Sacramento Kings forward Domantas Sabonis (11) takes a shot over the Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert (27) during the first half at the Target Center in Minneapolis on Mon Feb 3, 2025 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

There have been some pretty crazy changes in Sacramento this weekend. In the Sacramento Kings (25-24) game Monday night the Kings took the court without De’Aaron Fox who was traded to the San Antonio Spurs over the weekend.

Sacramento came away with Zach LaVine from the Chicago Bulls in a three-team trade but he will not play until possibly Wednesday night at Golden 1. The Kings really stepped up in the absence of Fox with DeMar DeRozan scoring the game high with 33 points.

Every starter had double digits and hung tight in this game winning it by the score of 116-114 over the Minnesota Timberwolves at the Target Center in Minneapolis.

Game recap: The Kings came out strong in this game winning the opening quarter 38-34 and extending their lead throughout the second quarter. They outscored the Timberwolves in the quarter 29-25 and led at the half 67-59.

Domantas Sabonis had a very quiet first half of basketball. Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards also had a slow start and did not look to be back on track at all after illness kept him out of the Wizard game. The Kings had set the pace in the first half of this game and needed more of the same in the second half.

The Timberwolves came roaring back in the third quarter cutting the Kings eight point lead at the half trailing by two points after three quarters 86-88. It would all come down to the fourth quarter and who would outlast the other.

The Kings had led at one time in the game by 12 points while the largest Minnesota lead had been two points. The Timberwolves did take the lead in the fourth quarter at times although by only a bucket each time.

Sacramento had the answer every time as the Kings refused to let this game go. Every time the Timberwolves made a push down the stretch the Kings had the answer. Some brilliant play down the stretch by DeMar DeRozan and a lot of fouls committed by Minnesota sent the Kings to the line a number of times in the final minute sealing this game for Sacramento by the close score of 116-114 in a real thriller. In the absence of Fox, the Kings did a great job and now look forward to Wednesday when they will take the court with new kid on the block Zach LaVine.

The Kings starting lineup did a spectacular job against a very tough Timberwolves team. DeMar DeRozan had the game high with 33 points. He made a monster layup giving the Kings a 110-106 lead with just 30 seconds remaining on the clock.

Domantas Sabonis was back on track with a double double, 11 rebounds and 14 points. Malik Monk finished the game with 26 points and eight rebounds. He knocked down four free throws in the final 17 seconds of the game as well as hitting a pair of big shots late in the game.

Keegan Murray continues to play very well with 19 points and seven rebounds. They only had 12 turnovers and out -rebounded the Timberwolves 47-63 which made a huge difference in the game.

The high for the Timberwolves was Naz Reid with 30 points. This was a season high for Naz who scored 16 of those points in the opening quarter. Anthony Edwards finished the game with 21 points and six rebounds but did not look fully recovered from illness that kept him out of their last game. Rudy Gobert had a double double with 13 rebounds and 19 points. Jaden McDaniels chipped in 22 points.

Game notes: This past weekend has been a wild ride for the Sacramento. They suffered a horrible loss Saturday night against the OKC Thunder 144-110. The Kings saw points from Fox in that game and those would be the last points he will score as a Sacramento King.

Fox was traded to the San Antonio Spurs over the weekend for the Chicago Bulls Zach LaVine, Sidy Cissoko and a slew of draft picks. The Kings did not see LaVine in Monday night’s game against the Minnesota Timberwolves but he will likely play in Wednesday’s game at Golden 1 against the Magic.

The Timberwolves will probably have Anthony Edwards and Naz Reid who were listed as questionable on the court. The bad news for Minnesota is that Julius Randle would miss this game, his second straight with a groin injury.

The Timberwolves come into this game after a devastating and embarrassing loss to the worst team in the NBA the Washington Wizards. They will be looking to erase that loss with a win tonight at home. The Kings will be looking for a win on the road without their leader Fox.

After a disappointing road trip, the Kings were thankful to end up with a win over Minnesota and now the Kings will head home for a matchup at Golden 1 against the Miami Heat. Tipoff for that game is scheduled for 7:00 PM. The Golden 1 Center will be alive with anticipation in the hopes of welcoming new Sacramento King Zach LaVine on the court.