Tensions boiled over between Draymond Green and Domantas Sabonis on Monday night.
The Sacramento Kings, however, still found a way to turn on the lights and take a huge 2-0 series lead against the Golden State Warriors.
The Kings held on for a 114-106 win in a controversial Game 2 of their opening-round playoff series with the Warriors at the Golden 1 Center. The Warriors haven’t trailed 0-2 in a playoff series since 2007, two years before they drafted star Stephen Curry out of Davidson.
Draymond Green was ejected after stepping on Domantas Sabonis
Green and Sabonis have been together throughout the series, though it was nothing more than extra physical play until Monday night.
Before the midway point of the fourth quarter with the Kings up by 4 points, Green and Sabonis tangled under the hoop while fighting for a rebound. Sabonis appeared to be hit in the face as he fell to the floor before wrapping his arms around Green’s leg.
As Green started to go the other way, he stepped straight into Sabonis’ chest — leaving the Kings star writhing in pain in the lane.
That prompted a lengthy review as the Kings staff tended to Sabonis on the floor, and Green entered with a large group of Kings fans behind their bench.
Green finished with 8 points, 5 assists and 4 rebounds.
Sabonis was asked on TNT after the win if he had any anger about the feud with Green, but he seemed unfazed by the whole thing.
“No, you know, we’re both fighting for the rebound,” he said. “We fell on each other. Stuff happens. It’s basketball. We’ve gotta move on next play.”
Sabonis also underwent X-rays on his ribs and lungs after the game, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. His status going forward is unclear, but he finished the game normally.
Green said after the incident that Sabonis touched his leg, and it was the second time in two games that his leg had been touched.
“I gotta land my foot somewhere, and I’m not the most flexible person so it’s not stretching that far,” he said, via Chris Biderman of the Sacramento Bee. “I can only step so far and pulling my leg away. So, it is what it is… The explanation was I stomped too hard.”
Early Tuesday morning, ESPN’s Marc Spears reported that Green requested an X-ray on his right ankle.
Green also called the officials directly. He said Kings guard Malik Monk also grabbed him right in front of an official in Game 1.
“I guess ankle grabbing is OK,” he said sarcastically.
As for his response to the crowd, Green doesn’t take himself too seriously.
“I was just having fun,” Green said. “It’s a fun game, fun environment to play in.”
However, Kings coach Mike Brown has no doubt that Green’s move caused the dismissal.
Green appears to have spent some time reviewing the situation himself. She posted a screenshot of Sabonis appearing to be holding her leg on her Instagram story on Monday night. “Nothing wrong with it. Solid basketball play,” he wrote.
Although the Warriors had plenty of chances to finally jump back in front, and Klay Thompson tied the game at one point with a late 3-pointer, the Kings responded with a 10-2 run in the final minutes to seal it. the 8-point win. .
Curry led Golden State with 28 points, but shot just 3-of-13 from behind the arc. Andrew Wiggins, who returned to the starting lineup Monday night, added 22 points, and Thompson finished with 21 points.
Sabonis led the Kings with 24 points and 9 rebounds while shooting 8-of-12 from the field. De’Aaron Fox added 24 points and 9 assists. They shot just 9 of 38 from the 3-point line, but forced 22 turnovers.
Game 3 of the series is set for Thursday night in San Francisco.
“They were very good defensively, they pressured us, and we didn’t handle it well enough to win a playoff game on the road,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “And with that said, it was a tie game with four minutes left, or whatever it was. So we knew we had to play better, but we played better.”