Warriors' Draymond Green states case for Defensive Player of the Year - ESPN

SAN FRANCISCO — Less than 30 seconds into Tuesday night's game, Draymond Green chased Giannis Antetokounmpo around a screen and blocked the Milwaukee Bucks superstar's shot underneath the basket.

It was the first of four blocks, two steals and a defensive gem that Green delivered to hold Antetokounmpo to 20 points on 5-for-16 shooting as the Golden State Warriors beat the Bucks 104-93 at Chase Center.

Green not only helped the Warriors win without Stephen Curry (rest), but his smothering defense on Antetokounmpo — who came in averaging 30.4 points per game as the second-highest-leading scorer in the league — is what Green hopes is the latest case for a second NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award.

«Obviously, if we keep winning and close this year out strong, most definitely,» Green said when asked if he thinks he has a case to be named the league's best defender. «I look around the league and don't see many players impacting the game on the defensive end the way I do. I don't see many players completely throwing off an entire team's offense the way I do. One thousand percent.

»Especially with Wemby [the San Antonio Spurs' Victor Wembanyama] going down, seemed like he had it won. And now it is right there. So 1 million percent I have a case, and I will continue to build that case for these next 13 games. Tonight was a prime example of that."

Green's defense contributed to Antetokounmpo's worst shooting game in the past two seasons, according to ESPN Research. The Bucks' 93 points marked a season low.

Combined with Jimmy Butler's 24 points, 10 assists and 8 rebounds, Green helped Golden State bounce back following an embarrassing home loss Monday to a Denver Nuggets team that was playing without Nikola Jokic, Jamal