Draymond Green couldn’t wait to get his first technical of the Western Conference Finals
By Kareem Gantt
![NEW ORLEANS, LA - MAY 04: Referee Eric Lewis #42 issues Rajon Rondo #9 of the New Orleans Pelicans a technical foul after an altercation with Draymond Green #23 of the Golden State Warriors during the second half of Game Three of the Western Conference Semifinals of the 2018 NBA Playoffs at the Smoothie King Center on May 4, 2018 in New Orleans, Louisiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images) NEW ORLEANS, LA - MAY 04: Referee Eric Lewis #42 issues Rajon Rondo #9 of the New Orleans Pelicans a technical foul after an altercation with Draymond Green #23 of the Golden State Warriors during the second half of Game Three of the Western Conference Semifinals of the 2018 NBA Playoffs at the Smoothie King Center on May 4, 2018 in New Orleans, Louisiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/f08a09bd016d26c956706c2519f2edbd54248632492524569369f33323ae3145.jpg)
It took all of 67 seconds for Draymond Green to pick up his first technical foul of the Western Conference Finals.
We were only two minutes into the Western Conference Finals when Draymond Green lost his cool and got dinged for his first technical foul of the series.
The Golden State Warriors talented, but volatile power forward has a history of trying to get into the heads of opponents. It’s a tactic that he’s made a career out of, and in the early going of Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals against the top-seeded Houston Rockets, he identified his main target.
James Harden.
Harden, the Rockets do-everything superstar, was always going to be the main focus of the Warriors defensive gameplan, and part of that game plan is to get Harden flustered with Green’s antics early and often. So, as drove past Keven Durant to the basket to give Houston an early 5-0 lead in Game 1, Draymond and his bad intentions were waiting for him.
https://twitter.com/World_Wide_Wob/status/996194979545575424?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
As you could see in the tweet above, by our favorite NBA Twitter God, Rob Perez, Draymond sent a little love tap, via elbow, to Harden’s face. Unfortunately for Green, the ref saw the whole thing and instantly gave Draymond a technical foul.
Was it done intentionally? Maybe.
It could all be part of the master plan for Draymond, which is why he’s so loved in Golden State. Or it could be that he just lost his temper, which is why he’s so loathed outside of Golden State.
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One Rocket that didn’t take that subtle jab so well was PJ Tucker. Minutes later, after rising for a 3-point shot, Draymond flew right into Tucker, and P.J. made sure that if he was gonna hit the deck, Green was coming down with him.
https://twitter.com/SBNation/status/996197517728464898?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
With that, Green officially got into foul trouble, which is something the Warriors can ill afford in a series that will pit two of the NBA’s best team in a death match for Western Conference supremacy.