The Sacramento Kings center Maxime Raynaud (42) defends against the Indiana Pacers guard Benedict Mathurin (00) at Gainsbridge Fieldhouse Arena in Indianapolis on Mon Dec 8, 2025 (AP News photo)
Sacramento Kings podcast Jeremiah Salmonson:
#1 How will the Kings defend against Nuggets MVP Nikola Jokić, who’s averaging elite numbers this season?
#2 Can Sacramento’s backcourt — led by Russell Westbrook and Zach LaVine — keep pace with Denver’s high-scoring offense?
#3 With Domantas Sabonis sidelined (or limited), who steps up on the boards and in the paint for Sacramento?
#4 Will the Kings’ perimeter shooting Malik Monk, DeMar DeRozan be enough to overcome Denver’s defensive pressure?
#5 Which bench players could make a difference — can Sacramento’s role players like Maxime Raynaud or Keon Ellis swing momentum?
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 Maxime Raynaud (42) shoots while being defended by the Indiana Pacers forward Pascal Siakam (left) and center Jay Huff (right) defend in the first half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on Mon Dec 8, 2025 (AP News photo)
By Barbara Mason
The Sacramento Kings (6-18) lost to the Indiana Pacers (6-18) Monday night 116-105. They trailed in the second half by 19 points and took the lead in the fourth quarter but could not finish. A slow start in the first half was a huge part of the loss.
At halftime only one King had scored double figures. They rallied in the second half but it was too little too late. Russell Westbrook had the team high with 24 points, 12 rebounds and 14 assists. It was a tough loss for the team after beating the Miami Heat over the weekend.
Monday night’s game was a tale of two teams who have faced struggles since the start of the season. The Kings have not gotten on track for most of the season with occasional flashes of brilliance.
The Pacers after a most successful 2024-25 season lost their 25-year-old phenom Tyrese Haliburton in last year’s finals to a torn achilles knocking him out of the current season. On December 8th Haliburton posted a video of himself working out.
In these clips he is shown running, dunking and lifting weights. A torn achilles typically takes between 8-to-10 months to resolve so a return this season is a wash. These two teams clashed Monday night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse and the Pacers came out with a 11 point win. The Kings are coming off a win over the Miami Heat Saturday night 127-111 while the Pacers are also coming off a nice win over the Chicago Bulls 120-105.
Game recap: The Kings, unlike Saturday night got off to a slow start trailing after the first twelve minutes of play 35-23. It did not go much better in the second quarter as Sacramento continued to trail by double digits unable to make-up much ground.
Offensively there was not a lot going on for the Kings as the Pacers continued to extend their lead. Sacramento continued to struggle at the line hitting only 9 of 15 for a 60% success rate. With two minutes left in the half the largest lead for the Kings had been three points while the Pacers had a 16 point advantage in the first half. Indiana took a 66-51 lead into the locker room at the half. Indiana had outscored the Kings in the quarter 31-28.
Not a single King had hit double figures in the first half until the clock ran out on the half and DeMar DeRozan hit a seven foot two point shot for the first Sacramento player to reach double figures with 11 points.
Zach LaVine had scored eight points and Russell Westbrook had nine points. While Sacramento still had the chance to make a game out of this contest, they would need a whole lot more offense and defense. They struggled on both ends of the court in the first half and what we saw against the Heat Saturday night had all but vanished.
Indiana continued to dominate the pace hanging onto a 72-58 lead three minutes into the third quarter. As the quarter wore on, the Pacers started to extend their lead. Stops were hard to come by for the Kings in this game.
With just under six minutes left in the quarter the Kings got a few stops and cut the Pacers 19 point lead to twelve 81-69 going on a 6-0 run. Four of the Kings starters had now scored double figures and continued to cut the Pacers lead now trailing by eight points 85-77 with a lot of time left in the third quarter.
As the quarter came to an end the Pacers were clinging onto a four point lead 92-88. The Kings had to come up with a winning fourth quarter after outscoring the Pacers in the third 37-26.
Four minutes into the fourth quarter the Pacers had a two-point lead 97-95 when the Kings Russell Westbrook hit his second three of the game. At 7:39 this game was tied at 97. Now the question loomed; could the Kings close this game out?
Sacramento took their first lead since the first quarter at 5:38 101-100. The Pacer’s took back the lead with five minutes left in the game 103-101. The Pacers began to hit three’s with Bennedict Mathurin accounting for four of them.
The Kings came oh so close in this game after a nice comeback but came up just short losing to the Pacers 116-105. Once again Sacramento was unable to close out the game getting outscored in the the final six minutes 19 to 4.
The Kings had a slow first half and a disastrous final six minutes of this game. Russell Westbrook had the team high with 24 points, 12 rebounds and 14 assists. DeMar DeRozan had 20 points, and Zach LaVine finished with 16 points. Maxime Raynaud had 13 points and eight rebounds so another good one for him.
The Kings will get some time off before they take on the Denver Nuggets Thursday night. After losing to Sacramento in late November Denver will be looking for a little payback. Tipoff for that game is scheduled for 7:00 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 Maxime Raynaud (42) take a shot over the Indiana Pacers guard Benedict Mathurin (00) in the first half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on Mon Dec 8, 2025 (AP News photo)
Sacramento Kings podcast with Barbara Mason:
On Monday night Sacramento Kings took a tough beating by the Indiana Pacers 116-105 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
The Kings despite the loss had Russell Westbrook led with 24 points and DeMar DeRozan 20.
On Saturday night after four straight losses, the Sacramento Kings pulled an upset win over the Miami Heat.
4. The outstanding performance by Zach LaVine clinched the win for the Kings after a disappointing game against the Rockets only scoring two points.
5. Every starter for the Kings scored double figures and Maxime Raynaud clocked another double double solidifying the decision to start him going forward.
6. It was a tough loss for the Heat who have stumbled lately losing three straight games for the first time this season. They were short-handed missing Tyler Herro, Davion Mitchell and Pello Larsson. Miami had a better fourth quarter but 15 points was as close as they would get in the second half.
7. Thursday night the Kings will take on the Denver Nuggets again after beating Denver back on November 22 in Denver despite Nikola Jokic scoring 44 points. How will they fare 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.
Sacramento Kings guard Zach LaVine (left) takes a shot over the Miami Heat guard Dru Smith (12) at the Kaseya Center in Miami on Sat Dec 6, 2025 (AP News photo)
By Barbara Mason
Saturday night the Sacramento Kings (6-17) played an impressive game beating the Miami Heat (14-10) 127-111. They started Maxime Raynaud in place of Drew Eubanks and the rookie did not disappoint finishing with a double double.
Russell Westbrook also had a double double but it was Zach LaVine who came unleashed scoring 42 points after only scoring two points against the Rockets last Wednesday. He was tremendous as the team outscored the Heat in the first three quarters of the game to clinch the win.
Game recap: The Kings got down to business from the get-go taking a 34-31 lead after the first 12 minutes of play. They kept the pressure on the second quarter outscoring the Heat 38-24 and taking a 72-55 lead at the half. As expected Raynaud started the game.
It was a terrific first half for Sacramento with their “new look” which certainly appeared to be working for them. They played with great energy and passion from the start of the game and would need to take that energy into the second half of the game where they have struggled this season.
The Kings outscored the Heat in the third quarter 29-23 taking a 101-78 lead into the fourth quarter. Sacramento had led by as much as 28 points in the second half. They finished the game with only 11 turnovers.
They hit 14 three’s, 42% to the Heat’s nine which was 29% and Sacramento also had ten steals. Despite the dominating play they still stumbled a bit. at the line only hitting 15 of 21 for 71%. The final was 127-111 in favor of the Kings playing a complete game.
The hero of the game was LaVine who finished with 42 points. Both Russell Westbrook and Raynaud had double doubles. Westbrook had 12 rebounds and ten assists and Raynaud finished with 12 points and 10 rebounds, another terrific game for the rookie. The team high for the Heat was Norman Powell who scored 18 points.
Game notes: Saturday night in Miami, the Kings matched-up with the Heat at Kaseya Center. Both teams are struggling with injuries right now, the Kings were still without Dennis Schroeder and Domantas Sabonis.
The Heat will be without Tyler Herro, Terry Rozier, Pelle Larsson and Davion Mitchell. The Kings had lost their last four games before beating the Heat on Saturday night and the Heat continue to struggled losing now four of their last five games which followed a six-game winning streak.
The Heat came into this game losing a heart-breaker to the Orlando Magic Friday night 106-105. The Kings lost to the Houston Rockets Wednesday night 121-95. The Kings made a change in the starting lineup considering the way this season has gone and it makes total sense with the emergence of bench player rookie Maxime Raynaud and the brilliant play we have seen from this guy.
With so many devastating injuries the Kings have struggled with getting any sort of rhythm going with different players on the floor game to game. It is without doubt that Raynaud has been a standout scoring 25 points Wednesday night against the Rockets. On Saturday against the Heat Raynaud came up with 12 points and the Kings scoring leader was Zack LaVine with 42 points.
Drew Eubanks has filled in as center in place of the injured Domantas Sabonis but he has been ok at best he had four points on Saturday and Raynaud continues to excel at a crazy rate. His time is right around the corner, it is eminent.
Monday the Kings will travel to Indiana for a game with the Pacers. Tipoff for that game is scheduled for 4:00 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 forward Keegan Murray (13) defends against Houston Rockets guard Amen Thompson (1) during the second half of an NBA basketball game in Houston, Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2025.Ashley Landis/AP
Sacramento Kings podcast Jeremiah Salmonson Sat Dec 6, 2025
#1 Can the Sacramento Kings (5-17) Russell Westbrook push the tempo against Miami Heat (14-9) half-court defense, or will the Heat’s pressure disrupt the Kings’ transition game Saturday night in Miami?
#2 With Domantas Sabonis has been out with an injury Maxime Raynaud is getting minutes and will be facing Bam Adebayo, which big man will control the interior and dictate the flow of the offense?
#3 Will Keegan Murray’s improved shot creation give Sacramento an edge on the wing against Miami’s physical perimeter defenders?
#4 How will Malik Monk’s scoring bursts match up against the Heat’s bench unit, which often swings momentum at home?
# 5 Can Maxime Raynaud and Monk provide the stability Sacramento needs on the road, especially in late-game situations against a disciplined Miami squad? Raynaud and Monk led Sacramento in scoring last Wednesday against the Houston Rockets with 25 points.
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.
Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun (28) shoots against Sacramento Kings forward Keegan Murray (13) during the second half of an NBA basketball game in Houston, Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2025.Ashley Landis/AP
Sacramento Kings podcast Tony Harvey Sat Dec 6, 2025:
#1 Can the Sacramento Kings (5-17) Russell Westbrook push the tempo against the Miami Heat’s (14-9) half-court defense, or will the Heat’s pressure disrupt the Kings’ transition game?
#2 With Domantas Sabonis out with an injury Maxime Raynaud facing Bam Adebayo, which big man will control the interior and dictate the flow of the offense?
#3 Will Keegan Murray’s improved shot creation give Sacramento an edge on the wing against Miami’s physical perimeter defenders?
#4 How will Malik Monk’s scoring bursts match up against the Heat’s bench unit, which often swings momentum at home?
# 5 Can Raynaud and Monk provide the stability Sacramento needs on the road, especially in late-game situations against a disciplined Miami squad? Raynaud and Monk led Sacramento in scoring last Wednesday against the Houston Rockets with 25 points.
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.
Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun (28) takes a shot over the Sacramento Kings center Maxime Raynaud (42) in the second half at the Toyota Center in Houston on Wed Dec 3, 2025 (AP News photo)
By Barbara Mason
It was more of the same for the Sacramento Kings (5-17) as they lost to the Houston Rockets (14-5) Wednesday night 121-95. The Kings are able to keep pace with opponents but fall prey to them in the second half. They have led some very good teams deep into the fourth quarter of games but have relinquished those leads losing those matchups.
They have been unable to close out fourth quarters for most of the season and this game was no exception in fact losing this one mid-way through the third quarter. The Rockets really got going in the second half with Kevin Durant, Alperen Sengun and Amen Thompson all scoring in the twenties with Sengun the game high with 28 points.
The high for the Kings were shared by two bench players; Malik Monk and Maxine Ranaud each with 25 points. They were a bright spot in a disappointing loss, their fourth in a row.
Game recap: The Rockets finished the opening quarter on top but only by a couple of points 28-26. The Kings were keeping pace with Houston throughout the first quarter. The quarter got underway with a couple of Russell Westbrook turnovers in the first minute of play, not a great start for the team.
The quarter was littered with some poor play finishing the quarter with three turnovers, fouls, and three steals. Despite the less than stellar play the team was very much in the game going into the second quarter.
It was Maxine Raynaud who helped keep the team within striking distance hitting a couple of three’s along with three additional baskets which included a one-foot layup, and a driving layup.
The Kings took the lead at times throughout the second quarter and went into the locker room at the half with a 52-51 lead. After a bit of a rocky start DeMar DeRozan hit five baskets in the second quarter.
He finished the first half with 12 points and bench player Maxine Raynaud had the team high for the half finishing with 14 points. Keegan Murray and Zach LaVine both had quiet quarters, each of them scoring two points apiece.
The Kings finished the half with nine turnovers, the Rockets with 11. Despite the nine turnovers, the Kings only conceded two points off those turnovers. The largest lead for each team was five points apiece in this hotly contested game. Going into the third quarter it was anyone’s game.
The Rockets had three players in double figures as the third quarter got underway. Kevin Durant, Alperen Sengun and Amen Thompson had a very good first half of basketball. The game see-sawed throughout the first half of the third quarter but then the game took a turn.
The Rockets got their largest lead of the game 71-64 at 4:57 in the quarter. Although quiet offensively, Keegan Murray had contributed grabbing nine rebounds so far in the game. As the third quarter wound down, the Rockets really got going extending their lead and taking a double digit advantage 78-68 with 2:30 left on the clock.
Houston took their double digit lead into the fourth quarter now leading 87-71 and the Kings had a real challenge facing them. Houston had squashed the Kings in the third outscoring them 36-19.
Sacramento had hung with the Rockets through the first half of the third quarter but let it all slip away as this game went into the fourth quarter. They were unable to sustain the effort that they had in the opening minutes of the third quarter and the Rockets were waltzing away with this game. By 7:32 in the fourth quarter Houston had established a 100-77 lead. The final was 121-95 and Sacramento had lost a fourth game in a row.
The first half of this game was very competitive, the second half not so much in fact mid-way through the third quarter the writing was on the wall. The Rockets turned the game into high gear and Sacramento was unable to stop them.
The bright spot for the Kings was a terrific showing on the Sacramento bench. Malik Monk and Maxine Raynaud each shot for 25 points in fact it was Raynaud that kept the Kings in the game in the first half. The high for the Sacramento starters was also shared with Russsell Westbrook and DeMar DeRozan each shooting for 12 points.
Game notes: The Kings extended their losing streak to three games, the Kings took on the Rockets Wednesday evening and beat 121-95. Houston is currently tied for third place in the Western Conference. The game took place at Toyota Center in Houston.
The Kings have of late pulled a couple of upsets back to back against the Denver Nuggets and the Minnesota Timberwolves. Sacramento couldn’t pull out a win against a Western Conference elite team. The Kings have struggled defensively and remain without big man Domantas Sabonis as well as Dennis Schroeder who is dealing with a hip issue. Sabonis will be evaluated in another week or two. The loss was the 12th out of their last 14 games.
Next up for the Kings will be the Miami Heat on Saturday December 6th with tipoff scheduled for 5:00 PM.
Imai boldly stated he’d prefer to defeat the Dodgers, who boast some of baseball’s most elite talent from Japan, rather than join them (TV Asahi)
That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast:
#1 The talk of a MLB lock out is heating up here in the dead of winter. The Collective Bargaining Agreement between the players and owners expires Dec 1, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. ET when the contract comes up.
#2 The players have made it pretty clear their not going for a salary cap which the owners are dead set on if they don’t get a salary cap the 2027 season could see a work stoppage.
#3 It’s been said that if the cap is the only answer baseball is in trouble. Does that spell the possibility that the 2027 could be wiped out?
#4 The San Francisco Giants speaking on cutting back on spending money the Giants will not sign Japanese pitcher Tatsuya Imai to which sources say due to financial considerations and a preference for more modestly priced short term deals. The Giants might start going in the direction of other clubs who will use younger players and when a player is established they could go packing.
#5 Turning to the NBA. The Golden State Warriors have united the Curry brothers as the Warriors signed veteran guard Seth Curry for the rest of the 2024-25 season on Monday. Seth was at the Warriors training camp but got waived because of the team’s financial restraints.
Amaury Pi-Gonzalez – Cuban-born Pi-González is one of the pioneers of Spanish-language baseball play-by-play in America. Began as Oakland A’s Spanish-language voice in 1977 ending in 2024 (interrupted by stops with the Giants, Mariners and Angels). Voice of the Golden State Warriors from 1992 through 1998. 2010 inducted in the Bay Area Radio Hall of fame.
LaTerraza Mexican Restaurant 1027 2nd Street in Old Sacramento give them a call at 916-440-0874
From the second you step in the front door, the sounds of Latin America will gently seduce your ears and continue as you relax outdoors with your favorite cocktail enjoying the view. The wonderful flavors and aromas of our cuisine will not disappoint.
We use only the finest, freshest, local ingredients in every dish and every dish is prepared to order. Enjoy live mariachi music weekly and on special occasions, catch balet folklorico dance performances among other live entertainment. Come visit us and have a great time! Enjoy fast, friendly service, fantastic food & cocktails, music and allow us to share our beautiful Mexican heritage with you.
LaTerraza Mexican Restaurant at 1027 2nd Street in Old Sacramento give them a call at 916-440-0874.
Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr (center) attempts making a shot as the Sacramento Kings center Drew Eubanks (left) and forward Keegan Murray (right) try and defend in the first half at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Sun Nov 30, 2025 (AP News photo)
Sacramento Kings podcast Barbara Mason:
#1 The Memphis Grizzlies Zach Edey scored a career high of 32 points and grabbed 17 rebounds as the Grizzlies won a eight point game over the Sacramento Kings 115-107 Sunday night at Golden One Arena.
#2 Edey scored his third double-double this season in 29 minutes and shot 16-20 from the floor. Edey scored six points in the last 3.5 minutes to help the Grizzlies win their fourth straight road game.
#3 The Kings were behind by 13 points in the third quarter and attempted a come back and closed the game making it 87-83 in the fourth quarter.
#4 DeMar DeRozan who scored 23 points and hit three 3 point shots for Sacramento. The Kings Molik Monk had 21 points, Zach LaVine had 19 points after he scored 34 point against the Utah Jazz on Friday night.
#5 The Houston Rockets (13-4) take a three game winning streak against the Utah Jazz (6-13) before they play the Kings on Wed Dec 3 in Utah. The Kings have been getting close but just can’t finish games how do you see this match up on Wednesday night?
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.
Malik Monk #0 of the Sacramento Kings dribbles the ball during the game against the Memphis Grizzlies on November 30, 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 returned home from a brief one-game road trip in Utah where they lost 128-119 on Friday night. The Kings welcomed the Memphis Grizzlies to Golden 1 Center on Sunday in the Kings’ last home game until December 11th. The Kings lost to the Grizzlies 115-107 amongst the fog.
In the first quarter, it was an all-too-familiar story for the Kings this season. The starters, consisting of guys like Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan, got the Kings into an early nine-point deficit. However, the Kings bench rallied back and managed to take the lead, sharing a positive +8 over their minutes on the court. The Kings outscored the Grizzlies 35-31 in the first quarter as they looked to continue what the young guys started.
In the second, neither team was able to create much separation as the Grizzlies barely edged the Kings in the second quarter. The Grizzlies outscored the Kings 31-24 in the quarter to take a three-point 62-59 lead into halftime. The Kings had overall shown a solid effort in the first half that they hoped they could build on in the second half of the game. Zach LaVine led the Kings in first-half scoring with 14 points, and Malik Monk dropped 10 points as the runner-up. The Kings only attempted eight (three made) three-pointers in the first half, which wasn’t a recipe for sustained success in the second half.
In the third quarter coming out of halftime, the starters for the Kings immediately let the Grizzlies go on a 6-0 run to open the quarter. However, the Kings fought to come back and take the lead going into the fourth quarter. The Kings outscored the Grizzlies 28-21 in the third quarter and took the four-point 87-83 lead to the final 12 minutes of the game. The disparity between the Kings starters and bench couldn’t be more evident, as the starting unit posted a combined individual -70 through the first three quarters and the bench countered with a combined +90 in the same span.
In the fourth quarter, the Kings couldn’t hold their slim lead and were outscored by the Grizzlies 32-20 in the quarter to drop the game by a 115-107 final. The Kings couldn’t get the job done as Zach Edey led the way for the Grizzlies with a career-high 32 points. The Kings were led in defeat by DeMar DeRozan and Malik Monk, who scored 23 and 21 points respectively for the Kings.
After the game, most of the Kings players quickly vacated the locker room without much to say after another loss at home.
Up Next: The Kings head out on the road to take on the Houston Rockets on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. PST.
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