Sabonis goes down, Valanciunas steps up as Kings defeat Rockets 113-103

Valanciunas stepped up after Sabonis went down early, as the Sacramento Kings offense impressed in a 113-103 win over the Rockets in Houston.

BY BRENDEN NUNES

Mar 1, 2025, 7:38 PM Updated: Mar 2, 2025, 10:38 am

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Domantas Sabonis went down less than two minutes into the game, but Jonas Valanciunas stepped in as the Sacramento Kings remained efficient against the Houston Rockets’ fourth-ranked defense, leaving Toyota Center with a 113-103 win.

Valanciunas recorded an impressive 15 points, 14 rebounds (five offensive), four steals, three blocks, and one assist on 7/10 shooting in 29 minutes. Ellis recorded a career-high five steals, while DeMar DeRozan (21), Zach LaVine (20), Malik Monk (16), and Keegan Murray (13) all made notable contributions.

Converting 50.6 percent from the field (44/87) was an impressive offensive showing, especially considering the shorthanded nature. But matching Houston’s 13 offensive rebounds while also scoring 19 points off 16 turnovers helped secure the victory Monday night.

Kings at Rockets Game Notes

With just 77 seconds of game time off the clock, Sabonis grabbed his left hamstring while running down the floor in a non-contact injury. Interim head coach Doug Christie quickly signaled Jonas Valanciunas to get ready and called a timeout.

Not long after, the Kings ruled him out for the remainder of Saturday night. Given the concerning nature of non-contact injuries, hopefully Sabonis will be okay.

But this is part of why Sacramento acquired reliable center depth at the trade deadline. Now, they get to have Valanciunas, who is debatably a starting-caliber big man, stepping into a more prominent role.

Their offense didn’t sputter. They gained a 12-3 lead after DeMar DeRozan threw a nice transition lob to Zach LaVine. TImeout Houston.

Keegan Murray made his presence known with a deep, contested triple that was followed by a tough putback slam.

Keegan Murray putback!!! pic.twitter.com/YhiDx416J4

— Skyler (KFR) (@SacFilmRoom) March 2, 2025

One more LaVine bucket and the Kings were up 19-3. Credit to Sacramento’s defense, as Houston settled for jumpers and failed to convert, but their offensive firepower stood out.

The Rockets came alive by getting into the paint. With Valanciunas replacing Sabonis, Trey Lyles was left as the backup center.

Houston’s ability to pressure the rim and rebound their misses left the 6’9 forward facing a challenging task, but the small ball lineup is meant to generate great offensive looks.

Sacramento’s early 16-point advantage was cut to five by a 14-2 Rockets run. Jake LaRavia shared responsibilities on center, mixing in some zone defense, but the hefty 6’11 Steven Adams made for a notable size difference.

Feeling the lack of Sabonis and how it impacted the second unit, the Kings led just 25-21 at the end of the first frame.

The second quarter brought more off-the-dribble buckets for LaVine, as the Rockets continued to bound the ball inside and chase second-chance opportunities.

Houston also got it going from three (6/9 in Q2), with Dillon Brooks scoring in bunches. As the halftime buzzer rang throughout the Toyota Center, the scoreboard read 63-59 in Scaramento’s favor.

Shooting 52.2 percent from the field and tallying 15 assists, it was an impressive, well-balanced first-half effort for the Kings’ offense, despite lacking one of their offensive engines in Sabonis.

DeRozan was going at Brooks in isolation scenarios with mixed results. As the Sacramento guard expressed his frustrations to an official, the opposing defensive wing chimed in. Tempers flared from there with a verbal back-and-forth between the players before Brooks pushed DeRozan, resulting in double technicals.

DeMar DeRozan vs Dillon Brooks pic.twitter.com/JjSXHM7LsB

— Skyler (KFR) (@SacFilmRoom) March 2, 2025

It’s not the first time that pairing have gotten chippy during a game, increasing the game’s intensity.

Valanciunas continued to prove his ability to contribute alongside the starters, but Sengun quickly attacked Lyles when he replaced the Litahuian seven-footer. But, the offensive advantage showed its face more in the second half, and Lyles added to their count.

Defensive playmaker Keon Ellis created turnovers, leading to fast-break opportunities for the unit featuring LaVine, DeRozan, LaRavia, and Lyles.

Keon Ellis has set a new career high in steals with five tonight at HOU.

His previous high was four, which he had done four times. https://t.co/0MCapEpQqO

— Brenden Nunes (@BrendenNunesNBA) March 2, 2025

Thirty-five bench points were crucial to Sacramento’s 89-82 lead heading into the final quarter in Houston.

Fred VanVleet scored his first bucket of the night in less than 11 minutes; someone who can catch fire quickly. The Rockets didn’t help themselves with poor ball management, leading a hefty turnover tally.

It didn’t take long for Ellis to record his sixth steal, tying the most by a Kings player this season. Unfortunately, one takeover was removed from his scorecard upon review, but the point stands.

He played most of the closing minutes with his impactful performance, while LaVine watched from the sideline until roughly two minutes remained on the clock while their side held an 11-point advantage.

Getting out in transition, LaVine’s ferocious transition slam put the nail in the coffin. The Kings leave Houston with a 113-103 win over the Rockets, improving their record to 31-28.

Stepping up after Sabonis went down just over 70 seconds into the action, Valanciunas ended the night with a monster statline: 15 points, 14 rebounds (five offensive), four steals, three blocks, and one assist on 7/10 shooting in 29 minutes.

Ellis showed his defensive firepower with a career-high five steals, 12 points, five rebounds, and one block on 4/5 from the field.

DeRozan (21) and LaVine (20) led Sacramento’s offense, combining for 41 of their 113. Monk (16) and Murray (13) also added double-digits, as the Kings converted 50.6 percent (44/87) of their field-goal attempts.

An impressive offensive showing against a Houston defense that was ranked fourth in defensive rating (109.2) coming into the night.

With their first game of the trip adding to the win column, Sacramento heads to Dallas to take on the Mavericks on Monday night. The game should have notable seeding implications, as both teams come into action with half a game between them in the 8th and 9th seeds in the crowded Western Conference.

When is the next Sacramento Kings game?

Sacramento’s second game of their four-game road trip features a game with large Western Conference standings indications on Monday night.

The Kings (31-28) will face off against the Mavericks (32-29) in Dallas as both teams are in a three-way tie for the 8th seed, which also includes the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Dallas has been dealing with a slew of big man injuries, while the Kings are expected to be without big man Domantas Sabonis, who went down less than two minutes into their Satuday night action against the Houston Rockets.