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Well into the fourth quarter, with the game well decided, Golden State was making an inbounds pass with the sluggishness of a team that is ready for the next series.
Draymond Green had a unique urgency with his hands as he signaled: give me the ball.
Green started running, bulleting the ball down the court to Andre Igoudala, who was fouled by a Utah defense caught on its heels.
Of his many roles, that was the one Green seemed to relish in a series-clinching 121-95 win over the Jazz on Monday: tempo-setter. While his triple-double — 17 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists — stuck out from his stat line, his coaches were most pleased with how he dictated pace. The order to push the ball came the day before from sidelined head coach Steve Kerr in a phone call with Green.
"He forced our tired team to keep pushing the ball no matter what the score was, no matter what type of run Utah went on, whether it was a made or missed basket," said interim coach Mike Brown "He pushed it almost every single time he had an opportunity to."
The triple-double finish was an appropriate cap to a series in which the 6-foot-7 forward frustrated the Jazz in a number of ways, from his defense, to his rebounding, to even his 3-pointers in Game 2.
He seemed to relish tossing dimes Monday, even as he scored 17 points himself. One of the toughest came on a triple-team in the paint in the third quarter, with the shot clock running low. Green managed to find Andre Igoudala in the left corner, wide open for a 3-pointer. The shot gave Golden State a 93-79 lead headed into the fourth, and deflated any remaining drama the game (and series) held.
"We just had to keep that focus," Green said. "Not just let down because we were three up."
Green said he didn't realize he was in line for a triple-double when he checked in the game with 5:15 remaining — in fact he was wondering why he was coming back in with a lead well over 20 points. But as he tossed a dish to Klay Thompson for a jump-shot, he looked up at the screen and realized he had notched his sixth triple-double of the season: "I try not to pay attention to it."
Throughout the series, Green played the villain for Utah fans. Monday's finale was no different. In particular, Green gestured to a fan in the audience after every basket. He revealed afterward that the fan had been taunting him for poor shooting, even though Green shot 50 percent from the field against the Jazz.
"He told me I'll shoot us out of the series. I don't know if he keeps stats very well, but he's not very smart. But I like messing with fans. It's fun."
Yet another role for which Green is well-suited.
Twitter: @kylegoon