Kerr, Curry react to Draymond ejection: 'He deserved it'

Stephen Curry is not exactly buttoned-up on the court. He’s manifested joy in internet-shattering celebrations for more than a decade now. But what he showed Wednesday night in Orlando was a rare departure.

When Draymond Green was ejected inside the first four minutes after bumping official Ray Acosta, then laying into him – with what officials said was “egregious profane language” – as teammates pleaded for him to remove himself from the situation, Curry’s face was the bellwether. He, along with everyone else, was exhausted.

His face flushed, reddened. He tucked it inside his jersey, with tears at the corners of his eyes.

This was the exhaustion of a man fighting tooth and nail to keep the Warriors afloat on a ship that has been steadily sinking – in large part due to Green’s absence – and now, Green displayed the out-of-touch selfishness to do it again? In a game without Jonathan Kuminga? That could knock the Warriors out of the play-in picture?

But the Warriors leaned on their youth, and a rare, game-winning fourth quarter from Andrew Wiggins to fend the Magic off. Then Curry hit a dagger, a night-night celebration, and kicked a chair with a guttural scream of joy and exhaustion.

Neither he, nor Steve Kerr tried to soften Green’s ejection.

“Too bad. It was unfortunate. He deserved it,” Kerr said. “He’ll bounce back. I’m just proud of the guys for stepping up.”

Curry’s answer on the ejection eschewed some of the not-quite-subtle subtext he often employs.

“All I’ll say is we need him,” Curry said. “He knows that. We all know that. So whatever it takes for him to be on the floor and be available, that’s what’s gotta happen. Especially at this point in the year. It’s a tough way to start the game. But I’m extremely proud of every single person that stepped foot on the floor tonight and responded the way that they did… It was a beautiful team effort to respond the way that we did.”

The message was abundantly clear. Everyone else showed up after Green showed he wasn’t mature enough to do the same.

But with 10 games to go, and a matchup in four games with the Houston Rockets hot on their heels (after a 10th-straight win), there's no time for retrospection. Green has to rejoin the fray and reprove himself again... and attempt not to burn through the fraying wick of goodwill he has remaining.