Jonas Valanciunas warms up prior to the Bucks game on Saturday night. Jonas had 18 points and seven rebounds in the game. (Photo: Jeremiah Salmonson)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO — The Sacramento Kings returned to action Saturday night, hosting the Milwaukee Bucks at Golden 1 Center. The Kings entered the matchup amidst a tough homestand, coming off recent victories against the Grizzlies and Cavaliers and a loss to the Bulls on Thursday. Both teams were short-handed, with Damian Lillard unavailable for Milwaukee, and Sacramento missing Domantas Sabonis and Malik Monk. Despite a strong start from Sacramento, the Bucks rallied late to secure a 114-108 victory.

The Kings opened the game playing stout defense, limiting the Bucks to just 17 points in the first quarter while scoring 25 points themselves. Sacramento struggled significantly from beyond the arc, shooting 1-10 from three, yet managed a respectable 42% from the field. The Bucks endured a dismal shooting quarter, converting only 29% of their shots and going scoreless from three-point range. Giannis Antetokounmpo led all scorers with nine first-quarter points.

The Kings maintained their intensity into the second quarter, despite a Bucks surge that narrowed the margin to 43-42 with 4:41 remaining. Sacramento responded effectively, finishing the half strong and entering halftime with a 61-49 lead. The Kings outscored Milwaukee 36-32 in the quarter, led by Keon Ellis, who tallied 18 first-half points. For the Bucks, Brook Lopez matched Ellis’s first-half output with 18 points of his own.

The momentum shifted dramatically in the third quarter as Milwaukee surged back into contention. With a little over three minutes left in the quarter, the Bucks tied the game at 80. When the third-quarter dust settled, Milwaukee had outscored Sacramento 37-28, trimming the Kings’ lead to 89-86 heading into the fourth. Antetokounmpo was dominant, scoring 22 points in the quarter alone and shifting the momentum toward Milwaukee.

In the fourth quarter, the Kings faltered, unable to maintain their earlier success. Milwaukee outscored Sacramento 28-19, securing a 114-108 win. The Kings’ offense stagnated late, reverting to isolation basketball, a recurring issue. Sacramento struggled to make critical shots down the stretch, while Antetokounmpo finished with 32 points on 12-20 shooting, guiding the Bucks to victory.

After the game, Doug Christie addressed why Sacramento’s offense often becomes stagnant late. “I think many, many times, the defense blows the play up, and as the shot clock is going down, then you take your time,” Christie explained. “I think we have to explore early in the shot clock, and sometimes we’re not playing as fast as we need to, and then that allows them to press up. All of a sudden, it gets later in the shot clock, and now you become that [stagnant] without even knowing why it happened.” This recurring offensive inconsistency has plagued the Kings in late-game situations.

Keon Ellis echoed Christie’s sentiments, emphasizing the need for more ball movement. “Maybe it’s a thing of trying to get it to them [Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan] too much, too early,” Ellis said. “And I think probably we could move the ball a little bit more before we try to, you know, I would say, just go ISO ball.”

Playoff Picture: With the loss, the Kings fell to 35-35, remaining the ninth seed. They hold a slim 1.5-game advantage over the tenth-place Phoenix Suns and sit just 1.5 games ahead of the 11th-place Dallas Mavericks, dangerously close to dropping out of play-in contention entirely.

Key Performers: DeMar DeRozan led the Kings with 22 points on 8-18 shooting. Keon Ellis contributed 20 points and six assists on efficient 6-10 shooting.

Up Next: The Kings remain at home and will face the Boston Celtics on Monday at Golden 1 Center, with tip-off set for 7 PM PST.