The Sacramento Kings are navigating the most challenging portion of their regular season schedule at an unideal time, and it’s starting to impact where they sit in the Western Conference standings.
Sacramento benefited from the return of star center Domantas Sabonis (ankle sprain) on Monday night, but a matchup against the defending champion Boston Celtics would be too much for the Beam Team to handle.
Jayson Tatum lit the Kings’ defense up for 25 points over just 26 minutes before exiting due to an ankle injury, and the Celtics used a red-hot performance from beyond the arc to secure a 113-95 win at Golden 1 Center.
Sacramento’s (35-36) losing streak his three games, causing them to fall below the .500 mark for the first time since February 26th.
Following Dallas’ win over Brooklyn and Phoenix’s win against Milwaukee, the Kings’ lead for a postseason spot has been reduced to just a half-game with 11 games remaining on the regular season schedule.
Jayson Tatum drills the triple off ONE LEG 🔥
Celtics/Kings in a close one after 1Q on NBA League Pass! pic.twitter.com/ptgE4QBaTm
— NBA (@NBA) March 25, 2025
Kings vs. Celtics recap & takeaways
While Sacramento was expected to be without Domantas Sabonis for at least one more week due to a right ankle sprain, the star center turned heads on Sunday night when news broke that he was looking to play against Boston.
Sabonis took the floor on Monday in his first action since March 17th–and it didn’t take him long to return to his All-NBA form.
The Kings jumped out to an early nine-point lead behind a quick start for Sabonis, who racked up six points and seven assists in the first quarter, but the defending champion Celtics hit back with a 16-6 run to end the period and regain a one-point advantage.
With Malik Monk (illness) missing a second-straight game, Sacramento needed another collective effort on the offensive end to fill in for their starting point guard’s absence. Four of the Kings’ starters finished the first half with at least seven points, while Zach LaVine’s struggles continued (four points in the first half).
Reigning NBA Finals MVP Jayson Tatum paced Boston early, scoring 17 points (four-of-six from long distance) to put Boston in front 56-51 at the break.
DeMar DeRozan acted as the table-setter for the Sacramento offense, finishing the first half with seven assists–tying his season-high for assists in a single half.
WHAT A PLAY BY KEON ELLIS 🤯🤯
STEALS IT THEN GETS THE CIRCUS AND-1 🎪
Celtics/Kings underway on NBA League Pass! pic.twitter.com/3qiWNdnc51
— NBA (@NBA) March 25, 2025
DeRozan’s playmaking helped carry the Kings during the first two quarters, but his shooting struggles loomed as play entered the second half.
The future Hall of Famer could not find a rhythm, missing 13 of his first 18 attempts to join his former Chicago Bulls teammate LaVine on the wrong side of the rim as Sacramento fell into a double-digit hole.
Tatum continued to torch the Kings’ defense, scoring 25 points on five-of-nine shooting from beyond the arc before suffering an ankle injury on a four-point play during the final minutes of the third period.
The four-point play turned into a seven-point possession for Boston as Sabonis was called for a flagrant foul for stepping into Tatum’s landing zone. Tatum departed for the locker room to get his ankle checked, but the Celtics had plenty enough firepower to maintain space from an out-of-sorts Sacramento offense.
As has been the case time and time again this season, the Kings got burnt on the perimeter on Monday night, and it cost them in the end.
Boston finished the night 19-of-50 (38%) from deep, dropping Sacramento to 12-25 (.324) this season when allowing an opponent to shoot 40 percent or better from three-point land.
The Kings have allowed an opponent to make 19 or more triples in 14 games this season–the most in the NBA.
Playing with purpose 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/ElFcjL7crZ
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) March 25, 2025
Letting a team like Boston get hot is hard to avoid, especially when you factor in Sacramento’s notoriously bad perimeter defense (which entered the night allowing opponents to shoot a league-worst 38% from deep this season).
Still, the Kings failed to adapt to the Celtics’ game plan. When you factor in their own shortcomings on that end (eight-of-24 from deep), it was a recipe for disaster for Sacramento.
Interim head coach Doug Christie often claims he wants his team to attempt 50 triples a night. On Monday, the Kings got a front-row seat to what that looks like. Boston scored 57 points via the long-ball against the Kings’ 24 points. That was the big difference in this game.
Things won’t get any easier for Sacramento as they now get to look ahead to the second night of a back-to-back against the 59-win Oklahoma City Thunder.
We’ll see if the Kings can dig deep and stop the bleeding or if this is the beginning of the end for this inconsistent–and very turbulent–2024-25 campaign.
“The Western Conference is an absolute animal, but we’ll be better for being in it,” Christie said postgame. “We have to find a way.”
Notes
Domantas Sabonis posted a double-double in his return to action: 16 PTS | 17 REB | 32 MIN
DeMar DeRozan struggled from the field (9/24), but finished the night with 20 points and 10 assists.
Zach LaVine finished the night with 14 points on 6/16 from the field and has failed to score 20+ points in five of his past seven games. Sacramento is 0-5 in those contests.
Injury Updates
Malik Monk (illness) and Devin Carter (illness) missed Monday’s game and are considered day-to-day.
When is the next Sacramento Kings game?
The Sacramento Kings will continue its season-long seven-game homestand against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday night.
Oklahoma City is 2-0 against the Kings this season, including a 144-101 drubbing back on February 1st that ended up being De’Aaron Fox’s final appearance with Sacramento.
Be sure to catch all of the Sacramento Kings vs. Oklahoma City drama right here on Sactown Sports 1140 AM, with pregame coverage starting at 2:o0 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
Tuesday, March 25th – vs. Oklahoma City Thunder – 7:00 PM PT
Thursday, March 27th – vs. Portland Trail Blazers – 7:00 PM PT
Saturday, March 29th – @ Orlando Magic – 2:00 PM PT
Monday, March 31st – @ Indiana Pacers – 4:00 PM PT
Wednesday, April 2nd – @ Washington Wizards – 4:00 PM PT
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