The Sacramento Kings fought back from a horrific first few minutes, but failed to start their six-game road trip with a win as they fell 123-118 to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday night.
Domantas Sabonis was still not in the starting lineup, as rookie Maxime Raynaud remained there. Beginning their night by falling into a 16-2, it had the makings of a blowout, but a full five-man substitution revitalized the Kings’ chances.
Yet, an inability to convert in the final few minutes ended up finalizing their fourth consecutive loss.
Domantas Sabonis ended his night with 24 points, 16 rebounds, and six assists off the bench, while Dennis Schroder added 21 points, four assists, and four rebounds. Sacramento’s bench scored 73 points in the loss.
DeMar DeRozan had 20 points on 6/12 shooting as well. But it was Donovan Mitchell (33) and Evan Mobley (29) combining for 62 points on 24/49 shooting that caused problems. Cleveland ended the night with 52 points in the paint.
Sacramento Kings @ Cleveland Cavaliers Game Notes
Kings’ head coach Doug Christie often emphasizes his team’s need to play with energy and to their standard. Well, safe to say that his starting unit didn’t accomplish that early Friday night in Cleveland.
Jogging through their actions and providing minimal defensive resistance, they allowed Donovan Mitchell to score five unanswered points, then Mobley to tally four of his own. The Cavaliers were up 9-0 within three minutes. Christie called a timeout.
Little changed, as Mobley continued to casually make his way past rookie Maxime Raynaud and was met with little resistance behind him. Roughly 90 seconds after using his first, Christie called another timeout.
Trailing 16-2, he elected to make a full lineup substitution, with Dennis Schroder, Malik Monk, Nique Clifford, Domantas Sabonis, and Dylan Cardwell entering the game. The difference was immediately apparent.
‘Lik for 3️⃣ 🏹🔥 pic.twitter.com/39voXSQxbW
— Sacramento Kings (@SacramentoKings) January 24, 2026
Sabonis found Cardwell for an easy dunker spot slam before they forced a miss at the rim. Their all-star center secured an offensive rebound on the following possession, helping revive their offense.
Three straight Schroder buckets and a few stops later, Sacramento had new life despite still trailing 25-13.
That momentum continued in their favor as (primarily) the second unit put together a 17-4 run. They took their first lead of the game moments before the first quarter buzzer.
Cardwell had picked up three fouls, but it was a worthy tradeoff. Given the 16-2 start, being tied at 35 at the end of one felt like an accomplishment.
Schroder was stellar with 12 points on 4/5 shooting while Mobley led Cleveland with 13 points, two assists, and two rebounds. Eighteen of the Cavaliers’ points came from inside the paint.
As Sacramento’s starters began to be reintegrated, their impact was felt. DeRozan made his way to the free-throw line, and Achiuwa attacked lanes while switching onto a wide variety of players.
Mitchell combated by getting to his spots and securing trips to the line or securing buckets. Their threat in the paint forced Sacramento’s defense to overcorrect, leaving Cleveland’s role players open from the perimeter.
Trading the lead for the first half of the second quarter, Sabonis became the second Kings big man to record three personal fouls.
With two bigs in foul trouble, Christie went with Monk in favor of Raynaud, along with the four other starters — which left Achiuwa playing center.
LaVine came alive big, finishing a few plays as he and a few of his teammates converted from three. Monk and Westbrook added, as did Schroder, who checked in during the final few minutes of the half.
Dennis shoota 🏹 pic.twitter.com/hwEtB0w9o8
— Sacramento Kings (@SacramentoKings) January 24, 2026
Buckets came in bunches, as Sacramento’s 71-68 halftime advantage was tied for their second-highest scoring half of the season. Converting 9/15 from three helped that cause, but their opponents went 8/24 with an identical 24 points in the paint.
Mitchell (18) and Mobley (19) combined for 37 points while Jaylon Tyson added 10 points on 2/4 from three.
The Kings were led by Schroder’s 17 points, two assists, and three rebounds, while Sabonis added 14 points, five assists, and six rebounds off the bench.
Cleveland’s nine offensive rebounds allowed them to trail by just one point despite shooting just 46 percent, compared to Sacramento’s 54.3 percent.
Given their horrific start, how the starters began the second half felt crucial. Likely with that in mind, Coach Christie started Sabonis in place of the rookie Raynaud.
They mostly traded buckets, with both sides attempting a significant amount of triples. Mitchell continued to roll, scoring five of his squad’s first seven in the frame.
Cleveland employed a 3-2 zone for longer stretches, something they’ve leaned on more heavily this season. Compared to their opening, Sacramento’s slightly altered unit put on a solid showing.
The highly physical game, with both sides deploying plenty of size, played a factor in Sabonis picking up his fourth foul six minutes into the frame.
But the Cavaliers’ offensive rebounding, bench shooting, and a few too many Kings turnovers led to an 11-1 run for the home side.
The bench did little to slow that as it eventually extended to a larger 24-8 run en route to a 102-93 disadvantage with 12 minutes remaining.
Mobley continued to dominate as his team had 16 points in the paint in the third quarter alone.
Fighting back early in the fourth required defensive stops, relentless effort, and probably some shooting luck. Well, that showed its face in spurts.
Monk’s offensive skill set as a creator for himself and others, combined with his chemistry with Sabonis, was showcased. Schroder continued to aid in applying pressure at the rim while DeRozan hunted out advantageous matchups.
Cleveland responded with what they’d been doing all game long, finding their way to the basket.
Schroder drew a foul with 6:06 remaining, earning free throws as the Kings entered the bonus early — Cavaliers lead 113-110.
For the next rhree minutes, Cleveland failed to convert a field goal. Unfortunately for Sacramento, they weren’t exactly highly efficient either as turnovers caused issues.
Closing with a lineup for Schroder, Monk, DeRozan, Sabonis, and Cardwell was another example of Christie trusting whoever had it going that specific night.
Mitchell ended their drought with a tough floater and contested triple on consecutive possessions. Failing to convert a few quality looks eventually led to their own field-goal drought, all but securing the final outcome.
Spida splashdown! @spidadmitchell | #LetEmKnow pic.twitter.com/SAOubYgfF4
— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) January 24, 2026
The Kings’ inability to convert in the final few minutes sealed their fourth consecutive loss.
Sabonis ended his night with 24 points, 16 rebounds, and six assists off the bench, while Schroder added 21 points, four assists, and four rebounds. Sacramento’s bench scored 73 points in the loss.
DeRozan had 20 points on 6/12 shooting as well. But it was Donovan Mitchell (33) and Mobley (29) combining for 62 points on 24/49 shooting that caused problems. Cleveland ended the night with 52 points in the paint.
The Kings will continue their road trip Sunday afternoon in Detroit against the 32-11 Eastern Conference-leading Pistons.
More Sacramento Kings coverage on Sactown Sports
The Sacramento Kings may be having one of their worst seasons in recent memory, but that isn’t going to keep Dylan Cardwell down.
Cardwell, who has burst onto the scene during his first NBA season, continues to produce at a high level off the bench, especially on the glass and defensive end–two facets that this current version of the Beam Team has sorely lacked amid a 12-33 start.
Through 18 appearances thus far, the 24-year-old holds averages of 4.7 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks per game while shooting 53 percent from the field over 18.9 minutes per contest.
Upcoming Sacramento Kings schedule for the 2025-26 season
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
Sunday, February 1st – @ Washington Wizards – 3:00 PM PT
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