Kings Show 2 Glaring Issues in Blowout Loss to Magic

The Sacramento Kings were blown out by the Orlando Magic on the road.

Mar 29, 2025; Orlando, Florida, USA; Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero (5) shoots the ball over Sacramento Kings guard/forward Zach LaVine (8) in the second quarter at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Reper-Imagn Images | Jeremy Reper-Imagn Images

The Sacramento Kings need every win they can get as they jockey for play-in positioning. Unfortunately, Sacramento did not show up like a team in the midst of a dogfight for postseason aspirations. 

The Orlando Magic’s length has been a notoriously difficult matchup for Sacramento, and this was on full display on Saturday afternoon. The Kings trailed by 17 after the first quarter, and the teams ultimately emptied their benches with nine minutes left. 

The Kings clearly felt Jake LaRavia’s (thumb) absence tonight. Keon Ellis was initially asked to guard Magic star Paolo Banchero. Banchero is listed as six inches taller and 75 pounds heavier than Ellis. 

Understandably, Ellis was saddled with foul trouble, and Banchero got where he wanted throughout the game, finishing with 24 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists in 29 minutes. At worst, LaRavia could have been a larger body to throw at Banchero and make his life a little more difficult. 

Paolo Banchero thru three quarters vs. SAC:

24 PTS
6 REB
6 AST pic.twitter.com/u9A7BIpivY

— Orlando Magic (@OrlandoMagic) March 29, 2025

On top of simply being bigger than Sacramento, the Magic shot the lights out. One of the Kings’ biggest flaws this season (and seemingly an evergreen issue) has been opponents’ three-point shooting. 

Whether it is poor rotations, closeouts, or players simply hitting shots, teams make threes against the Kings - at an unbelievably high clip. They allow opponents to shoot 38.5% from beyond the arc, and this unfortunate number reared its head tonight. 

Orlando - the worst three-point shooting team in the league by several percentage points - shot 46% on 39 attempts from distance tonight. For comparison, the Kings shot a paltry 25% from distance on just 28 attempts - a far cry from coach Doug Christie’s goal of 50 three-point attempts per game. 

The Kings were dominated in just about every aspect tonight, but the worst shooting team in the league having this kind of night is simply unacceptable. 

The Kings are now tied with the Mavericks (pending their outcome on Saturday night) for the 9-10 seeds, with the Suns one game behind both. Importantly, the Kings hold tiebreakers over both teams. Sacramento looks to rebound on Monday in Indiana, where they face the Pacers.

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