Draymond Green wins this round.
Before the third Warriors-Rockets game of the season on Saturday, James Harden was filmed telling teammates “They beat us already twice. They ain’t that good.”
The video was taken down by the Rockets official Instagram account after the Rockets lost that game 131-106. That didn't stop it from spreading around the internet like wildfire, peaking just hours before the teams met for a fourth time on Wednesday.
The Warriors won that game 126-113, but it wasn't even that close - Houston's subs frantically chipped away at a 30-point lead in the fourth quarter while Golden State coasted.
Draymond Green had seen the video, just like his teammates, and made sure to let everyone know during his postgame interview (transcript via Diamond Leung of the Bay Area News Group):
Q: With the way you guys have been beating teams lately, do you think getting up by these big margins might have that effect on teams?
A: I mean, I’m sure they were a little frustrated because we’re not that good. So to get up by 20 like that in the half and then come out in the third quarter I’m sure is a little frustrating. But hey, we’re not that good. Shouldn’t be up by 20 at half. Happens though, right?
Q: What’d you think of that, ‘They’re not that good thing?’
A: Uh, he’s right. We’re nowhere near where we’re going to be at the end of this year. We’ve got to continue to get better and stay healthy and then we’ll look back at this point in the season and say, ‘Man, we weren’t that good.’ So he’s right.
Green then turned to teammate Brandon Rush: We’re not that good. Well, you saw it. You got Twitter?
Rush: Yeah, I got Twitter.
Green: You got Instagram? Then you saw. We’re not that good…I guess we’re not that good…Yeah, you know if we’re not that good…Four losses to somebody ain’t that good.
Andrew Bogut calls for Green to put on a shirt in front of the media members.
Green: You’re saying too much media around here, but we’re not that good, right?
Q: Seventeen consecutive home wins is pretty good, stands alone in franchise history. What does that mean to you?
A: Seventeen in a row at home, that can’t be all this year can it be? It can’t be if we’re not that good.
Bogut laughs.
Green: You don’t win 17 in a row if you’re not that good, so them wins have got to be dating back to last year. That’s pretty solid, though to keep it going over the course of two years, right? That’s solid.
Q: You’ve never said anything outlandish in a pregame huddle to fire up guys?
A: At this point, I don’t think we really need to be fired up. We’re not that good, so… Nah, we say our prayer, and we go about our business.
Golden State is currently 1st in the Western Conference with an NBA-best 34-6 record. They host the Sacramento Kings at Oracle Arena Friday night.
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