Draymond Green's return doesn't spark Warriors in loss to Grizzlies - ESPN

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green made his return Monday from his indefinite suspension but he wasn't able to lift the Warriors past a depleted Memphis Grizzlies team, falling 116-107.

Green, whose absence spanned 16 games, came off the bench in the hopes of preserving some of the momentum the Warriors starting lineup had built over the past two games without him.

As Green checked in at 6:32 of the first quarter, boos from the Memphis crowd rained down on him. The crowd continued to heckle him each time he touched the ball.

Green finished with seven points on 2-of-4 shooting, including two 3-pointers, seven rebounds, four assists and one steal in 23 minutes.

«It was fun being back on the court,» Green said. «Getting the chance to play basketball, that's always fun. It was a little weird going out of the tunnel to go shoot and do my pregame, but after that it just settled down.

»I think [the minutes] will go up pretty fast, but until it does I will try to be the best I can be in the minutes I have and bring a spark to this team."

The Warriors were hopeful that with Green coming back, they would be able to build off the improved defensive habits they picked up during the first two games of their four-game road trip.

But it was the exact opposite. Golden State allowed Memphis to shoot 20-of-54 from 3 — the most 3-pointers the Warriors have given up this season — and go 32-of-40 from the free throw line.

The Warriors, meanwhile, hit just 10 3's and went 9-of-10 from the stripe. That minus-30 free throw attempt difference is the second-worst in a game for the Warriors under Steve Kerr, according to ESPN's Stats & Information research.

"[The defensive plan] falls off when it's about having pride,"