Doc Rivers defends Draymond Green’s kick, claims Domantas Sabonis DESERVED punishment
Doc Rivers Defends Draymond Green's Controversial Play
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Sixers' Coach Doc Rivers (L) and Warriors' Draymond Green (R)
The NBA playoffs are heating up, and so are the controversies. One of the most talked-about incidents in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs was the altercation between Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors and Domantas Sabonis of the Sacramento Kings.
In Game 2 of the series, Green was ejected after stomping on Sabonis’ chest following a scuffle under the basket. The league later suspended Green for one game, while Sabonis received a technical foul for his role in the incident. Many fans and analysts have criticized Green for his actions, calling him dirty and reckless. However, one prominent voice in the NBA has come to his defense: Doc Rivers, the head coach of the Philadelphia 76ers.
Rivers said he did not think Green deserved to be suspended, and that Sabonis should have been punished as well. “Didn’t think Draymond should have gotten suspended and I think the league is setting up a very dangerous precedent right now… If we’re gonna start punishing the retaliators and not the instigators, then we got a problem.“
Rivers argued that Sabonis was the one who started the physicality by grabbing Green’s leg and pulling him down. He also claimed that Sabonis has been playing with his elbows out and using the ball as a weapon on offense throughout the series. Rivers said he was worried that the league’s decision would encourage more players to provoke their opponents and then act innocent when they retaliate.
Also Read: James Harden’s ejection from playoff Game 3 the “WORST in 22 years”, claims ESPN analyst
How did Draymond Green’s suspension affect Game 3?
The Warriors played without their emotional leader and defensive anchor in Game 3 of their series against the Kings on Thursday night at Chase Center. However, they did not let that stop them from bouncing back with a convincing 114-97 win to cut the series deficit to 2-1.
Green’s absence was a huge challenge for the Warriors, who had to face a confident Kings team that had won the first two games of the series. Green had been averaging 11.7 points, 9 rebounds, 6.2 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks per game in the playoffs, while also guarding Sabonis, who had been averaging 19.1 points, 12.3 rebounds, and 7.3 assists per game this season.
The Warriors showed their championship pedigree and resilience in Game 3, overcoming Green’s suspension and the Kings’ momentum. They shot 40% from the field and 32% from the three-point range while holding the Kings to 38% from the field and 23.4% from the three-point range. They also won the rebounding battle (59-53), the assist battle (31-21), and the turnover battle (11-15).
The Warriors will look to even the series in Game 4 on Saturday night at Chase Center. They hope to have Green back in the lineup after serving his one-game suspension. The Kings will try to bounce back from their first loss of the series and regain control of the series.
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Ankush Singh
(616 Articles Published)