Dario Saric Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Western Notes: J. Green, Doncic, Warriors, Suns, Jazz

March 17th, 2024 at 2:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Josh Green‘s sprained right ankle is expected to sideline him for at least a couple weeks or so, Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd told reporters, including Tim MacMahon of ESPN (Twitter link), on Sunday.

Green had been a key part of Dallas’ rotation in recent weeks, averaging 10.2 points per game on .522/.438/.826 shooting in his past 24 games leading up to Thursday’s contest in Oklahoma City, which he exited after just four minutes when he injured his ankle.

The Mavericks did share some more positive injury news on Sunday, announcing that Luka Doncic will be available vs. Denver this afternoon after missing Thursday’s game due to a hamstring ailment (Twitter link via MacMahon).

Let’s round up a few more items from around the Western Conference:

Moses Moody, Kevon Looney, and Dario Saric were all DNP-CDs on Saturday for the Warriors, while Gary Payton II played just seven minutes as head coach Steve Kerr tightened his rotation, writes Anthony Slater of The Athletic. Payton figures to be “peppered into the mix” going forward, Slater says, but Moody is being pushed out of the rotation and Looney and Saric are on the outside looking in. “It is tough,” Stephen Curry said. “Loon, Moses, Dario, probably in that order — especially Loon and Moses — there’s probably going to be times where they’re going to be needed. They’ll be ready. That’s the challenge they face. But this time of year, building an identity of how we want to play, that (tightened rotation is) huge.”
Kevin Durant said he’s “excited” for Isaiah Thomas to join the Suns and head coach Frank Vogel called the veteran guard a “hell of a player,” per Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Vogel noted that adding Thomas will help Phoenix preserve the four active games remaining on Saben Lee‘s two-way contract.
Jazz head coach Will Hardy was upset by how his team played on Saturday vs. Minnesota, telling reporters after the game that there were far too many instances of players attempting to force the issue themselves when teammates were open. “Stats don’t mean s–t. I don’t care about your individual stats,” Hardy said, according to Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune. “I don’t care how many points you score. I don’t care what you post on Instagram. It doesn’t matter. It’s a team sport, play to win. And we have to nip this in the bud now because — I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again — there will not be free minutes in this program. So you’re either gonna start learning and you’re going to start playing the right way and you’re gonna start participating with your teammates, or you’re not gonna play.”

Warriors Notes: Paul, Wiggins, Moody, Rotation, Curry, Kerr

February 28th, 2024 at 9:06am CST by Luke Adams

Playing on Tuesday for the first time since January 5 after recovering from a left hand fracture, Chris Paul helped lead the Warriors to a victory in Washington, writes Anthony Slater of The Athletic. In 22 minutes off the bench, Paul contributed nine points, six assists, four rebounds, and four steals. The Warriors, who won the game by 11 points, outscored the Wizards by 17 during Paul’s time on the floor.

“All season long, he’s been such a high performer,” head coach Steve Kerr said after the win. “All of our best lineups, he’s in.”

As Slater notes, the Warriors initially expected to finally have their full rotation available on Tuesday, but Andrew Wiggins missed the game for personal reasons. Kerr, who didn’t offer any specifics on when Wiggins might rejoin the team, inserted Moses Moody into the starting lineup in his place. Although Moody had been out of the rotation, Kerr didn’t want to alter his new second unit, which now features Paul playing alongside Klay Thompson.

When Wiggins returns, Golden State will have no shortage of rotation options, with Moody and Lester Quinones likely among those on the outside looking in. Slater suggests that Stephen Curry, Brandin Podziemski, Jonathan Kuminga, Draymond Green, Gary Payton II, Wiggins, Paul, and Thompson will all be candidates for closing lineups, with Dario Saric, Kevon Looney, and Trayce Jackson-Davis vying for minutes too.

“Steve said he’ll try to figure it out,” Paul said of potentially playing a reduced role in a crowded rotation. “Said sometimes he might mess it up. But we got a really good group of guys on this team, and we’ll need different things every night. But one thing about me, though, is I know who I am and what I’m capable of. Ain’t no question about that. I’ll always be ready. I think he knows that.”

Here’s more on the Warriors:

While Paul figures to spend a little time playing alongside Curry, the plan is to have him on the court for all of the non-Curry minutes, according to Slater. The two-time MVP has shot just 31.5% from the field over the past three games, including 21.6% on three-pointers, so CP3’s return should allow the team to reduce his workload and have him play off the ball a bit more. “Steph has looked tired to me the last couple games,” Kerr said after Sunday’s loss to Denver, per Slater. “It makes sense. He did the All-Star Game stuff, not getting much of a break — three games in four nights. He looks a little tired. These stretches happen.”
Kerr said on Tuesday after officially finalizing his two-year contract extension that he felt “very comfortable” signing a relatively short-term deal, writes Kendra Andrews of ESPN.com. “We’re in a really unique situation where we have an era that’s winding down and another that’s coming,” Kerr said. “We’re trying to make them merge and make the most of that this year and next year … let’s keep it rolling for another couple of years and then reassess it.”
Asked during an appearance on the Club 520 podcast which of the Warriors’ four championship teams was his favorite, Green cited the 2021/22 squad, since it wasn’t viewed as a title favorite entering that postseason. “2022 wasn’t really a championship team (compared to) the championship teams I’ve been on,” Green said (hat tip to BasketNews.com). “After every series, me and Steph would be walking to do an interview after we won a series, and we’d walk and laugh like, ‘Yo, how are we winning these series right now?'”

Warriors Notes: Green, Podziemski, Kuminga, Moody, Saric

February 3rd, 2024 at 7:03pm CST by Arthur Hill

Draymond Green expects to receive a large share of the blame if the Warriors can’t get back into title contention, writes Anthony Slater of The Athletic. Green’s absence from the lineup during two suspensions disrupted the first half of Golden State’s season and played a significant role in a 21-24 start. Green has resumed his normal duties since returning from his latest punishment, which resulted in 16 missed games, but he knows fans and the media will single him out if the team fails to reach the playoffs.

“Who we are, what we stand for is enough of a burden,” Green said. “We’re never expected to lose. There’s a standard that’s been set. So for me, that’s enough burden. So I don’t go around thinking every day like, ‘F—, we got to make these games up that I missed.’ But what I do know is if it doesn’t get turned around, then that’s kind of what’s going to be said.”

Green told Slater that he considered signing with the Grizzlies in free agency last summer, but only for “an eensy bit of time.” He credits the Warriors’ front office for being “straightforward” in negotiations, which eventually produced a four-year, $100MM contract with a player option for the final season. Green also said owner Joe Lacob talked to him about expectations regarding his behavior before approving the deal, which had a massive effect on the team’s tax bill.

Green felt like he broke the promises he made to Lacob and didn’t pick up the phone when the owner called after the indefinite suspension was handed down in December.

“I couldn’t answer it,” Green said. “I couldn’t talk to him. I did not talk to him. I didn’t call back. I almost hid. He gave me his word and he stuck by it. I gave him my word and I’ve let him down. It was probably a little cowardly. Like, I couldn’t face the music.”

There’s more on the Warriors:

Klay Thompson returned from an illness Friday night, but coach Steve Kerr replaced him with Brandin Podziemski for the closing minutes of the first half and the game, per Sam Gordon of The San Francisco Chronicle. Podziemski handed out 14 assists, which Gordon notes is the most by any rookie in a single game this season. “Love that group,” Podziemski said, pointing out the flexibility that he and Green bring to the lineup. “Having two of us out there like that, playing with Jonathan (Kuminga) and (Stephen Curry), who are really good scorers, along with (Andrew Wiggins), who picks his spots — I think it’s a good group. We played well together. Most importantly, we got stops when we needed to.”
Kuminga reached rare territory with his eighth straight 20-point game while shooting at least 50% from the field. Gordon states that Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokic and Kawhi Leonard are the only other players to accomplish that this season.
Meeting with reporters tonight, Kerr said Moses Moody was able to work out today and should return from his left calf strain sometime in the next three games, Slater tweets. Dario Saric, who was out Friday and tonight due to an illness, is expected to rejoin the team Sunday in New York.

Pacific Notes: Warriors Rumors, Lakers, Clippers

February 2nd, 2024 at 7:27pm CST by Rory Maher

The Warriors aren’t interested in trading Draymond Green or Klay Thompson ahead of the February 8 deadline, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, but they might consider moving Chris Paul or Andrew Wiggins.

Former No. 1 overall pick Wiggins is having a disappointing year, but he’s played much better recently, while Paul, who is currently injured after undergoing hand surgery, is 38 years old and on a pseudo-expiring contract. Speaking to reporters on Thursday, head coach Steve Kerr said he was aware of Wiggins being mentioned in trade rumors, but he hopes he’s still on the roster late next week.

“I’m very hopeful and I expect him to be here when the trade deadline passes,” Kerr said, per ESPN.

As for Green and Thompson, Windhorst’s report isn’t surprising. While Shams Charania of The Athletic has said Stephen Curry will be the only Warrior off the table in trade talks, he also downplayed the possibility of a trade involving Green or Thompson, two longtime veterans who helped Golden State win four championships — and make six Finals appearances — from 2015-22. Other reporting indicated Curry would have to sign off on such a deal, which was always considered unlikely.

Here’s more from the Pacific:

Appearing on 95.7 The Game’s Willard and Dibs show on Wednesday (Twitter link), Kerr said the Warriors might be better served by waiting for injured players to return rather than making trades. “We’re not going to find better players than (Chris Paul and Gary Payton II) in a trade,” Kerr said. “It’s exceedingly rare to make a deal where you can upgrade your talent to that level.” Payton has been out since January 2 with a grade 2 left hamstring strain. Kerr also mentioned Moses Moody as another injured contributor. As Anthony Slater of The Athletic tweets, Moody will miss this weekend’s back-to-back, but he has a chance to return on Monday after being out since January 10 due to a left calf strain. Dario Saric is also out for at least Friday, as he’s away from the team with an illness.
After a major upset victory over the Celtics in Boston on Thursday without stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis, Lakers guard Austin Reaves said the team responded well to James’ frustrated comments about “doing their jobs,” which occurred after Tuesday’s lopsided loss to Atlanta (YouTube link). Reaves scored a season-high 32 points (on 10-of-18 shooting, including 7-of-10 from deep) in Thursday’s win.
The Clippers had more total victories in December and January than any team in the NBA. Should they even make a trade? Law Murray of The Athletic explores that topic, writing that P.J. Tucker, Bones Hyland and Brandon Boston look to be the three most likely trade candidates, but L.A. may just stand pat.
Tucker expressed frustration with his role — or lack thereof — in December, and nothing has changed since. However, he’s 39, doesn’t contribute much on offense, and holds a $11.54MM player option for 2024/25, which all hurt his trade value. According to Murray, the veteran forward has been a positive locker room presence, particularly for Russell Westbrook and James Harden, but the Clippers forward admits he’s trying to balance being a professional “while trying to get in a better situation for me, personally,” he told The Athletic. “It kind of is what it is at this point.” Tucker expressed skepticism about the possibility of turning down his player option, making him an unlikely buyout candidate. “That all depends on the situation, timing, where,” Tucker said. “It’s a lot of things that plays into that. I worked hard to be able to get myself in that position. The contract I got, the timing I got it, and all that … it means a lot and something I don’t take for granted. It’s definitely going to take a lot of thought and it’s going to take a real, real opportunity for me to have to go against that.”

Warriors Notes: Kuminga, Podziemski, Curry, Green

January 14th, 2024 at 11:58am CST by Arthur Hill

Draymond Green is expected to return from his suspension this week, but Warriors coach Steve Kerr will have to keep finding minutes for Jonathan Kuminga, writes Anthony Slater of The Athletic. Kuminga is coming off the best back-to-back scoring performances of his career, delivering 28 points on Saturday in Milwaukee after putting up 24 points on Friday at Chicago. Despite seeing his role change frequently throughout the first half of the season, Kuminga has reached double figures in scoring in 19 straight games.

“I wouldn’t say (that statistic) impressed me,” Kuminga said. “I had all summer to go out there and work out, get better, come back and help the team. Obviously, things haven’t gone the right way (in wins and losses). But you can see a lot of progress. … In the past, I’d just put my head down. But now … if I attack and I don’t have nothing (there), I can’t score, kick the ball to someone who’s open.”

Green is expected back by Monday at Memphis or Wednesday at Utah, which will complicate rotation decisions for Kerr, who is already trying to balance Kuminga, Kevon Looney, Trayce Jackson-Davis, Dario Saric and Andrew Wiggins. Kuminga seems like the only potential star in that group, and Slater notes that he has become Golden State’s best interior scorer, posting 284 points in the paint for a team that doesn’t have anyone else above 200.

“We’re showing him clips every day trying to get him to get to the rim,” Kerr said. “Especially without the ball. He wants to attack. Which is great. But we’re trying to get him to understand if he gets to the dunker spot, finishes his cuts rather than staying at the foul line, it improves our spacing and he’ll pick off two or three buckets per game getting to the dunker, going to the offensive glass and running to that spot in transition or after a screen. His tendency now is to linger on the perimeter. I want him at the rim. He’s one of the best in the league finishing when he gets the ball in the paint.”

There’s more on the Warriors:

Milwaukee native Brandin Podziemski put up 23 points and 10 rebounds in his first career game in his hometown, Slater adds. He was the only Warriors player with a cheering section at Fiserv Forum. “Ran into my seventh-grade English teacher pregame,” Podziemski said. “She said she’s glad I went to military school or else I’d be a troublemaker. … I was actually here the day this building opened. I was a sophomore in high school. I got to meet Giannis (Antetokounmpo).”
Stephen Curry sat out Saturday on the second game of a back-to-back, tweets Kendra Andrews of ESPN. “He’s just wiped out right now,” Kerr said. “He’s basically been healthy all year and we’ve been relying on him heavily. He’s worn out. He needs the night off.”
Green has acted as an unofficial assistant coach since rejoining the team this week, but the Warriors need him back on the court, observes Shayna Rubin of The San Jose Mercury News. Since Green began serving his suspension, Golden State’s defensive rating has been 123.8, which is the second-worst mark in the league during that time, ahead of only Detroit’s 125.1 rating.

Pacific Notes: Warriors, Curry, Zubac, Beal

January 12th, 2024 at 9:49pm CST by Rory Maher

In search of answers after a poor stretch of games, the Warriors made another change to their starting lineup on Friday night, with Dario Saric replacing Jonathan Kuminga, per Kendra Andrews of ESPN (Twitter link). Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins and Kevon Looney were the other four starters.

Golden State gave up 75 points to the Bulls at half, which was a season-high for Chicago, and trailed by 13 after two periods. But the Warriors rebounded with a 48-20 third quarter and wound up winning by nine.

Here’s more from the Pacific:

Curry has been in a slump of late for the Warriors, and it’s clear the ups and downs of the season have been wearing on him, writes Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic. “I feel like we’ve been in this situation for the last two years,” Curry said. “Even in the championship year, we started 18-2 and then we had some rough patches like this where we struggled mightily. These last couple of years have been rough because of all the noise and distractions, because of the lack of consistency on the court. At least last year we had enough to scare somebody. But we’re far from that right now.”
Center Ivica Zubac has been playing an important role during the Clippers‘ surge up the standings, per Janis Carr of The Orange County Register. The eight-year veteran is averaging career highs in multiple categories this season and has formed a strong two-man game on offense with James Harden while anchoring the paint defensively. “I knew I could play in that pocket, that I could be a roll man on offense and defense,” said Zubac. “I’m confident in my game a lot, so I’ve always been confident. But right now, it’s at a high level.”
Suns guard Bradley Beal had his best game of the season during Thursday’s victory over the Lakers in Los Angeles, recording 37 point (on 14-of-21 shooting, including 8-of-10 from deep), six rebounds and four assists in 32 minutes. In a story for Sportskeeda, Mark Medina describes Beal’s transition to Phoenix, writing that the three-time All-Star has drawn rave reviews for fitting in so well with the team, despite dealing with injuries for much of 2023/24. “Brad is one of the best players in the world,” Kevin Durant said. “To see an opportunity to see that close up and see a guy every day and see who he truly is as a player and then you come out there and get moments like that, that’s always fun. I enjoy seeing my teammates cook like that. We’re going to need more from him because that ignites the bench and it ignites the crowd, even if we’re on the road.”

Warriors Notes: Wiggins, Kuminga, Green, Myers

January 8th, 2024 at 8:04am CST by Arthur Hill

The Warriors haven’t been effective with Andrew Wiggins and Jonathan Kuminga on the court together, but their athletic potential is so tantalizing that coach Steve Kerr tried the combination again Sunday night, writes Anthony Slater of The Athletic.

Kerr employed his 13th different starting lineup of the season, using Wiggins and Kuminga as the forwards, but the results were disappointing again as Toronto jumped to an early 24-12 lead that Golden State was never able to overcome.

“We’ve talked about trying to get (Wiggins and Kuminga) together,” Kerr said. “Theoretically our two longest, most athletic players. We have not been a good defensive team this year, so we wanted to try it. It hasn’t connected, really. But we’re experimenting. We’re trying to find a two-way lineup that can help us. But obviously that lineup didn’t click.”

Kerr pulled the plug on the experiment by intermission, as the Raptors scored 76 first-half points and held a 27-point lead. He replaced Wiggins, Kuminga and Trayce Jackson-Davis with Brandin Podziemski, Dario Saric and Kevon Looney to start the third quarter.

“I didn’t want to go back to the same lineup,” Kerr said. “The only thing I was interested in in the second half was just competing. What that means — you can say compete, but what does that mean? It means talking on defense. I didn’t hear anything. It was silent in the first half. We needed to have some talk, some chatter. So I went with that lineup because I felt they would give us that.”

There’s more on the Warriors:

Kerr will have to juggle his rotation even more when Draymond Green returns, Slater adds. Green, whose suspension was lifted Saturday after 12 games, was in the arena with his teammates Sunday night. Green is expected to miss at least one more game while working on his conditioning, according to Slater, but he should be back on the court by the end of the week.
With the trade deadline now just a month away, the front office is facing a crucial decision on Kuminga, who likely has the highest value of any of the Warriors’ available players, notes Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area. Kuminga’s athleticism makes him an intriguing prospect for rival teams, and he’s only 21 with another year remaining on his rookie contract. There are no signs that management will consider breaking up the long-standing trio of Green, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, Poole adds.
The NFL’s Washington Commanders have hired former Warriors general manager Bob Myers as part of their search team for a new head of football operations and head coach, per Adrian Wojnarowski and Adam Schefter of ESPN. Myers, who left Golden State when his contract expired last summer, will be part of an advisory committee that also includes former NBA star Magic Johnson. Myers will continue his studio work with ESPN on NBA games.

Draymond Green Likely Facing Another Suspension Following Tuesday Ejection

December 13th, 2023 at 7:15am CST by Luke Adams

Warriors forward Draymond Green was ejected from a game for the third time this season on Tuesday, earning a flagrant 2 foul for striking Suns center Jusuf Nurkic in the head during the third quarter of Phoenix’s win (Twitter video link via TSN Sports).

The NBA is expected to review the incident before the Warriors’ game against the Clippers on Thursday and will likely suspend Green for a second time this fall, according to Anthony Slater and Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic. The former Defensive Player of the Year was previously suspended five games for putting Rudy Gobert in a headlock, with the league citing Green’s “history of unsportsmanlike acts” when announcing that penalty.

“I am not one to apologize for things I mean to do, but I do apologize to Jusuf because I didn’t intend to hit him,” Green said after the game, per Kendra Andrews of ESPN. “I sell calls with my arms … so I was selling the call … and I swung and unfortunately I hit him.

“… You guys have known me long enough, if I intended to do something, I am not apologizing. But I did make contact with him, so I do apologize. … It’s a hard hit.”

Although the blow sent Nurkic to the floor, the big man was able to finish the game. After the victory, he told reporters that the play had “nothing to do with basketball,” while Suns head coach Frank Vogel referred to it as “reckless (and) dangerous,” according to Andrews.

“I’m sensitive to our guys getting hit on plays like that,” Vogel said. “I didn’t like it. The refs did what they had to do. The league will do what they have to do.”

Another suspension for Green could result in more playing time for young players like Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody, and perhaps Trayce Jackson-Davis, as well as veterans Dario Saric and Kevon Looney.

Both Kuminga and Saric, as well as rookie Brandin Podziemski, were part of Golden State’s closing lineup on Tuesday, alongside Stephen Curry and Chris Paul, with Green unavailable and starters Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins, and Looney on the bench.

Thompson, whose scoring and shooting numbers this season are well below his career norms, told reporters after the game that it was “strange” to be benched down the stretch, but he didn’t question head coach Steve Kerr‘s decision.

“I played like crap,” Thompson said, per Andrews. “If you’ve ever played basketball before, you know what you are capable of. You always want to be out there competing. That’s just facts … but I deserved to be benched. I’ve been playing like crap. Twenty games in, I haven’t found a rhythm.”

Warriors Notes: Saric, Green, Kuminga, Moody, Jackson-Davis

November 25th, 2023 at 10:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Warriors kept their chances alive to advance in the in-season tournament with a win over San Antonio on Friday night, but it might not have happened without another strong performance from Dario Saric, writes Anthony Slater of The Athletic. Saric came off the bench to hit four three-pointers and score 20 points in 26 minutes, along with seven rebounds, four assists and two steals. He has reached the 20-point mark in all three of Golden State’s tournament games.

Saric has been a tremendous find in free agency for a team that needed size but didn’t have many resources available to spend. He signed a one-year, minimum-salary contract, so he’ll be back on the open market in 2024.

“We gave him a hard (free agency) pitch,” coach Steve Kerr said. “He asked me, ‘How much am I going to play? Am I going to play?’ He knew this was a year he slipped through the cracks, free agency-wise, and needed to be in a good spot to show what he could do. This is definitely the spot. He’s playing so well. He’s clearly a player who is going to command a big salary next summer.”

There’s more on the Warriors:

Draymond Green‘s return from his five-game suspension will create some difficult decisions for Kerr, Slater observes in the same piece. Saric is playing too well to cut his minutes and Kevon Looney is a fixture in the frontcourt, so that may lead to less playing time for Jonathan Kuminga. Although Kuminga wasn’t outstanding during Green’s absence, Slater notes that he played an important role in Friday’s win, scoring 12 points in the fourth quarter.
Kerr made a change to his starting lineup Friday, Slater adds, replacing Chris Paul with Moses Moody. Even though he came off the bench, Paul logged 29 minutes compared to Moody’s 17. “Just wanted to change some of the combinations,” Kerr explained. “We were looking to get some different guys together and some apart.”
Trayce Jackson-Davis is a huge fan of the NIL system, which enabled him to amass more than $1MM in sponsorships in college and remain at Indiana long enough to polish his skills for the NBA, per Connor Letourneau of The San Francisco Chronicle. Kerr is happy to have a rare rookie with four years of NCAA experience. “He has (126) college games under his belt, so you don’t have to teach him a lot of the things you’d normally expect to have to teach a rookie,” Kerr said. “He’s another guy I’d like to play more because he’s a very good player. I just haven’t been able to find the minutes.”

Warriors Notes: Green, Klay, Curry, Podziemski, More

November 15th, 2023 at 7:46am CST by Luke Adams

Tuesday’s in-season tournament game between the Warriors and Timberwolves got chippy before either team had scored a single point.

As Kendra Andrews of ESPN details, Klay Thompson and Jaden McDaniels got tied up battling for rebounding positioning early in the first quarter, then continued to grab and shove each other on the way back up the court, prompting referees to stop play and Wolves center Rudy Gobert to try to intervene. Warriors forward Draymond Green rushed in and put Gobert in a headlock before players were separated (Twitter video link via Bleacher Report).

McDaniels and Thompson were each given two technical fouls and ejected from the game, while Green was also thrown out after being assessed with a flagrant 2 foul. As Anthony Slater of The Athletic relays (via Twitter), official Tyler Ford explained after the game that the referees viewed Gobert as a peacemaker. Warriors head coach Steve Kerr didn’t agree with that ruling or the decision to eject Thompson.

“There is no way Klay should have been ejected. That was ridiculous,” Kerr said, per Andrews. “I was upset about that. As far as the Draymond piece of it, Rudy had his hands on Klay’s neck. That’s why Draymond went after Rudy.”

McDaniels downplayed his role in the altercation following a Minnesota victory, telling reporters that after Thompson grabbed him, he was “trying to defend myself and get him off me.” McDaniels said he was “laughing” as it happened and that he didn’t expect the situion to escalate the way it did, adding, “I guess it was a bigger deal to (Thompson).”

Gobert, meanwhile, referred to Green’s actions as “clown behavior” and offered an explanation for the Warriors star’s early ejection: “Every time Steph (Curry) doesn’t play, (Green) doesn’t want to play without his guy Steph, so he does anything he can to get ejected.”

Here’s more on the Warriors:

While a suspension seems extremely unlikely for Gobert, McDaniels, or Thompson, it’s possible Green – who has a history of facing fines and suspensions for on-court physicality – will face further punishment. “I do hope that the league is going to do what needs to be done,” Gobert said after the game in reference to an additional penalty for Green, according to Andrews.
Kerr said the results of an MRI on Curry’s sore right knee were “good news” and that the two-time MVP is unlikely to be sidelined for an extended period, Slater writes for The Athletic. “Nothing alarming. So I would say he’s day to day and we’ll see,” Kerr said. “We’ll just have an update each day and let you know what’s going on. But it won’t be long. If he misses another game or two, whatever, it’s not going to be anything long-term.”
The Warriors’ rotation without Curry, Thompson, and Green was “jumbled up,” Slater notes, but it gave Brandin Podziemski a chance to play a career-high 39 minutes. The rookie became the first Warrior besides Curry this season to score more than 20 points in a game, finishing with 23 points, seven rebounds, and five assists. Forward Dario Saric, who got his second start as a Warrior, also surpassed the 20-point mark, contributing 21.
Tim Kawakami of The Athletic takes a closer look at Podziemski’s breakout game, suggesting that the No. 19 overall pick played with the sort of confidence and toughness that Golden State had been looking for. “He’s going to play,” Kerr said of Podziemski, who had previously logged 52 total minutes in six appearances. “He’s going to play every night. He’s earned that. He was incredible tonight. He’s been great in practice. There’s something unique about him at that size to rebound the way he does. He had seven tonight. He’s always in the right spot. He’s fearless. He connects the game. He plays the way we want to play. The ball moves when he’s out there. He’s attacking at the right times, he’s cutting at the right times. Defensively he’s really good. He’s a damn good player, so he’s going to play.”
Even though the Warriors were without their three stars for nearly all of Tuesday’s game, Jonathan Kuminga only played 16 minutes and Moses Moody just 14, according to Slater, who says neither player has staked out a bigger role in the rotation so far this season. The path to increased minutes for the two former lottery picks may be further complicated by Podziemski’s rise, Slater adds.