It’s no secret that Draymond Green is not an elite high-volume 3-point shooter. But when Scottie Barnes disrespected Green by leaving him wide open, the Golden State Warriors veteran made him pay with a three-pointer and a fiery message. Naturally, his gesture was bound to precipitate extreme reactions.

The Warriors stepped inside Scotiabank Arena on a three-game winning streak, and it seemed it was about to be their fourth win, well, until the third quarter. Within two minutes of the second half, the Dubs had taken a two-point lead, just when Green found himself open with a chance to extend the lead to five.

BrickCenter posted a clip from the game that featured the play that enraged Green. Stephen Curry shrunk the Toronto Raptors’ defense inside the paint, and Green, grabbing the opportunity, quickly moved out of the arc. The Splash Bro found his championship pal for an open three. Barnes, who was Curry’s primary defender on that play, still had the time to close in and disrupt Green’s shot. Instead, he turned his back and looked straight at the rim, waiting for a rebound.

Green rightfully took his shot, made it, and then flipped Barnes off with a few words.

“Keep turning your back on me,” the Warriors veteran said.

However, too bad for Draymond Green; he didn’t get the last laugh. He had a great offensive night, but the Dubs fumbled in overtime. The game was tied at 122 at the end of the regulation, but the Raptors outscored the 2022 champions by 19-5 in overtime, and that should certainly concern the visitors.

Green had 21 points (4 of 8 from the 3-point line) behind Curry’s 39 points. He was the lone Warrior standing between LeBron James’ Cleveland Cavaliers and the title in Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals. Like history suggests, it was one of those nights that he played like a straight-up lethal scorer. He still has those kinds of games, like against the Denver Nuggets last month. He made 5 of his 10 attempts, but unfortunately, it also resulted in a loss.

Draymond Green receives flak for his typical in-game intensity after Scottie Barnes taunt

Draymond Green has a total of 169 technical fouls in the regular season and 36 playoff techs, with some coming at the expense of the most important games. Earlier this month, Green officially hit the $1 million mark in total fines after he was ejected with two technicals (in a win) against the Phoenix Suns. So the chances of the league fining Green for chirping at Barnes are pretty high, as a repeat misdemeanor, and fans are also expecting it.

“Keep flipping ppl off you b– lol currently losing the game as well as losing some money after the league gets this clip! Haha,” an observer wrote.

Green’s greatest bragging rights have been his elite defense capabilities as the Warriors’ floor general throughout his career. At his age, he still sets the team’s tempo. And while the exertion has shown in his fitness levels, it is not an exaggeration for a player of his caliber to trust his shot from beyond the arc.

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But a fan made fun of him, trolling him for taking offense at Barnes’ defensive decision.

“N—- hit one three and thinks people gonna respect him from the 3-point line.”

Green is not an elite deep shooter, but he is not terrible at it either. He is a career 32% shooter, and this season he is shooting at 32.4%. The Dubs star might not command respect and fear in long-range shooting, but he certainly doesn’t deserve disrespect. Another fan didn’t like how Green reacted after the shot.

“Draymond so damn lame.”

However irksome Barnes’ defensive choice was, the satisfaction from Green’s taunt was short-lived. The Raptors quickly closed in and outscored the Warriors in overtime to win. The criticism of the floor general continued for celebrating too early.

“That didnt age well,” a fan wrote.

It certainly didn’t, as Barnes recorded a 23-point triple-double (with 25 rebounds, 10 assists) to lead the Raptors to their 19th win.

Draymond Green’s actions can at times bring momentum and energy to the game, but they can also backfire, as they did against the Raptors. Barnes’ team chased down the deficit in the fourth quarter and humiliated the visitors in overtime. Some fans blamed Green for igniting an inner fire.

“And that’s why you don’t talk shit.”

But this is who Green is, and Kerr has made peace with it. The head coach has, in fact, been praising his veteran player’s performance recently.

“Draymond was great, played his tail off. Great energy, great defence,” Kerr said after the viral Orlando Magic game earlier this week. “He did everything he could to help us win. Like I said, I feel like I let us down tonight.”

The coach took full responsibility for the team’s errors. But the loopholes in chemistry and defense still persist halfway into the season.

Moreover, the Warriors lost to the Raptors because they didn’t take care of the ball, turning it over 21 times, which led to 35 points. It was the most points conceded off turnovers since their Miami road trip in November.

Next up, the Warriors face the Brooklyn Nets away from home on Monday.