NBA's Draymond Green Scrutinized After Lip Readers Say He Referenced Point Spread vs. Timberwolves

^{Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green unintentionally revealed an acute awareness of how much the point spread could matter to NBA betting fans. (Image: Abbie Parr / AP)}

As the Minnesota Timberwolves finished off the final seconds of their Game 3 win over the Golden State Warriors on Saturday, Warriors star Draymond Green had already fouled out. But according to online lip readers, Green was clearly interested in the action down the stretch.

The Timberwolves would go on to win the game 102-97, taking a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.

Meaningless Three Results in Bad Beat for Timberwolves Bettors

But that margin failed to cover the 5.5-point spread on Game 3. The Warriors only managed to cover when Jonathan Kuminga hit a three-pointer with 5.1 seconds left in the game, causing a bad beat for those who had taken the Timberwolves to cover.

But on social media, fans and analysts watching the game caught something just before Golden State’s final possession. In the widely spread clip from the game’s broadcast on ESPN, Green is yelling from the sideline at other players, and appears to be saying “five-and-a-half” and “spread.” 

The rest of what Green says is less clear, though some have reported larger snippets of apparent conversation.

“It’s crazy. Five and a half, I know what they doing,” Green was speculated to have said, according to SFGate.com. 

Unless Green or someone who heard the comment can vouch for exactly what was said, the specifics of his comments will likely be up to speculation. Online lip reading is far from a scientific pursuit, after all.

NBA Yet to Respond to Controversy

What, if anything, will be done about Green’s apparent betting reference is also unclear. The comment isn’t clearly directed at the referees, something that would likely result in a fine or suspension from the NBA. That’s what happened to Rudy Gobert last season after he twice made money gestures at officials while arguing calls.

Despite the fact that the public was all over Minnesota in this game – 85 percent of money was on the Timberwolves to cover at BetMGM, for instance – it’s also hard to find much of a point-shaving angle here, either. 

The Warriors inbounded the ball down eight points with 15 seconds left. Jimmy Butler missed a three-point attempt, before Kuminga was able to put up (and make) his own shot following a rebound. While the final shot may have been meaningless with just over five seconds remaining in the game, this is a normal sequence in NBA games, especially with the score within single digits, and it may have been odder if Golden State hadn’t tried to jack up threes in this situation.

In any case, all eyes will be on Green and the point spread for the rest of the series, especially given the other NBA betting scandals that have plagued the league in recent years. The Warriors and Timberwolves will play Game 4 of their series on Monday night, with Minnesota once again pegged as a 5.5-point favorite.