Kings' Domantas Sabonis apologizes after injuring Jayson Tatum
03/25/2025 11:11 AM
Sometimes, carelessness can stem from a barrage of problems, as was the case for Sacramento Kings star Domantas Sabonis. During Monday’s game, Sabonis injured Jayson Tatum on a three-point shot.
He was in the landing space and Tatum tweaked his ankle. Tatum was ruled out for the remainder of Monday’s game with that injury. As soon as the match concluded, Sabonis felt sympathetic while speaking to reporters about the incident.
“I feel horrible,” Sabonis said via Brenden Nunes of Sac Town Sports 1120 on X (formerly Twitter). “I’ve had a crazy month myself, personally, and you never want that to happen. So, I apologize.”
The past month hasn’t gone in the Kings’ favor. They are hunting for a play-in spot. However, if the season were to end as of writing this, they would squeak their way in.
However, teams like the Phoenix Suns and Dallas Mavericks are making that less and less of a possibility. As both teams are getting players back and going on a winning streak, it’s leaving Sacramento in the dust.
When Doug Christie took over as the Kings head coach, there was some positive momentum. Still, losing De’Aaron Fox is a huge blow. While they subsequently landed Zach LaVine, a midseason trade is a big move.
Kings’ Domantas Sabonis feels bad for Jayson Tatum
Rarely do players try to injure one another. Plenty of people were calling for Sabonis to receive some type of disciplinary action. Regardless, it looked like a careless play on the Kings’ big man’s part.
Landing space is such a prerogative in the NBA. After what took place with Kawhi Leonard in the 2017 playoffs, it has been a point of emphasis.
Players have even earned flagrant fouls for being in the landing space, whether accidental or not accidental. They are trying to establish a standard and mindfulness when contesting shots.
It didn’t help that Tatum had 25 points in 26 minutes. He was picking apart the Kings’ defense with his long ball, the mid-range, and his craftiness in the pick-and-roll.
It’s bad news for Tatum though, as he will likely miss Wednesday’s game against the Suns. On the flip side, the Kings will play the best team in the Western Conference, the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Their play-in chances can get even slimmer on Tuesday. Despite that though, Sabonis’s actions were simply careless. However, it could be a microcosm of the deconstruction of the Kings’ season.
While they were flirting with a playoff spot throughout the season, those chances are dwindling by the game, it appears.
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