SACRAMENTO, Calif. — No Warriors playoff run is complete without a Draymond Green controversy. He and Domantas Sabonis delivered a doozy that put Green in danger of a suspension down the line.
Green was ejected at the seven-minute mark of the fourth quarter during the Warriors’ Game 2 loss on Monday night against the Sacramento Kings when the pair got tangled up following a box-out.
Sabonis fell to the floor and held on to Green’s ankle and Green, trying to escape his grasp, stepped hard on Sabonis’ chest. Sabonis was issued a technical foul and Green a Flagrant 2 foul and ejection.
“For sure it’s a Flagrant 2 and it’ll be interesting to see what the NBA does after they review it,” Sacramento Kings head coach Mike Brown told reporters. “But I didn’t see the aftermath.”
Could Green’s Flagrant 2 lead to a suspension?
The Flagrant 2 foul pins two “points” on Green for the rest of the playoffs. Players are allowed three flagrant points per postseason, so one more flagrant foul point during the playoffs will trigger a one-game suspension.
Green was suspended for a pivotal Game 5 of the 2016 NBA Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers when Green hit LeBron James in the groin after James pushed Green to the ground and walked over him. After the Warriors’ win to put them up 3-1, NBA commissioner Adam Silver issued a Flagrant 1 foul on Green that triggered a suspension. Green had already received a Flagrant 2 following an incident with Thunder center Steven Adams in the Western Conference finals.
The league would need to determine Green’s action Monday night was excessive for Green to be suspended without another flagrant foul. X-rays on Sabonis’ sternum came back clear, he told reporters after the game, which bodes well for Green’s chances to avoid an immediate suspension.
Sabonis deflected blame and said he was protecting himself when asked about holding onto Green’s foot and potentially provoking the altercation.
“I love the competition and the playoffs, taking on the Warriors,” he told reporters. “I got hit earlier in the game in the jaw so I felt like I was protecting myself. Then obviously that happens. I feel like there’s no room for that in the game today.
“It’s the playoffs, a lot of things happen. At that point, I get pushed, I’m falling on the floor, I’m just trying to protect myself.”
Sacramento guard De’Aaron Fox defended his teammate.
“You know, going against him and some guys in this league that it’s going to get physical,” he told reporters. “Obviously, that shouldn’t happen. At the end of the day, we’re protecting our teammate.”
Green defended himself during the Warriors’ press conference.
“My leg got grabbed,” Green said. “Second time in two nights. Referees just watch it. I have to land my foot somewhere. I’m not the most flexible person, so that’s not stretching.
“I can only step so far. And I was pulling my leg away. Is what it is. I wasn’t surprised he stayed down there that long, though.”
Green also asked for an X-ray on his ankle after the game, according to ESPN’s Marc Spears.
Klay Thompson came close to calling Sabonis’ actions dirty.
“What are you going to do when someone grabs your foot full speed?” he said. “That’s a dir... — fully grabs your foot and yanks on you? That’s not cool, man. Not saying what Draymond did was right, but can’t just grab someone’s foot as he’s taking off full sprint.”
On TNT’s “Inside the NBA”, Shaquille O’Neal defended Green’s actions.
“I would do the same thing, I really would,” he said. “Don’t be grabbing me, because what am I going to do? If I stay there and run forward, I’ll fall. You have to get him up off of you. If you get up off me, and you’re in the way, you’ll get stomped on. Was it a dirty play? Of course it was a dirty play.”
