Draymond Green and the Warriors were introduced to an NBA rule that they never knew existed.
With 6:28 remaining in the third quarter of Golden State's 118-110 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday at Chase Center, Green appeared to shove Cavs star Donovan Mitchell under the basket after a Caris LeVert layup. No penalty initially was called, but after Mitchell retaliated and fouled Green on the ensuing possession, the officials gathered and reassessed the previous play, retroactively deeming Green's previous infraction from the play under the basket worthy of his second technical foul, which led to his ejection.
In speaking to reporters after the game. Warriors coach Steve Kerr was befuddled by the officials' decision to retroactively assess Green a second technical foul for a previous play.
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"They said he got a technical for elbowing Mitchell a couple plays before maybe?" Kerr questioned. "I had never heard of this rule where apparently can retroactively call a technical on someone from two plays before upon review.
"I had no idea. There's lots of plays I'd like to go back to from three years ago ... that was bizarre."
Green's ejection lit a fire under the Warriors, who erased a 16-point halftime deficit in the third quarter before eventually falling flat in the final frame.
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The odd series of events in the third quarter confused many on the Warriors' bench and it's fair to assume both Kerr and Green will seek out a better explanation.