Category: Basketball

Kings' compete level answers Doug Christie's plea in OT thriller vs. Rockets originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SACRAMENTO – The 2025-26 Kings are not a playoff team.

But Doug Christie still would like to see some fight from his guys after losing 22 games before January and plummeting to dead last in the Western Conference.

Over the past three games, the Kings have shown that competitive edge that Christie was known for as a player and preaches now as a coach. The last two have resulted in losses to the Trail Blazers, with the first in Portland ending in overtime controversy and the second in Sacramento being a back-and-forth battle.

After Saturday’s 98-93 loss to Portland, the first question Christie responded to was whether the competitive level his team had displayed was what he’s been looking for with this roster, given its rocky start to the season and its realistic future.  

“Yeah. Ultimately, defensively, I thought we were better,” Christie said. “We’re in a hunt. The competition level was higher. That’s what we need. You have to be in the hunt, and then once you get there, you have to execute down the stretch. [Us] missing 10 free throws, those are the things that are going to get us over the [hump]. 

“But first and foremost, you got to compete at a high level and be in the hunt. We did a pretty good job in Portland as well [on Thursday]. That’s the biggest thing. We have to compete at a high level. And then, in this league, you have to learn how to win games. And that’s where we’re at right now.”

Well, Sunday’s showing was a promising start.

In Sacramento’s second overtime game in four days, the Kings once again displayed resilience and, yes, that competition level Christie has been begging for from his squad. This time, though, it didn’t end in heartbreak or controversy; it ended with a win against one of the top Western Conference teams, the Houston Rockets, that snapped a five-game skid.

It was a true collective effort.

A late surge led by Keegan Murray erased Houston’s 14-point lead and kept the Kings alive in crunch time. Murray, who has been struggling offensively really since returning from a UCL injury this season, got going when the Kings needed him to most.

Over a two-minute-and-30-second span, Murray couldn’t miss. He scored 10 points in that time, including two big 3-pointers that pulled the Kings within two points with just over seven minutes remaining in regulation. 

Then it was a cat-and-mouse game from then on.

And even when Houston took a 5-point lead with 2:17 remaining, Sacramento never wavered. In fact, the Rockets never scored again in the fourth quarter, and the Kings went on a 5-0 run to force overtime after Russell Westbrook’s corner triple hit nothing but net to force overtime.

The Kings have been notorious for their inability to close out games, even when starting them off strong. But their competitive spirit never died, not even on the second night of a back-to-back.

The back-and-forth scoring continued literally until the final seconds of the extra period.

Just when it appeared to be over for the Kings when Westbrook fouled Jabari Smith Jr. at the 3-point line, and Smith Jr. made two of his three free-throw attempts to give Houston a 2-point lead with 10 seconds remaining, it was another Kings veteran guard who stepped up and came up clutch.

Schroder knocked down a trey with 3.1 seconds remaining, and Kevin Durant’s missed jumper on the other end sealed the deal in Sacramento.

After the game, Westbrook stated that it all comes down to putting your best foot forward and competing. He added that Sunday’s win embodied the Kings finally “getting over the hump” and closing a game out.

Christie, too, was impressed with his team’s fight from start to finish.

“To come out and compete like that, for our guys, after some of the heartbreaks that we’ve had lately, says a lot about their character as individuals and collectively,” Christie said.

Christie also took a moment to shout out who he called two of the “best competitors” in the game in Sacramento in Westbrook and Schroder.

This win doesn’t solve everything for the plethora of issues in Sacramento, but it’s without a doubt a step in the right direction.

And right now, that’s all Christie can ask for.

“We haven’t particularly played at the level that we want to at home. Oddly enough, we’ve done it on the road quite a few times, where we competed really well. But these fans, this is what they deserve, and this is what we will give them. Ultimately, can win them all? No, but they want to know that you are pouring your heart and soul out on the floor when they walk out of the building. And they got that tonight.”

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 What we learned as Kings' late rally powers huge overtime win against Rockets originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SACRAMENTO — Their record might not indicate it, but Doug Christie has emphasized competitiveness for his Kings as they continue to figure out a solution to their now 7-22 record.

In the last three games, at least, including Sunday’s win, they’ve shown that.

Sacramento overcame a 14-point deficit thanks to a late fourth-quarter surge fueled by Keegan Murray and a clutch corner 3-pointer by Russell Westbrook with 1.8 seconds remaining in regulation to force overtime.

But that wasn’t the only clutch 3 of the night.

Dennis Schröder sank a 26-foot 3-pointer with 3.1 seconds remaining in overtime to secure the victory.

The Rockets still had time to steal the lead — and win — but Kevin Durant’s missed jumpshot ended those hopes.

The Kings snapped a five-game losing streak, and it was a true team effort.

DeMar DeRozan’s 27 points led the way for the Kings, with Keegan Murray contributing 26 and Schröder adding 24 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds off the bench.

Rockets young star center Alperen Şengün dominated Sacramento for most of the game, finishing with 28 points, six rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks in 40 minutes.

Here are the takeaways from Sunday’s win:

Extra basketball

The Kings got rolling at the right time, with Westbrook’s corner triple sending the game to overtime.

The action-packed thriller in Sacramento continued for five more minutes, as the game ended with a game-winning triple from Schroder.

In the extra period, Westbrook fouled Jabari Smith Jr. at the 3-point line with 10 seconds remaining, and Smith Jr. knocked down two of his three attempts from the charity stripe.

But it was Schroder who called game in the end.

Malik returns

Malik Monk recorded two consecutive DNP-CD (Did Not Play, Coach’s Decision) in a road and home loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday and Saturday.

Before Sunday’s game, Kings coach Doug Christie was swarmed with questions about the bizarre situation, and he hinted that Monk could see the floor against the Rockets.

He kept his word, although it took a while.

Monk entered Sunday’s game for the first time of the night toward the end of the third quarter. And as expected, he was welcomed with a loud and warm welcome from the Golden 1 Center crowd.

Oh, he also instantly drove to the basket and made a layup within seconds of being on the court.

While being repeatedly asked about the decision to bench Monk in the past two games, Christie maintained it solely was based on it being a “logjam” at the guard position and simply a “numbers game.” He also stated that Monk was the “odd man out” since the Kings decided to emphasize defense and insert Keon Ellis into the rotation over Monk.

Ellis played just nine minutes in Sunday’s game, and has been struggling as of late. It could be possible that Ellis is back to being the “odd man out,” while Monk resumes his role.

Keegan’s resurgence

Keegan Murray has struggled to find a consistent offensive flow since returning from a UCL injury.

But his confidence never wavered, and neither did his coaches’ or teammates’ in him.

He showed just why on Sunday.

Murray missed all six of his 3-point attempts in Saturday’s loss to the Portland Trail Blazers. On Sunday, his first attempt from downtown — a 30-point trey — was a make. He finished the first quarter with 10 points and scored just two points in the second quarter.

But he got going when it mattered most, helping fuel a late rally to keep Sacramento alive in the fourth quarter. Murray finished the game with 26 points on 9-of-14 shooting from the field and 3 of 4 from downtown.

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