James Ham

YouTube video by Locked On Kings (Sacramento) Nique Clifford shows he is READY FOR MORE as Kings hit final 20 games

The latest on @lockedonkings.bsky.social - Nique Clifford shows he is READY FOR MORE as Kings hit final 20 games youtu.be/EbvGZvq8F6s?...

6. Tough assignment. Precious Achiuwa drew the short straw and had to defend LeBron James. It doesn't matter how old he is, James is still a superstar. Achiuwa did his best on the defensive end and added 8 points, 9 rebounds and 2 blocks.

5. Feisty. Malik Monk picked up an early tech. Then he got into it with Maxi Kleber after a hard foul. The energy was good, especially for a game that was out of reach early. Monk finished with 10 points and 2 assists. He's alway motivated against his former team.

4. The handoff. If he wants to stay on the court for the Kings, DeMar DeRozan has to reinvent himself. Over his last 5 games, the future hall of famer is averaging less than 15 points per game, but he's pushed his assist number to 5.4. DeRozan posted 9 points and 8 assists.

3. Revenge game? Russell Westbrook's year and a half with the Lakers didn't go all that well. He looked motivated back in his old stomping grounds, even if it led to some forced action early. Westbrook posted 14 points, 4 assists and 5 rebounds.

2. Uncharacteristic. Maxime Raynaud turned the ball over a total of 4 times over his last 7 games. The rookie center had 4 in the first half of this game. You could see the frustration on his face. He recovered to score 16 points and grab 13 rebounds.

1. Give him the keys and don't ask about the dents. Nique Clifford was a focal point of the Kings' attack, both as a shooter and a creator. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't, but this is the next step in his progression. Clifford finished with 26 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists.

Over early. The Sacramento King finished off their five game road trip with a lopsided loss to the Lakers in LA Sunday night. It wasn't all that competitive as the Kings fell to 14-48 on the season with a 128-104 smackdown at Crypto. Here are six quick thoughts:

Kings trail 96-76 heading to the fourth in LA. Nique Clifford has 22 points. Russell Westbrook has 14 points. No other Kings player is in double figure scoring.

Better effort in the second quarter. Kings trail the Lakers 64-49 heading to the half. Westbrook leads with 12 points. Nique Clifford has 10 points. 12 turnovers and 12 assists for the Kings in the first half.

Kings trail the Lakers 36-18 after 1Q in LA. Nique Clifford has 8 points and 4 rebounds. No other King has more than 2 points.

Starters:

Keegan Murray has a mild left ankle sprain and will be reevaluated in 2 weeks

YouTube video by Locked On Kings (Sacramento) Kings YOUTH MOVEMENT on full display in win over Dallas Mavericks

The latest on @lockedonkings.bsky.social - Kings YOUTH MOVEMENT on full display in win over Dallas Mavericks youtu.be/ItmEb8cOTsw?...

6. Signs of life. A 10-day contract is brutal and Killian Hayes is trying to make the best of the situation. The 24-year-old does a nice job of pushing the tempo and looking ahead for breaking teammates. His shots aren't falling, but he's moving the ball and playing defense.

5. Showed up big. Two-way player Daeqwon Plowden is getting a shot to earn his way into the NBA and he isn't taking it lightly. The 27-year-old wing came off the bench and provided a spark with 19 points on 7-of-7 shooting and 4 rebounds.

4. A good starting place. Devin Carter's season hasn't gone as planned, but he got another start and played under control, team oriented basketball against the Mavs. Carter finished with 15 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals. So much better.

3. Keep building. Maxime Raynaud scored in double figures for the 10th time in his last 12 games. He's also averaging 9.7 rebounds over that stretch. The rookie center is providing consistency in a sea of inconsistent players. He posted 22 points and 6 boards in this one.

2. Got downhill. Rookie Nique Clifford picked up another start and looked confident from the jump. He attacked the paint and finished in traffic, posting 13 points with 7 assists, 8 rebounds and 2 steals. 6-of-19 shooting it tough, but he was aggressive.

1. Opportunity. The Kings needed length, athleticism and physicality early in the season as they dealt with injuries. Scott Perry pulled Precious Achiuwa off the free agent heap and he's been a true find. Achiuwa starred in this one, posting career-high 29 points to go with 12 rebounds.

Keep it simple. The Kings took care of the ball, played together and continued to develop the young guys as they rolled into Dallas and knocked off the Mavs. Here are six quick thoughts as the Kings picked up win No. 14 with a 130-121 road victory:

Kings lead 100-88 heading to the fourth in Dallas. Precious Achiuwa has 25 points. 14 points for Max Raynaud, 12 for Devin Carter and 11 for Drew Eubanks. 23 assists and just 4 turnovers for the Kings.

Kings lead the Mavs 68-56 heading to the half. Precious Achiuwa leads with 21 points. Max Raynaud has 10 points, Drew Eubanks has 9 off the bench and Nique Clifford has 7 points.

Kings lead the Mavs 42-28 after 1Q. Precious Achiuwa has 14 points and 6 rebounds. 8 points for Max Raynaud and 7 for Nique Clifford.

Starters:

Keegan Murray is officially listed as out with a left ankle sprain. Russell Westbrook is also out with a right thigh contusion. Malik Monk is questionable with right ankle soreness. Sabonis, Hunter, Cardwell and LaVine remain OUT.

YouTube video by Locked On Kings (Sacramento) MAN DOWN, Keegan Murray injured again as Kings fall to Rockets

The latest on @lockedonkings.bsky.social - MAN DOWN, Keegan Murray injured again as Kings fall to Rockets youtu.be/NVE4HAGS1_A?...

6. An appearance. Recently signed two-way player Patrick Baldwin made his Kings debut. It wasn't anything special, but he's extremely mobile for a 7-footer and worth taking a longer look at. Same goes for Killian Hayes, who signed a 10-day earlier in the week.

5. Outdueled. Maxime Raynaud had his double-double streak end at three games. He still managed to score 11 points and grab 8 rebounds, but he also struggled to defend Alperen Sengun, who finished with a 26-point, 13-rebound, 11-assist triple-double.

4. Let it fly. Nique Clifford looked confident shooting the three for one of the few times this season. He knocked down 3-of-7 from deep on his way to 15 points. Clifford added 3 steals, but had a quiet night as a rebounder and assist man.