The Sacramento Kings are starting to find their groove-and they’re doing it in a way that should have the rest of the league paying attention. With their latest win over the New York Knicks, the Kings have now strung together three straight victories for the first time this season. And they’re not just beating anyone-they’re knocking off some of the league’s most talented squads.
This current stretch has been especially sweet for Sacramento fans, with all three wins coming at home in front of a fired-up Golden 1 Center crowd. First it was Kevin Durant and the Rockets, then Luka Dončić and the Lakers, and finally, a New York Knicks team that’s been surging in the East-albeit without Jalen Brunson, who exited early due to injury.
Still, the Kings didn’t just squeak by. They controlled the game, and the numbers tell the story.
Let’s talk about the real difference-maker: free throws. The Kings absolutely owned the stripe in this one. It’s not the flashiest part of the game, but it’s where they separated themselves-and it’s where the Knicks fell flat.
New York launched 41 shots from beyond the arc but only connected on eight of them. That’s 19.5% from deep, which is a tough pill to swallow when you’re relying on that many perimeter looks.
Sacramento, on the other hand, was more selective and more efficient-hitting 10 of their 27 three-point attempts. That’s a modest six-point swing, but it speaks volumes about shot selection and execution.
But the real story is at the free throw line. The Knicks went 15-for-23 from the stripe, a 65.2% clip that just isn’t going to cut it in a competitive game.
The Kings? They went 32-for-38-good for 84.2%.
That’s a 17-point advantage in a game Sacramento won by 11. You don’t need a calculator to see how critical those extra points were.
DeMar DeRozan led the way in that department, going 12-for-13 on free throws. That’s 92.3%-and exactly the kind of veteran poise and efficiency you want in tight matchups.
And it wasn’t just DeRozan. Three other Kings stepped to the line and didn’t miss a single shot.
That kind of consistency at the line is what separates good teams from great ones.
This is where the fundamentals matter. In a league that often emphasizes the highlight reel, the Kings won this one by doing the little things right.
Free throws aren’t glamorous, but they’re crucial. And in this case, they were the difference between a comfortable win and a potential loss.
With momentum building and a few more home games on the horizon, Sacramento is starting to look like a team that’s figuring itself out. Beating big-name opponents is one thing.
Doing it by locking in on the basics? That’s how you build something sustainable.