Playing a back-to-back against arguably the two best teams in the NBA is usually a recipe for disaster, and the Sacramento Kings were on the wrong end of those matchups as they continue to nosedive in the Western Conference standings.
One night removed from a blowout loss to the reigning champion Boston Celtics, the Kings’ comeback effort fell apart in the fourth quarter on Tuesday night to the Oklahoma City Thunder, losing by a final of 121-105 at Golden 1 Center.
The Thunder (60-12) secured a 60-win season for the first time since the 2012-13 campaign when the franchise was led by Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden.
Sacramento (35-37) dropped its fourth-straight game and fell into a tie with the Phoenix Suns for the ninth and tenth seeds in the Western Conference, with the Dallas Mavericks just a half-game back of bumping one of those two teams out of postseason contention.
65 straight games of 20+ points for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 🤯
Only 1 of 4 players in NBA history with such a streak in a single season! https://t.co/p1h0wQHkd1 pic.twitter.com/s6YEFHz5w3
— NBA (@NBA) March 26, 2025
Kings vs. Thunder recap & takeaways
Entering play on Tuesday night, Sacramento rostered the NBA’s worst three-point defense, allowing opponents to shoot an average of 38.4 percent from beyond the arc.
After allowing the Boston Celtics to reach the 38 percent mark on Monday night, the Kings fell into a double-digit hole early against Oklahoma City as the Thunder ended the first quarter five-of-seven (71%) from downtown.
Even though the Sacramento defense did a good job of applying on-ball pressure, they often got caught slacking while rotating off of double-teams, allowing Oklahoma City to get open looks from the perimeter.
The Thunder lead the NBA in wins, and they flexed their muscles early by out-rebounding the Kings 25-15 during the first half while locking in on the defensive end to hold Sacramento to 16-of-43 (37%) shooting from the field.
It didn’t take long for Oklahoma City to make this one feel like it was on its way to getting ugly, and it did in a hurry as the Thunder pushed their lead to 24 points during the first half.
Poor three-point defense loomed large once again for the Kings, and the Thunder’s 12-of-21 (57%) start from deep put Sacramento on the fast track to a fourth-straight loss.
Isaiah Joe pokes the ball away and then drills the 3 in transition@okcthunder lead on TNT as they seek their 60th win of the season 👀 pic.twitter.com/0rWU2eu9bn
— NBA (@NBA) March 26, 2025
The Kings finally displayed signs of life as play entered the second half by opening the third quarter on a 19-4 run that trimmed a 22-point lead to single digits.
Keegan Murray caught fire from downtown, scoring 16 points (five-of-six from three-point range) to inject life into Golden 1 Center and bring Sacramento back within arm’s reach.
MVP front-runner Shai Gilgeous-Alexander extinguished the Kings’ momentum during the final moments of the third by scoring seven points over the final 64 seconds, but a last-second triple by Murray reduced the deficit to 89-81 heading into the fourth.
Sacramento outscored OKC 39-25 during the third quarter while shooting 10-of-13 (76%) from long distance.
The third quarter would act as the lone bright spot for the Kings on Tuesday, as Oklahoma City asserted itself early in the final frame to push its lead back into double digits to pull away for good.
As impressive as Sacramento’s three-point shooting was during the second half (14-of-25, 56%), they failed to slow the Thunder offense down in that category.
Oklahoma City finished the night 19-of-32 (59%) from beyond the arc, dropping the Kings to 0-7 this season when allowing an opponent to shoot 50 percent or better from deep.
Sacramento has now allowed an opponent to shoot 40 percent or better 32 times this season, and they hold a record of 7-25 (.280) in those contests. When the Kings struggle to contain the perimeter, losses almost always follow.
MAKE THAT 8 THREES FOR KEEGAN 👀
Still the 4th quarter to play… https://t.co/zknEQ5UFct pic.twitter.com/tZqDoPHENY
— NBA (@NBA) March 26, 2025
Not only did Sacramento struggle to contain the three-ball, but they also got hammered in the paint (42-20) by the Thunder, who shot 80 percent at the rim during Tuesday’s action.
Murray’s season-high 28 points on nine-of-13 shooting from losing distance led the Kings in scoring during the loss, while DeMar DeRozan continued to struggle.
DeRozan hasn’t been efficient during Sacramento’s four-game losing streak, and Tuesday’s four-of-15 (26%) showing from the field followed up a rough nine-of-24 (37%) showing against Boston just 24 hours prior.
Zach LaVine, who said he would like to be more aggressive following last night’s loss to the Celtics, finished with 19 points on four-of-11 shooting from three-point range over 37 minutes.
Things appear bleak for the Kings, but the good news is that the most challenging part of their schedule has concluded.
Four of the next five matchups for Sacramento will come against teams with sub-.500 records. The Kings are 24-12 (.666) against sub-.500 teams this season, versus a record of 11-25 (.305) against teams with winning records.
If Sacramento wants to right the ship and create some breathing room in that nine-ten-seed range, they have one last shot to do so before finishing the regular season with matchups against the Nuggets, Clippers, and Suns.
When is the next Sacramento Kings game?
The Sacramento Kings will conclude its season-long seven-game homestand on Thursday night against the Portland Trail Blazers.
Sacramento is looking to tie the regular season series up at 2-2 with Portland, who secured a 108-102 win over the Kings on February 6th at the Moda Center.
Be sure to catch all of the Sacramento Kings vs. Portland Trail Blazers 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
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
Friday, April 4th – @ Charlotte Hornets – 4:00 PM PT
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