Playing with a rest advantage, the Sacramento Kings fought Saturday night, but their struggles from beyond the arc left them shorthanded. Their third game of a five-game road trip ended with a 123-113 loss, but wasn’t without its positives.
While silver linings are overrated, it’s often been all the 2025-26 Kings have to hold onto in a season where wins have been rare. Their shorthanded bench of Daeqwon Plowden (14), DaQuan Jeffires (14), and Killian Hayes (10) added 38 points while shooting 8/16 from three. DeMar DeRozan (1/1) and Maxime Raynaud (2/2) went 3/3 between them.
That was particularly notable as their teammates combined to shoot just 3/13 from deep. They started to thrive from within. DeRozan led Sacramento with 22 points on 9/18 shooting. Raynaud (18 points, 10 rebounds) and Precious Achiuwa (16 points, six rebounds) continued their impressive end of season runs.
Slowing down Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Jalen Johnson proved too much to handle, though, especially in transition. Alexander-Walker went 9/9 from the free-throw line en route to 27 points, eight assists, five rebounds, and four steals, while Johnson added 26 points, 10 assists, and five rebounds.
A horrific end to the first half and 20 points allowed off 15 turnovers ended their opportunity, but the fight was admirable.
Sacramento Kings @ Atlanta Hawks Game Notes
Winners of 15 of their last 17 games, the Hawks came into Saturday night with a clear advantage over Sacramento. Being without Dyson Daniels, Jonathan Kuminga, and Onyeka Okongwu were notable losses on their second night of a back-to-back, but nothing compared to the Kings’ injury report.
As they’ve grown used to this season, it was an extensive one. Domantas Sabonis (knee), Keegan Murray (ankle), De’Andre Hunter (eye), Zach LaVine (finger), Russell Westbrook (toe), and Drew Eubanks (finger) were all sidelined.
Malik Monk got his third consecutive start of the season, after exclusively playing a bench role, alongside Devin Carter, DeMar DeRozan, Precious Achiuwa, and Maxime Raynaud.
With Raynaud’s recent emergence and willingness to shoot from deep, that group had solid spacing relative to the Kings’ usual lineups. Atlanta’s lineup didn’t feature much size, with CJ McCollum, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Jalen Johnson, Mouhammed Gueye, and Jock Landale.
That worked into the Kings favor early on as offensive rebounds and downhill attacks worked early. By the time Christie called his first challenge mid-way through the first, which was eventually ruled unsuccessful, Achiuwa had six of his team’s 14 points in a tie game.
Rookie Nique Clifford replaced DeRozan not long after, and with him and Monk assigned to combined primary ball handling duties, the Hawks’ defensive pressure made an impact. Alexander-Walker caused deflections leading to turnovers, allowing Johnson to thrive in transition.
But it was the bench unit for Christie that kept them within it. Not converting (or attempting) triples up to that point, DaQuan Jeffries and Daeqwon Plowden knocked a pair down. The rookies, Clifford and Raynaud, added from range as well.
welcome back, Niqu3️⃣ 😤 pic.twitter.com/uepQJBZsGz
— Sacramento Kings (@SacramentoKings) March 29, 2026
Former first overall pick Zaccharie Risacher showed off his shot-making for eight points in the first quarter as he and Johnson combined for 17 of their side’s 27 at the end of one. Sacramento led by three (3) with 11 bench points.
Playing physical, per usual, Achiuwa managed to sneakily secure offensive rebounds and earn easy putbacks. DeRozan tried to find a rhythm, but wasn’t seeing enough go down. He and Monk were targeted by Alexander-Walker on the other end, resulting in him living at the free throw line. Without Kuminga, and even with him, Alexander-Walker has been relied upon to be their half-court offense, and it was obvious why.
Frustrated by a no-call, DeRozan unmistakably let an official know it with about 7 minutes left in the first half. Of course, that led to a mini mid-range flurry from the future Hall of Famer.
But a few more turnovers led to 10 fast-break points for the Hawks, the most efficient form of basketball. Losing a grasp on the lead, the State Farm Arena crowd started to come alive as they witnessed an electric stretch.
McCollum added tough buckets and transition finishes, Landale found his way to the rim, and more Sacramento turnovers led to a 30-10 Hawks run to close the half. Trailing 54-66 after a promising start, 10 turnovers had led to as many Atlanta points. The Kings (10) had twice as many fouls as their opponents.
Three starters — Raynaud, DeRozan, and Achuiwa — had surpassed double digits, but just 11 assists on 22 field goals spoke to their lack of offensive flow and rhythm. Alexander-Walker led all scorers with 13 points, eight from the free throw line.
That continued into the third, but that trio of starters managed to bail them out with late shot clock creation. Aggressive in challenging Landale and reserving big Christian Koloko, when they kicked out to open shooters, it wasn’t rewarded. Christie always says, “A shot created must be taken.”
Three-point shooting may be overstated at times, but adequate spacing is essential for any successful modern offense. Proving to be the worst team in the NBA from beyond the arc, the third quarter was a prime example. Scoring efficiently in the paint still allowed them to win the quarter. Killian Hayes capped off a 10-2 run with a buzzer beating near-halfcourt heave, which was their only made three that quarter in nine attempts.
Due to that second-quarter disaster, Sacramento still trailed 88-82 as the final 12 minutes went on the clock.
Similar to the first half, it was the bench that could actually convert from deep. That unit headlined a 15-4 run for the Kings that brought them back to life.
GROWN MAN JAM 🤯
Highlight of the Game presented by @iStreetHighway https://t.co/jXl0Dtw1sf pic.twitter.com/1qWvIg7q4V
— Sacramento Kings (@SacramentoKings) March 29, 2026
Jeffries and Hayes each added one, and Plowden made his second at the end of a chaotic possession to tie the game at 97 with eight minutes to play. But the Hawks weren’t going to go down easy as they fight to remain outside the Eastern Conference play-in picture.
The usual suspects of Johnson and Alexander-Walker responded with an 8-0 run to reclaim control. Comfortably keeping that advantage for a few minutes, DeRozan’s return threatened it, and Plowden continues to prove he thrives in big moments. Putting together a 12-0 run to bring it back within single-digits (109-97).
Plowden has started to build a reputation for his fourth-quarter heroics, as he showed with three triples in the frame for nine points. But they never quite got over the hump as Johnson put things officially out of reach.
Sacramento’s third game of a five-game road trip ended with a 123-113 loss, but wasn’t without its positives.
Their shorthanded bench of Plowden (14), Jeffires (14), and Hayes (10) added 38 points while shooting 8/16 from three. DeRozan (1/1) and Raynaud (2/2) went 3/3 between them.
That was particularly notable as their teammates combined to shoot just 3/13 from deep. They started to thrive from within. DeRozan led Sacramento with 22 points on 9/18 shooting. Raynaud (18 points, 10 rebounds) and Precious Achiuwa (16 points, six rebounds) continued their impressive end of season runs.
Slowing down Alexander-Walker and Johnson proved too much to handle, though, especially in transition. Alexander-Walker went 9/9 from the free-throw line en route to 27 points, eight assists, five rebounds, and four steals, while Johnson added 26 points, 10 assists, and five rebounds.
A horrific end to the first half and 20 points allowed off 15 turnovers ended their opportunity, but the fight was admirable.
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Upcoming Sacramento Kings schedule for the 2025-26 season
Sunday, March 29th @ Brooklyn Nets – 3:00 PM PT
Wednesday, April 1st @ Toronto Raptors – 5:00 PM PT
Friday, April 3rd vs. New Orleans Pelicans – 7:00 PM PT
Sunday, April 5th vs. Los Angeles Clippers – 6:00 PM PT
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