Three Takeaways From Kings Surprisingly Fun Loss to Pistons

The Sacramento Kings fell to the Detroit Pistons 136-127, but had some solid moments for a fourth straight game.

Dec 23, 2025; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings guard Demar Derozan (10) runs up the court during the first quarter against the Detroit Pistons at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images | Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images

The Sacramento Kings may have lost 136-127 to the Detroit Pistons, but it could have been so much worse, like we've seen throughout the season so many times before. Instead, we saw the Kings keep the game within striking distance down to the end of the contest, which is a solid feat based on the records coming into the game (Kings: 7-22, Pistons: 23-6).

There were a lot of things that the Kings could have done better, but they continued their recent trend of fighting and playing with a competitive spirit that Doug Christie is looking for. But the Pistons showed why they are the top team in the East and destroyed the Kings in the paint en route to 70 points inside as they were led by Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren.

Here are three takeaways from the Kings latest loss on the season.

Keegan Murray's Injury Once Again Highlights Size

This season started with possibly the worst injury news when Keegan Murray was forced out due to injury, and the injury bug caught up to him again tonight when he was ruled out for the second half with a calf injury.

Keegan Murray will not return (right calf). Might have been injured on the block he had in the second quarter.

— Sean Cunningham (@SeanCunningham) December 24, 2025

The Pistons, especially, are an extremely long and athletic team, and with Murray out for the second half, it's no wonder Detroit ended with 70 points in the paint. Even when Murray was on the court, the Kings looked small.

Seeing the rookies and the young players excel is great, but tonight was a good reminder that Scott Perry and the Kings have a lot of work to do to bring in more wing depth behind Murray. We'll have to wait and see if Murray will miss any time, and if so, Christie will have to get creative on how he fills in for the versatile wing once again.

Nique Clifford Quietly Improving

Maxime Raynaud has taken over the conversation as the exciting rookie thanks to his recent stretch of success, and rightfully so. He finished the night with 8 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 assists on 4-of-8 from the field in a relatively quiet night.

But Nique Clifford had another solid game with 14 points, 2 rebounds, and 2 steals on 5-of-10 from the field and 2-of-4 from three. He did a little bit of everything on the court and showed more of a scoring touch tonight, finishing one point shy of his career high.

And arguably most importantly, Clifford got some run during the end of the game. It wasn't close or technically crunch time, but it was closing minutes and situations that he hasn't had many opportunities to be a part of yet early in his career.

Clifford's development continues to be one of the most important parts of the season for the Kings, and if Murray is out, we'll likely see more Clifford minutes in the next handful of games.

DeMar DeRozan Turns Back the Clock

Dec 23, 2025; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings guard Demar Derozan (10) is guarded by Detroit Pistons forward Tobias Harris (12) during the fourth quarter at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images | Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images

On the flipside, there's DeMar DeRozan, who is no stranger to clutch minutes and big moments. And tonight he single-handedly kept the Kings in the game for stretches, finishing with a season-high 37 points, 8 assists, and 3 rebounds on an absurd 12-of-18 shooting from the field. And those aren't dunk or layup attempts, but his patented mid-range and contested jumper.

Throw in the 13-of-15 performance from the free throw line, and it was about as vintage of a DeRozan performance as we've seen yet this season. He may not be around for long, but DeRozan is quietly continuing to do what he does best amid the turmoil of the season. He's not flashy or a 'loud' scorer, but he hasn't lost a step in his 17th season.