Jake LaRavia shoots against the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday night. (Photo Sacramento Kings on X)
By Jeremiah Salmonson
DENVER–The Sacramento Kings were back in action on Wednesday night in Denver, Colorado. They entered the game riding a four-game winning streak, having most recently defeated the Dallas Mavericks on Monday by a final score of 122-98. Meanwhile, Denver was coming off a four-game road trip in which they went 2-2, most recently falling to the Boston Celtics on Sunday, 110-103. In their last 10 meetings, the Nuggets had won six of those matchups against the Kings.
On Wednesday, the Kings were without Domantas Sabonis and Malik Monk, sidelined with a hamstring strain and a toe sprain, respectively. The Nuggets were also dealing with a slew of injuries, including Aaron Gordon, who was out with an ankle sprain. However, Nikola Jokić was cleared to play shortly before tip-off.
Tip-off was set for 6 PM PST at Ball Arena in Denver, where the Nuggets defeated the Kings 116-110.
The Kings started hot in the first quarter, jumping out to an early 16-8 lead, prompting Nuggets head coach Mike Malone to call a timeout. Keon Ellis made an immediate impact, scoring seven points while starting in place of Malik Monk. The Nuggets responded with a quick run to close the gap, but the Kings finished the quarter strong, bolstered by 11 points from Jake LaRavia. Sacramento outscored Denver 42-29 in the opening frame.
The Nuggets opened the second quarter with an 8-0 run, quickly pulling themselves back into the game. However, the Kings answered right back, extending their lead to 53-39, leading to another timeout from Malone. Sacramento maintained control throughout the half, carrying a 65-55 advantage into the break. LaRavia led the Kings at halftime with 15 points, while Jamal Murray paced the Nuggets with 11. The Kings shot 52% from the field and 50% from deep in the first half, while the Nuggets shot 40.9% and 31.6%, respectively.
The third quarter was a battle of runs, with both teams exchanging bursts of momentum. The Kings started strong, followed by an 8-0 Nuggets run, before Sacramento regained control. Neither team could fully seize momentum, but the Kings managed to hold off Denver and took a 93-84 lead into the final quarter. Sacramento’s defense, which had held Dallas to just 66 points through three quarters on Monday, limited the Nuggets to 84 points through three quarters in this contest.
The fourth quarter was up for grabs. Early on, the Nuggets seized the moment, storming back to take a 96-95 lead after a Zeke Nnaji three-pointer with 8:17 remaining. From that point on, the Kings went ice-cold offensively, managing just nine points over nearly nine minutes. This scoring drought proved costly, as Denver ultimately secured the victory, 116-110. It was a tough loss for Sacramento, which had played disciplined basketball for most of the night but faltered down the stretch with costly defensive lapses and offensive struggles.
DeMar DeRozan led the Kings with 35 points, while Russell Westbrook paced the Nuggets with 25. The loss dropped Sacramento to 32-29 on the season, while Denver improved to 40-22.
After the game, the Kings did not hold back in their criticism of the officiating. DeRozan expressed his frustration bluntly, stating, “The refs were terrible. Terrible as sh*t. Simple as that.”
Doug Christie also weighed in on the officiating, particularly the free throw disparity, saying, “The free throw discrepancy… I thought the guys attacked the rim, and I think they played a solid game.” Later in the press conference, when asked about the team’s three-point defense, Christie responded, “I have to go look and see if they were fouled because I’m not exactly sure. We do not want to foul three-point shooters.”
The locker room was filled with frustration postgame, but the team remained focused on bouncing back at home.
Up Next: The Kings return to Golden 1 Center to face the San Antonio Spurs on Friday at 7 PM PST.
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