The Kings provided a medical update on two-time All-Star Domantas Sabonis on Monday after a magnetic resonance imaging exam revealed the extent of the injury he sustained in Sunday’s loss to the Phoenix Suns.
Multiple medical professionals diagnosed Sabonis with a bone bruise in his left knee after an MRI revealed no structural damage, the Kings said. He will be reevaluated in 10 days.
Sabonis will not travel with the team Tuesday and will likely miss the entirety of the team’s upcoming five-game road trip, including Wednesday’s game against his former team, the Indiana Pacers. The Kings will have only four games remaining when they return from the trip.
Sabonis suffered the injury with 5:02 remaining in the fourth quarter of a 127-124 overtime loss to the Suns at Golden 1 Center. Sabonis was trying to prevent Suns forward Mikal Bridges from driving to the basket when their knees collided, sending Sabonis sprawling to the floor under the basket in obvious pain.
Coaches, teammates and trainers rushed to Sabonis’ side to check on the 6-foot-11 center. Sabonis was helped to his feet and remained in the game for 28 seconds, but he left the floor at the next clock stoppage and did not return.
“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.”
Sabonis finished with 18 points, 12 rebounds and six assists in 31 minutes against the Suns. He was coming off of his biggest game of the season in Friday’s loss to the Boston Celtics after becoming the first Kings player to have 30 points and 20 rebounds in a game since DeMarcus Cousins on Nov. 28, 2016.
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, 12.3 rebounds and 5.8 assists in 15 games for Sacramento.
