MANILA, Philippines -- It was a peculiar sight for Golden State Warriors fans to see Draymond Green riding the bench in the fourth quarter with the game on the line.
But that's exactly what happened in an all-important Game Four of the NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics in TD Garden on Friday (Saturday, Manila time).
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Having been affected by the hostile crowd for the past couple of games, Green's play has been uncharacteristic to say the least.
Though benching him in crucial parts of the game could be considered a stretch, that's exactly what Steve Kerr did.
It paid off, though, as the Warriors were able to eke out a 107-97 victory to even up the series before moving back to Chase Center in San Francisco for Game Five.
Knowing what the end result of Green's benching was, All-Star guard Stephen Curry said that they weren't going to question Kerr's thought process.
"We obviously understand it's just about winning," Curry said after the game.
"At the end of the day, all decisions are, you know, predicated on that being the goal," he added.
Kevon Looney was able to bring in some quality minutes for Green, who actually played his worst finals game in his career back in Game Three, where it seemed like the environment in TD Garden affected him.
Curry said there was immense confidence in Looney being able to contribute the way that Green does and says that although it might hurt to have to watch from the sidelines, there is always the bigger picture to look at.
"I know we've all been on the side where it doesn't go your way from the top all the way to the bottom. It's not fun, it's not something you readily accept. But you undersrtand the big picture, and obviously especially when it pays off," said Curry.
"So it's more so the trust in Loon and what he's able to do than any kind of like situation with Draymond," he added.
Green also admitted that he was not exactly keen on coming out of the game with so much on the line. But having been in the NBA Finals before, Green knows it's not something to be taken personally.
"I'm definitely never thrilled coming out of the game with seven minutes to go in the fourth quarter in a must-win game. I'm not going to sit here and act like I was thrilled. I'm a competitor," said Green.
"But at the end of the day, if that's what coach decides, then you roll with it. You know, I had to keep my head in the game and, you know, whenever I went back in, try to make some plays. That was just my mindset. You know, don't make too much of it," he added.
Hopefully, for Green and the Warriors sake, the outspoken forward gets to regain his bearings in friendly ground at Chase Center for Game Five on Monday (Tuesday, Manila time).