Golden State Warriors guard Draymond Green (23) asks the official “who me” when hit with a flagrant 2 foul call after hitting Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkic (on floor face down) in the face at the Footprint Center in Phoenix on Tue Dec 12, 2023 (USA Today photo)

By Barbara Mason and Jerry Feitelberg

The NBA has indefinitely suspended Golden State Warrior guard Draymond Green for his spinning punch to Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkic on Tuesday night. Green was trying to get open on an inbound play when he spun around and hit Nurkic. Nurkic was behind Green and landed a punch to his face that landed him on the ground. Green was immediately ejected for a flagrant 2 foul.

This was Green’s third ejection of this season and his second suspension. His first suspension came when he had his hand and arm around the neck in a headlock of the Minnesota Timberwolves Rudy Gobert on Nov 14th which earned him a five game suspension.

Green said at the time of the first suspension that he had no regrets “I’ll come to a teammate’s defense any time that I’m in a position to come to a teammate’s defense. What matters to me is how the people that I care about feel, first and foremost.”

On this second suspension during the post game presser at the Footprint Center in Phoenix on Tuesday Green apologized and said unlike previous suspensions and altercations he admitted making a mistake. He explained “I thought he was pulling my hip, and I was swinging a way to sell the call, and [I] made contact with him,” Green said. “As you know, I’m not one to apologize for things I meant to do, but I do apologize to Jusuf (Nurkic) because I didn’t intend to hit him.”

Accident or no accident Green will be suspended indefinitely pending his meeting with the NBA. Green is meeting with Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy to discuss the suspension. Nurkic was questioning what is wrong with Green and that he needs some kind of help. “What’s going on with him? I don’t know. Personally, I feel like that brother needs help,” Nurkic said. “I’m glad he didn’t try to choke me. At the same time, it ain’t nothing to do with basketball.”

Barbara Mason and Jerry Feitelberg are Golden State Warriors beat writers for http://www.sportsradioservice.com