Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (left) drives on the Sacramento Kings forward Precious Achiuwa (9) in the first half at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Sun Jan 4, 2026 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

After making an epic comeback, the Sacramento Kings (8-12) came up just short losing to the Milwaukee Bucks (16-20). They had trailed by as much as 26 points getting to within three points in the second half of the fourth quarter only to let the Bucks run away with the game 115-98.

The Bucks Giannis Antetokounmpo made life pretty miserable for the Kings finishing with a double double, 37 points and 11 rebounds. Kevin Porter Jr. also played a huge role in the win scoring 25 points . The high for the Kings was Russell Westbrook with 21 points and Zach LaVine finished with 20 points on his return..

Game recap: After the first 12 minutes of play the Kings trailed by a couple of points 28-26. The Kings took a slight lead mid-way through the quarter but the Bucks fired back taking a seven-point lead with two minutes left in the first quarter 26-19. With 48 seconds left on the clock the Kings had fought their way back into the quarter tying up the game at 26. Sacramento was still in this game.

The second quarter turned upside down for the Kings getting outscored 34-18 by Milwaukee. After a competitive first quarter, the team just came apart in the second quarter trailing at the half 62-44.

Antetokounmpo who was able to take the court in the game just wore the Kings down. Sacramento had put the stops on the turnovers which was good news but they were shooting at around 57% from the line and could not hit a three only having two in three quarters of play.

Four Bucks were shooting in double digits with Antetokounmpo leading the way with 24 points and nine rebounds. Myles Turner, Porter Jr., and Ryan Rollins all had double digits through three quarters.

The Kings Westbrook, Keegan Murray and DeMar DeRozan all finished the third quarter with double digits but they could not put the stops on the damage that Antetokounmpo was bringing.

After three quarters the Bucks had taken an 85-69 lead. Sacramento was much more competitive in the third quarter outscoring the Bucks 25-23 but they just had a lot of ground to make up going into the fourth quarter.

After trailing by as much as 26 points, the Kings cut the Bucks lead to 85-75 in the final quarter. With 11:10 left in the game the Kings had a very real chance for a come-back in this game. Sacramento continued to cut the Bucks lead to single digits 88-85 with under nine minutes left in the game.

When it was looking so very positive for the Kings the Bucks pushed their lead back out to 95-85 with a lot of time still left in the game. Porter Jr. and Antetokounmpo had come up huge for Milwaukee in the final minutes of the quarter. After the amazing rally by Sacramento the Bucks hung tough finishing off Sacramento 115-98.

The Kings fought hard in the second half of the game fending off a 26-point deficit pulling to within three points but let the Bucks back in the game. It was yet another heart-breaking loss for the team, their sixth loss in a row.

LaVine had a great game off the bench finishing with 20 points. Westbrook had the team high with 21 points.

Antetokounmpo had a solid game finishing with a double double 37 points and 11 rebounds. Porter Jr. was also terrific scoring 25 points with 4 rebounds. The Bucks had outplayed the Kings on both ends of the court.

Game notes: Sunday night the Kings battled but lost to the Bucks at Golden 1 Center. The Kings suffered a fifth straight loss. It would be fair to say that the season is over with only 46 games left in the season but they may be looking at some improvement in those remaining games.

Sunday night the Kings welcomed Zach LaVine back on the court playing off the bench. For a minute the Kings was concerned with yet another possible blow when Maxime Raynaud came out of their matchup Friday night against the Phoenix Suns. He limped off the court with a leg injury mid-way through the fourth quarter. He went immediately to the locker room.

Thankfully an MRI taken after the game proved to be negative and the Kings had avoided yet another setback. The last thing the Kings could afford would be to lose another center who was playing in the absence of Domantas Sabonis. The Bucks Giannis Antetokounmpo was probable going into Sunday night’s game suffering a right calf strain and played 32 minutes. Neither team can boast a stellar season but the Bucks had the real edge since Antetokounmpo took the court.

The Kings will remain at home for their next game taking on the Dallas Mavericks Tue Jan 7th. They will be looking for a second win over Dallas having beaten them on December 27. Tipoff for this game is another late one with an 8:00pm PT start.

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.