Draymond Green stomped on Domantas Sabonis and got suspended in NBA Playoffs

Draymond Green has been suspended for Game 3 of the Golden State Warriors’ first round series against the Sacramento Kings in the 2023 NBA Playoffs. Green was ejected in Game 2 after stomping on the chest of Kings star Domantas Sabonis. The Kings have a 2-0 series lead as play heads to San Francisco, and Green’s suspension suddenly makes a must-win Game 3 for the Warriors a lot more difficult.

On Tuesday afternoon, NBA insider Shams Charania tweeted that it was unlikely Green would be suspended. It turns out the NBA changed its mind and decided to suspend Green due to his history of making allegedly dirty plays.

Sabonis is questionable for Game 3 with a sternum contusion suffered when he was stomped on by Green:

The No. 3 seed Sacramento Kings vs. the No. 6 seed Golden State Warriors has quickly become the most entertaining series of the first round of the 2023 NBA Playoffs. The Kings took Game 1 at home, which set up a pressure-packed Game 2 for Golden State on Monday night.

The Kings beat the Warriors, 114-106, to go up 2-0 with the series headed back to Golden State. The Warriors had not gone down 0-2 in a playoff series since 2007, but now it feels like their dynasty is on life support.

Game 2 was tightly contested late in the fourth quarter when a controversial moment that led to the ejection of Draymond Green changed the complexion of the evening. The Kings led 91-87 with 7:03 remaining in regulation when Green and Domantas Sabonis got tangled up under the basket after a Kings miss. As Sabonis fell to the ground, he grabbed Green’s leg so he couldn’t run the other way. Green responded by stomping on Sabonis, and the refs blew the play dead.

After a long delay, Green was assessed a flagrant-2 and subsequent automatic ejection. Sabonis was also given a technical foul. Watch the play here:

Green was taunting Kings fans in the crowd as the refs were reviewing the play.

Sabonis had X-rays on his ribs and lungs after the game, but avoided injury.

Green had an X-ray on his ankle, too:

Green has had so many controversial moments in the playoffs during his career. This is another one for the canon.

Game 2 was physical from the opening tip. The refs let both sides get away with a lot of pushing and shoving, and Green and Sabonis were in the middle of it for much of the night.

In Game 1 on Saturday, Green and Sabonis got tangled up on a similar play that set up a go-ahead shot attempt for the Warriors, but Andrew Wiggins missed:

We can’t wait to hear Draymond’s podcast on this one.

We’ll update this story as it develops.