Draymond Green’s absence in the late fourth quarter against the Rockets was noticeable as Houston came back on the Warriors to outscore Golden State 34-20 in the fourth quarter and earn an upset victory in the season opener.
Green left the game with a left knee strain after playing 27 minutes and was relegated to the bench to watch helplessly as the Rockets carved up the Green-less Golden State defense. Of all the stars on the Warriors, Green is the most irreplaceable because of how critical he is to that defense — he is the reigning Defensive Player of the Year for a reason.
So there was some concern about that left knee, enough so to send him in for a precautionary MRI on Thursday. As ESPN’s Chris Haynes reports, the Warriors and Green got good news from the results.
Golden State forward Draymond Green underwent an MRI on his left knee and results came back negative, league sources told ESPN.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) October 19, 2017
While Green insisted he was fine after the game, it gives the Warriors and Green peace of mind moving forward that there aren’t any small structural issues to be concerned about moving forward and, whenever the pain or soreness subsides, he can return to the court in a full capacity. The Warriors don’t play again until Friday night, so it’s possible they’ll have their emotional and defensive leader back on the court without him missing any time as they look to get back on track in their quest for back-to-back titles.
