Kevon Looney Allowed to Elbow Domantas Sabonis in the Face
The Sacramento Kings played a must-win game against the Golden State Warriors on Friday night. Late in the second quarter a jump ball was called when Kevon Looney and Gary Payton II tied up Domantas Sabonis. Referees decided Looney would face Sabonis.
On the jump ball, Kevon Looney elbowed Sabonis in the face, giving him a small cut under and probably a black eye. Officials somehow missed it and then decided they couldn't review it despite the fact that a guy got elbowed in the face.
— highlight hell (@HoopyHoops) April 29, 2023
Sabonis got a cut on under his eye after an elbow from Looney pic.twitter.com/WnaHoWlKuF
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 29, 2023
Domantas Sabonis after being elbowed in the face by Kevon Looney with no call: pic.twitter.com/a1HoNfdbJU
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) April 29, 2023
The biggest tell here is that Looney wasn't trying to win the tip with his inside hand. As Jeff Van Gundy noted during the broadcast, Looney uses the inside arm to push whoever he's jumping against. Seems like the kind of thing officials would look out for considering this can happen, but nope. And they can't review it because, "there was another play."
"Well now, it's too late because another play has happened. This is unfortunate in a jump-ball situation... Should've been a loose-ball foul on Looney."
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) April 29, 2023
Steve Javie on the play where Domantas Sabonis took an elbow to the face by Kevon Looney.pic.twitter.com/7DTcWGTrVi
The ref who threw up the jump ball, David Guthrie, was clearly looking up as this happened, but somehow he missed it. And then he just stood there digging his whistle out of his pocket while he watched Sabonis on the ground holding his face.