Sacramento Kings guard Russell Westbrook (18) looks to pass the ball against the Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (left) and guard Tim Hardaway Jr who defend in the first half at Ball Arena in Denver on Mon Nov 3, 2025 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

The Sacramento Kings (2-5) hung around all night as they faced the Denver Nuggets (4-2). They got to within two points in the first half but were unable to take the lead for the entire game in the 130-124 loss.

Every starter for the Kings finished in double figures with Russell Westbrook finishing with the team high of 25. Denver’s Nikola Jokic had the game high of 34 points with 14 assists. Sacramento put up a good fight but was unable to contain Jokic and they were simply outplayed all night long. The Joker finished with 34 points and 14 rebounds. The Nuggets have now beat the Kings six straight times.

Monday night the Kings lost to the Nuggets finishing off a lengthy road trip and head back to Sacramento and their home court at Golden 1 Arena. After a great win over the Milwaukee Bucks Saturday night, the Kings were happy to get their first road trip in the books.

It has been grueling and has resulted in a string of losses for the Kings. Monday night the Kings faced another tough opponent as they faced Jokic, Aaron Gordon, Jamal Murray and company. Not a three-point shooting team the Kings they tried to force the long shots and they faced the task of containing Jokic it was not an easy assignment.

Game recap: After the first12 minutes of play the Denver Nuggets had a 39-30 lead. The Kings got a bit of a handle on the game in the second quarter. With 4 1/2 minutes left in the first half the Kings trailed by two points 54-52.

This ray of hope was extinguished by the Nuggets pushing their lead back out to 12, 68-56 with just under two minutes left to play. As the clock ran out, each team had scored 33 points in the second quarter and Denver had taken a 72-63 lead into the locker room. Sacramento had played hard and matched the Nuggets for much of the quarter but were unable climb over the top.

Jokic finished the first half with 18 points, three rebounds and six assists. Gordon had 15 points and five rebounds. The Denver bench had a cumulative 18 points. Three starters for Sacramento had double digits.

Russell Westbrook finished with the half high of 16 points and five rebounds. Domantas Sabonis was flirting with a double double hitting 11 points and rebounds. DeMar DeRozan had 15 points and three rebounds.

Zach LaVine had a quiet first half and the team would need more from him in the second half. Sacramento had seven turnovers in the half. From the field the two teams were shooting at 50% but the Nuggets were having more success from beyond the arc.

Sacramento while not a three-point shooting team had 32 points in the paint to the Nuggets 24. The Kings were certainly able to keep pace with the Nuggets for much of the first half but had not been able to take the lead.

The third quarter did not get off to a great start for the Kings. Three plus minutes into the third quarter the Nuggets had extended their lead to 84-69. Minutes later the Kings had cut the Nugget’s 15 point lead to ten 84-74.

The Kings were getting stops but not turning those stops into points. Every time Sacramento made a move, the Nuggets had the answer maintaining a double digit lead throughout the quarter.

The Kings had been unable to contain Jokic who finished the quarter having shot for 25 points with 11 assists. After three quarters every player for Sacramento was in double digits with Russell Westbrook leading the way with 20 points eight rebounds and five assists. The high-scoring Nuggets led after three quarters 104-93.

Several minutes into the fourth quarter the Kings had cut the Nugget lead to six points 108-102. The Sacramento starters came back into the game early in the fourth quarter looking to cut the Denver six-point lead even further.

There was a lot of time left in this game and Denver was forced to put their starters back in early as well. Sacramento was hanging around but could not make a dent in the score as Jokic continued to soar and there was no stopping him. Denver won their fourth game of the season.

The Kings put up a fight but really struggled with trying to contain Jokic. Every starter for the Kings finished with double digits. Westbrook had a double double and the team high with 26 points and 12 rebounds.

Sabonis also had a double double with 13 points and 16 rebounds. They both played hard all night. DeRozan finished with 19 points and Dennis Schroeder with 18. LaVine had 15 points and off the bench Keon Ellis had a nice game with 15 points.

The Kings will now head home to Golden 1 Arena and get ready for another tough matchup with Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors Wednesday night. Tipoff for that game is scheduled for 7:00 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.