Matt George blasts Kings’ ‘soft defense’ after blowout loss to Spurs

Matt George expected the Sacramento Kings to have a difficult night in San Antonio. He didn’t expect to be this frustrated by how they defended.

The Sacramento Kings fell 130-103 to the Spurs on Tuesday night, dropping to 0-4 on the season.

San Antonio shot 17-of-37 from three, including 8-of-11 on corner threes. On Sactown Sports’ The Matt George Podcast from Sactown Sports, George said the performance left him “absolutely disgusted by the pitiful defensive effort.”

“Soft defense through and through,” he said. “Will somebody on the Kings please guard the corner three?”

George’s biggest concern was how easily the Spurs got into the paint. Sacramento’s defenders kept backing up instead of making contact or forcing ballhandlers to change direction. That gave San Antonio room to drive, draw help, and pass to open shooters.

“The Kings constantly backpedaled,” George said, describing how the drives ended “either a spray to a wide-open three, or just a floater or easy bucket in the paint.”

Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs goes to the basket against Sacramento Kings in the first half at Frost Bank Center on October 27, 2026 in San Antonio, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images)

The breakdown was especially costly from beyond the arc.

The Spurs were 13-of-22 (59%) from three in the first half, building a large lead before cooling off after the break. George said the Kings were “absolutely refusing to guard the three,” with “overhelping” and “lazy closeouts” turning into open looks.

Julian Champagnie made Sacramento pay, scoring 26 points and hitting eight of his 13 three-point attempts. George said the Kings gave him “warm-up wide-open corner threes” early, helping the shooter find his rhythm before he started making tougher shots.

“It’s one thing, like, I understand defensively when someone’s on one, like you just tip your cap,” George said. “But that’s if you play good defense.” In this case, he argued, the Kings had helped Champagnie get comfortable: “The Kings did that to themselves. There’s no tipping the cap.”

George did find positives in Sacramento’s offense.

The Sacramento Kings made 13 threes on 37 attempts, and De’Andre Hunter scored 24 points, making five threes. George called it “a really good game” and said it was “his best game as a King,” praising Hunter’s catch-and-shoot work and contribution within the offense.

SAN ANTONIO, TX -OCTOBER 27: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs grabs a rebound over a host of Sacramento Kings players in the first half at Frost Bank Center on October 27, 2026 in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images)

But the offensive highlights couldn’t cover for a defense that allowed 39 points in the first quarter and 41 in the second. Sacramento has now given up at least 40 points in a quarter in every game this season.

“The defense is atrocious,” George said. “It’s atrocious.”

The Kings move on to New Orleans to face the Pelicans. George hopes Sacramento can produce a more competitive performance, but said the team’s defense has to become more physical and stop giving opponents uncontested chances from the corners.

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

• Why the Kings should give Darius Acuff Jr. room to grow
• Sacramento Kings exercise third-year option on Nique Clifford
• Kings Injury Updates: Raynaud, Cardwell, and Murray
• Sam Amick on Doug Christie’s job security & Zach LaVine’s trade value

Sacramento Kings 2026-27 Regular Season Schedule

• Tuesday, October 27th @ San Antonio Spurs (5:00 P.M. PT)
• Thursday, October 29th @ New Orleans Pelicans (5:00 P.M. PT)
• Saturday, October 31st @ Memphis Grizzlies (5:00 P.M. PT)
• Monday, November 2nd @ Dallas Mavericks (5:00 P.M. PT)
• Wednesday, November 4th vs. Los Angeles Lakers (7:00 P.M. PT)

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