NBA Game Notes (March 9, 2023)

Here are the NBA game notes for games that were played on March 9, 2023.

King Domantas

Domantas Sabonis produced team-high figures of 24 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists as the Sacramento Kings held off the New York Knicks 122-117. Sabonis has recorded an NBA-leading 53 double-doubles this season, and his nine triple-doubles rank third.

Sabonis shot 9-15 from the field (60.0%) and made six of his eight free throws. He’s just the second player in franchise history to record back-to-back triple-doubles with a field goal percentage of at least 60%, joining Oscar Robertson (twice).

Teammate De’Aaron Fox scored 23 points on 9-16 shooting from the field, adding seven assists and three steals. Fox has scored at least 20 points in each of his last 10 games, averaging 32.2 PPG and 6.9 APG with a field goal percentage of 56.1% over that span.

Sacramento’s Malik Monk came off the bench to tally 19 points, five rebounds, and five assists in just 20 minutes of action. The last King to record at least 15 points, five rebounds, and five assists in 20 or fewer minutes played was Bobby Jackson on April 20, 2005.

The Kings have won seven of their last eight games, scoring at least 120 points in each of those games. That ties the franchise record for most consecutive 120-point games set in November 1962, when they were known as the Cincinnati Royals. Leaguewide, the last team to record at least eight such games in a row in a single season was the Denver Nuggets in March & April, 1984 (9).

The Kings are averaging 132.9 PPG over that span. The only team over the last 30 seasons with a higher scoring average over an eight-game span is the 2018-19 Golden State Warriors (133.6).

Knicks starting forwards RJ Barrett (25 points) and Julius Randle (23) combined for 48 points in the loss, but both players shot less than 40% from the field (39.1% and 36.4%, respectively). Randle added 10 rebounds, five assists, and two steals.

The Knicks’ Josh Hart came off the bench to contribute nine points, 15 rebounds, seven assists, and three steals. Eight of Hart’s rebounds came off the offensive boards, a new career high.