Sabonis shows why his 3-point shooting could be a gamechanger in Kings’ win over Wizards
The Kings struggled to get going against the worst team in the NBA on Sunday until Domantas Sabonis buried back-to-back 3-pointers to help them create some separation.
Sabonis’ improved 3-point shooting has been a running theme this season and it could be a gamechanger for the Kings as they try to solidify themselves in the Western Conference playoff race.
Sabonis posted his league-leading 37th double-double of the season to lead the Kings to a 123-100 victory over the Washington Wizards before a sellout crowd of 17,832 at Golden 1 Center. The All-NBA center finished with 29 points and 18 rebounds, going 12 of 16 from the field and 2 of 3 from 3-point range in another masterful display of marksmanship.
“It’s something I’ve been working on ever since I started playing basketball,” Sabonis said. “Sometimes it doesn’t happen overnight. You’ve got to keep doing it one summer, another offseason, another offseason. You just hope at one point you’re going to break through, and so far this year it’s been going in, so I’ve just got to keep sticking with it and shooting with confidence.”
DeMar DeRozan scored 24 points to pass Allen Iverson for 29th on the NBA’s all-time scoring list. Malik Monk added 23 points for the Kings (22-20), who improved to 9-2 overall and 6-0 at home under interim coach Doug Christie.
Keon Ellis came off the bench to score 18 points on 6-of-8 shooting from 3-point range. De’Aaron Fox was held to 12 points on 4-of-12 shooting, but he dished out a season-high 13 assists.
Jonas Valanciunas had a season-high 23 points and 12 rebounds for the Wizards (6-35), who have lost 10 in a row. Kyle Kuzma was held to 13 points on 3-of-15 shooting. Jordan Poole was held to 11 points on 4-of-11 shooting after scoring 38 against the Golden State Warriors on Saturday.
The Kings shot 48.4% from the field while holding the Wizards to 35.6%. Sacramento shot just 30.8% from 3-point range, but Ellis, Monk and Sabonis combined to go 11 of 17.
Sabonis is averaging 20.6 points, 14.1 rebounds and 6.3 assists while shooting 60% from the field. His is shooting a career-best 47.8% from 3-point range on a career-high 2.4 attempts per game.
Sabonis has been even better over the past 11 games, shooting 65.4% while going 17 of 26 from beyond the arc.
Sabonis’ ability to draw defenders out to the perimeter spreads the floor, opening up the paint for the likes of Fox and Monk to drive, kick or attack the rim.
“Obviously, it’s going to open up the court for my teammates, make it easier for them on other things,” Sabonis said. “I might pop and the big might come out and Fox has even more room, so any way I can help the team, I’m going to do it.”
Christie spent countless hours with Sabonis over the past three years as his player development coach. Christie has watched Sabonis improve his 3-point shooting dramatically from 23.5% in his first season with the Kings to almost 48% this season while more than doubling his volume.
“Working with Domas these last three summers, just watching him go about his business, working through it with him, talking through it with him, up early mornings, late nights in the gym, it’s really impressive,” Christie said. “Not necessarily the outcome, but the confidence that you see in him.
“... (I’m) proud of him and for him. He’s a special player and I think the world is beginning to see what he brings to the game and the talents we get to watch, but also his teammates get to feed off of because he’s not a selfish player, so big-time stuff from him, man. He’s shooting that thing.”
This story was originally published January 19, 2025 at 10:48 PM.
