The Kings’ pursuit of an NBA Cup title came to an end on Friday night as they suffered a 115-106 defeat to the Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center.
With the loss, Sacramento was officially eliminated from the NBA’s in-season tournament. The Kings now sit at 0-3 in the group stage of Western Conference Group A, making them the only winless team in the group. Their minus-25 point differential in group play added to the frustration of their early exit.
Malik Monk led the charge for Sacramento, scoring 29 points, while Domantas Sabonis and De’Aaron Fox contributed a combined 43 points. However, the trio’s efforts weren’t enough to overcome the lack of scoring from the rest of the team, as the Kings trailed by double digits for most of the second half.
Sacramento’s performance in the second annual in-season tournament mirrored the team’s rocky start to the 2024-25 NBA season. Entering the year with high expectations, the Kings now find themselves at 9-11, sitting in 12th place in the Western Conference. With the steep competition in the conference, even the lowest-ranked teams present significant challenges on any given night.
The Kings also continue to feel the absence of six-time All-Star DeMar DeRozan, who missed his fifth game of the season on Friday due to a back injury. Sacramento has posted a 2-3 record without DeRozan, and the team struggled to generate consistent offense against the Blazers in his absence.
Coach Mike Brown has been searching for a spark, even resorting to an eye-opening exchange with a referee that resulted in a hefty fine. Despite the early struggles, there is still plenty of time for the Kings to turn things around, and the team has the necessary pieces to make a run.
