The Sacramento Kings and Minnesota Timberwolves came into Sunday night’s action on two different trajectories.
Sacramento had lost six of its last seven, while Minnesota had six victories in its seven showings. That trend held as inconsistencies (and inavailability) led to a 117-103 win for the home squad on Sunday night in Target Center.
Conceding multiple costly runs proved too much to overcome, despite a respectable effort from Sacramento.
DeMar DeRozan, Dennis Schroder, and Achiuwa all added 17 apiece while Malik Monk contributed 16 points. But no Kings player surpassed 20 points, while Julius Randle (24), Jaden McDaniels (21), and Naz Reid (20) all did for Minnesota.
Allowing the Timberwolves 58 points in the paint and 18 second-chance points on 15 offensive rebounds wasn’t a winning formula. While efficient, converting just 10/23 from the three-point line didn’t help the Kings’ offensive shortcomings either.
It’s the seventh loss in Sacramento’s last eight showings as they fall to 6-20 on the season.
Sacramento @ Minnesota Injury Report
Domantas Sabonis (left knee partial meniscus tear) – OUT
Drew Eubanks (left thumb avulsion fracture) – OUT
Anthony Edwards (right foot soreness) – OUT
Mike Conley (right achilles tendinopathy) – OUT
Kings @ Timberwolves Game Notes
With each side lacking an All-Star (Sabonis, Edwards), both groupings required larger offensive responsibilities from others.
For Sacramento, it appeared as if they were trying to get LaVine rolling early, including calling their first offensive play for him.
It was ugly basketball on display early in Target Center, but efficiency was clearly in Sacramento’s favor. Without Edwards, the Timberwolves were erratic in their attempts to get into the paint while simultaneously hurting their perimeter shooting.
Chemsity between veteran Westbrook and rookie Maxime Raynaud was on display as the duo finished pick-and-roll actions in a multitude of ways.
Back in action after missing the last seven games, Schroder joined a close match with roughly three minutes to play in the opening quarter. It didn’t take long for him to record a technical foul while arguing with officials for reasons that were unclear over the broadcast.
Orchestrating a lineup featuring Malik Monk, Nique Cloffird, Murray, and Precious Achiuwa was a different look for Christie. Playing in their first game without Eubanks, the smaller unit is still outperforming Eubanks to this point.
Precious Achiuwa with the SLAM 💪 pic.twitter.com/lUmPTiHqug
— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) December 15, 2025
Still no inclusion of Keon Ellis, but a youth-centric lineup from Sacramento. Shooting 11/20 while holding their opponents to 9/24 from the field helped the Kings own a 27-20 advantage after one.
Both sides combined for seven turnovers, but Sacramento’s issue continued into the second quarter, as they lost their narrow advantage.
A majority of the Timberwolves’ conversions came from inside the painted area. Made triples were a rare sight early. Minnesota couldn’t get them to fall, while Sacramento didn’t attempt much.
That trend continued with a 10-0 Timberwolves run that didn’t end until they scored 14 straight and held a 31-27 lead over Sacramento.
Westbrook and DeRozan attempted to regain control by getting to the basket, chasing trips to the charity stripe.
Assuming an increased emphasis on defensive aggression, the Kings forced turnovers but probably incurred more fouls than they preferred.
LaVine, looking to build off his hot start, suffered a left ankle injury that was later announced to keep him sidelined for the remainder of the action.
Zach LaVine went to the locker room after rolling his left ankle on this play pic.twitter.com/CX9p9QUYZ9
— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) December 15, 2025
His night ended with 10 points as Sacramento held a narrow 52-51 advantage headed into halftime.
DeRozan (10) and Westbrook (8) had combined to add 18 of Sacramento’s hyper-efficient first half. Shooting 53.5 percent compared to Minnesota’s 39.6 percent was the story of the game.
Randle led his side with 11 points while Jaden McDaniels and Donte DiVincenzo were looking to find a rhythm.
The second half felt like a different game. Sacramento scored the first bucket, then fell victim to a stagnant run. The home squad found an increased offensive pace and success from beyond the arc, putting together their second damaging run of the night.
Capitalizing on consecutive turnovers from Clifford, then Westbrook, Minnesota put up ten unanswered. But it didn’t stop there, as a DeRozan bucket nearly halfway into the third finally halted what had become an 18-0 run in Minnesota’s favor as they created a 13-point advantage.
As has been the case on multiple occasions, the Kings’ second unit was tasked with saving the day. Well, Malik Monk seemed to answer that call.
The Timberwolves had their turn from deep, and Sacramento’s finally arrived. Rolling out the same second unit as listed from the first half, Monk excelled in the pick-and-roll with Achiuwa both as a scorer and playmaker.
Schroder also added a few threes and trips to the line to keep it close as the scoreboard (88-84) had the Kings down four with 12 minutes to play.
Bones Hyland put together seven quick points as the Kings continued to commit a slew of fouls. Meanwhile, Sacramento’s offense was sputtering as its struggles with cohesion, flow, and movement reared their head once again.
On a night that represented why basketball is a game of runs, the Timberwolves had another 16-5 run in the final quarter.
Struggling to get stops and limit any easy opportunities in transition, but it seems like the Kings’ producing a reliable offense for close to 48 minutes has proven difficult.
Cutting it to single digits within the final minutes made for a respectable effort, but any cut into the lead was met on the other end. Recording just 19 points to the opposition’s 29 in the final quarter, Sacramento left Target Center on Sunday night with a 117-103 loss.
DeRozan, Schroder, and Achiuwa all added 17 apiece while Monk contributed 16 points. But no Kings player surpassed 20 points, while Randle (24), McDaniels (21), and Reid (20) all did for Minnesota.
Allowing the Timberwolves 58 points in the paint and 18 second-chance points on 15 offensive rebounds wasn’t a winning formula. While efficient, converting just 10/23 from the three-point line didn’t help the Kings’ offensive shortcomings either.
It’s the seventh loss in Sacramento’s last eight showings as they fall to 6-20 on the season.
They’ll wrap up their short, two-game road trip Thursday night in Portland against the feisty Trail Blazers (9-16).
More Sacramento Kings coverage on Sactown Sports
“In conversations that I’ve had, there are guys who would, from a mental capacity, have their bags packed ready for the next opportunity,” KCRA 3 Sports’ Sean Cunningham said regarding the Sacramento Kings roster.
On Thursday’s edition of The Allen Stiles Show, Cunningham joined the conversation to discuss his opinion on the Kings’ general manager Scott Perry’s interview with Sactown Sports 1140, the decision that must be made before February’s trade deadline, and more.
When asked whether some of Sacramento’s roster would embrace a trade, Cunningham joked that it should be evident by now, noting their “bags packed, ready for the next opportunity” as mentioned earlier.
Upcoming Sacramento Kings schedule for the 2025-26 season
Thursday, December 18th – @ Portland Trail Blazers – 7:00 PM PT
Saturday, December 20th – vs. Portland Trail Blazers – 7:00 PM PT
Sunday, December 21st – vs. Houston Rockets – 7:00 PM PT
Tuesday, December 23rd vs. Detroit Pistons – 7:00 PM PT
Thank you for readingSactownSports.com. Follow us onTwitterandGoogle News, and subscribe to ourYouTubechannel.