Getty Draymond Green and Kevin Durant hug following the game between the Brooklyn Nets and Golden State Warriors on February 13, 2021.
After an exciting, back-and-forth first half on Tuesday night at the Barclays Center, the Golden State Warriors rolled past the Brooklyn Nets after intermission to ensure that the contest did not live up to its lofty billing.
Behind a game-high 37 points from Stephen Curry on 12-for-19 shooting (including 9-for-14 on threes), as well as a huge third quarter in which the Dubs outscored their opponents 35-18, Golden State picked up a marquee 117-99 win to improve to 12-2 on the season. Curry added a game-best seven rebounds, along with five assists and two steals as well, Andrew Wiggins notched 13 of his 17 points in an electric second quarter and guys like rookie Jonathan Kuminga and newcomer Otto Porter Jr. provided solid minutes off the bench.
Draymond Green put up a typical Draymond Green stat line with 11 points, eight assists and six rebounds, and hit a rare three-pointer in the third quarter – his only try from deep in the contest.
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What made the connection from beyond the arc even sweeter for Green was that it was drilled over friend and former teammate Kevin Durant.
It was a perfect celebration from Green, as the sticking out the tongue/pat on the buttocks combo was surely something that grinded KD’s gears. Though Durant got off to a hot start on Tuesday, it was a rough going overall, as he finished with 19 points on 6-for-19 shooting and had a game-worst plus-minus of -24.
Green off to Best 3-Point Shooting Start of Career
GettyDraymond Green during the Golden State Warriors vs. Chicago Bulls game on November 12, 2021.
Anyone who follows the Warriors, or the NBA for that matter, knows that three-point shooting is not typically a strength of Green’s. While he doesn’t attempt a ton of shots from distance, the fact of the matter is that Green has shot under 30% from deep in each of the past three campaigns, including 27% last season, which was his worst mark since his rookie year.
So far this season though, through the first 14 games, the three-time All-Star has been very successful from beyond the arc.
Draymond Green is now 6-14 from deep on the season. A very small sample size, but you can see the improvement and confidence in his 3pt stroke so far
At 6-for-14, Green is shooting 42.8% from three-point land. As noted, it’s a small sample size, but if that figure were to hold, it would be a career-high success rate for Green.
Green Breaks the ‘ManningCast Curse’ With Win Over Nets
GettyJordan Poole and Draymond Green during the Golden State Warriors game against the Charlotte Hornets on November 3, 2021.
As the Warriors entered halftime on Tuesday with just a five-point advantage, and with Curry and Wiggins relegated to the bench for a good portion of the third frame due to foul trouble, many NBA fans and analysts were surprised by how easily the Dubs coasted in the second half. What made the blowout win even more surprising is that one day prior to the showdown, Green had seemingly cursed himself and the team by appearing as a guest on “Monday Night Football” with Peyton Manning and Eli Manning and their new “ManningCast” broadcast.
Prior to Green’s appearance on Monday, other professional athletes to be interviewed by the Manning brothers only to lose their next game included Russell Wilson of the Seattle Seahawks, Tom Brady of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills.
Was the ManningCast curse real? Not for Dray and the Warriors 😅
Perhaps after seeing Green and the Warriors easily dispatch of the Nets on Tuesday night, future guests of the “ManningCast” can breathe easier, knowing that the curse may be broken.
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