In the hours before tipoff Monday night, Warriors coach Steve Kerr fielded questions about Draymond Green, who not only played well beneath his standard in the previous game but also exhibited a couple flashes of temper, including one directed at Kerr.
"He had one of those nights; it just wasn't his night," Kerr told reporters in Philadelphia. "Things didn't go his way. He was frustrated. I'm very confident that tonight he'll bounce back."
Yes, he did. One game after allowing his emotions to undermine the best of his game, Green pushed his personal reset button and drove the Warriors to 119-108 victory over the 76ers.
It was a rather predictable performance insofar as Green generally responds to poor games by making a statement of his strength.Or, should we say, strengths.
Though the numbers -- 14 points, 11 assists, six rebounds, five steals, a plus-22 over 37 minutes -- tell a significant story, Green's impact, as usual, extended beyond statistics. He set a strong positive tone, and when he does that it can offset subpar performances by his teammates.
"We've got a lot of guys who can play," Kerr said afterward. "So on a night like tonight, where Steph (Curry) doesn't have it going, we've got plenty of other guys who can score and make plays and a lot of them came through.
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"I thought Draymond was really the player of the game. He just brought incredible energy and set a good tone right from the beginning of the game."
On a night when Stephen Curry's shot abandoned him (0-of-11 from deep, 7-of-23 overall), Green scrambled to provide whatever was needed, when it was needed. He was particularly adept at setting his teammates, as evidenced by his game-high assists total.
"One guy can't do it every night," Green told reporters. "Two guys can't do it every night. Sometimes, it's got to be a complete team effort. Tonight, it was that."
The Warriors shot 41.7 percent through the first three quarters and 44.9 for the game. The Sixers battled them to a virtual standoff on the glass. The Warriors got by mostly with free throws (33-of-39) and Green's effort and smarts.
That Green is a difference-maker in unconventional ways, often beyond the box score, is what makes him unique.
And it's what makes it easier to cope with those nights when he's as much of a headache to his team as the opponent, as was the case Saturday, when was 1-of-10 from the field, had more turnovers (three) than assists (two) unleashed some frustrations.
"Draymond's value to us is his defense and rebounding and basketball IQ and intensity," Kerr said before the game. "His shot is going to come and go. He's going to have games where he makes some threes. He's going to have games where he doesn't. But it really doesn't matter to me. What matters to me is everything else that he does for us. That's where his real value comes in."
Kerr clearly was confident that Green would revert to being his customary self. Green can create waves, which result in turbulence along the journey, but on the vast majority of occasions, he's there for his teammates and his coaches.
