The Sacramento Kings were without eight key players for Wednesday night’s matchup against the Charlotte Hornets, but they held their own for nearly all 48 minutes of action.
Sacramento rode the hot hand of DeMar DeRozan against Charlotte, but the surprise Hornets closed things out in crunch time by securing a 117-109 win at Golden 1 Center.
Not even 24 hours removed from arguably their most exciting triumph of what has overall been a disappointing season, the Kings (16-51) had a two-game winning streak snapped by a Charlotte team that is now 23-10 over its past 33 games.
Of course, it’s not all bad for Sacramento. The loss places the Kings into a tie with Indiana for the worst record in the NBA, giving both teams a 14 percent chance of securing the top pick in May’s NBA Draft Lottery (52.1% chance of landing a top-four selection).
Russ and the guys were loving Nique’s dunk 😤 pic.twitter.com/OgkfBNvjDf
— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) March 12, 2026
Sacramento Kings vs. Charlotte Hornets takeaways
With Sacramento down four guards on Wednesday and on the second night of a back-to-back, head coach Doug Christie’s options at the point guard spot were limited.
Killian Hayes, who is on his second 10-day contract with the Kings, was called on to start in place of Russell Westbrook (quad), while Nique Clifford–who was also in the starting lineup at the two-spot–was technically next in line at the position.
Hayes, who entered the night shooting just 19 percent from the field over eight appearances, scored the first seven points of the game for the Kings’ offense, and he got some help from another unlikely contributor to get things rolling.
Doug McDermott knocked down two early triples to join forces with Hayes and help Sacramento take a lead into the second against a Charlotte team that has been one of the biggest surprises of the 2025-26 season.
DeMar DeRozan was the lone member of the original starting lineup to take the floor on Wednesday, and he put on a show during the first half.
The 22nd-highest-scoring player in NBA history racked up 22 points (10-of-14 shooting) before the break–the most points he has scored in a game since February 1st.
Even though they were missing eight key players, the Kings’ offense scored 62 points on 59 percent shooting as they took a lead into the second half.
Deebo takes Sion James to school 📝 pic.twitter.com/1pAnPUnDpW
— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) March 12, 2026
DeRozan and Hornets guard LaMelo Ball traded baskets as action inched closer to the fourth quarter, and Charlotte made their move before the end of the third period.
The Hornets caught fire in the third, scoring 31 points on 60 percent shooting to take a five-point lead into the fourth, and they never looked back.
Even on a night where DeRozan passed another Hall of Famer on the all-time scoring list (Tim Duncan, 18th) and flirted with a 40-point effort, Charlotte played under control down the final stretch and kept Sacramento out of reach late to secure the win.
A three-point barrage from the Hornets’ offense was the difference in this one, as Charlotte finished the night 19-of-40 (47%) from beyond the arc, improving to 16-7 (.695) this season when shooting 40 percent or better from deep.
On the other side of the coin, the Kings are 4-18 (.181) when allowing opponents to shoot 40 percent or better from three.
DeRozan was the story of the game for the Sacramento Kings as the veteran finished with a season-high 39 points on an incredible 17-of-22 (77%) to go along with four rebounds and six assists over 41 minutes.
The 39-point outing was DeRozan’s 20th game with 30 or more points in his time with the Kings, the 10th-most in the Sacramento era (1985-present).
Most games with 30+ points in the Sacramento era (1985-present):
Mitch Richmond 105
De’Aaron Fox 100
DeMarcus Cousins 81
Chris Webber 65
Peja Stojakovic 45
Kevin Martin 41
Mike Bibby 31
Reggie Theus 23
Wayman Tisdale 22
DeMar DeRozan 20 pic.twitter.com/fu9tdTjrj1
— Frankie Cartoscelli (@FCartoscelli3) March 12, 2026
Rookie wing Nique Clifford had a solid all-around outing, scoring 18 points (7/16 FG), grabbing four rebounds, handing out seven assists, swiping one steal, and blocking one shot over 41 minutes.
The Colorado State product spoke highly of Charlotte after the game, stating that he hopes to be a part of a similar rise to relevancy with Sacramento in the near future.
Notes
With his field goal at the 2:36 mark of Q3, DeMar DeRozan surpassed Tim Duncan (26,496) for 18th on the NBA’s all-time scoring leaders list.
Sacramento Kings Injury Updates
Guard Devin Carter (right calf soreness) was ruled out vs. Charlotte and is day-to-day.
Guard Malik Monk (right ankle) did not suit up on Wednesday night. An update on Monk will become available in the coming days.
Guard Russell Westbrook (right quad contusion) missed Wednesday’s game and is day-to-day.
Forward Keegan Murray will be re-evaluated next week after suffering a mild left ankle sprain on February 25th.
Center Dylan Cardwell (left ankle sprain) will be re-evaluated in two weeks.
Guard Zach LaVine (left fifth finger tendon repair) will miss the rest of the season.
Forward De’Andre Hunter (left eye retinal repair) will miss the rest of the season.
Center Domantas Sabonis (left knee meniscus repair) will miss the rest of the season.
More Sacramento Kings content from Sactown Sports
When is the next Sacramento Kings game?
The Sacramento Kings will make a brief one-game road trip to Los Angeles for a matchup against the red-hot Clippers.
Los Angeles is 2-0 against the Kings this season, including a 114-111 win over Sacramento in the most recent meeting between these two Pacific Division foes on February 6th.
Be sure to catch all of the Sacramento Kings vs. Los Angeles Clippers action right here on Sactown Sports 1140 AM, with pregame coverage beginning at 6:00 PM PT on Game Night before a 7:30 pm PT tip-off from the Intuit Dome in Inglewood.
Upcoming Sacramento Kings schedule for the 2025-26 season
Saturday, March 14th @ Los Angeles Clippers – 7:30 PM PT
Sunday, March 15th vs. Utah Jazz – 7:00 PM PT
Tuesday, March 17th vs. San Antonio Spurs – 7:00 PM PT
Thursday, March 19th vs. Philadelphia 76ers – 7:00 PM PT
Sunday, March 22nd vs. Brooklyn Nets – 3:00 PM PT
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