Kings end regular season 22-60, tied for fourth best lottery odds

With a 122-110 loss in Portland on Sunday, the Sacramento Kings ended their 2025-26 NBA season with a 22-60 record.

Apr 12, 2026, 8:06 PM Updated: 8:08 pm

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With a 122-110 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday night, the 2025-26 Sacramento Kings officially ended their season with 60 losses. That leaves them tied with Utah for the fourth-best lottery odds, while the Blazers secured the eighth seed in the Western Conference play-in tournament.

It was a sloppy performance for the shorthanded Kings, with mistakes costing them a chance at ending the season with a victory.

Precious Achiuwa led all scorers with 27 points, 11 rebounds (four offensive), and four assists on 10/21 shooting while rookies Nique Clifford (24) and Maxime Raynaud (21) had well-rounded final tallies as well.

Securing 15 offensive rebounds and going 23/31 from the free-throw line would typically be a successful formula, but conceding 16 turnovers and 29 opposing second-chance points was too much to overcome.

It was a fitting way to go out, as some of their young talents showed promise but they were unable to get it done as a unit.

Sacramento Kings @ Portland Trail Blazers

In game 82 of the 2025-26 regular season, the Kings and Blazers had very different implications for the line.

If Portland were to win the game, it would clinch the 8th seed in the Western Conference play-in over the Clippers. For the Kings, it was about lottery positioning.

They came into the night tied with the Utah Jazz (22-59) for the 5th-best lottery odds. So, in theory, a Blazers win would satisfy both sides, but Kings head coach Doug Christie has been adamant that they have no desire to tank.

Plus, running a heavily undermanned roster of players with plenty to prove causes them to play hard. As had been the case for all season, Sacramento’s injury report was extensive heading into Sunday night.

DeMar DeRozan (hamstring), Russell Westbrook (toe), Domantas Sabonis (knee), Zach LaVine (finger), Malik Monk (personal reasons), De’Andre Hunter (eye), Keegan Murray (ankle), and Drew Eubanks (thumb) were all on the sideline for the finale.

Rookie Maxime Raynaud has been a focal point of their offense, with Devin Carter and Nique Clifford initiating the action.

That was the case again in Portland, with the big man securing 10 of his team’s first 12 points. But it was in a different fashion.

Max converts the lob from Devin 🙌 pic.twitter.com/N303XhbaR3

— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) April 13, 2026

The size and rim protection of Donovan Clingan, along with their drop pick-and-roll coverage, left Raynaud room to pop to the perimeter and attempt open triples.

Clingan did use his advantages to secure offensive rebounds, a skill he’s been elite at all season long. The best way to limit him proved to be getting him out of the game as Precious Achiuwa aggressively drove through the center en route to the basket.

Causing two personal fouls by halfway through the first, Clingan headed to the bench as Robert Williams III replaced him.

Carter and Clifford were impactful as Carter racked up four quick assists and Clifford eventually showed off his mid-range creation.

Nique with a tuff fadeaway 💪 pic.twitter.com/uk6gFkkMTY

— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) April 13, 2026

But outside of Raynaud, their three-point shooting was practically non-existent. Meanwhile, first-time All-Star Deni Avdija, Kris Murray — twin brother of Sacramento’s Keegan Murray — and the home team were making it rain in the Moda Center.

By the end of the first quarter, Achiuwa (10) and Raynaud (10) combined for 20 of Sacramento’s 33 points. Eighteen of their total came within the paint.

Committing zero turnovers was perhaps most crucial to keeping it tied at 33. Unfortunately, the second quarter was a vastly different story.

Three giveaways in the first three minutes of the frame set a trend that didn’t work in their favor. Between Jrue Holiday, Scott Henderson, and Toumani Camara, the Blazers’ perimeter defense was effective in pressuring Sacramento’s ball handlers into mistakes.

It’s a good experience for Clifford and Carter, but they’re not viewed as primary ball handlers for a reason. But Clifford decided to use his scoring to try to regain control

Portland put together a 19-6 run, with all six of those coming from Clifford. The possession game, in the form of turnovers and offensive rebounds, was their significant second-quarter shortcoming.

Conceding 19 points off nine turnovers and eight second-chance points in the frame left them outscored 44-24.

Headed into halftime down 77-57, the Blazers were 11/25 from three to top it off.

Once again, the Kings needed a meaningful third quarter if they wanted to play any meaningful late minutes in their final game of 2025-26.

Well, they managed to do so. Just 20 seconds into the second half, Achiuwa drove through Clingan, drawing the big’s third foul of the night. It was Achiuwa’s ninth free-throw attempt after making the basket.

That essentially set the tone for a comeback run. Clifford and Carter aggressively attacked downhill while Achiuwa tried to clean up any misses.

Giving them a taste of their own medicine, Sacramento brought down multiple offensive rebounds. Managing stops and running in transition, a 17-4 run brought it back to an 81-74 deficit.

Max with a mean PUT-BACK SLAM to cap off a 17-4 run 😤 pic.twitter.com/yuyw042DBH

— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) April 13, 2026

More efficient scoring could’ve made a larger dent, but holding Portland to just 19 points in the frame left them trailing 84-96 as the final 12 minutes began ticking down.

The physical nature continued, with Cardwell picking up his fourth foul early into the frame. His fifth came moments later.

While everyone has reasonable questions about the future of DeRozan, Westbrook, LaVine, and Sabonis, could this be the final NBA season for 12-year veteran Doug McDermott? He’s given no inclination of that being the case, but even if it’s his final game in a Kings’ uniform, he converted a triple to cut the lead to 101-85 with roughly eight minutes to play.

But it felt like all their momentum from the previous frame had slowed down, as the Blazers slowed their pace and limited mistakes. Owning control of the scoreboard, they strategically wasted time and added just enough buckets to maintain their distance.

Holiday, the two-time NBA Champion, fittingly helped take them home with 8 points in the final frame. Portland secured the eighth seed with a 122-110 win, while the Kings remained tied for the fourth-best lottery odds.

Achiuwa led all scorers with 27 points, 11 rebounds (four offensive), and four assists on 10/21 shooting while Clifford (24) and Raynaud (21) had well-rounded final tallies as well.

In their first full season under head coach Doug Christie, a year full of injuries and overall disappointment, Sacramento ended with a 22-60 record.

Now, it’ll be a quick turnaround for their final exit interviews before general manager Scott Perry is expected to have a busy offseason. Their lottery pick, which will have an 11.5 percent chance of ending up first overall, being the most essential.

Upcoming Sacramento Kings & NBA Offseason Schedule

Tuesday, April 14th – NBA Play-In Tournament begins
Saturday, April 18th – NBA Playoffs begin
Sunday, May 10th – NBA Draft Lottery
Thursday, June 4th– NBA Finals begin
Thursday, June 25th – NBA Draft (Round 1)
Friday, June 26th – NBA Draft (Round 2)
Tuesday, June 30th – NBA Free Agency negotiation period begins (3 PM PT)
Thursday, July 9th – NBA Las Vegas Summer League begins
Monday, July 13th – Free Agency moratorium ends / signings can become official