Why haven’t the Sacramento Kings been elite in the fourth quarter?

Dec 16, 2024, 1:52 PM | Updated: 1:53 pm

SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 06: DeMar DeRozan #10 of the Sacramento Kings and De'Aaron Fox #5...

DeMar DeRozan #10 of the Sacramento Kings and De'Aaron Fox #5 react after DeRozan made a basket against the Toronto Raptors in the second half at Golden 1 Center on November 06, 2024 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

(Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

BY BRENDEN NUNES

Sactown Sports writer

The Sacramento Kings have two of the NBA’s most clutch players, yet their fourth-quarter production has been about average throughout the first quarter of the 2024-25 season. On Monday’s edition of The Allen Stiles Show, Stiles broke down their quarter-by-quarter splits since Malik Monk joined the starting lineup six games ago.

De’Aaron Fox won the inaugural Clutch Player of the Year award two seasons ago. Meanwhile, DeMar DeRozan has finished in the top three in voting for that award since its existence two seasons ago.

That reality makes it a bit surprising that they’ve thrived in the third quarter, with an absurd +40 point differential, while being just +5 in the fourth quarter during that stretch.

Sacramento Kings quarter-by-quarter point differential since starting Monk:

1st Quarter: +11
2nd Quarter: +19
3rd Quarter: +40
4th Quarter: +5

It’s a small sample size, but their clutch production hasn’t quite been there all season long.

Head coach Mike Brown is still adjusting to find ways to optimize DeRozan while maintaining ideal roles for Fox, Monk, Domantas Sabonis, Keegan Murray, and Kevin Huerter.

More Sacramento Kings coverage on Sactown Sports:

Domantas Sabonis often makes double-doubles look easy, but the All-NBA center switched into another gear on Thursday night.

Sabonis was the driving force behind the Sacramento Kings’ 111-109 win over the New Orleans Pelicans, a victory that pushed the Beam Team back to the .500 mark following a rough start to the season.

Over 34 minutes of action, the three-time All-Star scored a season-high 32 points on 11-of-15 shooting from the field to go along with 20 rebounds (also a season-high), three assists, and two steals.

The rare 30-20 stat line was the first of any NBA player this season, one that adds to Sabonis’ impressive start to the season that has the reigning All-NBA Third Team big man in the conversation for an All-Star nod in February.