With 25 seconds left in a tightly-contested game, Draymond Green scored a layup over Karl-Anthony Towns that put the Golden State Warriors in closeout position over the New York Knicks. According to ESPN Analytics, the layup boosted the Warriors' win likelihood from 89.3% to 95.9%. After going to fouls, the Warriors won, 97-94.
Green, after his big layup in the clutch, opted to borrow a signature celebration from teammate Stephen Curry: The "Night Night."
Warriors teammates loved it, with lots of postgame comments swirling about it. Curry had a reaction to it himself, grading it short of perfection. Moses Moody, who pitched in 18 points in the contest, had an apt alternative name for Green's version of the celebration: The "Nightmare," according to NBC Sports Bay Area.
More often playing a complementary role focused on facilitation, defense, and enforcing, it's infrequent that Green is the go-to scorer in closeout situations, so he relished in the moment, especially against the Knicks and Towns, who he's had a recent off-court controversy with.
Green's in-your-face style of play is nightmarish indeed, so it's an apt nocturnally-themed nickname for Green's remix on the Curry classic, which Steph broke out as recently as this month, and had a signature Olympic moment with it in the gold-medal game in Paris.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Warriors Teammate Had Perfect Name for Draymond's Version of 'Night Night' Celebration.
