Draymond Green has a tendency to ruffle feathers around the NBA; Friday night was no exception. During a game between the Golden State Warriors and Washington Wizards - two teams expected to be near the upper echelon of the league this season - the Warriors small forward got into it with Wizards shooting guard Bradley Beal. The tensions quickly boiled over, leading to an intense fight on the baseline during the second quarter. It was the ugliest fight of the young NBA season.
Green and Beal spar
The incident occurred with about 20 seconds remaining in the first half.
As Kevin Durant began to lead the attack following a Wizards miss, Beal and Green became entangled near the baseline. Neither player seemed intent on backing down as they began wrestling each other into the press area, with coaches trying to step in to break the two ballers up. Meanwhile, players from both teams rushed into the fracas with unclear intentions as to whether or not that would break it up or instigate a further brawl.
Bradley Beal and Draymond Green were both ejected after this scuffle.
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) October 28, 2017
FULL VIDEO: https://t.co/mCAvFIbOQd pic.twitter.com/F28Pg1m7eZ
When cooler heads began to prevail, the bickering and battling between the two superstars raged on.
Andre Iguodala and some staff members helped to usher Green away from the melee, where his jersey was torn. The damage was already done, however, and he was tossed from the game. So was Beal, who stifled a laugh as a Warriors fan cursed at him on his way to the locker room.
Green addresses the incident
Many around the NBA wouldn't give Green the benefit of the doubt after past incidents, including several well-known kicking episodes.
Still, he was addressing the situation before the game was even over, telling ESPN that Beal hit him multiple times, forcing him to respond. He didn't acknowledge whether or not the two had a history, but Green did mention that the he does have a history with the league, which may have triggered the ejection.
Prior to the ejections, Beal was sporting a plus-16 rating, despite only scoring four points.
Meanwhile, Green had six assists, but just three points and four turnovers before he was sent off. The Warriors ultimately appeared to be galvanized by the skirmish, as they battled back from a 64-50 deficit at the time to battle for the lead throughout the fourth quarter, ultimately winning the game despite some struggles from behind the three-point line.
This will not be the final salvo in the budding rivalry between the Golden State Warriors and Washington Wizards, though.