Jusuf Nurkic Says Draymond Green Hasn't Learned Anything From His Suspension And Will Hit Someone Again

This was the first time that these two had played each other after Draymond had struck Nurkic in the face during the Suns-Warriors game on December 12. The NBA suspended Green indefinitely after the incident, and the Bosnian doesn't believe the 33-year-old has learned anything from it, based on his antics on the court.

In the first quarter of the contest itself, Nurkic and Green exchanged words with each other. Then later in the game, Nurkic did the "too small" celebration after scoring on Draymond.

Green then returned the favor by doing the celebration on Nurkic after scoring on him.

There was clearly tension in the air, and Green was assessed with a technical in the third quarter as well. Still, I'm not sure Draymond deserved to have those comments made about him after this game.

Sure, he had a lot to say, but I didn't see him go around hitting anyone. Nor did Draymond have to repeatedly be restrained by his teammates from doing anything crazy. He might end up hitting someone at some point in the future, but nothing he did in this game merited those comments from Nurkic.

Whatever the case, Green ended up having the last laugh on the night, as he sealed the win for the Warriors by not even allowing Kevin Durant to get a potential game-winner off. The four-time All-Star ended the night with 15 points, 7 rebounds, and 9 assists, as the Warriors improved to 25-25 on the season.

Nurkic, meanwhile, had 6 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1 block as the Suns dropped to 31-22.

Draymond Green Responded To Jusuf Nurkic's Comments

Green was informed about Nurkic's comments after the game, and as you might imagine, he didn't hold back either.

"I mean I thought I was pretty great tonight, honestly," Green said. "I thought he tried to get in my head and it didn't work. If he want me to walk around quiet like him, I’m never gonna do that. Quiet guys don’t win. So yeah, I thought I was pretty great tonight. So yeah, he can keep riding the same horse that he rode in on, he can ride his a** on out of here on the same horse. It ain't working,"

It did seem at times as if Nurkic was trying to goad Green into doing something crazy, but he didn't take the bait. In some ways, it shows he has changed, as the Draymond of old might have lost control at some point. Instead, he helped the Warriors get an important win. 

For those who love some drama, this is unfortunately the last meeting between the Suns and the Warriors in the regular season in 2023-24. The Suns won the season series 3-1 and the only way we'll get more games between them is if they meet in the playoffs. If they do end up meeting there, it will be must-watch television.