One day removed from notable NBA All-Star snubs, Domantas Sabonis and De’Aaron Fox played with a vengeance in the Kings' 133-122 win over the Pacers on Friday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Four Kings players eclipsed the 20 point mark in Friday's win, including Sabonis, who became the 14th player in NBA history to record 30 consecutive double-doubles.
In speaking to reporters following Sacramento’s road win, Kings coach Mike Brown sounded off on his big man being snubbed from the All-Star roster.
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“When we talk about our two guys that aren’t All-Stars, they were terrific for us,” Brown told reporters. “Domas is, I think, the 14th player in the history of the game that has recorded 30-straight double-doubles. Is that correct, Shannon?
“Ok, that’s our first guy that didn’t get voted in. He’s 14th in the history… 14th in the history of the game that he recorded 30 straight… The 14th guy in the history of the game that has recorded 30-straight double-doubles.
“14th player in the history of the game. In the history of the game, not this season. In the history of the game that recorded 30-straight double-doubles. Let's make sure we got that clear. That's the first thing.”
Sacramento Kings
Brown also addressed Fox's omission from the NBA’s star-studded weekend in Indianapolis.
“Obviously, Fox was brilliant; he tied his career high with six steals tonight,” Brown added. “We track deflections. He had 11 of them himself. Two fantastic performances from both those guys. On top of that, we got a lot of performances from the rest of the lineup. [Harrison Barnes] was great. Keegan [Murray] was great. Kevin [Huerter] was great.”
In addition to his career-high six steals, Fox complimented his 35-minute shift with 25 points. Barnes and Malik Monk, who came off the bench, added shooting firepower for Sacramento, combining for 45 points.
While speaking to NBC Sports California’s Morgan Ragan and Deuce Mason on "Kings Postgame Live," Monk, who recorded over 20 points for the first time since Jan.14 against the Bucks, signaled how he almost expected Sabonis and Fox’s snubs given how Sacramento is viewed within the league.
“I wasn’t surprised, man,” Monk told Ragan and Mason. “Because a lot of people [are] sleeping on [Sacramento], so we just got to keep waking them up, keep working them up. It won’t be like this for long.”
With the All-Star roster set and more than half a regular season left for the Kings -- who currently sit at the No. 5 seed in the Western Conference playoff picture -- there will be no better formula for Sacramento to silence the doubters than to continue winning games.