Draymond becomes first NBA player to record an impossible double-double Originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Draymond Green isn't the same scorer he once was, but his on-court impact on the Warriors is still undeniable.
Both of those statements proved to be true in Golden State's 114-109 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans at Chase Center on Friday night, according to Statmuse, in which Green made 1. He became the first NBA player to record a double-double without hitting a ball.
Green finished Friday's game with 12 rebounds, 11 assists, one steal, one block and, of course, no points. This bizarre double-double came just two games after Green's scoring outburst against the Los Angeles Lakers, where he scored 15 points on 5-of-7 shooting from behind the 3-point line.
Green, a four-time NBA champion, didn't take a shot or at all against the Pelicans, but he left his mark on the game in other ways.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr praised Green's effort after the loss, saying it was one of the main reasons Golden State stayed in the game.
“I don't care if Draymond shoots or not,” Kerr told reporters. “He does everything else. He was great tonight. Great defense, great competitiveness. Just the way we fought in the second half, the competitiveness and the energy, I thought it was great.”
“They've been doing it for, you know, 12, 15 years, winning championships and playing into June. Here we are, fighting for the play-in, and , they're in the Hall of Fame, and you see the effort they've given, the fight to get back in the game, the fight to give themselves a chance.
“That's beautiful.”
“I don't care if Draymond shoots or doesn't shoot. He does everything else.”
Coach Kerr praises Draymond's influence even though he didn't make a shot tonight pic.twitter.com/FwiiboxRS8
— NBCS Warriors (@NBCSWarriors) April 13, 2024
Despite going through ups and downs throughout the 2023-24 NBA season, Green is a mainstay for the Warriors and makes a huge difference when he's on the floor. The same effort will be needed now that the weather is sunny on Friday and the team has qualified for the NBA Play-In Tournament.
But for now, Green and the Warriors are focused on Sunday's final regular-season game against the Utah Jazz and potentially moving up to the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference.
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