SAN FRANCISCO – Steve Kerr started slowly, then worked himself into a mini-lather when discussing Draymond Green’s ejection during the Warriors’ 119-116 win over the Phoenix Suns on Saturday at Chase Center.

Green’s first ejection of the season came about 48 hours after Suns guard Dillon Brooks jumped high to defend a shot by Stephen Curry, then deliberately and flagrantly hit the two-time NBA MVP in the stomach.

For anyone who has ever seen Brooks in the NBA, it wasn’t a complete surprise — but other than the Flagrant 1 foul he was assessed, he wasn’t ejected and no further penalties or discipline from the NBA came.

Fast forward to Saturday, when Green and Suns guard Collin Gillespie got into a lightly heated exchange after Green blocked one of Gillespie’s shots. The two men kept jawing at one another, with Green earning his second technical for arguing over the first. 

Kerr also picked up a technical for arguing the situation.

“I thought it was weak. I mean, [Green] was yelling at the refs, so he definitely deserved one. But then, he’s walking to the bench and he yells something, and the second technical … We just saw a guy on their team literally punch Steph in the stomach the other night, and premeditated punches him in the stomach,” Kerr said, referring to the Warriors’ loss in Phoenix on Thursday. “No ejection for that. Two nights later, refs got upset with some words from Draymond.

“I just I totally disagree, and that’s why I got my tech because I was furious that they booted him out just like that so easily. This is a guy [Brooks] who broke [Gary Payton II’s] elbow in the playoffs, clothes-lining him with one of the dirtiest plays I’ve ever seen. So it’s not like there’s not a track record there. I don’t know what the point of replay is if you’re not going to kick a guy out for literally punching somebody. It’s bizarre to me that he was not ejected from that game and then suspended or fined. Nothing, nothing.

“So apparently you are now allowed, this is my team, you’re now allowed to premeditate a punch of a shooter who’s left defenseless … you can now take a swing at him. Maybe we’ll do that. Probably not.”

That was just one chapter in the Brooks saga Saturday.

Early in the game, the Warriors seemed bent on matching Brooks’ energy and did a lot to show that he wasn’t going to get under their skin as he has with them and so many other teams during his NBA career.

Jimmy Butler grabbed a loose ball and shoved it in Brooks’ chest. When a nearby official refused to call anything, Brooks waved his arms and clearly was upset.

Throughout the night, the Warriors seemed to be playing with a more physical edge to them, especially against Brooks, than they normally do. During the second half, Trayce Jackson-Davis picked up an offensive foul after leveling Brooks with a devastating screen.

Brooks definitely got his, scoring 22 points in 32 minutes. He shot 8 of 11 from the floor and proved to be a good Robin to Devin Booker’s Batman.

Where the Warriors stood out, however, was limiting Brooks’ impact to the stat sheet and not their minds.

“He’s a very intense player,” Jackson-Davis told NBC Sports Bay Area. “Obviously he’s having a really good year this year, but at the same time you can’t be a bully in this league. We came out and we handled business.

“Things got chippy. We got chippy right back. We showed them that we’re not soft and we’re not going for any of the things that he does. It’s not easy to get under my skin in general. That’s just the type of player I am. I remember he cheap-shot me, hit me, and I’m just laughing. Like, ‘You’re going to be an idiot and do dumb stuff, that’s on you.’ At the same time, we’re just gonna go out there, play basketball, play hard.”

Download and follow the Dubs Talk Podcast