Warriors power forward Draymond Green spoke with reporters on Wednesday [June 15] about his eager return for Game 6 of the NBA Finals. In expressing remorse for having let his team down by his absence from the floor on Monday, Green didn’t neglect to add his belief that the series would be over already had he played.
“I have a strong belief that if I play in Game 5, we win. But I didn’t because I put myself in a situation where I wasn’t able to play,” Green said, in light of the 112-97 lashing his Golden State team took as he watched fellow big man Andrew Bogut exit the series with a knee injury that will put him out until next season.
Much of the onus lies on Green as Curry and the gang’s front-court general, if they want to capture their second consecutive title on Cleveland’s court on Thursday. Lebron James was 5-of-14 and Kevin Love is 5-of-13 with Green controlling the paint. Kyrie Irving was 4-of-12, numbers that diminished into thin air with Green gone, as James and Irving combined for 81 points, each scoring over 40 in a record two man performance. But he’s got to be in it to win it, and having obtained four flagrant fouls over the course of the post season [5 resulting in an automatic suspension], one emotional slip up could put him away for good. Green says he is prepared to be his same hard-nose aggressive self on Thursday, with trust that he can move with precaution.
“I think I’ve got to come out and play my game regardless,” he told reporters. “There’s those little fine lines you know you can’t cross. It’s not every play that you’re close to that line. It’s a basketball game, so there’s only certain plays where you are. I just have to make sure I’m composed when those situations come about that I control my emotions and channel that energy and use it in a positive way to help my team.”
