SACRAMENTO KINGS

Bucks dominate Kings in first quarter, ending Sacramento’s win streak

Jan 14, 2025, 7:26 PM | Updated: Jan 15, 2025, 9:16 am

The Sacramento Kings win streak finally came to an end. After emerging victorious in their seven previous games, they fell 130-115 to the Milwaukee Bucks in Fiserv Forum.

Malik Monk did not participate due to right groin soreness, with Keon Ellis starting in his place.

A 21-2 Milwaukee run in the first quarter left the Kings facing a 28-point deficit in the opening frame. Despite their remaining belief and efforts, the Kings never climbed back within striking distance.

De’Aaron Fox (20 points, 11 rebounds, six assists), DeMar DeRozan (28 points, six rebounds, four assists), and Domantas Sabonis (16 points, 10 rebounds, nine assists) had big nights. Still, their defense, which had the most vital improvement during their win streak, was lacking. Nothing shows that more than giving up 130 points.

The Bucks trio of Giannis Antetokounmpo (33 points, 13 assists, 11 rebounds), Damian Lillard (24 points, seven assists, five rebounds), and Brook Lopez (21 points, five rebounds, two assists) combined for 78 points in their group’s convincing performance Tuesday night.

Sacramento is now 1-9 in games where their opponents score 120 points or more and 7-2 under Doug Christie. With this loss, they’re back to being even (20-20).

Kings at Bucks Game Notes

Riding the longest active win streak in the NBA, seven consecutive, the Sacramento Kings went into Tuesday night to take on the Milwaukee Bucks in their final showing of a three-game trip.

As has been the case for most of their streak, the Kings were without a starter. Malik Monk (right groin soreness) did not participate, and Keon Ellis got the start in his place alongside De’Aaron Fox, DeMar DeRozan, Keegan Murray, and Domantas Sabonis.

Meanwhile, Milwaukee was without Khris Middleton and Gary Trent Jr. Their first group featured Damian Lillard, Andre Jackson Jr., Taurean Prince, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Brook Lopez.

Interim head coach elected to have Sabonis guard Antetokounmpo and Murray on Lopez, while Ellis was responsible for slowing down Lillard.

Sacramento’s elite defense during their seven-game streak was missing in Milwaukee. The Bucks were knocking down triples early, particularly Lillard but the Kings kept up early.

The Bucks had a two-point lead halfway through the opening frame but ended the first up 47-26, largely thanks to a massive 21-2 run. Sacramento’s offensive flow and paint touches were limited while their opposition capitalized in transition.

It was to the point that Christie went to Jae Crowder to start the second. The veteran forward, who played for the Bucks last season, had not seen the floor since he played five minutes on Dec 16th.

Nothing seemed to help. Sacramento’s offensive creators tried to regain control of the game, finding ways to get their own buckets in the second quarter but still unable to chip away at the huge deficit.

They were practically even in the second quarter, but that wasn’t enough, given their horrific start.

DeRozan had 14 of his 16 halftime points in the second quarter, while Fox had 15 points, nine rebounds, and three assists on 7/11 from the field as the Bucks led 75-54 at the midway point of Tuesday’s action.

Milwaukee held a 34-18 advantage with points in the paint, largely thanks to the relentless attack of 6’11 Antetokounmpo.

The third quarter was more of the same. The Kings kept pace with Milwaukee in the frame but did little to regain an opportunity for victory. Every time they seemed close to cutting it to single digits, Anetetokounmpo or Lillard seemed to make a tough bucket or find open teammates from a distance.

Christie went with a larger bench unit with Alex Len at the backup five to limit their opposition’s efficient paint production.

Again, the Kings won the third quarter by a one-point margin, but their first-quarter shortcomings meant that was far from enough.

Going into the fourth down 102-82, the group continued to fight — as has been a theme since Christie took over.

A determined Fox, DeRozan, and Sabonis managed to cut the lead to 11 points on multiple occasions, but timely buckets from the other side made them struggle to bring it within single digits.

Overcoming a 28-point first-quarter margin proved too much to handle for Sacramento despite converting 40.5 percent (17/42) of their attempts from three-point range.

Their defense had been the key to their win streak, and giving up 130 points (with 47 in the first quarter) wasn’t an ideal outcome. The Kings fell 130-115 on Tuesday night, bringing their record back to an even .500 (20-20).

When’s the next Sacramento Kings game?

After ending their three games road trip 2-1, the Kings return to Golden 1 Center, where they’ll host the Houston Rockets (26-12) Thursday night. It’s Sacramento’s second matchup against the Rockets this season, having won their first 120-111 in early December.

The two teams have had some fiery battles over the last few seasons, and it’s another opportunity for the Kings to prove their recent growth is here to stay against the second-place team in the Western Conference.

Sacramento’s seven-game streak may have come to and end, but Thursday is another chance to start another rally.

Sacramento Kings 2024-25 Schedule

  • Thursday, January 16th – vs. Houston Rockets – 7:00 PM PT
  • Sunday, January 19th – vs. Washington Wizards – 6:00 PM PT
  • Wednesday, January 22nd – vs. Golden State Warriors – 7:00 PM PT
  • Thursday, January 23rd – @ Denver Nuggets – 6:00 PM PT
  • Saturday, January 25th – @ New York Knicks – 4:30 PM PT

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