History: Kings secure 40th win for first time since 2005-06 season

Mar 11, 2023, 9:30 PM | Updated: Mar 13, 2023, 9:22 am

(Photo by Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty Images)

Editor & Kings Beat Writer

The 2022-23 Sacramento Kings continue to make history.

For the first time in over 16 years, the Kings have crossed the 40-win mark after defeating the Phoenix Suns by a final of 128-119 at the Footprint Center on Saturday night.

Sacramento needed to prove that they could beat the Suns, a team that had won the previous two matchups between the teams this season, and they did so by holding Phoenix to 24 points on 41 percent shooting from the field during the fourth quarter.

On a night when De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis were quiet on the offensive end for most of the game, the Kings got massive performances from its supporting staff as Kessler Edwards, Malik Monk, Trey Lyles, and the rest of the bench combined for 65 points.

A complete effort for another gutsy Sacramento Kings win–one that pushed the team over the 40-win mark for the first time since the 2005-06 season.

The win also puts the Kings (40-26) back in the second spot in the Western Conference while they increased their lead over the Suns to 3.5 games in the standings.

"Light the beam" chants in Phoenix 👀 pic.twitter.com/oXZDBGrm7S

— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) March 12, 2023

Sacramento looked incredibly flat coming out of the gate as the Suns quickly took a 17-6 lead within the first five minutes of play.

Needing a change on the defensive end, head coach Mike Brown called on lengthy forward Kessler Edwards to try and slow down Suns star guard Devin Booker. With Edwards and Davion Mitchell setting the tone on defense, the Kings responded with a 17-9 run to stop the bleeding and get back in the game.

Edwards’ impact was notable early as the 22-year-old scored nine points and grabbed five rebounds during the first half, adding to Sacramento’s 37 bench points during the first half.

Thanks to Edwards, Trey Lyles (11 points), and Davion Mitchell (seven points), the Kings’ bench was the driving force behind Sacramento’s big second quarter as they built a 67-59 lead at the break.

If you have watched a Kings game this year, you know how the second half of games normally unfolds, and Saturday night’s game wouldn’t be any different. Phoenix outscored Sacramento 36-29 in the third quarter to trim the Kings lead to just one point, setting the stage for another nail-biting finish.

De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis didn’t do much of the heavy lifting on offense in Phoenix, but they came through when it mattered most. The All-Star duo combined for 12 points during the fourth quarter, with both players taking turns knocking down huge buckets with less than four minutes to go.

The Kings held a 121-118 lead with less than a minute remaining, giving themselves a chance to put the game away–one that they wouldn’t squander as Edwards’ triple with 45 seconds remaining put an exclamation point on another thrilling win.

Kessler Edwards drops a HUGE three 👌 pic.twitter.com/1QkFINf620

— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) March 12, 2023

Edwards, the recipient of tonight’s Defensive Player of the Game chain, finished the night with 12 points on four-of-six shooting from the field and two-of-four from three-point land while pulling down seven rebounds over 26 minutes.

The forward has played his way into solid consideration for consistent rotation minutes, as he brings a defensive punch to a Kings team that has been one of the worst in the NBA thus far in the season.

With less than a month to go until the playoffs, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Brown stick with Kessler, who has done a solid job of defending challenging assignments like Devin Booker and Anthony Edwards.

Edwards wasn’t the only member of the Sacramento bench to step up on Saturday, as every member of the second unit scored at least nine points during the win.

Malik Monk added 18 points off the bench, while Trey Lyles and Davion Mitchell added 13 points each. The Kings got 65 points from its bench during the winning effort, marking a rare occurrence where the usually active starters took a backseat to the second unit.

Outside of Harrison Barnes’ 19 points (six-of-10 shooting), the Suns kept Sacramento’s starters in check for most of the evening. The Kings needed production from its supporting cast, and they stepped up in a big way.

Davion knocks down the trey pic.twitter.com/ImmdIOPhCT

— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) March 12, 2023

Of course, Fox and Sabonis weren’t slouches by any means on Saturday. Fox finished the night with 18 points, six assists, and two steals, while Sabonis added 17 points, eight rebounds, four assists, and two steals.

The fact that Sacramento was not only able to stay in the game without a massive night from its stars is one thing, but winning in Phoenix–a place that the Suns entered play with a 22-10 record this season–makes the performance from the supporting cast that much more impressive.

Wins at this point in the season are essential for many reasons, and inexperienced teams like Sacramento commonly struggle in situations where we have recently seen this team.

The Kings keep winning, as they improved to 8-1 since returning from the All-Star break. With 40 wins in the book, Sacramento can smell blood in the water as they get closer to ending a 16-year playoff drought. With 15 games remaining, fans can only hope that clinching a 40-win season was an appetizer of what is to come.

Also: Credit to these fans. The prophecy has been fulfilled. This isn’t a Summer League wish anymore–this is real.

This Kings fan predicted the following after their Summer League win last year:

"We getting 40 wins this year!"

Tonight, Sacramento got their 40th win of the season, the most since the 2005-06 season 🟣🔦pic.twitter.com/TJ8NSAZ33K

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) March 12, 2023

Notes

Sacramento was outscored 50-44 in the paint but were able to use a strong night from beyond the three-point line (15/35, 43%) to put them over the edge against Phoenix
The Kings tied its season-high with 37 free-throw attempts during the win. Sacramento converted 31 of the 37 attempts (84%)
Mike Brown joins Rick Adelman as the only two coaches in Sacramento Kings history to win 40 games in a season.

Next Game

Sacramento will return home on Monday night for a matchup against the NBA-best Milwaukee Bucks.

Be sure to get all of your Kings vs. Bucks coverage right here on Sactown Sports 1140 beginning at 5:30 PM PST on Game Night with Scott Marsh and Henry ‘The High Flyer’ Turner before a 7:00 PM PST tip-off from downtown Sacramento.