Sacramento Kings center Domantas Sabonis injures knee in overtime loss to Phoenix Suns
The Kings will be anxiously awaiting the results of an MRI after two-time All-Star Domantas Sabonis went down with a knee injury during Sunday’s loss to the Phoenix Suns.
Sabonis briefly stayed in the game after the injury occurred, but he left the floor moments later and did not return. Interim Kings coach Alvin Gentry said Sabonis would undergo a magnetic resonance imaging exam to determine the extent of the injury.
“We won’t know anything until he gets an MRI, which will happen tomorrow … or maybe even this afternoon,” Gentry said. “I haven’t talked to the doctors yet. We’ll just have to wait and see.”
Sabonis suffered the injury with 5:02 remaining in the fourth quarter of a 127-124 overtime loss to the Suns in a matinee affair at Golden 1 Center. He was attempting to stop a drive by Suns forward Mikal Bridges when their knees collided, sending Sabonis sprawling to the floor under the basket in obvious pain.
An uncomfortable silence fell over the arena as Sabonis went down clutching his left knee. Teammates, coaches and head athletic trainer Joe Resendez rushed to Sabonis’ side to check on the 6-foot-11 center, who came to Sacramento last month in a blockbuster trade with the Indiana Pacers.
Sabonis was helped to his feet, walked toward the Sacramento bench under his own power and remained in the game for 28 more seconds, but he left the floor with a grimace at the next clock stoppage and headed straight down the tunnel to the locker room.
“You never want to see an injury,” teammate Damian Jones said. “And when I saw Domas get hit, it looked like knee-to-knee action. I was like, dang, because that stuff really hurts. I was just hoping for the best. … Seeing him get up and stuff was good to see.”
Devin Booker had 31 points, seven rebounds and five assists for the Suns (58-14), who have won five in a row and 17 of 21 to build a nine-game lead over the Memphis Grizzlies for the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference. Bridges scored 27 points. Landry Shamet came off the bench to score 21.
Davion Mitchell had a career-high 28 points and nine assists for the Kings (25-48). Harrison Barnes scored 21 points after going scoreless in Friday’s loss to the Boston Celtics, the first time he failed to score since Game 6 of the NBA Finals on June 16, 2016, when he was with the Golden State Warriors.
Sabonis finished with 18 points, 12 rebounds and six assists in 31 minutes. The Kings acquired Sabonis, Justin Holiday and Jeremy Lamb in the deal that sent Tyrese Haliburton, Buddy Hield and Tristan Thompson to the Pacers ahead of the February trade deadline. Sabonis has averaged 18.9 points, 12.4 rebounds and 5.8 assists in 14 games for Sacramento. He had his biggest game in Friday’s loss to the Boston Celtics, becoming the first Kings player to post 30 points and 20 rebounds in a game since DeMarcus Cousins on Nov. 28, 2016.
The Kings have been all but mathematically eliminated from playoff contention, but they are hoping to build chemistry and continuity between Sabonis and De’Aaron Fox in preparation for next season. Fox has missed the past two games due to right hand soreness. Now, Sabonis could miss time with the knee injury, but the Kings said they wouldn’t have further information to share until Monday or Tuesday.
“We don’t know anything other than that,” Gentry said. “But, obviously, he’s a key to what we’re doing, and, if nothing else, we’re trying to have growth with the chemistry and everything on this team and learning to play with each other, so obviously when he goes down like that, there’s always concern.”
