Green did not reenter the game after returning to the Warriors' bench


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Draymond Green missed the final 20 minutes of the Golden State Warriors' 120-97 win over the Orlando Magic after going to locker room following a heated argument with coach Steve Kerr.

The exchange occurred early in the third quarter with the Warriors trailing, 71-66. Kerr called the timeout after Green committed a turnover. Things got heated between the two during the timeout, which led to Green excusing himself from the bench and retreating to the locker room.

"We had it out a little bit," Kerr said, via ESPN. "He made his decision to go back to the locker room to cool off. That's all I'm going to say about it. Everything is private."

Green returned to the bench before the start of the fourth quarter, but he didn't re-enter the game.

"Tempers spilled over, and I thought it was best that I get out of there," Green said. "I don't think it was a situation where it was going to get better. It was best to remove myself."

The situation largely overshadowed what Kerr said was one of team's better wins of the season, a win that evened their record at 15-15. Kerr specifically said that Draymond "played great" prior to his early exit. In fewer than 18 minutes of work, Green tallied nine points, seven rebounds and two assists.

Stephen Curry scored a team-high 26 points despite going just 10 of 23 from the field. The Warriors received efficient games from Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody, who scored a combined 41 points while making 75% of their shots.

"The questions are a little bit more negative than they should be," Curry said afterward. "I get why you're asking them, but downstairs right now, the DJ has a good playlist going, the guys are getting their work in and we're having a good time because we're winning."

Based on what Kerr, Curry and Green said afterward, it appears that the situation is water under the bridge as the Warriors turn their attention to their matchup with the Dallas Mavericks on Christmas Day.

"We've been at this now for a long time," Green said. "Sometimes you're with people for a long time and there's a level of comfort and shit happens. We move forward."

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