Warriors’ Draymond Green Ejection: Why Did He Stomp Domantas Sabonis?

Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green has been ejected during his team's game two loss against the Sacramento Kings in the NBA Playoffs. He was taken off the court for stomping the chest of Domantas Sabonis.

The incident received mixed reactions from the NBA community. Some wonder why he made such a move, while others defended him. The Warriors forward defended his action as he explained why he stepped on the Sacramento Kings player.

Warriors' Draymond Green's Ejection

According to CBS Sports, officials ejected Warriors player Draymond Green after stomping the Kings forward's chest. He made such a move that the latter grabbed his leg when Sabonis fell.

The incident occurred early in the fourth quarter of the Warriors vs. Kings game. When Kings' Malik Monk missed a floater, his teammates ended up in a scramble as they took a rebound. Amid the scramble, Sabonis fell and reached for the leg of Green. CBS News notes that grabbing the leg of the Warriors forward is definitely against the rules.

As a response, Green attempted to free his leg from the hands of the Kings player. So he shakes his leg. After which, he stomped on the chest of Sabonis. While the officials ejected the Warriors forward after issuing a Flagrant two foul, the latter received a technical foul for grabbing the leg of Green.

Green Defends Stomping Sabonis

In an interview after the incident, Green explained what happened during the Game 2 game between the Warriors and Kings, as per NBC Sports. He defended the stomp on the mid-section of Sabonis, and his clarification for his hostile action was pretty straightforward.

Green told reporters that his "leg got grabbed twice in two nights." He further claimed that "referees just [watched] it." With that said, the Warriors forward says, "I gotta land my foot somewhere."

He also admitted that he was "not the most flexible person." So he cannot stretch his foot far to avoid the Kings forward. Green adds, "I can only step so far and pull my leg away, so it is what it is."

Clutch Points reports that Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard was quick to defend the Warriors player, suggesting that it does not seem intentional.

Lillard weighed in on the recent stomping incident in his recent Twitter post. He offers, "I didn't think Dray tried to step down. [That is] just how his balance ended up." This corroborates the explanation Green offered.

However, some bystanders say otherwise. They note that slow-motion replays of the incident seemingly show that Green stomped harder than he needed. With that, some believe the hostile move was intentional, contrary to what the Warriors forward claims.

Green notes that the officials also say he "stomped too hard," forcing them to eject him from the Warriors vs. Kings game with seven minutes left in the fourth quarter. However, he argues that it was not intentional after all.

Tags

Draymond Green, Warriors