DALLAS -- Draymond Green delivered a loud message to high-flying Mavericks rookie guard Dennis Smith Jr.: You will never dunk on me.
Green barked words to that effect when Smith attempted to dunk on the reigning Defensive Player of the Year late in the third quarter of the Golden State Warriors' 133-103 win Monday night. Smith settled for a trip to the free throw line after a hard foul from Green.
"Yeah, that s--- ain't happening," Green said after the game. "This ain't summer league, bro. Not just gonna dunk on nobody. Better luck next time.
"Never. That ain't happening. Come on, dude."
Smith, a lottery pick who possesses a 48-inch vertical leap and a lot of confidence, drove the baseline before trying to soar over Green for a slam. Smith briefly exchanged words with Green before going to the free throw line.
Smith considered Green's trash talk nonsensical.
"I don't know what he was talking about," said Smith, who had a rough night, recording 10 points on 3-of-11 shooting and only one assist in his second career game. "He can't say nothing. He fouled me. It doesn't even make sense.
"I was just laughing at him. He's rambling on about nothing. It ain't like he blocked it. He's just rambling, and I laughed at him."
Smith said he didn't know if Green was trying to intimidate him or give him some sort of rookie initiation. But Smith wasn't about to wilt when Green verbally confronted him.
"I'm not doing it just to let people know I'm not backing down," said Smith, who missed the previous two games with swelling in his left knee. "I'm just not backing down from nobody. That's just how I am. All that extra stuff, I don't really dabble with all that. That's about it. I just handle myself accordingly."
Smith praised Green as a player but scoffed when told of Green's declaration that the Mavs rookie would never dunk on him.
"He can't jump with me," Smith said.
