The Golden State Warriors gave up their lead to the shorthanded Indiana Pacers tonight, 114-109, falling despite having a completely healthy team. The Pacers mounted a furious fourth-quarter comeback to take the win. Draymond Green, as usual, caught himself in the middle of some controversy. The veteran forward directed traffic, barked orders, and set the tone on defense. However, when tension rose, things got a little too out of hand.

At the 9:13 mark in the fourth quarter, with the Warriors up 92-85, Green directed his anger towards the officials. Green was not happy with the referees. Green was caught on camera yelling and arguing with one referee. The refs, however, kept their cool. Draymond avoided an immediate technical foul, but the moment carried the weight of yet another fine for the vet, and perhaps even league review.

However, this isn’t anything new for the four-time champion, despite their change in contention status. Green has long held a reputation as a defensive menace, and his emotional intensity, the heart of Golden State’s defense, can sometimes spill over towards opponents and officials. For his career, Green has racked up more than 110 technical fouls and 23 ejections, as well as one notable suspension in 2023 for an on-court altercation with then-Suns center Jusuf Nurkic.

Just last year, in the middle of the Warriors’ second-round playoff series against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Green was fined $50,000 by the league for “making an inappropriate comment that questions the integrity of game officials,” according to the president of league operations, Byron Spruell. During a timeout in Game 3, Draymond yelled out the betting spread of the game at the refs, questioning their integrity after fouling out of the game.

Even in the preseason this year, Green’s patience snapped at referees, lighting them up with accusations of whistle bias as the Warriors took on the Lakers. Without superstars Luka Doncic and LeBron James, LA took 35 free throws compared to the Warriors’ 8, and Green didn’t stay quiet. During a free throw sequence in the third quarter, the forward yelled out, “Free throws is 19 to 0 and LeBron James and Luka is on the bench. Incredible.” Now, whether the league takes disciplinary action against Green remains to be seen, but Draymond’s fire, for better or worse, is inseparable from the Warriors’ play.

Indiana Pacers Snap Skid as Golden State Warriors Collapse Late

Tonight, the Indiana Pacers finally found their footing, but it didn’t come easy. Down by 11 points in the fourth, Pacers guard Quenton Jackson took over the game, scoring 12 of his 25 total points in the final period to lift Indiana over Golden State. He gave the Pacers their first lead of the quarter with a top-of-the-key three, and after Jimmy Butler tied it up, Jackson iced the game with a clutch pull-up jumper in the final five seconds. For a team that started their season with five straight losses, this was a much-needed break.

Pacers forward Aaron Nesmith kept up energy all night, dropping in 31 points, and Pascal Siakam added in 27 of his own, showcasing their resilience despite having major roster injuries. Indiana was missing key starters and bench pieces: Tyrese Haliburton, Bennedict Mathurin, Andrew Nembhard, Obi Toppin, TJ McConnell. Somehow, they found enough firepower in their backup players to hand the surging Warriors a stunning loss. Every possession mattered, and Indiana’s young core showed a maturity to close games that had been missing earlier in the season.

Golden State, meanwhile, seemed to unravel just as their opponents caught fire. Stephen Curry had an inefficient 24 points, and despite Butler and Jonathan Kuminga adding in a combined 37 points, the fourth quarter spelled doom. After controlling the game for the first three quarters, the Warriors entered the final frame with a six-point advantage, but their focus slipped. Now, Golden State needs to recover from this brutal loss before their matchup against Phoenix Suns on Tuesday.