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Golden State Warriors: 3 keys for Game 4 vs. Cavaliers

By Simon Smith

CLEVELAND, OH - JUNE 06: Stephen Curry #30 and Draymond Green #23 of the Golden State Warriors celebrate with Kevin Durant #35 against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the second half during Game Three of the 2018 NBA Finals at Quicken Loans Arena on June 6, 2018 in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OH - JUNE 06: Stephen Curry #30 and Draymond Green #23 of the Golden State Warriors celebrate with Kevin Durant #35 against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the second half during Game Three of the 2018 NBA Finals at Quicken Loans Arena on June 6, 2018 in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
(Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /

3. Keep Draymond Green under control

With four All-Stars on their roster, the Warriors’ talent level is virtually insurmountable.

However, one crucial area that can potentially become unstuck is the volatility of Draymond Green.

Simply one of the most ferocious competitors recent memory, Green’s intensity level at the defensive end of the floor, combined with his highly-strung personality means he is regularly susceptible to blowing a fuse in the heat of the moment.

This reared its ugly head in Game 3, when Green and the Cavaliers’ Tristan Thompson were each called for a technical foul midway through the first quarter after exchanging words back and forth.

Despite this, less than one minute later, Green was called for a reach-in foul on Thompson, to which he reacted in a familiar manner:

In addition to the Cavaliers’ home crowd, Twitter was also quick to react to Green’s indiscretion:

Now with five technical fouls under his belt this postseason, Green is just two short of being automatically suspended for a game. Infamously, something similar occurred during the 2016 NBA Finals, when Green was suspended for Game 5 of the series following an accumulation of flagrant fouls, the last of which involved LeBron James in Game 4.

With the Cavaliers trailing that series 3-1, Green’s suspension was widely viewed as the key ingredient in allowing the Cavaliers back into the series, and eventually taking the title in seven games.

Through the first three games of the series, Green presently leads the team in the following categories:

Considering his vital importance to the team, the Warriors will certainly be well aware of Green’s current technical foul situation, and thus will be doing all they can to ensure Green is not distracted by the Cavaliers’ home crowd in their upcoming contest.

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