SACRAMENTO KINGS

Kings late push was not enough, fall 132-123 in Denver

Jan 23, 2025, 8:34 PM | Updated: 8:35 pm

Playing on the second night of a back to back in the Mile High City is maybe one of the toughest possible games on an NBA schedule. DeRozan and Christie agreed after Wednesday night’s win over the Golden State Warriors — especially when all five of Sacramento’s starters played at least 34 minutes the night prior.

That harsh reality hindered the Kings Wednesday night in Denver, allowing the Nuggets to score 34 or more points in the first three quarters, leading by as much as 25. It wasn’t until the fourth quarter that Sacramento went on what looked like it may have been a miracle run fueled by Doug McDermott, where their defense picked up.

Cutting the once 25-point deficit to six was an impressive feat, but wins and losses are the only things that matter in the NBA. Nikola Jokic had 35 points, 22 rebounds, and 17 assists, leading his squad to a 132-123 win over Sacramento.

DeMar DeRozan (24 points) and Domantas Sabonis (23 points, 19 rebounds) were effective for spurts, but the circumstances proved to be too much in the end, falling 132-123 to the Denver Nuggets.

Kings at Nuggets Injury Report

Sacramento

  • Isaac Jones (G-League)
  • Colby Jones (G-League)
  • Isaiah Crawford (G-League)

Denver

  • Vlakto Cancar (left knee)
  • DaRon Holmes II (right achilles)
  • Trey Alexander (G-League)
  • Spencer Jones (G-League)

Sacramento’s Starting FiveDe’Aaron Fox, Malik Monk, DeMar DeRozan, Keegan Murray, Domantas Sabonis

Denver’s Starting FiveRussell Westbrook, Jamal Murray, Christian Braun, Michael Porter Jr., Nikola Jokic

Kings at Nuggets Game Notes

Yet, despite those circumstances, the Kings came out with good pace and energy to start their matchup in Ball Arena. DeRozan continued his recent hot streak, hitting his first three shots from the field as the score was knotted up at 17 five minutes into the action.

Sabonis and Jokic, the two most efficient long-range shooters in the league this season, traded triples in the first.

Denver, the best transition offense in the NBA, started to get out in transition as the quarter professed, finding themselves with a 40-31 advantage at the end of the first. The defense has been crucial to Sacramento’s recent success, and giving up 40 in the opening frame wasn’t ideal.

Three-time MVP Jokic sat to start the second, a stretch that teams always look to capitalize on. Jamal Murray attacked Sabonis in switches while his teammates crashed the glass, including backup veteran backup center DeAndre Jordan. They outscored the Kings 14-7 in the non-Jokic minutes, extending their advantage to 58-38.

Denver’s rest advantage (and potentially the altitude) seemed to creep into play. Kings radio host on Sactown Sports, Gary Gerould, shared when the Kings got into Denver earlier that morning.

Sacramento was settling for contested jump shots as their movement slowed down, and their opposition refused to stop running and relentlessly attacking the offensive glass.

Westbrook had 14 points in the first half, aggressively pushing the pace. Denver outscored the Kings 44-24 in the paint in the first half, seizing a 74-52 lead. Twelve offensive rebounds led to 17 second-chance points as well.

Sacramento’s 38.8 percent from the field sat well below their opponent’s 53.7 percent. The challenging travel and reality of the second night of a back-to-back in Denver was apparent.

But, they came back from down 18 the night prior against the Warriors, largely due to a stellar third quarter. Could they do the same thing for the second consecutive night?

The halftime break was probably much appreciated, as their offensive pace returned to start the third. Keegan Murray got hot in a hurry, knocking down spray threes after paint touches. He hit three triples in the first four and a half minutes of the frame, getting the Kings back within 12.

Similar to how the first quarter went, though, their energy faded quickly. From settling for bad shots to walking the ball up the court, they wore their fatigue. The third quarter was even with 1.6 seconds left before Jokic got the inbound and threw in a practically full-court heave, giving Denver a 110-85 lead with 12 minutes left.

But, like Keegan Murray said yesterday, it’s a game of runs, it’s just about who gets the last one. Desperate for some offense and shooting, coach Christie went to Doug McDermott. The veteran quickly got a wide-open catch-and-shoot in the corner—three quick points.

Trying to shoot coming off a screen not long after, McDermott got blocked by Watson. Keegan Murray quickly recovered and found McDermott again—three more points.

The Kings went on an 11-0 run while Jokic sat. They faced a 14-point deficit (110-96) as he returned. But Lyles kept the rain falling, cutting a once 25-point advantage to 11 on multiple occasions.

Shooting at the right time left a 118-108 advantage for the Nuggets with just under five minutes remaining. McDermott was closing the game in place of Murray, with another triple going down and then ANOTHER one, making 4/5 in a rush as it became a six-point game.

He supplied them with some energy while the other guys upped their intensity. Defense led to offense in the fourth, holding the Nuggets to 22 points in the fourth quarter.

Despite the heroic efforts led by McDermott’s 15 points (5/6 3P) in 11 minutes, they were never able to overcome te once 25-point disadvantage fully. The Nuggets extended their win-streak to four with a 132-123 home win over the Kings.

Jokic recorded his second career 20/20/15 game with 35 points, 22 rebounds, and 17 assists.

Sabonis tallied 23 points and 19 rebounds, while DeRozan added 24 points.

Sacramento will now head to New York, where they play the Knicks on Saturday night, their second of a six-game road trip.

Upcoming schedule for the 2024-25 Sacramento Kings

  • Saturday, January 25th – @ New York Knicks – 4:30 PM PT
  • Monday, January 27th – @ Brooklyn Nets – 4:30 PM PT
  • Wednesday, January 29th – @ Philadelphia 76ers –4:30 PM PT
  • Saturday, February 1st – @ Oklahoma City Thunder – 5:00 PM PT
  • Monday, February 3rd – @ Minnesota Timberwolves – 5:00 PM PT

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