Kings Lose to New-Look Cavs, Tie Record Long Losing Streak

A season that will live in infamy will actually make the record books. The Sacramento Kings fell to the Cleveland Cavaliers 132-126, falling to 12-42 on the season. This loss brings the Kings’ streak to 12, matching the longest losing streak in the Sacramento era.

New Looks, for Different Reasons

Both Sacramento and Cleveland ran out new starting lineups tonight.

Lotta inactives for the Kings leaves this with yet another new starting lineup.

Russell Westbrook
Nique Clifford
Daeqwon Plowden
DeMar DeRozan
Maxime Raynaud

It’s Plowden’s first start of his NBA career. pic.twitter.com/roDzM78qf8
— Brenden Nunes (@BrendenNunesNBA) February 8, 2026

For Cleveland, their 24th starting lineup was James Harden’s debut after arriving in the blockbuster trade that saw Darius Garland sent to the Clippers at the deadline. This may have been the most surprising trade request of Harden’s long track record of trade requests, and puts him in a situation to contend for a championship in the East.

Sacramento started its 27th new lineup for very different reasons. Some call it conservative injury management. Others would call it tank-itis. Regardless, Sacramento opened with a lineup that included two-way player Daequon Plowden.

This was Plowden’s first career NBA start - undoubtedly a big moment for him. The 27-year-old wing finished with 16 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists in 39 minutes tonight.

Revenge Game

Feb 7, 2026; Sacramento, California, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Keon Ellis (14) shakes hands with Sacramento Kings forward-center Drew Eubanks (19) before the start of a NBA game at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Lee-Imagn Images | Dennis Lee-Imagn Images

On top of new look starting lineups for both teams, Sacramento and Cleveland were trade partners last week. Dennis Schroder and Keon Ellis now man Cleveland’s second unit, hoping to stabilize a rotation with championship aspirations.

Schroder played 17 minutes, scoring 7 points. Ellis did Ellis things, scoring 6 points (2/4 3PT), grabbing 3 rebounds, dishing 3 assists, and recording 3 steals in 17 minutes of his own.

De’Andre Hunter, Sacramento’s return in the Ellis and Schroder trade, missed tonight’s game after a rough eye injury last night.

While Cleveland is looking to win a championship and Sacramento is jockeying for lottery position, this game was very competitive. Sacramento actually went up double digits in the third quarter, and took a 96-93 lead into the fourth.

Talent ultimately prevailed and Donovan Mitchell and James Harden found enough rhythm down the stretch to pull the win out tonight. The duo combined for 55 points - most of which came in the third and fourth quarters.

Youth Movement Tracker

While so many losses this season have had no real takeaways for the future, there were plenty of bright spots tonight. Most importantly, Nique Clifford continues to find his groove with an extended run.

Clifford was pushed as far up the offensive hierarchy as he has been all season, and he looked very comfortable. The Colorado State product scored from all three levels, off the dribble and spotting up. This was the versatile offensive game that compelled Scott Perry to trade into the first round and draft Clifford last year.

I think we are (finally) seeing a fully unleashed Nique Clifford and he’s delivering in an expanded role

He’s a super high-feel player, with the ability to create for himself and others while also playing within an offense pic.twitter.com/e8i5UETG4t
— Point Made Basketball (@pointmadebball) February 8, 2026

Clifford tied his career high of 18 early on in the third quarter, finishing with 30 points on 12/19 shooting (5/9 3PT), adding 4 rebounds, 4 assists, and a pair of steals and blocks. Sacramento should continue using Clifford as a primary offensive option down the stretch of this season.

Devin Carter continued showing signs of life tonight, too, scoring a career-high 18 points. Carter added 4 rebounds and 4 assists as well. The jump shot is still not what it needs to be, but Carter should hopefully continue getting reps now that some opportunity has been cleared in the backcourt.

The young big duo of Maxime Raynaud and Dylan Cardwell did more of what has come to be expected of them tonight, too. Raynaud added 14 points and 7 rebounds, consistently hitting his hooks and floaters in the mid-paint.

Cardwell did Cardwell things, providing great energy while doing so. He already looks to be one of the better offensive rebounders in the league. Much more development beyond the rebounding and rim protection he shows now, and he will far outplay the standard contract he earned earlier this week.

This kind of loss is very distinguishable from so many of those earlier in the season. Tonight, Clifford, Carter, and the young big duo led the way, with Westbrook and DeRozan supplanting as needed. The other way of leaning all the way on the veterans neither led to many wins nor helped the future, and at least this way hits one of those objectives.

Sacramento looks to keep this losing streak from hitting the teens on Monday, when they play the New Orleans Pelicans (a very important game for draft lottery positioning). For reference, the franchise’s longest losing streak was 14 games, which the Cincinnati Royals hit twice, first in 1959-60 and again in 1970-71.

New Looks, for Different Reasons

Revenge Game

Youth Movement Tracker

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