Doug McDermott on his wild fourth quarter performance

Dec 9, 2024, 9:50 AM | Updated: 10:16 am

SACRAMENTO, CA - NOVEMBER 15: Doug McDermott #7 of the Sacramento Kings defends during the game aga...

(Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images)

Lead Editor & Kings Beat Writer

They don’t call Doug McDermott ‘Dougie McBuckets’ for nothing.

During the final quarter of the Sacramento Kings’ 141-97 win over the Utah Jazz on Sunday night, McDermott sent Golden 1 Center into a frenzy with a closing performance that will be remembered for a long time.

With the game all but secured for the Kings, head coach Mike Brown emptied his bench with just over eight minutes remaining–and eight minutes was all it took for McDermott to steal the show.

The sharpshooting veteran immediately got on the board by knocking down a triple within his first 13 seconds of playing time. One minute later, McDermott knocked down another triple. On the very next Sacramento possession, he hit another.

As the song “Teach Me How To Dougie” reverberated around the arena for what felt like minutes, McDermott continued to shoot, and you could feel the crowd’s anticipation build as each attempt left the 32-year-old’s hands.

McDermott knocked down his first six attempts from three-point range before missing his seventh and final shot of the night, becoming just the third player in Kings franchise history to convert six or more triples in a single period, joining his former Ames High School (Ames, Iowa) teammate Harrison Barnes in the process:

Keegan Murray: 7 (2023)
Harrison Barnes: 6 (2021)
Omri Casspi: 6 (2015)
Doug McDermott: 6 (2024)

Over just eight minutes of play, McDermott finished the night with a season-high 18 points (six-of-seven from deep) to add to Sacramento’s season-best 60-point bench performance.

McDermott became just the second player in NBA history to score 18 or more points in nine or fewer minutes of playing time, joining former Boston Celtics guard Larry Siegfried (18 points over nine minutes on December 11, 1965).

“Once the first couple went in, I figured I might as well keep shooting,” McDermott said postgame of his performance. “I was just kind of in a rhythm, in a zone. [Alex Len] and [Jordan McLaughlin] were doing a great job of finding me. I wasn’t really caught up in the numbers, or how much time was left; I was just shooting.”

Following the win, fans in attendance started chanting McDermott’s name as he made his way to the scorer’s table, where he lit the beam for the first time in his Kings career. When asked about the occurrence, McDermott applauded Sacramento fans for their support.

“I definitely heard that. That was cool. Great fans here. They’ve always been really good, even as a road player. It’s just good to be on their side.”

More on the Doug McDermott & the Sacramento Kings

The Sacramento Kings have had anything but a smooth start to the 2024-25 season, but they have greatly benefited from three early matchups against the Utah Jazz.

Thanks to a 141-97 win over the Jazz at Golden 1 Center on Sunday night, Sacramento improved to 3-0 against the Jazz this season while also winning back-to-back games for the first time in over a month (November 6-8th).

After putting together a complete effort during a 27-point blowout on Friday night in San Antonio, the Kings echoed that performance with another impressive showcase as they continue to work their way back to the .500 mark.

Sacramento (12-13) has benefited from the re-emergence of its three-point shooting, improving to 6-1 this season when shooting 40 percent or better from long distance.

When is the next Sacramento Kings game?

With the NBA Cup’s knockout stage set to begin next week, Sacramento will play just one game over the next seven days, providing Mike Brown’s group a chance to regroup and get some much-needed practice.

The Kings’ lone game this week will be against the New Orleans Pelicans on Thursday night at the Smoothie King Center, the building that witnessed the end of Sacramento’s season in the Play-In Tournament just eight months ago.

New Orleans has been the Kings’ worst nightmare lately, going 6-0 against Sacramento last season.

Be sure to catch all of the Kings vs. Pelicans action right here on Sactown Sports 1140 AM, with pregame coverage starting at 2:00 PM PT on The Drive Guys before action tips off at 5:00 PM PT from New Orleans.