Domantas Sabonis records triple-double, suffers 'significant' ankle injury in comeback win over Lakers
If he misses time, the Pacers (16-29) will have just one healthy starter in Caris LeVert.
Pacers All-Star center Domantas Sabonis suffered a left ankle sprain “that’s probably going to be significant,” head coach Rick Carlisle said after Wednesday’s game in Los Angeles.
“But he was not going to come out of this game. He was determined to help will us to the win, along with Caris (LeVert) and the other guys that were out there.”
Late in the fourth quarter, after the Pacers had trailed most of the game, they had a five-point lead with 4:54 left. Chris Duarte missed a contested jumper and when Sabonis went up for the rebound, he came down in obvious pain. His left ankle had landed on Lakers guard Russell Westbrook, his former teammate in Oklahoma City, and rolled to the outside.
Sabonis immediately clutched it as signals raced to his head and frustration was evident. Being the tough player that he is, unwilling to miss time if he can help it, he finished the game.
Two minutes later, with the Lakers hanging around, Sabonis buried a 3-pointer that essentially served as the dagger in their 111-104 win — their first road win since Nov. 22. Carlisle called the triple “one of the big shots of the year.”