The Golden State Warriors achieved balance against the New York Knicks. Jimmy Butler and Stephen Curry led them to a victory. The result also came with another typical Draymond Green moment. The veteran forward was called for a flagrant foul against Karl-Anthony Towns in the fourth quarter.

During the game, Green celebrated his actions, feeling the officials gave the Knicks an unfair call. But for fans, it was the exact opposite. They grew more infuriated after witnessing Green’s reckless actions. One fan took it to extremes, sharing his thoughts on Instagram threads.

“The s–t that the league, Kerr, and Warriors teammates have allowed Draymond Green to do is crazy. Should’ve been ejected,” the fan wrote. Many others felt the same way, with explosive reactions also coming through Twitter. But in the midst of the ensuing chaos, Green, an agitator by nature, responded with a similar tone.

“Shut up,” he wrote in response to the complaints.

In terms of the action itself, there’s little to no doubt that Draymond Green deserved to be punished. That means he’s now closer to falling into trouble. With half the season almost over, Green has already accumulated 9 technical fouls and two ejections. Moreover, he has also crossed $1 million in fine payments. Hence, it’s not like the league is allowing the 2017 DPOY to do whatever he wants without any repercussions.

While he wasn’t assessed a technical foul today, a flagrant foul can also call for a fine or suspension, depending on how the league judges the incident. In this case, it seems unlikely. Draymond Green blatantly grabbed Towns’ ankle to prevent him from scoring. However, it wasn’t exaggerated or violent.

It was another incident of Green operating on the edge. That didn’t take away from his defensive impact, as he limited his marks throughout the game to shooting just 3-12 from the field.

A brewing rift between Draymond Green and Karl-Anthony Towns

Draymond Green doesn’t usually target any players in particular. However, there’s some history between him and Karl-Anthony Towns. It didn’t start until last season when Towns missed a game against the Warriors. After the game, Green pointed out that Jimmy Butler being in town possibly scared off the Knicks center.

In reality, Karl-Anthony Towns lost a close friend to cancer and was attending the funeral. Green did apologise, but not before fireworks burst. In their next matchup, Towns and Green appeared to indulge in some trash-talking, intensifying the animosity between the Warriors and the Knicks.

So you could say some drama is almost called for when the pair meet. It doesn’t concern Towns, who said Green’s antics have ‘no relevance’ in his life. However, it certainly looks like both players have a chip on their shoulders when they face each other. Neither of them had their best performances tonight, with Towns scoring just 17. Green shot just 25% from the field.

But there were also some highlights. Towns, as one of the tallest players, grabbed a season-high 20 rebounds while Green’s impeccable defense allowed the Warriors to recover from a 17-point first-quarter deficit.

The Warriors have now won three consecutive games against the Knicks. The two sides will meet again in March, making for another spectacle. That game could also see Jalen Brunson participate, giving the Knicks an edge when they match up again.