Zach Lavine #8 of the Sacramento Kings looks on against the Toronto Raptors in the first half of an NBA preseason basketball game at Golden 1 Center on October 08, 2025 in Sacramento, California. (Mandatory Photo Credit: Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

DOWNTOWN SACRAMENTO — The new-look Sacramento Kings were in action on Wednesday night for game one of four preseason games the team is slated to play. The Kings fell to the Raptors 130-122 inside Golden 1 Center on a crisp fall evening. 

During training camp prior to the preseason, the emphasis was clearly on two things. Doug Christie wants the Kings to be the most well-conditioned team in the NBA, and he wants them to pick up 94 feet. These two things are directly related to the identity that Christie and GM Scott Perry are attempting to implement come the start of the regular season.

Before the game, I asked Doug Christie what goals he had or what he wanted to see from his squad in game one of the preseason.

“I just want to play to our identity. That’s really it,” Christie said. “I mean, if we do that consistently with talent and all those different things that you need, I believe the byproduct of that is winning.”

What is that identity Doug is speaking about? The Kings have said it is centered around six pillars: competitive, tough, team-oriented, disciplined, accountable, and professional.

In the first three quarters, the Kings failed Christie’s expectation to play to the identity he is trying to implement, as they gave up 97 points. The gritty defense and high-motor effort he’s emphasizing were nowhere to be found. Granted, it’s the first game of the preseason, and any critiques should be taken with a grain of salt. Still, it wasn’t an encouraging look for the Kings and their quest to establish their new identity.

Christie didn’t mince words about the team’s effort as it pertained to the identity he’s trying to see.

“Out of that whole game, you probably got Kings identity maybe two quarters, a quarter and a half—I’ll say a quarter and a half. So the consistency of what we expect needs to be able to be at a higher level for a longer period of time.”

Christie also addressed a question from Sactown Sports reporter Brenden Nunes about how he felt the team picked up 94 feet, an emphasis throughout camp.

“… In the first half, they were 30%. So that’s unacceptable,” Doug said. “And we talked about it. Eighty-five is the number. So that means out of all the opportunities that you get when someone turns around with the basketball, they know what you ate for breakfast.”

Zach LaVine led the Kings in scoring in the first half with 15 points but didn’t play the rest of the game. It appeared to be planned rest for LaVine, with nothing physically wrong. The Kings’ leading scorer through the first three quarters was Domantas Sabonis, who had 19 points and four rebounds in nearly 23 minutes on the court. Keegan Murray also caught my attention, displaying a new level of aggression during his time on the floor.

In the fourth quarter, Devin Carter, Isaiah Stevens, Dylan Cardwell, Maxime Raynaud, and Nique Clifford changed the entire tempo of the game. The Kings outscored the Raptors 44-33 in the final quarter as the reserve lineup brought much-needed intensity and effort to the floor. Raynaud didn’t check into the game until the fourth quarter but brought an infectious energy, at one point urging the fans at Golden 1 Center to get loud as the Kings made a last-minute effort to get back into the game.

I asked Doug if some of the chemistry with that last unit was prebuilt from Summer League and how they handled their minutes.

“I mean, I expect that from them. Yeah, a little bit of that [Summer League chemistry] probably… They played Kings basketball. Identity-wise, that’s what you saw and that’s what we expect.”

Domantas Sabonis was impressed with the play of the last unit on the court late in the game.

“They did amazing,” Sabonis told me after the game. “They came, they waited for their turn, they came out, brought the energy, brought the basketball that Doug wants us to play, and props to them. They came out. We, as the starters, should have done our part.”

Maxime Raynaud, even with limited experience at this point in the NBA, said he and the group are holding each other accountable to learn and be better—not just for one quarter, but for the whole game.

“I do think that we managed to keep the score reasonable during that [fourth] quarter, but it’s not about us, not about one quarter. Again, it’s four quarters, as you all know, and we’re a group. We all need to step up to the highest possible level. So in that sense, I think we all have a ton to learn from—young guys, old guys, stars, everything.”

Overall, Doug was firm in his message to the players after the game. He is demanding to see a better effort in what he calls “the fight.”

“I’ve talked to them about—there’s two games every night. There’s the game and there’s the fight. So we got 164 games. Every night, we’re going to win one of ’em. If we win both, we’re doing something… So unfortunately, we lost both of the games tonight. Unacceptable. And that will be, hopefully, the last time that happens. That was my conversation with them.”

The Kings will practice on Thursday before flying to Portland to take on the Trail Blazers on Friday at 7 p.m. PST in Portland, Oregon.

Whether you’re pre-gaming with the Kings or celebrating an A’s win, Cyprus Grille at the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena is your downtown go-to.

⚡Craft cocktails? Check.
🔥Game-day bites? Oh yeah.
🏟️Steps from Golden 1 Center? You bet.

Open daily, Cyprus Grille is serving up local flavor with a front-row seat to the action. Stop by before or after the game—or make it your new downtown hangout.

Cyprus Grille—where fans fuel up.

📍Located inside the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena @ 300 J Street

Happy Hour – 4pm-6pm

Show your ticket for additional discounts when dining in.