Moments before the Golden State Warriors were officially eliminated from NBA Playoff contention, Draymond Green and Phoenix Suns superstar Devin Booker got caught up in some drama.
Both players were ejected from the game. Green was accused of punching Booker in the stomach by both the fans watching and Booker himself. When Green addressed the incident on his podcast this week, the veteran forward denied doing that. He went on to call Devin Booker a liar.
“Devin Booker told Scott Foster that I punched him in the stomach, which is a lie,” Green said on his show. “Number one, a punch is with a closed fist. Number two, it’s very obvious I was taking a foul. So, Scott Foster goes to review it, realizes I didn’t punch him in the stomach, and he calls an away-from-the-play foul.”
While Green didn’t land the ejection right there, he couldn’t get over the fact that Booker accused him of throwing a punch in that moment. So, the veteran forward continued chirping at the star guard, which led to the next phase of the incident.
“I was standing on the sideline, and Book was shooting a free throw, and I was saying, ‘Yo, Book, I punched you.’ And I just kept saying, ‘So, I punched you,’ and he didn’t want to answer. And so I kept asking him, and then finally he was like, ‘Uh, man, I said I moved on, Dray. I ain’t know. I said I moved on.’ And I asked again, so I punched you? He got a little testy and started making some comments. So, I made some comments back to him.”
Green checked out after seeing the court for 36 minutes. He scored five points, produced six assists, and had two rebounds in the elimination game.
Booker checked out after putting up 20 points, eight assists, and six rebounds.
No Hard Feelings
GettyPHOENIX, ARIZONA – MARCH 24: Devin Booker #1 of the Phoenix Suns reacts after being defeated by the Denver Nuggets in the NBA game at Mortgage Matchup Center on March 24, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Nuggets defeated the Suns 125-123. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
Both sides have addressed the incident at this point.
In Phoenix’s locker room, Booker made it clear that he felt like Green was just lashing out as a competitor who was frustrated with the result of the game.
“Nothing, man. I’ve been there before, and I understand the situation,” Booker told the media. “My big brother used to beat me in NBA Live back in the day, and I’d throw a fit. He’s a competitor. He loves the sport. It’s like I said, he wants to be in those environments, and he’s been in them before.”
As for Green, he congratulated the Phoenix Suns for taking down the Warriors and punching their ticket to the playoffs. After getting a few days to sit on the loss, he made it clear that he’s still on solid terms with Booker personally.
“Book, that’s my young fella. Always have been,” Green explained. “That relationship stems back to Book being in high school. And ain’t nothing going to change that relationship. We had that moment. What really pissed me off was that we got ejected. We weren’t cursing at each other or anything. We were talking back and forth.”