Draymond Green defended Jordan Poole’s decision to take a deep late-game three-pointer that could have tied Game 1 of the Lakers-Warriors semifinal series on Tuesday night.
With less than 10 seconds to play in the fourth quarter, the Lakers double teamed Stephen Curry near the right wing. Curry dished the ball to Green, who found a wide-open Poole well beyond the arc on the left wing. Instead of stepping closer to the three-point line or attempting to create a better scoring opportunity, Poole launched the three-pointer that bounced off the rim, leading to the Warriors’ 117–112 loss.
Despite the failed scoring attempt, Green said he could “live” with Poole’s decision to take the three-pointer with the game on the line.
“Jordan [Poole] taking that three is not why we lost that game,” Green said Wednesday on The Draymond Green Show “… I know everyone is going to point at that one play and say he should have never shot that three. Prior to that three, he was 6-for-10. You got a guy 6-for-10 that you know can shoot the piss out of the ball and you get an open three, you live with it.”
“You got a guy 6-10 that you know can shoot the piss out of the ball and you get an open three, you live with it.”
— The Volume (@TheVolumeSports) May 3, 2023
—@Money23Green defends Jordan Poole’s late-game three-point attempt pic.twitter.com/qyLwBwp0hv
It is noteworthy that Green defended Poole after their physical altercation ahead of the 2022–23 season that required the forward to spend time away from the team.
Poole finished Tuesday’s game with 21 points and six assists in 30 minutes off the bench. The Warriors will seek to bounce back and win Game 2 of the series on Thursday.
