SACRAMENTO – That was pretty painful.
One night after taking it on the chin in a loss to the defending NBA champs, the Kings had a chance to save face and prove they belong in discussions about the playoffs.
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Instead of cementing that idea, Sacramento slept-walked to a 121-105 loss to the red-hot Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday at Golden 1 Center that extended the Kings' losing streak to four games and opened the door to the very real possibility that they’ll be sitting at home when the postseason begins.
At 35-37, the Kings remain locked into the No. 9 slot in the Western Conference despite their recent skid, but their hold is tenuous at best. The Dallas Mavericks also lost but remain tied with the idle Phoenix Suns for the No. 10 position, both teams a half-game behind Sacramento.
Keegan Murray found a way to stand out, pouring in a season-high 28 points to go with six rebounds and three blocks. Zach LaVine showed signs of coming out of his shooting slump, scoring 19 points while going 7 of 16 from the floor. Keon Ellis added 12 points and four steals.
Make it eight for Threegan Murray 💦
— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) March 26, 2025
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NBA
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 32 points for the Thunder, who became the first team in the NBA this season to reach 60 wins. Oklahoma City has won 16 of its last 18.
The Kings end their homestand on Thursday against the Portland Trail Blazers before embarking on their final road trip, a six-game swing going through Orlando, Indianapolis, Indiana, Washington, Charlotte, Cleveland and Detroit.
Here are the takeaways from Tuesday’s game:
LaRavia Legend Grows
Jake LaRavia’s legend seems to grow with every game he plays for the Kings. He had 11 points, two rebounds and three blocked shots in another blue-collar effort at the state capitol.
The No. 19 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, LaRavia had a nondescript career during his first two seasons in the league. But the 23-year-old forward has been an instant hit with Sacramento fans since being acquired in a February trade.
Anything LaRavia does is met by wild cheers from the G1C crowd, and Tuesday was no different. At one point, he split a trio of defenders in the key and flipped the ball over the rim and into the basket.
Jake makes it look easy 😅
— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) March 26, 2025
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Kings fans historically have gotten behind a player who has that do-whatever-it-takes mentality, and LaRavia embodies that fully. He showed that when he took a hard foul in the fourth quarter and crashed into the stanchion under the basket.
Perimeter Defense Goes Missing
The last time the Kings made a hard closeout on a 3-point shooter, it resulted in an injury to Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum on Monday night. That might have played a role in how soft Sacramento’s perimeter defense was against the Thunder.
Rather than tightening up when the Thunder set up shots behind the arc, the Kings were reticent and stayed home, giving OKC multiple wide open opportunities.
The Thunder have been knocking down shots from the perimeter at a 37-percent clip all season, so that was nothing new for them.
The Kings didn’t defend the paint much better, surrendering 42 points in the key,
Is This The End?
This game had a bad feel to it from the beginning.
Save for a spirited push they made in the second half when they briefly got within nine points, it felt in many ways like the Kings were simply going through the motions rather than playing with the focus and intensity that comes during a playoff race. Communication on defense was an issue at times, and Sacramento didn’t have a lot of success with its half-court offense.
That they kept it together and didn’t fold up and go away quietly is a positive and bodes well as Sacramento heads into the home stretch.
With 10 games left in the regular season, there’s still time to salvage things -- but it will take a much better and extended effort than what was on display against the Thunder.