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With the Sacramento Kings still fighting with everything they've got to make the playoffs in 2025, the last thing they need is an injury to their best player in Domantas Sabonis. However, the Kings will have to weather the storm for the meantime, as Sabonis, who exited their 113-103 loss to the Houston Rockets on Saturday night with a hamstring injury, will be out for at least one week, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.
Sabonis, as per Scotto, reportedly suffered a grade 1 left hamstring strain, and will be re-evaluated by the Kings in one week. It's not quite clear just how much time Sabonis will be missing, although soft tissue injuries are not to be messed with. Expect the Kings to proceed with caution even when there is a great sense of urgency within the franchise to make the playoffs.
It takes quite a serious injury to knock someone like Sabonis out of commission. He's played in 79 and 82 games, respectively, over the past two seasons as the Kings star has always shown that he is more than willing (and able) to power through minor inconveniences. But clearly, this has gone beyond minor for the Lithuanian star.
One good news for the Kings is that they can take advantage of a team that has an even more depleted frontcourt when they take on the Dallas Mavericks on Monday night.
Can Kings keep up in the congested Western Conference playoff race?
This Domantas Sabonis-less stretch will be crucial in determining whether the Kings are able to keep pace in the playoff race or not. Alas, the next four games will be difficult for the Kings.
In addition to their impending matchup against the Mavericks, the Kings will come up against the Nikola Jokic-led Denver Nuggets, a San Antonio Spurs squad led by a homecoming De'Aaron Fox, and then to start next week, they will have a Sunday/Monday back-to-back against the Los Angeles Clippers and New York Knicks.
The good news for the Kings is that one of their acquisitions prior to the trade deadline, Jonas Valanciunas, will help a lot in maintaining order for the team in the games that Sabonis will miss. Valanciunas, in filling in for Sabonis on Saturday night, put up 15 points and 14 rebounds in 30 minutes of play. While Sabonis' handoff utility and ballhandling will be missed, Valanciunas can at least approximate the rebounding muscle and scoring ability his Lithuanian compatriot provides the Kings.
