The first half of Sunday night’s NBA playoff game was a huge one for the Oklahoma City Thunder, who led the defending champion Golden State Warriors by 25 points entering halftime, but a very painful one for Thunder big man Steven Adams.
Adams was defending Warriors forward Draymond Green in the paint when Green lost the handle, turned the ball over and delivered a swift kick to a very sensitive area of Adams’ anatomy.
https://twitter.com/CorkGaines/status/734547109236625409
Ouch. pic.twitter.com/pGieZ8z1D6
— Bryan Terry (@bterryphoto) May 23, 2016
Cleveland Cavaliers guard Dahntay Jones was suspended one game for punching Toronto Raptors center Bismack Biyombo in the crotch in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals. It’ll be interesting to see whether Green, who was called for a flagrant foul on the play, will face similar discipline.
UPDATE (10:50 p.m. ET): Green told reporters after the game his kick was not intentional, and Warriors coach Steve Kerr said he believes the NBA should rescind Green’s flagrant foul.
Steve Kerr doesn't think that Draymond Green should get suspended for kick, says flagrant foul should get rescinded pic.twitter.com/TlIzyta7Pn
— Gifdsports (@gifdsports) May 23, 2016
Draymond Green: "I'm sure he wants to have kids one day. I don't want to end that on the basketball court." Green says it wasn't on purpose.
— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) May 23, 2016
The crotch kick was the lowlight of an awful game for Green, who scored just six points and posted a minus-43 rating as the Thunder blew out the Warriors 133-105 to take a 2-1 series lead.