SACRAMENTO — Two hours after coach Doug Christie delivered a heated message to reporters gathered at Golden 1 Center, the Kings couldn’t match their coach’s passion on the court and were handled fairly easily 122-108 by the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday.
Domantas Sabonis isn’t yet back to full strength but still was a force for Sacramento, with 19 points and eight rebounds despite being saddled in foul trouble much of the night. Drew Eubanks came off the bench with 19 points and seven rebounds in the Kings’ third consecutive loss.
DeMar DeRozan added 18 points while Zach LaVine and Malik Monk had 12 points apiece.
The Nuggets got control of this one early, scoring 15 points in the first four minutes before many fans had even found their seats. The Kings weathered that storm and took the lead by the end of the first quarter but couldn’t sustain the momentum.
Led by another monster night from Nikola Jokić, the Nuggets didn’t face much resistance after halftime. Jokić had 35 points, 15 rebounds and seven assists.
The Nuggets led 60-56 at halftime before the Kings made a run and got within 85-82 heading into the fourth quarter.
Denver tried to pull away and got some breathing room that lasted momentarily, until Russell Westbrook made three free throws, Sabonis sank a 3-pointer and Monk scored on a layup to get the Kings within 110-99.
That was as good as it got down the stretch. Sabonis fouled out with 3:38 remaining, and the Nuggets (8-2) waltzed their way over the final seconds.
Here are the takeaways from Tuesday:
Battle of the Bigs
Anytime the Kings and Nuggets go at it, it’s must-see TV for fans of ridiculously talented big men.
Sabonis, still a little sore from his rib injury, carried the Kings’ offense early with 11 points in the first quarter when Sacramento flipped a 24-15 deficit into aa 34-33 lead.
Sabonis finished with a respectable line on 8-of-12 shooting. Jokić, as always, was a one-man force for which the Kings had no formula to stop.
No Slowing Down for Russ
One day shy of his 37th birthday, Westbrook showed without question he still can get down and get it done with the young guys.
The nine-time NBA All-Star guard repeatedly drove through the heart of the Nuggets’ defense, ending each time with an acrobatic score or dishing to an open man in the corner.
His shooting numbers for the night were nothing great (3 of 12), but Westbrook’s influence on the court went beyond scoring. As usual, Westbrook was in triple-double mode all night. He finished with 11 assists and eight rebounds.
Sacramento doesn’t necessarily need this type of offensive night from Westbrook on a daily basis. They brought him in mostly for depth and his veteran savvy. But if can get to the rack like this, the Kings definitely will take it.
Rough Road Ahead
The Kings had hoped to build some momentum on this homestand for team’s upcoming road trip. Instead, Sacramento has lost three straight at Golden 1 Center with another game to go before packing up to leave town for a few weeks.
After hosting the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday, the Kings head to the road for games at Minnesota, San Antonio, Oklahoma City, Memphis and Denver, three of which are unbeaten at home this season.
The Kings are just 1-4 away from Sacramento, so the upcoming trip takes on added significance. They have to win three or more games on the trip to consider it a success. Anything else will make the climb back to respectability a lot more difficult.
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