Domantas Sabonis secures third-straight rebounding title

Domantas Sabonis has been a force on the glass since joining the Sacramento Kings in 2022. In fact, nobody else has out-rebounded the three-time All-Star since he joined the Beam Team.

Sabonis put the finishing touches on another impressive regular season on Sunday, scoring 20 points, grabbing 12 rebounds, and handing out six assists while shooting eight-of-ten from the field (four-of-four from long distance) over just 24 minutes as Sacramento defeated Phoenix.

The reigning All-NBA big man officially claimed the NBA’s rebounding title for the third-consecutive season, finishing the year averaging a career-high 13.9 rebounds in what was his third-straight season posting a new career-best in rebounds per game, going from 12.3 to 13.7 to 13.9.

Sabonis’ 13.9 boards per game were more than a rebound per game higher than New York Knicks center Karl Anthony-Towns (12.8) who finished in second place.

The 13.9 rebounds per game set a new Sacramento era (1985-present) record, breaking Chris Webber’s 13.0 boards per game mark from the 1998-99 season.

Sabonis’ 13.9 rebounds per game average is the highest mark in an NBA season since Rudy Gobert pulled down 14.7 per contest in 2021-22.

Although he may not secure his third-straight All-NBA nod, Sabonis added another impressive season to his resume:

19.1 PTS | 13.9 REB | 6.0 AST | 59% FG | 41% 3PT | led NBA with 61 double-doubles | 10 triple-doubles

More on Domantas Sabonis & the Sacramento Kings

The Sacramento Kings have put the finishing touches on the 2024-25 regular season on a high note as they head into the postseason.

Sacramento clinched the ninth seed and home-court advantage in this Wednesday’s win-or-go-home Play-In game thanks to a 109-98 win over the Phoenix Suns at Golden 1 Center on Sunday afternoon in a game that also secured a 40-win season for the Kings.

Although Sacramento (40-42) fell short of finishing .500 or better, they end the regular season having won four of their past six games heading into the Play-in Tournament.

It’s do-or-die time for the Kings, and they’ll need to win two elimination games if they want to advance to the first round of the NBA Playoffs.

Sacramento will face the Dallas Mavericks at home on Wednesday night–a team they beat three times in three meetings during the regular season–as they look to advance to the eighth-seed game.

Backup big man Jonas Valancinuas got in on the early fun as well by scoring 10 points in the first quarter to help the Kings take a 33-25 lead into the second.

Domantas Sabonis let the long-ball fly with confidence during the first half, going three-for-three beyond the arc in what was the veteran center’s fifth game this season with three or more made triples (most in a single season during his career).

As strong as Sabonis, LaVine, and Valanciuinas looked early, Sacramento’s defense left the door open for Phoenix as the Suns trimmed a 12-point deficit to 57-54 at the halftime break.

Read more below:

Kings clinch 9th seed, set stage for home Play-In game

When is the next Sacramento Kings game?

It’s win-or-go-home time for Sacramento.

The postseason has arrived as the Kings will play in a do-or-die Play-In game against the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday night at Golden 1 Center.

If Sacramento wins, they will advance to play the loser of the seventh vs. eighth seed game on Friday night on the road.

The Kings had Dallas’ number this season, sweeping the three-game regular season series while winning each contest by an average of 11.6 points. While the Mavericks have struggled on the road this season (17-24), they have found success at Golden 1 Center over the years (4-3 in Sacramento since the start of the 2020-21 season).

Be sure to catch all of the Sacramento Kings vs. Dallas Mavericks drama right here on Sactown Sports 1140 AM, with pregame coverage starting at 5:30 PM PT on Game Night before action tips off at 7:00 PM PT from downtown Sacramento.

Upcoming schedule for the 2024-25 Sacramento Kings

• Wednesday, April 16th – vs. Dallas Mavericks – Time TBD (Western Conference Play-In Tournament – 9th vs. 10th seed game)
• Friday, April 18th – TBD – Western Conference Play-In Tournament (8th seed game)
• Sunday, April 20th – Start of the NBA Playoffs

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