Warriors suspend Green one game without pay

Draymond Green received a one-game suspension without pay from the Golden State Warriors for "conduct detrimental to the team" in the fallout from Monday night's explosive exchange with All-Star teammate Kevin Durant.

Green will serve his suspension during Tuesday night's home game against the Atlanta Hawks and reportedly sacrifice more than $120,000 in the process.

"We just felt like this rose to the level of acting the way that we did," Warriors general manager Bob Myers told reporters in comments published by ESPN. "That's a decision that we have to make. I'm certainly involved in it, so is Steve (Kerr). ... This was something that required the action that we decided upon."

Some teammates loudly confronted Green in the locker room for his decision-making on the final play of regulation of the 121-116 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Clippers, league sources told ESPN.

The intensity in the locker room was heightened because the matter of Durant's impending free agency reportedly was raised.

The organization spent Tuesday dealing with the aftershocks of Monday night's confrontation while working through the issues involving the team's dynamic, according to league sources.

"Knowing (Green) for however many years I've known him, if caring too much is something that he struggles with, well, that's who he is," Myers said. "We felt that this action merited the decision we made, but I have every confidence that he can move forward with it, our team can move forward with it, our organization, our players. Because again, this is part of the NBA, this is part of what happens."

The Warriors closed the fourth quarter at Staples Center with an 11-0 run and had a chance to win in the final seconds, tying the score at 106-106. Green grabbed a rebound and dribbled up the court before fumbling the ball in traffic at the top of the key. Durant was seen clapping his hands, an apparent call for the ball.

After the buzzer sounded and the players went to the bench, Durant yelled at Green for not passing him the ball under the basket. Television cameras captured their animated conversation, but both players declined to discuss what was said.

"It don't matter," Green told The Mercury News after the game. "You all are going to report what you want to report."

Other teammates argued with Green over his choice in the final moments to keep the ball, but Green forcefully defended himself, raising the volume level in the room, sources said.

Golden State teammate Shaun Livingston characterized the exchange between Durant and Green as "just team spirit."

"Guys wanted a different outcome than what happened," Livingston said. "Obviously, Dray had the turnover. Guys might have thought they were open or wanted the basketball, didn't get it. Things happen like that in sports. But it was good to see some fire, some emotion." — Field Level Media/Reuters