Warriors' Draymond Green Suspended 1 Game for Stomping on Kings' Domantas Sabonis
The Golden State Warriors will be without one of their best players for Thursday's crucial Game 3 matchup against the Sacramento Kings.
The NBA announced on Tuesday that Warriors star Draymond Green has been suspended for the game for stomping on the chest of Kings big man Domantas Sabonis in Monday's Game 2. The press release noted that the decision to suspend him "was based in part on Green's history of unsportsmanlike acts."
Green's suspension comes after The Athletic and Stadium's Shams Charania reported earlier on Tuesday that it was "looking unlikely" that he'd be banned for a game. After the suspension was announced, Charania noted that "most around Warriors and the situation Tuesday believed a fine was coming."
The instance occurred in the fourth quarter of Golden State's Game 2 loss to Sacramento when Sabonis fell to the ground and grabbed Green's leg. After getting his leg free, Green stepped on Sabonis' chest area. He received a flagrant 2 foul and was ejected from the game, while Sabonis was given a technical foul.
"My leg got grabbed—the second time in two nights—and the referee is just watching. I got to land my foot somewhere, and I'm not the most flexible person, so it's not stretching that far. ... I can only step so far with someone pulling my leg away," Green told reporters after his ejection.
Sabonis underwent X-rays on his chest following the exchange, and Green also requested to undergo X-rays on his ankle.
The last time Green was suspended for a playoff game, it was very detrimental to the Warriors as they went on to lose the 2016 NBA Finals to the LeBron James-led Cleveland Cavaliers. His absence could cause the defending champs to fall into a 0-3 hole in their series against the Kings.
