The whole scenario was rare – you usually do not see players being thrown into hugging teammates in the visitors’ tunnel, most likely because it may actually violate an NBA rule. “A player, coach or assistant coach who is sent off can stay in his team locker room only for the rest of the game or leave the building,” says Rule No. 3 of the NBA Rules Book. Fortunately for Green, the penalty that followed will not cause much trouble for his bank account: “Violation of this rule requires an automatic $ 2000 fine.” Green – who mocked Memphis fans after the shooting – could not be restrained by a dressing room for a good reason. “You told me! The king told me!” Green shouted as he hugged Carrie in the tunnel. “Damn, you told me!” What Carrie probably told him was that the Warriors would win and steal the field advantage just one game in the Western Conference semifinals. Exactly what they did. Thompson’s three-pointer with 36 seconds left was the difference in the end. The Warriors responded to an absurd dismissal of Green in the first half, who just a game earlier against the Nuggets tried a WWE-type fight from the feet of Aaron Gordon and was not even whistled for a foul. Jordan Poole climbed huge from the bench for the Warriors, scoring 31 points in the playoffs of his career with shots 12 to 20 (and 5 to 10 from deep), playing 38 minutes with the highest level of the team.
