Sacramento Kings provide Domantas Sabonis injury update for game vs. Cleveland Cavaliers

An ankle injury will prevent All-NBA center Domantas Sabonis from suiting up when the Kings face the top team in the Eastern Conference.

The Kings have ruled Sabonis out for Wednesday’s game against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento. The injury is being described as a right ankle sprain.

The Kings have not yet disclosed the severity of the injury. A grade 1 sprain involves mild stretching or tearing of ligament fibers. A grade 2 sprain involves partial tearing of the ligament. A grade 3 sprain is a complete tear.

Recovery times can range from 1 to 3 weeks for a grade 1 sprain to several months for a grade 3 sprain. There are less than four weeks remaining in the regular season.

ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Sabonis is expected to be out at least 10 days, suggesting he avoided a more serious injury. Based on that timeline, Sabonis will likely miss a minimum of six games.

Sabonis sustained multiple injuries during Monday’s 132-122 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies. He left the game early in the first quarter to get stitches after suffering a laceration above his left eye. He returned in the second quarter but had to leave the game again after rolling his right ankle at the start of the second half.

Sabonis suffered the ankle injury when he stepped on Grizzlies rookie Jaylen Wells’ foot on a layup attempt with 11:09 to play in the third quarter. Sabonis reached for his ankle as he was falling to the floor and immediately motioned to the bench for the team’s medical staff while writhing in pain under the basket.

Sabonis was seen limping badly and appeared to collapse in the tunnel as he was helped to the locker room. A short time later, the Kings announced he would not return to the game.

Sabonis recently returned to the lineup after missing six games with a strained left hamstring. Another extended absence would be a big blow for the Kings as they try to secure a play-in spot in the Western Conference.

Sabonis has appeared in 58 games this season, averaging 19.4 points, 14.1 rebounds and 6.3 assists while shooting 59.2% from the field and 42.5% from 3-point range. The Kings are 31-27 with Sabonis in the lineup. They are 3-6 in the nine games he has missed.

Sabonis needs to play in seven of Sacramento’s last 15 games to reach the 65-game threshold to qualify for All-NBA honors.

This story was originally published March 18, 2025 at 5:37 PM.