Category: Sacramento Kings

Kings Collide With Celtics Getting Punished by Boston 112-93; Loss is eight straight for Sacramento

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The Boston Celtics guard Payton Pritchard center drives past the Sacramento Kings defense at TD Garden in Boston on Fri Jan 30, 2026 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

The Sacramento Kings (12-38) have struggled all season trying to handle an extremely difficult game schedule, constant injury and this recent road trip was more of the same. Games against some of the best teams in the NBA, and Friday night’s matchup with the Boston Celtics (30-18) was no different.

Boston built an instant 15-point lead in the opening quarter and by the third quarter had close to a thirty point lead. The final was 112-93. The Kings did cut the 31 point lead to 19 points when all was said and done but the Celtics prevailed all evening. The high for the Kings was Zach LaVine who scored 17 points and Maxime Raynaud had a double double, 14 points and 14 rebounds. Raynaud had a terrific effort.

After getting edged Thursday night by the Philadelphia Sixers 113-111 the Kings traveled to Boston for a matchup with the Celtics Friday night. The Celtics remain in a second place tie with the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference.

Friday night Zach LaVine started and Malik Monk was back on the floor as Keegan Murray remains out with an ankle injury. Domantas Sabonis will be out and Russell Westbrook remains out with a foot injury.

The Celtics were short-handed due to an injury to two of their outstanding starters. Jalen Brown is out until February 1st with a hamstring injury and Jayson Tatum has a serious achilles injury keeping him sidelined until April.

Despite these losses the Celtics remain a huge threat and the struggling Kings couldn’t get the maximum effort from the starters to the bench to avoid their eighth loss in a row.

Sacramento got off to an awful start in this game. As the first quarter came to an end the Celtics had a 40-25 lead. The King had dug themselves into a deep hole that just got deeper as the second quarter concluded.

Boston had outscored the Kings 32-21 in the quarter and led at the half 72-46. Despite being without Jayson Tatum the entire season and Jalen Brown missing their last game Boston had built a huge lead in the first two quarters of the game.

Where were the starters in the first half of this game for Sacramento. LaVine finished the half with 13 points while the rest of the starters collectively scored ten points. The bench was slow to get started with Monk the high with eight points.

The Kings had a whole lot of work to do in the second half. The Celtics Payton Pritchard had it all going on with some great support from Baylor Scheierman and Neemias Queta. Boston had simply outplayed the Kings at every turn in the first half.

It was more of the same for the Kings in the third quarter as the Celtics continued to build on their lead with Boston closing in on a 30 point lead. The offensive effort from Sacramento remained stagnant as the quarter wore on. They never really got started and never recovered. The Kings outscored the Celtics in the third 20-17 but those three points made little difference in the 89-66 Boston lead.

The Kings cut the Celtics lead by a bit in the fourth quarter. The highest Boston lead in the game had been 31 points but Sacramento had cut it to 21 points.with 8:29 left in the game. That was about as much headway as the Kings were able to make. With under three minutes left on the clock and a 21-point lead this game was all but done. Sacramento had lost their eighth game in a row.

LaVine had the high for Sacramento with 17 points and off the bench Nique Clifford finished with 15 points. Raynaud had a double double with 14 points and 14 rebounds. The Kings did outscore the Celtics in the fourth quarter 27-23.

Sunday afternoon the Kings take on the Washington Wizards another struggling team. Both teams have similar records with Sacramento looking to put an end to an eight game losing streak. Tipoff for this game is scheduled for 3:00 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. 

Sixers Edge Kings 113-111 With Maxey Hitting Winning Layup; 76ers hand Sac their 7th straight loss

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Sacramento Kings Dennis Schroder (17) drives on the Philadelphia 76ers Joel Embiid (21) in the first half at the Xfinity Mobile Center in Philadelphia on Thu Jan 29, 2026 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

The Sacramento Kings (12-37 lost their seventh game in a row Thursday night to the Philadelphia Sixers (26-21) 113-111. They had an 11-point lead mid-way through the fourth quarter but allowed the Sixers back in the game. The game could not have been closer as the clock ran out on the Kings.

Game recap: The first two quarters were close with the Sixers outscoring the Kings in each of the first two quarters. After the first 12 minutes of play the Sixers had taken a three-point lead 28-15. The Sixers outscored Sacramento in the second quarter 32-29, another three points with Philadelphia taking a 60-54 at the half.

DeMar DeRozan had a great first half with 21 points and Dennis Schroeder, who started in this game, scored 15 points. Not much else was going on as far as scoring for Sacramento. Zach LaVine did start in the game playing off the bench scoring five points in the opening half. The Kings had remained close in the first half but were unable to get over the top.

The Kings got as close as two points in the third quarter at 6:59, 68-70 and tied up the game seconds later at 70 forcing the Sixers to take a timeout. Domantas Sabonis broke into double digits in the quarter finishing three quarters with 14 points. At 4:16 the Kings took a 77-75 lead. As the third quarter came to an end, the Kings had a 92-88 lead when Keon Ellis hit a 23-foot three pointer.

Going into the fourth quarter Sacramento had built momentum that had been missing in the first three quarters. The task at hand would be to grow that momentum through the quarter. The largest lead the Kings had in this game was six points when again Ellis made a running dunk giving Sacramento a 98-92 lead.

There were more timeouts for the Sixers when the Kings took a 100-92 lead at 8:13. The remainder of the game was a see-saw affair in which Sacramento got the short end of the deal losing 113-111. This was their seventh loss in a row, a major disappoint when they had taken a 11-point lead mid-way through the fourth.

Sacramento come so close but missed a lot of shots in the final minutes coupled with fouls and turnovers. The 17 turnovers in the game did the Kings no favors. They played the Sixers close for much of the game and very nearly pulled off an upset.

The Kings put up some good numbers with Dennis Schroeder finishing with 27 points the high for the Kings. DeRozan scored 25 points and Sabonis had 17. The Sacramento bench high score went to LaVine with 17 points and Ellis with 10 points. The Kings had 46 rebounds in the game to the Sixers 24 about as lopsided as you can get.

The Kings had their hands full trying to contain Tyrese Maxey who finished with the game high of 40 points. Right behind him was Joel Embiid with 37 points. The Sixers did just enough to get past the Kings for the win.

Game notes: Thursday the Kings lost to the Sixers playing the fourth game of their current road trip. Tuesday they suffered their sixth loss in a row losing to the New York Knicks 103-87 their third road loss on this road trip. They continued the loss streak with a discouraging loss Thursday night. Keegan Murray remains out with an ankle injury and an expected return date of Febraury 4th. Malik Monk is out with an ankle injury and Russell Westbrook out with a foot issue with both looking at a January 30th return against the Boston Celtics. Zach LaVine will be back on the court after it had been decided at game time that he would be able to play.

It doesn’t get any easier for Sacramento as they travel to Boston for a matchup with the second place Celtics led by Jalen Brown. Tipoff for this game is scheduled for 4:30 PM at TD Garden.

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 podcast Jeremiah Salmonson: Kings aim to end 6 game skid in Philadelphia tonight

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Sacramento Kings Precious Achiuwa (left) defends against the New York Knicks Karl Anthony Townes (right) at Madison Square Garden New York on Tue Jan 27, 2026 (AP News photo)

On the Sacramento Kings podcast Jeremiah Salmonson:

#1 How will Domantas Sabonis’ matchup against the Sixers’ (25-21) interior defenders like Joel Embiid impact Sacramento’s (12-26) ability to control the boards and generate second-chance points?

#2 What kind of scoring and playmaking contribution can DeMar DeRozan provide, especially if the Kings fall behind early and need a veteran scoring lift?

#3 With Zach LaVine listed as a key scorer for the Kings this season, how might his outside shooting affect Sacramento’s spacing against Philly’s defense?

#4 Given his experience and ball-handling ability, what impact might Russell Westbrook have on the pace of play and the Kings’ transition offense?

#5 How will Dennis Schroder’s role in facilitating offense and defending Philadelphia’s guards influence Sacramento’s chances in a likely high-tempo game?

Join Jerremiah Salmonson for the Sacramento Kings podcasts each Thursday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

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. 

Losing Streak at six Wears On For Kings in Loss to Knicks 103-87

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New York Knicks Jalen Brunson (11) drives past the Sacramento Kings Domantas Sabonis (11) in the first half at Madison Square Garden in New York on Tue Jan 27, 2026 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

The losses continue to mount for the Sacramento Kings (12-36) after losing to the New York Knicks (28-18) 103-87. They have now lost six games in a row with no end in sight. DeMar DeRozan had a great game finishing with 34 points but that was about it for the team. No one else did anything of merit although Domantas Sabonis did have a double double with 11 points and 12 rebounds.

Game recap: The Knicks got off to a fast start taking a ten-point lead over Sacramento after the first 12 minutes of play 36-26. As the second quarter got underway the tide began to turn around as the Kings outscored the Knicks 25-16 in the quarter. Despite getting outscored by Sacramento in the second quarter the Knicks retained the lead by a single point 52-51. It had been a very competitive first half for the Kings with DeMar DeRozan having a solid game but getting no support from fellow starters.

The third was another close quarter with the Kings coming out on top 21-20 and going into the fourth quarter this game was all tied up at 72. Sacramento was now faced with another fourth quarter opportunity to win the game and put an end to their losing streak.

Fourth quarters of games have been the Kings undoing more often than not this season. Sacramento needed some support for their hot man in the game DeRozan. Through three quarters DeRozan was getting little help from his starters nor the bench.

As the fourth quarter got underway you could sense another meltdown from Sacramento. It had looked so promising going into the final quarter but it all began to slip away. It was a one-point game after the first three minutes of play but mid-way through the quarter the Knicks continued to extend their lead. Around the three minute mark New York took a ten-point lead 95-85 and the Knicks never looked back finishing off Sacramento 103-87 handing the Kings their sixth loss in a row.

DeRozan never got the support he so desperately needed. He had an amazing game finishing with 34 points and five rebounds. Russell Westbrook and Domantas Sabonis finally got double digit numbers in the fourth quarter, Westbrook with 14 points and Sabonis had a double double with 11 points and 12 rebounds.

The Kings bench was quiet in this game. Dylan Cardwell only had four points but he did have ten rebounds. The Knicks outshot Sacramento in the field and from beyond the arc, and the Kings had 17 turnovers. In all fairness the Knicks had more turnovers than the Kings with 21. The turning point in the game was the New York offense who at one time in the game had an 18-point lead.

The high for the Knicks was Jalen Brunson with 28 points and some great support from Mikal Bridges (18 points), Karl-Anthony Towns (17 points) and OG Anunoby (15). The Knicks didn’t get a whole lot of support from their bench either.

Game notes: After getting beaten pretty soundly Sunday by the Detroit Pistons 139-116 the Kings lost a tough one at Madison Square Gardens in their matchup with the Knicks. Sacramento had beaten the Knicks back on January 14th 112-101. Tuesday night the Kings were be without Zach LaVine, Keegan Murray and Malik Monk. LaVine is out with a back issue and both Monk and Murray have ankle injuries.

Both Monk and LaVine will in all probability return for their next game on Thursday against the Sixers. The Kings now have an estimated return date for Murray which looks like February 4th. The Kings are now riding on an ugly six game losing streak right now and hope to put an end to that against the Sixers.

The Kings continue their road trip taking on the Philadelphia Sixers Thursday night with tipoff scheduled for 4:00 PM.

Sacramento Kings podcast Tony Renteria: Kings and Knicks tip off at Madison Square Garden tonight

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Sacramento Kings head coach Doug Christie leads the Kings into Madison Square Garden on Tue Jan 27, 2026 for a tip off with the New York Knicks (AP News photo)

Sacramento Kings podcast Tony Renteria:

#1 Can the Kings DeMar DeRozan continue his scoring leadership?

#2 What impact will the Kings Dennis Schröder’s shooting have?

# 3 How will the Kings Russell Westbrook influence the pace and playmaking?

#4 What role will the Kings Malik Monk play in this matchup?

#5 How will the Kings Maxime Raynaud be used against bigger Knicks front-court players?

Join Tony for the Sacramento Kings podcasts Tuesdays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

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. 

Another Loss For Sacramento At Hands of Pistons 139-116; Loss is fifth straight for Kings

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Sacramento Kings guard Russell Westbrook (right) drives against the Detroit Pistons guard Daniss Jenkins (24) in the first half at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on Sun Jan 25, 2026 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

The Sacramento Kings (12-35) suffered yet another loss stringing their defeats to five in a row. This loss came at the hands of the red-hot Detroit Pistons (33-11) 139-116. This game was tied after the first 12 minutes of play at 35 but Detroit broke the game wide open in the second quarter outscoring the Kings 43-30.

It was all downhill from there with Sacramento getting outscored in the third and fourth quarters. It was another low key game for the Sacramento starters but was again a great game for the bench who successfully scored 56 collective points scoring almost half of the total for the game.

Game recap: This game was a close one after the first 12 minutes of play tied at 35. This is a pattern the Kings have seen far too often from Sacramento leading to a collapse in the final quarters.

This game was more of the same with the Kings getting outscored 43-30 in the second quarter giving the Pistons a 78-65 lead at the half. The Pistons are leading the Eastern Conference and so expectations were pointing to a fifth win for Detroit in their last six games.

The Pistons outscored Sacramento in the third quarter 35-28 and went on to finish off the Kings in the fourth quarter outscoring them 26-23. This was Sacramento’s fifth loss in a row. The impressive winning streak that the Kings had celebrated earlier in the month was now a distant memory and they have settled back into mediocrity at best.

The Pistons Cade Cunnington had the high for the game with 29 points with eight of their bench players adding points. They have a very deep balanced team which explains the success they are having this season.

The Kings never really got any kind of lead after the first quarter which ended in a tie. They faltered mightily for the rest of the game The high for the Sacramento starters was DeMar DeRozan with only 16 points.

It was a disappointing showing for the starters. Domantas Sabonis was back in the starting lineup for this game scoring 12 points with 7 rebounds. The high for the team was off the bench with Malik Monk scoring 19 points.

The Kings shot around 60% from the line and the 19 turnovers hurt as well. conceding 28 points. The largest lead for Sacramento in this game was seven points which was overshadowed by the 25 point lead the Pistons had amassed.

As the Kings approach the trade deadline in early February they are sure to see some major overhauls. The way things are headed right now cannot continue for very much longer. With every game the Kings are seeing deepening disappointments so something has got to give and they will shortly find out what will transpire.

Game notes: Sunday afternoon the Kings took on the Eastern Conference leading Pistons. Domantas Sabonis started the game after playing off the bench since his return he scored 12 points. The Kings have now lost five games in a row after Sunday’s loss and will have to find some relief in their next game Tuesday in New York as they continue to struggle.

The Kings will next match-up with the New York Knicks on Tuesday evening with tipoff scheduled for 4:30 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 podcast Tony Harvey: Kings look to snap 4 game skid in Detroit on Sunday

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Cleveland Cavaliers guard Jayson Tyson (20) goes to the basket against the Sacramento Kings guard Malik Monk (0) at Rocket Arena in Cleveland on Fri Jan 23, 2026 (AP News photo)

Sacramento Kings podcast Tony Harvey:

#1 Domantas Sabonis delivered a big performance off the bench with 24 points and 16 rebounds — how would you evaluate his energy and impact against Cleveland, especially during key stretches in the second half?

#2 Dennis Schröder had a strong scoring night with 21 points — what adjustments did he make to find rhythm against the Cavaliers’ defense, and how important was that for the team’s offensive flow?

#3 DeMar DeRozan contributed 20 points — what did you see from him in terms of leadership and execution down the stretch, particularly in late-game possessions?

#4 After taking a late lead before a Cleveland comeback, what do you think the Kings can learn from how they closed out the fourth quarter, both offensively and defensively?

#5 Given that Sacramento continues a long road trip, how do you assess the team’s resilience and recovery, especially from players like Sabonis and Schröder who logged heavy minutes Friday night?

Join Tony Harvey for the Sacramento Kings podcasts Saturdays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

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. 

Kings Hang With Cavaliers Only to Come Up Short in the Fourth Quarter Losing 123-118

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Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Mitchell (31) goes for the basket against the Sacramento Kings forward Domantas Sabonis (right) at Rocket Arena in Cleveland on Fri Jan 23, 2026 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

The Sacramento Kings (12-33) hung with the Cleveland Cavaliers (25-20) through the first half and half of the third only to give up their lead which grew significantly in the fourth quarter. Sacramento lost the game 123-118 after trailing by two points with 90 seconds left in the game.

They had a great opportunity to win this game but a couple of fouls and missed shots in the final minute of play determined the winner. The Kings bench started the game and finished the first half with a collective 47 points.

Game recap: The Kings had a sluggish start, the Cavaliers going on a 11-0 run but battled back to tie up this game after the first 12 minutes of play. The first quarter came to an end with the two teams knotted at 35.

After some less than stellar games from their starters, the Kings played the majority of the opening quarter with their bench taking the court. They did not disappoint as they’re starters watched much of the game from the sidelines.

The second quarter was another see-saw battle with the two teams continuing to trade leads. The Cavaliers had as much as a 14 point lead in the game but it was Sacramento who led for much of the second quarter. The Kings outscored Cleveland in the quarter 36-33 and took a 71-68 lead into the half.

The Kings bench had a great first half of basketball collectively scoring 47 points. In the first two quarters Domantas Sabonis, Dennis Schroeder and Malik Monk each had double digits, Sabonis with 14, Schroeder with the team high of 17 and Monk with ten points.

The starters saw more action in the second quarter scoring 24 points collectively. Sacramento would need to take this battle into the second half and continue to keep pace with the Cavaliers.

Both teams were shooting well from the line and the Kings had the edge from beyond the arc and inside. Points in the paint were dead even with each team scoring 24 points. Another plus for the Kings was limiting the turnovers with only four in the half.

Three Cleveland starters finished the first half with double digits. Evan Mobley had the high for the first half with 19 points and Donovan Mitchell turning in 18 points.

The third quarter was more of the same with the Kings leading for the first five minutes of play by as much as five points. At 5:33 the Cavaliers took their most significant lead since the first quarter 87-82.

For the rest of the third quarter Cleveland continued to extend their lead taking a 100-89 lead with 1:22 left in the third. Going into the fourth quarter Cleveland had taken a 102-93 lead.

The Kings had trailed 11-0 to start the game and recovered and now they would need another surge with 12 minutes left in the game to do it. Four minutes into the final quarter the Kings made their move, cutting the 11-point Cavalier lead to four points 106-102 with 8:29 left in the game.

With 90 seconds left on the clock the Kings trailed by a couple of points 118-116. With a great chance to pull even it came down to Sacramento fouls and far too many missed shots in the final seconds. Sacramento has now lost four games in a row.

Sabonis finished the game with a double double. He had 24 points the high for the team and 16 rebounds. Schroeder had 21 points. DeRozan finished the game with 20 points but not much more for the King starters. The team had 11 turnovers in this game and hit 13 3-pointers. Schroeder was 3 of 5 from beyond the arc and Monk was 4 of 9.

Game notes: Friday night the Kings took on the Cavaliers in their first game on the road in quite awhile. They come into this game after losing to the Toronto Raptors last Wednesday 122-109 and prior to that game they lost to the Miami Heat 130-117.

The Kings lost four games in a row the first three of them at Golden 1 Arena. Friday night the Kings sought to break their losing streak and get back on track. The Kings needed more production off their bench and looked to Nique Clifford, Dylan Cardwell, Malik Monk and Dennis Schroeder to get the Kings going in the right direction despite the effort the Kings lost by a five point deficit. Upon his return Domantas Sabonis will continue to play off the bench.

Donovan Mitchell had the high for the game hitting 33 and Evan Mobley had a double double with 29 points and 13 rebounds on Friday.

Sunday the Kings will travel to Detroit for a matchup with the Pistons. Tipoff for this game is scheduled for 12:00 PM.

Sacramento Kings game wrap: Kings drop seesaw battle 121-109 for third-straight loss to end homestand

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Toronto Raptors forward Brandon Ingram (3) grabs the rebound against Sacramento Kings forward Precious Achiuwa (9) in the first half at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Wed Jan 21, 2026 (AP News photo)

Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026

Golden 1 Center, Sacramento, California

Toronto Raptors 122 (27-19)

Sacramento Kings 109 (12-33)

By Stephen Ruderman

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings came out on the wrong side of a wild seesaw game against the Toronto Raptors, as Sacramento led by 12 points towards the end of the second quarter, but the Raptors came back, and won it by a final of 122-109 to hand the Kings a tough loss to end their seven-game homestand Wednesday night.

The Kings were right back at it after suffering their second-straight loss Tuesday night. The Raptors came up I-80 to Sacramento after a dominant win against the Warriors Tuesday night in San Francisco. Right away, Toronto gave the Kings problems.

Zach LaVine hit a three 20 seconds into the game to open the scoring for the Kings. Sandro Mamukelashvili then hit a three 27 seconds to tie it, and Brandon Ingram hit a jumper to give the Toronto lead.

Toronto jumped out to an eight-point 14-6 lead, just under three minutes into the game, when Immanuel Quickley hit a jumper. The Raptors took two more eight-point leads, and then the Kings had their chance in the latter part of the first quarter.

With the Raptors up 18-10 and 6:25 left in the first quarter, the Kings would start their drive, and very quickly went on a 8-2 run. LaVine threw down a dunk to cut the deficit to just two points at 20-18, and then he hit a three soon afterwards to put the Kings back ahead. The Kings made it a 20-6 run to close out the first quarter, and they led it 30-26.

The Kings kept their momentum going into the second quarter. Russell Westbrook and Malik Monk led the charge for the Kings, who opened up a 12-point-lead as the game approached the half.

The Kings went into the third quarter up 61-52. However, it seemed too good to be true for the Kings to have such a big lead over a strong Raptors’ team. Unfortunately, the third quarter would prove that correct.

Quickley hit a jumper to open the quarter for Toronto. Scottie Barnes was then fouled, and hit both shots from the line to make it 61-56.

Westbrook hit a three to give the Kings a brief reprieve. To give credit to the Kings: they fought tooth and nail to hold onto the lead in the early minutes of the quarter.

However, come the middle of the third quarter, the Raptors’ onslaught was too much. Barnes ran a layup to tie the game at 73-73 with 6:37 to go. Precious Achiuwa threw in a layup to put the kings back ahead.

Quickley was fouled, and hit both shots from the line to tie again. Ingram was also fouled, and he, too, hit both shots from the line. That gave the Raptors a 77-75 lead, their first since the first quarter.

It was a lead that the Raptors would not let go of for the remainder of the game, as they took complete control of the game at the end of the third quarter. Barnes and Jamal Shead let the scoring for Toronto in the third quarter with 14 and 10 points respectively.

The Raptors led 95-82 going to the fourth quarter. They eventually opened up their lead to 111-92 after a dunk by Mamukelashvili with 6:48 to go.

Just as they did last night, the Kings went down fighting. They were able to go on a 13-2 run, and cut Toronto’s lead to eight at 113-105 with 3:27 left after a layup by LaVine.

However, after Ingram immediately followed that up by hitting a jumper, that quickly extinguished any hopes of a miraculous Kings’ comeback. The Raptors won by a final of 121-109.

Ingram and Barnes led the Raptors in scoring with 23 points, and Ingram was money from beyond the arc, as he went 3-for-5 in three-point attempts. Mamukelashvili followed them up with 22 points, and was 8-for-14 in field goal attempts. Quickley scored 18, and Shead scored 15. Shea, like Ingram, was 3-for-5 from downtown.

Westbrook and Levine led the scoring for the Kings with 23 and 19 points respectively. Malik Monk followed them up with 17 points, and Dennis Schroder was right behind Monk with 16.

For the Kings, this is the third-straight loss, as they drop to 12-33. They will now head on the road for what will be a tough 6-game east coast swing. The trip will start Friday against a solid Cavaliers’ team in Cleveland. Tipoff will be at 7:30 p.m. in Cleveland, and 4:30 back home in Sacramento.

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 game wrap:Threes burn Kings, who drop second-straight, 130-118 to Miami

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Miami Heat forward Jamie Jaquez Jr (11) drives to the basket against the Sacramento Kings center Maxime Raynaud (42) in the first half at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento (AP News photo)

Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026

Golden 1 Center, Sacramento, California

Miami Heat 130 (23-21)

Sacramento Kings 117 (12-32)

By Stephen Ruderman

SACRAMENTO–After the Kings teased their fans with a four-game winning streak, they have dropped two-straight, as the Miami Heat came in won by a final of 130-117 in a game in which you could argue that the main highlight was a pair of skirmishes.

The Kings had their four-game winning streak snapped in a 117-110 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday night. They would be up against the Miami Heat, who came off a brutal 135-112 loss to the Golden State Warriors in San Francisco Wednesday night.

The Kings would catch somewhat of a break, as Miami center Kel’el Ware would be out with hamstring tightness that had bothered him throughout the day. However, the Heat would handle themselves just fine without him.

Zach LaVine fired the opening salvo with a jumper to give the Kings a 2-0 lead in the game’s first minute. However, after Davion Mitchell and Norman Powell hit threes for Miami, the Heat assumed control of the game.

A dunk by Bam Adebayo made it 12-6 Miami with 7:17 remaining in the first quarter. From there Miami’s lead remained steady for most of the quarter. A layup by Nique Clifford cut the score to 19-16 with 3:49 left, but the Heat ended the first quarter ahead 32-25.

However, LaVine had hit a three right at the buzzer to end the first quarter, and that gave the Kings a shot in the arm. Sacramento indeed made some noise, and almost came back early in the second quarter. Malik Monk hit a three, and LaVine threw in a layup to cut it to 32-30.

The Kings remained shortly behind over the next several minutes, but by the middle of the quarter, Miami was back in command. DeMar DeRozan was involved in a scuffle, and got hit with a technical foul. DeRozan still had some words for a few players on the Heat as he was escorted back to the Kings’ bench. The Head led 77-64 at the half.

LaVine had scored 10 points in the first quarter, but only scored two points in the second. Russell Westbrook came alive in the second quarter, as did DeRozan, who didn’t score at all in the first quarter, but scored 10 points in the second quarter.

The Kings bursted out of the gate in the third quarter with an 8-2 run in the first three minutes and five seconds. After DeRozan was fouled and hit both shots from the line, the Kings trailed 79-72.

Unfortunately, just as they did in the second, Miami just as quickly regained control of the game. The Heat regained their double-digit lead, and hit triple digits at the end of the quarter, as they led 100-89.

Despite the Kings’ rough season, and despite the fact that they were down by double digits for most of the night, the fans never wavered. The crowd at Golden 1 Center was large, and they got into it with every basket the Kings hit, as they did everything they could to muster a comeback in the fourth quarter.

Miami’s lead remained in double digits, and while there was another scuffle, the fourth quarter was largely uneventful. The Heat won by a final of 130-117.

What really hurt the Kings tonight was the three. Miami was 21-for-42 from beyond the arc, while the Kings were 11-for-30.

Adebayo and Powell led the scoring for Miami with 25 and 22 points respectively. Adebayo and Powell were also money in their occasional shots from beyond the arc. Adebayo went 4-for-5, and Powell went 4-for-6.

DeRozan led the Kings in scoring with 23 points, and was a perfect 10-for-10 from the line. Westbrook scored 22, and Levine and Monk both scored 18.

The good news for the Kings is that they will be right back at it here at Golden 1 Center Wednesday night. The bad news is that it will be against a strong Toronto Raptors’ team, who dominated the Warriors in a 145-127 win in San Francisco Tuesday night.

Tipoff will be at 7 p.m Wednesday.