Sacramento Kings guard Zach Levine (8) goes for the dunk against the Utah Jazz at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Fri Nov 29, 2025 (AP News photo)
Sacramento Kings podcast Tony Harvey:
#1 With Zach LaVine coming off a recent slump, bounced back and lead the Kings in scoring vs. the Jazz with 34 points.
#2 How did Russell Westbrook’s playmaking — assists and ball-movement — impact the Kings’ offensive flow against Utah’s defense Friday night?
#3 In the absence of Domantas Sabonis (out injured), Keegan Murray stepped up in the frontcourt and help the Kings battle on the boards and finished second in scoring with 23 points.
#4 Was DeMar DeRozan’s experience and mid-range scoring was enough to stretch the Jazz’s defense and open driving lanes for teammates? DeRozan finished with 16 points.
#5 Given the Kings’ recent defensive issues, how much did the supporting cast struggle against the Jazz’s pace on Friday 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.
Utah Jazz guard Keynote George (right) dunks over the Sacramento Kings guard DeMar DeRozan (left) in the first half at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Fri Nov 28, 2025 (AP News photo)
By Barbara Mason
The Sacramento Kings (5-15) had a really slow start in their matchup with the Utah Jazz (6-12) in the opening quarter and it carried on into the second and third quarters. The Kings were unable to make up the difference in the fourth quarter despite outscoring the Jazz 38-32.
The Jazz won the first three quarters winning the game 128-119. The Kings starters turned in some nice number with Zach LaVine shooting the team high of 34. Keegan Murray also had nice numbers with 23 points. The Sacramento bench chipped in 24 points which was no match for the 46 points the Utah bench hit.
Game recap: The Jazz had a great start in this game winning both quarters in the first half. They outscored the Kings in the opening quarter 30-27 and went on to outscore Sacramento in the second quarter as well 32-24 leading at the half 62-51.
This was not the start that the Kings wanted to see. They only had 5 turnovers in the first half but they fell short at the line only shooting 13 of 20 for 65%. They struggled from beyond the arc with Keegan Murray going 0 for 4 and Zach LaVine 1 of 4 the team only hitting 5 of 15.
They would be looking to a far better second half. They had pulled to within four points of the Jazz in the final minute of the half but Utah pushed their lead back out to 62-51 to finish off the first half. Sacramento would need a whole lot more in the second half.
The Jazz continued to dominate in the third quarter although the Kings made a nice run at 7:16 pulling to within two points 67-65 only to let the Jazz off the hook. Utah pushed their lead back out to 80-72 as the clock began to wind down on the quarter.
The Jazz’s Keyonte George was having a terrific game already having scored 22 points through three quarters. Utah’s bench had a cumulative 25 points to the Kings ten. Trailing by 17 points 90-73 the Kings had a whole lot of work to do in the fourth quarter.
Through three quarters the Jazz had dominated and the Kings were unable to stop them in a real lackluster showing. It had so far been a very disappointing game for Sacramento. Two minutes into the final quarter the Kings had cut the Jazz lead to ten points 93-83.
The Utah bench was putting together some great offense already having hit 37 points with 7:35 left in the game. Keyonte George, Lauri Markkanen and the Utah bench were just too much for Sacramento dominating all night.
Game notes: Prior to losing to the Phoenix Sun Wednesday night, the Kings had really come to life delivering losses to two of the NBA’s elite, the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Denver Nuggets. Keegan Murray continues to take charge offensively.
When asked by the coaching staff to play more aggressively he has done just that putting up some good numbers. Friday night they lost to the Jazz in Utah at Delta Center. Besides being without Domantas Sabonis they were without a huge weapon off the bench Dennis Schroeder who is out with a hip injury.
In their only meeting this season the Kings prevailed in a one-point victory 105-104 over the Jazz. Utah will played without Walter Kessler who is scheduled to have left shoulder surgery and will unfortunately miss the remainder of the season. The biggest threat that the Kings had to defend against is Lauri Markkanen who finished second in scoring with 28 points.
Sunday evening the Kings will be back home at Golden 1 Arena welcoming the Memphis Grizzlies. Sacramento got walloped by the Grizzlies a little over a week ago in the only game they have played so far this season 137-96. It is a given that they will to be looking for a little payback. Tipoff for this game is scheduled for 6:00 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.
Phoenix Suns Mark Williams (15) battle for the ball against the Sacramento Kings Russell Westbrook (18) in the first half at Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix on Wed Nov 26, 2025 (AP News photo)
Sacramento Kings podcast Jeremiah Salmonson:
#1 The Sacramento Kings after winning two in a row against the Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves dropped a tough game to the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday night 112-110 at Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix.
#2 The Suns Mark Williams scored 21 points and 16 rebounds, Colin Gillespie scored 21 and it helped the Suns grab an early lead.
#3 Willams also shot nine for 12 from the field and grabbed nine offensive rebounds and established himself in the inside game Gillespie also had nine assists.
#4 For the Kings four players in double figures both Russell Westbrook and Keegan Murray both tied on the leaderboard with 19 points but none the less the Kings fell short two points dropping their record to 5-14.
#5 The Kings are in Utah Friday night. The Utah Jazz have lost four in a row and host the Kings at the Delta Center Friday night. Could this be a game where the Kings can pick up a victory?
Zach LaVine #8 of the Sacramento Kings looks on during the game against the Phoenix Suns on November 26, 2025 at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California.(Mandatory Photo Credit: Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images)
By Jeremiah Salmonson
DOWNTOWN SACRAMENTO — Riding the most optimism the Kings have had all season, Sacramento welcomed the Phoenix Suns to Golden 1 Center on Wednesday night. The Kings failed to keep the winning streak going as they fell to the Suns 112-100.
In the first quarter, the Kings played one of the worst quarters of the season. The Suns blew the Kings off the court and outscored them 41-16, with Devin Booker scoring 12 points in the quarter. The Kings didn’t take care of the ball as they turned it over seven times, leading to 12 Suns points and setting the tone early. Kings fans booed the team off the court as the quarter came to a close.
In the second quarter, the Kings settled in to stop the bleeding, but they didn’t make any dent in the Suns’ lead heading into halftime. The Kings were outscored 29-26 in the second quarter as Russell Westbrook led the team with seven points in the period. The Kings trailed the Suns 67-45 as the game went to halftime. The Kings were led in scoring in the first half by Russell Westbrook, who scored 12 points, while Devin Booker led all scorers with 15 first-half points. The Kings continued to get punished by turnovers as they gave the Suns 11 free possessions in the first half, leading to 19 Phoenix points. Phoenix led by as many as 25 points in the first half as the Kings couldn’t find a way to contain the Suns.
In the third quarter, the Kings finally went on a run to get themselves back into the game. The Kings outscored the Suns 28-16. The Kings, led by Malik Monk, Keegan Murray, and Keon Ellis, got within 10 points as the third quarter ended 83-73 in favor of the Suns. The defense played by the aforementioned, along with 16 combined points from Murray and Monk, gave the Kings a fighting chance in the final 12 minutes.
In the fourth quarter, the Kings couldn’t keep their third-quarter efforts going as they were outscored 29-27 and lost to the Suns 112-100. The Kings’ efforts in the first quarter proved too much to overcome, finishing the game with 19 turnovers that led to 34 Suns points. Zach LaVine and Russell Westbrook combined for 11 turnovers as Zach’s struggles continued. LaVine finished the game 1-6 from three as he continues to go through one of his worst shooting slumps since being acquired by the Kings last season.
After the game, Doug Christie was saddened by the Kings’ efforts after such a gritty performance on Monday against the Timberwolves.
“About as disappointing as it gets,” Doug said following the game. “I probably should have called a timeout within the first six seconds with the very first turnover—attention to detail, matching physicality—but we all got to be better, me included.”
With the loss, the Kings fell to 5-14 and are now 3-6 at home.
Up Next: The Kings will travel to Utah to take on the Jazz on Friday at 6:30 p.m. PST inside Delta Center.
Keegan Murray #13 of the Sacramento Kings three point basket against the Minnesota Timberwolves on November 24, 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 on Monday after a brutal five-game, 10-day trip in which they only managed to go 1-4. The Kings, in front of a passionate Sacramento crowd, defeated the Timberwolves 117-112.
In the first quarter, neither the Kings nor the Timberwolves were hitting their shots to start the night. In the end, the Timberwolves outscored the Kings 27-23 to take the early lead in the game. Sacramento shot 45% from the field and wasn’t able to connect on a three all quarter as the Timberwolves shot 44% and 27% from the three-point line. Anthony Edwards provided the majority of the spark for the Wolves, scoring 12 points in the first quarter.
In the second, each team scored the exact same number of points as the first quarter, with Minnesota putting up 27 and Sacramento 23. The Wolves went into halftime with the 54-46 lead. The Kings were hanging with the Wolves, but neither team had gone on a big offensive run, which remained a concern for the Kings in the second half. The Kings’ leading first-half scorer was Keegan Murray with 15 points, and Anthony Edwards led the Wolves with 17.
In the third, the Kings continued to hang with the Wolves. The Kings outscored the Timberwolves in the third quarter 31-28 as they looked to make a fourth quarter comeback. DeMar DeRozan and Russell Westbrook led the Kings and their efforts in the third, scoring 10 and seven, respectively. The Kings headed into the final 12 minutes of the game trailing the Wolves 82-77.
In the fourth quarter, the Kings showed a level of fight that they haven’t shown all season. The Kings were playing physical defense and forcing big mistakes from the Wolves on the other end of the floor. The Kings were able to outscore the Wolves 24-19 to force an overtime session in their first game back since the road trip. The game headed to overtime tied at 101 as DeMar DeRozan, Keegan Murray, and Malik Monk finished regulation all with more than 20 points in the game.
In the overtime session, the Timberwolves were careless with the ball as the Kings forced the issue with pressure on the defensive end. The Wolves committed five turnovers in overtime, which led to seven Sacramento points. The Kings outscored the Wolves 16-11 in the extra five minutes to win the game 117-112. The Kings improved to 5-13 on the season as Keegan Murray led the group with 26 points and 14 rebounds.
After the game, DeMar DeRozan spoke highly of Keegan’s value and the impact he has had since his return.
“Keegan is, uhh, key to this team,” DeMar said. “It’s his team. He’s one of those guys that’s going to be very, very special in this league, and he’s showing it.”
Doug Christie echoed those same sentiments after the game, saying, “He’s a special player, man.”
The Kings’ season hasn’t gone to plan so far this year. The team is mired in trade rumors and angst among the fans about the future of the team. However, that doesn’t stop Kings fans from showing up.
On Tuesday, as the 4-13 Kings returned home after an abysmal road trip, a raucous 16,957 welcomed home the team as if they were heroes returning from war. That says something about the fan base in Sacramento. That’s special. That’s abnormal.
Up Next: The Sacramento Kings stay home to take on the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday night 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.
The Sacramento Kings Malik Monk (0) drives on the Denver Nuggets Bruce Brown (right) in the first half at Ball Arena in Denver on Sat Nov 22, 2025 (AP News photo)
Sacramento Kings podcast Barbara Mason:
#1 The Sacramento Kings Russell Westbrook scored 15 of 21 points against the Denver Nuggets in the fourth quarter on Saturday in the Kings 128-123 win at Ball Arena in Denver.
#2 The Nuggets Nikola Jokic scored 44 points but in spite of that the Kings were pulled it off picking up their fourth win of the season.
#3 It was a big win for the Kings as they finally snapped their long eight game losing streaks.
#4 The Kings Dennis Schroder scored 21 points which was a huge contribution for the win. The Kings in their eight loses in a row had lost each of those games in double digits.
#5 Next up for the Minnesota Timberwolves have been playing .500 ball of late going 2-2 in their last four games. The last time the Kings met the Wolves back on Fri Nov 14 at the Target Center in Minneapolis the Timberwolves picked up the win 124-110. Tip for the Timberwolves and Kings at 7:00pm at Golden One 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.
Sacramento Kings center Precious Achiuwa (left) defends against the Denver Nuggets Nikola Jokic (right) in the first half at Ball Arena in Denver on Sat Nov 22, 2025 (AP News photo)
By Barbara Mason
The Sacramento Kings (4-3) beat the Denver Nuggets (12-4) 127-123 to end an eight-game losing streak. The Kings played a great fourth quarter holding off the Nuggets in the final seconds in a great finish for Sacramento.
Keegan Murray in his second game of the season after coming back from injury finished with 19 points and five rebounds. The high for the Kings was starter Russsell Westbrook with 21 points and six rebounds who lit up in the fourth quarter and Dennis Schroeder who also scored 21 points off the bench.
Game recap: The Kings and Nuggets played a close first half with the Nuggets taking the early lead outscoring the Kings 35-31 in the first quarter. Sacramento went on to outscore Denver in the second quarter in a close one 31-30.
Denver took a 65-61 lead into the locker room at the half and this was anyone’s game going into the third quarter. At the half Zach LaVine had scored 13 points and Keegan Murray was on the brink of double digits with nine points.
Less than two minutes into the third quarter the Kings called a timeout. The Nuggets scored a quick six points in the first two minutes taking a 71-64 lead prompting the stoppage. Sacramento had been able to hang around keeping the Nuggets on their toes but never taking the lead giving the Nuggets a slight upper hand.
The timeout didn’t do a lot for the Kings but the Nuggets went on a ten point run taking a 79-66 lead. With under four minutes left in the quarter the Kings had significantly trimmed the Nuggets lead only trailing by two points 81-79.
With under three minutes left on the clock this game was tied at 84. With 1:24 left in the third quarter the Kings took an 89-88 lead. After three quarters Nikola Jokic had scored 24 points but it was the Kings Dennis Schroeder who had scored 21 points off the bench that was keeping the Kings in this game.
Going into the fourth quarter the Nuggets held a slim 92-91 lead. At 7:23 the Kings took their largest lead of the game 107-101. With under six minutes left in the game the Kings continued to extend their lead 112-103.
With under a minute left in the game Sacramento was hanging onto a 123-117 lead. As the clock ran out the awful eight-game losing streak for the Kings had come to an end. The final was 128-123 for the Kings fourth win of the season.
Sacramento had a great finish in the latter minutes of the fourth quarter. They played well from every vantage, they only had seven turnovers and they shot 96% from the line only missing one free throw.
They had eight steals and the Nuggets conceded 20 points off their 13 turnovers. Despite Nikola Jokic scoring 44 points Sacramento’s game was well-rounded with Russell Westbrook and Dennis Schroeder shooting for 21 points apiece. Murray had a great game in his first as starter with 19 points and five rebounds.
Game notes: Saturday night the Kings finished up a road trip that yielded four straight road losses and coupled with four straight home losses the Kings is struggled with an eight game losing streak which ended on Saturday night in Denver.
Saturday night the Kings took on the Nuggets, the Kings were desperate for a win and were able to break the eight game losing streak against one of the winningest teams in the NBA Western Conference.
After losing to the Timberwolves, the Spurs the Thunder and the Grizzlies on the road Sacramento beat the Nuggets for the first time this season. The two teams met for a third time this season the Kings having lost their first two matchups.
The Nuggets are currently in second place in the Western Conference while the Kings are in 14th place in the conference. Sacramento has been greatly tested all season and Saturday night’s game was more of the same with the Kings passing a big test with the win.
The Kings will be without Domantas Sabonis for quite a few weeks due to a left knee partially torn meniscus but the good news for Sacramento is the return of Keegan Murray who played his first game this season last Thursday against the Grizzlies scoring 11 points off the bench. In Saturday night’s game Murray started for Sacramento.
The Kings will now head home to Sacramento; a trip that that is bound to be a much more pleasant ride after a great win Saturday night. They will take on the Minnesota Timberwolves Monday night at Golden 1 Arena.
They have met twice so far this season and the TImberwolves won both games. The Kings will be looking for yet another upset. They had a nicely balanced offense in Saturday night’s game and with Keegan Murray back on the court they played a much improved game Saturday night. Tip-off for Monday’s game is scheduled for 7:00 PM.
Sacramento Kings Domantas Sabonis will be out with a torn meniscus for three to four weeks. (AP News photo)
Sacramento Kings questions Tony Harvey:
#1 With Domantas Sabonis reportedly sidelined for 3–4 weeks with a torn meniscus, how will the Kings replace his production in the paint, and who ( Jonas Valančiūnas or Precious Achiuwa) will step up?
#2 Can Malik Monk and Zach LaVine carry the offensive load and hit enough big shots to keep pace with Denver’s scoring?
#3 What role will Keegan Murray play on the wing, especially defensively, to help contain Denver’s versatility?
#4 How will the Kings’ backup big men (with Sabonis out) perform against Nikola Jokić, and will their rotation be able to mitigate his impact?
#5 Without Sabonis anchoring the defense, can DeMar DeRozan contribute on both ends (scoring + rebounding) to help Sacramento stay competitive?
Sacramento Kings guard DeMar DeRozan (10) takes the ball against the Memphis Grizzlies forward Cedric Coward (23) in the first half at the Fed Ex Arena in Memphis on Thu Nov 25, 2025 (AP News photo)
By Barbara Mason
Thursday night the Sacramento Kings (3-13) met up with the Memphis Grizzlies (5-11) at FedExForum. The outcome was one of the worst games this team has played in a very long time.
The triumphant return of Keegan Murray was completely overshadowed by the final score of 137-96. The Kings conceded 30 points off the 17 turnovers they committed. Despite the Grizzlies being short-handed missing Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson and Ty Jerome Memphis handled the Kings with ease outscoring them in all four quarters.
The Kings have struggled mightily this season and between an unimaginable schedule, defensive woes along with a team that is just not falling into place they are in deep trouble. Thursday night the Kings thought what they got what might be a bit of a break as they lost to the Grizzlies who are contending with issues of their own.
In Thursday’s game the Grizzlies have Jaren Jackson, Ja Morant and Ty Jerome out which didn’t hurt them. The Kings also announced some bad news in the absence of Domantas Sabonis who is likely out for a significant time due to a left knee meniscus tear.
The injury was originally thought to be left knee soreness but further testing revealing the tear. He will more than likely be out deep into December and will not be re-evaluated for up to four weeks.
Sabonis has really been banged up so far this season and this recent injury just further sends the team into a very dark place. Thursday night the Kings who have lost eight consecutive games by double figures after losing to the Grizzlies.
The Kings failed to get on the winning track as they couldn’t defeat another struggling team in the Grizzlies. Memphis comes into this game after losing to the San Antonio Spurs Tuesday night 111-101.
Game recap: What revealed itself what an epic shocker. Sacramento had high hopes with the return of Keegan Murray who was cleared for Thursday night’s game. Could this be the reinforcement that the team needs, the player that will elevate the team?
Murray had missed the entire season, the first 15 games. As the first quarter got underway things went haywire from the get go. Sacramento has failed at times to generate much offense and this game was no different.
After the first 12 minutes of play Sacramento trailed by the score of 35-22. It was still early in the game but the second quarter was even worse with the Kings getting outscored by the Grizzlies 40-25 and trailing 75-47 at the half getting demolished by the short-handed Grizzlies. It was the stuff that nightmares are made of.
After three quarters the tally continued to blow-up for Memphis as they outscored the Kings 38-29 taking a 113-76 lead into the fourth quarter. It was an embarrassment of epic proportion. As the clock wore down on the fourth quarter the Grizzlies had won all four quarters.
They outscored the Kings in the final quarter 24-20; the final was 137-96. The Grizzlies had snapped their their five-game losing streak. Needless to say the Memphis Grizzlies were on fire taking full advantage of the absence of Sabonis inside. Zach Edey and Jock Landale worked the inside only missing one of their 13 shots taken in the first half. Edey finished with 16 points and Landale chipped in 13 points.
One can only imagine what the locker room looks like right now. So much is going so wrong for the Sacramento Kings. Zach LaVine had the team high with 26 points and was four of eight from downtown.
Keegan Murray in his return scored 11 points and was on the floor for 33 minutes. Maxime Raynaud had 12 points off the bench. The Kings conceded 30 points off their 17 turnovers. Where the team goes from here is anybody’s guess but drastic changes seem to be in order. Sacramento has now lost eight games in a row and where it goes from here remains to be seen.
Morale has to be at an all-time low as the Kings faced with yet another game this Saturday traveling to Denver for a matchup with Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets. It will take a lot to bounce back from this game but the team has no other choice. Tipoff for that game is scheduled for 7:00 PM.
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.
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