The Golden State Warriors suffered a blow in their playoff series against the Sacramento Kings when forward Draymond Green was ejected from Game 2 for stomping on the chest of Kings center Domantas Sabonis.
The incident occurred in the fourth quarter, with the Warriors trailing by six points and trying to mount a comeback. Stephen Curry grabbed a defensive rebound and pushed the ball up the court, while Sabonis fell to the floor after a collision with Green. As Green ran past Sabonis, he appeared to take a hard step on Sabonis’ chest, causing him to grimace in pain.
Draymond has been given a Flagrant 2 and was ejected after this play pic.twitter.com/aKDqJ174Q0
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) April 18, 2023
The referees stopped the game and reviewed the play, which resulted in a technical foul for Sabonis for grabbing Green’s leg and a flagrant foul 2 for Green for his stomp, leading to his automatic ejection. Green argued that he had no intention of hurting Sabonis and that he had to land his foot somewhere after his leg was grabbed by Sabonis. He also said that it was the second time in two nights that his leg was grabbed by an opponent, referring to a play in Game 1 with Malik Monk.
Sabonis said that he and Green were both fighting for the rebound and that it was a basketball play. He added that he had no hard feelings toward Green and that he hoped he was not injured. Sabonis was set to undergo X-rays after the game to check on his ribs and lungs, according to Kings coach Mike Brown.
Green’s ejection sparked a heated reaction from both teams and fans. The Warriors were upset that they lost one of their leaders and best defenders, while the Kings were angry that Green put their star player at risk of serious injury. The fans in Sacramento chanted insults at Green, who responded by waving his hands, holding a hand to his ear and standing on a chair to taunt them.
The Kings went on to win the game 114-106 and take a 2-0 lead in the series. The Warriors now face an uphill battle to advance to the next round without Green, who could face further discipline from the NBA for his actions. Green has a history of flagrant fouls and technical fouls in the playoffs, including a suspension in the 2016 NBA Finals for hitting LeBron James in the groin.
The NBA will review the play and determine if any additional punishment is warranted for Green or Sabonis. The series will resume on Thursday in Oakland, where the Warriors will try to bounce back and avoid falling into a 3-0 hole.
Draymond Green explains his flagrant foul on Domantas Sabonis. pic.twitter.com/DTN59ljQNh
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) April 18, 2023
