Sacramento Kings guard Malik Monk goes for the the throw down against the Chicago Bulls at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Sun Mar 8, 2026 (AP News photo)
Sacramento Kings podcast Barbara Mason:
1.Sunday night the Sacramento Kings took on the Chicago Bulls without veteran DeMar DeRozan and ended up defeating the Bulls 126-111 to end a 3 game skid. It’s been a rough week for the Kings losing earlier in the week to the Phoenix Suns and a real disappointment losing on Thursday to the New Orleans Pelicans who have struggled all season.
2. Despite being shorthanded, they have been shorthanded all season decimated by injury and or illness, Sacramento had a terrific start in the first half of the game.
3. Along came the critical second half where the Kings have at times stumbled but this time they had a strong start and continued to hold onto a double figure lead the entire quarter.
4. There were some outstanding stats coming from the starters as well as the Kings bench finishing off the Bulls and playing spoiler.
5. The Kings will now take on the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday with 17 games left in their season. The Pacers have nearly the same record as Sacramento as they too have struggled through the season.
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.
Russell Westbrook #18 of the Sacramento Kings looks on in the first half against the Chicago Bulls at Golden 1 Center on March 08, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Mandatory Photo Credit: Don Collier/Getty Images)
By Jeremiah Salmonson
DOWNTOWN SACRAMENTO — The Sacramento Kings were back in action on Sunday night in Sacramento as they took on the Chicago Bulls. The Kings defeated the Bulls 126-110 during a sparsely attended matchup at 6 p.m. PST.
During the win over the Bulls, the youth development was on full display for the Sacramento Kings.
The Kings went with a young lineup on Sunday with the exception of Russell Westbrook. Daeqwon Plowden, Precious Achiuwa, Maxime Raynaud, and Nique Clifford filled out the lineup as Doug Christie elected to go with the youth movement to start the game.
In the first quarter, the Kings got off to a quick start against the Bulls. The Kings outscored the Bulls 30-25 to open the game and take the quick five-point lead. In the absence of DeMar DeRozan, the Kings offense seemed to be flowing with a higher pace in the first quarter. While incredibly talented in his own right, DeMar’s more isolation-heavy style of basketball doesn’t tend to lend itself to a high-pace offensive scheme. Malik Monk scored seven points in the first quarter in a quick outburst that has become commonplace for him this season. Collin Sexton paced all scorers with eight points in the first quarter.
In the second quarter, the Kings continued to pressure the Bulls and expand on their early first-quarter margin. The Kings outscored the Bulls 35-26 in the second quarter to build a double-digit, 65-51 lead over the Bulls heading into halftime. Maxime Raynaud led the Kings with a big second quarter where he scored 14 points and had 18 points for the game heading into halftime. The Bulls had very little answer for the Kings big in the second quarter as Malik Monk added another seven points to bring his game total to 14 in the first half.
Could the Kings keep up the positive momentum and avoid a third-quarter collapse that has become normal this season?
Yes.
The Kings continued to play at a high level in the third quarter to maintain their advantage they had going into halftime. The Kings outscored the Bulls 39-38 in the third quarter as they grew their lead ever so slightly heading into the final quarter. Granted, the Bulls did challenge the Kings defense in the quarter, but the Kings offense was able to pick up the slack and maintain their advantage. Daeqwon Plowden shined for the Kings as he scored 10 points in the third quarter to pace the Kings offense. Collin Sexton led the Bulls in the third quarter with 12 points as he did his best to keep them in the game but with little success as the Kings took a 104-98 lead into the final quarter of action.
In the fourth quarter, both teams took a step back scoring the ball, but the Kings still managed to outscore the Bulls 22-21. Russell Westbrook managed to record the 208th triple-double of his career in the fourth quarter as he led the Kings to victory. Malik Monk and Maxime Raynaud led the Kings in scoring as they scored 30 and 26 points respectively along with Westbrook’s 23 points. Daeqwon Plowden also played well for the Kings on Sunday scoring 16 points in his just over 34 minutes of game action.
The Kings 126-110 win over the Bulls was their first win at home since January 16th and improved their record to 15-50 for the 2025-2026 season.
The Kings will stay home to take on the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday at 7 p.m. PST inside the 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.
Boston Celtics Jayson Tatum has returned after suffering an Achilles injury. Here he is blowing kisses to fans and playing against the Dallas Mavericks in the second half on Fri Mar 6, 2026 at the Boston Garden (AP News photo)
Headline Sports podcast Charlie O:
#1 How might Jayson Tatum’s return from a long Achilles injury impact the Boston Celtics’ playoff chances and team chemistry during the final stretch of the regular season?
#2 What factors usually enable teams to complete massive comebacks like the Spurs’ 25-point rally against the LA Clippers on Friday night, and what does it reveal about their resilience and in-game adjustments?
#3 The Sacramento Kings snapped a three game losing streak Sunday night defeating the Chicago Bulls 126-110. The Kings in recent games have been heavily dependent on Precious Achiuwa, Russell Westbrook, and Malik Monk.
#4 Turning to Major League Baseball the Sacramento A’s are playing a two game set in Las Vegas. On Saturday they lost to the Angles 3-0 and Sunday they played their split squad against the Angels all at Aviators Park in Las Vegas. How much was this series to get a measuring stick on local interest for the A’s who will be coming to Vegas in 2028?
#5 The San Francisco Giants in Sunday’s game improve to 13-3 in pre season play and have roll going in spring training. Is this just a look at guys trying to make the roster with a combination of double A and triple A players. Or has Giants manager Tony Vitello got this team firing on all cylinders?
New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (1) drives on Sacramento Kings Nique Clifford (5) before being called for an offensive foul in the first half at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Wed Mar 4, 2026 (AP News photo)
Sacramento Kings podcast Tony Harvey:
#1 How will Precious Achiuwa control the paint against the Chicago Bulls’ frontcourt, and can his rebounding and playmaking set the tone for Sacramento’s offense?
#2 Can veteran guard Russell Westbrook provide a spark in transition and help the Kings push the pace against the Bulls’ defense?
#3 Will Keegan Murray return soon he’s been out with that ankle injury?
#4 How important will scoring bursts from Malik Monk be for Sacramento’s second unit against the Bulls’ bench?
#4 Can DeMar DeRozan deliver a strong offensive performance against his former team, the Chicago Bulls?
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.
Russell Westbrook #18 of the Sacramento Kings is guarded by Saddiq Bey #41 of the New Orleans Pelicans during the first half at Golden 1 Center on March 05, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Mandatory Photo Credit: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
By Jeremiah Salmonson
DOWNTOWN SACRAMENTO — The Sacramento Kings were back in action on Thursday night in what I dubbed “The Tank Off Championship.”
The Kings entered the game in last place in the Western Conference with a 14-49 record and losers of their last two games. The Pelicans came in with only a slightly better record of 19-44, as both teams had hopes of finishing toward the bottom of the league in hopes of a top draft pick.
The Kings fell to the Pelicans 133-123 on Thursday night.
In the first quarter, the Kings got off to a hot start in the game to take a quick lead over the Pelicans. Led by 10 points from DeMar DeRozan in the first, the Kings outscored the Pelicans 30-26 to open the game. The Kings looked to maintain their same effort levels and keep the Pelicans at bay heading into halftime.
In the second quarter, the Kings gave up 41 points and slipped into a deficit heading into halftime. The Kings managed 33 points in the second, but it wasn’t enough to hold off the Pelicans as they took a 67-63 lead into the break. Trey Murphy led the charge for the Pelicans with 10 points in the second quarter.
In the third quarter, the Kings did their best to keep the Pelicans at arm’s length but couldn’t accomplish their task. The Kings were outscored by the Pelicans 38-28 in the third quarter as they fell behind by 14 points heading into the fourth quarter. Precious Achiuwa did what he could in the third to keep things close, scoring 11 points in the quarter, but it was to no avail as Saddiq Bey countered for the Pelicans with 10 points of his own.
In the fourth quarter, as the Kings entered it down 14, they managed to outscore the Pelicans, but it was too little too late. The Kings scored 32 points in the fourth compared to the Pelicans’ 28, but ultimately fell 133-123.
Precious Achiuwa led all scorers in the game with 29 points in just over 40 minutes of action. Achiuwa has made the most of his renewed opportunity in Sacramento as he has gone from out of the league to playing high-level basketball with the Kings.
After the game, Doug Christie had some succinct praise for the 26-year-old Achiuwa.
“Precious, he’s been playing some bona fide basketball,” the Kings head coach said postgame.
The Kings fell to 14-50 with the loss and remain the NBA’s worst team.
In what has certainly been a frustrating season for Russell Westbrook, the Kings mid-training camo pickup, he unloaded on the media after the game. In his postgame comments, Russ went after multiple media members directly and questioned all of our reporting on the team this season. In a largely baseless tirade, the veteran point guard went one by one through us in the media asking for opinions, as he added he believed the coverage was “to stir stuff up.”
“What I don’t like is… you guys, the job is to talk about the game, what’s happening in the game, not stir up a bunch of—I don’t want to cuss you because I want to get fined—but stir up a bunch of stuff that is not accurate. And that’s my problem,” Russell said to us after the game.
Westbrook failed to provide specifics after Sacramento Bee writer Chris Biderman asked him directly what he had said to deserve this critique.
Russ responded to that question with, “I don’t want to go down that road.”
The Kings will stay home to take on the Chicago Bulls on Sunday at 6 p.m. PST inside 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.
Phoenix Suns guard Jalen Green (4) loses the ball driving to the basket against the Sacramento Kings center Maxime Raynaud (42) in the first half at Golden 1 in Sacramento on Tue Mar 3, 2026 (AP News photo)
Sacramento Kings podcast Jeremiah Salmonson:
#1 Can the New Orleans Pelicans capitalize on Sacramento’s struggles at home? The Kings have been on a rough stretch at home and are looking to snap a losing streak in their arena.
#2 Will the Pelicans Zion Williamson be healthy and effective if he plays? With Zion Williamson listed as questionable due to an ankle issue, his availability could significantly impact New Orleans’ offensive ceiling.
#3 How will the Kings generate offense against New Orleans’ defense? Sacramento averages about 114.9 points per game, but they’re facing a Pelicans team that tends to allow high three-point volume, creating an interesting matchup dynamic.
#4 Can Sacramento end its losing momentum and defend home court? With both teams near the bottom of the Western Conference standings, this matchup could be crucial for confidence and momentum moving forward.
#5 Which role players will step up with key injuries affecting both teams? Injuries (including Sacramento’s sidelined Keegan Murray) could force bench players to take on bigger roles in scoring and defense.
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.
Maxime Raynaud #42 of the Sacramento Kings drives to the basket during the game against the Phoenix Suns on March 3, 2026 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 at home for the first time since February 19th at the Golden 1 Center on Tuesday night. Tip-off on Tuesday was at 8:12 p.m. PST.
The Kings, entering the day with the worst record in the NBA at 14-48, fell to 14-49, losing to the Suns 114-103.
The Kings’ season has devolved into a tankathon this year after early season injuries and lack of cohesion on the court led to one of the worst starts in franchise history. The Kings have turned their attention to the development of the young players on their roster in hopes of some lottery luck this offseason to secure a top pick. On Tuesday, that goal looked unchanged.
In the first quarter, the Kings started the game on the right foot, a rarity for them this season. The Kings outscored the Suns 30-22 in the first quarter to take the quick lead in the game. Malik Monk got going early for the Kings as he scored 11 points in the opening frame to propel the Kings. Maxime Raynaud and Precious Achiuwa also got off to a hot start in the game as they each scored eight points in the first quarter.
In the second quarter, the Kings kept the game competitive but let the Suns back into the game and ultimately, let them take the lead going into halftime. The Kings were outscored 37-25 in the second, going into halftime as the Suns took a 59-55 advantage into the second half. Grayson Allen led the Suns in their resurgence in the second quarter with 10 points and Devin Booker was right behind him, adding nine. Russell Westbrook did most of the heavy lifting for the Kings in the third with 10 points.
As the Kings came out for the third quarter, they tried to establish themselves in the second half but failed. The third proved disastrous for the Kings as they were outscored by the Suns 31-20 with the offense going dormant. Rasheer Fleming for the Suns led the way with eight points in the quarter as the Suns took a 90-75 lead into the final 12 minutes of the game.
In the fourth quarter, the Kings battled. After being down 20 points in the quarter, they managed to battle back to within 11 points of the Suns before they expanded their lead again. However, the Kings continued to battle, getting the lead back down to 11 with just over a minute remaining. Yet, the Suns ultimately defeated the Kings by 11 points, 114-103.
Maxime Raynaud led the Kings in defeat with 22 points in just over 35 minutes of action in the game.
The Kings will stay home to take on the Memphis Grizzlies 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.
Los Angeles Lakers forward Max Klebur (left) dunks on the Sacramento Kings forward Precious Achiuwa (right) at Crypto.com Arena on Sun Mar 2, 2026 (AP News photo)
Sacramento Kings podcast Tony Renteria:
#1 How will Nique Clifford control the pace against the Suns’ perimeter defense, and can he exploit transition opportunities?
#2 Can Maxime Raynaud dominate the glass and facilitate offense from the high post against Phoenix’s frontcourt?
#3 Will Russell Westbrook provide consistent outside shooting to stretch the Suns’ defense?
#4 How impactful will Malik Monk be off the bench in creating scoring bursts and secondary playmaking?
#5 Can the Kings deliver veteran leadership and efficient scoring in key fourth-quarter moments?
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.
Los Angeles Lakers guard Luca Doncic (77) takes a shot against the Sacramento Kings guard Nique Clifford (5) in the first half at Crypto Arena in Los Angeles on Sun Mar 1, 2026 (AP News photo)
By Barbara Mason
The Sacramento Kings (14-48) pulled to within ten points of the Los Angeles Lakers in the third quarter before the Los Angeles Lakers (36-25) waltzed away with this game with a 128-104 win Sunday night at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.
Luca Doncic finished with the game high of 28 points. The second half was no contest with the Lakers dominating. The Kings Nique Clifford had a terrific game with 26 points and seven rebounds and Maxime Raynaud had a double double, 16 points and 13 rebounds.
Game recap: The Lakers dominated the first quarter outscoring the Kings 36-18. Sacramento was struggling from the start but they did turn things around significantly in the second quarter outscoring the Lakers 31-28. Los Angeles at one time in the first half had a 22 point lead but the Kings cut that lead down to 15 64-49 at the half. The Kings got off to a slow start but had a solid second quarter of play.
At the half, Russell Westbrook had 12 points and Nique Clifford also had a good half of basketball with ten. They were the only two Kings in double digits. DeMar DeRozan had a sluggish first half scoring only four points as did Maxime Raynaud also with four points although he did have seven rebounds. They had made up some ground in the later minutes of the second quarter and were looking to continue to cut into the Laker lead in the third quarter.
Deandre Ayton, Austin Reeves and of course Doncic were all dominating in the first half and the Kings would have to continue to push in the second half.
The Kings took their hot finish in the first half into the third quarter. At 8:32 the Kings trailed by ten points 68-58 as they continued to try and climb back into this game. When it started to look promising the Lakers ran their lead back up to 19, 81-62 and took the third quarter away.
We got to see the magic touch of Doncic finishing off the third quarter scoring 28 points. He was ten of 16 from the floor and four of eight from downtown. Clifford was having a terrific game scoring 22 points with five rebounds. Los Angeles took a 20 point lead 96-76 into the fourth quarter.
LeBron James dazzled to start the fourth quarter as Los Angeles took a 105-81 lead their largest of the game. At 6:20 the Lakers were completely dominating on both ends of the court and Sacramento was getting clobbered 118-91. Los Angeles was all smiles in the second half of the quarter with the apparent win looming. In the final four minutes of the game, the Lakers had emptied their bench.
The high score for the Kings was Clifford who had a great game finishing with 26 points and seven rebounds. Raynaud had a double double, 16 points and 13 rebounds. DeRozan never really got going in this game finishing with nine points and four rebounds.
Four of the Laker starters finished in double figures with Doncic the high for the game with 28 points and five rebounds. Both Doncic and LeBron James left the game for much of the fourth quarter letting the bench finish the game.
Game notes: The Kings continued their road trip after beating the Dallas Mavericks last Thursday night 130-121. Sunday night the Kings lost to the sixth place Lakers. The Lakers welcomed back Russell Westbrook who formerly played with Los Angeles. Westbrook finished with 14 points and started along with DeRozan, Raynaud, Clifford and Precious Ashiuwa.
The Lakers with Sunday’s win take a 3-1 series lead . The Kings did beat them back on January 12, 124-113. Los Angeles have now won two games against the Kings. There were no injuries noted for the Lakers going into the game and they were at full strength. Sacramento faced another challenge with a lop-sided, short-handed roster going into Sunday’s game.
Tuesday night the Kings will face the seventh place team in the Western Conference. Sunday night’s game will end this current road trip and the Kings will be back at Golden 1 Arena as they face the Phoenix Suns. Tipoff for that game is scheduled for 8:00 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 guard Malik Monk (left) shoots around Dallas Mavericks Dwight Powell (right) in the first half at American Airlines in Dallas on Thu Feb 27, 2026 (AP News photo)
Sacramento Kings podcast Tony Harvey:
#1 Can Zach LaVine is out for the season but could he have carried the scoring load against the Los Angeles Lakers’ defense and outduel LeBron James in key offensive possessions?
#2 How much will someone like Domantas Sabonis’ be missed out of the line up against a team like the Lakers.
#3 Will Malik Monk’s shooting from beyond the arc provide Sacramento with the spacing they need to keep pace with the Lakers’ perimeter defenders?
#4 Prescious Achiuwa how do you see him matching up against the Lakers on Sunday?
#5 How might Nique Clifford’s energy and defense influence the bench’s ability to slow down the Lakers’ second units?
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.
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