Sabonis makes history as Kings clinch 10th winning season in the Sacramento era 

At this point of the season, every game matters in the Kings’ pursuit of a playoff spot. The game against the Philadelphia 76ers was incredibly important for the standings, as the Suns and Mavericks were also in action. 

For the Kings, there was more at stake than just moving up in the standings, however. There were records to claim. 

Domantas Sabonis put together a record-breaking performance

Sacramento fans widely agree that Domantas Sabonis is one of the most underrated players in the NBA. His omission from this season’s All-Star team was mind-blowing, and last night proved that once again. 

Sabonis finished the game with 11 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists. That is not a lot of scoring for Sabonis’ standards, but he impacted the game in every way imaginable. It was also enough to make history. 

At the 5:02 mark in the third quarter, the Kings’ big man recorded his 54th consecutive double-double. That marks the longest streak in a single season since the merger. Kevin Love owned the previous record with 53, set in the 2010-11 season, and in over ten years, no one else had even come close to breaking it. 

Now, the record belongs to Sabonis, who is having his most dominant and consistent season yet. In a Kings’ campaign defined by ups and downs, the big man has been steady as a rock. He hasn’t even missed a single game yet despite continuously getting hit in the face. 

The 54 consecutive double-doubles aren’t the only mark Sabonis hit last night, however. Finishing the game with a triple-double, he recorded his twenty-fifth of the season. Not only does he lead the league in total triple-doubles, but he is now also one of only five players to record at least 25 triple-doubles in a season. 

The other four players are Oscar Robertson, Wilt Chamberlain, Russell Westbrook, and Nikola Jokic. That is great company to be in. 

The Kings clinched a winning season

It wasn’t just a big night for Sabonis. Davion Mitchell, Keegan Murray, and Alex Len all had big games as well. Mitchell shot incredibly well from three, Murray was huge in the first quarter offensively, and Len did all the dirty work in the paint. 

As a team, the Kings clinched their second +.500 season in a row. This is only the tenth time in the Sacramento era, since 1985-86, that the team has put together a winning season. Mike Brown is also only the second Sacramento coach to lead his team past that mark. He has done it twice now, while Rick Adelman owns the other eight winning seasons in the Sacramento era. 

Here is what Mike Brown had to say on the milestone: