“He’s the best defender I’ve ever seen in my life. He rises to the occasion,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “On top of being a great defender, he’s an incredible competitor. We’ve seen it. I’ve seen it for 11 years. Game on the line, Draymond making a stop. It’s like having Steph Curry take the shot.”

Draymond Green and Stephen Curry first got into an incident with Dillon Brooks, and then Green followed it up with an altercation with Tari Eason a few minutes later.

With the Warriors holding a one-point lead in the closing seconds of the fourth quarter, Green smothered Rockets big man Alperen Sengun's shot in the lane. The Warriors gathered the rebound and went on to win 109-106, though the game was not without controversy.