Draymond Green channeled his inner Dirk Nowitzki with his fadeaway late in the fourth quarter.
Green's shot helped fend off the Sacramento Kings in Golden State's 123-116 Game 5 win in its first-round NBA playoff series Wednesday night at Golden 1 Center.
Nonetheless, the Warriors had fun with the shot, with Green earning the nickname "Dray Nowitzki." Warriors coach Steve Kerr praised the 33-year-old but isn't signing up for a Green statue with the fadeaway pose.
"God, I hope not; [Green] can't get a statue for the one time you do something," Kerr jokingly told NBC Sports Bay Area's Kerith Burke postgame when asked about a potential "Dray Nowitzki" statue.
"He was incredible, though. The defensive plays down the stretch, multiple help situations, long rebounds, steals, just we kept getting stops down the stretch, and Draymond was right in the thick of it. But the Nowitzki fadeaway was pretty impressive."
Kerr wasn't alone in praising Green's production; Curry also applauded Green for chipping in 21 points to help the Warriors overcome their road woes and secure a 3-2 series lead.
"Klay [Thompson] hits a big shot in the corner [and] Draymond's attacking the glass or attacking the rim every possession, every time they got it; [Kevon Looney] 22 rebounds," Curry said postgame. "Like our offense, it wasn't high power, but we were decisive and didn't turn it over, which gave ourselves a chance to set up our defense.
Golden State Warriors
"And connecting the game down the stretch is huge. The only way to win on the road. And it's nice to kind of overcome the history of the regular season on the road."
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The Warriors now have an opportunity to close out the Kings at home, where they were 33-8 during the 2022-23 NBA season, and advance to the second round. However, don't expect Sacramento to go down quietly.