Update: 9:30 p.m.
The Sacramento Kings lost again. This time to a fellow five-win team in the Utah Jazz. Russell Westbrook got another triple double with 16 points, 14 assists, and 12 rebounds. Zach LaVine had 34 points and 6 assists. That is all fine and dandy, but it was another loss. So let’s focus on what matters this season: the younger players.
Keegan Murray had 23 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals. He had 0 turnovers in 45 minutes.
Even though Drew Eubanks started, he only finished with 13 minutes. Maxime Raynaud finished with 19 points, 4 rebounds and 1 block in 22 minutes. Keon Ellis? He got a whopping 7 minutes. Nique Clifford? Right behind him at 6 minutes.
The Jazz were just the better team tonight. The Kings could not stop a thing on defense, and at best could just trade baskets. Nothing new there as that is this team’s identity.
From Earlier Preview:
The Kings had a shot to win their 3rd straight game on Wednesday night against the Suns, but they ultimately couldn’t recover from a disastrous 41-16 first quarter, and would go on to lose 112-100. They’ll have a chance to get back in the win column tonight in Utah.
Who: Sacramento Kings (5-14) vs. Utah Jazz (5-12)
Where: Delta Center, Salt Lake City, UT
When: 6:30 PM PT / 9:30 PM ET
Watch: NBCSCA / League Pass
The Jazz and Kings are both 0-3 in NBA Cup play this year, for whatever that’s worth (exactly nothing to me, personally). So, one of these teams is destined to pick up their first NBA Cup win, and the other will have the embarrassing honor of going winless.
Sacramento continues to be without Domantas Sabonis, and Dennis Schroder remains questionable. For the Jazz, Walker Kessler is the only player of consequence that is already reported as out.
Prediction: Kings 127, Jazz 112
Of the few teams we’ve managed to beat,
Utah’s the most likely repeat.
The NBA tourney:
Both teams—winless journey.
On Vivek, let’s turn up the heat!
+1 Participation trophies all around!
This is the kind of game that the Jazz last season would “rest” a guy like Lauri, or simply sit him in the 4th quarter. They knew it was best to lose to teams they faced in the bottom of the standings.
It’s fine to play your “stars” against the OKCs and Clevelands because a loss is more likely, but it’s wise to rest your “stars” against the worst teams to pull off the perfect tank.
Utah got fined $100K for doing this a number of times, but that is a pittance if it lands you a generational star in the lottery. Kings need to take note.
So Keon and Carter are DNP, Nique gets 8 mins, and Max gets 5 mins. Tank you Utah!
I am sure Doug discussed his rotations with Zach, so don’t you worry.
Kings look like they’re just randomly trying things out without any real plan on the offensive side.
What folks don’t understand is it is a read a react offense. – Kings PR
What kind of iso spastic offense is this shit? – Adamsite
Well they got some illiterate idiots on the team, this that stuff looks awful.
Read and react ?- more like bleed amd extract…watching if
But I kid
With all 5 players standing still on the perimeter and no movement other than a predictable high pick and dribble handoffs, what’s there to react to?!
It’s 1 on 3 basketball with no chance to get offensive rebounds.
Dear fanbase,
What you don’t understand is that it is nearly 650 miles from The Golden1 Center to the Eastern side of great salt lake; and that means many senior members of the team will be tired and have sore necks and joints from the plane ride.
Please be patient as the players accustom themselves to Keegan Murray being the focal point of the team. We have tried the one-two punch of the Chicago rock-pounding twins, but our glorious leader now has a new and exciting mandate to Commandant Christie to let Keegan fire at will. We like the sound of the PA announcer chanting KE-GAN – and the crowd responding with…some-thing. We are not sure what this chant means, but this exercise is good for morale.
Lastly, as tonight we play a very slow-jazzy, Kenny-G kind of team; expect the toughness and defense to shine through. Don’t let the haters try to convince you that the last game was more true to form for our precious players in purple. This is a playoff-bound squad with real talent. Let’s keep silencing those haters with toughness, accountability and professionalism.
Sincerely,
Management
Well, I had predicted (and hoped for) a 4-16 start to the season. The Kings just missed at 5-15. We are nearly at 25% of the season complete. Kings are on pace for about 20 wins. This is who this team is and many of us here knew that. It’s amazing that those who get paid the big bucks to build real NBA rosters didn’t see it coming.
We all knew it. It’s only the dumb ass owner who didn’t. An ego so big it blinds his brain.
This would have happened even with Sabonis and Keegan in the lineup the full season. Weak perimeter defense (except for Keon who would have seen even fewer minutes and Carter who has seen almost none) is where it all starts and ends.
I almost don’t what them to trade anyone so the tank keeps rolling.
Well, if they trade for shit like Kuminga, which they probably will, the tank will keep rolling.
I so badly hope beyond hope that they be smart about this get draft picks and young players, or expiring contracts. And players that can shoot for god’s sakes
I agree, if they’re going to rebuild, they need to do it the right way.
Eubanks being a starter is a classic Kangzian knee-slapper and indicative of how Kings management is the only management in the NBA that would be dumb enough to start him. He hasn’t earned it, and this team is going nowhere with him fast.
After a brief 2 year hiatus, the Kangz have fully returned.
I just wanted to give a hat tip to Deuce in the postgame talk. He called out the Kings ffor how things are materializing. T0 summerize, the season is basically toast, 10 games below .500 at only 20 games in is the indicator. he said the vets should have the minutes cut and none of them should be getting more the low 30s or even high 20s in minutes played. Play the youth and see what you have going forward. He thinks Nique and Keon need more minutes.
He’s 100% correct and one of the few media figures who calls it like it is.
Until I see evidence to the contrary this is the MO of all of them (Carmichael Dave, Barling and Kenny, Ham etc).
Once in a while they ‘vent’ and ‘criticize’ the team but not long afterwards it’s all lovey dovey again.
Did he have the balls to call out Vivek?
No, no one ever calls out Vivek. The criticism is mainly the rotation and production, but there is increasing heat being turned up on Doug, IMO. He’d be the first to get thrown under the bus, as expected.
ESPN 1320 called out ownership and Vivek a lot this past week or two. I was surprised. There are some clips on YouTube of the Damien Barling had to say, and even Ham brought it up a few times.
Keon’s quiet, professional approach (to the horrendous treatment he has been receiving) is another example of why he will be highly coveted by other teams. In his first game back at Golden I he will torch the Kings for 30 points and 5 steals and I will cheer for more.
Soon the Kangz will be giving away our remaining assets for pennies on the dollar and then I fully expect that they will screw up the number 10 pick next year.
Interestingly enough, if you head over to the Fanspo Trade Machine, Keon Ellis is the #1 trending player on their site. That means scores of folks are including him in trade ideas. He is definitely coveted.
Pure Kangz, beat the two teams nobody thought you would and then look mostly bad against the two not that good teams you might be expected to beat.
The scary thing about this team and the bottom of the Western Conference is that we can easily win a few games and be the 10th seed. These other teams will start tanking soon because the 9th and 10th seed are worst possible place, a gimmick created by the NBA that only a moron like Vivek would chase. You end up missing the playoffs or getting destroyed in the first round and don’t get a top 5 or even top 10 pick.
Everyone can see the Kangz need to tank but if they don’t commit to it they will end up in 9th, 10th, or 11th. They need to go for bottom 5 teams in the league. They’re actually already behind, there’s teams that have been tanking from the beginning.
Kings Herald web site has become as slow and unresponsive as the Kings offense and defense. Literally 30 seconds for each page to load, desktop or mobile. 24 second violation!
Next week I head to Miami to see Heat-Kings game with my nephew. I’m now dreading the blowout to come. It may be my last Kings game for a long time. This team is terrible. And as Doug Christie’s biggest fan, I’m dismayed to say his coaching isn’t working. The offense is straight iso, 1 on 1. Zero cuts, zero off ball movement. The defenders easily know where every King is in half court offense as the ball is slowly walked up the court. What happened to playing with pace and 94 foot defense??!
Not sure if it has been mentioned but The Athletic had a piece with Perry.
Read at your own peril.
I find Perry to be annoying asf. Talks a big game.
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6832410/2025/11/24/scott-perry-sacramento-kings-building-future/
I have to say I wish Katie would stop blathering during the game during every Kings possession. While the half court offense repeatedly stands still on the perimeter while one guy is going 1 on 3 downhill or jacking up a contested 3, she is finishing up her story that started two possessions earlier.
….now that you’re fully aware of “Three Possession Kayte”, pay even closer attention to these “stories” of hers, and run it through a “she’s making this shit up” filter.
It’s WIld!
I’m not totally sure she is making it up, but she is incredibly long winded. When she can simply say, “There’s not enough off the ball movement to open up the offense,” she continues with, “now what that means is…blah blah blah, screens, blah blah blah, cuts, blah blah blah, back door, blah blah blah, touch the paint.” Meanwhile, the Kings turn it over, the other team runs a great play for an and-1 and you’d never know if you had your back turned to the tv while doing something else.
It’s as if she explaining the game of basketball a dozen times a game to someone who has never seen it before. I get that most of us here know what a moving screen and a down pick is, but it sure seems like she his commentating for newbies to basketball.
Color commentating should be subtle little background with some nuance and humor sprinkled in, not basketball 101. It is supplemental not encyclopedic.
Warriors do a much better job in that regard.
Less is more.
I wonder what our former color commentator, Doug Christie, would honestly say if he were announcing his current games. Knowing his former playing style and high BBIQ, I have to think he’d call out all the offense, defense, and personnel problems–or at least think it in his own head.
Hush Kings… It’ll all be over soon…
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