Kings upset with Valanciunas over causing Metu injury

Memphis Grizzlies center Jonas Valanciunas (right) holds onto the ball in front of Sacramento Kings forward Chimezie Metu in the fourth quarter of Sunday's game. Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

Kings upset with Jonas Valanciunas over Chimezie Metu injury

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports
By Darryn Albert | Last updated 2/16/21

Chimezie Metu has a fractured wrist, and the Sacramento Kings are not pleased about the circumstances that led to it.

Metu, who was diagnosed with the injury on Monday, apparently suffered it during the Kings' loss to the Memphis Grizzlies over the weekend. The 23-year-old big man dunked on Grizzlies counterpart Jonas Valanciunas in the fourth quarter, and the two got tangled up on the play. Valanciunas then proceeded to discard Metu, who then fell to the floor. Take a look:

Valanciunas wasn't having it after Metu dunked on him. pic.twitter.com/ET2b2JSgPr

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) February 15, 2021

Valanciunas ended up earning a technical foul but not a flagrant foul. Kings head coach Luke Walton later expressed displeasure over the incident.

“That was a dangerous play,” said Walton, per the Sacramento Bee’s Jason Anderson. “[Valanciunas] hooked [Metu] by the leg and tried to throw him down. So I didn’t understand how that is not, in what today’s NBA is, is not even considered a flagrant foul. I don’t see how that’s a basketball play.”

Metu, who has seen limited playing time this season, is now expected to miss several weeks with the fracture. Some might feel he disrespected Valanciunas by wrapping his legs around the Memphis center. But Valanciunas does have a physical style that has irked opponents before.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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