PORTLAND, Ore. --
Golden State Warriors forward
Draymond Green is establishing himself as arguably the best trash-talker in the NBA.
“I absolutely love it,” Green told ESPN after the Warriors overcame a 17-point deficit on Saturday to defeat the
Portland Trail Blazers119-113, taking a commanding 3-0 series lead. “I’ve been doing this for a very long time. There’s an art to trash-talking.”
Green finished the evening with an impressive stat line of nine points, eight rebounds, seven assists, two steals and a game-high six blocks, but his verbal psychological edge was just as effective.
Maurice Harkless has been on the receiving end of the two-time All-Star’s verbal taunts this entire series, and it appears to be working.
Green does his homework.
Harkless obtained a $500,000 bonus for shooting 35 percent or higher from 3-point distance this season. How he earned the extra cash made headlines. With four games remaining in the regular season, he was stuck right at 35.1 percent. He cleverly didn’t attempt a 3-pointer in the final three games he played, securing the bonus.
Knowing this factoid, Green used it to his advantage. In Game 2, at one point during the contest while guarding Harkless along the perimeter, he baited him to hoisting the outside shot.
“You ain’t gonna shoot it. You’re still chasing that petty-ass change,” Green yelled to him, sources told ESPN.
