The NBA suspended Golden State player Draymond Green for one game without pay on Tuesday, a day after he stepped on the chest of a Sacramento Kings player who grabbed his foot while he was lying on the court during a game. The situation once again calls into question Green’s judgment and exacerbates Golden State’s slim chances of winning the first round of the playoff series against the Kings.
The Warriors trail in the series, 2-0, and Green will miss Game 3 at Chase Center in San Francisco on Thursday. The NBA said Green’s suspension was “based in part on Green’s history of non-sports business.” Fewer than 10 percent of teams that are down 2-0 in a seven-game series go on to win, According to Basketball Earth.
The accident – which many people described as a douchebag – happened just a little over Seven minutes remain in the second game In Sacramento and Golden State it dropped by 4 points. Kings center Domantas Sabonis fell to the floor against Green’s legs scrambling for a rebound. Sabonis grabbed Green around his ankle, fouled Green on the chest as he moved and then skipped him to run to the court. Sabonis faded down the field (but was able to finish the game), and Green was called for a Hard 2 and ejected. Sabonis was called for a technical foul.
The Kings later said that Sabonis’ availability would be listed as questionable for Game 3 after an X-ray showed he had a sternal contusion.
With NBA Commissioner Adam Silver in the stands, Green incited the jeering crowd by raising his arms, yelling at Kings fans who were harassing him, and putting his hand to his ear. Golden State pulled within one point after Green was fired but lost, 114-106. In a post-game press conference, Green said another player had grabbed his leg during the first game.
Game 3 is crucial for Golden State not only because it’s late in the series but because home arena has provided the best winning venue this season. The Warriors posted a 33-8 home record during the regular season, but have only won 11 of their 41 road games. As the lowest seed in the series, at No. 6, Golden State would have to win at least once in Sacramento to advance. Green is the team’s best defender, and his chemistry with guards Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson has cemented their four championships together.
But the intensity that makes Green such a fearsome defender was also channeled in ways that hurt his team. Most notably, in the 2016 NBA Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Green was automatically suspended for Game 5 after accumulating too many points due to blatant technical fouls. The game without Green, which Golden State lost, was widely seen as the turning point in the series, which Golden State lost after taking a 3-1 lead.
The Warriors came into this season hoping to defend their championship victory over the Boston Celtics last June. But it’s been a rocky year: Before the season started, Green punched his teammate, guard Jordan Paul, in the face during a private practice. Golden State decided not to suspend Green, but he did spend some time away from the team and the players admitted that the incident affected them. Green apologized and said he was working to deal with his emotions better.