OAKLAND – It was looking like the NBA All-Star break couldn’t come soon enough for the Warriors, and Draymond Green seemed to offer the proof of that by getting an early start on it Wednesday night at Oracle Arena.
Green, who was already having a rare lackluster game, was called for a foul while defending Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins with 35.7 seconds left in the second quarter and reacted so angrily at the call, referee Ron Garretson slapped him with two quick technicals, resulting in Green’s automatic ejection.
But the Warriors, who appeared to battle lack of motivation and general fatigue throughout the first half, finally found a proper high gear midway through the third quarter, scoring 22 straight unanswered points over a five-minute stretch and running away for 109-86 victory over the Kings, who had their quest of a fifth straight win and two straight over the Warriors denied.