Since Draymond Green returned from an indefinite suspension earlier this year, the Golden State Warriors have repeatedly praised the forward for controlling his emotions better.

He still occasionally argued with referees and played relatively “fiercely” but rarely crossed the line… until the Warriors match against Orlando Magic on March 28.

Less than 4 minutes into the game, Draymond Green was disqualified and ejected from the field for committing 2 consecutive technical fouls.

Green crossed the line when he repeatedly argued with referee Ray Acosta and despite being flagged for a technical foul, he did not stop before using an inappropriate statement.

This led to referee Acosta calling a second technical foul and Draymond Green being sent off. It is worth noting that Green was not the one who was directly fouled, but Stephen Curry.

As Draymond left the field, coach Steve Kerr continued to talk to the referees about his player’s ejection. But the attention was now on Stephen Curry, who clearly showed a look of mental fatigue, mixed with a bit of helplessness and maybe even disappointment.

“We need him on the court. He knows that. My team and the other team know that. So we always do everything we can to keep Draymond on the court,” Stephen Curry shared after the game.

“Especially at this critical point of the season, we don’t want to hurt ourselves anymore and focus on the game. Green’s early dismissal made things very difficult.”

This is the fourth time Draymond Green has been ejected this season, a “career-high” that he probably doesn’t want. Green is also the first player to be ejected twice in the first half in the past 20 years in the NBA.

“We know the importance of these games because we are trying to secure a place in the play-in round. We don’t want to lose the game before the final whistle. That’s why I felt sad at that moment.

“Here, I and every member of the team really wanted to win. We were in the sprint phase and believed that we could advance to the postseason. So the emotions were running high for me and the whole team at that moment,” Stephen Curry added.

But instead of letting emotions overwhelm him and giving up on the game, Stephen Curry used it as motivation to shine in the final minutes of the game.

Immediately after a beautiful step-back 3-pointer in front of junior guard Jalen Suggs with 33 seconds left, Curry showed off his familiar “goodnight” celebration on the way home.

And then when he returned to the bench due to a time-out, Curry was seen kicking away three chairs in the Warriors’ technical area.

“I had to let it out a little bit,” Curry said. “Nothing is certain in this tournament. For us, playing two games in two days and missing two key players in the starting lineup, maybe not many people believed we could win.

Maybe because you are pushed into a corner, you will find some special energy inside. I am proud of the whole team for overcoming difficulties mentally and fighting, to win this important victory.

After the March 28 games, the Golden State Warriors (38-34) are in 10th place and are on the brink of the play-in group (7th-8th-9th-10th). Right behind them is the Houston Rockets (37-35), a young team that is surprisingly on a 10-game unbeaten streak.

So it shows how serious Stephen Curry is about needing Draymond Green to keep his cool and stay on the court. The Play-in and further Playoffs are still there, but it would be a very “hard to swallow” experience if the Warriors lost just because one of their players always had problems with the referees.