Kings-Nuggets Matchup of the Game: Domantas Sabonis vs. Nikola Jokić

Two of the best bigs in the game matchup tonight as the Sacramento Kings begin their 6-game road trip against the Denver Nuggets.

Feb 9, 2024; Sacramento, California, USA; Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) drives in against Sacramento Kings center Domantas Sabonis (10) during the first quarter at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images | Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images

The Sacramento Kings (23-20) continue to rise up the standings as they start their six-game road trip against the Denver Nuggets (27-16).

These are two of the hottest teams in the NBA, as the Kings have won 10 of their last 11 games and the Nuggets are winners of 11 of their last 14.

For the matchup of the game, as it so often does when these two teams matchup, we look to the big men in the middle as two of the most talented centers in the league faceoff.

Season Stats:

Domantas Sabonis: 20.9 PTS | 14.3 REB | 6.2 AST | 0.7 STL | 0.5 BLK | 60.6 FG% | 48.5 3P%

Nikola Jokić: 30.1 PTS | 13.2 REB | 9.9 AST | 1.9 STL | 0.6 BLK | 56.3 FG% | 47.5 3P%

The numbers that Sabonis and Jokić are putting up are phenomenal. Jokić gets the edge with higher points and assists total, but Sabonis is scoring with higher efficiency and grabbing more rebounds.

No matter how to look at these two, it's hard to argue that this isn't the best matchup in the middle in the NBA. With similar styles and games, the Kings and Nuggets matchups always feature fun basketball from the talented bigs.

The Nuggets got the one-point win in the first matchup of the season, with Jokić finishing with 20 points, 14 rebounds, and 13 assists. It's hard to believe that that's a below-average game for the three-time MVP. Sabonis finished with an impressive 28 points, 14 rebounds, and 6 assists himself.

The Kings are coming off of a game where they slowed down Stephen Curry, which is nearly impossible to do. Slowing down Nikola Jokić is another tall task, but with his combination of size and skill, Sabonis is one of the best candidates in the league to do so.

Stat predictions:

Domantas Sabonis: 21 PTS, 17 REB, 11 AST, 0 STL, 1 BLK

Nikola Jokić: 28 PTS, 13 REB, 7 AST, 1 STL, 1 BLK

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