The Sacramento Kings failed to get their first win of their six-game road trip Wednesday night in Washington, falling 116-111 to the Wizards, who were tied with the Utah Jazz for the lowest win total in the NBA coming into the night.
Shooting 10/39 (25.6 percent) from three compared to their opponent’s 39.5 percent (17/43) conversion rate certainly didn’t help, but it doesn’t excuse losing to one of the worst teams in the league while postseason standings are on the line.
DeMar DeRozan led both sides with 20 of his 29 points coming in the fourth quarter, while Jordan Poole led the Wizards with 23 points. Domantas Sabonis tallied 18 points, 16 rebounds, and seven assists in the loss.
Falling to 36-40 while Washington secured their 17th win of 2024-25, the Kings sit at 10th in the Western Conference, one game above the 11th-seeded Phoenix Suns.
Kings at Wizards Injury Report
Sacramento
Jake LaRavia – OUT (left thumb, bone contusion)
Devin Carter – OUT (right shoulder)
Washington
Khris Middleton – OUT (right knee)
Malcolm Brogdon – OUT (left ankle)
Bilal Coulibaly – OUT (right hamstring)
Saddiq Bey – OUT (left knee)
Kyshawn George – OUT (left ankle)
Corey Kispert – OUT (left thumb)
Marcus Smart – OUT (right index finger)
Colby Jones – OUT (G-League)
Sacramento’s Starters: Keon Ellis, Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, Keegan Murray, Domantas Sabonis
Washington’s Starters: Bub Carrington, Jordan Poole, AJ Johnson, Justin Champagnie, Alex Sarr
Kings at Wizards Game Notes
Playing in their third game away from Golden 1 Center, the Kings went to Washington Wednesday night hoping to bounce back from losing six of their last seven games.
The Wizards were without eight players, including former King Colby Jones, who was assigned to their G-League team. He departed from the organization in the trade that brought in Jonas Valanciunas midseason, it was a “revenge game” or sorts for the big man.
But, as usual, his opportunity only came after Sabonis had gone to the bench and the starter took advantage of Washington’s lack of size and trouble dealing with physicality.
It wasn’t the prettiest first few minutes of basketball, but Sabonis put together nine straight points to give his squad a 15-12 lead nearly halfway through the opening quarter.
A lack of pace and ball movement had contributed to the Kings’ recent struggles, but they achieved that style early Wednesday night.
Ellis, starting once again in place of Monk, picked up his second foul with five minutes remaining in the first. As interim head coach Doug Christie went towards his bench, Markelle Fultz functioned as the backup point guard in the absence of Carter.
Turnovers were limited at first, but two consecutive blunders allowed the Wizards to equal the tally at 17. Sabonis managed nine points, seven rebounds, and one assist on 4/7 shooting in his first eight minutes.
Hammer time 🔨 pic.twitter.com/nxK4Cv27PB
— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) April 2, 2025
Their center rotation didn’t let up when Valanciunas entered the action. Sarr, while contributing offensively, struggled to deal with the size of Sacramento’s Lithuanian big man duo.
Tied at 26 as the first quarter buzzer rang, Sabonis led the way while LaVine added seven points and two assists on 3/4 shooting.
But, the Kings were 1/7 from three as a group, and that poor rate continued from there. It wasn’t until their 12th long-range attempt that they were able to find their second make of the night.
Valanciunas played bully ball in the meantime, putting together eight straight points that spanned both frames.
JV against his former team so far 👀 pic.twitter.com/9AEESGplzS
— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) April 2, 2025
As they say, basketball is a game of runs, and Washington went on a 9-0 one of their own to take a 51-42 lead in front of their home crowd.
Sarr, the second overall pick in last year’s NBA draft, found ways to score effectively, but it was a back-and-forth battle within the frontcourt.
Down three heading into halftime (55-52), Sacramento failed to perform efficiently after the midway break. Their opposition put together another 9-0 run and quickly owned an eight-point advantage over the visiting Kings.
Struggling to consistently maintain their pace while continuing to commit turnovers, the third quarter didn’t play into the Kings’ favor. They trailed 91-77 heading into the final frame, their largest deficit of the night up to that point, due to those struggles.
DeRozan, well-regarded for his late-game heroics, tried to will his team to a win. Searching for mismatches — which were not hard to find while Washington sat some of their best players (Poole, Sarr) in the fourth — he found a rhythm.
After struggling to convert late last game in Indiana, DeRozan reminded everyone of his abilities, recording 20 of his 29 points in the fourth quarter. Again, the Wizards were not hoping to win this game, even if the players on the floor were giving all-out effort. Their rotations spoke louder than anything.
DeMar heating up … 👀 pic.twitter.com/xO2aL99DSq
— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) April 3, 2025
Meanwhile, the Kings were desperately fighting for a play-in position. But their efforts didn’t appear as a team that was doing everything they could to secure a better seeding.
Having to overcome a pre-built deficit, they were not able to come away victorious on Wednesday. Washington won their 17th game of the season 116-111 over the Kings, who shot just 42.1 percent (40/95), including 25.6 percent from three (10/39).
The Wizards, meanwhile, went 17/43 from three-point range (39.5 percent) with rookie Bub Carrington (5/11 3P) leading the way for his squad.
DeRozan ended the night with a game-high 29 points, eight assists, and seven rebounds on 10/23 FG. Sabonis added 18 points, 16 rebounds, and seven assists on 8/15 shooting, but the Kings ultimately fell short Wednesday as their 2024-25 regular season nears it’s end.
Now it’s onto game four of their road trip Friday night in Charlotte against the 19-58 Hornets.
Upcoming schedule for the 2024-25 Sacramento Kings
Wednesday, April 2nd – @ Washington Wizards – 4:00 PM PT
Friday, April 4th – @ Charlotte Hornets – 4:00 PM PT
Sunday, April 6th – @ Cleveland Cavaliers – 3:00 PM PT
Monday, April 7th – @ Detroit Pistons– 4:00 PM PT
Wednesday, April 9th – vs. Denver Nuggets – 7:00 PM PT
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