Kings Show Glaring Weakness in 113-91 Loss to Clippers

The Sacramento Kings' shooting woes continue as they fall to 0-5 in preseason action.

Oct 17, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Sacramento Kings forward DeMar DeRozan (10) dribbles the ball against Los Angeles Clippers forward Nicolas Batum (33) during the first quarter of NBA preseason game at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images / Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

For better or worse, the preseason is over, and the Sacramento Kings end the exhibition season winless at 0-5 after falling to the Los Angeles Clippers 113-91 on Thursday night.

The Kings shooting woes continued on Thursday night as they shot 12-of-46 (26.1%) from beyond the arc, bringing their preseason three-point percentage to 25.4 percent.

Kings 3P Totals from the preseason: 47-of-185 (25.4%)

— Will Z. Stats (@will_zimmerle) October 18, 2024

New King Doug McDermott was a bright spot for Sacramento and was the only player to get any rhythm going from a distance, shooting 4-of-11 (36.4%) in his debut. He certainly wasn’t shy and had some nice flashes on the court with Keegan Murray.

Boogie Ellis was the only other Kings player to hit more than one three, going 2-of-7 (28.6%) from beyond the arc. It was a brutal night of shooting for Sacramento all around.

The other area the Kings struggled in yet again was taking care of the ball, ending the night with 22 turnovers.

Between the poor shooting and turnovers, Sacramento never stood a chance in this one. It’s a concerning combination of trends to close out the preseason.

Domantas Sabonis quietly put together a nice game as the rest of the team struggled, finishing with 24 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 assists on 7-of-14 (50%) from the field and 10-of-12 (83.3%) from the free throw line.

He’s been the most consistent Kings player of the preseason. His six turnovers tonight were a blemish, but Sabonis looks ready to go for the regular season. His passing should only improve with more time to gain chemistry on cutting and slashing with new teammates.

The Kings have a week to regroup and prepare for the season opener against the Minnesota Timberwolves at 7:00 pm PT on October 24th. 

---

Follow Inside The Kings on Facebook and Twitter.

Subscribe on YouTube for breaking Kings news videos and live-stream podcasts!