SAN FRANCISCO – Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green was hit with a one-game suspension on Tuesday after stamping on Sacramento Kings player Domantas Sabonis during the National Basketball Association (NBA) champions’ Game 2 play-off defeat a day earlier.
The suspension means he will be ruled out of the Warriors’ Game 3 clash against the Kings in San Francisco on Thursday.
Green was ejected from Monday’s stormy clash with Sacramento after stomping on Sabonis’ chest after the two players tangled following a rebound.
Sabonis grabbed at Green’s ankle immediately before the stamp in an apparent effort to impede the Warriors veteran.
However, the NBA said that a suspension against Green was merited given the forward’s history of disciplinary problems.
“The suspension was based in part on Green’s history of unsportsmanlike acts,” an NBA statement said.
The suspension deprives the Warriors of one of their most important players as they head into a crucial Game 3 trailing 2-0 in the best-of-seven series.
Green told reporters after Monday’s flashpoint that he had been unable to avoid stepping on Sabonis.
“I gotta land my foot somewhere and I’m not the most flexible person, so it’s not stretching that far,” he said.
“I can only step so far and pulling my leg away, so it is what it is. The explanation (for the ejection) was I stomped too hard.”
Green has courted controversy throughout his career. He was ejected from last season’s play-off series against the Memphis Grizzlies after clashing with Brandon Clarke.
He was also suspended for Game 5 of the 2016 NBA Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers for a low blow against LeBron James.
Sabonis had played down Monday’s incident, saying it was part and parcel of the play-offs.
“We’re here to fight. Every time we step on the floor, we’re gonna give everything for our teammates and the franchise,” he said.
“We’re both fighting for the rebound. We fell on each other, stuff happens, it’s basketball, we gotta move on.”
Separately, Kings point guard De’Aaron Fox laid claim to the first-ever NBA Clutch Player of the Year award on Tuesday night.
The new award honours “the NBA player who best comes through for his teammates in the clutch”.
Fox was a runaway winner, raking in 91 of the 100 first-place votes from a media voting panel.
He finished with 460 total points in voting. Jimmy Butler of the Miami Heat (104 votes) was second and DeMar DeRozan of the Chicago Bulls (80) was third.
Fox averaged 25.0 points, 6.1 assists, 4.2 rebounds and 1.1 steals a game and scored 194 “clutch” points – delivering at least five points in the final five minutes of a contest with a game on the line.
“I always tell people you can’t be afraid to fail,” he said.
“My teammates and my coaches, they put me in positions to succeed, so the least I can do is have confidence in myself and go take big shots.” AFP, REUTERS
