By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Domantas Sabonis picked up a left ankle injury late in the away game opposite the Los Angeles Lakers. Opting to remain on the court included a key three-pointer but bad news followed the Indiana Pacers win Wednesday evening.
“He has an ankle sprain that’s probably going to be significant,” said head coach Rick Carlisle in the postgame press conference. The team is expected to provide an additional update.
The Lithuanian forward/center picked up the injury after landing on Russell Westbrook’s foot with 4:54 remaining in the fourth quarter. Despite the pain, he managed to help his side snap a four-game losing streak. His clutch triple created an eight-point lead with 2:28 left in the 2021-22 NBA Regular Season affair.
“He was not gonna come out of this game,” added Carlisle, “He was determined to help. The three-point shot that Sabonis hit on the bad ankle was one of the big shots of the year and just a guy that was completely determined to pull us through this thing.”
Sabonis, 25, ended up with 20 points, 12 rebounds, and ten assists for the 17th triple-double as a member of the Pacers and third in the past seven games alone. Producing 19.0 points, 11.9 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 1.0 steals, and 0.4 blocks per game make him an extremely valuable asset for the Pacers, either on the floor or in trade discussions.
With two more years left on his contract, he has been involved in recent trade rumors, including the Sacramento Kings aggressively pursuing him, ahead of the upcoming deadline set on Thursday, February 10. The Pacers sitting 6.5 games outside the Play-In zone potentially eyeing a rebuild, seem to be open for trade talks.
Up next, the Golden State Warriors Thursday. Matchups versus the Phoenix Suns and New Orleans Pelicans, Saturday and Monday, respectively, will wrap up the five-game road trip.
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