The Sacramento Kings failed to slow down the best team in the Eastern Conference, falling 139-116 at Little Caesars Arena.
The noon P.S.T. start time didn’t seem to impact the Detroit Pistons as they recorded a season-best 78 points in the first half and never looked back. They were led by All-Star starter Cade Cunnginham who ended his night with 29 points, 11 assists, and five rebounds on 13/22 shooting.
Sacramento’s bright spots came from rookie Nique Clifford, who scored 15 points, and Malik Monk, who scored 19.
The Kings shot 52.4 percent from the field as a team, but allowing their opponents to shoot 54.9 percent, including 16/31 from three, wasn’t enough.
Conceding 26 second-chance points off 16 offensive rebounds and committing 19 turnovers were the primary shortcomings that caused the Kings to suffer their fifth straight defeat.
Defense was optional on Sunday afternoon in Detroit.
Sacramento Kings @ Detroit Pistons Game Notes
Playing against the best team in the East is no easy task, and Sacramento went into Sunday night’s contest with a new look starting lineup.
Usual starter Zach LaVine was sidelined due to low back soreness, and Domantas Sabonis finally reentered the starters in his fifth game back from an extended absence.
Rookie Nique Clifford got the fourth start of his career, playing alongside Sabonis, Russell Westbrook, DeMar DeRozan, and Precious Achiuwa.
As was the case last game in Cleveland, the Kings struggled to slow down the opposition’s all-star caliber center. Cunningham found big man Duren early in the pick-and-roll — one of the most frequently run plays in the entire NBA. He recorded eight of Detroit’s first 10 points.
But it was Clifford who helped bring a spark for his side, playing more aggressively than usual, as evidenced by his chase-down block and subsequent catch-and-shoot triple.
Nique on both ends ↔️
Highlight of the Game presented by Phase 3 Construction, Inc. pic.twitter.com/LHHeBzB39P
— Sacramento Kings (@SacramentoKings) January 25, 2026
Putting the ball on the deck led to a few more buckets and a pair of free throws for the Kings’ rookie.
Their back-and-forth early action was largely due to a highly effective offense. Sacramento was converting its shots, playing in transition, and knocking down threes. Westbrook saw a couple go down from distance.
For the Pistons, they weren’t converting at the same rate, but offensive rebounds enabled second-chance opportunities. Forcing turnovers helped their case, too.
As Cunningham went to the sideline, their offense sputtered, and former Piston Dennis Schroder took advantage on the other end.
Tobias Harris knocked down a triple as the first-quarter buzzer sounded, tying the scoreboard at 35. Westbrook (8) and Clifford (7) led Sacramento’s 14/23 shooting in the frame, recording 10 assists as a team.
Duren had 10 points, and Cunningham added seven points and five assists.
The Kings were unable to maintain that offensive pace in the second, while Detroit continued to ramp up.
With Duren off the floor, Cunningham simply went to his two-man game with Isaiah Stewart while shooters spaced the floor. He picked apart their defense with ease, increasing his individual scoring output.
Two minutes of Cade buckets for your timeline
24 points, 10 assists, 5 rebounds and counting… pic.twitter.com/fZ2AgjH0Eo
— Detroit Pistons (@DetroitPistons) January 25, 2026
An ineffectiveness to contain the ball handler, apply pressure, and provide timely help from their backside wasn’t there for Sacramento.
Whistles had become more frequent as the Kings attempted to increase their physicality. Committing five turnovers in the frame and allowing five more offensive rebounds in the frame led to a 43-point frame for the Pistons. Sacramento scored a respectable 30 of their own, but not enough to keep up.
Trailing 78-65 at halftime, the Pistons’ 18-7 advantage in second-chance points made a notable difference. Converting 8/18 from three compared to Sacramento’s 5/9 didn’t help their case either.
DeRozan (12), Sabonis (12), Westbrook (11), and Monk (10) were all in double-digits while the Kings had converted 61.4 percent from the field.
But Cunningham (19) and Duren (17) combined for 26 as the Pistons shot 52.8 percent.
Allowing Detroit to record its highest scoring half of the season, the Kings were in need of a defensive spark. They started the third by committing two fouls in 24 seconds—unideal.
An 8-0 run by the Pistons forced a Sacramento timeout as they faced a 54-47 deficit. Kings head coach Doug Christie elected to go with an early substitution, entering Dylan Cardwell and Schroder in favor of Westbrook and DeRozan.
Eventually extending to an 18-6 run for the home team, Sacramento found themselves down 20+ points in a hurry.
Schroder and Monk impressively maintained their offense for the most part, but an inability to get stops prevented them from recovering.
Detroit scored 35 points in the third quarter — a mark they reached in each frame up to that point — shooting 14/20 in the third. That left the Kings down 113-93 with 12 minutes to play.
In need of a miracle if they wanted a chance, the Kings managed one. Monk continued to get buckets, but whistles continued to be heard as the Pistons found their way to the free-throw line.
With six minutes left to play, Devin Carter made his 13th appearance of the season and first in the last eight showings. Playing alongside the rest of Sacramento’s youth, they had all but waved the white flag.
Ron Holland II pushed Ellis to the floor after the two had gotten wrapped up, earning an ejection with five minutes to play. Clifford was also assessed as a technical in the moment after stepping up for his teammate.
A+ job selling the call by Keon 🤣 pic.twitter.com/BIdvhHADru
— Brenden Nunes (@BrendenNunesNBA) January 25, 2026
From there, the final outcome was all but inevitable. The final scoreboard read 136-116, the second-most scored by a Kings opponent this season.
Cade Cunnginham who ended his night with 29 points, 11 assists, and five rebounds on 13/22 shooting.
Sacramento’s bright spots came from rookie Nique Clifford, who scored 15 points, and Malik Monk, who scored 19.
The Kings shot 52.4 percent from the field as a team, but allowing their opponents to shoot 54.9 percent, including 16/31 from three, wasn’t enough.
Conceding 26 second-chance points off 16 offensive rebounds and committing 19 turnovers were the primary shortcomings that caused the Kings to suffer their fifth straight defeat.
Defense was optional on Sunday afternoon in Detroit.
More Sacramento Kings coverage on Sactown Sports
Senior NBA Writer for Anscaped and 2023 Basketball Hall of Fame Inductee, Marc Spears, joined The Matt & Kayla Show to make sense of what’s expected to be a busy trade deadline for Sacramento Kings general manager Scott Perry.
Perry is in his first season running the Kings, but has spent more than 2.5 decades in the NBA. Spears shared that their relationship goes all the way back to Perry being the head coach of Eastern Kentucky University from 1997-2000.
“One of my assignments was to write a story on this coach named Scott Perry, who had the saddest office I’ve ever seen in my life,” Spears shared. “Four white walls with nothing on it. Nothing said short timer more than this guy’s office, right? But now in his office he has this beautiful full painting that his wife got made for him, where it lists his six principles as to what he wants from the franchise.”
Read More:
Marc Spears: Kings should pattern themselves after Detroit, Oklahoma City
Upcoming Sacramento Kings schedule for the 2025-26 season
Tuesday, January 27th – @ New York Knicks – 4:30 PM PT
Thursday, January 29th – @ Philadelphia 76ers – 4:00 PM PT
Sunday, January 30th – @ Boston Celtics – 4:30 PM PT
Sunday, February 1st – @ Washington Wizards – 3:00 PM PT
Wednesday, February 4th – vs. Memphis Grizzlies – 7:00 PM PT
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