Draymond Green was ejected from the Golden State Warriors Game 2 matchup against the Sacramento Kings after the 33-year-old stomped on Domantas Sabonis’ chest during a brief kerfuffle.
The situation began with a little over seven minutes left in the fourth quarter of their Monday evening (April 17) matchup. Stephen Curry grabbed a defensive rebound and headed up the court while Sabonis’ unsuccessful attempt to secure the rebound landed him on the floor. The three-time All-Star grabbed onto Green’s leg, causing the four-time champion to shake off his grip and subsequently step on his chest.
Officials handed Sabonis a technical foul for the illegal physical contact and called a “flagrant two” foul on Green which results in an automatic ejection, per NBA rules and regulations. “My leg got grabbed,” the four-time NBA champion said in a post-game press conference. “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.”
Domantas Sabonis received X-rays on his sternum following the game. He is set to undergo more testing on Tuesday (April 18), a source told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Draymond Green has requested his own X-ray testing to be done on his ankle, Andscape’s Marc Spears reported, citing soreness from when Sabonis gripped his leg.
Draymond’s health and availability to play for the rest of the series, pending any further punishment, will be a major concern for the Golden State Warriors, as they went on to lose to the Sacramento Kings 114-106 on Monday evening (April 17). This marks the first 0-2 playoff series deficit for the Warriors since the 2007 Western Conference semifinals.
Though the losses in Sacramento may not be entirely surprising, given their abysmal 11-30 record on the road this season, their struggles this early in the playoffs are a rarity. They will look to turn things around in their playoff home opener on Thursday (April 20) and avoid an insurmountable 3-0 deficit. The question is whether they will have to do it without their defensive anchor, Draymond Green.