NBA punishes Draymond Green for questioning refs’ integrity with betting spread quip

Draymond Green’s wallet got a little lighter on Wednesday.

The Warriors star was fined $50,000 by the NBA for “making an inappropriate comment that questions the integrity of the officials” during Golden State’s Game 3 loss to the Timberwolves on Saturday. 

ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that Green’s comments referred to “the 5.5 spread number.”

After fouling out late in the game, Green stayed on the bench during the final seconds, and the ESPN broadcast appeared to catch him making reference to the spread while talking to his teammates on the court before the Warriors’ last possession. 

Draymond Green was fined $50,000 for questioning the integrity of the referees during the Warriors’ Game 3 loss to the Timberwolves. St3vi3_T / X

At the time, Golden State trailed by eight points with 15.2 seconds to go. 

Jonathan Kuminga then hit a 3-pointer, cutting the deficit to five and covering the 5.5-point spread, before the Timberwolves ran the clock out.

Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) reacts after his sixth foul against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the fourth quarter during Game 3 in the second round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Chase Center. David Gonzales-Imagn Images

Down 3-1 in the series, the Warriors face elimination on Wednesday night in Minnesota.

Golden State is playing without Steph Curry, who suffered a hamstring injury during Game 1 of the series.

The Warriors have lost all three games without Curry in the lineup.