Draymond Green’s latest confrontation with Dillon Brooks ended with another early exit for the Warriors forward. What started as a foul on Phoenix Suns star Khaman Maluach quickly turned into a physical altercation. Teammates, security staff, and reactions from broadcasters became headlines as Golden State was without one of its most emotional players.
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The incident happened just two minutes into the third quarter. Maluach had knocked Green to the floor in the paint moments earlier. The Warriors veteran immediately got back up, wrapped his arms around the Suns’ center, and brought him down to the court. The officials called a foul, but Draymond Green’s reaction after the whistle made matters worse.
Dillon Brooks wasted little time getting involved. The Suns forward rushed toward Green, and the two began pushing and shoving. Green then placed a hand around Brooks’ neck as the confrontation intensified. Officials assessed technical fouls to both players, and the Warriors star received his second of the sequence. That meant an automatic ejection.
“So Man Man (Khaman Maluach), all Man Man did was run to the spot.” The Suns broadcast team was particularly critical of Green’s actions toward Maluach. “And they should call a flop. But that’s a dirty play, you know? Dillon throws him down. If Dillon Brooks gets kicked out of a game for doing what he did, he gets kicked out. You know officials can’t be right. That’s dangerous what he (Green) did to him (Maluach).”
The incident also added another chapter to Draymond Green’s long history of on-court disciplinary issues. The 36-year-old received his first ejection of the 2026-27 season and the 23rd of his regular-season career. The Warriors forward had little room to argue his way out of the decision.
His frustration with the original foul had already cost him a technical, and his subsequent involvement with Brooks sealed his exit. Still, the confrontation was hardly surprising given the two stars involved.
Unfortunately, the game wasn’t done with its physical exchanges. Another confrontation broke out with 7:26 remaining in the final frame. Players began putting their hands on each other near the baseline, forcing security personnel to intervene again. This time, the altercation involved Charles Bassey and Jalen Green.
The two battled for a rebound beneath the basket before Bassey kept his arms wrapped around Green’s head. Miles Bridges rushed toward the baseline and shoved Bassey, prompting officials to assess him a technical foul for escalating the situation.
The Warriors were trailing 68-57 when Draymond Green headed to the locker room. He had played just 17 minutes, recording four points, four rebounds and two assists. The 36-year-old had also missed the first half of Golden State’s back-to-back the previous night, making his early departure another setback in a demanding stretch.
However, Golden State found enough production elsewhere to complete the comeback. Stephen Curry led the way with 34 points, seven assists and six rebounds. Bassey provided a major contribution off the bench in Draymond Green’s absence, finishing with a career-high 19 points and eight rebounds. The Warriors eventually escaped with a 116-113 victory in a game that never quite settled down.
Devin Booker finished with 26 points and five assists for Phoenix but fouled out with 58 seconds remaining. Still, the Green-Brooks confrontation was one of the night’s biggest talking points. The two have never hidden their dislike for each other, and their disciplinary records make their latest clash even less surprising.
The Suns star led the NBA in technical fouls last season, while Green finished third. Their history goes beyond Monday’s incident, too. During a 2023 ESPN feature by Tim Keown, Brooks openly expressed his dislike for the Warriors veteran.
“I don’t like Draymond at all,” Brooks said. Keown noted that Green laughed and declined an opportunity to respond at the time. However, the four-time champion eventually fired back, labeling Brooks an “idiot” and a “sucker” on separate occasions. Monday’s altercation suggests their feelings haven’t softened.