“I TOLD YOU, REG! THAT N—- NOT SCORING ON ME!” That’s what Draymond Green shouted to Reggie Miller after forcing Alperen Sengun to miss a potential game-winner in Game 4. In the fiery heat of playoff basketball, few athletes like Draymond Green straddle the edge between chaos and control. Well, the 1 time Defensive Player of the year was this close to winning his second even at this age, speaks who he is. Well, the Warriors had to settle for third as Cleveland Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley and runner-up Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels booked the first two. And someone good in defense cannot control every nerve, and Game 4 against the Houston Rockets was no different; Green once again got involved in a controversy (not the usual one you see), only to turn it into a contribution.

With 27 seconds left and the Warriors up by one, Green walled off Houston’s Alperen Sengun in the lane, denying a possible go-ahead bucket and sealing a 109-106 win. By then, he had accumulated a technical, a flagrant, and five personal fouls. Though the headlines emphasized whether he should have been thrown out, one prominent basketball fraternity member opted to emphasize what counted, and that was the victory at the end of the day.

The Warriors’ number 23 had the best rating +17 alongside Buddy Hield, giving the impression that his 30 minutes on the court had an impact that 6 points do not do justice. So, referring to this and those fouls that, besides the game-winning stop in the final minute, forced the Ex-NBA champion Matt Barnes to take to Instagram, re-sharing a post by Kicks that displayed Green’s chaotic yet game-defining line. The caption read “The Rockets really went iso on Draymond for the win 😭😭😭.”

However, it was Barnes’ message that resonated deeper, and the words that he typed beneath the image of a in action and fired-up Green. He wrote in his story, “Whatever it takes to win.” Well, whatever it takes to win. One miss, and it’s 2-2, one good minute and it’s 3-1. That counted as a nod of respect from one tenacious competitor to another, who is giving his best and trying everything possible to defend his team.

Green’s name triggers both respect and aggravation in equal measure for a player famous for converting tension into victory and giving his best for the team on the court. Draymond Green had all eyes on him when he was involved in an altercation with Tari Eason. Monday night’s battle was a great example of Green straddling the tightrope and teetering on the verge of ejection before executing a play that turned the game.

Draymond Green admits who is as Rockets fail to land

Barnes, who is famous for his own intense NBA career, knows the murky area where passion and punishment intersect. His quiet support was an acknowledgement of the worth Green adds at times when it counts most, not only praise as a person who could do anything for his team to win. He was trying to echo what Warriors coach Steve Kerr later articulated, calling Green an “instigator” whose intensity is both a weapon and a wild card.

Green, for his part, welcomed the mayhem. He dismissed criticism at the post-game press conference, calling himself a “habitual line stepper”, a phrase taken from Chappelle’s Show. It was an admission, not only a deflection. He knows precisely what he is doing; it worked in Game 4, and the Warriors took the win.

Draymond Green was very vocal about Jimmy Butler’s effort and impact, too. During the same media session, Green praised Butler’s toughness in battling injury to score 27 points. The game that was full of hard fouls and harder plays still saw Green highlight a rising Butler rebound as his preferred play of their time. “I looked up, thought it was Kuminga flying. It was Jimmy,” he said.

As the Warriors now hold a 3-1 commanding lead, Game 5 will see more bodies on the line. For the Warriors, it is the seal-the-deal moment, but the Rockets aren’t here for popcorn either. Can Green hold the Rockets from launching? We will see.