Playing in the final game of their first road trip of the season, the Sacramento Kings fell behind early against the Denver Nuggets on Monday night and never managed to recover fully.
To the surprise of no one, three-time MVP Nikola Jokic was the best player on the floor, en route to 34 points, 14 assists, seven rebounds, and four steals on 14-of-22 shooting. He was the primary contributor to his team’s 130-124 victory over the visiting Kings.
Russell Westbrook, making his return to Denver, where he played 75 games last season, led Sacramento in scoring with 26 points, 12 rebounds, and six assists. He also had two steals, but six turnovers.
Poor three-point shooting (and volume) didn’t help the Kings, as Zach LaVine recorded a season-low 15 points on 4/11 shooting and 1/5 from three-point range. He was questionable coming into the night with lower back soreness.
Sacramento went just 9/28 from deep as a unit, while the Nuggets made 12/38.
They’ll head back home with 2-5 record, with reasons to be proud of their recent efforts but disappointed in the final outcomes.
Kings @ Nuggets Game Notes
Westbrook, making his return to Denver, where he played 75 games last season, got the start for Kings head coach Doug Christie. The former MVP, alongside Dennis Schroder, Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, and Domantas Sabonis, is the only starting unit that’s featured in multiple of their early matchups.
His ability to guard was going to be tested, as he was assigned to the larger, physical Aaron Gordon. But Jokic, who is prone to prioritizing his passing early, apparently had a scorer’s mindset early.
With a trebuchet release and nimble decision-making, Sacramento’s defense got carved up early as the Nuggets claimed a 13-4 lead.
Similar to their previous win in Milwaukee, the Kings didn’t stumble and crawled their way back. Making Jokic defend, while he sat in a deep drop, was the name of the game.
Schroder and Westbrook set Sabonis up to go downhill. A deceptively physical battle down low came with Sabonis absorbing what appeared to be an elbow to his left ribs. He grimaced and held his side periodically throughout the remainder of the action.
A small ovation could be heard in Ball Arena when Kings rookie Nique Clifford entered in the first quarter. The 24th overall pick grew up in Colorado and played for Colorado before transferring to Colorado State for his first senior season. According to reports, the rookie had 200-300 people in attendance for his homecoming.
Nique Clifford checks into tonight’s game for the first time. He told me and @RyanGreeneDNVR earlier that he expected 200-300 people coming to watch him tonight. It certainly sounded like it. pic.twitter.com/Ma5eCA7sEL
— Tyler King (@King_TylerB) November 4, 2025
Between him and Westbrook, there seemed to be some added energy to their nights. Clifford was unable to get looks to fall despite creating quality shots. Defending the Nuggets’ off-ball motions led to him getting into foul trouble. Not long after the first quarter concluded 29-20 in Denver’s favor, the Kings’ rookie committed his third personal foul.
Playing all 12 minutes of the opening frame, Jokic managed a ridiculous 15 points, five assists, and two rebounds. News flash, people, he’s good at this. To Sacramento’s credit, he was just 6/12 from the field, including 2/6 on threes.
Trying to capitalize on the non-Jokic minutes, Westbrook was tireless in attacking the rim. Keon Ellis poured in a couple of catch-and-shoot triples off the catch, but those minutes have been, and continue to be, the DeRozan show.
An all-time NBA scorer largely thanks to his mid-range prowess, he patiently walked to spots and converted. Still fighting to overcome the early deficit, the Kings managed to narrow the gap to 54-52 with 4:28 remaining until halftime as Jokic returned.
Gordon took advantage of the Kings size, driving through the likes of Clifford and Ellis straight ot the basket.
Westbrook led his side with 16 first-half points on 6/11 shooting, 11 coming in the second quarter.
Ball Arena with the tribute to Russell Westbrook in his welcome back to Denver 🙌 pic.twitter.com/UqDLNzYYs4
— DNVR Nuggets (@DNVR_Nuggets) November 4, 2025
DeRozan (15) and Sabonis (11) were also in double figures, but LaVine (7) was having his slowest start of the season. Only eight bench points left a heavy reliance on their typical scorers.
Jokic led the Nuggets with 18 points, six assists, and three rebounds, while Gordon added 15 points and five boards.
As a team, the Kings were just 5/11 from three in the half. Attempting 11 compared to Denver’s 9/24 makes it challenging to keep up with a high-powered offense.
That may have been highlighted during the break, because they came out shooting. Not converting, but definitely shooting. Schroder and LaVine let it fly with no success.
Naturally, creating catch-and-shoot looks is often complicated for this Kings roster that dramatically lacks spacing. Opponents often pack the paint or resort to zone, and Denver did both.
Luckily, the hometown Nuggets were slow in their second instance of non-Jokic minutes. New addition Cameron Johnson tried to create to no avail, while Westbrook worked a pick-and-roll with Drew Eubanks at an impressive rate.
Russ in his bag 💼 pic.twitter.com/SOiQviNnUa
— Sacramento Kings (@SacramentoKings) November 4, 2025
The Nuggets held a 110-104 lead with 12 minutes to go and a few more without their star. Still struggling from deep, with both teams utilizing zone defense, as it felt like Keon Ellis was the only shooter for Sacramento on Monday night.
Schroder stepped into mid-range shots and converted, but the Kings remained roughly 10 points away nearly the entire time since falling behind early.
A contested triple from LaVine, his first of the night, provided some hope as Sacramento trailed 120-112 with 5:47 to play, but getting stops was the problem.
Predictably, Jokic was picking apart the zone, rewarding his teammates for timely cuts. Clawing for another chance, the Kings’ starting unit didn’t go out easy.
But after a hectic final few minutes, the Nuggets emerged with a 130-124 win over the Kings.
Westbrook, in his return to Denver, led the Kings in scoring with 26 points, 12 rebounds, and six assists. He also had two steals, but six turnovers. Sabonis had a stellar offensive night despite getting banged up early as he recorded 13 points, 17 rebounds, and five assists on 5/10 shooting.
Ellis had 15 points on 5/8 shooting from three. Westbrook added 3/6 from downtown while LaVine was uncharacteristically 1/5. Sacramento went just 9/28 from deep as a unit, while the Nuggets made 12/38.
To the surprise of no one, Jokic was the best player on the floor, en route to 34 points, 14 assists, seven rebounds, and four steals on 14-of-22 shooting.
The loss concludes Sacramento’s first road trip of the 2025-26 NBA season as they head home with a 2-5 record.
More Sacramento Kings coverage on Sactown Sports
It’s no secret that the Sacramento Kings are severely undersized, but general manager Scott Perry apparently has something in the works to address that issue.
According to NBA insider Jake Fischer, Sacramento is interested in free agent center Precious Achiuwa, a veteran big man who most recently played for the New York Knicks during the 2024-25 season.
Achiuwa, 26, has been a solid rebounder throughout his five-year career, which aligns with the Kings’ interests.
Sacramento enters play on Monday ranked dead last among all NBA teams in rebounds per game (37.5) as it navigates the opening month without starting forward Keegan Murray (wrist surgery recovery).
Read More:
Sacramento Kings viewed as favorite to trade for Ja Morant
Upcoming Sacramento Kings schedule for the 2025-26 season
Wednesday, November 5th – vs. Golden State Warriors – 7:00 PM PT
Friday, November 7th – vs. Oklahoma City Thunder – 7:00 PM PT
Sunday, November 9th – vs. Minnesota Timberwolves – 6:00 PM PT
Tuesday, November 11th – vs. Denver Nuggets – 8:00 PM PT
Wednesday, November 12th – vs. Atlanta Hawks – 7:00 PM PT
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