Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors has done it again. His mercurial and tempestuous personality earned him a one-game ban after he stomped on Sacramento Kings center Domantas Sabonis in Game 2 of their playoff series.
The veteran instigator won’t be able to help the Warriors try to turn the tide of their 0-2 deficit without him. In their first postseason appearance since 2006, the Kings have seized the opportunity to win their first two playoff games on their home turf in Sacramento.
The Warriors have been 22-23 without Green in the lineup since the beginning of the 2021-22 season.
The Controversial Incident
The incident that sparked the suspension occurred during the fourth quarter of Game 2. With the Kings leading 91-87, Sabonis and Green became entangled during a fast break. Sabonis fell to the ground and grabbed Green’s leg, forcing the Warrior to step down hard and intentionally stomp on Sabonis’ torso.
Sabonis rolled around in pain while officials reviewed the play to decide if Green should receive a flagrant foul or be ejected. After the game, Sabonis said there was “no room for that” in the game today, and Green defended himself, saying he had no choice but to step on Sabonis with his leg being pulled away.
Green was issued a flagrant 2 foul and was ejected from the game, while Sabonis was given a technical foul and stayed in the game. The Kings went on to win 114-106, pushing their series lead to 2-0. Green had logged 31 minutes before his ejection, scoring 8 points, 5 assists, and 4 rebounds, while Sabonis tallied a team-high 24 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 assists.
The NBA Penalizes Green as a Repeat Offender
The Warriors had anticipated a fine, but they were surprised when the NBA announced Green’s one-game suspension based on his past transgressions and physical altercations with other players.
Green, an 11-year NBA veteran and life-long Warrior, is a throwback to the ultra-physical days of the league, but his low-brow tactics are seen as too aggressive and outdated in today’s game. He has been ejected from 17 games and received 163 technical fouls since being drafted out of Michigan State in 2012, and this is the second time he has been suspended in the playoffs.
Betting Game 3 of the Kings/Warriors
The Warriors have a 44-38 record and the #6 seed in the Western Conference playoffs. They have an impressive 33-8 win-loss record at home in San Francisco, but they have the worst road record (11-30) of all the playoff teams.
Oddsmakers initially installed the Warriors as -7 favorites in Game 3, but the line dropped to -5.5 after the NBA suspended Green. At the end of the regular season, the Warriors had +900 odds to win the 2022-23 NBA championship, and the Kings had +8000 odds at DraftKings. After the Kings have taken a 2-0 lead, their championship odds have narrowed to +2800, while the Warriors have slipped to +1500.
In Western Conference championship futures, the Warriors are now +650 odds to win back-to-back titles, and the Kings are +850 to take their first-ever Western Conference crown. The Kings are now the betting favorites to win the first-round playoff series at -170 odds, and the Warriors are the underdogs at +140.
