Chaos perfectly describes last night’s Warriors vs. Grizzlies matchup, which ended with Draymond Green being ejected for receiving a technical foul after arguing with the officials from the bench. However, Green wasn’t the only one frustrated with the officiating. Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins raised concerns about a controversial foul by Green on Zach Edey, which he believed could have caused a serious injury.
Jenkins questioned the league’s ethical standards in his postgame comments, saying, “We were about to start a fast break, and (Edey’s) been hustling to outlet. Draymond grabs his leg, pulls him down, and it doesn’t even get reviewed. I know there’s a code in this league, but I don’t understand how that wasn’t reviewed. Very disappointing.”
The incident happened in the third quarter when Green drove past Jaren Jackson Jr. but lost his balance and fell to the floor. As Edey collected the loose ball to start a fast break, his foot became entangled in Green’s arm, causing him to fall hard. While officials called a foul on Green, replay footage suggested he may have deliberately tightened his grip on Edey’s foot to prevent the break.
The Grizzlies argued the play warranted a transition take foul, and after a review, the officials agreed. Desmond Bane converted the resulting free throw. However, Jenkins believed the punishment didn’t go far enough, given the potential risk to Edey, who had injured the same ankle earlier this year during Summer League.
While Green faced no additional consequences for the incident with Edey, he was ejected late in the fourth quarter after earning two quick technical fouls for arguing with officials. Unfortunately for the Grizzlies, this occurred with just over a minute remaining, and the Warriors already had the game in hand. Green finished the night with 13 points and 7 assists.
Jenkins argued that stricter action against Green earlier in the game could have given the Grizzlies a chance to stage a comeback in his absence. Instead, the delayed response left the Grizzlies with no opportunity to capitalize, leaving Jenkins frustrated with how the officials handled the situation.
