Source: Ezra Shaw / Getty
Per usual, Green’s competitive edge and aggression got the best of him as the
Golden State Warriors were 1-0 in the opening round of the playoffs against the
Sacramento Kings.
The controversial play came in the fourth quarter with just 7:03 left in the game as
Stephen Curry grabbed a defensive rebound and headed back down the court. That’s when Domantas Sabonis fell in the paint and grabbed Green’s leg. Green responded by yanking his leg out of his grip but then stomped on Sabonis’ chest before hopping off of him and running down the court.
Reeling from the contact, Sabonis lay on the court for several minutes. The reviewed play led to him getting a technical for grabbing Green’s leg, but Green received a flagrant foul 2 for his retaliation and was promptly ejected from the game.
Love Cassius Life? Get more! Join the Cassius Life Newsletter
We care about your data. See our privacy policy.
While leaving the court, Green was riled up by lively Kings fans who yelled at him, and he responded by yelling expletives with a smile on his face which seemed to rile up the crowd even more as they chanted, “Draymond sucks.”
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, an x-ray on Sabonis’ chest after the game
showed no internal injury.
“When I fell, I was protecting myself, and then the incident happened,” Sabonis
said according to ESPN. “There is no room for that in our game today.”
Green explained that the leg-grabbing stunt had been done before, and with the restriction, he had nowhere to plant his foot.
“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. … I can only step so far with someone pulling my leg away.”
Green’s absence was felt, as the Kings went on to win 114-106 and are up 2-0 in the series as the battle now goes back to the Bay Area.
See how Twitter’s reacting to Green’s chest stomp below.
