Draymond: Warriors lost Game 2 because they didn't feel 'threatened'

By their own admission, the Golden State Warriors didn't play at full strength in their Game 2 loss to the Houston Rockets.

Warriors forward Draymond Green revealed that the reigning champions relaxed after taking a 1-0 series lead, and did not play with the requisite intensity in the following game.

"I think we're at our best when we feel threatened. Game 1 we felt threatened, we came out with a sense of urgency. Game 2 we didn't feel as threatened, and the sense of urgency wasn't there," he told reporters on Saturday.

Green set the tone in Game 1, committing a technical foul on James Harden within the first two minutes. That same intensity was nowhere to be found in Game 2, as the Rockets exploded for 127 points while otherwise benign scoring threats in Trevor Ariza and P.J. Tucker combined for 41 points.

That inconsistency has plagued the Warriors all season, as they finished with fewer than 60 wins for the first time since 2014, and failed to sweep either the San Antonio Spurs or the New Orleans Pelicans. There was an expectation that they would lock in for the playoffs, but as Green illustrated, they play with a keen awareness of their immense margin for error.

"I think you're allowed one of those a series. We've had our one and now it's time to lock in for the rest of the series," Green said.