The Sacramento Kings are chasing a play-in spot this season. They hold the No. 9th seed and are in a play-in spot in a stacked Western Conference. Moreover, Sacramento has been playing some great basketball with just two losses in their last eight games. They recently grabbed a solid 113-103 win over the Rockets on Saturday. However, in the process, the Kings have suffered a massive blow. What blow? You might wonder.

Well, the blow came in the first quarter of the game, when their superstar center, Domantas Sabonis, suffered an injury and left the court limping. At the 10:45 mark of the first, Sabonis was running down the lane on the offensive end for a pass when he suddenly felt something in his hamstring and grabbed the back of his leg. The coaching staff took notice and head coach Doug Christie promptly called for a timeout. Unfortunately, the league’s rebound leader has suffered a Grade I hamstring injury and will miss at least a week of NBA action.

A hamstring injury is a serious affair and Sacramento management wouldn’t want to rush the 28-year-old’s recovery, as they need him to suit up for the playoffs. Nonetheless, the timing of this injury couldn’t have been worse for Sabonis and the Kings. Sacramento is set to face one of the two teams eyeing their play-in spot, the Mavericks. As things stand, Sacramento is in a race with Dallas and Phoenix to book their ticket for the postseason. Dallas is currently the 10th seed and occupies the final play-in spot whereas Phoenix is tailing the two as the 11th seed.

So, a win against Dallas will put them in a commanding position in the race. But, they wouldn’t have Sabonis’ help. While new acquisition Jonas Valanciunas filled in for Sabonis against Houston, he is nowhere near the passing threat that Sabonis is on the court. Sabonis is amidst a career-high season averaging 19.9 points along with a league-best 14.4 rebounds and 6.2 assists per game. His injury has landed the Kings in a tough spot as their postseason spot is on the line, with two formidable opponents looking to snatch their spot in the play-ins. Any guesses who?

How will the Sacramento Kings fare without Domantas Sabonis amid threats from Dallas and Phoenix?

With Domantas Sabonis expected to sit out at least a week, interim head coach Doug Christie must be facing a dilemma about how to proceed with things. Well, there’s no doubt Sabonis’ injury is very unfortunate for the team. But, now they have to take this blow on the chin and move forward. Keeping that in mind, the stats are not in Sacramento’s favor. The Kings are 1-2 without the No. 11 this season. Yes, when Sabonis hasn’t stepped on the court the Kings have only one win against the Jazz, whereas they’ve lost against the Hawks and the Pistons.

That record is worse if we look at the past three seasons, as they have won just two out of the six games they’ve played without the big man. This makes matters even more concerning, taking into account the fact that Dallas and Phoenix will look to exploit them. Currently, the Kings boast a 31-28 record, meanwhile, the Mavericks sit just behind them at the 10th seed with a 32-29 record. Moreover, the Suns are just outside with a 28-33 record. So, any kind of slip-up could prove costly for Sacramento. However, keeping up without Sabonis isn’t going to be easy, with them facing some of the best teams this season.

Sacramento is set to face the likes of Dallas, Denver, San Antonio, LA Clippers, and New York in their upcoming matchups. These fixtures will certainly test them and meanwhile, the Mavericks and Suns will look to grab as many wins to snatch their position in the table. The Kings’ backup big man Jonas Valanciunas and their two guards Malik Monk and Zach LaVine, will have to step up to the challenge. Overall, the Kings can stay afloat until Sabonis returns. However, everyone wishes the big man makes a speedy recovery.