The Sacramento Kings Thursday night home matchup against the Houston Rockets marked the official halfway point of their 2024-25 NBA season — their 41st game.
Thursday night’s matchup was headlined by the Malik Monk and Domantas Sabonis pick-and-roll as the Kings secured a 132-127 victory over the visitors.
Sabonis recorded 20 points, 14 rebounds, and seven assists on 8/13 from the field. Monk had 28 points, nine assists, and three rebounds of his own on 10/19 shooting.
DeRozan reassured national TV fans tuning in on TNT that his clutch gene is not fading with age. The veteran guard tallied 16 of his 33 points in the fourth quarter en route to victory.
Sacramento’s willingness to match the Rockets’ physicality, clutch execution, and stellar three-point shooting helped propel them to back above .500 and end Houston’s five-game streak.
Kings vs. Rockets Game Notes
Having just returned from a three-game road trip, the Sacramento Kings hosted the second-seeded Houston Rockets in Golden 1 Center on Thursday night.
Featuring a fully available roster aside from guard Jordan McLaughlin, who missed the game due to personal reasons, they faced a Rockets team that was without Fred VanVlett (personal reasons), Jabari Smith Jr. (personal reasons), and Jock Landale (left metacarpal) after defeating Denver 128-108 the night before.
Starters
- Sacramento: De'AaronFox, Malik Monk, DeMar DeRozan, Keegan Murray, Domantas Sabonis
- Houston: Amen Thompson, Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, Jeff Green, Alperen Sengun
Rockets head coach Ime Udoka went with an atypical defensive strategy from the jump, putting 38-year-old Jeff Green on Sabonis while Sengun guarded Murray. The first stint featured back-and-forth action, with both teams finding ways to score, even if the process wasn’t always pretty.
As Doug Christie gets more time under his belt with the interim title, we could continue to see him make adjustments that cater to his ideas for optimizing the roster. On Thursday, his substitution pattern slightly varied. His first substitution sent Fox, DeRozan, and Murray to the bench in favor of Keon Ellis, Kevin Huerter, and Trey Lyles.
It allowed the Monk and Sabonis pick-and-roll to be their primary offense for that unit, and it was working. As the quarter continued, three-pointers started to sporadically fall.
Ellis and Murray combined to convert 4/5 from three in the first quarter, giving the Kings a 26-25 advantage at the end of one. Monk already had managed six points, four rebounds, and three assists on 3/5 shooting.
After their morning shootaround, Murray said keeping Hoston off the glass was a point of emphasis, considering that they had 18 offensive rebounds on their last trip to Califonia’s capital. Allowing three offensive rebounds in the first quarter wasn’t ideal, but it also wasn’t a backbreaker.
The second featured more of the Monk/Sabonis pick-and-roll, an action that Houston seemed to have little answers for.
Monk’s ability to hit the pocket pass in rhythm, Sabonis’ staggering screens, and their ability to score at three levels make it a deadly action when properly executed. Sabonis had 12 of his 14 halftime points in the second quarter on a perfect 5/5 from the field, primarily from Monk assists — he had seven dimes at the midway point.
That two-man game helped propel to a 35-point quarter, giving Sacramento to a 61-52 advantage at the midway point. Houston was just 5/14 from beyond the arc compared to the Kings’ 8/19 long-distance shooting.
Jalen Green, who had emerged as Houston’s clear number-one option amid their stretch of 10 wins in 13 games, had just 10 points on 3/7 shooting and had picked up three fouls by that point.
But the Kings were unable to extend their lead in the third. Houston got out in transition and kept the scoreboard close at first.
Sacramento’s physicality and defensive pressure reappeared, allowing them to take control of the quarter. Murray had a nice and-one finish during their run, with a behind-the-back move that got a reaction from the bench.
Steven Adams made his impact felt on the offensive glass in the third, as the entire Rockets team tends to do. That was especially the case when Lyles functioned as the backup center.
-The Golden 1 Center crowd collectively held their breath as Ellis went down, holding his ankle. He rolled it after stepping on Sabonis while fighting through a screen. The impactful guard walked off independently but went straight into the locker room.
Not long after, it was announced that he would not return Thursday night due to a right ankle injury. It became a gritty game quickly, with the Rockets cutting a 16-point deficit to a slight lead (28-11 run) in just over six minutes that spanned from the end of the third to the start of the fourth.
The scoreboard read in Sacramento’s favor (90-85) heading into the final frame. Houston’s 24 halftime points in the paint had jumped to 50 — 26 points on 12/15 shooting in the third.
Jalen Green, averaging 33 points over the last five games, had just 10 points on 7/15.
All of a sudden, we had a back-and-forth game down the stretch. Jalen Green started to catch a rhythm while Fox failed to do so, largely thanks to Thompson’s impressive defensive efforts.
Houston continued to attack the basket, putting pressure on Sabonis as the backline helper. Sacramento’s star center picked up his fourth and fifth fouls on consecutive defensive possessions, leaving him with one remaining and more than five minutes left on the clock.
But Christie’s Kings never let up. DeRozan knocked down timely buckets, Fox and Monk forced turnovers, and a 12-5 run turned the game in their favor but far from out of reach.
As the new interim head coach often says, the NBA is a game of who makes fewer mistakes, and both sides took turns committing late errors Thursday. Every time it seemed like one team was going to continue rolling, the opposition would respond.
Known for their chippy nature, plenty of words were exchanged throughout the competitive battle.
DeRozan’s typical fourth-quarter heroics appeared, with the other starters supplementing his play. With 1:19 left, Sabonis recorded his sixth and final foul (his third of the quarter) as his team held a 123-119 lead.
Up one with 27.4 seconds remaining, Brooks fouled Fox before the inbound from Fox. That Sacramento one free-throw and the ball back. Fox knocked down the look from the charity stripe, giving the Kings a two-point advantage.
Houston, with no choice but to foul after failing to force an eight-second violation or turnover, sent Monk to the line.
The reigning Sixth Man of the Year runner-up turned starter knocked down both, giving them a three-point lead with 8.9 seconds. Jalen Green missed a game-tying attempt, and the Kings converted free-throws to secure the win and get back above .500.
DeRozan had 16 of his 33 points in the fourth quarter. Monk and Sabonis set the tone early with their two-man game. All five starters scored at least 18 points, and only Sabonis (1/1) made less than two triples.
“We’re not second guessing ourselves,” Monk said postgame regarding their improved clutch execution.
When is the next Sacramento Kings game?
The Sacramento Kings (21-20) will take on the league-worst Washington Wizards (6-33). Coming off a 130-123 loss to the Phoenix Suns, the Wizards will be on the second night of a back-to-back amid an eight-game losing streak.
Looking to continue their Western Conference standings climb, it’s an opportunity for Sacramento to continue trending upwards under interim head coach Doug Christie.
Sacramento Kings 2024-25 Schedule
- 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
- Monday, January 27th – @ Brooklyn Nets – 4:30 PM PT
- Wednesday, January 29th – Philadelphia 76ers – 4:30 PM PT
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