Devin Carter #22 of the Sacramento Kings drives to the basket during the game against the Indiana Pacers on March 10, 2026 at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California. (Mandatory Photo Credit: Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

DOWNTOWN SACRAMENTO — The Kings were back in action on Tuesday night inside Golden 1 Center. The Kings welcomed the Eastern Conference’s worst team, the Indiana Pacers, to town for a 7 p.m. PST tilt.

As the two worst teams in the NBA faced off, it was a stark reminder of how important the impending NBA lottery and draft to follow are for both clubs. The Kings defeated the Pacers on Tuesday 114-109.

In the first quarter, neither team got off to a remarkably quick start as the quarter was relatively tame. The Kings were outscored 25-24 in the first quarter as Aaron Nesmith led all scorers with 11. The Kings and Pacers weren’t playing with a lot of urgency early on the first night of a back-to-back.

In the second quarter, the Pacers made their move on the Kings. The Pacers outscored the Kings 34-18 in what was a brutal quarter for both the Kings’ defense and their offense. The Kings couldn’t contain the Pacers as Aaron Nesmith continued his torrid pace, adding another 13 points in the second quarter to bring his first-half total to 24 for the game. The Kings were led in first-half scoring by Maxime Raynaud, who dropped 10 points in the first quarter, and DeMar DeRozan added eight. The Kings took their 17-point deficit into halftime looking to rebound in the second half.

In the third quarter, the Kings made their move on the Pacers to get back into the game. The Kings outscored the Pacers 30-23 to open the second half as they were led by seven points from Russell Westbrook in the quarter. The Kings still entered the fourth down 82-72, but they were within striking distance.

In the fourth quarter, Devin Carter went off to propel the Kings to outscore the Pacers 42-27 in the final quarter of the game. The Kings’ 2024 13th overall pick Devin Carter scored 22 points in the fourth quarter and 24 points overall as the Kings came back from a 10-point deficit to defeat the Pacers 114-109. The Kings were led in scoring by the aforementioned Carter, but Maxime Raynaud was close behind scoring 18 of his own.

With the win, the Kings improved to 16-50 and are now the second-worst team in the NBA, now trailing the Indiana Pacers.

The Kings will stay home to take on the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday night at 7 p.m. PST at Golden 1 Center.