Numbers Reveal How Kings Got Blown Out by Warriors

A game that started with Draymond Green hitting two wide-open corner threes finished exactly the way you would expect if you’re a Sacramento Kings fan. Green led eight Golden State Warriors in double figures as they continued their scorching play and beat the Kings 130-104.

How bad was this game for the Kings? Stephen Curry made 4 shots from the field and only scored 11 points, and Jimmy Butler scored a total of 6 points, but the Kings somehow still lost by 26 points. Let’s take a look at how this happened, by the numbers.

18 - The number of points scored by Kings starters Malik Monk, Keegan Murray, and Jonas Valančiūnas combined. Altogether, the trio shot 7-of-30 from the field (23.3%) and 2-of-13 from three (0-5 for Monk).

Murray has played well enough of late to be excused for the occasional subpar performance, and Valančiūnas is only starting because Domantas Sabonis is still out with a hamstring injury. However, it may be time for Doug Christie to remove Monk from the starting lineup in favor of Keon Ellis.

Is Monk simply miscast as a starting point guard? On this team, Monk has performed better off the bench than as a starter and better as a two guard than running the point. Starting Ellis would certainly solve the first problem, allowing Monk to thrive in a sixth man role even if he technically does so as a point guard.

As for the second problem, positioning is less of an issue if Monk is being asked to run the second unit more often than the starting unit.

Malik starting really hurts Lavine’s production…

Lavine WITHOUT Malik in the starting lineup:
28.7 PTS | 20.0 FGA | 8.3 3PA | 66.8% TS

Lavine WITH Malik in the starting lineup:
21.5 PTS | 15.0 FGA | 6.8 3PA | 63.5% TS

Keon should start. Malik NEEDS to come off the bench.
— KeeganMuse (@KeegMuse) March 14, 2025

56.4 - The percentage of three point attempts the Warriors made in this game. This is an ongoing problem on the defensive end of the floor for the Kings, and tonight it was exacerbated by the game plan of preventing Steph Curry from having a big night.

Mission accomplished, but it came at the price of Draymond Green, Gary Payton II, Quinten Post, and Gui Santos combining to shoot 12-of-20 (60%) from behind the arc, largely on uncontested (or lightly-contested) looks. This is not winning basketball, to put it mildly.

5 - The number of turnovers committed by Zach LaVine in this game. This is also the number of field goals he made, which is a much larger problem for the Kings. For the second game in a row LaVine struggled to make an impact on the offensive end as the Kings were blown out.

LaVine did connect on all four of his three-point attempts in this game, but taking only six shots is indefensible. LaVine has to be a focal point of the offense for the Kings to be successful. This is even more important for games in which Sabonis doesn’t play.

2. For a second straight game, Zach LaVine took a backseat. After shooting the ball just 10 times in the loss to the Knicks, LaVine finished with 14 points on 5-for-6 from the field against the Warriors, including 4 makes from 3. For the Kings to function, LaVine has to take more…
— James Ham (@James_HamNBA) March 14, 2025

1,216 - The number of three pointers made by Buddy Hield over the last 5 seasons, which is the most in the NBA. Kings fans are well aware of how streaky Hield can be; when he catches fire, you think every single shot is going in.

Hield has also been very durable in his career, which is another reason he holds this distinction. In fact, he played a total of 84 games last season due to being traded from Indiana to Philadelphia.

The bottom line (because Stone Cold said so) is that the Kings played a road game against the hottest team in the NBA. About an hour before tipoff, one of their best players was officially ruled “Out” for the game. These circumstances are not typically conducive to winning basketball games.

That does not excuse any of the poor play exhibited by the Kings, but I don’t think it’s time to abandon all hope for the season either. Friday’s game against the Suns, who currently occupy the 11th spot in the West standings, represents another challenge for the Kings and another opportunity to solidify their place in the Play-In race.

Recommended Articles