Eye-Catching Stat Favors Kings Over Lakers in Huge Matchup

Sacramento Kings big man Domantas Sabonis looks to continue his dominance over Anthony Davis and the Los Angeles Lakers.

Nov 15, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; Sacramento Kings forward Domantas Sabonis (10) is defended by Los Angeles Lakers forward Anthony Davis (3) in the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

While the rivalry between the Sacramento Kings (0-1) and Los Angeles Lakers (2-0) is not what it once was two decades ago (the infamous fight between Doug Christie and Rick Fox was 20 years ago yesterday, coincidentally), the matchup between the Pacific Division heavyweights still comes with a lot of intrigue and excitement. 

One particular storyline has captivated fans and pundits alike in the past two seasons: Domantas Sabonis’ perfect record against Anthony Davis in his career. Sabonis boasts an impressive and improbable record of 10-0 in head-to-head matchups in their career. The record dates all the way back to the 2016-17 season when Davis was with the New Orleans Pelicans and Sabonis was with the Oklahoma City Thunder. 

In their head-to-head matchups, Davis holds a better stat line, though the numbers are a bit skewed since in the first four matchups between the pair Sabonis was a rookie and playing limited minutes, while Davis was already a bonafide star. Through the 10 matchups, Sabonis has put up a stat line of 13.3 points, 10.6 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game, while Davis has averaged 23.1 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 2.3 assists. 

However, in the last five matchups, all after Sabonis was acquired by the Kings, the All-NBA big has more than held his own. In those games, Sabonis has averaged 19 points, 16 rebounds, and 8 assists per game, while Davis has averaged 19.8 points, 12 rebounds and 2.2 assists in the same span. 

The Kings went 4-0 against the Lakers last season, so the Kings and Sabonis will look to continue their excellent recent records against the Lakers and Davis tonight in Los Angeles.

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