Mar 14, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Royce O'Neale (00) blocks the shot attempt of Sacramento Kings forward DeMar DeRozan (10) during the first half at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
The Kings entered the valley and found nothing but shadows and death. The Suns got the jump early, leading by as much as 16 points in the first quarter. The Kings did that thing where they made a run in the second quarter and cut that deficit to just two points, causing you to peek back through the fingers that were covering your eyes in shame. But the second half was all Phoenix. The Suns pulled away again quickly and the Kings showed an uninspiring response by trailing by double digits for the rest of the game. This loss puts the Kings back at .500 and pushes the Suns further on their heels in the race to the play-in.
##### **Quick Stats**
**Sacramento Kings**: 49.4% 25.0% 3 pt, 90.0% ft, 25 ast, 40 reb, 19 to
**Phoenix Suns**: 51.9% 55.8% 3 pt, 84.2% ft, 33 ast, 34 reb, 14 to
**1\. Early Bright Spots**: The Kings were able to put a run together in the second quarter to put them down by just five points heading into the half. At that point, they were led by Keegan Murray’s 14 points and 12 more from Malik Monk. Though every Kings fan was screaming at their TV to see Zach LaVine get more looks after only taking four field goals in the half, this left runway for Murray and Monk to find some rhythm. Murray was 6-10 at that point, and Monk found some open midrange floaters off of pick and roll actions. This early aggression gave me hope that finding their rhythm early would allow a more cohesive offense to develop later in the game with their teammates. My thinking was that DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine both have the ability to jump in and get on a heater whenever they want, much more easily than Murray and Monk. All they had to do was slide into the momentum that Murray and Monk started, right? Spoiler alert: wrong. Here I am, once again, admitting that I am just another idiot with an internet connection.
**1\. Disconnected Pieces**: Instead of fitting together into a dynamic scoring offense as I had hoped for, the Kings showcased just how disjointed this roster is. Remember Keegan Murray’s 14 points from the first half? Those were the last he would score for the rest of the game. Malik Monk added six more points, but finished with an inefficient 8-18 from the field and an abysmal 0-8 from the 3-point line. DeMar DeRozan ended up being the Kings’ best shooter on the night, leading with 23 points on 3-5 from the 3-point line, but never felt imposing. Zach LaVine took nine more attempts in the second half, converting 21 points on 7-13 from the field. It all just felt so disconnected. This offense lacks a noticeable chemistry, often just relying on random runs from individual efforts.
###### **The Ugly:**
**1\. Rain in the Desert**: I fear I have run out of ways to describe how bad the Kings are on defense. So let’s just look at the numbers from tonight. The Suns enjoyed 43 attempts from the 3-point line and connected on 24 of them. That’s 72 points on 55.8%, which is a better percentage than their overall field goal percentage on the night. Tyus Jones was a perfect 6-6 from deep off the bench. Kevin Durant (22 points), Devin Booker (22 points), and Bradley Beal (15 points) all hit four a piece. Despite how poorly they have defended all year, somehow, tonight just felt like a new low.
##### **The King of Kings**
Domantas Sabonis logged a quiet triple double of 12 points, 11 rebounds, and 12 assists. No matter what, even when he gets stiff armed in the neck, he can be relied upon to work his ass off every night.
##### **Up Next**
Monday, March 17th vs. Memphis Grizzlies – 7:00 P.M. (PT)