The Sacramento Kings are in the final weeks of a forgettable season, but they are still setting franchise records on their way out.
Sacramento dropped a 139-118 laugher to the Philadelphia 76ers at Golden 1 Center on Thursday night, their second straight loss by 20 or more points.
Losing by 20 points has been a common occurrence for the Kings (18-53) this season–in fact, Sacramento has lost more games by 20 or more points this season than any other year in franchise history.
Thursday’s loss was the Kings’ 18th loss by 20-plus points this season, passing the 2008-09 team (17 games) for the most such losses during a single season since the team’s early days as the Rochester Royals.
The 2008-09 Sacramento Kings finished with a record of 17-65, the worst finish since the franchise relocated to Northern California in 1985.
Of course, there is some good news: Sacramento is firmly in the mix for a high lottery pick in this summer’s NBA Draft, ending the night tied with Brooklyn for the third-worst record in the NBA (14% chance of landing the top pick, 52.1% chance of landing in the top four).
(Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)
Sacramento Kings vs. Philadelphia 76ers takeaways
Both teams may have been missing several key players on Thursday night, but you wouldn’t know it by how the 76ers’ offense looked in the opening period.
Philadelphia was without star guard Tyrese Maxey (finger), center Joel Embiid (oblique), and Paul George (suspension), but still managed to pour in 45 points on seven-of-12 (58%) shooting from beyond the arc to put Sacramento in an early double-digit hole.
Fresh off a career-high 32-point performance on Tuesday night, rookie center Maxime Raynaud continued his red-hot play by leading all Kings scorers with 16 points (six-of-eight shooting) during the first half, but Sacramento had no answer for the 76ers’ shooters.
Although the Kings shot 56 percent from beyond the arc themselves during the first half, Philadelphia was eight-of-18 (44%) from three-point land, and also outscored Sacramento 28-20 in paint scoring to take a nine-point lead into the third quarter.
(Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)
After going scoreless during the first half, DeMar DeRozan found his offense in the third quarter, scoring 13 points in the period–but it ultimately would be canceled out by another big quarter from the 76ers’ offense.
Behind the play of talented rookie guard VJ Edgecombe (13 points in the third), Philadelphia outscored the Kings 36-27 in the quarter and took their largest lead of the night (18 points) into the fourth, one that would take things to the finish line as Sacramento dropped another lopsided affair.
Raynaud Does It Again
On the heels of a career-high 32-point performance against the San Antonio Spurs, Maxime Raynaud nearly replicated the performance on Thursday night.
The rookie big man scored 30 points on 11-of-17 shooting (three-of-four from deep) to go along with four rebounds over 36 minutes, becoming the first Sacramento Kings rookie to score 30-plus points in consecutive games since Walt Williams (1993).
Raynaud’s 62 points over a two-game span are the most by a Kings rookie since Williams scored 65 points in 1993.
It’s been an overall forgettable year for Sacramento, but Raynaud continues to look like an absolute steal as the 42nd pick from last summer’s NBA Draft.
Raynaud moved into the top four on the NBA’s Rookie Ladder this week and is looking like a real candidate to make one of the league’s two All-Rookie Teams.
Notes
Two-way guard Daeqwon Plowden scored a career-high 20 points (7/13 FG, 4/8 3PT) over 31 minutes. Plowden has scored in double figures in seven straight games.
Sacramento Kings Injury Updates
Guard Malik Monk (shoulder) exited the game during the first half and did not return. An update on Monk will be provided in the coming days.
Guard-Forward Nique Clifford (hamstring strain) is considered day-to-day.
Guard Devin Carter (right calf soreness) was ruled out vs. Philadelphia and is day-to-day.
Forward Keegan Murray will be re-evaluated in two weeks after suffering a mild left ankle sprain on February 25th.
Guard Zach LaVine (left fifth finger tendon repair) will miss the rest of the season.
Forward De’Andre Hunter (left eye retinal repair) will miss the rest of the season.
Center Domantas Sabonis (left knee meniscus repair) will miss the rest of the season.
Center Drew Eubanks (left hand UCL repair) will miss the rest of the season.
More Sacramento Kings content from Sactown Sports
When is the next Sacramento Kings game?
The Sacramento Kings will conclude a three-game homestand on Sunday afternoon when they face the Brooklyn Nets at Golden 1 Center in a game that has NBA Draft Lottery implications.
Be sure to catch all of the Sacramento Kings vs. Brooklyn Nets action right here on Sactown Sports 1140 AM, with pregame coverage beginning at 1:30 PM PT on Game Night before a 3:00 pm PT tip-off from downtown Sacramento.
Upcoming Sacramento Kings schedule for the 2025-26 season
Sunday, March 22nd vs. Brooklyn Nets – 3:00 PM PT
Tuesday, March 24th – @ Charlotte Hornets – 4:00 PM PT
Thursday, March 26th – @ Orlando Magic – 4:00 PM PT
Saturday, March 28th – @ Brooklyn Nets – 4:00 PM PT
Sunday, March 29th @ Brooklyn Nets – 3:00 PM PT
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