SACRAMENTO KINGS

Kings fail to contain Thunder, fall 144-110 in OKC

Feb 1, 2025, 7:25 PM | Updated: 7:27 pm

OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA - FEBRUARY 01: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander #2 of the Oklahoma City Thunder hand...

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander #2 of the Oklahoma City Thunder handles the ball in front of Keon Ellis #23 of the Sacramento Kings during the first half at Paycom Center on February 1, 2025 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. (Photo by Joshua Gateley/Getty Images)

(Photo by Joshua Gateley/Getty Images)

Playing in their fifth game of a six-game road trip, the Sacramento Kings went to Paycom Center to take on the Oklahoma City Thunder Saturday night.

Trying to play through all the rumors and reporting surrounding their franchise, they had to take on the Western Conference leaders.

With the NBA’s best defense, the Thunder showed they belong in a tier above the Kings, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander tallying 29 points, nine assists, six rebounds, and two blocks on 10/20 from the field.

But it was the Aaron Wiggins show, stepping up in the absence of All-Star Jalen Williams. The forward had a career-high 41 points (his previous was 28) on 6/14 from three, leading the Thunder’s 19/46 (41.3 percent) from three compared to Sacramento’s 11/44 (25.0 percent).

Stellar shooting, twenty offensive rebounds leading to 24 second-chance points, and an emphasis on the details led Sacramento to their fourth loss in five games.

Sacramento’s starters scored in double digits — De’Aaron Fox led the way with 20 points — while the bench production was practically nonexistent. The Kings reserves added single-digit points prior to the bench’s clearing.

Falling to 1-4 on this ongoing road trip, their final stop will be in Minnesota to take on the Timberwolves Monday night.

Kings at Thunder Injury Report

Sacramento

  • Colby Jones (G-League) – OUT
  • Isaiah Crawford (G-League) – OUT

Oklahoma City

  • Jalen Williams (right wrist) – OUT
  • Chet Holmgren (right illac wing) – OUT
  • Alex Caruso (left ankle) – OUT
  • Nikola Topic (left knee) – OUT
  • Ajay Mitchell (right great toe) – OUT
  • Dillon Jones (G- League) – OUT

Sacramento’s Starting Five: De’Aaron Fox, Malik Monk, DeMar DeRozan, Keegan Murray, Domantas Sabonis

Oklahoma City’s Starting Five: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Cason Wallace, Lu Dort, Aaron Wiggins, Isaiah Hartenstein 

Kings at Thunder Game Notes

Sacramento was competitive early, with Monk finding a rhythm quickly. He made his first three shots and continued rolling, scoring 10 of the Kings’ first 17 points.

Wiggins did his best to keep up,

Oklahoma City’s stellar defense made their presence felt. DeRozan seemed frustrated with calls early, getting a technical foul in the first quarter, atypical for himself.

Murray knocked down triples, but everyone else seemed to struggle to convert from deep.

The Western Conference leaders got into the paint with ease while making life more difficult in that aspect for their opposition. Wiggins and others were hitting their open triples, leading to an 11-point lead in the first quarter.

Recovering slightly, the Kings trailed 36-31 at the end of one, with the league leader in points, Gilgeous-Alexander, recording 13 points, two assists, and two rebounds at that point with a free trip to the free-throw line.

Quarter two also favored the Western Conference leaders, outscoring the Kings by 20 points. Various runs allowed them to keep extending the lead while the Kings’ bench added zero points.

They went into halftime with an 82-55 lead as Sacramento’s struggles from beyond the arc continued while conceding on the other end.

Gilgeous-Alexander continued to show why he’s an MVP candidate, attacking various Sacramento defenders in switches. Even Sacramento’s better options offered minimal resistance, while Wiggins continued to have the night of his life.

It became his show, with the Oklahoma City crowd living and dying by each of attempt from him despite the benches being cleared for a majority of the fourth.

By the midway point of the fourth quarter, both sides had emptied their bench. Wiggins continued to run up his tally while the Paycom Center crowd enjoyed his career night. He ended the game with 41 points on 6/14 from three.

Oklahoma City went 19/46 (41.3 percent) from three and pulled down 20 offensive rebounds, leading to 24 second-chance points. They shot better from three than the Kings from the field (40 percent – 40/100).

Sacramento falls to 1-4 on their current road trip, with one final stop in Minnesota to take on the Timberwolves Monday night.

Upcoming schedule for the 2024-25 Sacramento Kings

  • Monday, February 3rd – @ Minnesota Timberwolves – 5:00 PM PT
  • Wednesday, February 5th – vs. Orlando Magic – 7:00 PM PT
  • Thursday, February 6th – @ Portland Trail Blazers – 7:00 PM PT
  • Saturday, February 8th – vs. New Orleans Pelicans – 7:00 PM PT

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