The Sacramento Kings looked polished and prepared during the first half of Wednesday’s matchup against the Toronto Raptors–and then the third quarter started.
Toronto showed why they’ve been one of the most-surprising teams in the league this season, outscoring Sacramento 70-48 during the second half en route to a 122-109 win at Golden 1 Center.
After winning four-straight games to begin a season-long seven-game homestand, the Kings (12-33) dropped the final three games, with the final two losses coming by double-digits.
With the loss, Sacramento maintained a 2.5-game gap between itself and the New Orleans Pelicans (2026 pick will go to the Atlanta Hawks) for the worst record in the NBA.
LET IT FLY 😮💨🔥 pic.twitter.com/tkHHGqBXUy
— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) January 22, 2026
Sacramento Kings vs. Toronto Raptors takeaways
On the heels of an ugly showing on Tuesday night against Miami, Sacramento was sluggish out of the gates on Wednesday, as Toronto took an early nine-point lead.
Rather than let the deficit snowball, the Kings bounced back thanks to a 10-point opening period from Zach LaVine and eight early points off the bench from Malik Monk.
Monk was a microwave scorer for Sacramento during the first half, shooting a perfect five-of-five from the field (three-of-three from downtown) as the Kings turned the tables and took a nine-point lead into the break.
Toronto entered play with the NBA’s sixth-best defensive rating, but Sacramento’s play in and around the paint and ability to limit damage from the Raptors offense (36% FG during the first half) put the Beam Team in a strong spot after 24 minutes of action–and then, the second half started, and things went out the window.
Malik Monk during the first half:
13 PTS
5/5 FG
3/3 3PT
14 MIN pic.twitter.com/ByPs7NFYoJ
— Frankie Cartoscelli (@FCartoscelli3) January 22, 2026
While Toronto’s offense struggled to break through during the first half, it would hit its stride as play entered the third period.
The Raptors outscored the Kings 43-21 in the third, shooting 14-of-19 (73%) from the field and four-of-six (66%) from beyond the arc while also holding Sacramento to just 38 percent shooting on their end of the floor.
Outside of Dylan Cardwell, who had two blocks and a steal in the third quarter, the Kings failed to create stops, especially against Toronto star forward Scottie Barnes (14 points in the period).
A nine-point Sacramento lead morphed into a 13-point deficit heading into the fourth, and for a Kings team that holds a record of 2-26 when trailing after three quarters, a third-straight loss felt inevitable.
Sacramento’s 13-2 run late in the fourth would trim the deficit back to single digits, but too much damage was done earlier in the half as the Raptors put things away in crunch time.
The Kings outscored Toronto in the first and second periods and tied the Raptors in the fourth, but a 43-21 disadvantage in the third was the difference on Wednesday night as Sacramento fell 21 games under the .500 mark.
Cardwell Hits The Glass
Rookie center Dylan Cardwell may be winning over Kings fans with his on-court celebrations following a blocked shot or scored basket, but his ability to crash the boards is making him a must-play option for head coach Doug Christie.
What an effort from Dylan Cardwell 💪 pic.twitter.com/8uCDjZLpY0
— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) January 22, 2026
Cardwell, an undrafted free agent out of Auburn, posted his 11th-straight game with six or more boards, joining fellow rookie center Maxime Raynaud as the first Kings rookie bigs since DeMarcus Cousins to collect 6+ rebounds in 10 or more consecutive contests.
The 6’11 center finished the night with a career-high 13 rebounds to go along with four blocks and one steal over 25 minutes of action in what was another showcase of why Cardwell will all but surely have his two-way contract converted to a standard contract once the February 5th trade deadline passes.
Cardwell also became the fifth Kings rookie in the Sacramento era (1985-present) to finish a game with at least 13 rebounds and four blocks, joining Lionel Simmons (1991), Brian Grant (1995), Michael Stewart (1998), and Jason Thompson (2009).
Legends In The House
Former NFL star quarterback and current Stanford football general manager, Andrew Luck, and three-time Olympic Gold Medalist in women’s beach volleyball, Keri Walsh Jennings, joined Sacramento Kings owner Vivek Ranadive courtside for Wednesday night’s game.
Ranadive and Walsh Jennings are co-founders of Major League Volleyball, a new professional women’s volleyball league that will launch in January 2026 with a minimum of 10 teams from across the United States.
Former NFL QB and Stanford Football GM Andrew Luck is sitting next to Sacramento Kings owner Vivek Ranadive at tonight’s game (???) pic.twitter.com/aZubCYjiEa
— Frankie Cartoscelli (@FCartoscelli3) January 22, 2026
Notes
On a night that he was being honored for becoming the highest-scoring guard in NBA history, Russell Westbrook scored 23 points (his fourth-straight game with 20+ points).
“Extremely grateful for the Kings organization,” Westbrook said of how Sacramento honored him on Wednesday with various video tributes and a trading card giveaway. “I will never forget this particular day and moment, so I’m grateful for that.”
Westbrook (34 minutes), Zach LaVine (37 minutes), and DeMar DeRozan (33 minutes) were the lone Kings to play 30+ minutes during the loss.
Sacramento Kings Injury Updates
Center Domantas Sabonis (left knee injury management) was held out of the second night of a back-to-back.
Forward Keegan Murray will miss the next 1-2 weeks with a moderate left ankle sprain.
When is the next Sacramento Kings game?
The Sacramento Kings will embark on a six-game road trip that will begin on Friday night against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Last season, the Kings swept a two-game regular-season series against the Cavs, who finished the year with a 64-18 record (the best in the Eastern Conference).
Be sure to catch all of the Sacramento Kings vs. Cleveland Cavaliers action right here on Sactown Sports 1140 AM, with pregame coverage beginning at 3:00 PM PT on Game Night before a 4:30 pm PT tip-off from downtown Cleveland.
Upcoming Sacramento Kings schedule for the 2025-26 season
Friday, January 23rd – @ Cleveland Cavaliers – 4:30 PM PT
Sunday, January 25th – @ Detroit Pistons – 12:00 PM PT
Tuesday, January 27th – @ New York Knicks – 4:30 PM PT
Thursday, January 29th – @ Philadelphia 76ers – 4:00 PM PT
Friday, January 30th – @ Boston Celtics – 4:30 PM PT
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