The Sacramento Kings have been scuffling as of late, and they will now have to face the NBA’s best team without one of their best players.
The team announced Tuesday that center Domantas Sabonis will miss Wednesday’s contest against the Oklahoma City Thunder due to left knee soreness. This is the fourth game the All-Star will miss due to injury this season, and his health seems to be affecting his performance to start the year. Sabonis is averaging 17.2 points and 3.7 assists per game, which would be his lowest outputs since 2018-19.
The Kings are in the midst of a six-game losing streak, and things will not get any easier as they go up against the defending NBA champions shorthanded. Oklahoma City demolished Sacramento 132-101 in their last meeting on Friday, November 7, which kicked off this downward spiral for the team.
The Kings will also be without power forward Keegan Murray on Wednesday, who has not played this year after undergoing surgery to repair a torn UCL in his right thumb, an injury he suffered during the preseason.
Domantas Sabonis Struggling To Begin Season
Sabonis will miss his fourth game of the season when the Kings play the Thunder on Wednesday, November 19, this time due to left knee soreness. The big man also missed games earlier this season against Oklahoma City and the Golden State Warriors due to a left ribcage contusion and was held out of the season opener against the Phoenix Suns with a hamstring strain.
Sabonis’ nagging injuries at the beginning of this year have kept him from performing the way Kings fans have grown accustomed to in his four seasons with Sacramento. His efficiency is still high, as he is shooting 51% from the field, but it would be his lowest mark since his rookie season in 2016-17. His abilities to play through contact and use his strength in the post seem to have been diminished.
Sacramento appears to be prioritizing Sabonis’ health by holding him out against Oklahoma City. Despite the team’s recent struggles, they need their center to get healthy for the rest of the season.
Sacramento Kings Trying To Break Six-Game Losing Streak
The Kings are currently 3-11 and sitting in 14th in the Western Conference thanks to their six-game slide, which began earlier this month with a loss to Oklahoma City. Not much has gone right for Sacramento this year, as the team is bottom-five in the NBA in both offensive and defensive rating.
Sacramento won’t have much of an opportunity to pick up some easy wins as November wraps up. After facing Oklahoma City on the road on Wednesday, the team will travel to play the Memphis Grizzlies before returning home to take on the Denver Nuggets. Next week, the Kings will play the Minnesota Timberwolves, Phoenix and Utah Jazz.
Getting Murray back — potentially on this road trip — should be a boost for the Kings, but Sabonis also needs to return to form in order for Sacramento to climb out of the hole it’s dug for itself in the West.
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