George: Takeaways from the Kings’ final preseason game

The Sacramento Kings finally got their starting five on the floor together in the preseason finale. The San Antonio Spurs made sure the first look at that lineup came with a hard reality check.

Sacramento fell 126-97 on Friday, surrendering 42 points in the first quarter and trailing 71-37 at halftime.

Sactown Sports’ Matt George called it a “drubbing from the start” on the latest edition of The Matt George Podcast, and said the Kings were “not even remotely competitive” for most of the minutes their top players shared the court.

The result came with one small positive: Darius Acuff Jr., Zach LaVine, Keegan Murray, Ben Simmons and Domantas Sabonis played together for the first time.

Sabonis and LaVine each logged about 30 minutes, while Simmons played nearly 26. George said seeing the group together felt like “a miracle,” given how long it took to get the projected starters on the court.

De’Aaron Fox #4 of the San Antonio Spurs goes for a loose bal against Sacramento Kings in the first half of a preseason game at Frost Bank Center on October 16, 2026 in San Antonio, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images)

But the late lineup debut couldn’t hide the gap between the teams. San Antonio outrebounded Sacramento 74-48 and shot 44.9% from the field, while the Kings made only 34 of 82 shots.

Sacramento also went 6-for-25 from three-point range. Victor Wembanyama scored 14 points with eight rebounds in just over 17 minutes, while former King De’Aaron Fox added 16 points in his return against Sacramento.

George’s concern wasn’t that the Sacramento Kings lost to a strong Spurs team. It was how quickly the game got away from them.

He acknowledged that Sacramento’s starters were still learning to play together, but argued the team must show more fight regardless of its opponent. “Being competitive and winning are two very different things,” he said. “But you can’t be getting blown out and run off the floor.”

There were a few individual bright spots. Simmons finished with 14 points, eight rebounds and seven assists, and George called him the Kings’ “best thing from this game,” citing his work running the offense.

LaVine led Sacramento with 20 points, and Precious Achiuwa added 13 points on 6-for-7 shooting.

(Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

The broader offensive numbers offer less comfort. Sacramento’s 97 points extended a scoring pattern George highlighted across the preseason: outputs of 97, 98, 106, 110 and 103.

He also pointed to the team’s three-point shooting as an unresolved weakness, warning it wouldn’t simply disappear once the regular season began.

The Sacramento Kings now have a short window to sort out their rotations and build chemistry before the opener. The starting five finally shared the court; the preseason finale showed how much work remains.

Listen to all episodes of The Matt George Podcast wherever you get your podcasts, and watch each episode on SactownSports.com, the Sactown Sports app, or the Sactown Sports YouTube page.

More Sacramento Kings content from Sactown Sports

• Kenny Caraway wants to see an aggressive Zach LaVine
• Simmons or Hunter: Who should start for the Kings?
• George: Sacramento’s preseason injury situation is confusing
• Turner: Sacramento Kings need to find a role for Emanuel Sharp
• Could Ben Simmons play his way into a starting spot?

Sacramento Kings 2026-27 Regular Season Schedule

• Wednesday, October 21st @ Los Angeles Clippers (7:30 P.M. PT)
• Friday, October 23rd vs. Portland Trail Blazers (7:00 P.M. PT)
• Sunday, October 25th vs. Memphis Grizzlies (6:00 P.M. PT)
• Tuesday, October 27th @ San Antonio Spurs (5:00 P.M. PT)
• Thursday, October 29th @ New Orleans Pelicans (5:00 P.M. PT)

Thank you for reading SactownSports.com. Follow us on X/Twitter and Google News, and subscribe to our YouTube channel.

Related

Kings Close Preseason Winless, Fall 126-97 to SpursKyle Shanahan gives 49ers injury updates on Samuel, Bosa & moreBiderman: 49ers’ Super Bowl hopes will come down to healthKenny Caraway wants to see an aggressive Zach LaVineSacramento Kings convert Leaky Black to final two-way contractSam Amick on the Kings’ trade questions around Sabonis & LaVine