Draymond Green reacts to Rockets-Warriors Game 3, Jalen Green's trash talk & Jimmy Butler's injury

That's fine.

I don't do much.

And you just balling your ass off.

I just do what I have to do, but I don't do much. You know what I'm saying? So no problem. What's good? Welcome back to the Draymond Green Show with my brother, the legend, BD. What's happening, my dog?

What's up, my bro? How you feeling, man? Big win. How you feeling?

Big time. Shit, man, that was a big win. You know, come back home. And maintain home court without Jimmy, incredible. That's how you hold it down. I love the way we showed up.

Yeah, yeah, y'all showed up. The defense really showed up. It was a big win, especially without Jimmy. Steph went crazy. That was probably one of the best Steph Curry packages that I've seen from not just, killing you with the 3, but from a lead guard perspective, a playmaker perspective, controlling the game tempo, um, he put all that together.

I think he did that. He wasn't turning the ball over. That was me turning, right? But, uh, he wasn't— he wasn't turning the ball over. He made every single play when we had nothing going offensively. He just willed us because the defense— I think the defense was there, like, at one point I think it was maybe 6 minutes to go in the half, 5 minutes to go in the half. And they had 37 points and we had 24, 26 or something like that. But we knew we couldn't hit any shots. And so Steve said in that timeout, he's like, yo, our defense is holding up. Just make sure the defense keep holding up. We will find a rhythm offensively. And we couldn't, but Chef got going and he just willed us there to, to end that second half, that second quarter.

Yeah.

And we went in the halftime of 3 going in, I mean down 3 going in, down 3. We like, oh, we good. Like, 'cause they weren't scoring the ball and we didn't play well and we're down 3. And so he dominated the game. Like he completely controlled everything. Even with the blitz, you know, the blitz is made to speed you up. Like he was in total control.

Yeah, make you pass the ball.

Yeah.

Absolutely.

He was in total control. He got whatever it was that he wanted. If he wanted to make the pass in the blitz, he made the pass. If he wanted to beat the trap, he beat the trap. Like, he got whatever it was that he wanted when he wanted to. It was beautiful to see. Like you said, especially with Robin, as he calls himself, with Robin Hopp. It was beautiful to see, man. Just complete domination.

Speaking of Robin, Jimmy Butler IG post, Thanks Batman and team, excluding Buddy. I would have to agree with that. You know, I be picking on Buddy too. Damn Buddy, wake yo ass up.

Well tonight Buddy showed up in a major way. Buddy hit big shots, 5 for 11 from 3. He sat down on the defensive end.

He did.

Like Buddy, Buddy played great basketball tonight. And Buddy got into it with Draymond Green at the end.

Yeah, what was that about?

You know, just calling Buddy out his name and stuff. You know, I don't really, I don't really rock with that. You know what I'm saying? But it is what it is. You know, we move on to the next game. The game was over, we won the game. We move on to the next game, man. You know how we rocking.

Yeah, I saw Draymond Green on the bench being vocal, talking to Kaminga, talking to Buddy. Talk about his presence out there. Even on the bench with those guys in that playoff environment and what it means having him still as a presence over there on the bench for yourself and then for the Kamingas and the buddies.

It was huge because Jimmy just see the game different, you know? And although like, hey, when you're on a bench with a coach or your coaching staff, the last thing you want is them coaching you up every play. Like you just kind of— But when you got a teammate right there and they're coaching you up, it's a totally different vibe. And so it was just another, it was just another coach on the bench that is kind of talking every single play. You know what I'm saying? He was locked into the game. He was, you know, dropping jewels over there and things that he saw. Man, it was great. Obviously we want him out there on the floor, but you know, that wasn't possible today. So you take—

Yeah.

What he was bringing on the bench. You bottle that up however you can. He walked in looking like Frank Lucas with the mink coat on to start the game. So you knew he was coming. He was coming to the bench to bring a presence. And he was definitely that presence on the bench. Shout out to my guy Frank.

Shout out to Frank Lucas.

He had the aloha chula on, the aloha patch right there. It was fire, you know what I'm saying? When Frank walk in looking like that, gotta get it done. He got hot though. So you know the aloe cold was hitting him right. He had to come out. He came out of his bath.

My boy walk out there with a comforter on. They got hot quick.

He had the aloe chinchilla on. It was like, all right now. I looked back up, that mother was gone. I said, he made a statement.

Oh man.

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And don't forget to follow us on all social media @DraymondShow. All right, Dub Nation, y'all know what's up. You and Jalen Green.

Yeah.

Y'all was getting into it. And then Jalen Green said, you know, just talking, he can't really do much of anything So talking is his only way. Jalen Green on Draymond Green.

Yeah, no, that's cool. I don't do much. That's fine. I don't do much.

Hey, you was balling your ass off.

I just do what I have to do, but I don't do much. You know what I'm saying?

He was balling though.

No problem. I'm happy he see it that way. That's incredible. Shout out to him.

A lot of times those are like, blanket statements.

Facts.

Because you can start believing that, and then, "I ain't gonna say nothing." That's how you get your ass kicked. Yeah, that's how you get your ass kicked. There's a fine line between respect and disrespect. You gotta be careful because it could translate on the court as, "Oh, I don't feel like closing out," or, "I ain't gonna try and box out," or, "Oh, I'm just gonna let him drive to the hole." So You know, be careful. That's what I would say to the young fella, especially in the playoffs, 'cause it's just a different level. It's a different level talk and it's a different level of talking and backing it up when it comes to the playoffs. And we've seen that countless amount of times with really talented players going to the media and almost giving that energy out. To themselves. You've seen it with PG, you've seen it with T-Mac. You gotta be careful, especially when you're in battle and gonna be in a series where you gotta battle it out.

It's all good.

Let's talk about this tech. Let's talk about this tech, okay? First I thought we was gonna be more aware of our technical fouls.

I was very aware of that one, could you tell?

I know.

I was very aware.

I'm like, hey bro, you wanted that tech, didn't you?

I had to get that one. That was the third or fourth time somebody walking to me while I'm going up for a layup and it's not called. I had to get that one. 'Cause clearly you ain't called it yet. You clearly ain't feeling my presence. So I'm gonna make sure you feel my presence now. I definitely wanted that one. And then I, you know, I move on.

It was a game changer.

That was like, I felt like that one was needed in that moment. And I went and I got it. And then we move on. It also turned me up. So it was great.

It did.

It was great. It turned me up. Like I knew I needed that in that moment and I did that and it was incredible. And yeah, that one wasn't unnecessary. That one was very necessary.

Yeah, you ran him down on that one. I was like, okay, Draymond want that tag. But it did spark a fire in the defense. Your defense in the fourth quarter, Well, you got some really big defensive plays, a block, bunch of stops, deflection, the steal on VanVleet. I mean, your instincts was bubbling. You was covering, right? You was covering. You was the architect on that defense. What were you seeing out there?

You know, I think when you— that's now our third time playing them. You know, like, once you start to get to game 3 and 4 in the series, like, there's not much that's gonna happen that's gonna be a surprise, you know? You start to figure out what they like to get to, what they like to go to when stuff ain't going well. You know, like you just start to figure different things out. And so for me, like after seeing this team the third time in a row, like you gotta trust your instincts because more likely than not, your instinct is gonna be right if you watch film, you know, if you study your stuff. And so I trust in my instincts a lot, but I also know I like, we needed stops and we needed that win. And I knew that I needed to come up big on the defensive end. I couldn't— Right. Quite find my rhythm offensively. So what are you going to do to impact the game? And for me, that was like, all right, I'm about to go down here. I'm gonna try to get every stop. I'm gonna try to get my hand in every play in one way or another. And you know, I was able to cause some havoc. You know, that last play was probably the most fun with getting the outlet to GP off the turnover.

Yeah, probably dunk.

But that was, you know, that's just what it boils down to. I saw that he has soft feet. Jalen Green open. So I saw it, I was the last line of defense. You see, I just ran away from the rim because I saw that he saw him open and he turned his back. So I knew he thought he'd still be open. I took off outta there, was able to come up with the ball and get it out to GP and now put the finishing touches on the game.

To me it was a testament of why I thought you should've been Defensive Player of the Year, but you finished third. I say congratulations on that. But what is the process like when it comes to hearing you won or where you placed? And what was your reaction when you found out that you didn't win?

Interestingly enough, we all find out at the same time. You find out when it releases on TNT. I was gambling on the plane and I went on it. I moved on. Like, you know, ain't much you can do about it. This ain't my first rodeo. This ain't my first time being in the race. You know, feeling like I should win and not winning. Ain't the first time that's ever happened, you know? So this ain't— Mm-hmm. I'm sure Dyson Daniels was crushed because I know that feeling. Yeah, like your first time being in the running and you don't come up with it. Like, I know that feeling. So I've experienced it before. If anything, I feel for Dyson Daniels, you know what I'm saying? Because he had a great defensive year. And this is his first time going through that. This is his first time experiencing that feeling of, "Damn, I didn't get it." I was like, "Ah, I'm fine. Like, I'm moving on." Yeah, moving on. Like, I've been through that before. So no big deal to me, but I will say congratulations to Evan Mobley, man.

Yeah, I was gonna say that. Big shout out to Evan Mobley.

Incredible. I've been a fan of his since USC. I know you don't like that name, but I've been a fan of his since USC. Yeah, not a big fan. You know what I'm saying? And to see him continue to grow, continue to become the player that everybody thought that he'd become. I had so many conversations with Kenny last summer just about what Evan Mobley can become and how to see things. Like, I'm happy as hell to see him get that. So shout out to him, man. Darius Garland and them and shit was throwing shade. Like, it ain't none of that. Don't be a clown. You know what I'm saying? Like—

Right.—

it is what it is. We was in the running, he won it, that's great. And the number 1 seed with the second best record in the NBA, who mad at that? You know, so why these little dudes throwing shade? Congratulations to him. You know, I was surprised by Darius Garland throwing shade when he came on the podcast and it was us vouching for him to be an All-Star when he was begging, you know? So like I said, shout out to Evan Mobley. That was super dope.

Yeah.

To see him win Defensive Player of the Year. You know, I'm one of the guys, I root for young guys, you know what I'm saying? I'm not one of them guys that don't wanna see young guys do well. If anything, welcome to the table.

One, shout out to Evan Mobley. I think he had an amazing year. He was key, clutch. He has been on the rise ever since he stepped in the league and been reaching his potential. So shout out to him for winning Defensive Player of the Year. I always look at awards like that and say, okay, whoever didn't win, that doesn't mean you did not win. That means you won too, because you're up there as one of the best defenders in the league.

Absolutely.

You don't win the award, you move on. And I actually think it motivated you, man, 'cause you was playing some hell of a defense out here. In Game 3. You had something to prove. And if that's the case, I'd say like, I, I take that all day.

No, for sure. Listen, you always gonna try to find fuel in whatever you can. I will say I, I didn't find a bunch of— I want to lock guys down anyway. That's kind of— that's who I am, you know. I take pride in that. Uh, but if I feel however you can, so, you know, like I said, it was, uh Obviously wanted to win it, but to be in the conversation at 35, still playing at an elite level, will continue to play at an elite level. I got no shame in it. I'll show up next year, throw my name back in the hat, 'cause I'ma do it. I'ma do what I gotta do on the defensive end. So be right there again.

Big facts. Be right there again.

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Talking about elite, you know, having Jimmy out, other players stepping up. The guard play in this game was huge. Gary Payton II had 11 of his 16 points in the fourth quarter. Talk about his impact.

Man, I thought GP was huge. He's one of the best finishers around the rim in the game for real. You know, he doesn't play the guard position for us. And you know, me and Loon always joke with him like, "G, you a small ball 5." You know, like he got every finish around the rim. That every big wish they had, you know? And like, he is extremely impressive.

He is.

And then, you know, he was getting those dives to the rim, couple tough finishes, and then all of a sudden the tray ball going in. And we obviously know what he does on the defensive end, you know? So when you're getting that type of production from G on the offensive end, already knowing what he's doing on the defensive end, like you said, with robbing out,— it was great because you needed that production from somewhere. And it wasn't gonna be one guy that gives you the production that Jimmy gives you. But as a collective, we can all do that and make up what he brings, you know, as a collective group. And that's how it gotta be when you missing one of your stars. And G was— man, G played some great basketball. He showed up, especially, you know, with the shoulder bothering him, you know, from the no-call when he was tripped in Houston. Showed up in a major way. Shout out to GP.

Yeah, talking about being a superstar in your role, he embodied that tonight. The physicality, hitting the 3-ball, finishing inside. Like you said, the steals, the defense. It amazes me someone that small can play, you know, on the defensive end, can play the 1, and switch to 5 and try and block the shot. I mean, his energy is incredible and it's just good to see my little dog out there getting busy. Another one of my dogs, Buddy, he showed up for us today, 17 points. I know he has a good relationship with Jimmy, obviously with the tweet. What did you say to Buddy post-game about his performance? Game 3, 'cause Buddy is a funny personality, man. That's my guy.

Buddy's hilarious, man. I was just talking to him really throughout the game. Buddy used to be like, you gonna say something to Buddy, "Ah!" He talks so fast. And as soon as you say, "Ah!" And now he's coming up to me like, "Ah, Dre, I should have got you the ball when Steven Adams was able to get the steal." And I'm like, "Wow, Buddy, that is a huge step in the right direction." You're coming to seek me out to talk about this play. So what Jimmy's doing must be working because no, but Buddy, honestly, man, he was huge. He hit big shots, timely threes. He hit some very timely threes and he was good on the defensive end. It was good to see Buddy had that game. Like I said, need a collective of guys stepping up and Buddy was right there in the mix for us. We gonna need him continue to play that way. Also shout out to Steve because I know people was calling for Steve like, oh, why you still playing Buddy? And Steve said, We wanna continue to play Buddy. You saw why. He showed up. Just with his shot making ability. We need that shot making ability out there on the floor. And a locked in Buddy is a very good Buddy. So we gonna need Buddy continue to stay locked in like that. Shots won't fall every single night, but when you're a great shooter like he is, they fall most nights.

Yeah, he'll get open. He'll get open. And he was playing on the defensive end. He was playing scrappy. He will get his shots. As long as he don't chase him, he ain't gonna get open and have opportunities to make shots. And he was big, he was huge.

I also wanted to speak about Jonathan Kuminga. His defense starting off on Draymond Green was huge.

Big time.

Hawking him.

Big time.

To start the game. And when you don't allow a guy, when you don't allow a guy to get a rhythm to start the game, that can change the game for offensive players. So I also wanted to speak on that. Jonathan Kuminga's defensive pressure on the ball to start the game was humongous.

Huge, huge. Especially Draymond Green coming off that Game 2 performance where he was just having his way. To establish that at the beginning of the game, it said, "You, buddy, are gonna get the attention that you deserve." You know, I've been waiting for that for Kaminga. Yeah, I probably been saying that. I've been waiting to see, I've been waiting for that all year. And so it was a joy to see that. So shout out to Jonathan Kaminga for, stepping up in the beginning and establishing himself on the defensive end because now he's gonna have a breakthrough offensive game. Mark my words. And you guys haven't been playing, it hasn't been a high-scoring series.

Facts. Facts. I think we still gotta break our game for sure.

And just talking about everybody stepping up, Jimmy Butler's still questionable for game 4. I don't know if he's going to try and play, but if he does, you know, there's a chance. If he plays, you know, you looking to go up 3-1. Going into Game 4, what do you have to improve on for the rest of the series? And then especially if Jimmy is out, what are the things you guys have to do to better your chances to close the series out?

Well, I have to improve personally. I gotta stop turning the goddamn ball over.

I agree.

That is my self-improvement. Us as a team, I think we cleaned up that end of the night. We only had 10 turnovers as a team. I think we improved offensive rebound-wise. Mm-hmm. And saying that they still had 15, let's get that to 11. Yeah. You know what I'm saying? Let's get that to 11 or 12. So I think, and then some of those be like 2 or 3 offensive rebounds on the same possession. So sometimes in the numbers can look a little more skewed than it actually is. But overall I thought we did a great job on the defensive boards. But what I think the one thing that I would like to see us improve up on as a team is just, continue to improve our game plan discipline. We have a very young team. It's their— a lot of guys first time in the playoffs, first time in this situation. And so as you continue to get more and more experience under your belt in the playoffs, you hope to see guys continue to take those steps. And what I will say through 3 games, 4 if you count the play-in, I've seen guys taking those steps, but we all know we can be better. And so I'd just like to see us continue to— Mm-hmm. Improve up on our game plan, uh, discipline, uh, just as a team overall.

I truly believe when the shot clock is running down, when the ball is in the non-score, we meaning the 3, the 4, or the 5 scores on the team, y'all got active. And what I mean getting active, you start, you shut down the next pass. So a lot of those one-on-one opportunities wind up in the hands of a Dylan Brooks, right? Trying to make plays, eat, trying to make plays. And I think that was really, really, that was really balanced and a focused defense. When you can, when you know like, oh, Dylan Brooks got the ball, it's 8 seconds, make him make the play. But at the same time, I also think that when you guys do do that and you see people like Dylan Brooks or Thompson, you gotta be aware that they will miss shots. And that's how them offensive rebounds happen. 'Cause you start, you start looking at the shot, looking at the miss, and then that's how they attack. But it was great defense at the end of the game. 'Cause you start allowing the ball on, on the defensive side to go to the weaker offensive scorer. And that, and that's why I think you guys were successful tonight.

No. Yeah, that was huge for sure. And I don't, I wouldn't necessarily say that was game plan, you know, it was just kind of you feeling the game out Draymond Green. I think anytime you can take first couple options away, make teams do what they don't necessarily wanna do, it's always gonna be good. So yeah, man, shout out to our defense. Again, my guy, Jerry Stackhouse. He has a certain mentality that he brings to the defense and we just try to follow that. What's up, our fans? We got some great news. We're thrilled to announce that the new show merchandise is available. The site is now live, so you can check it out and grab your favorites. Go to thedgbdshow.com. That's thedgbdshow.com.

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I think these should be the shirts on the seats at the game.

Come on, let's do it. We need that.

Game 4, we need that Monday.

Come on, man.

Let's do it.

I'll be at the game. We can get that cracking.

We excited to have all y'all represent the show. So go to thedgbdshow.com and get the new merch. Let's take it around the league a little bit. Man, I didn't get an opportunity to see it obviously live, but I saw it on video.

I was at that game.

You was there?

Clippers and— I was at that game.

Tough call. I don't know how to judge it. I think for me personally, I've never seen a game winner like that. You were there. Have you ever seen an ending like that in the playoffs?

Nah, that was wild, dude.

What was your thought being there?

My thought was it should go to overtime 'cause hand was on top of the ball, but when you, look at the play, his hand was not on the ball when the red light hit.

And it's in the cylinder.

And it was in the cylinder. So it was like, damn, how do you, to me, you know, shout out to the refs on those, 'cause that's a big call to make.

It is a huge call. It changes, it could change the, it could change the outlook of the entire series. The entire series. Which could change the, entire playoffs. Like, it's a huge call to make in that, in that moment.

But like I said, the Clippers shouldn't have put themselves in that situation, especially when you at home, you have the advantage. And I think when they put, you know, when, when they picked up the pressure on defense when they were down to get back in the game, that's the same type of pressure that they needed the entire game. So I think that they were going through lows. And then at the end of the game, like we all know, uh, it's not always the game-winning shot, it's always the tip-in. And that goes back to way back into the day where, uh, Houston lost in the Final Four, Hakeem Olajuwon, uh, to the great Jimmy Valvano with basically an airball, uh, putback. So I mean, it's a heartbreaker cuz as a coach, as a player, the shot was off. It's a controversial call, but you shouldn't have been in that situation. And it was just devastating. I mean, the whole Clipper Arena was rocking and Denver got away with one.

They did. Shout out to Lorenzo Charles, by the way, getting that put back for NC State back in the day. When I look at that series now, I'd say that's two games. That the Clippers have let get away. I'm not sure if you can win a series against a really good team giving 2 games away.

With that type of margin of error. Yeah, no, I agree.

Now in saying that, the Clippers have obviously the system, but Kawhi Leonard, who is just playing at an elite level, and which will always get 'em a chance. They got Ronnie Lue, Draymond Green on the bench, which always gives them a chance, but it's just hard to beat. It's hard to beat a team 4 times. To essentially beat them 1 for sure, come back tonight and have a real chance at winning that game and not coming up with those 2, I think those 2 could possibly cost you later. But in saying that, who do you have taking that? I just think like that, that could get tough, man. That can get hard. You know what I'm saying though? Yeah.

Very much so. You've let 2 games slip away. You had those games in your clutches, but I still think the Clippers are the more talented team. More talented, yeah. Yeah, what I did see from Denver is, you know, he's just gotta keep going at Joker. We gotta keep wearing Joker down. He's doing everything out there. I was on the Denver side of the court, so I got a chance to see, you know, how, the bench, you know, the conversations in the huddle. And a lot is being asked of Joker to do a lot, a lot of the thinking, a lot of co-coaching, a lot of playing and coaching, talking to teammates. He has a lot of responsibility. And then him not having Russ out there, you don't have another vocal person.

Mm-hmm.

You have, like, you have a lot of non-vocal players. It's just hard to communicate and to get energy and motivation when guys are not like really dialed in. And I think the Clippers, they unlock Norman Powell. Zubac has been playing great, we talked about that. But the unlock of Norman Powell I think is gonna be huge. And then now it's gonna be a Bogdanović or a Batum or a Dunn, somebody.

Yeah.

From the Clippers now has to step up and be, you know, that, that fifth. They need a fifth, sixth person that they can rely on now to close out this series that's gonna make big plays for 'em. They need some, they need some big plays from Derrick Jones. They need some big plays from Dunn. They need some big plays from Batum. They need those guys to make winning plays over these, uh, next 3 games.

Yeah, no, most definitely. Most definitely.

But they can win in Denver. They can win in Denver.

They've shown that. Actually, they've shown that actually twice.

Yeah, twice. Right, right, right, right. So I'm not worried about them going back to Denver. Yeah, they let a couple get away. There are 4 2-1 series. The first is Knicks-Pistons. My Knicks, Knicks tape, let's go. They up 2-1. On Detroit, every game has been a slugfest back and forth. Jalen Brunson has shown why he's clutch player of the year. I predicted that this series was gonna go, uh, Knicks in 6. Uh, how you feeling about your Detroit Pistons still?

I think they too have given games away. They gave game 1 away. Game 3 was bizarre. Nonetheless, this is what I expected. I expected the Pistons to have a chance to win this series. And they are showing that. And that's also what Isaiah Stewart been out. He's missed the last 2 games and I thought he'd be a vital part of this series. And they're still showing Paul Reed has stepped up huge. They're still playing really good basketball. So I'm not sure, I didn't see what it was that's been keeping Stewie out. I'm not sure if he'll still be out, but if they get him back, I'm telling you, man, watch out Knicks. If they get Stewart back, because that's just another body they could throw at Cat. That's another enforcer. You know, this series been a little testy. You get your enforcer out there, not another enforcer, your enforcer out there.

Game 4 is always harder for the home team.

It is.

Game 4 always tougher for the home team.

I think the Knicks gonna struggle with this one.

Yeah, and I don't think the Knicks have been in that situation where they've had that margin for error, right? You look at the Clippers and you say, damn, the Clippers let Denver get to, but they still got Kawhi, they still got James, they still got, you know, super elite veteran experience that have been, have played back to the wall.

That's a fact.

I wanna see Detroit and I know they gonna come out fighting. I know they're gonna play, that type of basketball. But game 4, game 4 is all about will, intellect, right? And small, small, small, small margin for error, especially when you the home team.

This is true.

'Cause—

But they ain't got, these Pistons ain't got nothing to lose, man. They playing with the church's money, with the house money. These Pistons, man, watch out. Because they coming for blood.

Hey man, the Pistons was one of my team. They was one of my teams in the East. I just think that they're gonna, the Knicks on a mission. The Knicks on a mission to prove something. The first thing they gotta prove is, hey, we getting out this first round again so we can go to the conference semis.

This is true. The Bucks bounced back. They were down 2-1 after winning game 3. Gary Trent stepped up huge. He was put in the starting lineup. Draymond Green scored 36. Give Doc his credit, BD.

That's an—

Come on, I have to.

That's an adjustment. And that man came through with 9 threes. I think this series will end up tied up 2-2 headed back to Indiana for Game 5. And what I will say is if this series get to 2-2, I got the Bucks taking this series.

Ooh.

Tough.

Great adjustment, Doc Rivers. Great adjustment, needed adjustment. Game 4 is pivotal. I just still think Indiana is not afraid of the Bucks. Indiana feels like they can beat the Bucks down the stretch. And it took 36 points and a 9-3 performance from Gary Trent, Draymond Green Jr., shout out to my dog. He came in, he rocked out, but you're asking for that. Where did that come from? And why didn't we get any type of combination of those 36 points in their 2 losses? So—

Well, I'll tell you why. Road players play better at home.

They do.

Road players play better at home. They absolutely do. Which is why I say if this series ends up 2-2, the Bucks gonna take it because they gonna go back back on the road and Dame gonna find his stride. Giannis gonna be Giannis. Dame gonna find his stride. You— Brook Lopez is a champion. He been there before. You know what I'm saying? Bobby Portis is a champion. He been there before. I think if they get this series to 2-2, they going to game 5 like, oh, we got them. And they gonna feel that. So I'm telling you, if they get this to 2-2, watch out. Bucks winning, Bucks in 6, Bucks winning 4 in a row. They get this to 2-2, watch out. Championship pedigree means something. Now, Indiana does have some championship pedigree over there in Pascal Siakam.

Yeah.

But they don't have multiple. And I think that's gonna be the difference.

Yeah, I think the difference is Rick Carlisle is going to make the adjustment heading into game 4. It's gonna be a battle of adjustments game 4. And I think it's gonna come down to Doc versus Rick Carlisle.

Respect. Game 4. Let's go.

Who makes those adjustments? Who tweaks the lineup? You know, somebody is gonna be sitting down the stretch while somebody is cooking. We don't know who it is, but it's gonna be up to, you know, one of these coaches to make that move. Next up, the Celtics 2-1 on the Magic. Coach Mazzulla, When Porzingis started leaking, he said, "I like watching him bleed." This series is very physical, and the only way, the only way that the Orlando Magic can stay in this series is to be physical. What are your thoughts?

That's a fact. They don't have the talent that the Boston Celtics have, so they gotta junk the game up. They gotta be physical. That's the only way they can compete. And they're doing it. I think they're doing a great job of it. More physical than one would like, I'm sure. But you know, that's the nature of it. Gotta stand up to that and go through it. So they are playing that physical. I was happy to see JT's back. But yeah, it's a very physical series. I think they doing what they gotta do. So they executing their game plan, what they need to execute. You gotta give 'em their credit. Mm-hmm.

Yeah, they gotta be scrappy. That's it, they gotta be scrappy. Keep the score close and hope that Paulo can be that person for you in the playoffs that can make magical moments, no pun intended. But I do like Coach Mazzulla. Yeah, he told Jason Tatum—

Get up. Man, get up, get up.

Right? He talking about, "I like watching him bleed." Just that DNA, that fabric, just a coach speaking to that. And when you watch Boston, they tough, they resilient, they don't bend or break.

They feed off of his energy.

Right, they feed off of that and they all got this chip on they shoulder. No, they still play with that shit.

Yeah, they do. You have to if you want to be one of them teams that pop up every year, you know what I'm saying? To be in the running every year. And they doing that. You gotta get 'em their credit, but they definitely feed off Joe's energy for sure.

Yeah.

T-Wolves are leading the series 2-1. Luka was sick in game 3, they said. And Jayden McDaniels stepped up with 30 points. Ant and Bron both did what you expect Ant and Bron to do. Looking forward to seeing a healthier Luka in game 4. I think the Lakers, you know, they, they, they can go on the road and win the game. They got Luka Dončić and LeBron James. I think they have to figure that small lineup out when they take Rudy Gobert out. You know, a lot of the Lakers game plan seems to be built on picking on Rudy Gobert. When they take him out, I think he played 24, 25 minutes last game. When they take him out and they go to Niles Reed at the 5, Lakers has seemed to struggle with that lineup in, in the series. Game 2, they got away because Nasri was in foul trouble, and so they didn't have to deal with, uh, that lineup. And so I think the key to the Lakers figuring this, you know, this, this team out is seeing if they can figure that lineup out, because that's the lineup that's been beating them. And so it'll be good to see It'd be fun to watch and see what adjustments JJ Redick makes. This is his first playoff series, you know, see what adjustments he make to deal with that lineup.

Yeah, I would say one thing I noticed about JJ Redick and, you know, a lot of young coaches when they come into the league early, you can tell what type of coach that they will be based on game-to-game preparation. And JJ Redick is one of those coaches. So being down 2-1, he's gonna watch a lot of tape. He's gonna watch where the mistakes are happening. Similar to Spoelstra, when Spoelstra was young coming up, he was great at making the adjustment from game 1 to game 2. Oh, we lost game 1? Oh, game 2, we're not gonna lose because we've corrected all our mistakes. And a lot of times coaches do better in film in preparation for the next day. And it's tough making adjustments, especially when you're a rookie coach, especially when it's your first time. So I look for the Lakers and JJ to be able to clean some things up. And he's a coach that makes game, game-to-game adjustments, right?

Yep.

And you have coaches, you know, like Steve Kerr, right? That has that experience that make in-game adjustments.

Mm-hmm.

I think he'll work his way up to that. But I, but for now, the Lakers will be prepared for game 4 for the Rudy Gobert matchup. When Rudy Gobert goes out, you know, how to handle Julius Randle, put more pressure on him and stop Minnesota from getting to the front of the rim. I think that's the Lakers problem. They not letting, they not forcing Minnesota to be a jump shooting team and prove that if y'all gonna shoot all these threes or shoot jumpers, they letting them get to the bucket too and to the front of the rim. And the Lakers have no shot blockers down there that, you know, that's stopping the Timberwolves, especially Jay McDaniels. He having his way.

I was just about to say, do they have the personnel to like, keep the— stop them at the rim though? Because that, that team athletic is in, in law. Like, they got great length, they're athletic. So is there a— like, do the Lakers have the answer to stop them from getting to the rim though and finishing at the rim? Because that, that's one of their strengths.

The Lakers have good individual defenders or hustle defenders. They don't have good weak side defenders. Okay.

Bron is great, but— It's Vanderbilt with the exception of Bron.

Oh yeah, Bron is great, but Bron is at a place and time in his career where he can't cover. He knows if he has to cover everything on the defensive end—

You think you can't get to 38 or 36 or 38 or whatever it was.

Yeah, you can't do that. Yeah, you can't do that. And when you look at Vanderbilt, he's a good defender. Right, but he's not a good help defender. Hachimura is not a good help defender. Then you have a weaker defender in Luka, which requires a lot of help defense, right? 'Cause people are attacking Luka. So like for the Warriors, Looney, great help weak side defender, get back to your man, box out. Draymond Green, great weak side defender, help defender, right? Great on-ball defender. The Lakers can defend you and put pressure on the ball, but they can't stop you from getting to the rim.

We shall see. So who you got winning that series?

Uh, I still got the Lakers. I, I just think, you know, LeBron, LeBron and Luka, they still gotta have to figure out, and if they click, then I think Minnesota is in trouble.

That clique is tough for anybody. Yeah.

Especially in this series.

It's tough for anybody.

Minnesota, yeah.

It's tough for anybody, them two cliques.

All right, last topic. I wanna send a huge congratulations to my dawg, Draymond Green, for winning the NBA Hustle Player Award. The award honors a player who makes the effort plays that go unnoticed in the box score but significantly contributes to the team's success. This award to me embodies a lot of what you've done this year, how you've been available, accessible, a linchpin in this defense. What does it mean to you to get the award? And congratulations again, my dog.

Well deserved. Thank you, brother. I appreciate it. It mean a lot. I think anytime you can be recognized in this league,— uh, it's special, you know what I'm saying? So obviously I was still in a little in my feelings about the Defensive Player of the Year when I found out about this, so I ain't repost nobody all day or anything. I was like, I'm waiting, I'm waiting. Then the end of the night, I made sure I reposted everybody. But, uh, very appreciative. Um, so to explain to people what this award is, because I didn't really understand either, it's a calculation. So this, this award is a calculation, uh, steals, blocks, deflections, screen setting, getting your teammates open, weak side help. It's a calculation of different things. And after the calculation, I was the winner. So I'm very thankful. So it is the one award in the NBA that has a formula, that has a criteria.

That I hear.

But no, like I said, anytime, that you can be recognized in this league as the greatest players in the world in this league. Anytime to be recognized, I'm thankful. So thank you to the calculation, to the calculus.

So it's not opinion-based, it's actually fact and statistic-based. So that's even better. Yes, it is. That's even better, bro.

So I was like, I don't know, this is fire.

Post the people, man. Post the people.

No, I reposted everybody though.

Man, let's run that up. Let's run that up today. Everybody repost it again.

[FOREIGN LANGUAGE] I appreciate it, man. I appreciate y'all. I'm always thankful to be a part of this league. I don't take it for granted one bit. It's the best league in the world. And you know, to still be a part of it after 13 years and still playing at a high level, I'm forever grateful, forever thankful. Forever grateful to this organization for who took the chance on me 13 years ago when I was labeled a tweener and that was a death sentence. So thank y'all. Thank y'all for tuning in. We appreciate y'all. Shout out to all of you. We love y'all. Thank you. Until next time. That's a wrap from this episode of the Draymond Green Show with the legend himself, Baron Davis.

We out.

Peace.