Injury forces Sacramento Kings center Domantas Sabonis to leave game vs. Houston Rockets
Sacramento Kings center Domantas Sabonis left Saturday’s 113-103 victory over the Houston Rockets due to a hamstring injury.
Sabonis grabbed his left hamstring while running the floor just over a minute into the game at Toyota Center in Houston. Interim Kings coach Doug Christie immediately called timeout as Sabonis limped off the floor.
Sabonis headed to the locker room to seek treatment from the team’s medical staff. A short time later, the Kings announced Sabonis would not return.
There was no immediate word on the extent of Sabonis’ injury. Christie didn’t have an update following the game.
“We’ll see in the coming days,” Christie told reporters in Houston. “Probably tomorrow or the next day we’ll have an idea, but everyone’s just pulling for him. Stepping in and, wow, we’re talking about Domantas Sabonis, who covers the stat sheet in a way that is difficult to do. A lot of guys stepped in and weren’t trying to do too much. They were just trying to do what they do and that adds up to everyone pulling the rope in the same direction.”
The Kings jumped from 10th to eighth in the Western Conference with their win over Houston and the Dallas Mavericks’ loss to the Milwaukee Bucks, but an extended absence for Sabonis could be detrimental to Sacramento’s playoff hopes.
Sabonis, a three-time All-Star and two-time All-NBA selection, is averaging 19.9 points, a career-high 14.4 rebounds and 6.3 assists. He is shooting 59.6% from the field, a career-best 43.2% from 3-point range and 74.9% at the free-throw line.
Sabonis was replaced by Jonas Valanciunas, who posted 15 points, 14 rebounds, four steals and three blocked shots. The Kings acquired Valanciunas on Feb. 5 in a trade that sent Sidy Cissoko and two second-round draft picks to the Washington Wizards.
Valanciunas, a 6-foot-11, 265-pound center, started 82 games for the New Orleans Pelicans last season, averaging 12.2 points, 8.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists. This season, he has averaged 11.0 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 57 games for the Wizards and Kings.
This story was originally published March 1, 2025 at 5:45 PM.
