OAKLAND, Calif. _ A mid-game clip made the rounds on Friday night, showing Draymond Green punching downward into James Harden's ailing left wrist after some jostling.
Green was criticized for the move. After the game, he was asked about it.
"He pinched me," Green said. "So I punched his wrist. That's pretty much it."
Where did he pinch Green?
"Right here," Green said, pointing at his oblique. "He does it often actually. Which is kind of adolescent."
Is it just a Harden thing or is it a common NBA practice among defenders?
"Nah," Green said. "Guys aren't going around pinching people. But that's what happened."
Said Harden: "I thought it was a closed-fist hit. I don't know."
