Warriors' Draymond Green has no regrets over Game 4 comments
OAKLAND – Does Draymond Green regret anything he said surrounding Game 4 of the NBA Finals, the Golden State Warriors’ first postseason loss?
“Absolutely not, because everything I say I know what I’m saying,” Green said Sunday at practice. “When I say something, I’ve thought about what I’m going to say before I say it. So, no, I never look at something and say ‘man, I shouldn’t have said that.’ Because I’m a lot smarter than people think. When I say something I’ve already thought I was going to say it, so absolutely not.”
With a chance to close out the Finals prior to Friday night’s 137-116 Cleveland Cavaliers win, Green was asked how satisfying it would be to win the championship in Cleveland like the Warriors did in 2015. Nothing he said was particularly inflammatory, but it was used as a motivational tactic by the Cavs nonetheless.
"It would be very satisfying to do that," Green said on Thursday. "Obviously we've won it (in Cleveland) before. It's a good feeling. We're celebrating on their floor, celebrating in their locker room, quieting their crowd. As an athlete, one of the best feelings is going into an opponent's and enemy territory and just silencing the crowd."
In retrospect, even after losing, Green had no problem with his answer. The Warriors are still in excellent position to win their second title in three years, though they no longer have a chance at a perfect postseason. From Green’s perspective, the Warriors did what they needed to do in Cleveland.
LATEST NBA FINALS COVERAGE:
No league action expected after wild Game 4 of NBA Finals
LeBron's historic night keeps Cavs' locker room champagne-free
NBA Finals: Tensions high as series goes back to Oakland
“They’re saying that (there is adversity and) we’ve lost one game. And we split on the road. I think that’s the goal," Green said. "Take care of home court. We did that, and then you go steal one on the road. I think we did that. I don’t know where all this added pressure and this, that and the other is coming from.”
From the outside looking in, it’s the same 3-1 lead the Warriors blew in last year’s Finals.
“We won three games in a row in the Finals,” Green said. “Fifteen in a row overall in the playoffs. You just think it’s going to happen. Then all of a sudden you get smacked in the face and it’s like: whoa. You remember what can be, what can happen.”
Green also added context to his postgame comments about Cleveland fans following his Game 4 technical foul fiasco.
“I didn’t bash them,” Green said. “I just gave them my thoughts.”
Green said Cleveland fans weren't the “sharpest people around” after they cheered his second technical foul that was later deemed his first.
“Well they booed me and they thought I had a tech I didn’t have, so that wasn’t sharp,” he said. “I knew I didn’t, so maybe I’m just a little sharper than others then, huh? I don’t know. But they played 'Hit the Road Jack' (in the arena) and I didn’t have to hit the road. I didn’t think that was that sharp.”
Game 5 is Monday night at Oracle Arena. If the Warriors can close it out, Green doesn’t have to worry about traveling back to Cleveland with another collapse on his mind.
Follow USA TODAY Sports' Michael Singer on Twitter @MSinger
PHOTOS: Best of NBA Finals
