Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green has been suspended for Game 3 of their NBA Playoffs series against the Sacramento Kings following his stomping incident with Domantas Sabonis.
While there have been reports that it's unlikely Green would be suspended for his actions in Game 2, the NBA ultimately decided to punish him for it.
To recall, in the fourth quarter of the said contest, Green and Sabonis got twisted up following a play to recover the ball. Sabonis was pushed by Klay Thompson and fell, during which he inadvertently held Green's legs. In response, Dray pulled his right leg and proceeded to stomp on Domantas' chest. The Kings big man writhed in pain and had to undergo X-rays after to determine if he sustained any injury.
Some argued that Green had no choice in the situation after his legs were locked, but others agreed that it was an excessive reaction. Green was hit with a Flagrant 2 and ejected from the contest, while Sabonis was hit with a technical foul.
In a statement, the NBA explained that the decision was made in consideration of Green's “history of unsportsmanlike acts.”
Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green has been suspended one game without pay for stepping on the chest of Sacramento Kings center Domantas Sabonis, it was announced today by Joe Dumars, Executive Vice President, Head of Basketball Operations. The suspension was based in part on Green's history of unsportsmanlike acts.
Green's actions were in response to Sabonis grabbing and holding Green's right ankle after falling to the floor. Green received a Flagrant Foul 2 and was ejected, and Sabonis was assessed a technical foul. The incident occurred with 7:03 remaining in the fourth quarter of the Warriors' 114-106 loss to the Kings in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series on April 17 at Golden 1 Center.
Normally, Draymond Green wouldn't have been suspended for a Flagrant 2 foul. The NBA has a rule in place when it comes to accumulating flagrant points. It was the reason Green was suspended for Game 5 of the 2016 NBA Finals after his flagrant 1 on LeBron James in the previous meeting.
This time, however, the league clearly believes Green's action were excessive and unnecessary. It remains to be seen how the Warriors will react to the development, though it's definitely not a good news in their playoff chances after they fell behind 2-0 to the Kings.
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