{"id":52552,"date":"2025-11-14T06:17:13","date_gmt":"2025-11-14T06:17:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/52552\/"},"modified":"2025-11-14T06:17:13","modified_gmt":"2025-11-14T06:17:13","slug":"sacramento-kings-seek-end-of-losing-skid-vs-timberwolves","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/52552\/","title":{"rendered":"Sacramento Kings seek end of losing skid vs. Timberwolves"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Minnesota Timberwolves feel as confident as they have all season ahead of their NBA Cup West Group A matchup against the Sacramento Kings on Friday night in Minneapolis.<\/p>\n

It all starts on defense, players and coaches agree.<\/p>\n

The Timberwolves will go for their fourth victory in a row when they tip off in NBA Cup group stage action.<\/p>\n

\"YouTube
\nSacramento Kings vs. Minnesota Timberwolves Preview<\/p>\n

\u201cOur sense of urgency and our focus on the little things has been better,\u201d Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert said about his team\u2019s improved play on defense. \u201cWe realize that, for us, it\u2019s a non-negotiable if we want to achieve our goal.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is something that we have to do every night, regardless of who is on the floor.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Timberwolves have won five of their past six games, and in those five victories they have not allowed more than 117 points in a game. The only hiccup during the recent stretch was a 137-114 loss on the road against the New York Knicks.<\/p>\n

Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said everyone has contributed to the recent success.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s just gone up \u2014 challenging Jaden (McDaniels) and Rudy to be the backbone of our defense,\u201d Finch said. \u201c\u2018Ant\u2019 (Anthony Edwards) has been really good. Julius (Randle) has been good.<\/p>\n

\u201cEveryone\u2019s just kind of taking a step forward. We\u2019ve got to rebound better. We\u2019ve got to quit fouling. And when we do that, we can take the next step.\u201d<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, the Sacramento Kings are looking to find their footing after losing four straight games. Sacramento is coming off its worst loss of the season after the Atlanta Hawks drubbed them 133-100 on Wednesday night.<\/p>\n

Sacramento Kings coach Doug Christie challenged his players to fight harder going forward.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re going to find people who want to compete, period,\u201d Christie said. \u201cYou\u2019ve got to look in the mirror. We\u2019re going to show each individual film, and if that\u2019s your compete level, that\u2019s unacceptable, period.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve got to compete. \u2026 When you play a team like that, you\u2019ve got to compete, period, and if you don\u2019t, that will be the result every single time.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Sacramento Kings will have to find a way to slow down Edwards, who is averaging a team-high 27.1 points per game for the Timberwolves. He is shooting 50.4% from the field and 50% from 3-point range this season.<\/p>\n

Randle ranks second with 25.4 points per game for Minnesota, and McDaniels rounds out the top three scorers at 18.4 points per contest.<\/p>\n

Sacramento\u2019s top scorer is Zach LaVine, who is averaging 23.9 points while shooting 51.9% overall and 42.3% from beyond the arc. LaVine missed the Kings\u2019 most recent game because of a thigh injury, and has since been removed from the injury report.<\/p>\n

DeMar DeRozan is next with 19.2 points per game for the Kings, and Domantas Sabonis is averaging a double-double with 15.3 points and 12.3 rebounds.<\/p>\n

This will be the second meeting in six days between the Timberwolves and Kings.<\/p>\n

Last Sunday, Minnesota pulled away for a 144-117 win on the road. Edwards scored 26 points to lead the Timberwolves, and LaVine scored 26 to lead the Kings.<\/p>\n

-Field Level Media<\/p>\n

When is the next Sacramento Kings game?<\/p>\n

On the heels of a brutal five-game homestand, the Sacramento Kings will embark on a five-game road trip that will provide its own set of challenges when they tip things off on Friday night in Minnesota.<\/p>\n

The Sacramento Kings will face the Timberwolves, San Antonio Spurs, Memphis Grizzlies, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Denver Nuggets during a grueling 11-day trip before heading home for the Thanksgiving holiday.<\/p>\n

Be sure to catch all of the Sacramento Kings vs. Minnesota Timberwolves action right here on Sactown Sports 1140 AM, with pregame coverage beginning at 2:00 PM PT on\u00a0The Drive Guys\u00a0before a 5:00 pm PT tip-off from the Target Center in Minneapolis.<\/p>\n

Upcoming Sacramento Kings schedule for the 2025-26 season<\/p>\n

Friday, November 14th\u00a0\u2013 @ Minnesota Timberwolves \u2013 5:00 PM PT
\nSunday, November 16th\u00a0\u2013 @ San Antonio Spurs \u2013 1:00 PM PT
\nWednesday, November 19th\u00a0\u2013 @ Oklahoma City \u2013 5:00 PM PT
\nThursday, November 20th\u00a0\u2013 @ Memphis Grizzlies \u2013 5:00 PM PT
\nSaturday, November 22nd\u00a0\u2013 @ Denver Nuggets \u2013 7:00 PM PT<\/p>\n

Thank you for reading\u00a0SactownSports.com<\/a>. Follow us on\u00a0Twitter<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Google News<\/a>, and subscribe to our\u00a0YouTube<\/a>\u00a0channel.<\/p>\n

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