Draymond Green does his best Splash Bro impression, then says he failed his teammates
With Stephen Curry still sidelined, Draymond Green did his best Splash Brother impression Saturday night in Game 3 at Portland.
Green had 37 points, hitting 8 of 12 3-pointers, along with nine rebounds and eight assists, while Klay Thompson added 35.
Draymond from way downtown! #NBARapidReplay #WARRIORSvBLAZERS https://t.co/c4y55cyYwa
— NBA (@NBA) May 8, 2016
Wow, 37-9-8? That's more LeBron-like. FOX Sports' Dieter Kurtenbach really was on to something when he wrote that Green "has cemented his superstar staus" in Curry's absence.
But the Blazers had their own superstar who was on Saturday night. Damian Lillard pulled Portland back into the series with 40 points, 10 assists and five rebounds, going 8 for 13 on 3's in a 120-108 win.
Lillard has scored 40 or more in all three home games vs. the Warriors this season.
While Lillard's huge game was just what his team needed, Green called his "my worst game of the series."
"Everybody will look and say 'Oh, you had 37, nine and eight, two turnovers.' And all that's cute, but I didn't do what I do for this team. I don't feel like I led my troops tonight, and I feel like I was horrendous on the defensive end.
"And, you know, when I look at my season, I still say like my best game was at OKC, and I had one point, but I controlled the game on the defensive end."
That's where the 6-foot-5 forward, who has averaged just 8.7 points per game in his career, has been biggest for the Warriors, especially when Curry and Thompson are filling it up.
You can't expect Green to have another LeBron game on Monday, especially if Curry is back in the lineup. But you can expect him to double down on defense and try to put this series in a choke hold.
"Now they're feeling like they can do it," Green said about the Blazers. "We know otherwise. You can expect Game 4 to be a battle."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.