Kings' Domantas Sabonis rolls ankle Monday, expected to miss more time
Sabonis rolled his ankle in the opening minute of the second half on a drive to the basket and had to leave the game. It looked nasty.
Domantas Sabonis had to be helped to the locker room after appearing to injure his ankle while attempting a layup pic.twitter.com/fApbim3FYd
— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) March 18, 2025
There was no update postgame from coach Doug Christie, but Malik Monk summed it up well speaking to Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee.
'It looked pretty bad. But Domas (is) strong. He'll probably be back sooner than we think.'
The Kings need him to. For the season they are 3-6 in games Sabonis misses with a -3.8 net rating when he is off the court. The Kings sit ninth in the West and are headed to the play-in, but had hoped to catch the Clippers for the No. 8 seed and make their path to the playoffs easier. That was going to be tough with Sabonis, the Kings are 3.5 games back of Los Angeles with 15 games to play, but without him it's an Everest-like mountain. The Kings are not likely to fall out of the play-in, they have a two-game lead over the injury riddled Mavericks for the No. 10 seed, with Phoenix 11th and three games back, and the Trail Blazers five games behind the Kings.
Sabonis also may want to return for personal reasons — he has played in just 58 games this season, he needs to play at least seven more (and 20 minutes a night in those games) to reach the 65-game threshold set by the NBA to be eligible for post-season awards. Sabonis is certainly in the mix for an All-NBA spot if he qualifies.
The ankle wasn't even Sabonis' first injury in the game. Sabonis had to get stitches for a cut over his left eye after he was hit in the face by the back of Grizzlies' guard Luke Kennard's head. Sabonis returned to the game, only to roll his ankle.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Yahoo
New Update in Sacramento Kings' Pursuit of Ben Simmons Amid Free Agency
New Update in Sacramento Kings' Pursuit of Ben Simmons Amid Free Agency originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Sacramento Kings entered the NBA offseason looking to make improvements to their roster to chase a playoff spot next season. Of course, the Kings missed the playoffs last season but their core of Domantas Sabonis, DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine and Keegan Murray are all returning next season. Sacramento began their offseason by adding two young players in the 2025 NBA Draft in Nique Clifford and Maxime Raynaud, both of whom showed out during the Summer League. They then landed Dennis Schroder in free agency via a sign-and-trade with the Detroit Pistons as the veteran guard will now fill their void at the starting point guard position after they traded away De'Aaron fox to the San Antoino Spurs last season. While Schroder is a massive upgrade to their point guard position, the Kings have been linked to other veteran guards this summer including former first overall pick Ben Simmons. On Wednesday, ESPN's Brian Windhorst provided a report that updated the Kings' pursuit of Simmons and when the 29-year-old may make his decision. According to Windhorst, Simmons is expected to make his decision on where he will play next week. 'I'm told he's probably going to make a choice in the next week. Kings, (Phoenix) Suns, (New York) Knicks and (Boston) Celtics have all been connected to him,' Windhorst said. Simmons would be a solid addition to the Kings' roster entering next season as he would provide them with a solid backup point guard due to his playmaking skills but he would also give them a solid wing player due to his size. Of course, Simmons is no longer the All-Star caliber player that he once was thanks to a long list of injuries but he proved last season with the Los Angeles Clippers that he could still be a key role player off the bench for a contending team. Despite this, Sacramento will have to compete with three other teams for him this offseason. This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 23, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Yahoo
Kings Bracing for Trade After Russell Westbrook Report
Kings Bracing for Trade After Russell Westbrook Report originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Sacramento Kings put together another disappointing campaign last season, missing the playoffs for the second consecutive year after ending their postseason drought in 2023. One could argue that the team's lackluster performance was largely hinged on De'Aaron Fox's midseason trade which left the Kings without a true point guard. Sacramento began the offseason attempting to fix that gap by signing Dennis Schroder in free agency. It has also been reported all summer that the Kings have been exploring a move for former MVP Russell Westbrook, who declined his player option to become a free agent this offseason. NBA insider Carmichael Dave corroborated these reports on Sunday, noting that there's an '80-20' chance that Westbrook signs with Sacramento, and confirmed 'strong mutual interest' between both parties. However, to achieve this, the Kings would have to make room for Westbrook and it appears they are preparing to do so. Per Matt George of ABC10, the front office is weighing deals involving either Malik Monk or second-year guard Devin Carter in order to accommodate the veteran star on the roster. 'On the Kings/Russell Westbrook front: Both parties have been talking and have had mutual interest since free agency began. That's been well known,' George wrote. 'From what I gather, the Kings are still looking to move a player like Devin Carter or Malik Monk before they can bring Westbrook in. The Kings have a log jam at the guard position and very little financial flexibility to work with.' Russell Westbrook's Fit on the Sacramento Kings Westbrook would bring experience and playmaking to a Kings squad in need of both. The nine-time All-Star and 2017 NBA MVP has built a Hall of Fame résumé, becoming the league's all-time leader in triple-doubles. While no longer the explosive force of his prime, he averaged 13.3 points, 6.1 assists, and 4.9 rebounds last season with the Denver Nuggets, showing he still has value as a contributor. If a deal goes through, Sacramento could look to pair Westbrook with Schroder, while building around a core potentially featuring Domantas Sabonis, Zach LaVine, and DeMar DeRozan. This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 29, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Yahoo
Cincinnati Bengals Get Positive Update on Trey Hendrickson's Holdout
The Cincinnati Bengals experienced a rollercoaster season of ups and downs in 2024. Some highlights included Joe Burrow's MVP-like campaign and Trey Hendrickson leading the NFL with 17.5 sacks. It still wasn't enough to reach the postseason. Yet, once the season ended, Hendrickson demanded a trade from the Bengals, and the team granted his agent's request to speak to other teams. However, the Bengals were never able to find a trade partner for the first-team All-Pro on an expiring contract. Nevertheless, Hendrickson still wanted a new contract, one that properly recognized his value as one of the NFL's best pass-rushers. After all, T.J. Watt is now earning an average annual value of $41 million per season, which is far more than the $18.6 million cap hit Hendrickson is set to have for the Bengals this year. While Hendrickson had been holding out of Bengals training camp practices while he sought a raise, his stance has suddenly changed. According to ESPN's NFL expert Adam Schefter, Hendrickson is ending his holdout by reporting to Bengals camp on Wednesday, without a new deal in place. While Hendrickson doesn't appear to be getting a new contract, he'll at least no longer be subject to daily fines of $50,000. Who knows? Maybe the Bengals will see Hendrickson's commitment to the team and decide to reward him anyway. Either way, with first-round rookie Shemar Stewart recently coming to terms on his deal, and Hendrickson being set to report, the Bengals will have their top pass-rushers finally practicing with the rest of their teammates. Related: Related Headlines Reds Acquire Ke'Bryan Hayes in Blockbuster Trade for 'Much Needed Change of Scenery' UFC Middleweight Rankings: Reinier de Ridder Continues Rise After Win Over Robert Whittaker Phillies Eye 'Surprising' Reliever as Top Bullpen Target Before Trade Deadline Wild Rumor Claims Dodgers Expected To Land Two Stars Before Deadline, Including Mason Miller
