Sacramento Kings Struggle in 104-88 Loss to LA Clippers

The Sacramento Kings fell flat in Friday's disappointing loss to the LA Clippers.

Nov 22, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Sacramento Kings guard De'Aaron Fox (5) dribbles the ball against Los Angeles Clippers guard Amir Coffey (7) during the third quarter at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images / Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

After playing the last couple of games without stars Domantas Sabonis and DeMar DeRozan, the Sacramento Kings got the elite tandem back on the court for Friday's NBA Cup matchup against the Los Angeles Clippers.

Unfortunately for the Kings, even with Sabonis, DeRozan, and De'Aaron Fox back together, they still managed to collapse against a short-handed Clippers squad. The Kings left LA on Friday night with a 104-88 loss.

Many fans were ready to call it a night after the Kings scored just 12 points in the first quarter and had only 29 by halftime. Their 88 points were their lowest point total in a game since February 2022.

Fox and Sabonis each managed to score more than LA's highest scorer, James Harden with 22, but the Kings' fault came in the second unit. Sacramento's bench contributed just nine points, compared to LA's 39. Despite the 16-point loss, the Kings' starting lineup posted a net rating of +8, showing that the weak second unit was truly embarrassing.

The Kings shot just 20 percent from deep and 38.6 percent from the field, both inflated by a strong third quarter that almost willed them back into the game. Overall, Sacramento did not look like a team ready to contend in the Western Conference.

The Kings move to 8-8 on the season, hosting the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday for a chance to get back in the win column. After such a horrendous loss in LA, all the Kings can do now is move on.

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