As if facing the best team in the NBA wasn’t challenging enough, the Sacramento Kings were tasked with facing the powerhouse Cleveland Cavaliers without several key players on Wednesday night.
Domantas Sabonis (ankle sprain), Zach LaVine (personal reasons), and Jake LaRavia (illness) were inactive against Cleveland, but you wouldn’t know it from how the Kings looked against a talented Cavaliers team.
A short-handed Sacramento roster banded together to stun Cleveland behind impressive play from rookie guard Devin Carter, clutch play from DeMar DeRozan in the fourth quarter, and a strong night from the offense during a 123-119 win at Golden 1 Center.
The Kings (35-33) need every win they can get with just 14 games remaining as they look to keep home-court advantage in the nine-vs-ten seed Western Conference Play-In game or close in on the eighth-seed Minnesota Timberwolves (3.5 games back).
DEVIN CARTER OMG 😳🔥 https://t.co/SaGjIzmHiE pic.twitter.com/ylB51B8Dpa
— Sacramento Kings (@SacramentoKings) March 20, 2025
Kings vs. Cavaliers recap & takeaways
Offensive struggles were expected from a Sacramento lineup that was missing two key players in Sabonis and LaVine, but the Kings put themselves in a tough spot early thanks to an ice-cold start from the field.
Sacramento scored just 15 points while shooting four-of-23 (17%) during the opening period, yet they only trailed Cleveland by seven points heading into the second quarter.
As ugly as the first period was for the Kings, a shorthanded roster banded together to keep pace with the Cavs, with Malik Monk (14 first-half points) leading the way. All nine players who entered the game during the first half got on the scoreboard for Sacramento, with the bench contributing 14 points to keep pace with the Cavs.
The Kings’ three-point shooting (eight-for-20, 40%) kept them within arms’ reach of Cleveland, as the Cavs took a nine-point lead into the halftime break.
gimme dat ❗️
Highlight of the Game presented by Advent Technologies pic.twitter.com/k9MFUDiP4F
— Sacramento Kings (@SacramentoKings) March 20, 2025
Devin Carter led Sacramento into the third quarter swinging as the Kings opened up the third quarter on a 38-18 run–one that injected plenty of life into Golden 1 Center.
Carter, who has seen a bump in playing time as of late, flashed his two-way ability by swiping two steals and scoring ten points in the quarter to help give Sacramento its first lead since the opening minutes of regulation.
The Kings’ offense was dialed in during the third, scoring 43 points on 16-of-23 shooting (70%) from the floor, with Carter and Keegan Murray (10 points) leading the way to take a 90-88 lead into the final frame.
While Sacramento mounted some serious momentum to begin the second half, they would struggle to slow down Cleveland star big man Evan Mobley, who attacked the Kings’ defense from beyond the arc and on the break to put the Cavs back in front with less than ten minutes to play.
Sacramento’s perimeter defense was shaky in crunch time, but the inspired play of Carter and Trey Lyles–who was playing small-ball five on Wednesday against Cleveland’s double-big lineup–lifted the Kings back in front with less than three minutes to go, setting the stage for a nail-biting finish.
Despite Donovan Mitchell’s best closing efforts, the heroics of DeMar DeRozan (11 points in the fourth quarter) equalized the Cavs’ final push as a Malik Monk step-back jumper acted as the final nail in the coffin for Cleveland.
Somehow, someway, the Sacramento Kings found a way to overcome adversity and beat the best team in the NBA.
him 👑 https://t.co/yIcfTpdsDJ pic.twitter.com/upoYyyQnEt
— Sacramento Kings (@SacramentoKings) March 20, 2025
As impressive as the Kings were as a unit on Wednesday, Carter arguably shined the brightest during the win.
Carter, the 13th overall pick in last year’s NBA Draft, finished the night with a career-high 16 points, five rebounds, three assists, and three steals–following up a four-steal outing on Monday vs. Memphis–while shooting six-of-11 from the field over 30 minutes.
“My teammates just gave me the confidence to go out there and play my game,” Carter said of his performance. “Being down a few guys, I knew I would get [more minutes] tonight. I just tried to make the most of it.”
The two-way aspect of Carter’s game is an enticing aspect of his game, especially when you factor in his fit next to offense-heavy players like DeRozan and Monk. Carter’s defensive prowess was a perfect compliment to those two players on Wednesday, and a winning result followed.
DeRozan was the go-to scorer in crunch time, and he followed through when it mattered most, scoring 11 of his team-high 27 points (10-of-19 shooting from the field) in the fourth quarter.
The future Hall-of-Famer has scored 20-plus points in four-straight games for Sacramento, and his tough shot-making ability was on full display against the NBA’s best team with the game on the line.
DEEBO FROM DEEEEEP 🏹 pic.twitter.com/AkeaaEZ32r
— Sacramento Kings (@SacramentoKings) March 20, 2025
Perimeter scoring was key for the Kings in this one. Sacramento finished the night 16-of-35 (45%) from long distance, improving to 16-3 (.842) when shooting 40 percent or better from three this season.
Although the Kings were mismatched in the paint against Mobley and Jarett Allen, they used an attack from deep to gain the upper hand. Five players ended the night with multiple made three-point field goals, including Monk (four) and Keon Ellis (three-of-three).
Sacramento needed a genuine group effort if they were to stun the Cavaliers, and that’s what happened at Golden 1 Center. The Kings have started a once-thought-to-be buzz-saw homestand with back-to-back wins over the Memphis Grizzlies (fifth seed in the West) and Cleveland (top seed in the NBA).
“That’s what Sacramento Kings basketball is all about,” Doug Christie said of his team’s performance.
Injury Update
Zach LaVine (personal reasons) and Jake LaRavia (illness) were added to the injury report hours before tip-off on Wednesday’s game. Both players were ruled out, but Kings head coach Doug Christie said he was hopeful that the duo would be available for Sacramento’s matchup vs. Chicago on Thursday.
Domantas Sabonis (right ankle sprain) will miss at least ten days after suffering an injury during Monday’s win over Memphis. The Kings will be without the All-NBA center for their season-long seven-game homestand.
When is the next Sacramento Kings game?
The Kings will play the second leg of a back-to-back on Thursday night against old friend Kevin Huerter and the Chicago Bulls at Golden 1 Center.
Chicago will also be playing its second game in as many nights after facing the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday night.
Sacramento secured a 124-119 win over the Bulls at the United Center on January 12th behind a 21-point outing from DeMar DeRozan in his return to Chicago.
Be sure to catch all of the Sacramento Kings vs. Chicago Bulls drama right here on Sactown Sports 1140 AM, with pregame coverage starting at 2:00 PM PT on The Drive Guys before action tips off at 7:00 PM PT from downtown Sacramento.
Upcoming schedule for the 2024-25 Sacramento Kings
Thursday, March 20th – vs. Chicago Bulls – 7:00 PM PT
Saturday, March 22nd – vs. Milwaukee Bucks – 7:00 PM PT
Monday, March 24th – vs. Boston Celtics – 7:00 PM PT
Tuesday, March 25th – vs. Oklahoma City Thunder – 7:00 PM PT
Thursday, March 27th – vs. Portland Trail Blazers – 7:00 PM PT
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