minutes.

James Southerland turned out to be the late-game hero Surf City needed, leading all scorers with 29 points off the bench, shooting 10-for-17 from the field, 6-for-12 from behind the arc, and 3-for-3 from the free throw line. Phil Pressey finished with 20 points and seven assists, and LaDontae Henton had 10 points and six rebounds.

Santa Cruz went down by as much as 11 points in the first half. By then end of the third quarter, the Stars still held a five-point lead after being up as much as 10, and that Friday the 13th feel had begun to creep in as Salt Lake City went on to secure a seven-point lead early in the fourth.

When asked in the middle of the fourth quarter what he liked about the game, Green mentioned the Santa Cruz crowd and how he hoped the Warriors would secure the win after finally finding their niche.

"“Obviously this atmosphere is always great, so that’ll always catch your attention first off,” Green said. “But also how Santa Cruz has really taken control of the game. They were down — I think nine — late in the third quarter and they’ve taken control of the game, and hopefully they can close it out.”"

It was roughly around that time that Santa Cruz found their spark, no doubt led by Southerland’s four made threes and three free throws. The Warriors continued their push up the hill, retaking the lead for the first time since the end of the second quarter.

As Green had hoped, Santa Cruz remained in control of the game for the remainder of the period and closed the night out beautifully for the nine point victory.

Thanks to Santa Cruz Warriors PR for securing the audio for the Draymond Green quotes!!! – A.M.