Domantas Sabonis returned from a 27-game absence and helped lead the Sacramento Kings to a 128-115 win over the Washington Wizards on Friday, sharing his excitement about being back on the court. “It’s good to be back. Been a while. It felt amazing. I want to give credit to all the fans. They brought the energy. You could feel it tonight. It was a lot of fun,” Sabonis said.
The Kings went on a 19-2 run shortly after Sabonis entered the game, and he credited the team’s pace and young players for the momentum. “It allows me to be more aggressive up there in the pick and roll. If my guy gets behind me, we got him there taking care of everything. Definitely felt more free on defense, and on offense, he does a good job reading. I get to be the playmaker, so it’s fun,” he said, referring to Dylan Cardwell’s energy and court awareness.
Sabonis described watching the young players while sidelined as encouraging. “They work hard, watch film, and most importantly, they’re not scared. They listen to coach and go out there playing their butts off. They’ve been amazing,” he said.
On his recovery from a partially torn meniscus, Sabonis explained the challenges he faced. “It was hard. There were ups and downs. Some weeks went better, then a couple of days it got bad. Even right before this, it was up and down. I dodged a bullet with my knee and I’m just thankful I get to be here tonight and play in front of the fans,” he said.
Sabonis also highlighted the importance of playing at a fast pace for the Kings. “I tried every time I had a rebound to bring it up, like we used to, trying to get the other team on their heels. It helps us to our advantage, especially in the second unit when I came out,” he said.
He expressed how much he missed the fans during his absence. “I missed them a lot. I knew that loud standing ovation was going to happen. I just wanted to go out there and try to put on a show for them. It’s the best when the fans are really into the game, and today definitely felt like that,” Sabonis said.
With his return and the team’s young core contributing, Sacramento improved to 12-30, winning four straight games.
