Kings’ Metu out with wrist fracture. Coach Walton said it was a “dangerous play” by Valanciunas
Kings forward Chimezie Metu will be sidelined for several weeks after fracturing his wrist on what coach Luke Walton called a “dangerous play” by Jonas Valanciunas in Sunday’s loss to the Memphis Grizzlies.
Sacramento Kings forward Chimezie Metu will miss several weeks of action due to a fractured wrist.
And Sacramento Kings head coach Luke Walton got mat at Jonas Valanciunas saying that Metu got injured because of a dangerous play of the Lithuanian big man of the Grizzlies.
Per Sactownroyalty, The play in question happened with 3:18 left in the game, with the Kings trailing 118-105. Nemanja Bjelica had the ball near the free-throw line and found a cutting Metu, who dunked it over Grizzlies center Jonas Valanciunas.
Metu put his legs on Valanciunas, and the Lithuanian wasn’t happy. Valanciunas reacted by yanking Metu’s leg, who fell awkwardly to the ground, breaking the fall with his hand, which resulted in the wrist injury.
"That was a dangerous play," Walton said. "He hooked him 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."
Valanciunas was given a technical foul for the play, but officials told Walton that they didn’t believe it was excessive. Memphis superstar Ja Morant says Valanciunas had a right to be upset with Metu.
"(Metu) went a little overboard," Morant said. "He got the dunk; probably was excited. I felt like he wrapped his legs around (Valanciunas) and that’s a little disrespectful to a man. I don’t blame JV at all."