Sacramento Kings forward Drew Eubanks (19) takes a shot over the Los Angeles Lakers center Jaxson Hayes (11) in the first half at Crypto.com Arena on Sun Mar 1, 2026 (AP News photo)
Sacramento Kings podcast Barbara Mason:
1.The Sacramento Kings have had a few wins this past week one of them breaking a historic losing streak but more importantly their younger players have really made strides that will benefit them down the road.
2.Sunday night the Kings took on a formidable opponent the Los Angeles Lakers with not only veteran LeBron James but also Luca Doncic who has been nothing short of amazing with Los Angeles.
3.While it was a most disappointing game for the Kings, there was some outstanding play from some of the newer and younger players.
4.Veteran Russell Westbrook got a technical very early in this game. What was going on what exactly went down to draw this foul.
5.Now the Kings head home to Golden 1 to take on another playoff contender a tough matchup with the Phoenix Suns.
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.
Los Angeles Lakers guard Luca Doncic (77) takes a shot against the Sacramento Kings guard Nique Clifford (5) in the first half at Crypto Arena in Los Angeles on Sun Mar 1, 2026 (AP News photo)
By Barbara Mason
The Sacramento Kings (14-48) pulled to within ten points of the Los Angeles Lakers in the third quarter before the Los Angeles Lakers (36-25) waltzed away with this game with a 128-104 win Sunday night at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.
Luca Doncic finished with the game high of 28 points. The second half was no contest with the Lakers dominating. The Kings Nique Clifford had a terrific game with 26 points and seven rebounds and Maxime Raynaud had a double double, 16 points and 13 rebounds.
Game recap: The Lakers dominated the first quarter outscoring the Kings 36-18. Sacramento was struggling from the start but they did turn things around significantly in the second quarter outscoring the Lakers 31-28. Los Angeles at one time in the first half had a 22 point lead but the Kings cut that lead down to 15 64-49 at the half. The Kings got off to a slow start but had a solid second quarter of play.
At the half, Russell Westbrook had 12 points and Nique Clifford also had a good half of basketball with ten. They were the only two Kings in double digits. DeMar DeRozan had a sluggish first half scoring only four points as did Maxime Raynaud also with four points although he did have seven rebounds. They had made up some ground in the later minutes of the second quarter and were looking to continue to cut into the Laker lead in the third quarter.
Deandre Ayton, Austin Reeves and of course Doncic were all dominating in the first half and the Kings would have to continue to push in the second half.
The Kings took their hot finish in the first half into the third quarter. At 8:32 the Kings trailed by ten points 68-58 as they continued to try and climb back into this game. When it started to look promising the Lakers ran their lead back up to 19, 81-62 and took the third quarter away.
We got to see the magic touch of Doncic finishing off the third quarter scoring 28 points. He was ten of 16 from the floor and four of eight from downtown. Clifford was having a terrific game scoring 22 points with five rebounds. Los Angeles took a 20 point lead 96-76 into the fourth quarter.
LeBron James dazzled to start the fourth quarter as Los Angeles took a 105-81 lead their largest of the game. At 6:20 the Lakers were completely dominating on both ends of the court and Sacramento was getting clobbered 118-91. Los Angeles was all smiles in the second half of the quarter with the apparent win looming. In the final four minutes of the game, the Lakers had emptied their bench.
The high score for the Kings was Clifford who had a great game finishing with 26 points and seven rebounds. Raynaud had a double double, 16 points and 13 rebounds. DeRozan never really got going in this game finishing with nine points and four rebounds.
Four of the Laker starters finished in double figures with Doncic the high for the game with 28 points and five rebounds. Both Doncic and LeBron James left the game for much of the fourth quarter letting the bench finish the game.
Game notes: The Kings continued their road trip after beating the Dallas Mavericks last Thursday night 130-121. Sunday night the Kings lost to the sixth place Lakers. The Lakers welcomed back Russell Westbrook who formerly played with Los Angeles. Westbrook finished with 14 points and started along with DeRozan, Raynaud, Clifford and Precious Ashiuwa.
The Lakers with Sunday’s win take a 3-1 series lead . The Kings did beat them back on January 12, 124-113. Los Angeles have now won two games against the Kings. There were no injuries noted for the Lakers going into the game and they were at full strength. Sacramento faced another challenge with a lop-sided, short-handed roster going into Sunday’s game.
Tuesday night the Kings will face the seventh place team in the Western Conference. Sunday night’s game will end this current road trip and the Kings will be back at Golden 1 Arena as they face the Phoenix Suns. Tipoff for that game is scheduled for 8:00 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.
Sacramento Kings guard Malik Monk (left) shoots around Dallas Mavericks Dwight Powell (right) in the first half at American Airlines in Dallas on Thu Feb 27, 2026 (AP News photo)
Sacramento Kings podcast Tony Harvey:
#1 Can Zach LaVine is out for the season but could he have carried the scoring load against the Los Angeles Lakers’ defense and outduel LeBron James in key offensive possessions?
#2 How much will someone like Domantas Sabonis’ be missed out of the line up against a team like the Lakers.
#3 Will Malik Monk’s shooting from beyond the arc provide Sacramento with the spacing they need to keep pace with the Lakers’ perimeter defenders?
#4 Prescious Achiuwa how do you see him matching up against the Lakers on Sunday?
#5 How might Nique Clifford’s energy and defense influence the bench’s ability to slow down the Lakers’ second units?
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.
Sacramento Kings guard DeMar DeRozan (10) takes a shots agianst the Dallas Mavericks Naji Marshall (13) at American Airlines Center in Dallas on Thu Feb 26, 2026 (AP News photo)
By Barbara Mason
Despite a slew of additional injuries the Sacramento Kings (14-47) outlasted the Dallas Mavericks (21-37) winning 130-121. The high for the Kings went to Precious Achiuwa with 29 points, 12 rebounds for a double double.
Maxime Raynaud finished with 22 points and Devin Carter had 15 points and six rebounds. The kids took care of business when called upon. The Mavericks threatened throughout the second half and the Kings answered every time.
Game recap: The Kings have not played with their starting lineup for a single game this season due to injury. It has been a season like no other for Sacramento. Thursday night the team’s future players will take the court, players like Maxime Raynaud, Nique Clifford, and hopefully Devin Carter who did not take the court against the Rockets Wednesday night. It will no doubt be a completely new lineup for the Sacramento Kings. With Thursday’s win the Kings have now won two of their last three games.
As this game got underway the starting lineup of Precious Achiuwa, DeMar DeRozan, Maxime Raynaud, Nique Clifford and Devin Carter took the court. As time ran out on the opening quarter the Kings had taken a 42-28 lead.
Midway through the second quarter the Kings took their largest lead of the game 56-38. With four minutes left in the half the Mavericks started to turn the game around cutting the 18 point Kings lead to ten points 59-49. As the first half came to an end, the Kings were able to hang onto a double digit lead 68-56.
Once again Precious Achiuwa was doing the heavy lifting scoring 21 points with 8 rebounds. Maxime Raynaud also had double digits finishing the half with ten points and five rebounds. The team would need a lot more from veteran DeMar DeRozan who finished the half with only 5 points but we have seen him really heat up in the second half and the team would need him tonight. Drew Eubanks had nine points off the bench.
The third quarter did not go the Kings way as the Mavericks pulled to within single digits 72-69 threatening to tie up this game. Sacramento pushed back in a huge way pushing their lead back out to 16 points 91-75 with 3:47 left in the third.
The Kings went on a crazy run in the final minute of the quarter and going into the fourth quarter Sacramento had a 100-88 lead. Dallas refused to go away continuing to threaten the Kings lead setting up a wild fourth quarter.
Achiuwa continued to score as did Raynaud and Devin Carter got hot scoring 12 points with six rebounds through three. The good news for the Kings was having Monk on the floor scoring eight points through three quarters and Daeqwon Plowden also with eight points both off the bench.
Sacramento had a great start in the final quarter of the game leading 106-92 two minutes into the fourth. There was a lot of time left on the clock and the outcome of this game was still up in the air.
The Kings were showing a lot of resilience pushing back every time Dallas threatened coming uncomfortably close in the third quarter. With under seven minutes left in the game, the Mavericks again threatened trailing by only five points 105-110.
Could Sacramento continue to push back? With 4 1/2 minutes left in this game the Kings continued to push back leading 118-109. This game had turned into a real nail-biter. With three minutes left it was a 3-point Sacramento lead 118-115 and the race for the finish line had begun. It was a crazy finish but the Sacramento Kings held on for the win 130-121.
Precious Achiuwa had the team high with a double double 29 points and 12 rebounds. Maxime Raynaud had a terrific game with 22 points and Devin Carer finished with 15 points and seven rebounds. Nique Clifford also had double digits scoring 13 points with eight rebounds. Off the bench Daeqwon Plowden had the high with 19 points and four rebounds. It was a great game for the team tirelessly keeping the Mavericks from taking the lead for the majority of the game.
Game notes: Wednesday night the Kings took a beating at the hands of the Rockets 128-97. Thursday night they came back and defeated the Mavericks in a game the Kings felt they could handle. Of course it is common knowledge that Sacramento has lost three of their starters but it doesn’t stop there with the season-ending injuries to Zach LaVine, Domantas Sabonis and De’Andre Hunter.
In Thursday nights game, both Russell Westbrook and Keegan Murray were out. Westbrook who has been playing some stellar ball is out with a right thigh contusion. Murray will be out for an extended period with a re-aggravated left ankle sprain. He had previously missed 20 games with this same injury.
There could possibly be more bad news for the Kings with Malik Monk who was questionable with an ankle injury but played against the Mavericks for 19 minutes. The Mavericks have numerous injuries of their own with Kyrie Irving, Cooper Flagg, Dereck Lively lll and P.J. Washington all ruled out. The Mavericks come into this game having won back-to-back games over the Indiana Pacers and the Brooklyn Nets.
The Kings will now get some time off not taking the court until Sunday kicking off the month of March. They will remain on the road taking on Luca Doncic, LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers at crypto.com Arena. Tipoff for that game is scheduled for 6:30 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.
After finally breaking their 16-game losing streak in Memphis on Monday the Sacramento Kings (13-47)traveled to Houston losing to the Houston Rockets (36-21) in a blow-out. At one time in the game the Kings trailed by 36 points, getting beat 128-97.
Russell Westbrook had the team high of 22 points. The team suffered another injury when Keegan Murray appeared to have re-injured his ankle limping off the court in the first quarter. It is not known if he will take the court Thursday in Dallas but chances are that he will not.
Game recap: Houston smothered the Kings in the opening quarter of this game 33-22 setting the stage for what could turn out to be a dominating first half of basketball. It got even worse for Sacramento in the second quarter still dragging, getting outscored by Houston 44-28 and trailing at the half 77-50. It was a totally uninspiring first half of basketball for the Kings. They could not get any sort of rhythm going in the first half.
The only King who had anything going in the first half was Russell Westbrook. He had double digits at the half taking a lot of shots trying to carry his team: he really hustled in the opening quarter carrying it into the second quarter.
Sacramento just could not get into any sort of rhythm going and to make things more taxing, Keegan Murray left the game with 3:23 left in the first quarter with a left ankle injury. He limped off the court and was ruled out for the remainder of the game.
He had recently struggled with a recent left ankle injury and this marked another Sacramento starter out. This was only his fourth game back after a 20-game absence due to the left ankle injury and this appears to be a recurrence of that injury.
The Rockets with a 27-point lead at the half were cruising. Sacramento had a better third quarter but trailing by 27 points to start the second half they needed a whole lot more. The Rockets outscored them in the quarter 31-26 taking a 107-76 lead into the fourth quarter. The largest lead in the game for Houston was 36 points. They took care of business early and never looked back.
The Kings did outscore the Rockets in the final quarter 21-20 falling to Houston 128-97. Sacramento protected the ball well committing only 12 turnovers. They got scorched in the field and only hit seven shots from beyond the arc while the Rockets had 17 in this game. Again Russell Westbrook had the team high with 22 points and 5 rebounds. Maxime Raynaud finished with 11 points and five rebounds. Nique Clifford had a great game off the bench finishing with 15 points.
As expected the trio of Kevin Durant, Alperon Sengun and Reed Sheppard finished off the Kings. Sheppard had the game high with 28 points, Sengun with 26 and Durant with 21. Sengun had a triple-double with 13 rebounds and 11 assists. All three of these guys were on fire controlling the pace from start to finish.
Game notes: Monday evening the Kings broke an unimaginable losing streak, their longest in franchise history at 16 beating the Memphis Grizzlies 123-114. Wednesday night the Kings faced the third place team in the Western Conference, the Rockets.
The Kings were without three of their starters and Dylan Cardwell remains out with an ankle injury with a possible return date of March 19th. Although Keegan Murray had been listed out with an ankle issue he did take the court in this game. The Rockets have Amen Thompson and Fred VanVleet on the injured list.
This was a real test for Sacramento taking on one of the best teams in the Western Conference attempting to contain Kevin Durant, Reed Sheppard and Alperen Sengun. Monday night, the Rockets took it to the Utah Jazz 125-105 at home and Wednesday night the Rockets picked up another win.
It will be a quick turnaround for Sacramento traveling up to Dallas for a matchup with the Mavericks Thursday night. Tipoff for that game is scheduled for 5:30 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.
Sacramento Kings guard DeMar DeRozan (10) handles the ball against the Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaylen Wells (0) in the second half Fed Ex Forum in Memphis on Mon Feb 23, 2026 (AP News photo)
Sacramento Kings podcast Tony Renteria:
#1 How did DeMar DeRozan’s scoring performance impact the Kings’ offense and did he lead Sacramento in points against the Grizzlies?
#2 What role did Russell Westbrook play in facilitating the Kings’ offense on February 23, and how many assists did he record?
#3 How did Keegan Murray make an impact on both ends of the floor for Sacramento, and how effective was he against Memphis defenders?
#4 Maxime Raynaud had one of his better games during the matchup how did his rebounding and interior presence affect the Kings’ performance?
#5 Which Sacramento bench player (such as Malik Monk or Killian Hayes) provided the biggest scoring boost, and did that influence the tempo of the game?
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.
Sacramento Kings guard Russell Westbrook (left)takes the basketball against the Memphis Grizzlies guard Jahmai Mashack (right) in the first half at the Fed Ex Forum in Memphis on Mon Feb 23, 2026 (AP News photo)
By Barbara Mason
We can all breath a sigh of relief as the Sacramento Kings (13-46) held on to beat the Memphis Grizzlies (21-35) and put an end to the longest losing streak in franchise history (16 losses in a row). The final score was 123-114. In a well-balanced game, the game high for the Kings was Russell Westbrook who scored 25 points. Both Precious Achiuwa and Maxime Raynaud had double doubles and four of the five starters finished in double digits.
Game recap: The Kings got off to a great start leading after the first quarter 33-25. The Grizzlies came right back outscoring Sacramento in the second quarter 36-30. In a back and forth game, the Kings took a slim half-time lead 63-61. It had been a quiet game for Keegan Murray but it was Precious Achiuwa who really showed up playing an aggressive game. Maxime Raynaud was also played a terrific game in the first half.
The Kings edged the Grizzlies as the third quarter came to an end outscoring Memphis 29-28. They led 92-89 looking to hold on in the fourth quarter and at long last put this longest losing streak in franchise history behind them.
As the quarter got underway Sacramento continued to extend their lead and at 8:28 the Kings had built a 104-92 lead. Maxime Raynaud already had a double double as did Precious Achiuwa.
Three bench players were in double digits and four of their five starters had shot in double digits. They were rolling and looking to hold on for the win. The Grizzlies threatened with four minutes left in the game.
They cut a 12-point Sacramento lead to eight but each time Memphis challenged, the Kings pushed their lead back out. Sacramento had their fourth road win of the season and their losing streak was finally in their rearview.
Despite playing shorthanded the Sacramento Kings put together a terrific game in their win tonight. The high for Sacramento went to Russell Westbrook who scored 25 points: this was also the game high.
Precious Achiuwa had a double double with 22 points and 12 rebounds. Maxime Raynaud also had a double double with 10 points and 13 rebounds. DeMar DeRozan came away with 19 points, a great showing for the starters.
The bench was also a huge part of this win. Daeqwon Plowden had the high off the bench with 19 points and five rebounds. Nique Clifford bounced back scoring 12 points with six rebounds and Malik Monk finished with ten points. Sacramento led for most of this game determined to put this losing streak behind them and they succeeded.
Post game notes: Monday night the Kings continued their latest road trip after losing to the San Antonio Spurs Saturday night 139-122. Despite paying shorthanded, without Zach LaVine, Domantas Sabonis and De’Andre Hunter all out for the season, the Kings put up a great fight through three quarters forcing the Spurs to have to step up and finally close out the game.
The Kings missed Dylan Cardwell in this game who has been out for at least four weeks. The Kings leaned heavily on DeMar DeRozan and Keegan Murray to end to their current losing streak which ended at 16 games.
The Grizzlies have also struggled this season losing their last game to the Heat 136-120 last Saturday. The Grizzlies have suffered a lot of injuries this season much like the Kings. Ja Morant will not play in Monday’s game and is not expected to return until possibly early March. He is dealing with a left elbow UCL sprain.
It’s now off to Houston for the Kings to take on Kevin Durant and the Rockets Wednesday night. Tipoff for that game is scheduled for 5:00PM.
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.
Its a scramble for the basketball between the San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (center) is fouled while struggling with the Sacramento Kings guard DeMar DeRozan (10) and forward Maxime Raynaud (42) behind at Frost Bank Center Arena in San Antonio on Sat Feb 21, 2026 (AP News photo)
Sacramento Kings podcast Barbara Mason
1.Just when you thought things could not get any worse for the Sacramento Kings they just did. This has been a season like no other and the Kings still have another 25 plus games to go and the hope is that the current roster can stay healthy.
2.Saturday night the shorthanded Kings took on the powerhouse San Antonio Spurs on the road and despite losing their 16th game in a row they put up a terrific fight through three quarters.
3. The Spurs had to fight through three quarters to finally put the game away in the fourth and it was Victor Wembanyama who really lit this game up in the final minutes.
4. The Kings DeMar DeRozan, Keegan Murray, Maxime Raynaud and Malik Monk kept the Kings in this game and really put the Spurs on notice for much of the game. San Antonio wore the Kings out in the fourth quarter to finally put this game away.
5.Monday night the Kings remain on the road taking on the Memphis Grizzlies. There will be no reinforcements on their radar at this point. Considering the outstanding effort in their game against the Spurs can the Kings finally break this losing streak.
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.
San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) takes a shot agianst the Sacramento Kings center Maxime Raynaud (42) in the second half at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio on Sat Feb 21, 2026 (AP News photo)
By Barbara Mason
With three of the Sacramento Kings (12-46) starting lineup players out for the season after assorted injuries followed by surgeries the Kings were faced with a daunting task taking on Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs (40-16).
The Kings fought throughout three quarters but ran out of steam in the fourth quarter. They played three great quarters but succumbed to San Antonio in the fourth losing their 16th game in a row 139-122.
Wembanyama was electric in the fourth quarter of the game finishing with 28 points and 15 rebounds. The Kings Keegan Murray and DeMar DeRozan each had 20 points in this game.
Game review: Saturday night the Kings took on the power-house San Antonio Spurs. Sacramento depended on the returning Keegan Murray, DeMar DeRozan and veteran Russell Westbrook. Rookie Maxime Raynaud and Precious Achiuwa rounded out the starting lineup in this lop-sided matchup.
Minutes into the first quarter the Spurs took an 11-0 lead prompting a Kings time-out. Sacramento came back onto the court with renewed energy. San Antonio at one time during the quarter had a a 15-point lead threatening to walk away with the quarter but the Kings kept plugging away when they could have folded. As the first 12 minutes of play came to a finish San Antonio had a 4-point lead 35-31.
The second quarter was a mixed bag with the Kings taking as much as a four point lead with numerous ties throughout the quarter. Despite trailing after two quarters Sacramento was making a game out of this contest. The Spurs had a 73-65 lead going into the half. The Kings had made a great come-back after a slow start and they would need more in the second half.
Murray and DeRozan each scored 14 points in the first half of play. Raynaud already had a double double hitting ten points with ten rebounds and the Kings were sure to see more from him in the third quarter.
Monk had the high off the bench with 13 points. The team had seven turnovers in the first half. San Antonio was ruling the paint but the Kings had the edge at the line hitting 14 of 15.
Stephon Castle shot for 13 points in the first half for San Antonio and the Kings were doing a great job containing Wembanyama allowing only 11 points and eight rebounds. Sacramento would have to pull out all the stops in the second half but they had put the Spurs on notice in the first half.
Three minutes into the third quarter the Spurs began to flex their muscle taking a ten-point lead 84-74. Sacramento would need another comeback after a slow start to the second half. With Wembanyama a constant threat under the basket the Kings had their work cut out for them. And fight they did!!
With 6:52 left on the clock in the quarter the Kings had cut the Spurs ten point lead more than in half 85-82. With Sacramento again threatening, San Antonio was forced to take a timeout. The Spurs really turned it on to end the quarter taking a 105-94 lead pushing their advantage out to 11 points going into the fourth quarter.
The Kings were down to their final quarter continuing to hang around stubbornly refusing to fold. A couple of minutes into the fourth quarter the electric Wembanyama got to work, taking care of business and having his way with Sacramento giving his team a 120-103 lead displaying a driving dunk for their largest lead of the game.
With over eight minutes still left in the game there was no stopping San Antonio as they continued to extend their lead. The Kings did cut the Spurs 28 point lead in the fourth to 17 points fighting to the end but losing their 16th game of the season.
The high for the Kings in this game was shared by Murray and DeRozan each shooting for 20 points. Monk had the high off the bench with 19 points, a great effort. Raynaud had a double double with 16 points and 12 rebounds. Achiuwa chipped in 14 points. A great all-around effort for Sacramento despite losing.
Game notes: The Kings are trapped in a world of hurt right now as things go from bad to worse. When it seems like it couldn’t get anymore dire, well, it does. First the loss of Zach LaVine for the season. He underwent surgery to repair a torn tendon in his right hand right after the All-Star break.
A terrible loss but there is more, so much more. Big man Domantas Sabonis had surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee and is now out for the season. To make things even worse back-up center rookie Dylan Cardwell will be out for a reported four weeks due to a moderate left ankle sprain suffered during a workout at the team facility.
Then to top it off, the eye injury that newly acquired De’Andre Hunter suffered on February 6th was diagnosed as a retinal detachment. Friday afternoon he had surgery at Kaiser Permanente. While he is expected to make a full recovery he will be sidelined for approximately eight weeks.
Hunter had only appeared in two games as a King before getting injured. The concern that NBA commissioner Adam Silver has had regarding teams purposely tanking games cannot possibily apply to Sacramento. These injuries while reparable could possibly impact all of these players futures in the game and there is no way these guys are in anyway involved in such.
Next up for the Kings will be a road game taking on the Grizzlies in Memphis this Monday. Tipoff for this game is scheduled for 5:00PM.
Orlando Magic guard Anthony Black (0) is being pursued by the Sacramento Kings guard Malik Monk (right) in the first half at Golden 1 Center on Thu Feb 19, 2026 (AP News photo)
Sacramento Kings podcast Tony Harvey:
#1 How did Russell Westbrook’s playmaking and assist numbers impact the Kings’ offense against the Magic on Feb. 19, 2026?
#2 What role did DeMar DeRozan play in the Kings’ scoring effort during the matchup with Orlando, and how effective was he?
#3 How did Keegan Murray perform in terms of scoring and rebounding for Sacramento in this game?
#4 In the Kings’ rotation on Feb. 19, how did Maxime Raynaud contribute compared to expectations, and what statistical impact did he have?
#5 Given the Kings’ injuries and lineup changes, how did role players like Precious Achiuwa and Malik Monk influence Sacramento’s competitiveness in this game?
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.
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