Tag: NBA

Nique Clifford #5 of the Sacramento Kings dribbles the ball during the game against the LA Clippers on December 30, 2025 at Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, California. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Juan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty Images)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

INGLEWOOD — The Sacramento Kings were back in action on Tuesday night in Los Angeles. It was the Kings’ second of a two-game trip to Los Angeles, as they played the Lakers on Sunday night at Crypto.com Arena, where they fell 125-101. On Tuesday, the Kings got Keegan Murray and Drew Eubanks back from injury, which was a needed lift for a club that has had a rough go of the injury situation this season. However, it wasn’t enough, as they fell to the Clippers in another Los Angeles blowout, 131-90.

The Kings started the game off poorly. The Clippers were getting whatever they wanted, and the Kings’ shots weren’t falling as the offense stagnated. Sacramento was outscored 34-20 in the first quarter, as nothing was going right for them. On the other hand, Kawhi Leonard picked up right where he left off after his career-high 55-point performance in his last game against the Detroit Pistons. Leonard scored eight points in the first quarter, while James Harden paced the team with 12 first-quarter points.

The second quarter was even worse for the Kings.

The Clippers outscored the Kings 39-20 in the second quarter to go up by 33 points. The score going into halftime was 73-40, as the Clippers were well on their way to routing the Kings. Kawhi Leonard finished the first half with 26 points on 8-for-13 shooting from the field, while James Harden was right behind him with 16 points of his own. Russell Westbrook and Keegan Murray led the Kings in first-half scoring, as they each managed seven points.

In the third quarter, the Kings and Clippers traded baskets, which was not what the Kings needed at that point in the game, trailing by over 30 going into the quarter. The Kings outscored the Clippers 31-27 in the third to chip away ever so slightly at the Clippers’ massive lead. Going into the fourth quarter, the Kings trailed by 29 points, and Kawhi Leonard had a 30-point game going for Los Angeles.

In the fourth quarter, the game was all but decided, and the 12 minutes of action were merely a formality. Nothing noteworthy happened in the final quarter, as the Kings were outscored 31-19 to finish the game and lost by the final score of 131-90.

Nique Clifford was the leading scorer for the Kings, as he ended the night with 18 points. Maxime Raynaud had a solid offensive game and finished with 12 points and 12 rebounds.

“First and foremost, there’s a standard that we are going to play to, and that is just what it is, period,” Doug Christie said after the game. “So the fact that you come out and don’t is unacceptable. So we search for lineups, try to find lineups tonight that have energy.”

Well, Doug hasn’t been able to find any lineups with that sort of energy here in Los Angeles.

On the bright side, Max Raynaud and Nique Clifford continue to develop in a positive direction for the Kings. Raynaud had 12 points and 12 rebounds, and Clifford had a career-high 18 points in the loss.

“Those kids are trying,” Doug said of Max and Nique after the game. “They’re figuring it out, and that’s everything that we can ask for from them, and they continue to improve.”

Up next: The Kings will return home to take on the Boston Celtics on Thursday at 7 p.m. inside Golden 1 Center.

Maxime Raynaud #42 of the Sacramento Kings shoots the ball during the game against the Los Angeles Lakers on December 28, 2025 at Crypto.Com Arena in Los Angeles, California. (Mandatory Photo Credit: Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — Exactly one year to the day, Sacramento Kings head coach Doug Christie coached his first game as the head coach of the Kings on December 28, 2024, taking over for the fired Mike Brown. The game was against the Lakers in Los Angeles, a contest the Kings lost 132-122. Fittingly, the Kings were back in Los Angeles exactly one year later to take on those same Lakers, one year removed from the shift in head coach and the storm that followed.

As you most likely know, the year following the promotion of Doug Christie has been all but sunshine and rainbows. The Kings have fallen to the bottom of the Western Conference without much of a visible path to success. However, the young additions of Maxime Raynaud and Nique Clifford during this past summer’s draft give the team hope of assembling another core — along with the extension of Keegan Murray.

I asked Doug before the game if the year mark since his first game as head coach meant anything more to him than any other ordinary game.

“Nah, every time I come to LA it’s the hallways, all that stuff. It’s a lot of memories here, but it really ain’t that. So it’s the Lakers, it’s the Kings. It’s a lot of fun.”

Well, I’m not sure how much fun it was given how the game progressed. The Lakers defeated the Kings 125-101 in blowout fashion at Crypto.com Arena.

In the first quarter, the Kings and Lakers traded baskets to open the game. DeMar DeRozan was getting whatever he wanted for the Kings, and the Lakers were facing very little resistance from the Kings’ defense. After a mandatory timeout at the 6:45 mark of the first, the Kings were up 13-12, with DeMar DeRozan accounting for eight of those points. The Lakers finished the quarter stronger than the Kings and managed to build a bit of separation going into the second quarter, outscoring Sacramento 22-11 over the final 5:15. LeBron James led the Lakers in scoring in the quarter, dropping 10 points in his first 8:18 of action.

Down 30-24 heading into the second quarter, the Lakers kept their foot on the gas against the Kings. In particular, Luka Doncic continued to score the ball at an elite clip. Luka added 15 points in the second quarter to bring his first-half total to 24 and lead the Lakers. Los Angeles outscored Sacramento 38-29 in the second quarter to take a commanding 68-53 lead into halftime. The Kings’ defense wasn’t providing enough resistance at the rim, as the Lakers had 34 points in the paint in the first half. DeMar DeRozan led the Kings in first-half scoring, dropping 16 points on 7-of-12 shooting.

Coming out of halftime, the Lakers went on a 13-2 run that forced Doug Christie to take two timeouts by the 8:31 mark of the quarter. The Kings’ defense was non-existent to start the period, and it wouldn’t get any better the rest of the third. The Kings couldn’t contain Luka and LeBron as they combined for 14 points in the quarter, while Nick Smith Jr. added eight points for the Lakers. Los Angeles outscored Sacramento 31-27 in the third quarter to take a 99-80 lead into the final period and all but squash any hopes the Kings had of a win.

In the final 12 minutes, the Lakers had already put the game away, and it became a matter of going through the motions. Down 19 entering the quarter, the Kings were outscored 26-21 and fell to Los Angeles 125-101 on Sunday night. Sacramento gave its best effort to hang around in the first half, but the third quarter proved too costly to overcome. The Kings were led in scoring by DeMar DeRozan, who finished with 22 points. On the other hand, the Lakers received a 34-point performance from Luka Dončić, followed by a 24-point outing from LeBron James.

After the game, Doug Christie stressed the importance of being a physical team and acknowledged that the Kings failed in that regard.

“We came in and just, we weren’t grabbing, holding, controlling,” Doug said after the game. “The level of physicality wasn’t to the level that we draw a line in the sand and say, this is what it’s going to be.”

On the bright side, Maxime Raynaud appears to be developing right in front of our eyes. The young center out of Stanford is slotting in nicely given his opportunity in the absence of Domantas Sabonis. On Sunday, Raynaud finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds while shooting 80% from the field for the Kings. It’s a mature approach that has Doug Christie excited about what he has been seeing.

“…All of a sudden he found this little push shot,” Doug said after the game. “He’s aggressive when he’s open and has time. He shoots the three-pointer, which I’m totally OK with, but then I think you’re starting to see him pump fake, put it on the floor. He did it tonight, gets inside and shoots a nice little floater, and then he has playmaking ability.”

The development of Raynaud has been a surprise to some, but likely not the Kings, who selected him with their second-round pick behind Nique Clifford, who went in the first round.

It’s also not a surprise to Maxime, who credits much of his success to his point guards.

“I just think we have really good point guards that find spots really well. Just try to screen and roll to create space… It has been working pretty well, so I’m happy.”

In a season with not many bright spots, Maxime Raynaud’s development is shaping up to be a hopeful addition to the franchise.

Up next: The Kings will stay in Los Angeles to take on the Clippers on Tuesday at 8 p.m. PST inside Intuit Dome.

Keon Ellis #23 of the Sacramento Kings shoots a three-point shot over Ryan Nembhard #9 of the Dallas Mavericks in the first half at Golden 1 Center on December 27, 2025 in Sacramento, California. (Mandatory Photo Credit: Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

DOWNTOWN SACRAMENTO — The Sacramento Kings were back in action on Saturday afternoon to take on Cooper Flagg and the Dallas Mavericks. The Mavericks, who were without the injured Anthony Davis, were coming off a Christmas loss to the Golden State Warriors on Thursday. The Kings, who entered the game with the worst record in the Western Conference, were coming off a loss on Tuesday at the hands of the Detroit Pistons.

On Saturday, the Kings defeated the Dallas Mavericks 113-107 in front of a solid weekend crowd at the Golden 1 Center.

The Kings got off to a quick start in the first quarter as they jumped out to an early 14-9 lead at the 7:11 mark in the game. Keon Ellis had eight of the Kings’ 14 points and started the game red hot, going 3-3 on his shots. The Kings kept up their offensive pace the rest of the first quarter as they outscored the Mavs 31-23. Keon Ellis continued his first-quarter tirade as he dropped 13 points on 5-for-7 shooting from the floor. The Kings played one of their better quarters of the year and looked to keep up that pace heading into the second quarter.

Doug McDermott kept the Kings going early in the second quarter as he checked in and immediately hit two three pointers for the Kings. The Kings outscored the Mavs 28-21 to take the 59-44 lead going into halftime. Keon Ellis led the Kings in scoring in the first half with 13 points (all coming in the first quarter), as Maxime Raynaud and Russell Westbrook were right behind with 11 and 12 points, respectively. P.J. Washington Jr. led the Mavericks with nine points in the first half. Cooper Flagg was a non-factor in the first half as he scored only two points on 0-4 shooting from the field.

Coming out of halftime, the Mavs went on a 24-12 run to open the half as the Kings’ lead shrunk all the way down to 71-68 at the 6:05 mark, forcing Doug Christie to take a timeout. The Mavericks’ shooting had come around to start the second half, and the Kings had no answer early on to stop them. Cooper Flagg scored 15 of the 24 points in the Mavs’ early run in the second half. The Kings battled back and were able to rebuild the lead to 88-77 to end the third quarter. Keon Ellis caught fire again late and dropped eight points in the third quarter for the Kings.

Down the final stretch of the game, the lead hovered around 10 points for the Kings for the majority of the fourth quarter. However, during the final two minutes of the game, the Mavs were able to cut the lead to four points. Yet, the Kings held on and were able to defeat the Mavs 113-107. It was one of the more complete games from the Kings this season, albeit against a bad and depleted Dallas squad.

The Kings were led in the victory by Keon Ellis and Russell Westbrook, who each scored 21 points in the game. Dallas was led by an impressive second half from Cooper Flagg, who tallied 23 points in the game (21 in the second half).

After the game, Doug Christie praised the Kings’ effort after the Mavericks made their run in the third quarter.

“We went on a 9-0 run in that third quarter to respond to their response. And that’s big, man… teams are going to make a run. It’s just how it goes. But it’s your response to that. And my thing tonight with them was mental toughness, and they definitely showed the mental toughness.”

Aside from the game, Russell Westbrook made more history in what has turned into a certain Hall of Fame career. Westbrook passed Magic Johnson on the all-time assists list with 10,141, which is good enough for seventh all time. Westbrook also surpassed the 2,000-steal threshold with a steal at the 5:09 mark in the third quarter.

Speaking on his accolades, Westbrook was humble about the status he has reached on the court during his career.

“Before I speak and say anything, I’m truly blessed and thankful to the man above for just allowing me and gifting me with the time to go out and play basketball. And as for passing Magic, it’s an honor. Magic is one of the greats.”

Westbrook continued to speak not only to Magic’s greatness on the court, but also his desire to lift others up off of it.

“I mentioned this a little earlier, but yes, Magic did a lot of great things on the court. But growing up in the inner city of Los Angeles, Magic did a lot for the underserved, continues to do a lot — something that I’ve kind of modeled and wanted to make sure the philanthropy side was also done. I’m grateful to be able to pass him just because he’s such a legend in so many different ways.”

The Kings aren’t much of a fun watch on the court this season. Yet, the late addition of Russell Westbrook has certainly given fans a reason to show up on a nightly basis. Kings fans are watching greatness on a nightly basis with him and DeMar DeRozan. That’s special, and somewhat of a silver lining to this disappointing season so far for the Kings.

Up next: The Kings will travel to Los Angeles to take on the Lakers at 6:30 p.m. PST at Crypto.com Arena.

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. 

DeMar DeRozan #10 of the Sacramento Kings drives to the basket during the game against the Detroit Pistons on December 23, 2025 at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California. (Mandatory Photo Credit: Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

DOWNTOWN SACRAMENTO — The Sacramento Kings were back in action for their final game before Christmas on Tuesday night at Golden 1 Center. The Kings welcomed the best team in the Eastern Conference of the NBA to town as Cade Cunningham and the Detroit Pistons took on the Kings. The Pistons have taken the league by storm the last two seasons and held the best record in the East at 23-6 heading into the contest. The Kings, fresh off their win against the Houston Rockets on Sunday, looked to make it a winning streak on Tuesday as the game tipped off at 7 p.m. PST.

The Pistons defeated the Kings 136-127 in front of a good crowd on Christmas Eve Eve.

In the first quarter, the Kings struggled mightily to contain the Pistons in the paint and in transition. The Pistons scored 24 points in the paint compared to the Kings’ 12 points and had 11 fast-break points in comparison to the Kings’ two. The Kings were dominated on both ends of the floor by a team playing on the second night of a back-to-back. The Pistons outscored the Kings 37-24 to take the early 13-point lead as Cade Cunningham led the Pistons with 10 first-quarter points. DeMar DeRozan was cooking early for the Kings with 11 points, but it was proving too little.

In the second quarter, the Kings kept a better pace with the Pistons, but the Pistons continued to build their lead. The Pistons outscored the Kings 38-34 in the second to take the 75-58 lead into halftime. DeMar DeRozan was doing his best to keep the Kings in the game as he scored 23 points in the first half, which led all scorers. In the first half, the Pistons outscored the Kings in the paint 44-24 and on fast-break points 21-4.

During the second quarter, it appeared as if Keegan Murray injured his right calf as he landed awkwardly after a block. He did not come out of the locker room to start the third quarter, and shortly thereafter the Kings ruled him out for the rest of the game with a right calf injury.

In the third quarter, the Pistons continued the offensive onslaught, outscoring the Kings 40-39 in the quarter. Through three quarters, the Pistons had scored 115 points on the Kings and were in firm control with an 18-point, 115-97 lead going into the fourth.

In the fourth quarter, the Kings showed some fight and battled until the end with the Pistons. In the end, the Pistons defeated the Kings 136-127, but only after the Kings outscored the Pistons 30-21 in the fourth in an attempt to battle back into the game.

Doug Christie was pleased with his team’s effort in the second half on Tuesday, and how some of his interior changes may be leading to some success.

“If you just look at the last three games from the very first Portland game, we went big with Keegan at the three, and I think that those big guys on the interior, they help with confidence… anything that comes off of that backboard is ours. Anything that drives down the lane is going to be contested. And when you as a perimeter player have that behind you, it’s just a confidence that I can be a little bit more aggressive.”

DeMar DeRozan led the Kings with a valiant 37-point effort in the Kings’ loss as Russell Westbrook added 27 points. Tobias Harris led the scoring for the Pistons, dropping 24 in 29 minutes of action.

Up next: The Kings will stay home for the Christmas holiday and then take on the Dallas Mavericks on December 27 at 2 p.m. PST in Sacramento.