Update: 8:30 p.m.
The Sacramento Kings lost again. This time to the Houston Rockets 128-97. Houston led for nearly the whole game and shot 55% from the field and 44% from three. Russell Westbrook took 19 shots and finished with 22 points. Maxime Raynaud finished with 11 points and 8 rebounds in 29 minutes.
The loss puts the Kings at 13-47 on the season. New losing streak incoming!
The real story of the game is that Keegan Murray left the game in the first quarter after rolling his ankle. It was later announced he would not return. It has been a brutal season for Keegan, who had high hopes for himself this year. Injuries have allowed him just to play in 22 total games. Depending on how severe this injury is and if surgery is needed, Sacramento could consider shutting him down for the season.
Here is to hoping Keegan is OK.
As for the team as a whole: tank on.
From Earlier Preview:
The Kings have won a basketball game! I repeat! The Kings have won a basketball game!
Sacramento snapped their 16-game losing streak with a win over Memphis on Monday night, but the league doesn’t stop for celebration. The Kings are back in action tonight.
Who: Sacramento Kings (13-46) vs. Houston Rockets (35-21)
Where: Toyota Center, Houston, TX
When: 5:00 PM PT / 8:00 PM ET
Watch: NBCSCA / League Pass
If nothing else, the Sacramento Kings look different than they did to start the season? Still dreadful, but different. The Memphis victory featured the best game of Daeqwon Plowden’s career (19 efficient points, 5 rebounds). Killian Hayes made his debut (don’t look at the box score). Nique Clifford and Maxime Raynaud are playing heavy minutes every night. Precious Achiuwa has been pretty good? I don’t know, that’s the best I’ve got. This team is hard to watch.
The Houston Rockets are better. They’re playing at home. They have more to play for. I’m expecting another L tonight. Go Kings?
Prediction: Kings 119, Rockets 108.
Houston’s somehow struggled to beat us;
To two wins they’ve managed to treat us.
No way I’m conceivin’
That they won’t get even—
While Vivek continues to cheat us!
+1 Will Baldwin make his Kings debut tonight?
And now that he’s a King, will he need to change his name to Baldlose?
Do you think Patrick will be a star?
will pbj make me want to have a pbr?
Fun fact: The Kings have beaten only one team twice this season.
What are the odds Kayte says, “Can the Kings extend their winning streak tonight?” This question brought to you by FanDuel.
I only ask because earlier this season she asked that very same question after the Kings won one game. The beer that shot out my nose was a wast of a good IPA.
Was it a Killian Haze?
Does she know what the play-by-play person‘s job is?
PLEASE NBCSportsCA make this the last year.
Well shit, Keegan hurt again.
On the bright side, Russ is doing everything he can to stay in Houston tonight. Buyout and a move to Texas would do well for all parties.
Russ with 14 of the 24 FGA in the first quarter.
I guess I understand it but IMO Westbrook is a ball hog. He might tonight have been the only one to score but in the first half shoot 18 times. One from seven threes doesn’t cut it when Clifford was better but like Murray never touches the ball enough. Russ just dribbles the ball away most of the time. We need to get a better point guard starting next year. I have some ideas which I will explain later. It does not include Wesrbrook.
Trader Jack!!
we agree.
Westbrick gets numbers but is a ball hog.
PG next year- yes.
there are 4 good ones in the draft- Flemings, Brown, Wagler and Acuff.
He’s not even looking for his teammates. Just dribble down the court and shoot.
He’s having is own unofficial tryout for the Rockets. They are just a little over $1M below the1st apron with an open roster spot. Everyone knows they need a PG going into the playoffs. A pror-ated vet minimum deal gets it done for Russ.
Good.
Isn’t it kind of appropriate though? Why tease us with passing.
It’s disgusting to watch. Passed up passes to wide open shooters so he can take some difficult shots.
I haven’t watched a game in maybe 2 months…the team is worse than I had heard. Holy crap, they really do suck.
t’s my first game in a while as well. What is up with the new video game graphics? DO NOT LIKE.
Idk why. I do know that the talent on the Kings is bad, like really bad. The future is more bleak than I thought.
Kings fans: “We need to see what we have in the young guys.”
(young guys show what they have)
Kings fans: “Uh, guys?”
Wow, that was a flagrant foul? This league has become soft as diarrhea.
The rules of the game, and things like traveling/palming the ball/carrying not being called is making the sport unwatchable….but tanking is the problem!?!?!?
How dare this basketball game interrupt Story Time with Kayte Christensen.
Noticed Carter hasn’t played in a couple games. Is he injured or has the team just seen enough?
Maybe they are just giving Hayes his minutes to kick those tires? It’s a bit funny because Hayes has proven he’s been the worst shooting PG in the league for the past 5 years. But yeah, it’s odd that he’s the only guy who is actually under contract for next season that’s getting zero minutes.
If the Kings think Hayes is the answer I have a Markelle Fultz to sell them.
I’m all for kicking the tires on prospects with 2-ways and 10-days, but that doesn’t mean scraping the barrel of guys who have proven over multiple seasons that they can’t make it in the league.
The G-Leauge is full of dudes who have never been given an opportunity. Just and example, the Stockton Kings have a a rookie guard in Mitch Mascari who is shooting 48% from the field and and 47% from three on 5 attempts per game… in just 17 MPG. Maybe give that dude a kick?
It’s because Carter is selfish. He is out there to get his shots. The team must know they don’t want to keep him around, so they brought in Hayes (who also isn’t very good).
If they can’t trade Carter this offseason, I could them stretching and waiving him, or figuring out a way to just get him off the roster.
He hasn’t really shown much in his minutes that would constitute trying to develop him any further. Just another wasted Kings lottery pick.
Selfish? If anything I’d say he defers too much. He has more APG than Nique, whom the Kings media thinks can play PG. His A/TO ratio is good for third amongst the qualified core players, behind only DDR and Dennis. He’s tied for 3rd with Russ.
“He’s out there to get his shots.”
That doesn’t line up with the data. Put him and Nique on a scale. Has one been any better than the other?
The games I have seen him play, he appears to focus in himself. Maybe I’m wrong, idk. It’s just what I see.
Nique hasn’t been great. He looks to be a slightly better Colby Jones, mainly because of the minutes he has been given. Bleak future in Sac, for sure.
Mascari averages less than1 assist per game (.9) with a .67 asst/TO ratio. If the Kings are specifically looking for help at PG, they will likely look elsewhere.
For sure, but they need help at any position. Mascari is a pure shooting guard at 6’5″ who is an excellent shooter in the mold of a AJ Green or Isaiah Joe. He’d be out there to knock down shots and stretch the floor.
Mascari averages less than1 assist per game…
Perfect for this team!
Mascari is averaging less than 1 assist per game (.9) with an asst/to ratio of .67. If the Kings are looking specifically for help at PG, they will likely look elsewhere.
I haven’t seen much to make me think any of those guys are likely to turn into useful NBA players. Hayes is just as likely to come good as any of them. Which is to say, not likely.
It’s also Hayes’ 6th season, so I think that ship has definitely sailed.
I dunno –
What was the 2nd best record in the Eastern Conference’s starting Center until two weeks ago is a 26 year old (Neemias Queta) and quick off the bench is a 3rd season 21 year old (Jordan Walsh) – both drafted by your Sacramento Kings.
Killian
Haze(darn you Rob_Hessing) Hayes, is 24 years old. Maybe his head is in the place it should be (or closer enough), maybe it will never be.Kris Dunn, Dante Exum – took them a stretch, and they found roles, but not as high as their draft slot thought they should be. That’s got to rock your world.
Maybe he finds a spot in Sac (unlikely, with this coaching crew as they haven’t proven they are anything close to average in any way, shape or form) maybe he should be overseas. I guess I am thinking about the myriad of stories that struggle and win, struggle and fail, have success and lose it (Ben Simmons anyone?) and this happens across the League except in Sacramento. Do the Kings have even one such story to tell on the positive in a very very very long time (maybe Dylan Cardwell?).
Sigh.
I hear there’s a PF down in Dallas who is earning a fair amount of praise after barely hanging around for 7+ years of futility.
If there is anything that this season’s Boston Celtics, and the swarming horde of the OKC Thunder, and perhaps those Pistons of Detroit – stars are important as the main sail, and lead, but the role players – IF coached correctly – keep the boat afloat and moving along.
But not in Sacramento.
Man, I am down and going deeper when I describe this debacle of Ranadive’s making.
I think we need to see this as an effort to lose. Do the moves that they make sense? no unless you see this as an effort to lose
Carter was listed as GTD with back pain on ESPN for last night’s game, but does not appear on today’s injury report.
The more I think about it, the more I want the Kings to go all in on mortgaging the future for a second top 7ish pick this year. There’s bound to be a team that loses out on the lottery who would love another chance at the top pick next year. I wonder, for example, if, say, the Wizards were to fall out of the top 4, if they wouldn’t be interested in trading their pick to the Kings for a 2027 & 2031 unprotected, plus Murray or something. It would give the Wiz another chance for a top pick in 2027 in a year when they’re going to want to win as much as possible with Young & Davis, and give them a useful big wing on a decent deal that could pair well with those guys.
The ulitmate goal would be to walk away from the draft with one of Dybantsa/Boozer/Wilson and one of Peterson/Flemings/Brown/Acuff/Wagler. Then you make a Sabonis decision based entirely on the quality of the offers on the table. But it’s not the end of the world if you keep him.
Long story short, mortgage future draft picks to get a two-person core from the current draft.
I’m down. Was thinking that this summer might be the time to move Keegan. I think he’s just too passive on offense.
The talk regarding tanking has escalated to the level that Commissioner Silver had a meeting with all Association GMs and explained and reviewed ideas – all of which he said are “on the table”. Sean Marks, the Brooklyn Nets GM was somewhat aghast and confronted Adam Silver with his concerns for this year’s (2026) NBA draft. The reporting of his response, in synopsis, was that no changes will occur this year, but there should be a strong expectation that next year’s draft will be different.
Of the various ideas, at least one of the ones that seems on the “more likely” side of the ledger, is that teams cannot “win the lottery” in consecutive years.
My point: The Kings shouldn’t make any decisions with anyone, particularly their fellow cellar dwellers, until the NBA decides what it is going to do in regards to changing the draft lottery and how it will effect teams. I suspect all teams will take a step back in formulating trades this Summer.
Should Sacramento “win” a Top 1,2,3 spot, they may be eliminated from that ability next season (in a less talent laden 2027 draft). Or perhaps Washington, or Brooklyn, or New Orleans or Indiana, etc. On the flip side – if 3 of the bottom 5 “win” then the odds of that fourth and fifth worst, if retaining awful win/loss records, will enhance their odds next season (so they will tank harder, oh well).
The NBA must decide quickly and decisively on next year’s team and lottery conditions as the draft and Free Agency (and trades) are coming up fast.
NBA Draft Lottery is on May 10th (the biggest day of the Sacramento Kings season!, or as they say in Bottom Feeder Speak – Loser Playoffs! That date is two months and 15 days from now or 75 days).
I’d hope they wouldn’t make any changes as early as next season. Teams could. already be in the middle of their rebuild plans. It could also greatly depreciate the picks other teams have already traded for. I think they’d have to give it a 3-4 year buffer to allow current future obligations fulfill.
Better ask Draft_Kings first (it’s even in their name!)
CarmichaelDave toyed with the idea of trading Murray to the Bucks for the 10th pick. Murray’s contract is fine and all, but if the plan is to build around a top 5 pick next season maybe Keegan doesn’t fit that timeline? Rebuild around two top 10 picks in this year’s draft? For me it would have to be a very solid prospect at #10 to make that trade.
The reality is, if a full rebuild is to happen, Keegan is likely the only current Kings thats going to get a positive return.
I still think Keegan is a positive player and trading him this offseason could very well be selling low after a horrible injury plagued year.
Or it could be the last chance to get something good for him if he doesn’t make any leap next season. Teams could attribute this poor season to the team’s dysfunction and injuries. If it happens 2 seasons in a row, maybe not so much.
We also need to move salary, as you’ve pointed out. And as you say, he may be the only guy we could move without attaching assets.
Why not.. nothing else has worked for this franchise.
At the very least, it gives them the opportunity to pass on a generational talent with their first pick and then catch the falling knife with the 10th pick.
Badge Legend