Steve Kerr thinks that the NBA needs to review the Flagrant 1 foul Draymond Green was assessed during Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals on Sunday and reverse it.
Green was going up for a shot in the second quarter and happened to kick out his leg, which nailed Thunder center Steven Adams in the groin (watch here). The Warriors forward was assessed a Flagrant 1 foul for the play.
No surprise, Kerr defended Green after the game and insisted the contact was inadvertent.
“I thought it was inadvertent,” Kerr said of Green’s kick. “There’s contact on the play. I was shocked they even looked at it. (Referee) Scott Foster told me they were looking at it to either determine whether it was a Flagrant 1 or Flagrant 2. I was in shock because there’s inadvertent contact all the time on plays, so that really surprised me.”
Kerr was then asked whether he would be surprised if the NBA suspended Green over the play. He went in the complete opposite direction with his response.
“I would think that they would rescind it,” Kerr said of the Flagrant 1 foul. “Honestly. Stuff like that happens all the time. There’s contact, peoples’ arms, legs flailing. If they think it’s on purpose, play the game. This stuff happens all the time. (Russell) Westbrook kicks out his feet on every three and there’s contact. It’s just part of the game, so I don’t understand how that can be deemed a Flagrant 1. I think it should be rescinded.”
It’s hard to put a whole lot of stock into Kerr’s opinion given his inherent bias. Green is one of the Warriors’ best players, so of course he needs the versatile forward active for the rest of the series.
Golden State is now down 2-1 in the series and would be in really bad shape if they lost Game 4 in OKC on Tuesday.
