Maxime Raynaud #42 of the Sacramento Kings shoots the ball during the game against the Los Angeles Lakers on December 28, 2025 at Crypto.Com Arena in Los Angeles, California. (Mandatory Photo Credit: Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — Exactly one year to the day, Sacramento Kings head coach Doug Christie coached his first game as the head coach of the Kings on December 28, 2024, taking over for the fired Mike Brown. The game was against the Lakers in Los Angeles, a contest the Kings lost 132-122. Fittingly, the Kings were back in Los Angeles exactly one year later to take on those same Lakers, one year removed from the shift in head coach and the storm that followed.

As you most likely know, the year following the promotion of Doug Christie has been all but sunshine and rainbows. The Kings have fallen to the bottom of the Western Conference without much of a visible path to success. However, the young additions of Maxime Raynaud and Nique Clifford during this past summer’s draft give the team hope of assembling another core — along with the extension of Keegan Murray.

I asked Doug before the game if the year mark since his first game as head coach meant anything more to him than any other ordinary game.

“Nah, every time I come to LA it’s the hallways, all that stuff. It’s a lot of memories here, but it really ain’t that. So it’s the Lakers, it’s the Kings. It’s a lot of fun.”

Well, I’m not sure how much fun it was given how the game progressed. The Lakers defeated the Kings 125-101 in blowout fashion at Crypto.com Arena.

In the first quarter, the Kings and Lakers traded baskets to open the game. DeMar DeRozan was getting whatever he wanted for the Kings, and the Lakers were facing very little resistance from the Kings’ defense. After a mandatory timeout at the 6:45 mark of the first, the Kings were up 13-12, with DeMar DeRozan accounting for eight of those points. The Lakers finished the quarter stronger than the Kings and managed to build a bit of separation going into the second quarter, outscoring Sacramento 22-11 over the final 5:15. LeBron James led the Lakers in scoring in the quarter, dropping 10 points in his first 8:18 of action.

Down 30-24 heading into the second quarter, the Lakers kept their foot on the gas against the Kings. In particular, Luka Doncic continued to score the ball at an elite clip. Luka added 15 points in the second quarter to bring his first-half total to 24 and lead the Lakers. Los Angeles outscored Sacramento 38-29 in the second quarter to take a commanding 68-53 lead into halftime. The Kings’ defense wasn’t providing enough resistance at the rim, as the Lakers had 34 points in the paint in the first half. DeMar DeRozan led the Kings in first-half scoring, dropping 16 points on 7-of-12 shooting.

Coming out of halftime, the Lakers went on a 13-2 run that forced Doug Christie to take two timeouts by the 8:31 mark of the quarter. The Kings’ defense was non-existent to start the period, and it wouldn’t get any better the rest of the third. The Kings couldn’t contain Luka and LeBron as they combined for 14 points in the quarter, while Nick Smith Jr. added eight points for the Lakers. Los Angeles outscored Sacramento 31-27 in the third quarter to take a 99-80 lead into the final period and all but squash any hopes the Kings had of a win.

In the final 12 minutes, the Lakers had already put the game away, and it became a matter of going through the motions. Down 19 entering the quarter, the Kings were outscored 26-21 and fell to Los Angeles 125-101 on Sunday night. Sacramento gave its best effort to hang around in the first half, but the third quarter proved too costly to overcome. The Kings were led in scoring by DeMar DeRozan, who finished with 22 points. On the other hand, the Lakers received a 34-point performance from Luka Dončić, followed by a 24-point outing from LeBron James.

After the game, Doug Christie stressed the importance of being a physical team and acknowledged that the Kings failed in that regard.

“We came in and just, we weren’t grabbing, holding, controlling,” Doug said after the game. “The level of physicality wasn’t to the level that we draw a line in the sand and say, this is what it’s going to be.”

On the bright side, Maxime Raynaud appears to be developing right in front of our eyes. The young center out of Stanford is slotting in nicely given his opportunity in the absence of Domantas Sabonis. On Sunday, Raynaud finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds while shooting 80% from the field for the Kings. It’s a mature approach that has Doug Christie excited about what he has been seeing.

“…All of a sudden he found this little push shot,” Doug said after the game. “He’s aggressive when he’s open and has time. He shoots the three-pointer, which I’m totally OK with, but then I think you’re starting to see him pump fake, put it on the floor. He did it tonight, gets inside and shoots a nice little floater, and then he has playmaking ability.”

The development of Raynaud has been a surprise to some, but likely not the Kings, who selected him with their second-round pick behind Nique Clifford, who went in the first round.

It’s also not a surprise to Maxime, who credits much of his success to his point guards.

“I just think we have really good point guards that find spots really well. Just try to screen and roll to create space… It has been working pretty well, so I’m happy.”

In a season with not many bright spots, Maxime Raynaud’s development is shaping up to be a hopeful addition to the franchise.

Up next: The Kings will stay in Los Angeles to take on the Clippers on Tuesday at 8 p.m. PST inside Intuit Dome.