Ouch! Jayson Tatum rolling on the floor was the last thing the Celtics could have imagined, especially when we are inches away from the postseason. Just when the team had turned the tables in the third quarter, disaster struck. Tatum was beyond the arc, aiming for the basket while Domantas Sabonis had his guards up on defense. As Tatum shot, the Kings center jumped to block the attempt. The next thing you know, disaster was waiting. Tatum was on the floor, in pain, clutching his ankle. It was clear that he was hurt, with Sabonis’ unsteady foot landing on him. But it wasn’t Sabonis’ intention. He broke his silence after the game.
The 113-95 loss was already too much to swallow for Sabonis, and on top of that, there was the regret of his action. “I feel horrible,” he said in the press conference. Having just returned from a sprained ankle himself, Sabonis could emotionally relate to what Tatum was going through. So, reflecting on the situation, he added, “I’ve had a crazy month myself personally, you know. And you never want that to happen, you know? So I apologize.”
Sabonis didn’t act intentionally. His focus was entirely on the ball. In fact, when he saw Tatum fall, he immediately went over to check on him, and there was obvious regret on his face. Like he mentioned, he wouldn’t wish that on anyone. While they may be rivals on the court, sportsmanship is something the Lithuanian understands and respects. But again, rules are rules, and he ended up on the wrong side of them.
Mar 24, 2025; Sacramento, California, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) lays on the ground after suffering an injury against the Sacramento Kings in the third quarter at the Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images
The review gave Sabonis a flagrant foul and Tatum two free throws. After being examined, Tatum returned to the yellow line to take his shots. The first one missed the target, but the second was right on point. With a game-high 25 points, the Celtics star then headed back to the locker room. And the rest was taken care of by his teammates. Of course, head coach Joe Mazzulla’s brilliant defensive tactics came in handy to hold back Sabonis and his Sacramento side.
Joe Mazzulla clears his thoughts on Domantas Sabonis
Besides the heavy blow of Jayson Tatum’s ankle injury, the Celtics made a comeback in the second half. What helped was their improved defense, limiting the Kings’ offensive rebounds and free throws. Overall, they were able to control the game by balancing both defense and offense, and Mazzulla was quite impressed with it.
“We were just able to limit them offensive rebounds. We were able to limit their free throws. We were able to take away their tendencies,” the Celtics HC told the reporters in the postgame presser. They allowed DeMar DeRozan to make some shots, but kept it tight for the others.
“The guards down the stretch there, Derrick (White), Jrue (Holiday), Baylor (Scheierman), and Payton (Pritchard) did a great job, especially with, having to play the entire fourth quarter,” he added. “They did a great day. And then, finishing with Luke (Kornet) and KP (Kristaps Porzingis), the bigs, we were able to switch more, and we were able to kind of neutralize Sabonis because of the double big and takeaways. You know what they’re best at, which is play through Sabonis there.”
The Celtics’ increased defensive switching in the final quarter gave them the upper hand in neutralizing Domantas Sabonis and the Kings. They knew limiting Sabonis would work and focused on that. And the result speaks for itself. The Celtics secured their sixth win in a row, while the Kings suffered their third straight loss. The competition in the West is tight, so it’s time for Sabonis and Co. to step up, or their chances for the postseason will be snatched away soon.
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