The Sacramento Kings faced a tough night on the court against the Houston Rockets, suffering a 128-97 defeat that was compounded by an unfortunate injury to Keegan Murray. The Kings, now at 13-47 for the season, watched as their promising star returned to the locker room with what appeared to be a re-aggravation of a previous ankle injury. Murray's absence was keenly felt, as the Kings struggled to keep pace with the Rockets' explosive offense.
Houston's Reed Sheppard was unstoppable, dropping a career-high 28 points and nailing seven shots from beyond the arc. The Rockets' firepower didn't stop there. Kevin Durant, a 16-time All-Star, added 21 points, while Alperen Sengun delivered a stellar triple-double with 26 points, 13 rebounds, and 11 assists, showcasing his versatility in just 32 minutes.
For Sacramento, veterans Russell Westbrook and DeMar DeRozan tried to lead the charge, contributing 22 and 15 points respectively. Meanwhile, rookie Nique Clifford continued to impress, following up his career-high six steals against the Grizzlies with another strong performance-15 points and four steals.
Maxime Raynaud and Daeqwon Plowden also chipped in, with Raynaud recording 11 points and eight rebounds, and Plowden adding nine points in his 24 minutes on the court. Patrick Baldwin Jr. made his debut, and while his stats were modest-five points, three rebounds, one assist, and one steal-his potential as a 7-footer offers hope for the future.
However, it wasn't all positive for the Kings. Killian Hayes struggled, managing just three points on 1-for-9 shooting, and Malik Monk's off night contributed to the team's sub-40% shooting performance. Despite winning the offensive rebounding battle 16-9, the Kings couldn't overcome the Rockets' impressive 43.6% accuracy from three-point range.
As the Kings regroup, they'll need to address these challenges and hope for a swift recovery for Murray to turn their season around.