Tag: Sacramento Kings

Precious Achiuwa #9 of the Sacramento Kings is guarded by Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the New York Knicks in the fourth quarter at Golden 1 Center on January 14, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Mandatory Photo Credit: Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

DOWNTOWN SACRAMENTO — The Sacramento Kings are experiencing their first upswing of the season.

The Kings have now won three straight games as they defeated the New York Knicks on Wednesday night 112-101 as Mike Brown made his return to Sacramento.

With Wednesday’s win over the Knicks, the Kings improved to 11-30 and have their first three-game win streak of the season.

I asked Doug Christie after the game if this is the type of streak you can build on as a team.

“I mean, our league is funny that way,” Doug said after the game. “We lost a game in Portland and I look at that one as the start of all of this because I thought that our standard began to be met. Then we dropped two in Los Angeles and that wasn’t it, obviously. But from that point, listen, we’ll win some and we’ll lose some. The key is, as we define ourselves, is that we play to a standard.”

Doug has been clear the Kings need to play to the “standard” to build their identity. Precious Achiuwa agreed that playing the right way is something they hope to build off of.

“Momentum in this league is very important and you can capitalize on that,” Precious Achiuwa said after the game to me in the press conference room. “I think right now we have a good flow of things. We’re going to try to continue to build on that. There’s no guarantees in this league… playing the right way, playing hard, and doing the right things.”

As for the game itself, the Kings took care of the Knicks with relative ease on Wednesday.

In the first quarter, the Kings jumped all over the Knicks to start the game. Sacramento, led by an early trio of double-digit scoring performances in the first quarter from DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, and Precious Achiuwa, outscored the Knicks 32-17 in the first frame. The aforementioned trio had 10 points each in the quarter to propel the Kings. On the other hand, the Knicks were shooting an abysmal 5% from deep on 20 attempts in the first quarter.

In the second quarter, the Kings didn’t extend their lead but they managed to keep the Knicks at bay without allowing them to meaningfully get back into the game. The Knicks outscored the Kings by a point, 25-24, in the second quarter as the Kings maintained the lead going into halftime. DeMar DeRozan led the Kings with 15 first-half points as the Kings led 56-42 going into the break.

In the third quarter, the Kings turned back up the intensity on the Knicks. The Kings outscored the Knicks 40-34 to take a 96-76 lead going into the fourth quarter of action. Precious Achiuwa was the Kings’ leading scorer in the third as he added another 10 points to bring his game total to 20 points in the first three quarters of action.

In the fourth quarter, the Knicks made a couple of runs to attempt to get the game back to within reach, but they all came up short as the Kings defeated the Knicks 112-101. The Knicks were able to outscore the Kings 25-16 in the final quarter, but it was much too little, too late for New York as they never really got back to within a realistic striking distance.

The Kings were led in scoring by DeMar DeRozan, who had 27 points in the game. Precious Achiuwa finished the night with 20 points and 14 rebounds, as Russell Westbrook led the Kings in assists with 11 in the game.

Up Next: The Kings will stay home to take on the Washington Wizards on Friday at 7 p.m. PST at Golden 1 Center.

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 reacts after he made a three-point basket over LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers in the fourth quarter at Golden 1 Center on January 12, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Mandatory Photo Credit: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings took on the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday on the second night of a back-to-back after defeating the Houston Rockets on Sunday night. The Kings got their revenge on the Lakers on Monday, defeating them 124-112.

In the first quarter of the game, the Kings brought high energy and effort on the defensive end of the floor, which led to their offense. Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan led the way for the Kings in the first quarter as they got the scoring going with nine and eight points, respectively, as the Kings outscored the Lakers 32-28. On the Lakers’ end, LeBron James and Luka Doncic also got going early as they scored 10 and 11 points, respectively, to open the game. The Kings’ defense was doing a good job on the others in the Lakers lineup but was struggling to defend the Lakers’ stars.

In the second quarter, the Kings started to take command of the game and pull away from the Lakers. Malik Monk dominated the second quarter as he scored 18 of the Kings’ 29 points in the frame. In large part due to Monk, the Kings outscored the Lakers 29-26 and took a 61-54 lead into halftime. The Kings shot 53% from the field and an impressive 61% from deep in the first half, which propelled them to the lead. On the other hand, the Lakers couldn’t buy a bucket from the perimeter, shooting an abysmal 15% from deep in the first half.

In the third quarter, it was more of the same from the Kings. The Kings continued to pressure the Lakers on the defensive end as the Lakers’ tough shooting night continued. The Kings outscored the Lakers 34-29 in the third despite a 14-point performance from Dončić in the quarter. DeRozan and Russell Westbrook kept the Kings’ pace up on the offensive end as they scored 11 and 13 points, respectively, in the quarter.

The Kings went into the fourth quarter with a 95-83 lead and looked to close out the Lakers in the final 12 minutes.

The Lakers weren’t able to handle the Kings in the fourth quarter, as the Kings and Lakers each scored 29 points in the frame, allowing the Kings to win the game 124-112. Despite a 42-point effort from Dončić, followed by a 22-point performance from James, the Kings managed to prevent any of the others from doing much damage.

The Kings showed a strong effort for a full 48 minutes on Monday to win their second straight game and the second night of a back-to-back.

Doug Christie has been preaching effort and “compete level” all year, and he has gotten a taste of it over the last few games.

“I told them before the game that you’re going to face adversity in life—adversity doesn’t miss you—but for them, their willingness to continue to compete and overcome that, that’s what it says a lot about who you are in those moments,” Christie said after the game.

Christie has also voiced his desire for the team to play to a certain level of pride—Kings pride. He discussed his players being able to be proud of the way they play after the game.

“You’re going to win some, whatever, but you play like that with your heart like that. You can look at yourself in the mirror.”

Up next: The Kings will stay home to take on the New York Knicks on Wednesday at 7 p.m. PST inside Golden 1 Center.

DeMar DeRozan #10 of the Sacramento Kings and Jabari Smith Jr. #10 of the Houston Rockets compete for a loose ball in the first half at Golden 1 Center on January 11, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Mandatory Photo Credit: Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

DOWNTOWN SACRAMENTO — The Sacramento Kings were back in action on Sunday night as they attempted to snap a seven-game losing streak against the Houston Rockets. After getting off to what was tied for their worst start in the Sacramento era prior to Sunday at 8-30, the Kings managed to defeat the Rockets 111-98.

In the first quarter of action, scoring was at a premium for both teams as they started slowly on the offensive end of the floor. The Kings were outscored by the Rockets 23-22 in the quarter, as Kevin Durant led the way for Houston with seven points in the first. Zach LaVine got the Kings going early, as his shot was falling in the opening frame, where he scored eight of the Kings’ 22 points.

In the second quarter, the Kings battled back and managed to outscore the Rockets 29-25 in the period. DeMar DeRozan was cooking in the second quarter for the Kings, as he scored 11 points in the frame to give Sacramento a 51-48 halftime lead. DeRozan led the Kings in first-half scoring with 13 points, while no other Kings players reached double figures at the break. Meanwhile, the Rockets got double-digit performances from Alperen Sengun, Amen Thompson, and Kevin Durant, who all scored in double figures in the first half. The first half was a good battle from the Kings, and it showed something Doug Christie has been looking for during the losing streak: effort.

In the third quarter, the Kings managed to keep the game close and maintain a razor-thin lead over the Rockets. Houston outscored Sacramento 28-27 in the period, but the Kings still went into the final quarter leading 78-76.

In the fourth quarter, it was the Dylan Cardwell show, as he almost single-handedly kept the Kings’ energy up in the early part of the quarter. The Rockets and Kings traded baskets, but it was Cardwell who ignited Sacramento and helped the team pull away. Cardwell amassed seven rebounds and two points in the quarter, helping the Kings outscore the Rockets 33-22 in the final 12 minutes. The Kings defeated the Rockets 111-98, marking their second victory of the season over Houston and snapping their seven-game losing streak.

Amen Thompson led all scorers with 31 points for the Rockets. On the Kings’ side, DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine led the way with 22 and 18 points, respectively. As a note, DeRozan also became just the 23rd member of the 26,000-points club with a made basket in the first half.

Malik Monk, who had been receiving a number of DNPs as of late and had fallen out of Doug Christie’s rotation, made a big impact for the Kings on Sunday night. Monk scored 15 points while adding four rebounds and three assists.

After the game, DeRozan spoke about the impact Monk had and the professionalism he has shown.

“It’s just a testament to the player that he is, the talent that he is, just to stay ready.”

Up next, the Kings stay home to take on the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday in the second night of a back-to-back. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.

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 complains about a call during their game against the Dallas Mavericks at Golden 1 Center on January 06, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Mandatory Photo Credit: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

DOWNTOWN SACRAMENTO — The Sacramento Kings were back in action on Tuesday night at the Golden 1 Center to take on the Dallas Mavericks. However, the game itself seemed like the secondary story of the night.

The Sacramento Kings and Dallas Mavericks are two teams with very recent falls from grace. There are a lot of similarities to draw between the two franchises, to go along with some stark differences. In this one the Kings fell from grace on Tuesday night 100-98 in razor close contest.

Both the Kings and Mavericks were playoff teams as recently as 2023 and 2024, respectively. Yet, neither team has any hopes of making the playoffs this season after major roster blowups were enacted by the teams’ front offices.

Last season, the Kings fired the first coach to take them to the playoffs since Rick Adelman in 2006, Mike Brown. Along with the Mike Brown firing came the departure of De’Aaron Fox at the trade deadline, which marked the end of the “beam team” era for the Kings.

On the other side of the court, the Dallas Mavericks — and since-fired GM Nico Harrison — traded their All-Star and young star Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers in what was one of the more puzzling moves in NBA history. Harrison has since been fired, and the Mavericks have moved on to a new group to lead the team.

Two teams with unforced errors now find themselves at the bottom of the Western Conference. As of Tuesday, the Kings sit at 14th in the conference with only eight wins on the year. The Mavericks are a 13-win team and sit at 12th in the West. The two franchises share a lot of similarities in their situations near the bottom of the standings. The main difference is that the Mavericks were fortunate enough to land the No. 1 pick in last year’s NBA Draft and selected Cooper Flagg, whom they now look to as their future.

On the other hand, the Kings have no first-round pick as part of their future and have a roster full of misfit veteran players with very little size or defensive ability.

These issues were on full display on Tuesday during the loss to the Mavericks.

The Kings lost to the Dallas Mavericks in fitting fashion, as the game came down to a botched play with less than 30 seconds left that led to isolation basketball for the veteran players on the team. Fittingly, the Kings were unable to convert, falling to the Mavericks 100-98.

The Kings did a good job holding the Mavericks to just 100 points, but the offense, which is ranked near the bottom of the league, failed them in the second half of the game.

Maxime Raynaud, who fouled out, was confident after the game that the Kings’ offense would turn it around given the level of talent on the roster.

“Everything kind of comes up given where we are at right now, but I do believe we have some extremely talented offensive players,” Raynaud said. “I mean, Russ is the highest-scoring point guard of all time. Zach has been a 50-40-90 player all his life. Deebo is probably one of the best closers in the NBA. So in that sense, we probably just have to find more collective solutions and not only rely on them carrying us every single game. We’ve got to give them some help.”

Help may not be what the Kings need. From the viewer’s perspective, the offense simply seems broken and stagnant — a recipe for disaster in the modern NBA.

“Just being more organized, understanding what we could get instead of trying to rely on a one-leg 30-footer to go in,” DeMar DeRozan said of the late offensive woes after the game. “Just got to give ourselves a better chance.”

The Kings have lacked organization and rhythm on the offensive side of the ball all year, and Tuesday was no different. The offensive stagnation has been an issue since the Kings blew up the roster last season before the trade deadline. Unlike the Mavericks, the Kings have no clear path forward to improve the team or their chances at another playoff appearance in the near future.

Up next, the Kings will travel to San Francisco on Friday to take on the Golden State Warriors at 7 p.m. inside Chase Center.