The Sacramento Kings fell flat again in a 112–100 loss to the Phoenix Suns, and the latest stumble sent their NBA Cup run straight into elimination. The Kings players looked overwhelmed from the jump, and the Suns punished every mistake. Doug Christie didn’t sugarcoat any part of it. The Kings are now winless in the tournament, sliding to 5–13 in the regular season, and their minus-11 plus/minus has become a symbol of a team that keeps drifting deeper into the dark.
Doug Christie’s frustration echoed through the room. “About as disappointing as it gets,” he told reporters. “Probably should have called a timeout within the first six seconds with the very first turnover. You can’t dig a hole like that. Not only digging a hole that way, but it’s the confidence that you give another team that is just out of control. You can’t give NBA players that type of confidence. Just man for man. It can’t happen.”
Under the arena lights, it felt like a coach pleading for urgency that never arrived.
The Kings' fallout and the pressure ahead
The Suns looked sharper, faster, and more decisive. They’re now poised to win West Group A, while the Kings watched their shot at the NBA Cup vanish before their eyes. Sacramento has now dropped eight of its last ten games, and every loss hits the same notes: slow starts, sloppy possessions, and long stretches where their energy drops and their identity disappears.
Doug Christie pushed for accountability, but the message only matters if it lands. This roster has enough talent to compete, yet the disconnect between expectation and reality grows wider each week. Kings players insist they can turn it around, but belief without execution won’t move this season anywhere but downhill.
Sacramento’s season isn’t over. But after another flat night against Phoenix, one question hangs in the air: when will the Kings finally fight back?
