Tag: Oklahoma City Thunder

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) takes a shot over the Sacramento Kings guards Nique Clifford (5) and Dennis Schroder (17) at Pay Com Center in Oklahoma City on Wed Nov 19, 2025 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

It was more of the same for the Sacramento Kings (3-12) as they took on the NBA defending champions the powerhouse Oklahoma City Thunder (15-1) losing 113-99. As we have seen over and over this season, the Kings are fully capable of hanging with the best but have fallen way short closing out games in the second half.

The Kings offense fell short with some frankly embarrassing numbers in fact it was bench player Drew Eubanks who had the high for the team with 21 points. When you have Zach LaVine and Russell Westbrook combine for 15 points there is reason for some real concern.

Game recap: The first quarter was a real fight between the two teams with the Thunder edging Sacramento 27-25 after the first 12 minutes of play. The Kings took the lead briefly several times in the opening quarter. The largest lead for the Thunder was four points as the scrappy Kings fought hard throughout the quarter.

The second quarter was another battle between the two teams with the Kings threatening to take the lead but just coming up short. As the final minutes of the half wound down, the Thunder started to turn the quarter around finishing with an eight-point lead 58-50 their largest of the game. OKC had outscored the Kings 31-25.

Sacramento had a productive first half of basketball. They had decent ball protection with seven turnovers only conceding four points on those turnovers. They were shooting at a 31% clip from beyond the arc, the Thunder at 19%.

They had fallen short at the line only making six of 11 for a 55% success rate. Sacramento also struggled in the paint making 22 points to the Thunder’s 30. The good news was that the Kings had not made it at all easy for OKC and they had done it with two of their best players out with injury.

Dennis Schroeder had been terrific off the bench scoring 15 points the only King in double figures. Sacramento’s Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan had slow starts in the first half.

It was not a great start in the third quarter for the Kings with the Thunder extending their lead 61-50 when Chet Holmgren sunk a 25-foot jumper prompting a Sacramento time out. After OKC had taken a 13 point lead the Kings rallied mid-way through the quarter cutting the Thunder lead in half 67-61.

Turnovers continued to hamper the Kings committing nine more in the quarter.. After a nice King’s run the Thunder pushed back extending their lead back out to 83-67 and the Thunder were looking to take this one home for their 15th win of the season. OKC took the 83-67 lead into the fourth quarter.

The Thunder hung on leading by double digits throughout the fourth quarter and closed out this game winning by the score of 113-99 for their 15th win of the season.

Drew Schroeder had the team high of 21 coming off the bench. Only two starters had double figures, DeMar DeRozan with 17 and Precious Achiuwa with 15. The Kings had 18 turnovers, 11 in the second quarter. Sacramento’s season record continues to plummet and there seems to be no relief in sight.

Game notes: Wednesday evening in Oklahoma City, the Kings took on another giant, the league leading Thunder. Sacramento had faced a crazy schedule since the season began taking on the elite of the NBA. Wednesday night as they faced the NBA Champions, a team that has only lost a single game this season; they were tested to their core.

Unfortunately the Kings were short-handed with one of their key players Domantas Sabonis out. Sabonis has been playing through a ribcage issue forcing him to miss time on the court and now more misery with a knee injury.

OKC will be missing Jalen Williams out with a wrist injury. The Thunder come into this game after beating the New Orlean Pelicans Monday night 126-109 while the Kings lost their sixth game in a row to the San Antonio Spurs.

The Sacramento starting lineup will start Drew Eubanks in Sabonis’ place. We have seen the Kings hang with the best of the best this season but we have also seen them drop leads in the fourth quarter with regularity.

The Kings will continue this road trip Thursday heading to Memphis taking on the Grizzlies who are also struggling this season with a 4-11 record. Tipoff for this game is scheduled for 5:00 PM.

Sacramento Kings Drew Eubanks is in a pickle being defended by Oklahoma City Thunder guard Ajay Mitchell second to right during the first half at Golden One Center in Sacramento on Fri Nov 7, 2025 (AP News photo)

Sacramento Kings podcast Tony Harvey:

#1 It wasn’t even a close contest at Golden One Center on Friday night as the Oklahoma City Thunder (9-1) took care of business with a 30 point 132-101 win over the Sacramento Kings (3-6).

#2 Not enough offense some lapses in the outside shot and too much Thunder defense in the paint for the Kings to try and keep up.

#3 Thunder top scorers Isaiah Hartenstein with 33 points and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander with 30 points there was very little the Kings could do to stop both of them.

#4 The Kings got lots of scoring help with ten players in double figures, Russell Westbrook led with 24 points but it wasn’t enough to get the job done against OKC who dominated with a 30 point win.

#5 Up next for the Kings the Minnesota Timberwolves (5-4) Sun Nov 9th. The Wolves who picked up their fifth win of the season over the Utah Jazz (3-6) at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City rather handedly 137-97 in a 40 point win on Friday night. How do you see this match between the Jazz and Kings this Sunday?

Join Tony Harvey for the Sacramento Kings podcast 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. 

Oklahoma City Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein (left) takes a jump shot against the Sacramento Kings forward Drew Eubanks (right) in the first half at Golden One Center in Sacramento on Fri Nov 7, 2025 (AP News photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–After their win on Wednesday against the Golden State Warriors, the Kings looked to make it a streak on Friday as they welcomed the Oklahoma City Thunder to town for a 7 p.m. start. The Kings were unable to calm the Thunder as they were defeated 132-101.

In the first quarter, Russell Westbrook and Malik Monk led the Kings to an early lead in the game as they scored 11 and nine, respectively. The Kings defense struggled to contain the Thunder in the early minutes of the game but settled in and pressured the Thunder to 43% shooting in the first quarter. The Kings shot an even 50% from the field in the first quarter as they outscored the Thunder 32-30 in the opening 12 minutes of action.

In the second quarter, the Kings defense again tried to keep the Thunder at bay, but it proved too much. The Thunder outscored the Kings in dramatic 40-24 fashion to take the commanding 70-56 lead going into halftime.

The Thunder’s Isaiah Hartenstein led all scorers in the game at halftime with 20 points as he positioned himself well to eclipse his career high (24). The Kings shot 45% in the second compared to the Thunder’s 64%. The Kings were led in scoring in the first half by Russell Westbrook, who scored 16.

In the third quarter, the Kings and Thunder traded baskets as the Thunder narrowly outscored the Kings 28-27. The Kings trailed 98-83 going into the final quarter and would need a miracle to come back in their first NBA Cup game of the season.

No such comeback was in order as the Kings were outscored in the fourth quarter 34-18 as Oklahoma City ran away with the game. The Kings shot 41% in the loss compared to the Thunder’s 53% from the field in the game.

Hartenstein did indeed reach his new career high as he dropped 33 points for the Thunder in the victory as he led all scorers. Westbrook led the Kings in scoring with 24 points in the contest following his triple double against the Warriors on Wednesday. The Kings fell to the Thunder 132-101 on Friday night at the Golden 1 Center.

The Kings lost the battle in the paint 60-34, which was disastrous to say the least.

“I think there’s a ton of things,” Maxime Raynaud said after the game about improving the points in the paint disparity. “Obviously, we can’t get blown by on drives. Obviously, we can’t let the roller get behind us for LOBs; we can’t leave that many offensive rebounds…”

The Kings were frustrated after the loss with their lack of defending their home court. Yet, they will get another chance on Sunday as they welcome the Minnesota Timberwolves to town for a 6 p.m. PST tip-off.

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. 

Chicago Bulls forward/guard Isaac Okoro (35) rebounds the basketball against the Sacramento Kings forward/center Drew Eubanks (19) in the first half at the United Center in Chicago on Wed Oct 29, 2025 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

The Sacramento Kings (1-4) lost their third game in a row to the Chicago Bulls (4-0) 126-113. This was the largest margin this season for the team.

They have been in every game they have played so far with the exception of tonight’s game and their season record could be far different. Once again Zach LaVine led the Kings in scoring with 30 points.

Game recap: The Bulls led after the opening quarter wound down 36-33. It was a tight hotly contested first quarter of play . The Kings took the lead in the second quarter, their largest lead 12 points.

The Bulls at one time in the half had also taken a 12 point lead. The score was 64-62 with the Kings leading in this high octane contest. In the later minutes of the second quarter the Kings had established double digit leads.

Leading by 12 points with three minutes left in the half the Kings let the Bull erase their lead to pull within two points as the clock expired. The Bulls had gone on a nice run to end the second quarter.

Domantas Sabonis and Zach Lavine had the high scores in the first half. Sabonis with 12 points and LaVine with 16. Malik Monk also had double figure off the bench with 11 points. The Bulls had two two starters in double digits, Matas Buzelis with 17 points and Josh Giddey with 12 points. Kevin Huerter finished the first half with ten points off the bench. The second half would no doubt boast some more high caliber play.

Most importantly for the Sacramento Kings in the second half would be consistent play. They had a great handle on ball protection in the first half with only five turnovers. They were perfect from the line and they had seven steals in the half. With consistent play in the second half they would be in a great place to finish this game and come away with a win.

The third quarter was horrible for the Kings with consistency going out the window and questionable defensive effort They dropped the lead and allowed the Bulls to take a 72-66 lead. In the first couple of minutes they missed four shots falling off offensively to open the third quarter.

They had a pretty good start but had cooled off significantly in this game. With a lot of time left in the second half there was ample time to turn things around for Sacramento. Every time the Kings made a little headway, the Bulls pushed their lead back out.

The Bulls were blowing right through the Sacramento defense throughout the third quarter. As the third quarter came to an end the Bulls continued to lead 101-91. Through three quarters the Bulls had out-rebounded the Kings 33 to 21. The young Bulls had outpaced the Kings in the third quarter and showed no signs of slowing down.

The Bulls continued to extend their lead in the fourth quarter leading by 15 points 111-96 with nine minutes left in the game. So far this season the Kings had not figured out how to play four quarters struggling with inconsistent play.

The Bulls had hit 14 shots from downtown and were dominating offensively shooting 58 % from the field. The Kings had only hit seven three’s and began missing them late in the final quarter trying to make up the 120-108 deficit. It was a losing battle as the Kings could not match Chicago offensively.

The Kings lost their third game in a row after leading at the half. Their season record could look very different. They have been in every game with the exception of Wednesday night’s game. They had the Thunder on the ropes until the final three minutes of play.

They lost to the Suns by four points and played a close game with the Lakers. They have a core of veteran players starting and they are so close to cleaning things up. Wednesdaty night they only had ten turnovers a vast improvement. They have struggled defensively and have just not been consistent.

Once again Zach LaVine led the team in points with 30. DeMar DeRozan finished with 19 points and five rebounds and Domantas Sabonis had a double double with 11 rebounds and 18 points. Malik Monk had 15 points off the bench.

Game notes: After losing to the Oklahoma City Thunder Tuesday night in the final three minutes of play, the Kings traveled to Chicago for a matchup with the Bulls at United Center.

Despite the loss, the Kings played a great first half of basketball, did enough in the third quarter to win and led going into the final three minutes of the game. Sacramento was unable to finish the game falling short at the end.

They had a super solid starting lineup in that game and went with the same lineup in Wednesday night’s game. This is a fully competent bunch consisting of veterans Zach Lavine, Domantas Sabonis, DeMar DeRozan, Dennis Schroeder and Russell Westbrook; a group capable of getting the job done. The Kings also have Malik Monk and Keon Ellis off the bench. Both of them can really go off offensively.

This current road trip continues on Saturday as the Kings meet another contender the Milwaukee Bucks at Fiserv Forum. Tipoff for this game is scheduled for 2:00 PM PT.

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. 

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) runs up the floor as the Sacramento Kings center Domantas Sabonis (left) prepares to inbound the ball in the first half at Pay Com Arena in Oklahoma City on Tue Oct 28, 2025 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

The Sacramento Kings (1-3) led through three plus quarters but a late fourth quarter burst by the Oklahoma City Thunder (5-0) resulted in their fifth straight win of the season 107-101 Tuesday night.

The Kings had every opportunity to win this game but came up short in the final three minutes of the game. Sacramento missed too many shots down the stretch and the 17 turnovers did them no favors. Zach LaVine had the team high for the Kings with 23 points.

Game recap: The opening quarter could not have gone better for the Kings. They were able to match the Thunder shot for shot, in fact as the quarter ended, the Kings were shooting 57% and led 29-24.

It was the perfect start for Sacramento. The challenge would be to be able to keep the pace they started out with and of course contain Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and company. It is a huge ask; this is a formidable team that excel offensively and defensively. They may fall short in any one quarter but they can also turn a game around on a dime

The Kings continued to hold the lead in the second quarter and with four minutes left in the half had a 51-44 lead. As halftime drew close the Kings closed out the first half leading 62-58. The Kings had three players in double figures with Russell Westbrook, DeMar DeRozan and Zach Lavine each shooting for 11 points.

Keon Ellis had nine points off the bench so far in the game. Both teams were shooting at 100% from the line a vast improvement for the Kings over their last game. Each team had seven steals and the largest lead of the game was a ten point lead for Sacramento. The Thunder had briefly taken a four-point lead in the half which was quickly erased by the Kings.

The second half battle got underway as the Kings fought to retain the lead. A hasty time-out was called by the Kings when the Thunder pulled to within one point 70-69. Missed shots and turnovers were taking their toll on Sacramento as the Thunder threatened to take the lead.

The Kings had taken their foot off the pedal and let Oklahoma City back in the game. The Thunder did take the lead briefly but Sacramento answered taking a 79-71 lead with under five minutes left in the third.

The Thunder had played from behind for most of the night. After building a ten-point lead the Kings starting missing a lot of shots allowing the Thunder to creep back in the game. They had gone on a 9-2 run and they had stuffed the Kings offense only allowing them to shoot at 38%. The Kings had taken a nosedive from their offense in the opening quarter. Going into the fourth quarter the Kings were clinging onto a 83-80 lead.

Sacramento had to reel their offensive effort in if they had any chance against the Thunder. They were no longer matching the Thunder shot for shot and despite hanging onto the lead, the Thunder continued to hang around pulling to within one point 89-88.

The Sacramento offense had stalled resulting in too many misses and focus waned down the stretch with under seven minutes left in the game. With just over three minutes left on the clock, the Kings had a one-point lead 97-96 and Sacramento took another time-out.

Their promising start was in jeopardy. The Kings continued to miss shots while the Thunder were cashing in taking a 101-97 lead with 1:23 left in the game. The final was 107-101 as the Thunder rallied in the fourth quarter for the win. The Sacramento Kings were unable to finish the game something they have been struggling with this season.

The Kings came up on the short end in this game. They had every opportunity to hand the Thunder their first loss of the season but they failed offensively in the final three minutes of the game letting the Thunder back in.

You give the Thunder an inch and they will hurt you every time and this game was no exception. The Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had the high for the game with 31 points. The high for the Kings was Zach LaVine with 23 points.

DeMar DeRozan finished with 19 points, Russell Westbrook with 18 and center Domantas Sabonis had a double double 18 rebounds and 10 points. The missed shots down the stretch was the turning point in this game. The Kings played hard and did have a great game despite the loss. The Thunder just handled the clutch situation in the final minutes a whole lot better than the Kings did.

Game notes: The Kings have had a bit of a rocky start to the season hampered by injury and illness. They started out their road trip taking on the some of the best teams in the NBA in a very challenging string of four games that began with a loss in Oklahoma City after taking on the unbeaten world champion Thunder (5-0).

The Sacramento starting lineup featured Russell Westbrook who came off the bench to play alongside Domantas Sabonis, DeMar DeRozan, Dennis Schroeder and Zach LaVine. The Thunder have a slew of players on the injured list and the Kings are still without Keegan Murray and also Nique Clifford.

The Kings were looking to hand the Thunder their first loss in the young season but the Thunder stayed ahead of the Kings for the win. This road trip will challenge the Kings to their core and they will need to stay focused and disciplined as they fight their way through these early season obstacles.

They will have their work cut out for them but the Kings have a bunch of seasoned veterans that make up their starting roster. The Thunder were able to stay ahead of Sacramento,

Next up for the Kings will be the Chicago Bulls as they jet up north for their next game. If they can take the same level of play that they played with Tuesday night into this game they have a great opportunity to succeed. The Bulls are also undefeated right now. Tipoff for this game is scheduled for 5:00 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.