Domantas Sabonis sets new franchise record after All-Star snub

Just 46 games in, we can already say that Domantas Sabonis’ 2023-24 season is one for the history books. In his best season yet, he has put up numbers we haven’t seen since Wilt Chamberlain and shattered franchise records left and right. 

Last night, he did it again, just one day after he and De’Aaron Fox were left off the Western Conference All-Star team, making the Kings the only team in the top six of either conference not to have an All-Star. 

The Kings played a great game in Indiana

Sabonis led the way to a 133-122 Kings win over his former team and Sacramento lottery pick Tyrese Halliburton, but it wasn’t just him. Pretty much every Kings player who stepped on the court chipped in. 

Fox, Sabonis, Harrison Barnes, and Malik Monk each scored over 20 points. Kevin Huerter and Trey Lyles put up double-digits as well, making up for a bad shooting night from Keegan Murray.

Murray was active defensively, however, leading the charge on that end of the floor alongside Fox and Kessler Edwards. Fox had a career-high six steals, earning himself the Defensive Player of the Game crown. 

Edwards hasn’t played extended minutes all year but last night he got 14 minutes and made his presence felt. He didn’t even attempt a single shot but got 4 rebounds, 2 steals, and 1 block and bothered the Pacers defensively. 

It was a great team effort after Sacramento’s two stars, and with them, the entire team was disrespected in the All-Star voting. 

Sabonis had another amazing game 

Sabonis has been on a tear all season long. He leads the league in rebounds and double-doubles, has the second-most triple-doubles behind only Nikola Jokic, and ranks seventh in assists per game. 

Nevertheless, he was left of this year’s All-Star squad and responded by setting a new franchise record in Indiana last night. Putting up 26 points, 11 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block, he recorded his 30th consecutive double-double. 

With that, he surpassed Oscar Robertson for the longest single-season streak of consecutive double-doubles in Kings’ franchise history. Robertson’s overall record is 31 consecutive double-doubles, which Sabonis might very well break in the next few games. 

He is now also only the 14th player in NBA history to record 30 consecutive double-doubles, as Coach Mike Brown pointed out after the game. That is quite the feat already, but Sabonis is not done yet. The season is far from over, and he is showing no signs of slowing down. 

Fans outside the Kings community, the national media, and the coaches obviously don’t recognize what Sabonis is doing on a team with a winning record, bound for the playoffs. Hopefully, they were watching last night and will see all the following games that will prove them wrong.