New Year’s Day may act as a ‘turning of the page’ for some, but the Sacramento Kings are still stuck in their 2025 ways as we enter 2026.
Although the Kings played three quarters of solid basketball, the wheels fell off in crunch time as they dropped a 120-106 contest to the Boston Celtics on Thursday night at Golden 1 Center.
Sacramento (8-26) has lost three-straight games and is now a season-worst 18 games under the .500 mark, putting them just a half-game ahead of the New Orleans Pelicans for the worst record in the Western Conference.
The Kings have now lost five straight home games to Boston, with their last win coming in February 2021.
Keon hits double digits with another 3-ball 👌 pic.twitter.com/98FapA9rkK
— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) January 2, 2026
Sacramento Kings vs. Boston Celtics takeaways
Since being moved into a reserve role, Dennis Schroder’s season has turned a corner.
Schroder, who entered Thursday night averaging 14.1 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 5.7 assists per game on 39 percent shooting from three over 14 appearances in a bench role, had his offense working early to help the Sacramento Kings find its footing on offense.
The veteran guard joined forces with fellow reserve guard Keon Ellis to lead the Kings’ attack from the perimeter as both players combined to score 20 points on five-of-six shooting from downtown.
It was a three-point-heavy first half for both teams, especially for a Sacramento offense that entered the night averaging 10.6 made threes per game this season (dead-last in the NBA).
One game removed from a nine-for-27 (33%) showing from the perimeter against the Los Angeles Clippers, the Kings had one of their better shooting halves in recent memory, going eight-for-16 during the first half against Boston.
The Celtics went 10-for-21 (47%) from beyond the arc themselves before the break, but Sacramento was playing competitive basketball–something they failed to do during their recent trip to Los Angeles that included a 25-point loss to the Lakers and a season-worst 41-point drubbing at the hands of the Clippers.
Dennis splashes one from downtown 💦 pic.twitter.com/EFrUyt0hzB
— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) January 2, 2026
An impressive showing from the Kings’ offense would carry over into the second half, as Sacramento maintained its first-half style of play: Aggressive from the perimeter, taking care of the basketball, and prioritizing ball movement.
Schroder, Ellis, and DeMar DeRozan may have carried the scoring load, but the Kings did a really good job of moving the ball around and limiting turnovers, which helped them weather a Celtics run during the early minutes of the third period that pushed the Boston lead to eight points.
Sacramento battled back and applied pressure to the Celtics as play entered the final frame, but a 22-12 Boston run to open the fourth quarter all but spelled the end for the Kings.
While the three-point shooting was a strength for the first three quarters, Sacramento missed its first six attempts from downtown in the fourth. On the other end, the Celtics went three-of-six to begin the period, pushing the lead into double-digits and creating enough space to escape with the win.
An ice-cold finish from the field doomed the Kings in this one, as Sacramento followed up a 12-for-27 (44%) start from deep by missing all ten shots from beyond the arc in the fourth quarter.
As a team, the Kings went five-for-17 (29%) from the field in the fourth while allowing Boston to knock down 47 percent of their looks. The Celtics also took advantage of sloppy Sacramento defense by sinking nine of their 11 free throw attempts in the final period.
COUNT IT 👇 pic.twitter.com/Vi92Jf0Fdo
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) January 2, 2026
A loss is a loss, but compared to what we saw from the Kings during an abysmal trip to Los Angeles, Thursday was a step forward for Sacramento.
The Kings handed out 29 assists (nine turnovers) during the loss, but they lost their way in the fourth. Sacramento had just three assists in the final quarter as Boston cranked up the defensive intensity, forcing the Kings into taking tough looks and sealing off the chance for drive-and-kick opportunities.
New year, same results for the Sacramento Kings–but the compete level was “much, much better” according to head coach Doug Christie.
“Some good stuff. No moral victories, that’s not what we’re looking for, but step by step,” Christie said postgame. “The compete level was higher, and that’s what we need.”
Sacramento has lost 17 games by 10 or more points this season, which is tied for the second-most in the NBA.
Notes
DeMar DeRozan finished the night with 25 points (9/16 FG), five rebounds, six assists, and one steal over 34 minutes.
Rookie center Maxime Raynaud scored 12 points and grabbed eight rebounds during the loss. Raynaud has scored 10+ points in 12 of his past 15 games played.
Nique Clifford didn’t stuff the stat sheet, but he continued to make smart plays during his 16 minutes of playing time. Clifford finished the night with three steals and two offensive boards in the loss.
Keon Ellis added 16 points (three-of-six from three-point range) over 27 minutes.
Sacramento Kings Injury Updates
Center Domantas Sabonis, who has been sidelined since November 16th due to a partially torn meniscus in his left knee, will miss at least another 2-3 weeks of action.
Guard Zach LaVine (moderate left ankle sprain) will be re-evaluated this week. LaVine missed his eighth-straight game on Saturday and has not appeared in action since December 14th.
When is the next Sacramento Kings game?
The Sacramento Kings will hit the road for a brief trip to Phoenix, where they will play the second night of a back-to-back against the Suns.
Sacramento is 0-2 against Phoenix this season, losing the most recent matchup between the two teams on November 26th by a final score of 112-100 as Suns center Mark Williams (21 points, 16 rebounds) dominated in the paint.
Be sure to catch all of the Sacramento Kings vs. Phoenix Suns action right here on Sactown Sports 1140 AM, with pregame coverage beginning at 4:30 PM PT on Game Night before a 6:00 pm PT tip-off from downtown Los Angeles.
Upcoming Sacramento Kings schedule for the 2025-26 season
Friday, January 2nd @ Phoenix Suns – 6:00 PM PT
Saturday, January 4th – vs. Milwaukee Bucks – 6:00 PM PT
Tuesday, January 6th – vs. Dallas Mavericks – 6:00 PM PT
Friday, January 9th – @ Golden State Warriors – 7:00 PM PT
Sunday, January 11th – vs. Houston Rockets – 6:00 PM PT
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