The Warriors were up 100–98 over the Hornets with just 13 seconds to go. Brad Wanamaker and LaMelo Ball were at center court for a jump ball.
Ball was barely able to get his fingertips on the ball first before Warriors forward Draymond Green tapped it away and ended up on the ground wrestling it away from Gordon Hayward. Both forwards were tangled up with the ball when the whistle blew—timeout Hornets.
Completely irate, Green couldn’t believe the call and let the referees know it. It appeared to be another jump ball but the refs deemed that during the scrap for the ball Hayward had possession and at some point, someone from the Hornets was able to call a timeout.
In his outrage, Green was given a technical foul but didn’t let up. Even though he was being restrained by teammates, he kept after the officials and was T’d up yet again to be ejected.
The Hornets were given two free throws and the ball for Green’s outburst. Terry Rozier nailed both shots and the dagger to seal the game with a 20-footer at the buzzer.
The Warriors were led by Kelly Oubre Jr. with 25 points while Green finished with just five points, seven rebounds and three assists on the night. Golden State was without All-Star Stephen Curry, who left just before tip-off because he wasn’t feeling well, according to the team.
Rozier had a game-high 36 points in the 102-100 win.
