Domantas Sabonis praised the team’s resilience

Domantas Sabonis achieved his second consecutive triple-double during a back-to-back series and marked his fifth overall in the 2023-24 NBA Regular Season.

Despite his impressive performance, the Lithuanian player attributed the team’s loss to a struggle with making open shots, especially in the early stages of the game.

“I thought we did a really good job fighting throughout the game,” Sabonis said. “We just did not make wide-open shots early on and mostly throughout the game.”

Rudy Gobert, the French center, played a significant role in giving the visiting team a strong start in Sacramento. With a 21-point, 17-rebound double-double, Gobert showcased his prowess by making 10 out of 13 field goals.

“We were going through our coverages but we were not connected as a team in the first half,” Sabonis commented on team defense and specifically against fellow European star. “Leaving wide open shots for a player play after play does not help.”

Sabonis expressed dissatisfaction with the team’s defensive performance, highlighting a lack of cohesion in the first half.

He specifically mentioned the challenge of defending against another European star, emphasizing that leaving an opponent with continuous open shots is detrimental to the team’s efforts.

As a result of the defeat, the Kings’ record dropped to 17-11, placing them five games behind the Western Conference leaders.

Sabonis acknowledged the Wolves’ strong roster and emphasized their cohesion as a team, dismissing any notion that they might exceed expectations.

He attributed the Wolves’ success to their top-notch defense, which currently ranks as the best in the NBA.