Draymond Green’s foul against Memphis’ Zach Edey in the third quarter of the Warriors’ victory over the Grizzlies has been upgraded to a category-one flagrant, the NBA said Saturday after reviewing the play.
The foul — for which Green initially was charged with only a personal — came with 7:06 left in the third quarter of Friday’s game, which Golden State won 123-118. Green lost his balance on a drive and fell near Edey’s feet.
Green appeared to both swing his left leg outward as he was on the ground and restricted Edey’s ability to move his right ankle by clamping it between his elbow and his side. Edey wound up tripping over Green’s outstretched leg and the personal foul was called.
“Draymond grabs his leg and pulls him down and it doesn’t get reviewed,” Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins said after the game. “I know there’s a code in this league and I don’t understand how that wasn’t reviewed. Very disappointing.”
The play, if called as a flagrant at the time, would have given Memphis two free throws and possession of the basketball. It was called as a transition-take foul, giving Memphis one free throw and possession.
“It wasn’t a basketball play, if that’s what you’re asking,” Edey said. “Definitely wasn’t a basketball play.”
Green went on to pick up two technical fouls in a 33-second span of the fourth quarter and was ejected with 1:14 remaining. Warriors coach Steve Kerr said he didn’t get a clear reason for Green’s second technical.
“I don’t need an explanation,” Green said after finishing with 13 points, eight rebounds and seven assists. “I did my job. My job was done for the night. Moving on.”
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Green was suspended indefinitely last season — he wound up missing 16 games — by the league after he struck Phoenix center Jusuf Nurkic in the face during a game on Dec. 12. The league cited Green’s “repeated history of unsportsmanlike acts” when handing down that suspension, which came not long after he served a five-game ban for putting Minnesota center Rudy Gobert in a headlock during an altercation.