The NBA has suspended Kings center Domantas Sabonis for one game without pay for “aggressively confronting and making contact” with an official in Sacramento’s loss to New York on Monday night, the league announced Wednesday.
The incident took place in the fourth quarter of the Kings’ 131–115 loss after Sabonis was called for a foul on Knicks guard Immanuel Quickley. The NBA said that the 25-year-old center had an “unsportsmanlike reaction” to the call, which earned him his first technical foul.
The situation then escalated as Sabonis continued to express his frustration. In doing so, he bumped the official “in a hostile manner,” leading to his second technical foul and an ejection.
Sabonis had 19 points and 13 rebounds before his ejection.
Sabonis is averaging 17.4 points, 12.8 rebounds and 5.9 assists in 11 games since being traded to the Kings from the Pacers ahead of the NBA’s trade deadline. He played the last four seasons in Indiana after beginning his career in Oklahoma City.
Sabonis will serve his one-game suspension Wednesday as the Kings take on the Nuggets.
