The Golden State Warriors needed Draymond Green to step outside his comfort zone on Tuesday night.
Stephen Curry was limping off the floor with a left hamstring strain, and that left Green as the veteran among a bunch of non-champions.
Green, always vocal, led on this night by example.
He drilled four early 3-pointers and finished with 18 points, eight rebounds, six assists and two steals (and his numbers would’ve been bigger if not for foul trouble that kept him on the bench with a solid Warriors lead in the second half).
It’s the kind of output Green hasn’t always had, especially as he’s aged and younger players have been allowed to do more in the Golden State system.
But that wasn’t this night.
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The Timberwolves came out with a suffocating defensive plan. The Warriors simply invited Green to come get the ball and then make Minnesota pay.
When the Wolves sagged off, Green let it fly. When they were close, he attacked and made the right decision over and over again.
The Warriors will need to get Curry back. He’s too legendary to do this without one another.
But for a night, Green made sure his forever teammate’s absence wasn’t the end of the world. Green went off, and Golden State has a 1-0 lead because of it.
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