If someone were to look at a Sacramento Kings box score this season, it would be a near-certainty that they would see Domantas Sabonis finishing the game with a double-double.
After one of the lengthiest single-season streaks of all time, Sabonis finished Tuesday’s game without a double-double. His final stat line consisted of eight points, 13 rebounds, and five assists thus falling two points shy. His Kings lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder by the score of 112-105.
Sacramento’s record is now 45-34, eighth place in the stacked Western Conference.
Recording Breaking Streak Finally Ends for Kings Star
How Many Consecutive Double-Doubles Did Sabonis Record?
November 29, 2023. Prior to Tuesday, that was the last time that the 27-year-old Sabonis did not finish a game with a double-double. In that outing, he finished with 11 points, five rebounds, and three assists against the Los Angeles Clippers.
Over each of the last 61 games before Tuesday’s contest, Sabonis recorded a double-double. Over that time, he averaged 19.8 points, 14.4 rebounds, and 8.7 assists.
Sabonis tonight:
8 PTS
13 REB
5 ASTThe 61-game double-double streak is over. https://t.co/mNmF3q01qe
— StatMuse (@statmuse) April 10, 2024
Not only did he have a double-double in every one of those outings, but the three-time All-Star also had 25 triple-doubles in those 62 games. His 26 triple-doubles lead the NBA this season by one over MVP favorite Nikola Jokic.
Sabonis is also likely to win his second-straight rebounding title. His 13.8 boards per game give him a fairly sizable lead over second-place Rudy Gobert’s 12.9.
Longest Double-Double Streak Since NBA-ABA Merger
The ABA combined with the NBA prior to the 1976-77 season. Since that time, the longest consecutive double-double streak had belonged to Kevin Love. He had 53 straight with the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2010-11. That was surpassed by Sabonis when he finished with his 54th straight on March 24.
In NBA history, Domantas Sabonis now owns the ninth-longest single-season consecutive double-double streak with 61 games.
In what should be a surprise to no one, the longest streak in league history belongs to Wilt Chamberlain. The legendary center recorded 81 straight double-doubles in the 1966-67 season. The only way that record can be broken is if someone had a double-double in every game of the 82-game schedule.
He also owns the second-through-fifth longest streaks at 80 games in 1963-64 and 1961-62 as well as 79 games in 1965-66 and 1960-61. Chamberlain also had 66 straight in 1967-68.
The only other players with longer stretches of consecutive double-doubles than Sabonis are Elgin Baylor and Walt Bellamy. Baylor reached 70 straight in 1960-61 and Bellamy had 65 in a row in 1961-62.
