DeMar DeRozan: ‘Everything will fit in perfectly.’

All eyes were on six-time All-Star forward DeMar DeRozan on Thursday night at Golden 1 Center 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 during a 117-115 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

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.

But, like most new relationships in sports, it will take some time and learning before DeRozan and Sacramento are fully in sync.

While the Kings remained in control for the majority of Thursday’s action, Minnesota quickly erased a ten-point Sacramento lead during the closing minutes of the third period.

That rough five-minute stretch stuck out to DeRozan as the difference between the Kings’ narrow loss and beginning the season with a win on their home floor.

“It’s the first game. It’s a great learning experience because that lapse in that game, I think that’s what made it tough on us,” DeRozan said of Sacramento’s rough ending to the third quarter. “I felt like the whole game up to that point, we had the whole game in control. We played well, we defended well. They only hurt us when we hurt ourselves and gave them open shots. As long as we limit that moment, that stretch that we had in the third quarter, we pull out a victory. But like I said, it’s a great learning experience.”

From the outside, it seemed as if heavy minutes for DeRozan (43 minutes), Keegan Murray (43 minutes), Domantas Sabonis (38 minutes), and De’Aaron Fox (37 minutes) caused the Kings to run out of gas late after playing with a heightened sense of energy–especially on the offensive end–during the first half.

Head coach Mike Brown will look to get more out of rotation pieces like Kevin Huerter and Trey Lyles once the two get their legs under them after missing all of the preseason due to injury, but for the time being, DeRozan and the Sacramento offense will continue to get acclimated with one another–something that the six-time All-Star feels confident will bring winning results.

“We were rusty with a lot of things, but that effort was there. We competed, we moved the ball. Once we get that rhythm with one another, I think that everything will fit in perfectly.”

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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