Draymond Green defends NBA Finals performance despite shooting woes, 'I made an impact on the game'
Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green has averaged just 23% shooting in the Finals, but he's defended his overall performances after facing criticism.
The Golden State Warriors showed their grit and determination once again in Game 4, with their 107-97 win levelling the series at 2-2.
Steph Curry put up 43 points as he led the Warriors to victory, while Draymond Green scored just two as his shooting struggles continued.
The 32-year-old has enjoyed an impressive season overall, but his form in the Finals has been concerning, with the center averaging just 4.3 points per game against the Celtics, including just 23% shooting.
If the Warriors are to go and win the series, Green will either need to improve or miss out, and head coach Steve Kerr made this point clear in Game 4 when he limited Green to a spot on the bench in the decisive minutes.
With 7:32 to play and the Warriors down by four, Kerr decided to send Green to the bench - a decision that turned out to be effective.
Draymond Green in this Final:
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) June 12, 2022
-Fouls: 18
-Points: 17 pic.twitter.com/w9e8Gc9jJ4
The Warriors ended up going on an 11-4 run to help them seal the win, with Green only used in the final minutes on defence.
But while Kerr showed he's not scared to withdraw Green from the court, the 56-year-old coach did defend his player post-match.
"Draymond is Draymond. He's going to bring it every night," said Kerr.
"I think the thing that maybe got lost the other night is how good he was down the stretch. He ends up in the game with four steals. He was brilliant defensively. He did what we needed to do to win the game."
With Green facing criticism over his quiet Finals performances, he also fired back at his critics by suggesting he was pleased with his overall game, even if his shooting struggles have continued.
"I think I made an impact on the game the whole game," Green said. "I think you can get caught up in everything that's going around, but those that watch and understand basketball, I made an impact the entire game. So I don't think there was a switch last couple minutes."
Only five players in NBA Playoff history have recorded both 200+ career blocks and 200+ career steals.
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) June 12, 2022
In Game 3, @Money23Green became one of them 💪 pic.twitter.com/L8a97Ky4mT
The Warriors now welcome the series back to the Chase Center for Game 5, where they'll look to take the lead in the series for the first time.
The game is scheduled to start early on Tuesday morning, with play starting at 02:00 BST.