The Sacramento Kings' Saturday night unfolded as a chronicle of misfortune, as they lost 132-126 to the Cleveland Cavaliers at home. With the loss, Sacramento dropped to 12-42 on the season and tied the longest losing streak in the Sacramento era at 12 games, first set by the 1997-98 squad. This also made the Kings the first team this year to reach 42 losses, guaranteeing a sub-.500 finish for the season, according to ClutchPoints insider Brett Siegel.
In a game that put both Sacramento's woes and its budding talent on display, the Kings leaned on their younger players due to injuries and cautious rotations. Zach LaVine, Domantas Sabonis, Keegan Murray, and Malik Monk were all sidelined, forcing Sacramento to open with their 27th different starting lineup of the season. The group included Russell Westbrook, DeMar DeRozan, two-way player Daeqwon Plowden, rookie Maxime Raynaud, and Nique Clifford, who shone in a career night.
Clifford, the 24th overall pick in last summer's draft, led all Kings scorers with 30 points on 12-of-19 shooting, including five three-pointers, while adding four rebounds, four assists, and two steals and blocks. This performance made him the third rookie in Kings history to score 30 points with at least five triples in a single contest, joining Ricky Berry and Keegan Murray. Also, Devin Carter took advantage of extra minutes on the floor, recording a career-best 18 points with four rebounds, four assists, a block, and a steal.
Sacramento's young big men continued to show promise. Raynaud contributed 14 points and seven rebounds, while undrafted rookie Dylan Cardwell posted a second-straight double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds. Plowden, making his first career NBA start, finished with 16 points, six rebounds, and four assists. Overall, seven Kings reached double-digit scoring.
Sacramento's early 11-point flourish and persistent resistance could not forestall Cleveland, whose freshly anointed superstar pairing dictated the outcome. Donovan Mitchell scored 35 points, Jarrett Allen added 29 points and 10 rebounds, and James Harden, making his Cavaliers debut following the trade of Darius Garland to Los Angeles, scored 23 points with eight assists. Harden's mastery was on full display in the fourth, producing 15 of 19 points and pivotal free throws in the closing seconds.
Other post-deadline Cleveland additions faced their former team. Dennis Schroder scored seven points with four assists in 17 minutes, while Keon Ellis added six points, three rebounds, three assists, and three steals.
The loss highlighted the Kings' uphill climb, having had only two winning seasons since 2006-07, while also revealing the bright side of their young roster.
Looking ahead, Sacramento will begin a two-game road trip before the All-Star break, facing the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday and the Utah Jazz on Wednesday. The Kings currently hold a 52% chance at a top-four selection and a 14% chance at the number one overall pick.
