Sacramento Kings forward DeMar DeRozan (10) takes a jump shot against the Minnesota Timberwolves guard Donte Divincezo (0) during first half action at Golden One Center in Sacramento on Sat Oct 24, 2024 (AP News photo)

Saturday, Oct. 24, 2024

Golden 1 Center, Sacramento, California

Minnesota Timberwolves 117 (1-1)

Sacramento Kings 115 (0-1)

Attendance: 18,049

By Stephen Ruderman

SACRAMENTO–The Kings held the lead for most of the game on opening night, but each time they seemed poised to pull away, the Timberwolves came right back, and they ended up winning a 117-115 thriller to give the Kings a brutal loss to open the 2024-2025 season.

The Kings opened their 40th season in Sacramento in front of a sold-out crowd at Golden 1 Center. The Timberwolves were playing their second game of the season after they dropped their season opener Tuesday night in Los Angeles to the Lakers 110-103.

The crowd was into it from the getgo. The Kings felt that energy, and jumped out to an early 5-0 lead. Domantas Sabonis was fouled and hit one of two from the line, and DeMar DeRozan hit a layup. Sabonis was then fouled again, and this time, hit both from the line.

The Timberwolves then scored eight unanswered points, thanks to threes by Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle. Minnesota’s eight unanswered points also set the theme of this game in motion

The Kings scored nine unanswered points of their own to take a 14-8 lead. After Keegan Murray’s fadeaway jumper gave the Kings the lead with 8:47 remaining in the first of the quarter, they would hold that lead the rest of the quarter. Minnesota made it close a couple of times, but the Kings led 32-29 at the end of one.

Malil Monk, and De’Aaron Fox, the Kings’ points leader in each of the last four seasons, each scored nine.

DeRozan hit a jumper in the first minute of the second quarter, and Murray was fouled and hit both from the line over a minute later to give Kings a 36-29 lead. After Sabonis hit the first of two from the line with 6:35 to go, the Kings’ lead was 48-40.

However, the Timberwolves went on an 11-2 run over the next four minutes to take a 51-50 lead. The Kings outscored Minnesota 9-4 over the remainder of the quarter, and they went into the half with a 59-55 lead.

The Kings came out of the gate strong in the third quarter, as they extended their lead to 81-69 with 6:22 to go. However, just like their eight-point lead in the second quarter, their 12-point lead was completely erased, and the Timberwolves retook the lead. Minnesota went on a 20-7 run to go into the fourth quarter up 89-88.

In the fourth quarter, the Kings started off with a 9-2 run to take a 97-91 lead with 8:57 to go. The run was capped off by a three by Murray, who after only scoring two points in the first quarter, really came alive later in the game.

Unfortunately, the Kings could not escape the overall theme of this game, as the Timberwolves went on a 14-2 run in just under three minutes to take a 105-99 lead, their biggest of the night.

This time, the Kings were the ones looking to come back, and they certainly made a game of it late. DeRozan was fouled and hit both shots from the line, and Sabonis slammed one down to make it 105-103 with 5:34 to go.

Naz Reid hit a hook shot, and Donte DiVincenzo hit a three ball to extend Minnesota’s lead back to five at 110-105, but the Kings kept coming. Sabonis hit a three with 4:15 left to make it 110-108, and the crowd at Golden 1 Center erupted.

Monk was fouled and hit the second of two free throws to tie the game at 112-112 with 2:20 left. Edwards made a jumper to put Minnesota back ahead with 1:28 to go, but Monk tied it on a layup with 53 seconds left. Monk was fouled on the play, and he hit his shot from the line to put the Kings back ahead.

Rudy Gobert was fouled with 38 seconds left, and he hit one of two to tie it at 115-115. The Kings then caught a bad break with 26 seconds to go. The ball went out of play, and from the replays, the Sacramento faithful seemed to think that it would be the Kings’ ball, but after review, the referees determined that the ball would go to Minnesota.

Chants of “REFS YOU SUCK!!!!!” rang throughout Golden 1 Center, and it’s all the fans could really do at that point. The Timberwolves ran down the clock, and when Edwards went in for a layup with two seconds to go, he was fouled.

Edwards hit both from the line to put the Timberwolves back ahead 117-115, and the Kings called timeout, so they could inbound the ball closer to the bucket. Keegan Murray got the ball and took an off-balance shot from beyond the arc, but it fell short, and the Timberwolves won 117-115.

Really, three guys carried the Timberwolves to victory Thursday night. Julius Randle scored 33 points; Anthony Edwards scored 32; and Naz Reid scored 19.

Despite scoring nine points in the first quarter, Fox only scored six more the rest of the way for a total of 15. DeRozan led the Kings Thursday night with 26 points, and he was followed up by Sabonis and Murray, who scored 24 and 23 respectively. Monk didn’t start, but he ended up scoring 17.

The Kings start off 0-1, and they will head down to Los Angeles to play the Lakers Saturday night. Tipoff from Crypto.com Arena will be at 7:30 p.m.