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Refs take 'full responsibility' for Draymond's technical foul mix-up

Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports / Action Images

CLEVELAND - The officials who oversaw Friday's Game 4 of the NBA Finals between the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers have taken responsibility for the game's strangest moment.

At 6:18 of the third quarter, Draymond Green was assessed what appeared to be his second technical foul of the contest, which would've resulted in the Defensive Player of the Year candidate's ejection. Only Green wasn't ejected, and a first-quarter technical that was originally credited to Green was suddenly listed as a tech on head coach Steve Kerr.

"After calling the loose ball foul on Draymond Green, I noticed the reaction by coach Kerr and then assessed the technical foul. In the moment, I thought I had verbalized to the table that the technical foul was on coach Kerr," referee John Goble told Brian Mahoney of The Associated Press. "After looking at the video, I did not verbalize to the table, and looking at the video, I should have done a better job of making sure that the table knew the technical foul was on coach Kerr."

"When the technical foul was called on Draymond Green, we reported it to the table," referee Mike Callahan told Mahoney of Green's third-quarter technical. "The table informed us that it was his second technical foul and ejected. We informed the table that it was not his second technical foul.”

Callahan also took responsibility for the mix-up, which caused plenty of confusion in Quicken Loans Arena, and drew the ire of boisterous Cavs fans.

"The procedure is to advise the table who the technical foul is on and with the player we give a number," Callahan told Mahoney. "With a coach or trainer, we just verbalize and at that time we should listen to the PA announcer to who it is on. At that time, we did not do a very good job of listening to the PA announcer and we did not hear him announce it. I take full responsibility for that."

Green finished with 16 points, 14 rebounds, three assists, two steals, and a block in the Game 4 loss, as Cleveland avoided elimination and forced a Game 5 at Oracle Arena on Monday.

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