Warriors forward Draymond Green left his footprint on Golden State’s loss to the Kings on Monday night in an extremely literal sense.
Midway through the fourth quarter of Game 2 of the teams’ first-round playoff series, Green became entangled with Sacramento forward Domantas Sabonis. Sabonis appeared to grab Green’s ankle, and Green responded by stepping on Sabonis’s chest.
Green was whistled for a technical foul and eventually ejected, and he animatedly taunted the Kings’ crowd on his way off the court. Meanwhile, Sacramento powered its way to a 114-106 victory and a 2-0 series lead.
In the wake of the controversy, Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard offered a contrarian take on the situation.
"Take foul on Sabonis," he opined. "I didn’t think Dray tried to step down … that’s just how his balance ended up."
Take foul on Sabonis … I didn’t think Dray tried to step down … that’s just how his balance ended up 🤷🏽♂️…
— Damian Lillard (@Dame_Lillard) April 18, 2023
Lillard added a shrug emoji for good measure, leaving fans across the NBA world to debate his thoughts on yet another chapter in Green’s eventful career.
As for the Warriors, they’ll host Game 3 against the Kings on Thursday night in San Francisco with or without Green.