The Sacramento Kings are in survival mode. Clinging to the final play-in spot in the Western Conference, they need a win—badly. But with six losses in their last seven games, momentum is not on their side. On Wednesday, they face the Washington Wizards, a team also enduring a brutal stretch.
Sacramento’s Play-In Fight Hits Critical Stage
With just a handful of games left in the season, every loss pushes the Kings closer to the brink. Sitting in 10th place in the Western Conference, Sacramento (36-39) is just a half-game behind the Dallas Mavericks for ninth but only a game ahead of the Phoenix Suns in 11th. The Suns face the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday, a result that could further shake up the standings.
The Kings opened their six-game road trip with two tough losses. A 121-91 blowout against the Orlando Magic was followed by a gut-wrenching 111-109 defeat to the Indiana Pacers, in which they squandered a 16-point second-half lead. Those are the kinds of losses that sting—especially at this stage of the season.
DeMar DeRozan did all he could against Indiana, dropping 31 points and eight assists. Domantas Sabonis dominated with 25 points and 16 rebounds against his former team. Zach LaVine added 20 points. But it wasn’t enough.
Turnovers and Shooting Woes Haunt Kings
One of the biggest problems for Sacramento in recent games? Turnovers.
- In Monday’s loss to Indiana, the Kings gave up 20 points off turnovers.
- Malik Monk, typically a reliable scorer, had five turnovers to go with his rough 2-for-14 shooting night.
- He also struggled against Orlando, finishing with just nine points and six turnovers.
Kings interim coach Doug Christie remains confident in Monk. “Malik is going to make shots,” Christie said. “This is two tough games for him in a row, but it’s not anything he hasn’t faced before. … He will be able to find his way.”
But Christie knows the whole team needs to clean up its ball control. “We just have to make sure all of us are taking care of the basketball,” he said. “Those are not the points we can give away.”
Washington’s Offense Continues to Struggle
The Wizards (16-59) are long out of the playoff race, but that hasn’t made their recent stretch any easier. They’ve lost eight of their last nine games and have dropped the first three contests of their current five-game homestand.
Jordan Poole was a rare bright spot in their most recent game, a 120-94 loss to the Miami Heat. He nailed seven three-pointers en route to 35 points. The problem? The rest of the team shot just 24-for-69 from the field and an abysmal 6-for-30 from beyond the arc.
“To be honest, we missed some shots,” Wizards head coach Brian Keefe admitted after the Miami loss. “We were just out of rhythm, could never really get it going.”
Kings Have Dominated Recent Matchups
Sacramento has had Washington’s number lately. In their last meeting on Jan. 19, the Kings cruised to a 123-100 victory.
- Sabonis led the way with 29 points and 18 rebounds.
- DeRozan added 24 points.
- Monk bounced back from his recent struggles with 23 points.
Poole had just 11 points in that contest, making only 4 of 11 shots. But if his performance against Miami was any indication, he’ll look to be more aggressive this time.
The Kings desperately need a win. The Wizards are looking to salvage something from a lost season. One team is fighting for its playoff life; the other is playing for pride. Wednesday’s matchup will show who wants it more.
