Watching the Golden State Warriors from afar in Game 5, as a bystander at an Oakland Athletics game, was a bittersweet affair for Draymond Green.
Yes, he wanted his team to win, to clinch its second straight NBA title. But, after being suspended for one game, part of him also had to want another crack at the Cleveland Cavaliers—a chance to exact revenge and prove his worth.
It’s a complicated situation for sure, since Green couldn’t get redemption this season unless the Warriors lost. And why would he, at his core, want them to lose?
Green grappled with this dilemma throughout Game 5, according to The Undefeated’s Marc J. Spears. After the Warriors officially lost, though, it didn’t take Green long to get psyched for Game 6:
Losing, though, was difficult. Green was said to be visibly disappointed as it became apparent that a 112-97 loss was on the horizon. There would be no late-game heroics, no Hollywood ending. Draymond Green, soul of the Warriors, would not descend on Oracle Arena in street clothes to enjoy a second straight championship. No champagne showers. As Game 5 wound down, and the realization of a Game 6 hit him, Green changed his demeanor, a source said, and became increasingly excited about the challenge ahead. Game 6 is in Cleveland on Thursday, June 16, a year to the day that the Warriors won the 2015 NBA championship in the same venue.
“Let’s go,” Green yelled, according to a source. “I get a chance to play in another game.”
The Cavaliers are favored for Thursday’s contest by 2.5 points, which is pretty surprising when you consider how well the Warriors have responded to losses all season. They have only lost back-to-back games once, and that was against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Finals.
More than that, the Warriors are welcoming Green back. That instantly drives up the value of their offense and defense—infinitely so when you consider Green will be playing for redemption. In some ways, it almost works against the Cavaliers that he missed Game 5, because it only makes him, and the Warriors, that much more dangerous in Game 6.
