Looney: Draymond’s eye appears to have endured ‘boxing match’ originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
In the first quarter of Game 2 in the Western Conference semifinal series between the Warriors and Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday night, Draymond Green had to leave the court.
Unlike Game 1, it wasn’t due to what some Warriors teammates dubbed as an unwarranted ejection. Instead, Green was on the wrong end of an accidental elbow from Grizzlies forward Xavier Tillman.
After absorbing the hit, Green laid on the hardwood for a few moments before heading into the locker room to receive stitches near his eye. Luckily for the Warriors, he returned to game action in the second quarter and finished Game 2 with six points, 10 rebounds and seven assists in 32 minutes.
According to Golden State teammate Kevon Looney, Green’s eye injury still appeared gruesome at Thursday’s practice in San Francisco.
“He looks like he was in a boxing match,” Looney said. “But it’s getting a little better.”
Green apparently agrees with Looney’s assessment. On Wednesday night, the four-time All-Star tweeted that he needs a boxing cutman to take care of his contusion.
It’s only been two games, but the physical aspect of the second-round series has been on display. Both teams are crashing the glass hard throughout all four quarters. After all, every loose ball means something in the playoffs.
“That’s part of being down in the paint,” Looney said. “We always joke with the guards – you come down there, you’ve got to be ready for whatever. [Draymond] understands that. He’s given out a lot of black eyes … bumps and bruises. It comes with the territory.”
Despite the injury and rather busy week of series news between games with Dillon Brooks’ suspension and Green’s fine for his gesture towards Grizzlies fans, Looney knows his teammate will be ready to go for Game 3 on Saturday.
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“Draymond is always Draymond,” Looney continued. “He don’t really change. He’s never really up or down, he’s kind of just up like most of the time. When things happen, we don’t really worry about his mood or his energy. Because we know he’s always on edge in the morning, at night. He’s always ready for whatever.
“He’s in great spirits. He’s locked in. He’s ready to play.”
Green, Looney and the Warriors return to the court at 5:30 p.m. Saturday for Game 3 of their series against Memphis. “Warriors Live: Playoff Edition” will air on NBC Sports Bay Area PLUS ahead of the game, beginning at 4:30 p.m.
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