The Sacramento Kings are off to a promising start to the season. They are currently 5-3 and in a four-way with the Denver Nuggets (who are starting to surge), the defending Western Conference champion Dallas Mavericks, and the Houston Rockets in the Western Conference. However, their star center, Domantas Sabonis, accomplished something not done since the 1970’s in the win over the Toronto Raptors. Sabonis recorded a triple-double in the win with a stat line of 17 points, 11 rebounds, and 13 assists. An impressive line in of itself. However, what made his night so special was the fact that Sabonis had no turnovers and was six for six shooting from the field. Sabonis also made all five of his free throws which netted him a rare “perfect,” triple-double.
This has not been accomplished since the 1977-78 season. Sabonis also became the first Kings center since Chris Webber back in 2000 to record a triple-double without any turnovers. It is almost hysterical to think that Domantas Sabonis is still one of the more underappreciated All-Stars in today’s NBA. Remember, he led the Association in triple-doubles last year with 26 and is a walking double-double on any given night. Since the beginning of the 2022-23 season, the three-time All-Star has led the NBA in double-doubles (149), including seven to start the new year. Domantas Sabonis was certainly the story of the night for Sacramento. However, the Kings also got production in other areas that propelled them to a win over the scrappy Toronto Raptors.
Domantas Sabonis Logs “Perfect,” Triple-Double in Victory Over Toronto
Other Key Performances for the Sacramento Kings Against the Toronto Raptors
DeMar DeRozan showed why he is still one of the most lethal scorers in the league in the victory over his former team. The multiple-time All-Star logged 27 points on 52.4 percent shooting from the field to go along with a steal and 50 percent shooting from beyond the arc. DeRozan also had a box plus/minus rating of +15. Perhaps one of the most surprising contributors on the night was Keegan Murray. Murray logged 22 points, 12 rebounds, and a field goal percentage of 52.9 percent. His scoring efficiency helped make up for De’Aaron Fox’s shooting troubles as the star point guard only shot 29.4 percent from the floor. The Sacramento Kings certainly impressed in their 122-107 win. However, Domantas Sabonis was the definitive player of the night after his historic performance. One cannot deny that the two-time All-NBA Team member is on his way for another All-Star campaign.
