Mar 5, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Sacramento Kings center Jonas Valanciunas (17) reacts after a play in the fourth quarter against the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
The Denver Nuggets stunted the Kings’ four-game winning streak and stopped them from completing an undefeated road trip. This isn’t a hot headline, considering the Kings were without Malik Monk and Domantas Sabonis, and Denver is 3rd in the west with the best basketball player in the world on their team. But lucky for you, that’s what we’re here for: to tell you the beautiful story behind the boring headline. And tonight’s story is one of hope, hustle, and heartbreak. A Kangz classic, if you will.
##### **Quick Stats**
**Sacramento Kings**: 45.8% fg, 40.7% 3 pt, 78.6% ft, 22 ast, 45 reb, 12 to
**Denver Nuggets**: 46.0% fg, 34.3% 3 pt, 80.0% ft, 28 ast, 46 reb, 13 to
1. **The Hope**: Let’s start from the beginning. The Kings shocked everyone with their 42-point first quarter performance. Keegan Murray, who was ultimately stunted by foul trouble throughout the entire game, started out with a demonstrative aggression on the offensive end. It was a hopeful sight to see him attack the basket with confidence. Though he wasn’t able to capitalize on this mentality through the thick of the game, his teammates followed his example and never backed down. Jonas Valanciunas (19 points, 13 rebounds) went at Nikola Jokic as an equal, even backing him down in the post and getting him to flop for an easy bucket. Zach LaVine (20 points) showcased his passing ability with a handful of perfectly placed pocket passes to Valanciunas within the flow of the offense. My favorite play of the night was a high pick and roll between LaVine and Valanciunas that led to a pocket pass to Valanciunas at the top of the key where he found a baseline cutting Keon Ellis for a dunk. The Kings really executed Denver’s most signature offense against them and it was beautiful to see. The biggest spark in the first quarter came from Jake LaRavia off the bench, who scorched the Nuggets for 11 points in four minutes to end the quarter. The Kings looked poised and confident on both ends of the ball and as a result, put the Nuggets on their heels.
2. **The Hustle**: The Kings came out with a clear plan on defense and executed it about as well as you could have asked them to. Keegan Murray started out on Nikola Jokic, which left Jonas Valanciunas available to protect the rim and provide back side help whenever Jokic got the ball. When Murray got into foul trouble, Jake LaRavia stepped in and spent every ounce of muscle battling for position against Jokic in the post. Sacramento’s goal was to force the ball out of Jokic’s hands and live with the chances of others beating them. This worked out a majority of the game, until Denver’s supporting cast began to capitalize on their open looks. The Kings held Jokic to 22 points, 15 rebounds, and six assists. For anyone else in the league (besides maybe Domantas Sabonis), this stat line would make it seem like the Kings didn’t do their job. But against the best player in the world, I tip my hat to this team. They took their chances on a strategy and fought like hell to pull it off. The ball just didn’t fall in their favor enough times.
1. **The Heartbreak**: The Kings were able to maintain a 10-point lead over the Nuggets for three quarters. While the Nuggets went on some runs in the third quarter, the Kings were able to respond to hold on to control of the game, thanks in large part to DeMar DeRozan and his 18 points in the quarter. Things were looking good heading into the fourth, and thoughts of a fifth win in a row felt very real. But, like so many classic Kangz stories, this one ended in heartbreak. The Kings ran out of gas, scoring just 17 points in the quarter, while the Nuggets finally started hitting shots. Russell Westbrook (25 points) and Christian Braun (15 points) combined for seven made 3-pointers by the end of the night after being left open as a result of the extra attention on Nikola Jokic.
1. **Free Throw Discrepancy**: The Kings shot just 14 free throws in comparison to the Nuggets’ 30. It’s not why they lost, but it was frustrating to see DeMar DeRozan get hacked on one end and Keegan Murray suffer from tight foul calls on the other.
This game was most memorable for the heart and hustle we saw from the Kings. And no one displayed that more tonight than Jake LaRavia. Off the bench, he was fearless in his assignment against the much larger Nikola Jokic, fighting for every inch he could get in position against the MVP. LaRavia finished with 15 points on 3-5 from the 3-point line and two steals.
Friday, March 7th vs. San Antonio Spurs – 7:00 P.M. (PT)