Kings forward Domantas Sabonis was a double-double machine during the 2023-24 NBA regular season.
In the Kings’ final regular-season game against the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday at Golden 1 Center, in which Sacramento won 121-82, Sabonis capped off his dominant campaign the only way he knew how: with a historic double-double.
Sabonis posted 18 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists against Portland, his 77th and final double-double of the regular season.
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His 77 double-doubles made him more than just the league leader by a country mile. Sabonis became the seventh player in NBA history to reach the figure and is the first to do so since Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame selection Moses Malone (1978-79).
Sabonis is the fifth player to record at least 70 double-doubles in a season since the NBA and ABA merged in 1976.
NBA
Sabonis finished the regular season averaging 19.4 points, 13.7 rebounds and 8.2 assists over 35.7 minutes per game. Admirably, he also appeared in all 82 games for the first time in his eight-year NBA career.
While leading the NBA with 77 double-doubles, adding to his unreal career total of 333, Sabonis also led the NBA with 26 triple-doubles.
Behind Sabonis was two-time NBA MVP and Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokić, who finished second in double-doubles (68) and triple-doubles (25).
Sabonis will enter Tuesday’s highly anticipated NBA Play-In Tournament matchup between the Kings and Golden State Warriors at 7 p.m. at Golden 1 Center with momentum.
Sabonis recently held a streak of 61 consecutive double-doubles, which ended on April 9 in Sacramento’s 112-105 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder at Paycom Center. It was the seventh-longest streak of double-doubles in NBA history and the longest in Kings history.
“I mean, it’s awesome,” Sabonis said after his streak ended (h/t Associated Press’ Cliff Brunt.) “You’re mentioned with some of the greats. At the end of the day, you’re just out there trying to play your game and go out there and win. That’s my job as a big man -- to get rebounds and to finish.”
The No. 9-seeded Kings (46-36) will need another double-double from Sabonis when the No. 10-seeded Warriors (46-36) come to town for another win-or-go-home game.
But for now, Sabonis should take pride after having a phenomenal second full season in Sacramento.