The Warriors suffered an eight-point loss Monday night after they were forced to play the final seven minutes of Game 2 without one of their most important players.
Draymond Green was ejected from the second Golden State-Sacramento playoff matchup after stomping on Kings star Domantas Sabonis at Golden 1 Center. The incident started when Sabonis fell inside the paint and grabbed onto Green’s leg, and the latter retaliated by hardly stepping into the former’s midsection as he worked his way back up the court.
Green offered his perspective of the ordeal after the Warriors fell into a 2-0 series hole.
“My leg got grabbed, second time in two nights,” Green told reporters, per a video shared by Bleacher Report. “Referees just watch it. I got to land my foot somewhere and I’m not the most flexible person, so it’s not stretching that far. …I could only step so far and (he was) pulling my leg away. So, it is what it is.”
Green added: “I guess ankle grabbing is OK.”
Sabonis was issued a technical foul for grabbing Green’s leg, while the Golden State forward landed a flagrant 2 foul which signals an automatic ejection. It remains to be seen if either player will receive further discipline from the NBA.
Monday’s loss marked the first time the Warriors went down 2-0 in a playoff series since 2007. The reigning NBA champions will try to start climbing back up Thursday when Golden State and Sacramento meet for Game 3 at Chase Center.
