Draymond reacts to avoiding ejection after Brown incident

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Should the Golden State Warriors have played the second half without Draymond Green on Sunday night?

That was a hot topic after Game 2 of the 2022 NBA Finals at Chase Center. After picking up a technical foul in the first quarter following a dust-up with Grant Williams, Green got tangled up with Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown late in the third quarter in an incident that could have warranted his second technical and an automatic ejection.

After reviewing the play, however, the referees declined to give Green another technical.  Not surprisingly, Green agreed with how the incident was officiated while suggesting he's earned the benefit of the doubt after 10 NBA seasons.

"Not at all," Green told ESPN's Michael Eaves during an interview on "SportsCenter" when asked if he was surprised he didn't get a second tech. "It’s the NBA Finals. Like I said, I wear my badge of honor.

"It’s not that I’m saying they necessarily treat me different. I’ve earned differential treatment. I enjoy that. I embrace that. But I'm never gonna let someone stand over me. I'm a man first. My kids are in the stands. I don't play those types of games. So, whatever happens at that point happens."

Brown saw the play differently, claiming that Green "tried to pull (his) pants down" after the two got into it on the floor. So, were Green's actions enough to warrant an ejection?

On ABC's broadcast, former NBA official Steve Javie admitted the refs take game circumstances into account and would be less likely to give a player a second technical unless they truly crossed the line. That's an approach Green certainly can get behind seeing how it benefited him in Game 2.

"The reality is, that makes sense," Green said on his podcast, "The Draymond Green Show," late Sunday night. "Nobody's paying to watch guys get thrown out of the game and you not see the game you want to watch. So, I understand and agree.

"Yes, if there's something egregious, I'm gonna get thrown out. As we know, nobody's sparing me. Nor do I expect to get spared, nor do I want to be spared. But if it's something that's not egregious, probably shouldn't get thrown out of a game."

Green is one of the NBA's most notorious instigators who often toes the line between playing physical and playing dirty. He set the physicality tone from the jump in Game 2, and his aggressive energy was a big reason why the Warriors forced 18 Celtics turnovers en route to a 107-88 blowout win.

If Green was ejected late in the second quarter, the third quarter may have played out differently than Golden State outscoring Boston 35-14. But on Sunday night, Green managed to walk right up to the line without crossing it.

"I don't play the game worried about getting thrown out or not," Green added on his podcast. "I play the game chasing the level of physicality I want the game to be at. And however you get that done, you get that done."

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