Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkic got hit in the face by Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green. Referees ejected Green, who has now been tossed three times this season.
After the Suns beat the Warriors, Nurkic was asked about the incident.
Suns' Jusuf Nurkic on Warriors' Draymond Green after ejection: "What's going on with him? I don't know. Personally, I feel like that brother needs help. I'm glad he didn't try to choke me. At the same time, it ain't nothing to do with basketball."
— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) December 13, 2023
Green was ejected and suspended by the NBA for five games after he put Minnesota Timberwolves big man Rudy Gobert in a headlock. The Warriors forward apologized to Nurkic during his media session.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Draymond Green, Golden State Warriors, Jusuf Nurkic, Phoenix Suns Updates
“I am not one to apologize for things I mean to do, but I do apologize to Jusuf because I didn’t intend to hit him,” Green said. “I sell calls with my arms … so I was selling the call … and I swung and unfortunately I hit him.”
As everyone knows, Green has a history of unsportsmanlike acts. It will be intriguing to see how many games the NBA suspends Green this time.
“Like I said, if I intended to do that, then I would feel awful about not being there,” Green said. “But my intentions were just to sell the foul. You guys have known me long enough, if I intended to do something, I am not apologizing. But I did make contact with him, so I do apologize. … It’s a hard hit.”
The Suns beat the Warriors by a final score of 119-116. Green finished with two points, two rebounds and two assists, while Nurkic put up 17 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists.
In his first season with the Suns, Nurkic is averaging 12.0 points, 9.3 rebounds and 4.0 assists while shooting 46.0% from the field, 28.1% from beyond the arc and 72.4% from the free-throw line. The 29-year-old has seven double-doubles.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Draymond Green, Golden State Warriors, Jusuf Nurkic, Phoenix Suns Updates
Meanwhile, Green is averaging 9.7 points, 5.5 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 0.4 steals and 0.7 blocks for the Warriors while shooting 49.0% from the field, 42.9% from beyond the arc and 83.3% from the free-throw line.
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