Kings Drop Eighth Straight as Road Woes Continue in Boston
The Sacramento Kings' East Coast trip has been as frigid as the temperatures they’ve encountered along the way - and Friday night in Boston was no exception. With a 112-93 loss to the Celtics, the Kings extended their losing streak to eight games, matching their longest skid of the season. From the opening tip, it was clear this one was going to be an uphill climb.
Boston came out firing, jumping to a 9-1 lead before the first timeout and putting Sacramento on its heels early. The Celtics poured in 40 points in the first quarter alone, building a 15-point cushion that they never relinquished. It was one of those games where the Kings just couldn’t find their rhythm, and head coach Doug Christie didn’t sugarcoat it.
“Just a bit of lethargic energy,” Christie said postgame. “Not the pop that we wanted.”
This wasn’t just a bad night - it was the latest chapter in a brutal stretch for Sacramento. The loss marked their 12th straight on the road, a streak that dates back to early December.
It’s their longest road skid since the 2021-22 season, when they dropped 13 straight away from Golden 1 Center. They’ll try to avoid matching that mark Sunday in Washington, where they’ll face a Wizards team that’s also near the bottom of the standings.
The Kings haven’t won a road game since December 6 in Miami - nearly two months ago. And with the loss, coupled with a Pelicans win over Memphis, Sacramento now owns the NBA’s worst record at 12-38.
DeMar DeRozan, one of the veteran voices in the locker room, spoke candidly about the mental toll of the losing streak.
“It’s going to be frustrating when ups and downs come,” DeRozan said. “When you hit a wall, you got to keep pushing through it.
You just can’t lay there. As long as we stay together regardless of whatever’s going on - the trade deadline, weather, we got a million excuses.
At the end of the day, you just gotta keep pushing forward.”
And there have been plenty of excuses to go around - or at least explanations. The Kings have been navigating a grueling travel schedule and severe winter weather, with delays in Cleveland and Detroit disrupting their routine. They’ve played three games in four nights across New York, Philadelphia, and Boston, all while battling freezing temperatures - it was just 4 degrees when they left Boston Friday night.
Still, the NBA schedule doesn’t offer much sympathy, and the Kings are feeling the weight of it.
Zach LaVine returned to the starting lineup after coming off the bench in Thursday’s tight loss to the 76ers. He led Sacramento with 17 points in his first start in a week, having just returned from a lower back issue. Rookie Nique Clifford added 15 points, while fellow first-year big Maxime Raynaud posted an impressive double-double with 14 points and 14 rebounds - a bright spot in an otherwise tough night.
Clifford, adjusting to the grind of the NBA, admitted the losing streak has been a mental challenge.
“I’m not used to losing like this,” Clifford said. “It’s been an adjustment in that sense, and being able to mentally get over these [losses] and move on, because we got so many games that you just got to stay mentally focused on the next game. So that’s challenged me.”
On the other side, Boston guard Payton Pritchard had himself a night. He racked up 22 points and eight assists in the first half alone, finishing with a game-high 29 points and knocking down five of six from beyond the arc. With Jaylen Brown sidelined due to hamstring tightness and a knee contusion, Pritchard stepped up and gave the Celtics exactly what they needed.
The Kings were without Russell Westbrook for a second straight game as he continues to deal with a foot injury. Christie said there’s still no timeline for his return. Malik Monk was back in the rotation after missing two games with a lower leg injury, but Domantas Sabonis sat out as the team continues to manage his knee issue.
There’s no sugarcoating it - this is a rough stretch for Sacramento. But with a day off Saturday and a matchup against a struggling Wizards team on deck, the Kings have a shot to stop the bleeding before heading home. Whether they can capitalize on that opportunity will say a lot about where this team is mentally - and how much fight they’ve got left.