Category: Sacramento Kings

Wiggins Career High Sets Stage for Thunders Beat Down Over Kings 144-110

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Oklahoma City Thunder guard Aaron Wiggins (21) shoots over the Sacramento Kings center Isaac Jones (left) in second half action at Paycom Arena in Oklahoma City on Sat Feb 1, 2025 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

The Sacramento Kings (24-24) got blasted in their matchup against the OKC Thunder (38-9) 144-110. The opening quarter was close with the Thunder leading after the first quarter 36-31. It fell apart in the second quarter when OKC outscored the Kings 46-24 taking a 82-55 lead into halftime.

The Thunder’s Aaron Wiggins who started in place of the injured Jalen Williams scored a career high of 41 points setting the stage for a blow-out of the Kings. Sacramento was outplayed in this game pure and simple. They got within nine points in the second quarter but the Thunder answered going on a 29-11 run taking a 27 point lead into the half.

Game recap: The Thunder took an early lead in the opening quarter 36-31 but hammered the Kings in the second quarter. They outscored Sacramento 46-24 in the second quarter and led at half 82-55. The Kings did win the third quarter 35-31 but were behind the eight ball for most of the game. OKC finished off the Kings in the fourth quarter 31-20 for a final score of 144-110 handing Sacramento their second loss in a row. This has been a miserable road trip for the Kings.

OKC outplayed the Kings at every turn the most glaring the 70 rebounds to Sacramento’s 37. The Kings protected the ball well with only eight turnovers but their shooting percentage was anemic with 25% from behind the arc and falling flat from the field. The Thunder had 74 points in the paint, the Kings had 50.

The Thunder’s Aaron Wiggins was outstanding scoring a career high 41 points. Wiggins had started in place of the injured Jalen Williams and he certainly made quite a statement clocking a double double.

Williams scored 14 points in the final quarter. Sacramento was helpless to stop him along with the 29 points scored by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The Thunder put a real beat down on the Kings with all but one of their starters scoring double figures.

At the half the Thunder had dictated play shutting down the Kings offense. Oklahoma City went on a 29-11 run to end the second quarter and take a 82-55 lead in to the half. The Kings did win the third quarter 35-31 but the Thunder finished the Kings off in the fourth quarter 31-20.

All of the Kings starters had double digits with De’Aaron Fox the high for Sacramento with 20 points. Malik Monk followed Fox with 19 points in the losing effort.

Game notes: Saturday night the Sacramento took on the Western Conference leading OKC Thunder at Paycom Center. This game was tough one for the Kings who have been struggling losing their last game to the Sixers 117-104.

They did win prior to that game beating the Nets 110-96 in Brooklyn but lost two game in a row prior to that win against the Nuggets and the Knicks. They have been spotty lately and the 7-game winning streak they had been on not long ago has fallen apart.

Saturday night’s game was a challenge the Kings who has not been playing very well of late. With so many rumors swirling regarding Fox moving on there has been a lot of distraction as they begin to wind down their current road trip which has been a bit of a disaster.

The Kings will finish off this road trip traveling to Minnesota to take on the Timberwolves Monday night. Tipoff for that game is scheduled for 5:00 PM. They will be looking to right the ship before heading back home for a game with the Orlando Magic Wednesday night at Golden 1 Center.

Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson: Kings face first place Thunder Saturday at OKC

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Sacramento Kings Aaron Fox (5) is snuffed by the Philadelphia 76ers Tyrese Maxey (center) and Eric Gordon (right) in first half action at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia on Wed Jan 29, 2025 (AP News photo)

On the Sacramento Kings Podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson:

#1 Tyrese Maxey led the way for the Philadelphia 76ers with 30 points as the Sixers defeated the Sacramento Kings 117-104. It was the Sixers fourth straight win and it was the Kings third loss in four games.

#2 Maxey has scored at least 25 points or more in 12 straight games and on Wednesday had eight assists.

#3 The Sixers Kelly Oubre Jr had 15 points, Eric Gordon 14 points, Ricky Council IV had 13 points. The 76ers ended a seven game skid.

#4 The Kings Malik Monk in the first half scored 16 of his first 21 points and Domantas Sabonis scored his second consecutive triple double and eighth triple double of the season.

#5 The Kings head to Oklahoma City to face the Thunder on Sat Feb 1. The Thunder are first place in the NBA Western Conference at 37-9, winning seven of their last ten games and have a 20-3 record. There is little doubt the Thunder will be a handful for the Kings how do you see this match up?

Jeremiah Salmonson does the Kings podcasts each Friday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

NBA G League Action: Kings come away with 111-106 win to split with Grand Rapids

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Stockton Kings guard Colby Jones (20) takes a jump shot over the Grand Rapids Gold forward Spencer Jones (21) at Adventist Health Arena on Thu Jan 30, 2025 in game 2 of their two game set (Stockton Kings X photo)

By William Espy

STOCKTON–The Stockton Kings hosted the Grand Rapids Gold for the second straight game on Thursday night, as they looked to get revenge for a disappointing loss on Tuesday. Revenge is what they got with a 111-106 win to split the two game set at Adventist Health Arena.

The Gold got out to an early lead, much like they did on Tuesday night. However, the Kings took control of the game in the second and third quarters, allowing themselves to head into the final frame with a lead. Ultimately, the Kings would hold onto their lead and walk away with a 111-106 victory, and as a result, they were returning to their winning ways. The Kings have been dominant at home, and Thursday night’s victory improved their home record to 8-2, while their overall record improved to 12-3

The Kings’ top standout was, unsurprisingly, Colby Jones, who went 13-17 from the field and scored a total of 34 points. Their two representatives in the upcoming G League Up Next Game, Isaac Jones and Skal Labissiere also had strong performances. Jones had a double-double with 18 points and 12 rebounds while Labissiere was very efficient going 7-10 from the field and finishing with 14 points.

The Kings had four players finish in double-digits for points, the lone starter to not achieve the feat was Isaiah Crawford who finished just short, with nine points on the night.

Trey Alexander led the Gold in scoring, ending the night going 12-19 which resulted in him recording 31 points in the losing effort. Meanwhile, Spencer Jones finished with 26 points and just narrowly missed out on a double-double of his own, finishing with nine rebounds on the night.

The main difference between Thursday night’s outing and Tuesday’s was that the Kings’ shot selection was a lot better and as a result their efficiency was much higher. It is worth noting that Dexter Dennis didn’t play after a collision below the basket on Tuesday, however, he was on the roster just listed as inactive.

The Kings won’t get much time to rest, as they’ll be back in action Friday night as they host the Windy City Bulls. As the Kings look to extend their lead in the Western Conference and pull away from the second-place Austin Spurs, they’ll need another strong performance against an Eastern Conference opponent tomorrow night. The Bulls are currently 15th in the east, but as the Kings’ performance on Tuesday showed, anybody can win on any given night in the G League.

Tyrese Maxey Proves To Be Too Much For Sacramento As Kings Drop Game to the Sixers 117-104

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Sacramento Kings DeMar DeRozan (10) takes a shot over the Philadelphia 76ers Tyrese Maxey (0) in the first half at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia on Wed Jan 29, 2025 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

The Sacramento Kings (24-23) played a tough three quarters losing to the Philadelphia 76ers (19-27) in the fourth quarter of their matchup 117-104. The playing field was pretty level until the fateful final quarter.

The Sixers outplayed the Kings from the field and they could not contain Tyrese Maxey after three quarters of pretty even play. Domantas Sabonis had a triple double, his second in a row. and Malik Monk had the team high score with 21 points. He scored 15 of those 21 points in the first half and was pretty quiet in the second half finishing the game playing for 40 minutes.

Game recap: The first half of this game was a close one from the get go. The Kings led after the first 12 minutes by the slim margin of 30-28. The Sixers prevailed in the second quarter outscoring the Kings 32-26 and led at the half 60-56. This was still a tight game after two quarters. De A’aron Fox finished the half with 15 points pushing through the hand injuries that have hurt his play recently.

The game remained close through the third quarter with the Sixers continuing to lead by a slim margin 89-87. In the fourth quarter the Sixers turned the game around in the final minutes. The Kings offense went stale with under four minutes left in the game.

Through the final four minutes of play Sacramento was only able to score four points in a real offensive letdown. The final was 117-104 in favor of the Sixers and Philadelphia had their fourth win in a row. After struggling for a time, the Sixers have really turned things around and appear to be right on track.

The stats in this game were not all that bad for Sacramento. The high for the Kings was Malik Monk with 21 points. De A’aron Fox and DeMar DeRozan each chipped in 19 points. Keegan Murray had a nice game with 17 points and eight rebounds.

Domantas Sabonis had a triple double with 13 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists. The Kings were able to protect the ball with 12 turnovers. They shot at 82% from the line, they out-rebounded the Sixers 46-35, they had more fast break points and more points in the paint.

Where did they fall short? They could not contain Philadelphia’s Tyrese Maxey who was able to shoot for 30 points. The Sixers bench played a lot in this game coming away with 40 points, while the Kings bench, although they did not play close to as many minutes were only able to hit 15 points. This was a huge discrepancy coupled with Philadelphia’s 52% shooting from the field to the Kings 44%.

Tyrese Maxey had another great game for Philadelphia with the 30 points, in fact, this was his 12th straight game with 25 or more points. The Sixers have certainly recovered from the seven-game skid they were on.

The Kings on the other hand have really fallen short after the amazing run they went on right after Doug Christie took over as head coach. They are struggling right now having lost three of their last four games and it often times comes down to the defense and the lack of talent on the bench.

Game notes: After getting back on track beating the Brooklyn Nets Monday night, the Sacramento Kings traveled to Philadelphia to take on the Sixers Wednesday night but couldn’t win a second game in a row. As the trade deadline approaches the Kings are working hard to keep all distraction at bay and stay focused on their current road trip.

They are mid-way through the trip which includes Saturday night’s game with the Oklahoma City Thunder and Monday’s game with the Timberwolves next on their schedule.

The thumb sprain which has hampered De’Aaron Fox for a bit now has not healed. What has improved however is the comfort level he now has with the sleeve he is wearing to protect the thumb. This was obvious from his performance in Monday’s win over the Nets in which Fox scored 30 points.

Fox was tied in scoring with 19 points Wednesday night’s game. The Sixers were missing a lot of key players which include Paul George and Joel Embid. The Kings had every starter available for this game. Philadelphia picked up their fourth win in a row.

This was a huge disappointment for the Kings as they go into their toughest matchup of the season on Saturday taking on the first place OKC Thunder at Paycom Center. They will have their work cut out for them this weekend trying to contain Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder. TIp-off for that game is scheduled for 5:00 PM.

Nets can’t shutdown Sabonis with 22 rebounds and a triple double Kings win 110-96 at Barclays Center

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Sacramento Kings Domantas Sabonis (11) is thrilled after scoring against the Brooklyn Nets in the second half at Barclays Center in Brooklyn on Mon Jan 27, 2025 (AP News photo)

By Jessica Kwong

BROOKLYN, NY. — The Sacramento Kings snapped a two-game losing streak on Monday night with a 110-96 win over the Brooklyn Nets in the annual Chinese New Year celebration game at Barclays Center.

Kings guard De’Aaron Fox scored a team-leading 30 points and Kings center Domantas Sabonis scored 21 points and had 22 rebounds and 10 assists, notching his seventh triple-double this season.

The game was close throughout most of the first half but Sacramento trailed at halftime by seven points. When the Kings were down nine points with just over 10 minutes to go in the third quarter, Fox scored eight points and led his team on a 12-0 run.

“I think more than anything, when you get that aggressive Fox, it’s a special sight to behold. He can get down heel when he wants, he’s got the floater. All of a sudden the three ball starts to fall, he gets to the free throw line,” said Kings interim head coach Doug Christie.

“All those things, they add up. And even defensively when he’s engaged, like that physical presence, he’s a load to deal with and I was really happy to see it.”

After the break, Sacramento outscored Brooklyn 33-24 in the third and ended the quarter up 80-78. The Kings went on a 13-2 run and reached peak momentum when Keegan Murray made a triple to put them up 97-85 with just over six minutes to go in the fourth.

The Kings outscored the Nets 63-42 in the second half.

“There’s a lot for us to be happy with and there’s some things that we’ve still got to clean up with our consistency. But overall, we got out of here with a W and we continue to build and solidify our identity and that’s the most important thing,” Christie said.

“Winning is everything, but us solidifying who we are on a night-to-night basis so we know what we’re going to our arena with is paramount for us.”

Sabonis became the fifth player in Kings franchise history with 20 or more games with 20 rebounds.

“I’m just going out there trying to do my job,” said Sabonis. “As a big, you got to rebound you know, and then try to be involved on the offensive end, help my teammates.”

Brooklyn (14-33) had their losing streak extended to seven games – their worst since losing 11 straight in January to February 2022. They were without star Ben Simmons who has lower back soreness and has missed five games

The Kings (24-22) continue their road trip visiting the Philadelphia 76ers (17-27). Tip-off is at 4:30 p.m. PT.

Sacramento Kings podcast with Barbara Mason: Kings-Nets tip off at Barclay Center tonight in Brooklyn

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Sacramento Kings small forward DeMar DeRozan (10) attempts to take it to the net being defended by the New York Knicks small forward OG Anunoby (8) in the second half at Madison Square Garden in New York on Sat Jan 25, 2025 (AP News photo)

On the Sacramento Kings podcast with Barbara Mason:

#1 The New York Knicks OG Anunoby led with 33 points, Josh Hart followed up with 20 points and had 18 rebounds and 11 assists it was Hart’s sixth triple double for the 2024-25 season and the effort was good enough to beat the Sacramento Kings 143-120 at Madison Square Garden on Saturday.

#2 Adding to the Knicks scoring total Mikal Bridges with 27 points and Jalen Brunson with 25 points, 11 assists. Brunson needed two more points to reach his season high. Karl-Anthony Towns scored 16 points and had 15 rebounds.

#3 Despite the hard effort and the loss by the Kings DeMar DeRozan led the Kings with 31 points and Domantas Sabonis followed up with 25 points, 13 rebounds, and 12 assists.

#4 So this season no player on the Kings roster has played in all 45 games this season. Keon Ellis is the closest with 44 games played. The Kings still continue to struggle against the Knicks at MSG having not won there since Nov 3, 2019.

#5 The Kings take on the Brooklyn Nets at the Barclay Center in Brooklyn for a 4:30pm PST tip. The Nets are 12th in the Eastern Conference at 14-32 and are struggling big time having lost six straight games. The Kings have lost two straight and are hoping to get back in the win column. The Kings are tenth in the Western Conference at 23-22 and are .500 on the road at 15-15.

Join Barbara for the Kings podcasts each Monday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Malik Monk Effort Not Enough To Get Past Knicks Losing 143-120; Kings lose second in a row; Is Sac reverting to their old ways?

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New York Knicks Jalen Brunson (right) takes a jump shot against the Sacramento Kings Malik Monk (left) in the second half at Madison Square Garden in New York on Sat Jan 25, 2025 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

The Sacramento Kings (22-23) hung in their game against the New York Knicks (30-16) in the first half but fell apart in the fourth quarter losing 143-120. Sacramento went on a 23-6 run in the second quarter to get close but they just could not get on top of the Knicks who are third in the Eastern Conference. Malik Monk had the high for the Kings with 31 points and Domantas Sabonis had a triple double with 25 points 13 rebounds and 12 assists. De’Aaron Fox finished with 14 points but was hampered by a right hand thumb sprain which really messed with his shot.

Game recap: The Kings had the lead in the early minutes of the first quarter 13-12 at 7:44. This is when the Knicks got going after a slow start peeling off six points in a row. Sacramento trailed by single digits through most of the opening quarter but came apart at the three minute mark. New York began to hit shot after shot and led 38-25 after the first 12 minutes.

Sacramento continued to trail in the second quarter, their largest deficit 19 points. In the closing minutes of the half the Kings went on a run after trailing by as much as 18 points throughout the second quarter getting within five points with 1:49 left in the second quarter. Sacramento continued to play hard offensively going on a 23-6 run and at the half the Kings trailed by the score of 72-67. Everything was going the Kings way down the stretch in the second quarter.

Sacramento’s Malik Monk sparked the Kings offense in the second quarter and finished the half with 23 points. Domantas Sabonis was well on his way to another double double with 16 points and eight rebounds. Fox struggled offensively scoring five points and one rebound trying to work around his thumb injury. He was two of 10 in the first half shooting poorly hampered by his injury.

The Knicks Og Anunoby had the high for his team with 20 points followed by Jalen Brunson with 12 points and Karl Anthony Towns with ten points and nine rebounds. Both teams were hot at the line, the Kings shooting 100% from the free throw line and the Knicks with 90%. Turnovers were minimal for both teams.

Sacramento would be looking to take the energy they finished the half with into the third quarter. They would need as much as possible from their bench and solid offense from DeMar DeRozan, Murray and Fox who had been quiet. The way they finished the first half is exactly the way they would need to start the third quarter and finish the game.

The Knicks were unable to extend their lead in the early minutes of the third quarter. The Kings continued to nip at the heels of New York trailing by seven points at 8:46 76-83. The Knicks threatened to build their lead taking a ten-point lead 76-86 but the Kings battled back to a single digit deficit 86-80.

With 6:02 left in the third quarter the Kings trailed by two points 88-90. As the quarter began to wind down, New York began to extend their lead 102-94 as the Knicks refused to give up the lead. The Kings got close but could not get over the top. As the quarter came to an end, the Knicks had established a 111-100 lead.

A number of minutes expired at the start of the fourth quarter as both nets were examined confirming that they were both level. Players had complained that the baskets were not level. So after a ten-minute delay play got back underway.

The layoff did not hamper the Knicks at all as they pushed their lead out to 116-102. With 6:18 left in the game and trailing 131-110, the Kings had to make a move or risk losing a second game in a row which has not been done since interim Head Coach Doug Christie took over.

This was the largest Knicks lead of the game. While the Kings only had ten turnovers in the game, most of them came in the fourth quarter when they fell apart offensively. The final was 143-120.

Malik Monk had the high for the Kings with 31 points and every starter for Sacramento had double figures. Domantas Sabonis had a triple double with 25 points, 13 rebounds and 12 assists.

Fox put out a valiant effort finishing with 14 points but it was obvious that his thumb injury really hurt his shooting. This was the first time the team had lost two games in a row since Doug Christie had taken over as Head Coach.

The Knicks had the game high with Og Anunoby turning in 33 points and every New York player finished with double digits. Josh Hart had a triple double with 20 points, 18 rebounds and 11 assists.

Game notes: After losing to the Denver Nuggets Wednesday night 132-123, the Sacramento Kings traveled to New York for a matchup with the Eastern Conference Knicks. The Knicks are currently in third place in the standings a couple of games behind the second place Celtics.

After the Kings loss to the Nuggets, they dropped into ninth place in the Western Conference. Besides wanting to get back on track after the loss, the Kings do not want to lose any more ground in the standings.

Sacramento has been struggling with slow starts and a slew of open missed shots. De’Aaron Fox is currently struggling with a thumb injury, a right thumb sprain but is slated to start in this game. He will wear a sleeve on his thumb which will not do a lot for his shot.

This was be another tough matchup for Sacramento after a rough game against Denver where they trailed by as much as 25 points in the game. The Kings needed to tighten up their defense which was a quite a problem in their last game.

The Knicks lead the league in points so Sacramento needed a solid defensive effort and fell short. New York came into this game after having had a number of days off and they were well rested. The Kings are currently on a six-game road trip.

The Kings continue on their six-game road trip traveling to Brooklyn for a date with the Nets Monday night. Tipoff for that game is scheduled for 4:30 PM as Sacramento will be looking to get back on the winning track and break their two-game losing streak.

Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson: Joker too much for Kings in Nuggets win 132-123

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The Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) tries to apply some defensive pressure on the Sacramento Kings forward Domantas Sabonis (11) in the first half at Ball Arena in Denver on Thu Jan 23, 2025 (AP News photo)

Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson:

#1 The Denver Nuggets Nikola Jokic chalked up his fifth straight triple double and accomplished it before the fourth quarter to help defeat the Sacramento Kings.

#2 Jokic finished with 36 points, 22 rebounds, and scored a season high of 17 assists.

#3 Jokic leads the NBA in triple doubles with 20 he’s quite the reason why the Nuggets won the NBA Finals in 2023.

#4 The Kings Domantas Sabonis had 23 points and 17 assists. This loss on Thursday was Sacramento’s third in 13 games since Doug Christie took over as head coach.

#5 The Kings will try to get back in the win column as they tip off against the New York Knicks on Saturday night with a 4:30pm PST tip at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks have going well of late, they are third in the NBA Eastern Conference at 29-16. The Knicks are 14-8 at the Garden and have won five of their last ten games.

Join Jeremiah for the Sacramento Kings podcasts each Friday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Kings Get Stomped By the Fourth Place Denver Nuggets 132-123

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The Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) drives on Sacramento Kings forward Domantas Sabonis (11) in the first half at Ball Arena in Denver on Thu Jan 23, 2025 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

The Sacramento Kings (23-21) trailed for the entire game losing to the Denver Nuggets (28-16) 132-123 at Ball Arena in Denver. They got close in the final minutes of the fourth quarter but came up just short. Whether they were suffering from fatigue after finishing last night’s game very late; they had an off shooting night, extremely off. They were attempting some pretty wild shots and they were not dropping.

Game wrap up: Sacramento hung tight with the Nuggets through the first half of the opening 12 minutes. The Nuggets were having a lot more success from beyond the arc then the Kings with four to Sacramento’s one.

Malik Monk had two personal fouls mid-way through the quarter and had to take to the bench which was a bit of blow for the Kings. Denver really began to flex their muscle and with two minutes left in the quarter had taken a ten-point lead 36-26 prompting Doug Christie to take a third time-out. As the quarter came to end the Nuggets had a 40-31 lead. The Nuggets were doing everything right with the one exception: shots from the line were not great at 54%.

Going into the second quarter, the Kings had their work cut out for them. Denver was running on all cylinders offensively continuing to extend their lead and with under six minutes left in the quarter had taken a 58-41 lead.

The Kings were getting completely outplayed by the Nuggets offensively and defensively and Sacramento just didn’t have an answer. Denver had more defensive rebounds 18-11, more offensive rebounds 11-5 with better shooting percentages from the field and from beyond the arc. In a blink, the Nuggets had opened up an 22-point lead 70-48 leaving the Kings in the dust. At the half, the Nuggets were cruising leading 74-52.

Sacramento was unable to stop the bleeding in the third quarter and after three quarters, the Nuggets were leading 110-85. Denver finished off the third quarter with a Jokic 66-ft jumper as the clock expired. This guy continues to amaze with his 20th triple-double this season.

The Kings went on a 11-0 run to start the fourth quarter cutting the Nugget lead more than in half from 25 to 11, 110-99. Sacramento would get as close as five points but come up just short. They had finished Wednesday night’s game very late, boarded a plane for Denver and fatigue could have played into the poor showing. This game got ugly in the first half and continued well into the third quarter. Sacramento did outscore the Nuggets in the fourth quarter 38-22 but it was too little too late.

Every Sacramento starter had double figures, and Domantas Sabonis had a double double with 23 points and 19 rebounds. The high for the Kings was DeMar DeRozan with 24 points and six rebounds. The Nuggets Nikola Jokic had the game high with 35 points, 17 assists and 22 rebounds.

Game notes: Thursday night the Kings were back on the road traveling to Denver and took on the Nuggets. This was a huge challenge for the Kings and it all started with Nikola Jokic. Containing this guy was a tough call. Wednesday night the Nuggets blasted the Sixers to the tune of 144-109 and Jokic recorded his 19th triple-double of the season. It will be very difficult keeping this guy under wraps.

The Kings came into this game after beating the Golden State Warriors Wednesday night in a tight contest. The Kings didn’t get a great start in that game but came on in the fourth quarter to seal the deal 123-117. Sacramento was looking for a much improved first quarter. In the Kings last meeting with the Nuggets Dec 16, Denver came away with a one-point win 130-129.

Jamal Murray hit a game-winning jumper with 8.6 seconds left in the game. Murray will be another Nugget to keep an eye on along with Russell Westbrook and Michael Porter Jr. Denver is loaded with weapons but the Kings will have their starting lineup available and they have been playing some solid ball. Sacramento will be looking for their fourth win in a row.

Sacramento will continue on the road traveling to New York for a date with the Knicks Saturday. They will have a day off Friday and get a little rest before playing on Saturday with tipoff scheduled for 4:30pm PST. They will be looking to put this game behind them and get back on the winning track in New York.

Kings Outlast Warriors After Lackluster First Half 123-117

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Sacramento Kings forward DeMar DeRozan (10) takes a shot over the Golden State Warriors guard Dennis Schroder (71) in the second half at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Wed Jan 22, 2025 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

Wednesday night, the Sacramento Kings (23-20) outlasted the Golden State Warriors (21-22) 123-117 after a lackluster first half of basketball. DeMar DeRozan had a 19 point third quarter and finished the game with 32 points. The Kings have not lost a game at home since Doug Christie became interim Head Coach. Every starter for Sacramento had double figures in a sparkling second half of basketball.

Game recap: The Kings got a bit of a slow start in the opening 12 minutes of play. The Kings finally got it together and going into the second quarter Golden State had taken a 24-20 lead. The Warriors continued to stay on top of the Kings hitting over 52% from downtown while the Kings were struggling at only 38%.

Sacramento was yet to heat up from beyond the arc in fact the Kings starting lineup was struggling to hit their stride at all. With a little over seven minutes left in the half, the Warriors had taken an 13 points lead 44-31.

Doug Christie was forced to take a timeout looking to stop the bleeding. The Kings were missing far too many open shots continuing to drag offensively. The Warriors took a 17 point lead into the locker room at the half 65-48.

By halftime Domantas Sabonis was the only King in double digits with 14 points and the Warriors Andrew Wiggins and Stephen Curry each had 12 points. Golden State had outscored the Kings 41-28 in the second quarter.

Going into the second half, Sacramento needed a much improved offensive effort. They were protecting the ball well with only five turnovers but were falling flat from beyond the arc as well as points in the paint. They were also struggling coming away with only two offensive rebounds.

Mid-way through the third quarter the Kings made a push cutting the Warriors 17 point lead to ten 64-74. With 4:21 left in the quarter, Sacramento still trailed by ten points 69-79. Domantas Sabonis clocked another double double with 18 points and 14 rebounds with nearly four minutes left in the third quarter.

All of the Kings starters with the exception of De’Aaron Fox had double figures. Fox was really struggling only hitting six points and one rebound. The Kings continued to trail by ten points looking to get into single digits.

With under two minutes left in the quarter the Kings had indeed cut the Warriors lead to single digits 80-85. Warriors Head Coach Steve Kerr called a time-out with 1:14 left in the third. The Warriors had eight turnovers in the third quarter alone in eleven minutes of ugly basketball. As the third quarter came to an end this game was tied at 85 and the Kings had erased a 17 point half-time Warrior lead. DeMar DeRozan had scored 19 third quarter points.

The Kings started the fourth quarter by taking their first lead since the early moments of the first quarter 87-85. The Warriors answered right back with a slew of three’s taking back the lead 99-92. Golden State had hit 19 three’s to the Kings eight.

Sacramento answered and took a six point lead with 6:44 left in the game but the Warriors came roaring back with a couple more three’s and the game was tied once again. With 1:30 left on the clock the Kings had a 117-113 lead and this game was going down to the wire.

With 1:07 left in the game clutch player De’Aaron Fox gave the Kings a 119-113 lead. The final was 123-117 in favor of Sacramento in a game of constant fourth quarter lead changes.

After a slow first half, the Sacramento Kings really turned it on. DeMar DeRozan had the game high with 32 points and 5 rebounds. Domantas Sabonis had a double double with 26 points and 18 rebounds.

De’Aaron Fox had a couple of clutch shots in the final minutes of the fourth quarter finishing with 14 points and five rebounds. Malik Monk had 20 points and Keegan Murray finished with 13 points in one amazing second half of basketball.

The Warriors did a great job containing De’Aaron Fox in the first three quarters but he turned in eight points in the final quarter as Sacramento won their third game in a row.

The Warriors had a banner night from beyond the arc hitting 22 but it was just not enough to get past the surging Kings.

Game recap: Wednesday night a Northern California battle took place at Golden 1 Center between the Kings and the Warriors. The Kings are currently in seventh place in the Western Conference after climbing out of a 12th place position. The Warriors sit in 11th place.

The Warriors took the court without the services of Draymond Green and Jonathan Kuminga on Wednesday. Green is dealing with a mild calf strain and Kuminga is suffering from a lateral right ankle sprain. The Kings played this game without injury. Sacramento continued their win streak at home not having lost a game under interim coach Doug Christie. They picked up their third win in a row and their ninth win out of 11 starts.

There will not be a whole lot of down time for Sacramento after Wednesday night’s game. They hop on a plane Wednesday night heading out to Denver for a matchup with the fourth place Nuggets Thursday night. Tipoff for that game is scheduled for 6:00 PM. The Kings will be in search of their fourth win in a row.