The Sacramento Kings fell to the Toronto Raptors 124-101 tonight in embarrassing fashion – again. For the third time in four days the Kings allowed their opponent to score 70 points in a first half – a blaring statistic indicative of a defense gone missing with zero intention of being found.

Effort from tip-off was lacking, which led to another first quarter where Sacramento had to claw back from a double digit deficit, allowing the opposition to score early and easily while also giving up unforced turnovers that Toronto could convert into buckets.

This team is such a conundrum. We have the young talent in Tyrese Haliburton and De’Aaron Fox, Harrison Barnes started the season on a career-year trajectory and the role players looked promising as things started to gel in training camp. Yet, not one thing has felt different about the style or the growth in play over the last 25 games. Sacramento continues to start each game trying to come back from a huge lead, turn it on for 12 to 16 minutes and then decide after getting the game within 10 points to play defense. That’s normal? That’s heinous.

It doesn’t feel good to be heading home from a very maintainable road trip with no victories. Since Friday’s blunder in Charlotte, signs of life are nowhere to be seen on this roster and while that’s not entirely surprising at this point, it’s inexcusable.

The Kings will now head home to play nine of their next ten contests from Golden 1 Center, with only one trip down the highway a week from tonight when they’ll take on the Golden State Warriors.