Warriors forward Draymond Green has been suspended one game without pay for stepping on the chest of Kings center Domantas Sabonis during Game 2 of the playoff series between the two teams on Monday (April 17).
In a statement released Tuesday, NBA executive vice president Joe Dumars announced the suspension, which will leave Green out for Game 3 on Thursday. The league wrote that the ban was “based in part on Green’s history of unsportsmanlike acts.”
The following was released by the NBA. pic.twitter.com/KEnWx2qTvs
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) April 19, 2023
The incident took place in the fourth quarter of Sacramento’s 114-106 Game 2 win after Sabonis fell to the floor during a fight for an offensive rebound and covered his face, grabbing on to Green’s right foot in the process. Green tried to pull his foot away from Sabonis before stomping on the center’s chest, causing Sabonis to stay on the ground and yell in pain.
After a review, officials assessed a technical foul on Sabonis for the grab and a flagrant 2 on Green, which triggered an automatic ejection. He finished with eight points, five assists, four rebounds, one steal and five turnovers.
Sabonis is down after Draymond stepped on him. pic.twitter.com/6MwsNLT2Pj
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 18, 2023
Sabonis stayed in the game, finishing with 24 points, nine rebounds and four assists to help put the Kings up 2-0 in the series. Postgame X-rays didn’t reveal any injuries, but additional testing on Tuesday led to the diagnosis of a sternum contusion, which leaves his status as questionable for Game 3.
Like the league’s release mentioned, Green’s previous history of unsportsmanlike conduct had a hand in delivering the suspension. He was suspended for Game 5 of the 2016 Finals after taking a shot at the groin of LeBron James the game prior, drawing a flagrant foul and triggering an automatic suspension due to it being his second flagrant that postseason. The other came in the Western Conference Finals when he once again hit a groin, this time being then-Oklahoma City Thunder center Steven Adams.
Green has also had on-court troubles this season, as he has amassed 17 technical fouls to tie him with Luka Doncic for second in the league. His 16th triggered an automatic one-game ban back in March, the first time he got suspended this season. Throughout his career Green has been suspended four times, ejected 17 times and accumulated 163 technical fouls.
"My leg got grabbed. Second time in two nights. Referees just watch it.”
-Draymond talks about his flagrant on Sabonis pic.twitter.com/ywIMKFKHYo
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 18, 2023
Green also spent several minutes gesturing at and yelling to the crowd prior to leaving the court for his ejection on Monday, which included NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. Dumars says that, plus the repeated offenses, led to the suspension.
“The stuff that happened afterward, that doesn’t help the situation,” Dumars said. “But if it was just that alone, we wouldn’t be having this conversation. I focused on the act itself, and the fact that it’s a repeat offense, those were the two main things.”
Draymond Green stomps on Domantas Sabonis and then acts like this with NBA commissioner Adam Silver in attendance. pic.twitter.com/To9igwXUBA
— Jason Anderson (@JandersonSacBee) April 18, 2023
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