Draymond Green whips arm at Nurkic, earns third ejection of season against Phoenix Suns

PHOENIX — Draymond Green was ejected after being issued a Flagrant 2 for a foul on Phoenix Suns’ Jusuf Nurkic during Tuesday night’s game against the Phoenix Suns.

It marked the third time Green was ejected this season and first since he was ejected and subsequently suspended for five games for putting Rudy Gobert in a chokehold during a skirmish between the Warriors and Minnesota Timberwolves last month.

Green said he was was agitated by Nurkic holding onto him during an inbound play and was trying to “sell” the foul by swinging his arms around. The arm-swing hit Nurkic in the face. He was ejected mid-way through the third quarter of the Warriors’ loss.

“I’m not one to apologize for things I meant to do,” Green said. “But I do apologize to Jusuf. Even though I didn’t intend to hit him, I sell calls with my arms. I don’t fall to sell a call. I’m not a flopper. I was just selling the call because he was grabbing and pulling my hip. So, I spun away. And, unfortunately, I hit him.

“So, I apologize to Jusuf because I didn’t intend to hit him.”

Nurkic told reporters that Green “needs help.”

“That brother needs help,” he said. “I’m glad he didn’t try and choke me. But at the same time, it had nothing to do with basketball. I’m just out there trying to play basketball and they’re out there swinging. I think we saw that often. I hope whatever he got in his life it gets better.”

Green seemed to be pleading his case to avoid his second suspension of the season. The NBA has defined a “Draymond Green rule,” of sorts, that set parameters to exact extra punishment on Green based on his history as a “repeat offender,” as NBA’s executive vice president of basketball operations Joe Dumars has written in statements condemning Green’s behavior. Based on that standard, it’s likely Green will still face a suspension at a time when the Warriors desperately need him sitting with a 10-13 record.

Green’s previous two ejections occurred in November, first, against the Cleveland Cavaliers at home after he was issued two technical fouls. He was ejected seconds into a game against the Timberwolves for putting Gobert into a chokehold and pulling him off teammate Klay Thompson. Green was issued a five-game suspension for the incident, a harsher punishment because of the repeat offender rule that only appears to apply to Green.