Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell seemingly knew that Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green was one technical foul away from getting ejected in the Cavs’ game on Saturday night.
Mitchell and Green got into an altercation when Mitchell charged at Green on defense on Saturday night – attempting to go for a steal.
Green, who already had a technical foul from earlier in the game, confronted Mitchell and eventually received his second technical foul which led to his ejection.
Donovan Mitchell and Draymond Green were getting into it 👀🍿 pic.twitter.com/h7HvkKQY2A
— Ahn Fire Digital (@AhnFireDigital) November 12, 2023
“When asked specifically whether it crossed his mind that Green had already a picked up an earlier T for arguing with a referee, Mitchell smirked,” Cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor wrote. “He knew. He was playing the game. Mitchell and teammate Tristan Thompson — a mainstay of the four-year rivalry between the Cavs and Warriors that started nearly a decade ago and someone who has a well-documented history with Green — were even discussing it afterward.”
Green responded to some of the backlash that he was receiving for getting his second technical foul by posting on his Instagram.
An emotional player, Green fired back at people for telling him how to do his job. However, Green’s second technical foul certainly cost the Warriors in their loss to Cleveland on Saturday.
Even though Green’s emotion and fire have helped make him one of the best defenders in the NBA and a four-time champion, it proved to be costly against Cleveland.
The Cavs won both of their regular season matchups with Golden State this season, and it’s clear that Mitchell knew how to antagonize his opponent to give the Cavs a better chance to win the second meeting between the teams this season.
Green shot 3-for-4 from the field in his time on the floor on Saturday, grabbing five rebounds and dishing out four assists in the process.
However, the Warriors were forced to play without their best defender down the stretch, and Cleveland was able to hang on for a 118-110 win.
While Mitchell didn’t have the best shooting night on Saturday, he still was a key piece of the team’s victory. The Cavs star was 7-for-22 from the field, scoring 21 points. He also added seven rebounds, five assists, two steals and a block.
Cleveland won’t face Green and the Warriors again in the regular season, but the teams could find themselves matched up in the playoffs if they both make the NBA Finals.
If that happens, Mitchell and the Cavs may want to keep Green’s temper in the back of their minds in case they can exploit it again.
