The Steven Adams Project
While Green’s reputation far preceeded the NBA Playoffs, he really kicked off the Warriors’ turn to the dark side in the Western Conference Finals, through his repeated battles with Oklahoma City Thunder center Steven Adams.
Life in the post is full of dirty play and it’s where the tough survive. Green and Adams are two of the toughest individuals in the NBA, so it should come as no surprise that these two were repeatedly getting tangled up with each other.
The big moment came when Green appeared to have kicked Adams in the groin in Game 3. This led to everyone calling for Green’s suspension for Game 4. Instead, he wasn’t suspended and joined his teammates on the court.
It didn’t matter, as the Thunder beat the Warriors in every facet and took a commanding 3-1 series lead. Still, it didn’t stop there and the two would get into it again with Green taking down Adams in Oakland.
There were no suspensions, but Green accrued a fair share of points against him through flagrant fouls and technical fouls that ultimately came back to cost him. The good news is that at the end of the series, Green and Adams embraced and respected the fighting spirit each one had.
Next: NBA Finals Suspension