Kings beat Warriors, remained tied for 4th in Lottery standings

The Sacramento Kings made one final appearance at Golden 1 Center on Friday night as they move closer to the end of what has been an overall forgettable 2025–26 regular season—but this time, they gave the home crowd something to cheer about.

Sacramento defeated the Golden State Warriors 124–118 in their home finale, snapping a late-season skid and delivering a rare bright spot in an otherwise difficult campaign.

Despite the win, the bigger picture remains unchanged for Sacramento, as the result slightly complicates—but does not eliminate—their positioning in the race for lottery odds. The Kings now sit at 22–59 with just one game remaining on the schedule.

Adding intrigue to the night, the Utah Jazz defeated the Memphis Grizzlies, a result that would have given Sacramento a chance to take sole possession of the fourth-best NBA Draft Lottery odds had they fallen to Golden State.

Instead, the Kings remain tied with Utah entering the final game of the season.

Sacramento’s late-season wins could ultimately impact where they land in the 2026 NBA Draft Lottery, where every slot can significantly shift the franchise’s future outlook.

With one game to go, the Kings still find themselves firmly in the mix for a top-five pick, but no longer control their destiny outright for the fourth-best odds.

Still, Friday’s win over Golden State saw Sacramento’s rookies and second-year guard Devin Carter shine bright in what fans hope will be a sign of what is to come in the near future.

DEVIN CARTER IS ON FIRE 🔥 pic.twitter.com/wLeL0652wF

— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) April 11, 2026

Sacramento Kings vs. Golden State Warriors takeaways

A capacity crowd filed into Golden 1 Center for a matchup between the Kings and Warriors, but it had a different feel than recent years.

Stephen Curry and Draymond Green took the floor for Golden State, as was the case during the 2023 Playoff series — likewise in the 2024 Play-In game, which saw Sacramento enact “revenge” on their Northern California counterparts one year after losing Game 7 in this very building.

Friday’s game didn’t quite have the same juice.

Sacramento, amid one of its worst seasons in franchise history, is setting its sights on what it hopes will be a franchise-altering offseason that includes a top-five NBA Draft Lottery pick.

Golden State, which just got Curry back from a lengthy absence that was due to a knee injury, will play at least one postseason game next week in the ninth-vs-tenth-seed Play-In game.

The Warriors had a chance to play somewhat of a tune-up game against a Kings lineup that was depleted by injuries, with DeMar DeRozan (hamstring) and Russell Westbrook (foot) also ruled out.

Malik Monk was part of those previous Kings vs. Warriors battles, and the guard had his shot working early, giving Sacramento an advantage. Monk scored 11 points on four-of-five shooting from the field (three-of-four from downtown) during an opening period that saw the Kings shoot five-of-12 (42%) from deep.

That success carried over into the second quarter as well, as Sacramento ended the first half having converted 10-of-19 (52%) attempts from three-point range to jump out to a 63-51 lead over Golden State at the break.

Malik’s third 3 in three minutes 🔥 pic.twitter.com/UkyevWi9D2

— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) April 11, 2026

After getting punched in the mouth in the first half, the Warriors made their move as play resumed in the second half.

Golden State opened up the third quarter on a 12-2 run that trimmed the deficit to single-digits–and they didn’t stop there. The Warriors outscored Sacramento 38-19 in the period while holding the Kings’ offense to five-of-23 (21%) shooting from the floor.

Second-year guard Devin Carter was impressive on Friday night, and his performance during the third quarter (nine points and four rebounds) helped weather Golden State’s big run and keep things close heading into crunch time.

Carter and Kings center Maxime Raynaud were at the center of some chippy exchanges with Warriors forward Draymond Green, but Sacramento’s youngsters held their own and didn’t back away from the challenge.

While the lineups looked different in this new version of Kings vs. Warriors, the competitive edge appeared very much intact, even with some new faces in the mix.

Now Max Raynaud and Draymond Green get in a minor scuffle 😳 pic.twitter.com/CVGiJwV9R6

— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) April 11, 2026

Golden State didn’t play their starters in crunch time, allowing Sacramento’s group of up-and-comers to make a statement with the game on the line.

Carter shone the brightest of the bunch, setting career-highs for points (29), made three-point field goals (six), and rebounds (nine), all of which contributed to the Kings’ late charge that put them back in front with three minutes remaining.

Sacramento outscored the Warriors 42-29 in the fourth to put the game away, with Carter (eight points), Raynaud (12 points), Daeqwon Plowden (12 points), and Nique Clifford (eight points) all scoring at will during the final 12 minutes of play.

Raynaud finished the night with 23 points (nine-of-12 shooting) and nine rebounds, while Clifford scored 20 points, grabbed six rebounds, and handed out six assists over 37 minutes.

Rookie center Dylan Cardwell had seven points, seven rebounds, two steals, and two blocks to round out an impressive collective effort from the ‘Summer League Kings’ as each of the five players on the floor in crunch time–including Plowden–were on Sacramento’s Summer League roster in Las Vegas last July.

The late-season success from this group (8-9 over the past 17 games) speaks to the Kings’ player development, and if Sacramento can add a top-five pick to this mix in the offseason, they may have some real juice heading into the 2026-27 campaign.

NBA Draft Lottery Update

The NBA Draft Lottery is designed to give the league’s worst teams the best chance at landing the top pick, while discouraging outright tanking.

For a team like the Sacramento Kings, lottery odds come into play only if they miss the playoffs and finish in the bottom 14 of the standings.

The three teams with the worst records each have a 14 percent chance to win the No. 1 overall pick, with odds decreasing incrementally by record.

The NBA Draft Lottery itself only determines the top four picks. After that, selections are ordered by regular-season record.

This system means Sacramento can move up, stay roughly where projected, or slide back—sometimes significantly—depending on how the lottery balls bounce. It’s why even small differences in late-season standings matter. One extra win can slightly reduce top-pick odds but also protect against a big drop.

Here’s where the Kings stand following Friday’s action:

(Tankathon)

Sacramento Kings Injury Updates

Guard Russell Westbrook (right foot soreness) missed Friday’s game and will be re-evaluated at a later date.

Forward DeMar DeRozan (right hamstring soreness) missed Friday’s game and is day-to-day.

Forward Keegan Murray is progressing in his recovery after suffering a mild left ankle sprain on February 25th. It’s unlikely that Murray will return this season.

Guard Zach LaVine (left fifth finger tendon repair) will miss the rest of the season.

Forward De’Andre Hunter (left eye retinal repair) will miss the rest of the season.

Center Domantas Sabonis (left knee meniscus repair) will miss the rest of the season.

Center Drew Eubanks (left hand UCL repair) will miss the rest of the season.

When is the next Sacramento Kings game?

The Sacramento Kings will play their final game of the 2025-26 season on Sunday afternoon when they face the Portland Trail Blazers on the road at the Moda Center.

Be sure to catch all of the Sacramento Kings vs. Portland Trail Blazers action right here on Sactown Sports 1140 AM, with pregame coverage beginning at 4:00 PM PT on Game Night before a 5:30 pm PT tip-off from downtown Portland.

More Sacramento Kings content from Sactown Sports

• Slater: Kings’ ‘tanking’ controversy was just a coaching mistake
• Kings legend’s son has impressive showing in NCAA Tournament
• Jerry Reynolds: Kings need to prioritize talent over fit in the NBA Draft
• Have the Kings found their latest two-way success story?

Upcoming Sacramento Kings schedule for the 2025-26 season

• Sunday, April 12th @ Portland Trail Blazers – 5:30 PM PT (End of season)

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