Kings offense lights up Lakers to secure back-to-back wins

The Sacramento Kings have played like one of–if not the worst–teams in the NBA this season, but the past 24 hours of basketball have painted a completely different picture.

One night removed from a stunning win over the Houston Rockets, the Kings completed the second night of a home back-to-back by routing Luka Doncic and the Los Angeles Lakers by a final of 124-112 on Monday night at Golden 1 Center.

Sacramento (10-30) has won back-to-back games for just the second time this season, and they did so against two formidable opponents that reside in the thick of the Western Conference Playoff race.

The Kings outlasted a 42-point effort from Doncic thanks to one of their best three-point showings of the season and a group effort from a trio of veterans, as DeMar DeRozan, Malik Monk, and Russell Westbrook all finished with 20 points or more en route to a second-straight win.

DeMar with the TOUGH middy 😮‍💨 pic.twitter.com/YcgXXUX5df

— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) January 13, 2026

Sacramento Kings vs. Los Angeles Lakers takeaways

Over 22 years from his NBA debut at ARCO Arena, LeBron James made his first appearance of the season at Golden 1 Center on Monday night.

Kings vs. Lakers often brings out a sea of yellow in the building, but it didn’t take long for James to make it clear that Los Angeles fans had infiltrated Sacramento as he scored the first six points of the game, prompting Doug Christie to call an early timeout.

James and Luka Doncic combined to score 21 points during the first quarter, leading by as many as nine points before the Kings punched back.

On the heels of a 22-point outing on Sunday, DeMar DeRozan scored eight points to help lead an 18-6 Sacramento run that lifted the Kings into the lead heading into the second period.

24 hours removed from his highest-scoring performance in nearly one month, Malik Monk continued to play with confidence on Monday night.

Monk, who scored 15 points during Sacramento’s win over Houston, caught fire during the second quarter as the Kings took a double-digit lead in surprising fashion.

The former Sixth Man of the Year runner-up was automatic from beyond the arc, knocking down all five of his attempts from three-point land en route to an 18-point period–tying Zach LaVine for the most points scored by a Kings player during a single quarter this season.

While Monk’s heroics gave Sacramento a 16-point lead, Doncic (26 first-half points) kept the Lakers within striking distance by leading an 11-2 run to end the half, one that trimmed the deficit to seven.

Malik Monk from downtown 🙌 pic.twitter.com/xNnukep5Kk

— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) January 13, 2026

Those expecting a letdown from the Kings would be mistaken, as the triples continued to fall for a Sacramento offense that entered play ranked dead-last in made three-point field goals this season.

Russell Westbrook harnessed Monk’s performance from the second quarter by catching fire himself, scoring 13 points in the third on three-of-four shooting from the perimeter to push the Kings’ lead over the 20-point mark.

As was the case near the end of the first half, Doncic would will Los Angeles back within reach, scoring 14 points of his own in the quarter to give the Lakers a chance entering the fourth.

Doncic did all that he could to will Los Angeles to a win, but the red-hot Sacramento offense never relented on Monday.

The Kings finished the night shooting 17-of-26 (season-high 65%) from three-point range, with Monk (seven-of-nine) leading the way. Monk continued to convert in the final frame, hitting two triples to help put the game away for good.

“My three-point shot was falling, so I just ran with it,” Monk said of his season-high performance, one that also included eight assists and just one turnover. “If I go seven for nine all the time, we’ll be alright.”

Three-point shooting was the main takeaway from this one, but DeMar DeRozan’s 32-point effort was a stern reminder that the future Hall of Fame wing is playing his best basketball of the season–all at the age of 36.

DeRozan, who has scored 20+ points in a season-long four-straight games, went 14-of-19 from the field, holding himself true to his “Kings of the Midrange” nickname.

DeMar doing what DeMar does.

The contested middy through contact is GOOD!

SAC up late in Q3… Tap to watch: https://t.co/8GKhZ6sIdV pic.twitter.com/NYrAYdruUc

— NBA (@NBA) January 13, 2026

Sacramento finished the night shooting 58 percent from the field and 65 percent from three-point land, making them just the second team this season to convert 65 percent of their attempts from downtown this season (Houston, 65% on 11/1 vs. BOS).

It’s hard to read too much into these two winning efforts, but what’s evident is that both wins were the result of playing veterans big minutes in big spots.

DeRozan, who has been subject to trade rumors, is playing his best ball of the year. Monk, who was out of the rotation just a week ago while also being linked to trade rumors, has reverted to his 2022-24 form. Russell Westbrook (22 points and seven assists on Monday) is seven-of-14 from three over the past two games.

Two wins didn’t change much in the Kings’ place in the Draft Lottery standings — Sacramento holds the third-worst record in the NBA, meaning they have the best odds of securing the top pick in June’s NBA Draft.

The past 24 hours of Kings basketball are a stern reminder that while some may have their eyes on the draft lottery and beyond, the players in Sacramento’s locker room couldn’t care less. If they’re suiting up, they are trying to win games, and this back-to-back may have been their best showings yet.

Sacramento Kings Injury Updates

Guard Dennis Schroder will miss the next game after being suspended by the NBA for a postgame altercation that took place on December 28th with Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic. Schroder served the second of a three-game suspension on Monday.

Forward Keegan Murray will miss the next 3-4 weeks with a moderate left ankle sprain.

Center Domantas Sabonis, who has been sidelined since November 16th due to a partially torn meniscus in his left knee, will miss at least another 2-3 weeks of action.

When is the next Sacramento Kings game?

Old friend Mike Brown will return to face the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday night for the first time since his firing as head coach last season.

Brown, who was hired as the head coach of the New York Knicks during the offseason, has coached the Knicks to a 25-14 record thus far, second in the Eastern Conference standings.

Over two-plus seasons as head coach of the Kings, Brown posted a record of 195-107 (.549), snapped a 17-season playoff drought in 2022-23, and secured unanimous Coach of the Year honors the same season.

Be sure to catch all of the Sacramento Kings vs. New York Knicks action right here on Sactown Sports 1140 AM, with pregame coverage beginning at 5:30 PM PT on Game Night before a 7:00 pm PT tip-off from downtown Sacramento.

Mike Brown: “I wanna thank the Kings…Vivek gave me an opportunity…We enjoyed Sacramento, fans fabulous…Change happens…feel blessed to be in this situation with Knicks”

On his former Kings on the Spurs: “I’m so happy for Fox…& Harrison Barnes…Both tremendous human beings…” pic.twitter.com/dYLtgmSpKc

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) December 15, 2025

Upcoming Sacramento Kings schedule for the 2025-26 season

• Wednesday, January 14th – vs. New York Knicks – 7:00 PM PT
• Friday, January 16th – vs. Washington Wizards – 7:00 PM PT
• Sunday, January 18th – vs. Portland Trail Blazers – 6:00 PM PT
• Tuesday, January 20th – vs. Miami Heat – 7:00 PM PT

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