Kevin Durant and Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors have occasionally had their personalities clash on the court. Last month, Durant tried to calm down a visibly upset Green after a foul in a win over Utah. Gene Sweeney Jr./Getty Images
Less than a week ago, the Golden State Warriors were 10-1, Stephen Curry seemed to have regained his mantle as the league’s presumed most valuable player, and a fourth N.B.A. championship in five years seemed like a formality.
Those sentiments suddenly felt like ancient history on Tuesday. The Warriors had lost two of three games, Curry had been sidelined indefinitely with a groin injury, and an argument between Kevin Durant and Draymond Green during Monday’s 121-116 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Clippers had led to a one-game suspension for Green, a three-time All-Star and the 2017 defensive player of the year.