Edwards takes over late as Kings fall short in opener

Following a lengthy, 188-day offseason, the Sacramento Kings opened up the 2024-25 season with a nail-biter in front of a sold-out crowd at Golden 1 Center.

Although the Kings’ new-look offense produced three 20-point performances, Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves did just enough in crunch time to squeak out a 117-115 win on Thursday night.

Sacramento (0-1) faltered down the final stretch, shooting just 38 percent in the fourth quarter as the Timberwolves (1-1) defense–one that finished at the top of the NBA in defensive rating last season–made life difficult for the Kings.

Although they fell short, Sacramento had plenty of positives in this one as they will look to turn the page and secure its first win of the season on Saturday when they face the Los Angeles Lakers.

DeMar cuts the lead to one 🧙‍♂️ pic.twitter.com/VGxOhmY87n

— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) October 25, 2024

Kings vs. Timberwolves Takeaways & Recap

The Kentucky duo of De’Aaron Fox and Malik Monk got things rolling for the Sacramento offense early, as the guards combined to score 18 of the Kings’ 32 first-quarter points on eight-of-eight shooting from the field.

Although the Timberwolves started the game seven-of-14 from three-point range, Sacramento’s offense was fluid out of the gates thanks to solid efforts from Fox, Monk, and prized acquisition DeMar DeRozan.

DeRozan found his spots during the second quarter and showcased his patented mid-range game by scoring 10 of his 14 first-half points (led all Kings scorers).

Entering play on Thursday night, recently-acquired Timberwolves forward Julius Randle held averages of 26.7 points and 10.8 rebounds per game over his past six meetings with the Kings defense. It didn’t take long for the three-time All-Star to become a thorn in Sacramento’s side as Randle poured in 22 points (eight-of-ten shooting) over 17 first-half minutes.

DeRozan, Fox, and Monk led the way for a Sacramento offense that shot 51 percent from the field and outscored Minnesota 20-10 in the paint to take a 59-55 lead into the break.

Let em’ know, Malik 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/hXrzJAhqVg

— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) October 25, 2024

A balanced scoring attack from the Kings’ top five players (Fox, Sabonis, DeRozan, Murray, and Monk) helped Sacramento push its lead into double-digits early in the third quarter, but a furious 11-0 run over the final two minutes of the third quarter would give the Timberwolves an 89-88 lead heading into the final period.

It was a back-and-forth affair between the two Western Conference foes, as each team delivered big shot after big shot down the final stretch before an out-of-bounds call handed Minnesota a chance to take the lead with 25.7 seconds remaining.

All-Star guard Anthony Edwards, who scored 13 of his 32 points in the fourth, drew a foul attempting to score at the rim with 2.4 seconds left and drilled both free throws to give the T-Wolves a 117-115 lead.

Mike Brown’s out-of-timeout play opened up a look for Murray, but Minnesota’s Naz Reid closed the gap in time to force a tough shot at the buzzer. Murray’s shot rimmed out, and the Timberwolves got away with a two-point triumph.

During his postgame press conference, Brown pointed to DeRozan’s cross-court pass being a lob, which gave Reid enough time to close out on Murray’s game-winning attempt.

Keegan Murray missed the double-clutch triple that would’ve won it.

Kings fall to Minnesota 117-115 in their season opener. pic.twitter.com/9HOMML33Q7

— Brenden Nunes (@BrendenNunesNBA) October 25, 2024

In light of Kevin Huerter (shoulder) and Trey Lyles (groin) playing limited minutes in their first in-game action after missing all of the preseason, Brown went with a thin rotation on Thursday, with four players playing 37 minutes or more.

DeRozan, who led the NBA with 37.8 minutes per game last season, logged 43 minutes in his debut, which Brown said he would like to avoid going forward. Murray also played 43 minutes in the loss, although the young forward was impressive, racking up his 13th-career double-double (23 points and 12 rebounds) to start his third season on a high note.

In the end, this game came down to a crucial stretch in the third quarter that saw the Kings’ 11-point lead turn into a one-point deficit in a matter of minutes. Once Minnesota regained the lead, Sacramento could not break through on the offensive end in the same manner they had earlier in the contest.

There is a lot of basketball to be played–81 more games, to be specific. The Kings showcased plenty of offensive firepower and timely shotmaking in this one, which is something that many should feel encouraged about as the season gets underway.

But, as we know, this team will be judged by the number of tallies in the ‘W’ column, and in a loaded West, Sacramento can’t afford to let too many slim defeats slip through their fingers this season.

DeMar The King

All eyes were on six-time All-Star forward DeMar DeRozan on Thursday night during his first game in a Sacramento Kings uniform, and the future Hall of Famer got off to a quick start by scoring 14 first-half points.

DeRozan, who surprised many around the league this summer by signing a three-year, $76 million deal with the Kings over the summer, was impressive in his first official appearance in the purple and black, leading all Sacramento scorers with 26 points, eight rebounds, and two assists on seven-of-18 shooting from the field and 12-of-14 from the free-throw line.

The 35-year-old was a force in getting to the line, an aspect of his game that has made him so valuable during his 15-year career. With DeRozan–last year’s runner-up for Clutch Player of the Year–and De’Aaron Fox–the inaugural winner of the award–on the floor together in crunch time, it’s fair to expect the Kings to thrive in these late-game scenarios the more that they get acclimated with one another.

MALIK MONK AND-1 FOR THE LEAD pic.twitter.com/0SSojuZmVu

— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) October 25, 2024

Notes

In his first game back in a Sacramento uniform since re-signing with the Kings on a four-year deal in the offseason, Malik Monk picked up right where he left off in his Sixth Man role, scoring 17 points on six-of-nine shooting from the field over 26 minutes.

De’Aaron Fox racked up a double-double in the loss, scoring 15 points and handing out 11 assists over 37 minutes.

Domantas Sabonis has been encouraged to take more three-pointers this season, and the big man converted three in a single game for the first time since January 8, 2022. Sabonis finished the night with 24 points (eight-of-13 shooting), eight boards, and two steals while going three-of-four from deep.

When is the next Sacramento Kings game?

Sacramento will hit the road for a brief one-game trip to Los Angeles, where they will face LeBron James and a Lakers team playing on the second night of a back-to-back.

Last season, the Kings swept the four-game regular season series against the Lakers (4-0)–their first season sweep of their Pacific Division rival since the 2015-16 season.

Be sure to catch all of the action right here on Sactown Sports 1140 AM, with pregame coverage starting at 6:00 PM PDT on Game Night before action tips off at 7:30 PM PDT from downtown Los Angeles.

Sacramento Kings 2024-25 Schedule

Regular Season

• Saturday, October 26th – @ Los Angeles Lakers – 7:30 pm PDT
• Monday, October 28th – vs. Portland Trail Blazers – 7 pm PDT
• Tuesday, October 29th – @ Utah Jazz – 6 pm PDT
• Friday, November 1st – @ Atlanta Hawks – 4 pm PDT
• Saturday, November 2nd – @ Toronto Raptors – 4:30 PM PDT

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