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Kings lose leading scorer Zach LaVine to left ankle injury in loss to Timberwolves

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Sacramento Kings leading scorer Zach LaVine injured his left ankle midway through the second quarter on Sunday against Minnesota and was ruled out for the rest of the game, a 117-103 victory for the Timberwolves.

LaVine landed awkwardly on his left foot during a drive into the lane, when he got his flip shot to fall, drew a foul and converted the three-point play. The 12th-year veteran guard, who is averaging 20.6 points per game, remained on the floor for about three more minutes while moving around gingerly before he was removed and went to the locker room for evaluation.

The Kings have been without three-time All-Star Domantas Sabonis for nearly a month because of a partially torn meniscus in his left knee, and center Drew Eubanks suffered a broken left thumb in Sacramento’s previous game at Denver on Thursday.

Veteran point guard Dennis Schroder returned to the Kings on Sunday after a seven-game absence because of a hip injury. LaVine had just returned from a thumb injury that kept him out of the previous game at Denver.

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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA

The arrival of AJ Dybantsa gives Wizards hope

For the first time in almost a half-century, the Washington Wizards could be closer to contending for an NBA title with the arrival of AJ Dybantsa. The team drafted the 6-foot-9 forward with the first pick of the 2026 NBA draft after finishing as one of the worst teams in the league in the past three years. They got the No. 1 overall pick after winning the draft lottery in May for the first time since 2010 -- when they drafted John Wall. The Wizards hope, with the arrival of Dybantsa, that they can start winning games and competing for the playoffs with a chance to win their first championship since 1978. In the past three seasons, they finished with a combined record of 50-196. “We’re definitely getting a difference maker on the basketball court. There’s no doubt about that,” Wizards general manager Will Dawkins said. “What I would want our fans to know night one is that he is a worker. He is a passionate person who loves basketball and will continue to work and get better.”
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