Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) runs up the floor as the Sacramento Kings center Domantas Sabonis (left) prepares to inbound the ball in the first half at Pay Com Arena in Oklahoma City on Tue Oct 28, 2025 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

The Sacramento Kings (1-3) led through three plus quarters but a late fourth quarter burst by the Oklahoma City Thunder (5-0) resulted in their fifth straight win of the season 107-101 Tuesday night.

The Kings had every opportunity to win this game but came up short in the final three minutes of the game. Sacramento missed too many shots down the stretch and the 17 turnovers did them no favors. Zach LaVine had the team high for the Kings with 23 points.

Game recap: The opening quarter could not have gone better for the Kings. They were able to match the Thunder shot for shot, in fact as the quarter ended, the Kings were shooting 57% and led 29-24.

It was the perfect start for Sacramento. The challenge would be to be able to keep the pace they started out with and of course contain Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and company. It is a huge ask; this is a formidable team that excel offensively and defensively. They may fall short in any one quarter but they can also turn a game around on a dime

The Kings continued to hold the lead in the second quarter and with four minutes left in the half had a 51-44 lead. As halftime drew close the Kings closed out the first half leading 62-58. The Kings had three players in double figures with Russell Westbrook, DeMar DeRozan and Zach Lavine each shooting for 11 points.

Keon Ellis had nine points off the bench so far in the game. Both teams were shooting at 100% from the line a vast improvement for the Kings over their last game. Each team had seven steals and the largest lead of the game was a ten point lead for Sacramento. The Thunder had briefly taken a four-point lead in the half which was quickly erased by the Kings.

The second half battle got underway as the Kings fought to retain the lead. A hasty time-out was called by the Kings when the Thunder pulled to within one point 70-69. Missed shots and turnovers were taking their toll on Sacramento as the Thunder threatened to take the lead.

The Kings had taken their foot off the pedal and let Oklahoma City back in the game. The Thunder did take the lead briefly but Sacramento answered taking a 79-71 lead with under five minutes left in the third.

The Thunder had played from behind for most of the night. After building a ten-point lead the Kings starting missing a lot of shots allowing the Thunder to creep back in the game. They had gone on a 9-2 run and they had stuffed the Kings offense only allowing them to shoot at 38%. The Kings had taken a nosedive from their offense in the opening quarter. Going into the fourth quarter the Kings were clinging onto a 83-80 lead.

Sacramento had to reel their offensive effort in if they had any chance against the Thunder. They were no longer matching the Thunder shot for shot and despite hanging onto the lead, the Thunder continued to hang around pulling to within one point 89-88.

The Sacramento offense had stalled resulting in too many misses and focus waned down the stretch with under seven minutes left in the game. With just over three minutes left on the clock, the Kings had a one-point lead 97-96 and Sacramento took another time-out.

Their promising start was in jeopardy. The Kings continued to miss shots while the Thunder were cashing in taking a 101-97 lead with 1:23 left in the game. The final was 107-101 as the Thunder rallied in the fourth quarter for the win. The Sacramento Kings were unable to finish the game something they have been struggling with this season.

The Kings came up on the short end in this game. They had every opportunity to hand the Thunder their first loss of the season but they failed offensively in the final three minutes of the game letting the Thunder back in.

You give the Thunder an inch and they will hurt you every time and this game was no exception. The Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had the high for the game with 31 points. The high for the Kings was Zach LaVine with 23 points.

DeMar DeRozan finished with 19 points, Russell Westbrook with 18 and center Domantas Sabonis had a double double 18 rebounds and 10 points. The missed shots down the stretch was the turning point in this game. The Kings played hard and did have a great game despite the loss. The Thunder just handled the clutch situation in the final minutes a whole lot better than the Kings did.

Game notes: The Kings have had a bit of a rocky start to the season hampered by injury and illness. They started out their road trip taking on the some of the best teams in the NBA in a very challenging string of four games that began with a loss in Oklahoma City after taking on the unbeaten world champion Thunder (5-0).

The Sacramento starting lineup featured Russell Westbrook who came off the bench to play alongside Domantas Sabonis, DeMar DeRozan, Dennis Schroeder and Zach LaVine. The Thunder have a slew of players on the injured list and the Kings are still without Keegan Murray and also Nique Clifford.

The Kings were looking to hand the Thunder their first loss in the young season but the Thunder stayed ahead of the Kings for the win. This road trip will challenge the Kings to their core and they will need to stay focused and disciplined as they fight their way through these early season obstacles.

They will have their work cut out for them but the Kings have a bunch of seasoned veterans that make up their starting roster. The Thunder were able to stay ahead of Sacramento,

Next up for the Kings will be the Chicago Bulls as they jet up north for their next game. If they can take the same level of play that they played with Tuesday night into this game they have a great opportunity to succeed. The Bulls are also undefeated right now. Tipoff for this game is scheduled for 5:00 PM.

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.