Draymond Green may be the Chill guy off the court with those close to him, but when it comes to the court, he’s not the most pleasant guy to be around. Kevin Durant certainly found that out, once again, last season when courtside mics caught him swearing at his former teammate. “This is my house” and “get out of here”, were the two memorable preach from the saint of the Bay Area. The two faced off again on Saturday night and Draymond had something to take away from his latest interaction with KD.

During the game, Draymond’s eyes were on his former teammate and the Suns’ star, Durant. And in the second quarter, he showcased his sharp defensive skills by spectacularly blocking a shot from KD on the weak side. When asked about the play in the postgame press conference, the four-time champion said, “I think that block put me in a second all-time in the Warriors block list. So that’s cool.”

Draymond was just one block away from surpassing the franchise great Joe Barry Carroll, who previously held the second spot on the Warriors’ all-time block leader list with 836 blocks. Unfortunately for Draymond, it came on a night when the Warriors couldn’t secure the win.

The Suns built a 17-point lead in the first half, which became difficult for the Warriors to overcome. Despite a strong defensive effort in the second half, the Warriors couldn’t close the gap and ultimately suffered a 105-113 loss to their Western rivals. The shift in defense in the latter half was evident and a much-discussed topic in the presser and so was the aftermath.

When a reporter asked Draymond what was said in the locker room after losing four straight games, the 34-year-old responded, “Not much, just challenge guys to play with force that we know it takes to win basketball games at this level. When you’re in a bit of a rut, it’s never gonna be easy to win. So gotta come with the necessary force that it takes to win or stay in the rut.”

However, it was not all bad for Dray. Despite the former teammates going at each other on the court, they share a good bond off of it. The latter’s kind words for Draymond only proved that once again.

Draymond Green receives praise from Kevin Durant

Everyone is aware of Draymond Green’s on-court antics that got him into trouble multiple times last season. Not only that it also contributed to the Warriors’ struggles. But how do his prospects look this season? KD addressed the question in the postgame presser.

“When Draymond is at his best,” Durant said, “It’s like a good balance between being ultra aggressive, being on edge, and also being a cerebral monster that he is.” The Suns forward further claimed, “I think he’s found that balance.”

KD confessed that he had no doubt that the Warriors always had that balance, “but you tip the scales a bit,” Durant added. “I think he has found that balance as he is getting older, as he has experienced more things in the league and in life in general. You can tell by the start of the season that he is playing his best ball.”

Draymond, too, was determined to keep his physical aggressiveness in check and stay in sync with Stephen Curry to help the Warriors get back on track. There were moments when it seemed like he might repeat his past mistakes, but he certainly appears to be in better shape this season.