James Ham

7. Not at full strength. Zach LaVine came into the day questionable with a sore back. He looked like a player with a sore back for much of the night. The Kings' leading scorer finished the night with 15 points on 4-for-11 shooting. He added 5 rebounds and 4 assists.

6. Showing something. Nique Clifford is bouncy and has a really good feel for the game. The rookie hasn't been able to get his offense going so far, but he made a nice impression in this one. He scored a career-high 8 points and added 3 assists and a block.

5. Bench dudes. Keon Ellis and Drew Eubanks found ways to make a difference. Ellis hit 5-of-8 from 3 for 15 points. Eubanks got it going in the two-man game with Westbrook to score 9 points on 4-of-4 shooting. They were needed with Malik Monk out of action.

4. King of the mid-range. There are no signs of slowing for DeMar DeRozan in his 17th season. He just keeps getting to his spot where he pump fakes players into oblivion and knocks down jumpers. DeRozan posted 19 points on 8-of-17 from the field.

3. Running the show. Dennis Schröder has quietly become the Kings' set up man. He was impactful in this game, scoring 18 points to go with 9 assists and 4 boards. This marked the fifth time in seven games that Schröder posted seven assists or more.

2. Battered and bruised. Domantas Sabonis needed a triage unit to keep him on the court. He injured his right shoulder, took a bad shot to the ribs and got smacked in the face. Sabonis battled through to finish with 13 points, 17 rebounds and 5 assists.

1. Do you need to win to have a revenge game? Russell Westbrook played last season in Denver, helping the Nuggets to a 50-32 record and a solid playoff run. He looked motivated in this game, posting 26 points, 12 rebounds and 6 assists.

Too much Joker. The Kings finished off their four-game road trip Monday night in Denver. Despite a spirited effort, three-time MVP Nikola Jokic dominated the action as the Nuggets came away with a 130-124 win Here are six(seven) quick thoughts:

Double-double for Westbrook. 23 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assists.

Kings trail the Nuggets 104-93 heading to the fourth. Westbrook leads the Kings with 20 points. DeRozan has 17 points. Sabonis is up to 13 points and 14 rebounds and Schröder has 12 points and 7 assists.

Kings trail the Nuggets 72-61 heading to the half. Westbrook leads the Kings with 16 points. DeRozan has 15 and Sabonis is up to 11 points and 8 rebounds.

Kings trail 39-30 after 1Q in Denver. DeMar DeRozan has 7 points to pace Sacramento. 5 points each for Sabonis and Westbrook. Nuggets knock down 6-of-12 from long range. Jokic has 15 early points.

Starters:

League source confirms that Zach LaVine, Dennis Schröder and Devin Carter are all available tonight in Denver, as Jason Anderson reported. Two-way player Daeqwon Plowden has joined the team in Denver as well.

Kings injury report for tomorrow's matchup against the Nuggets is tough.
Malik Monk (Personal) OUT
Zach LaVine (Low Back Soreness) Questionable
Dennis Schröder (Right Hip) Questionable
Devin Carter (Right Knee) Questionable
Keegan Murray (Thumb) OUT

6. Russell Westbrook didn't start the game, but he played major minutes and came up big for the Kings. Westbrook didn't have a good shooting night, but he found ways to impact the game, finishing with 12 points, 10 assists and 5 rebounds.

5. Mixing it up. Domantas Sabonis drew the ire of Bobby Portis in a weird moment that almost got physical early in the game. Sabonis survived the incident to post 24 points, 13 rebounds and 6 assists. His offensive numbers are on a steady climb after a rough start.

4. Quality outing. Dennis Schröder struggled to score the last two games, but he found his rhythm in this one. The veteran guard shot 8-for-13 from the field for a season-high 24 points. He added 7 assists and 5 rebounds. Big time performance from Schröder.

3. Still smooth. Zach LaVine glides across the floor with such ease. He continued his early season offensive outburst, scoring 31 points on 8-for-17 shooting, including 6 makes from long range. He added 4 rebounds and 2 assists for another high level performance.

2. Doing the same thing since 2009. DeMar DeRozan continues to defy father time. The 36-year-old dropped 19 of his 29 points in the first half and continued to abuse opposing players from the mid-range. It was a throwback game for a throwback player.

1. No excuses. The Kings had two days off to prepare for the Milwaukee Bucks and then allowed the home team to jump out to a 15-2 lead to open the game. Giving up 47 first quarter points is an embarrassment and nearly impossible to recover from. Nearly is the key word.

It was ugly. All looked lost. And then the Kings manned up and played ball. In a shocker, the Kings shook off an abysmal start to give the Bucks a run for their money. The end result was a tremendous 135-133 Kings win in regulation. Here are six quick thoughts:

Kings rally big time in the third quarter, take a 108-102 lead into the fourth quarter. LaVine leads with 31 points. 22 for DeRozan and 20 for Schröder. Sabonis has 17 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists.

Kings battle back in the second quarter. They trail 71-70 heading to the break in Milwaukee after an abysmal first quarter. DeRozan leads with 19 points. 18 points for LaVine, 12 for Schröder and 11 points for Sabonis.

Kings shake off a dreadful start to trail the Bucks 47-36 after 1Q. Absolutely zero defense for the Kings. Zach LaVine leads with 12 points. Bucks shoot 70.8% from the field and hit 8 3s.

New starting lineup. Dylan Cardwell gets his first start:

Late to the party, but Nique Clifford has been upgraded to available for today's game in Milwaukee. Malik Monk is away from the team due to a personal matter. Keegan Murray remains out.

Nique Clifford (hamstring) is questionable for tomorrow’s Kings v. Bucks matchup. Malik Monk is out due to personal reasons. Keegan Murray remains out after undergoing thumb surgery.

6. Temporarily permanent starter? Russell Westbrook made his second straight start in place of the injured Keegan Murray and he continues to give quality minutes. The 18-year vet posted 12 points, 4 assists, 2 rebounds and 3 steals.

5. Tough night. Dennis Schröder struggled with his shot, hitting just 2-for-9 from the field for 5 points. He found a way to impact the game in a different way, dishing out 7 assists, but it wasn't his best game as a King on either end of the court.