Well, the Sacramento Kings' search for their first win of the season continues, as they fell big to the San Antonio Spurs 130-103 to drop to 0-4 on the season. And it doesn't feel like they're going to get in the win column anytime soon at this rate.
More so than any game yet this season, this game felt like one the Kings really had no chance to win. Not only from a pure talent perspective between the two teams, but also with Sacramento already dealing with multiple injuries to key players. And that's pretty much exactly how this game went.
The tone of this one was set from the first play of the game: an easy alley-oop from former King De'Aaron Fox to Victor Wembanyama. And that wasn't the last easy bucket that the MVP candidate got inside tonight. As always, here are three takeaways from the tough game as the Kings drop their fourth straight to start the year.
Everything was too easy for the Spurs tonight. Yes, they are a championship contender this season, but with the Kings' defense tonight, they looked like five-time champs coming in for a tune-up. Defense has been the talk of the town in Sacramento for years, but tonight was a reminder of how far they have to go before they achieve their defensive goals.
The Spurs finished with 29 fastbreak points, 60 points in the paint, and outscored the Kings by 12 from beyond the arc. Julian Champagnie alone shot an absurd 8-of-10 from three in the first half, outshooting the Kings from deep in the first two quarters (7-of-16).
The Kings officially have a bench scoring problem. After tonight's 14 bench points, their bench has scored a total of 89 points, good for 22.3 per game. That's just not going to cut it with how bad the Kings' defense is. For reference, the Houston Rockets were last in the league with 27.6 bench points per game last season.
One of the issues is injuries , as Keegan Murray, Maxime Raynaud, and Dylan Cardwell all remain out, and Ben Simmons is out for the season. But the other is that the collection of players off the bench are all role players, most of whom specialize on the defensive end more than on the offensive end.
Malik Monk is still finding his rhythm in his third game back on the court and had another quiet contest tonight, finishing with just three points on 1-of-7 shooting from the field. He did chip in six assists, though, which is good to see him find his role as a facilitator.
Oct 27, 2026; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Sacramento Kings forward De'andre Hunter (15) faces off against San Antonio Spurs guard Dylan Harper (2) in the first half iat Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Maybe the best positive takeaway from this one was De'Andre Hunter starting to get into an offensive rhythm. He finished with a team-high 24 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, a steal, and a block on 8-of-13 shooting from the field and 5-of-9 from three.
Much like the rest of the Kings roster, Hunter's future in Sacramento is up in the air. The Kings could either take advantage of his expiring $24.9 million contract this offseason, or dangle him as a trade asset at the trade deadline.
The better he plays, the easier he should be to trade. Hunter has had an up-and-down career where he doesn't meet expectations at times, but his length and shooting make him valuable for almost every team in the league. Tonight was a reminder of how he can put those skills to use, and hopefully the start of his return to form for Sacramento.
The Kings continue their road trip to New Orleans as they face the Pelicans, which could be their best chance for a win before facing the Memphis Grizzlies, Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Lakers, and Spurs again.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/nba/kings/onsi as Three Takeaways From Kings' Disheartening Loss To Spurs .
