The defending NBA champion Warriors lost Game 2 to the Kings on Monday night to fall behind 0–2 in their first-round playoff series.
The loss came with a controversial moment midway through the fourth quarter that led to Draymond Green being ejected and could possibly lead to another bigger punishment from the league for Green, who has been suspended from a playoff game before.
Green stomped on Domantas Sabonis‘s chest after the Kings’ forward fell to the ground in the paint. The refs gave Green a flagrant 2 foul and kicked him out of the game.
Here’s the moment:
Draymond stomping on Sabonis is wild. But hopping off bro chest and then clicking your heels is whimsically devious 😭😭💀 pic.twitter.com/c4MtO5P3fT
— brandon / jinx / big jinx (@brandonjinx) April 18, 2023
Afterwards, Green gave his reason for why he stomped on Sabonis:
"My leg got grabbed. Second time in two nights. Referees just watch it.”
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 18, 2023
-Draymond talks about his flagrant on Sabonis pic.twitter.com/ywIMKFKHYo
That seems like quite a stretch there from Green, as it sure looked like he could have avoided stepping on Sabonis. Also, the way he jumped off of him at the end seemed like a little much.
NBA fans weren’t buying Green’s excuse:
You know it’s really not hard to not stomp on someone’s chest. Literally step anywhere else. A poor excuse by a sorry player https://t.co/wPnHOx9Upt
— ℍ𝕦𝕟𝕥𝕖𝕣☘️ (@HunterCeltics) April 18, 2023
I lost all respect for this dude you ain’t never supposed to stomp somebody mid game https://t.co/2Q38FG6bOJ
— K E 🅾️N (@hegotgxme4) April 18, 2023
Completely sane reaction Dray https://t.co/GXexFmSluD pic.twitter.com/hngP2E6rst
— Cal (@calvin_loomis) April 18, 2023
Sabonis dropped to the ground, got in a feral position (draymond was gingerly grabbed, draymond stomps on Sabonis. No integrity https://t.co/0agrcDJmnv
— LoosCannon (@dat_loos_cannon) April 18, 2023
you was not airborne. you was standing around and sabonis grabbed yo leg. the stomp was unnecessary 🤷♂️ https://t.co/V8tFMK2FQ0
— Zar'Roc (@zarroccc) April 18, 2023
Sabonis downplayed the incident where his ribs got stomped, requiring X-Rays, as just being playoff basketball.
— Greg (@gwiss) April 18, 2023
Draymond Green, meanwhile... https://t.co/HkVmz9yQgK
So childish. Domas did a bad thing and was rightfully hit with a technocal foul — as he also would have been had the encounter ended with Draymond responding reasonably instead of spitefully using someone's ribs as a trampoline. https://t.co/RjdVLVVbVX
— Jared Wade (@Jared_Wade) April 18, 2023