Domantas Sabonis made his much-awaited on-court return on Friday night, helping the Sacramento Kings register a 128-115 home victory against the Washington Wizards for their fourth consecutive win.
The three-time NBA All-Star came off the bench and produced 13 points, six rebounds, and five assists on 5-for-6 shooting from the field in 21 minutes of action. After the game, Sacramento Kings head coach Doug Christie addressed Sabonis’ first game back from a knee injury.
“His energy was good,” Christie said of Sabonis via The Sacramento Bee. “He ran the floor well. He looked really good. I thought he got a little gassed in my opinion at one point, but fantastic.”
Sabonis wasn’t the only player who returned for the Sacramento Kings, as the team welcomed back Dennis Schroder, who served his three-game ban for attempting to hit Los Angeles Lakers’ Luka Doncic following a game in late December. The 32-year-old guard had 15 points and five assists in 20 minutes off the bench.
Sacramento Kings News: Domantas Sabonis reflects on his first game back with the squad
Domantas Sabonis received a standing ovation from the Sacramento Kings supporters when he entered the game for the first time midway through the opening period, and the 29-year-old center expressed his gratitude to the fans after the match.
“I’m just happy I was able to play tonight,” Sabonis said. “You really miss it when you’re gone for so long… It felt amazing. I want to give credit to all the fans. They brought the energy. We went out there and played our game, and you could feel it tonight. It definitely was a lot of fun.”
Sabonis missed 27 games after sustaining a partially torn meniscus in his left knee. The Sacramento Kings star opted against surgery, so he needed to recover for at least two months.
