Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green is awaiting discipline from the NBA after stomping on Sacramento Kings All-Star Domantas Sabonis during a playoff game Monday night.
Green was ejected with 7:03 remaining in the fourth quarter of Game 2 after getting tangled up with Sabonis following a Warriors rebound.
Domantas Sabonis (10) of the Sacramento Kings reacts against the Golden State Warriors during Game 2 of the first round of the 2023 NBA Playoffs April 17, 2023, at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, Calif. (Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images)
Sabonis grabbed Green’s leg before the four-time NBA champion stepped down on Sabonis’ chest.
KINGS HOLD OFF LATE SURGE FROM WARRIORS TO TAKE GAME 2
During the replay and subsequent review, the Warriors’ home broadcast team cut Green a bit of slack for the stomp, noting that Sabonis grabbed Green’s foot before the stomp.
“Sabonis was holding onto Draymond’s foot, which is wrong,” Warriors play-by-play man Bob Fitzgerald said. “Draymond stepping on Sabonis like that is not right either.
“He’s holding onto his right foot. If they replay this, this is going to be interesting because you could end up with a double T (technical).
Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green reacts after an official’s call in the first half during Game 1 in the first round of the NBA playoffs against the Sacramento Kings in Sacramento, Calif., Monday, April 17, 2023. (AP Photo/Randall Benton)
“Well, Draymond was trying to run back,” analyst Kelenna Azubuike added. “I don’t think he had a choice but to step on him.”
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The referees didn’t agree with the Warriors’ broadcast, assessing Sabonis a technical foul for grabbing Green’s leg while Green was assessed a flagrant foul and ejected from the game after review.
After the game, a loss that put the Warriors in a 2-0 hole, Green echoed the broadcasters’ thoughts on the play.
“My leg got grabbed — the second time in two nights — and the referee is just watching,” Green said, according to ESPN. “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.”
Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors moves the ball during Game 2 of the first round of the 2023 NBA Playoffs April 17, 2023, at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, Calif. (Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images)
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Sacramento point guard De’Aaron Fox said the play unified the Kings.
“That brought us together,” Fox said. “We huddled up and were like, ‘We have to win this game,’ especially because everybody thought [Green] would be ejected. When that usually happens, that team comes together and goes on a run. We were able to negate that.”
Golden State has an 0-2 playoff series deficit for the first time since 2007.
