After a short bright spot of a two-game winning streak, the Kings have quickly fallen back to earth, losing their second straight game and eighth in the last ten games. And it was once again not close for the majority of the game, something that we’ve seen far too many times this season from the Kings.
It wasn’t as drastic a first quarter as the one we saw against the Phoenix Suns, but it was just short stints in the second and third quarters, as the Kings lost each quarter by six points. By the time the fourth quarter rolled around, it already felt like Sacramento had lost.
They continue to put themselves in situations where they have to come from behind, and sometimes they are able to get the game within striking distance, but they so rarely climb all the way back in or get the lead back.
The trio of Lauri Markkanen, Keyonte George, and Brice Sensabaugh led the Jazz with 28, 31, and 20 points each. The Kings just couldn’t get stops when they needed to and slow down the Jazz’s stars. Here’s three main takeaways as Sacramento drops to 5-15.
Kings Look Small – Again
Once again, the Kings just looked too small. To put it in perspective, they had 6-foot-4 guard Keon Ellis guarding 7-foot-1 center Markkanen at times tonight. It took him 23 shots to get to his 31 points, but the Jazz went back to the mismatch he created over and over, and it worked.
Jusuf Nurkić only had 9 points, but he added 11 rebounds and 9 assists for a big night. He came into the game averaging just 3.5 assists per game, so him nearing a triple-double is just something that can’t happen if the Kings want to compete.
It’s a problem that has no end in sight, either. Even when Domantas Sabonis comes back, the Kings will still be smaller than their opponents on most nights.
Keegan Continues to Shine
Nov 28, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Sacramento Kings forward Keegan Murray (13) is fouled while shooting by Utah Jazz guard Ace Bailey (19) during the second quarter at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Nicoll-Imagn Images | Chris Nicoll-Imagn Images
Even in losses, Murray’s growth alone almost makes this season worth it. He continues to be aggressive on offense and great on defense. He finished with 23 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, and a block on 9-of-18 from the field.
The most important part is the 18 field goals. We’ve seen stints of high offensive output from Keegan in his career, but so far this season, he’s been consistent with looking for his shot.
He’s showing that he has the potential to be a two-way star in this league. He still has a long way to go to reach that goal, but the vision is clear. The Kings are hoping that Murray becomes a true number one option this year, and so far, he’s showing that potential to fill that role.
Maxime Raynaud’s Best Game Yet
Yes, a lot of it came in garbage time, but rookie Maxime Raynaud had his best game yet by far. He finished with 19 points, 4 rebounds, and a block on 7-of-11 (63.6%) shooting from the field and 1-of-2 from three. He played 21:32 minutes in the loss, his second-most minutes so far this season, and looked more under control than we’ve seen so far.
Much like with Murray, Raynaud’s development is huge for this season, especially with Sabonis continuing to be in trade rumors as the deadline approaches. Raynaud reminded everyone tonight that he was drafted for his high-upside offensive potential.
He’ll need to show it more when it’s not garbage time in a blowout, but it was great to see him get some opportunities, and it appeared that Doug Christie and the Kings were looking for him intentionally down the stretch, which was great to see.
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