Preview: Kings, seeking first 8-game winning streak in over 20 years, face Bucks

It’s been a rollercoaster first half of the 2024-25 regular season for the Sacramento Kings, but they are currently at a peak heading into Tuesday’s matchup against the Milwaukee Bucks.

After dropping six straight games and shocking many with the firing of former NBA Coach of the Year award winner Mike Brown, Sacramento has rattled off seven consecutive wins to improve from six games under the .500 mark to one over, placing them right in the thick of the Western Conference postseason race.

The Kings (20-19) have continued to perform well away from home, holding a 10-7 record on the road this season–the third-best away record in the West.

Sacramento will face a tall–no pun intended–task on Tuesday night when they face Giannis Antetokounmpo and a Milwaukee Bucks (20-17) team that has weathered a similar start to the season as the Kings. Following a 2-8 start to the year, the Bucks have won 18 of their past 27 contests.

Winning games in Milwaukee hasn’t been easy for Sacramento in recent memory. The Kings have dropped their past eight games visiting the Bucks, with the most recent triumph occurring nearly a decade ago (November 25, 2015).

If Sacramento wants to post its first eight-game winning streak since November 2003, when interim head coach Doug Christie was their starting two-guard, they will have to overcome their struggles in Milwaukee with another impressive showcase.

Sacramento Kings vs. Milwaukee Bucks Info

When: 5:00 PM PT

Where: Fiserv Forum – Milwaukee, WI

TV: NBC Sports California, NBA League Pass (for out-of-market viewers)

Radio: Sactown Sports 1140 AM – Coverage starts at 2:00 PM PDT on The Drive Guys

Line: Bucks -2.5, O/U 228.5

Be sure to tune in right here on Sactown Sports 1140 for all of your Kings vs. Bucks coverage, beginning at 2:00 PM PST on The Drive Guys before a 5:00 PM PST tip-off from downtown Milwaukee.

Battle of the Paint

Tuesday’s matchup will feature two of the NBA’s top-four paint defenses.

Sacramento (2nd) has done a great job protecting the paint this season, holding opponents to just 44.3 points per game. Milwaukee (4th) has been almost as good, allowing 45.1 paint points per contest.

The Kings will have their hands full with a Bucks offense that goes as far as two-time NBA MVP winner Giannis Antetokounmpo will take them.

Antetokounmpo leads the NBA in points per game (31.4), two-point field goals (385), two-point field goal attempts (628), and free-throw attempts (328) this season, meaning Domantas Sabonis and the Sacramento defense will need to mind the ‘Greek Freak’ around the basket.

When Antetokounmpo gets near the rim, he’s been nearly automatic this season (73%). If the Kings can keep him three-to-ten feet from the basket, his field goal percentage falls to 37 percent.

Sacramento hasn’t shown much resistance to Antetokounmpo in recent years. Over his past five games against the Kings, Antetokounmpo holds a record of 4-1 while averaging 34.8 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 5.4 assists on 60 percent shooting from the field.

It all starts and ends with Antetokounmpo.

Keep Shooting, Keegan

Keegan Murray’s offense was one of the Kings’ more significant early-season concerns, but the third-year forward has improved since returning from an injury-related absence.

After missing two games due to an ankle injury, Murray has looked like his usual self in his return to action. Over the past four contests, Murray holds averages of 14.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, 1.5 blocks, and 1.0 steals on 50 percent shooting from beyond the arc (7.5 attempts per game).

Murray’s confidence appears to have returned, which is a strong sign for a Sacramento offense that has lacked reliability from its three-point threats this season.

If the Kings can rekindle Murray’s abilities as a movement shooter and dribble-hand-off option, it will only improve an offense that has led the NBA in points per game (123.5) since the beginning of the new year.

Dominant Domas

If you’ve been watching Sacramento for over a few games, you already know how special Domantas Sabonis has been in keeping this season afloat for the Kings.

The NBA has also recognized this about Sabonis, as the league named the three-time All-Star center the Western Conference Player of the Week after posting video-game-esque numbers during a perfect 3-0 week for Sacramento:

𝐃𝐎𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐍𝐓 𝐃𝐎𝐌𝐀𝐒 😤

Domantas Sabonis has been named the Western Conference Player of the Week for games played between Jan 6. and Jan. 12 👏 pic.twitter.com/S6ISrwum4F

— Sacramento Kings (@SacramentoKings) January 13, 2025

Sabonis enters play on Tuesday as the NBA leader in rebounds per game (14.2) and double-doubles (34) while also shooting an impressive 46 percent from three-point range on a near-career-high 2.4 attempts per contest.

The Kings have benefited from having Sabonis show an uptick in aggression on the perimeter, and Sabonis has already surpassed last year’s 82-game total of 33 made triples with 40 over just 36 games this season.

Kings vs. Bucks Injury Report

Sacramento

• Malik Monk – OUT (Right Groin Soreness)
• Isaiah Crawford – OUT (G-League)
• Mason Jones – OUT (G-League)

Milwaukee

• Giannis Antetokounmpo – PROBABLE (Right Patella; Tendinopathy)
• Gary Trent Jr. – QUESTIONABLE (Left Hip; Flexor Strain)
• Ryan Rollins – QUESTIONABLE (Non-Covid Illness)
• Khris Middleton – OUT (Bilateral Ankle; Injury Management)

Sacramento Kings 2024-25 Schedule

• Tuesday, January 14th – @ Milwaukee Bucks – 5:00 PM PT
• 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

Thank you for reading sactownsports.com. Follow us on Twitter and Google News, and subscribe to our YouTube channel.

Related

Jerry Reynolds: Ben Simmons could be worth the risk for KingsWhy Darius Acuff Jr.’s development matters more than the Kings’ recordStockton Kings release 2026-27 Season ScheduleWhat should Sacramento Kings fans expect from De’Andre Hunter?Which free agent guard would be the best fit with Darius Acuff Jr.?Sources: Kings GM Scott Perry in Florida to watch Ben Simmons workout