In recent days, Sacramento Kings head coach Mike Brown has pushed for his center, Domantas Sabonis, to be involved in the MVP race for the 2023-24 NBA regular season. Sabonis certainly checks off a lot of boxes that voters are looking for when making their choices.
The Kings have been good this season, moving to 42-29 with their victory over the Philadelphia 76ers. Sabonis has been integral to the team’s success, playing at a high level on both sides of the floor.
It would be quite a feat to see Sabonis on MVP ballots this season as he wasn’t even named to the NBA All-Star Game. But, Brown does have a point that his guy should at least be mentioned in conversations given how well he has played.
On Monday, Sabonis’s resume for consideration became even stronger. Against the 76ers, he scored 11 points with 13 rebounds and 10 assists. It was triple-double No. 25 during the 2023-24 NBA season, and he made history as well.
Monday was the 54th consecutive game that Sabonis has recorded a double-double, breaking the NBA record since the merger. This is a streak that began on December 2nd, as the last time Sabonis failed to record a double-double was November 29th.
That gives Sabonis 67 double-doubles this season. He is closing in on another record, as Hakeem Olajuwon currently holds the single-season record with 72. Sabonis will have 11 games to set that record, as it would be a surprise at this point if he didn’t.
Not only is Sabonis having individual success, but it is translating to the win-loss column for the Kings as well. They have won eight of their last 11 games, keeping pace in the hotly contested Western Conference standings, where several teams are jostling for a position outside of the NBA Play-In Tournament.
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