The Sacramento Kings face the Oklahoma City Thunder in what promises to be a high-stakes matchup in the NBA Cup, as they look to hand the defending champions their first loss of the tournament. However, it won’t be an easy battle — and for that, they’ll need all their stars available. One major question looms ahead of tipoff: will Domantas Sabonis play?
Domantas Sabonis (ribs) has officially been ruled out for Friday’s game, per JandersonSacBee. His absence marks a major blow for Sacramento, as the 29-year-old center remains one of the team’s most vital contributors on both ends of the court. Sabonis’ injury, a ribcage contusion, had already raised concern among Kings fans, and his recovery will now be closely monitored moving forward.
On a more positive note, the Kings are expected to have Zach LaVine back in the lineup. LaVine has been removed from the NBA injury report after missing Wednesday’s 121–116 win over the Golden State Warriors due to back soreness. His return should give Sacramento a much-needed boost heading into Friday night’s clash.
LaVine’s presence will certainly help, but having both him and Sabonis available would be ideal against one of the league’s top teams. Even so, the Kings are ready to fight as underdogs in a true David vs Goliath showdown.
Sabonis’ season so far
The three-time All-Star and two-time All-NBA selection already missed the season opener against the Phoenix Suns and has now sat out two of Sacramento’s first nine games. The Kings have felt his absence on both ends of the floor, particularly in rebounding and scoring efficiency.
see also
Is Anthony Davis playing tonight, November 7, for Mavericks vs Grizzlies in the NBA Cup?
So far this season, Sabonis is averaging 14.5 points, 14.2 rebounds, and 4.0 assists across 34.7 minutes per game while shooting 52.2% from the field — a reflection of just how valuable he continues to be to the Kings’ success.
How the Kings are performing
Sacramento’s victory over Golden State earlier this week was especially impressive considering they were without Sabonis, LaVine, and Keegan Murray. Facing a strong Warriors team, the Kings showed resilience and depth — qualities they’ll need again if they hope to upset Oklahoma City.
Oklahoma City’s first loss
Oklahoma entered this matchup as the only remaining unbeaten team to start the season but now turns its attention to rebounding from its first defeat — a narrow 121–119 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers, in which the Thunder blew a 22-point lead. Despite the setback, Oklahoma continues to look like one of the toughest teams in the league and a major contender moving forward.
