Draymond Green couldn’t be in the building Thursday night at Chase Center due to his Game 3 suspension. But his impact still was felt in the Warriors’ needed 114-97 win over the Sacramento Kings.
Golden State guard Moses Moody told NBC Sports Bay Area’s Kerith Burke on “Warriors Postgame Live” that Green, who was suspended Tuesday night, gave the team a rousing speech on Wednesday ahead of Game 3.
“Draymond came into practice yesterday passionate,” Moody told Burke. “Letting everyone know we’ve got to step up and win this game because it’d be a loud game to win and it’s a must-win.”
The second-year guard considered Green’s speech worthy of the Hollywood red carpet.
“He just got that passion and energy when he speaks,” Moody said. “It’s like some movie-type stuff. It’s like something you see in an inspirational movie, like Rocky [Balboa] coming out before the fight. But there’s just something about him when he comes out, and he’s skilled when doing it.
“That did the job.”
It certainly did.
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Golden State Warriors
Playing without Green, the heart and soul of the defending NBA champs, the Warriors out-muscled the up-and-coming Kings by grabbing 18 offensive rebounds and outscoring them in the paint (40-38). They played with a level of physicality not seen in the series’ first two games in Sacramento.
All Green could do was watch from his couch. But he had to be proud of the Warriors’ effort, which confirmed the champs don’t plan to go down without a fight.