Home

NBA

“Just Trying to Protect Myself”: Moments After Being Stomped by Draymond Green, Kings Star Domantas Sabonis Comes Clean on Bizarre Controversial Play

Published 04/18/2023, 12:38 PM EDT

Follow Us

via Imago

The 2023 NBA Playoffs are in full swing, and the thrill has only gotten stronger with the closely contested matchups. The intense competition in the games has resulted in multiple heated exchanges and physical altercations, adding to the drama of the playoffs. The latest incident hails from today’s game between the Golden State Warriors and the Sacramento Kings. In typical Draymond Green fashion, the game witnessed some pretty bizarre sequence of actions.

The Sacramento Kings are currently in a two-game lead against the Warriors. The latest game between the two saw a brutal exchange between Kings star Domantas Sabonis and Warriors’ Draymond Green, where the latter stomped on the former’s chest during the game. Sabonis recently addressed the situation.

Domantas Sabonis addresses Draymond Green stomping his chest

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

Draymond Green is well-known for his aggressive plays and getting called out by the referees for it. But it seems this time around he crossed the line when he stomped on Sabonis’ chest. While the Kings player was down, he wrapped his hands around an approaching Draymond and the four-time NBA champion ended up stomping Sabonis in the chest. Green got ejected for the flagrant foul after that.

Trending

Get instantly notified of the hottest NBA stories via Google! Click on Follow Us and Tap the Blue Star.

Follow Us

During a post-game interview, Domantas Sabonis shared his perspective on the incident and the foul he received following it. While Draymond’s point of view was quite defensive, Sabonis gave a humble and well-adjusted response. The Kings star respectfully conceded that the foul did not bother him because that is just how the game works.

While addressing wrapping his hands around Green’s ankles, Sabonis said, “I feel it’s the playoffs, a lot of things happen. At that point, I get pushed, I’m on the floor, I’m just trying to protect myself.” However, talking about Green’s actions, he said, “There’s no room for that in our game today.”  

Sabonis played out the remaining minutes in the game and the Kings emerged victorious. However, he still had to get a medical check-up done to ensure no injuries had occurred.

Draymond Green addressed the incident

Draymond Green in his post-game interview released an influx of defensive statements. He justified his actions by saying that, “My leg got grabbed. Second time in two nights. Referees just watch it.” 

He hinted toward a bias from the referee’s end and that he tried to get out of Sabonis’ hold, which resulted in the stomping.

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

Whether his ejection turns into suspension for game 3 remains to be seen.

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

WATCH THIS STORY: Hours After Taunting the ‘Sucker Punch’, Draymond Green Softens Up and Finds Respect for Suspended Timberwolves Star Rudy Gobert: “He Just Showed Me a Side…”

 

SHARE THIS ARTICLE :

Written by:

Ishpreet Kaur

53Articles

One take at a time

Ishpreet Kaur is an NBA writer at EssentiallySports. With a Bachelor's degree in Arts from the University of British Columbia, Ishpreet has developed a deep understanding of the intricacies of storytelling and writing. Her passion for the Toronto Raptors and their championship run in 2019 is evident in her writing, but she also brings a unique perspective to her coverage of the NBA as a whole.
Show More>

Edited by:

Satagni Sikder