Valančiūnas Shines as Kings Overcome Rockets; Sabonis Early Exit Raises Injury Concerns

The matchup between the Houston Rockets and the Sacramento Kings featured an exciting duel between two prominent European centers.

Jonas Valančiūnas and Alperen Şengün both made significant contributions as the Kings secured a 113-103 victory on the road, while Domantas Sabonis had to leave the game early due to an injury.

Valančiūnas concluded the game with an impressive line of 15 points, 14 rebounds, four steals, and three blocks with a shooting accuracy of 70%, making him the first center to achieve such numbers since Scott Pollard back in 2001.

In contrast, Şengün tallied 30 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists on 62.5% shooting, but received limited support apart from Jalen Green, who added 24 points. The Kings featured three players who surpassed Valančiūnas’s scoring total.

Sacramento’s challenge was compounded when Sabonis sustained an injury just 76 seconds into play, straining his left hamstring while in motion and having to exit the court without returning.

Coach Doug Christie addressed the media in Houston, stating, “We’ll have more clarity in the coming days. We should know more by tomorrow or the next day, but everyone is rooting for him. It’s clear we’re missing Domantas Sabonis, who contributes in ways that are hard to replicate. A lot of players rose to the occasion, focusing on their roles rather than trying to do too much, which helped us coordinate our efforts effectively.”