Draymond Green Steps on Domantas Sabonis' Chest, Gets 1-Game Ban
The National Basketball Association (NBA) announced Tuesday night that Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors had been suspended for one game for stepping on the chest of Domantas Sabonis of the Sacramento Kings, according to ESPN.
In a statement, the NBA said that "the suspension was partly based on Green's history of unsportsmanlike acts." Green will serve his suspension on Thursday during Game 3 between the Warriors and the Kings at Chase Center. Sacramento has a dominating 2-0 series lead.
Green and Sabonis' altercation occurred with 7:03 left in the fourth quarter of the Kings' 114-106 Game 2 victory on Monday.
Sabonis slipped in the paint and grabbed Green's right leg as he fell. As Green tried to escape Sabonis' hold, he stomped his foot forcefully on Sabonis' chest.
Sabonis remained on the ground while referees examined the play for several minutes. Green was given a flagrant foul 2, which resulted in an immediate ejection and the referees called a technical foul on Sabonis for clutching Green's leg.
"When I fell, I was protecting myself, and then the incident happened... There is no room for that in our game today," Sabonis said after the game.
The Kings confirmed Tuesday night that Sabonis suffered a bruised sternum and is uncertain for Game 3.
"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," Green said as he explained his side of the incident. "I can only step so far with someone pulling my leg away."
In his 147 career playoff games, Green has received 27 technical fouls and six flagrant fouls.
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Klay Thompson Backs Draymond Green For Stepping on Domantas Sabonis' Chest
While Klay Thompson disapproved of Draymond Green's stomping his foot on Damontas Sabonis' chest, he still backed his teammate by condemning Sabonis' behavior, NESN reported.
"What will you do when someone grabs your foot while running full speed?" Thompson said.
"Like, that's a dirty (play). Fully grabs your foot and yanks on you; that's not cool, man. Not saying what Draymond did was right. But you can't just grab somebody's foot when they're taking off on a full sprint. That's not cool. I don't do that. That's crazy," he added.
The Athletic's Shams Charania initially reported that the NBA was "unlikely" to penalize Green for stepping on Sabonis' chest. However, the NBA later announced Green's suspension for one game. The Golden State Warriors have fallen behind 2-0 in the best-of-seven series.
Draymond Green and Golden State Warriors
Since Draymond Green's 2012 draft, the Golden State Warriors postseason record is 102-45. That represents a 69.4 percent winning rate, NBC Sports reported.
The last time he missed a postseason game, the Warriors blew a 3-1 lead to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2016 NBA Finals, despite having won 73 games.
Seven years later, Green's status as a Warrior is again in limbo, and the survival of an entire dynasty hangs in the balance. It will take a team effort from the Warriors' young and old, their stars and their reserves, to beat the Kings and keep the Warriors' season alive.
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Written by: Bert Hoover
WATCH: Draymond Ejected After STEPPING On Sabonis - From Bleacher Report