Sacramento Kings center Drew Eubanks throws down against the Milwaukee Bucks at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Sun Jan 4, 2026 (AP News photo)
Sacramento Kings podcast with Barbara Mason:
1.Sunday night the Sacramento Kings took on the Milwaukee Bucks at Golden One Center. Both teams are struggling this season but it was the Bucks who were favored in this game with a 16-20 record.
2.It was a game time decision for Giannis Antetokounmpo taking the floor in the game after suffering a calf injury and as it turned out he was indeed able to play in this one.
3.After trailing by as much as 26 points in the second half, the Kings got to within three points in the second half of the fourth quarter only to let the Bucks back in the game and eventually run away with it.
4.The Kings welcomed Zach LaVine back on the court playing off the bench and three Sacramento starters had double digits with Russell Westbrook scoring 21 points the team high. It just wasn’t enough to get past the Bucks.
5.The Kings will take another crack at the Dallas Mavericks Tue Jan 7th. The Kings hoping for the same result they had back on December 27 when they won that game. The Kings would like nothing more than to break this horrific losing streak and beat Dallas a second time.
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.
Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) drives past Sacramento Kings forward Keegan Murray, left, during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Friday, Jan. 2, 2026, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri) SOURCE: Rick Scuteri
By Barbara Mason
The Sacramento Kings (8-27) played a nice opening quarter in their contest against the Phoenix Suns (20-14) only to falter in the second half. They were trailing at the half 62-56, bested by Phoenix in the end 129-102. Keegan Murray had his best game since returning to action finishing the game with 23 points and ten rebounds for a double double.
They stumbled in the second half of play as the Suns continued to extend their lead. As the fourth quarter wore on Phoenix had established as much as a 28 point lead. Devin Booker was red-hot finishing with 33 points. The Kings had 21 turnovers in the game, the Suns only 11.
Game recap: After a couple of quiet games upon his return, Murray got after it in the first quarter of Friday night’s game. As the quarter wore down Murray had already hit 11 points and had two rebounds. Despite the nice start for Murray Sacramento trailed after the first 12 minutes of play 32-29. Russell Westbrook and bench player Keon Ellis both came away empty in the opening quarter.
The Kings Nique Clifford hit a three to start the second quarter to tie up the game at 32. Minutes later the tie persisted now at 35 when Sacramento’s Doug McDermott made a 23-foot three point jumper. It was a nice start for the Kings.
Ellis would follow that shot with a three of this own giving the Kings a 38-35 lead. The Kings had already committed ten turnovers and needed to put the stops on that trend. They were only shooting around 55 % from the line so room for improvement on those two fronts.
As the game went into halftime, the Suns had taken a 62-56 lead. Murray finished the first half with 16 points and five rebounds. Poor ball protection had plagued the Kings throughout the first half with 13 turnovers. Booker finished the quarter with 27 points and Sacramento would be looking to try and contain him in the second half.
The Suns got going in earnest leading after three quarters 97-83. Murray added to his total shooting for 23 points and eight rebounds. Booker was on fire with 33 points through three quarters. The Suns hung onto a healthy 15-point lead throughout the quarter and the Kings had their hands full going into the fourth quarter.
After hanging in the game through the first half, the Kings ran out of steam trailing by as much as 28 points through the fourth quarter. The final was 129-102 in favor of Phoenix and the Kings had lost their sixth straight road game.
Murray had the team high for the Kings with 23 points and 10 rebounds for a double double. Westbrook finished with 17 points and 9 rebounds and DeMar DeRozan scored 13 points in the game. It was a quiet night for Maxime Raynaud finishing with six points and five rebounds.
Booker tore up the court finishing with 33 points and he had a lot of help from teammates Dillon Brooks with 18 points and both Collin Gillespie and Mark Williams each had 15 points. Williams also turned in nine rebounds just shy of a double double.
Game notes: Not much has gone right for the Kings since their win over the Dallas Mavericks last Saturday 113-107. Since that win the team has fallen to the Los Angeles Lakers, the Los Angeles Clippers, Thursday night to the Boston Celtics and they extended the loss streak to four with a loss to the Suns on Friday night.
Friday night they faced another tough match-up losing to the Suns. The Kings continue to struggle on the court defensively, much of their problems stemming from injury to Zach LaVine and Domantas Sabonis but have welcomed Keegan Murray back on court after a calf strain.
Murray was back on the court for the Clipper match-up but did little in his return only hitting 11 points and 2 rebounds. The loss to the Clippers was a wipe-out losing 131-90 followed by the loss to the Celtics 120-106.
The Kings played a close game through three quarters with Boston but fell apart in the fourth quarter outscored 32-18. There seems to be no end to the stretch that Sacramento is going through right now. The team is playing on a five game road skid and Friday night faced the seventh place in the Western Conference Suns, they took a sixth road loss.
They have beaten some elite teams in the second half of the season but right now they are fighting off falling into the basement, a half-game lead on the New Orleans Pelicans. The Kings more so then probably any other team need to make some moves with some very accomplished players on the line like Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, Domantas Sabonis and Malik Monk.
Unfortunately all of these guys have sizeable contracts which discourages any teams that might have interest. It’s a really tough situation with no clear-cut answers.
Sunday evening the Kings will match-up with the Milwaukee Bucks at Golden 1 Center. Tipoff for that game is scheduled for 6:00 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.
The Sacramento Kings Dennis Schroder takes the ball down the floor against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center in Houston on Mon Dec 22, 2025 (AP News photo)
Sacramento Kings podcast Tony Harvey:
#1 Can DeMar DeRozan keep his hot streak going and create enough space for his teammates against the Mavericks’ defense, especially with Cooper Flagg likely guarding him for stretches of the game?
#2 How will the Kings Maxime Raynaud match up with the Mavericks’ frontcourt, and can he use his strength and basketball IQ to dominate in the paint while also facilitating Sacramento’s offense?
#3 Will Keegan Murray’s three-point shooting continue to be a critical asset for the Kings, and how will the Mavericks adjust their defense to contain his perimeter scoring alongside DeRozan and Russell Westbrook?
#4 Is the Kings Precious Achiuwa experience and ability to score in a variety of ways going to be a key factor for the Kings, especially in terms of providing steady scoring alongside the younger players?
# 5 Can Nique Clifford slow down the Mavericks offensive flow? Will Clifford’s on-ball defense be enough to challenge Dallas’ playmaking and scoring ability?
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.
Monte McNair ex GM (right) and owner Vivek Ranadive (left) of the Sacramento Kings (Photo: ESPN on X)
By Jeremiah Salmonson
SACRAMENTO–In a whirlwind of a season for the Kings, it all came down to one game. The Kings and Mavericks played in the Western Conference 9/10 play-in game on Wednesday night inside Golden 1 Center.
The sold-out crowd inside G1C was raucous from the start as the Kings looked for a win and a date with the Memphis Grizzlies in a second play-in game for the eighth seed. The Kings and Mavs largely had similar seasons marred with turmoil and turnover.
The Mavs made what many consider to be the worst trade in NBA history, shipping Luka Doncic out for the Lakers’ Anthony Davis. On the other hand, the Kings traded All-Star point guard De’Aaron Fox and head coach Mike Brown during the season. Neither team could afford to lose the game, but one was destined to. The Sacramento Kings’ season ended on Wednesday as they lost to the Mavs 120-106.
In the first quarter, the Kings got off to a solid start. The pace and intensity matched the Mavericks’, and the Kings outscored them 29-27 in the opening quarter. It seemed the Kings came to play; however, the first quarter would be the only quarter in which the game was close.
In the second quarter, the Mavs exploded for 44 points compared to the Kings’ 19. The Kings appeared to lose all will to live in the game. I felt as if I was watching someone slowly die after the body had given up. The Kings went into halftime trailing the Mavs 71-48.
In the third quarter, the Mavs continued to pour it on. Dallas outscored the Kings 33-28 in the third as all hopes of a Kings comeback were snuffed out. The Kings continued to struggle to contain the Mavs, as their size and length proved too much for Sacramento.
In the fourth quarter, the Kings had all but mailed it in. The Kings couldn’t mount any comeback as they were blown off their home court by the final of 120-106. The Kings went out with a whimper in the 2024-2025 campaign. DeMar DeRozan led the Kings in defeat with 30 points in 43 minutes of action.
Immediately following the game, while reporters were in the locker room, I got word from a league source that Kings head coach Monte McNair was fired.
Following the news, players were called into a meeting while some still showered—another cog in the wild turn of events that was the Kings’ season.
The Kings will hold exit interviews later this week, and the media will get one last chance to talk to this current group of players.
Golden State Warriors guard Stephn Curry (30) takes a jump shot three pointer against the Memphis Grizzlies Scotty Pipen Jr. at Chase Center in San Francisco on Tue Apr 15, 2025 in the play in game (AP News photo)
On the Golden State Warriors podcast with David Zizmor:
#1 The Warriors advance to the seven game series of the playoffs after defeating the Memphis Grizzlies 121-116 at Chase Center in San Francisco on Tuesday night in the play in game.
#2 The Warriors had leading scorers with Jimmy Butler with 38 points and Stephen Curry with 37 points. The Grizzlies simply had trouble containing these two all night long.
#3 The Warriors move onto the next round in a best seven game series in Houston against the Houston Rockets as game 1 gets underway on Sunday. The Rockets have had a good season 52-30 and are 29-12 at home. The Warriors finished in the Western Conference seventh at 48-34 and have won seven of their last ten games. How do you see this series coming up?
Sacramento Kings center Domantas Sabonis (11) picked up his 61st double double of the season against the Phoenix Suns at Golden 1 Arena in Sacramento Sun Apr 13, 2025 (AP News photo)
Sacramento Kings podcast with Tony Renteria:
#1 Sacramento Kings Domantas Sabonis and Jonas Valanciunas each chalked up a double double as the Sacramento Kings clinched for their first play in game after defeating the Phoenix Suns 109-98 Sunday.
#2 Sabonis scored 20 points and had 12 rebounds for his 61st double-double of the season. Valanciunas scored 22 points and ten rebounds.
#3 The Kings Zach LaVine scored 20 points and the Kings improved to 40-42 and are ending their regular season on positive note with a win.
#4 The Kings will meet the Dallas Mavericks for the play in game. The Kings finished the season in ninth place and the Mavericks finished at tenth place. The Play In game is one and done on Wed Apr 16 for a 7:00pm PDT tip off at Golden 1. How do you see this post season match up?
The Sacramento Kings forward DeMar DeRozan takes a jump shot against the Phoenix Suns Cody Martin (17) in first half action at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Sun Apr 13, 2025 (AP News photo)
Sacramento Kings podcast with Barbara Mason:
#1 Sacramento Kings Domantas Sabonis and Jonas Valanciunas each chalked up a double double as the Sacramento Kings clinched for their first play in game after defeating the Phoenix Suns 109-98 Sunday.
#2 Sabonis scored 20 points and had 12 rebounds for his 61st double-double of the season. Valanciunas scored 22 points and ten rebounds.
#3 The Kings Zach LaVine scored 20 points and improved to 40-42 and are ending their regular season on positive note with a win.
#4 The Kings will meet the Dallas Mavericks for the play in game. The Kings finished the season in ninth place and the Mavericks finished at tenth place. The Play In game is one and done on Wed Apr 16 for a 7:00pm PDT tip off at Golden 1. How do you see this post season match up?
Domantas Sabonis on Sunday in the game against the Phoenix Suns (Photo: Sacramento Kings on X)
By Jeremiah Salmonson
SACRAMENTO — It was game 82 of 82 on Sunday afternoon. In a season known more for turmoil than winning, the Kings laced them up one last time in 2025, trying to secure a home play-in game on Wednesday against the Dallas Mavericks.
After a disappointing season for the Phoenix Suns, they traveled to Sacramento to take on the Kings on Sunday. Officially eliminated from playoff contention, the Suns wouldn’t play any of their stars. Brad Beal, Kevin Durant, and Devin Booker all sat for the Suns. The environment was ripe for a Kings win and they took advantage of the resting Suns with a 109-98 win at Golden 1 Center on Sunday to advance to the play in playoffs.
In the first quarter, the Kings outscored the Suns 33-25 to get off to a quick start. The Kings’ energy and intensity were good, and they looked like a team that came to win. Zach LaVine scored 10 points in the first quarter to get off to a hot start offensively.
In the second quarter, the Suns made a run and outscored the Kings 29-24 to get the game within three points going into halftime at 57-54. The Kings’ scoring in the first half came from Domantas Sabonis, who had 17 points in the half.
In the third quarter, the Kings expanded their slim halftime lead to 11 points by the end of the period. The Kings outscored the Suns 29-21 in the third as they looked to complete the win in the fourth.
In the final quarter, the Kings largely played the bench unit as the regular season came to a close. The Kings and Suns both scored 23 points in the final quarter, allowing the Kings to secure the 109-98 victory. The Kings’ best performance came from Jonas Valanciunas, who scored 22 points and had 10 rebounds on the day.
The Kings will stay home to take on the Dallas Mavericks in the 9/10 seed play-in game on Wednesday. Tip-off is set for 7 PM PST inside Golden 1 Center.
Milwaukee Bucks Taurean Price (12) attempts to take a shot against the Golden State Warriors Stephen Curry (30) at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee on Tue Feb 11, 2025 (AP News photo)
Golden State Warriors podcast with David Zizmor:
#1 In the Warriors last win on Monday night Stephen Curry scored 38 points a season high after pulling away from the Milwaukee Bucks for the Warriors second straight win 125-111.
#2 Jimmy Butler scored 20 points, nine rebounds, and six assists in his second game with the Warriors. Buddy Hield had 16 points, with Quintin Post and Moses Moody scoring 13 each.
#3 Warriors are in Dallas tonight to battle the Mavericks at American Airlines Arena. The Mavericks are 28-26 and are in eighth in the NBA Western Conference how do you see this game tonight at 6:30pm PST.
For great Italian taste you don’t want to miss UNI Pizzeria at 1234 Polk Street in San Francisco’s Polk Gulch neighborhood. UNI serves some of the best pastas and pizzas make it your next stop before you take in your favorite sport. UNI Pizzeria 1234 Polk Street San Francisco. Call 415-740-2794 for pick up.
Sacramento Kings forward DeMar DeRozan (10) gets up for a one handed shot over the Dallas Mavericks forward Kessler Edwards (20) at American Airlines Arena in Dallas on Mon Feb 10, 2025 (AP News photo)
By Barbara Mason
This had to be one of the craziest games the Sacramento Kings (27-26) have played all season. In overtime they beat the Dallas Mavericks (28-26) 129-128. There were 28 lead changes in this game. The Kings DeMar DeRozan kept the team connected when the Mavericks took control in the fourth quarter. He finished with 42 points with every starter in double digits. Domantas Sabonis had his 47th double double of the season.
Monday night after a home win against the New Orleans Pelicans, the Kings went back out of the road taking on the Mavericks. The Mavericks have a bit of a new look these days with the absence of Luca Doncic who was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers sending Anthony Davis over to Dallas.
Davis has been good for the Mavericks contributing to their last two wins.. Their latest win was over the Houston Rockets 116-105 Saturday night. The Kings also come into this game on a win beating the New Orleans Pelicans Saturday night 123-118.
Sacramento was focused on containing Kyrie Irving and Klay Thompson. The Kings didn’t face newcomer to Dallas Anthony Davis who will miss multiple weeks with a left adductor strain. His absence could very well stretch out to a month. This sure cut short what has been a spectacular debut with the Mavericks for Davis.
The Mavericks took a 35-27 lead after the first 12 minutes of play but the Kings had the answer outscoring the Mavericks 34-26 in the second quarter and at the half this game was dead even at 61.
After two quarters the Kings were shooting at 60% from the field and out-rebounding Dallas but the 12 turnovers they had in the first half did them no favors. Both Malik Monk and Keegan Murray had a quiet first half.
The good news for the Kings was that they had a far better start than they had Saturday night. Through the first two quarters of play this game was about as tight as it could be and this game was up for grabs. Despite a great start for Sacramento they had to put the stops on all the turnovers.
As the third quarter began to wind down Zach LaVine had to take a break committing his third foul. With three minutes left in the third, every starter had double digits with the exception of Malik Monk who was still dragging with only six points and no rebounds.
The quarter was a see-saw affair with lead changes all over the place not to mention the five ties. The Mavericks finished off the third quarter taking a 93-87 lead into the fourth quarter. The Dallas bench was crushing it hitting 50 points because their starters quite frankly were really struggling.
They were keeping the Mavericks in this game. There had been 12 ties in the game through three quarters. Sacramento now had 17 turnovers giving up 29 points on those turnovers.
The fourth quarter would decide this game. Sacramento had to put the reins on those turnovers in the final quarter. Those turnovers would no doubt make a huge difference in the eventual outcome of this game.
With 7 1/2 minutes left in the game the Mavericks had established a ten-point lead 103-93. With under seven minutes left in the game the Kings began to make a move cutting the Maverick’s lead to three 103-100.
DeMar DeRozan went on a crazy run. He just couldn’t miss going 4 of 4 from downtown and 13 of 15 in total. With five minutes left on the clock it was a one-point game. At the two minute mark, the Mavericks held onto a two-point lead 114-112.
With under a minute this game was once again tied this time at 114. There were seconds left on the clock when Kyrie Irving stole the ball and cashed in giving the Mavericks a 116-114. With 3.5 left in regulation this game was tied when DeMar DeRozan hit an 11-foot two-pointer.
There would be no walk-off win for Dallas and this game went into overtime. Dallas had only played in 2 overtimes games this season and the Kings had 4 overtime games under their belt.
The overtime went right down to the wire with the Kings taking the slightest of leads during the period. DeMar DeRozan who had been hot all night hit the shot that resulted in the 129-128 Sacramento win with two seconds left on the clock. There had been 28 lead changes in this hotly contested game.
The Sacramento Kings played one heck of a game against the Dallas Mavericks. The one thing that could have cost them dearly were the 21 turnovers in the game, something they have to clean up. DeMar DeRozan finished the game with 42 points and seven rebounds.
He hit the shot that gave the Kings the win in overtime. Every starter finished with double digits and Domantas Sabonis had his 47th double double of the season with 16 points and 15 rebounds. Zach LaVine and Malik Monk had 17 points apiece. The team shot 55% in Monday nights game.
The Mavericks Kyrie Irving finished the game with 30 points and Klay Thompson chipped in 19 points. The Dallas bench was outstanding with 64 points and very nearly pushed their team to a vicotry but came up just short.
The Kings will now travel to New Orleans for yet another couple of matchups with the Pelicans. They will take on the Pelicans Wednesday and Thursday night. Tipoff for the first game of the series is scheduled for 5:00 PM.
Before catching Kings basketball stop by Old Sacramento for a spectacular Mexican Meal at Le Terezza Restaurant at 1027 Second Street Sacramento. Choose from an array of delicious Mexican favorites on the menu. Call 916-440-0874.
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