Trailing 2-0 in their first-round series, the Golden State Warriors were already fighting an uphill battle against the Sacramento Kings. On Tuesday night, the hill got even steeper. The Warriors will be without Draymond Green in Game 3.
Green was ejected from Monday night’s Game 2 following an incident with Sacramento’s Domontas Sabonis.
On Wednesday night, the NBA announced that Green would be suspended for Game 3.
Green is one of the most outspoken and therefore, most polarizing players in the NBA. The reaction to his suspension reflected that.
For some fans, it was well-earned. Others felt that since Green only kicked Sabonis because Sabonis was holding onto his ankle that the suspension was unwarranted.
Golden State needs to win both Games 3 and 4 at home to have a realistic chance of coming back against the Kings. Overcoming a 3-1 deficit is hard enough. With Games 5 and 7 both being on the road, it would be even more challenging for the Warriors.
While Sacramento won both of the first two games, the series has largely been competitive. The Kings won 126-123 in Game 1 and 114-106 in Game 2. So, Golden State can play with Sacramento. And at home, there’s plenty of reason to believe that those close games can go the other way. but winning without Green will be a significant obstacle.