Should Kings star be suspended for Jayson Tatum injury?

The referees hit Sabonis with a Flagrant 1 foul, but the damage may have already been done. According to ESPN's Ramona Shelburne, Tatum was seen "limping gingerly through the Celtics locker room" after the game. 

Tatum told Shelburne that his ankle "is just sore," and he isn't too concerned. That said, lower-extremity injuries can be tricky and have been known to sideline players for longer than expected.

If Tatum's injury is more serious than he's letting on, Sabonis may have, accidentally or otherwise, cost Boston a chance at repeating as NBA champions. The question beckons: Should Sabonis face a harsher penalty for potentially ending Tatum's season?

The Lithuanian did his part by apologizing to Tatum for the incident. Sabonis referenced his recent ankle injury, which sidelined him for a week. 

"I feel horrible, you know," Sabonis said, via NBC Sports Bay Area. "I've had a crazy month myself personally, you know, and you never want that to happen... So I apologize."

That's an integrity move by Sabonis, but his closeout was still reckless. There's no other way to spin it. On the airwaves, Celtics legend Eddie House didn't mince his words. 

"That is not cool," House said of Sabonis lunging toward Tatum and not giving the Celtics star the required landing space. 

This wasn't the first instance of Tatum facing a dangerous closeout in recent months. Earlier this season, Giannis Antetokounmpo jumped into his landing space while guarding a three, prompting Tatum to blast the NBA for not hitting "The Greek Freak" with a harsher penalty. 

"Your job is to protect the guys on the court, protect the shooter," Tatum said. "I could've been out for 6 weeks or whatever. For it to be a no call ... that [expletive] is frustrating."

Tatum is expected to undergo an MRI on Tuesday to assess the severity of his ankle sprain. If the worst comes to pass, the NBA needs to reevaluate the infamous "Zaza Rule" and ensure that shooters are protected.