NBA suspends Green for stomp

Golden State’s Draymond Green stepping on the chest of Sacramento’s Domantas Sabonis was an action the league considered excessive, dangerous and worthy of suspension, NBA executive vice president Joe Dumars said Wednesday.

Dumars — whose job duties include being one of the NBA’s major decision-makers for player discipline matters — shed light on what went into the decision to suspend Green for a playoff game, and why Sabonis’ actions didn’t merit further sanctioning.

“This was not some snap-ofthe-finger decision to do this,” Dumars said in an interview with The Associated Press. “There was much discussion, and back and forth, looking at the play itself over and over. And then ultimately we came to the decision that the act itself, and repeat offenses, actually did warrant a suspension.”

The incident with Sabonis and Green came midway through the fourth quarter of the Sacramento-Golden State game on Monday night. Sabonis grabbed at Green’s ankle and Green wound up stepping — some would describe it as stomping — on Sabonis’ chest.

Sabonis got a technical, Green was ejected, the Warriors lost to fall into a 2-0 series hole and then the NBA decided Green needed to sit out a full game as well.

“It wasn’t like it went completely unpunished,” Dumars said of Sabonis’ role. “We didn’t think it rose to the level of Draymond’s play — excessive, over-the-top, dangerous, repeat offender. That’s the separation between what he did and what Draymond did.”

The Warriors, predictably, were not pleased with the NBA’s ruling.

“In their defense, what do they care what I have to say? I mean, they know what I’m going to say,” General Manager Bob Myers said Wednesday, while Golden State gathered for practice. “They don’t need me to make the decision.

“As far as how we felt, you know, we’ve been here before and we’ve got to play a game. Once these decisions are made, there’s no appellate court. It’s over. So you can react however you want to react, but it doesn’t change the fact he’s not playing.”