The Sacramento Kings, at 34-33 on the season, are comfortably in the Play-In Tournament. They are five games behind the Golden State Warriors for the last outright playoff spot and are three games ahead of the Phoenix Suns, who are the 11th seed and poised to miss any sort of postseason.
However, All-Star center and the league leader in rebounds Domantas Sabonis recently suffered an ankle sprain, and the length of the injury could determine if the Kings make or miss the postseason.
Sabonis is expected to miss at least the next ten days of action, which means he will be sidelined for at least the next seven games. Fortunately, none of those games are against the Suns or Dallas Mavericks, who have everything to gain from the Kings' misfortunes.
However, if Sacramento fails to stay afloat in Sabonis' absence, the Kings could be in danger of being passed in the standings.
This season, Sabonis is averaging 19.2 points, 13.9 rebounds, and 6.2 assists. He has long been one of the Kings' very best players, if not the best, and has largely remained healthy throughout his NBA career.
This season, the Kings are 3-6 without him in the lineup already, and four of their next seven games are against tough teams: the Cleveland Cavaliers, Milwaukee Bucks, Boston Celtics, and Oklahoma City Thunder. The other three games, against the Chicago Bulls, Portland Trail Blazers, and Orlando Magic, won't be easy wins, either.
Related: Kings Receive Unfortunate Domantas Sabonis News Ahead of Cavaliers Game
For Sacramento, the injury news comes at the worst possible time, although it seems likely that he will make a return in time for the postseason.
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Related: Sacramento Kings Face Critical Decision on Backcourt Future
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This story was originally published March 19, 2025 at 12:20 PM.