The injury-plagued Kings opened the season with a devastating loss on the road against the Phoenix Suns. Domantas Sabonis was definitely missed, particularly when it came to rebounding. The Suns picked up far more offensive boards than they should have and it cost Sacramento the game.
In the first half of the game, it seemed like the Kings had everything pretty much under control. They went into the break with a 15 point lead over the Suns, largely thanks to the smothering offense of DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, and Malik Monk. Unfortunately, the game ended much differently.
The Suns came back in the second half to win the game 120 to 116. Not surprisingly, Devin Booker led the charge with 31 points, but Dillon Brooks had his back with 22. Grayson Allen also had a hell of a game for Phoenix, clocking out with 18 points, five rebounds, seven assists, and one steal.
Sacramento fans have been left wondering what happened to the Kings. The wheels started to come off in the third quarter, and were lying in the ditch by the side of the road in the fourth. It comes down to the fact that Sabonis wasn't on the court and the Suns took full advantage of that on the glass.
Sabonis' injury was a huge issue for the Kings
Domantas is a verified, certified, rarified double-double machine. During the 2024-2025 season, he averaged 19.1 points and 13.9 rebounds per game alongside 6.0 assists for good measure. Sabas Jr. has been the top rebounder in the league for three straight seasons. You can't just replace that.
During the course of the 2025-2026 season opener, the Kings pulled down nine offensive rebounds and 28 defensive rebounds. Last season, Sacramento averaged 33.2 defensive rebounds per game, 10.1 of which belonged to Domantas Sabonis. That's a huge stat to be missing.
Putting that into perspective, the Suns pulled down 18 offensive rebound and 33 defensive rebounds last night. The overall gap between the two teams in the Kings' end of the court was nine rebounds, roughly what Domantas contributes on the defense end on average.
The Kings definitely missed Sabonis' scoring last night. Even a 10-point game from him could have made a difference. But the Kings need his rebounding desperately, and as soon as possible. Sacramento can't win games by allowing the opposing team to dominate the glass in their own paint.