What We Learned As Kings Fall To Magic, Set Franchise Worst Losing Streak

It turns out that an All-Star break and some time away doesn't fix everything, especially for a 12-win team that lost their last 14 games heading into the break. The Sacramento Kings showed more of the same that we've seen over the prolonged stretch of losses, falling big tonight to the Orlando Magic 131-94.

The game was close for a little over a quarter, but the Magic used a quick burst in the early second quarter and never looked back. They outscored the Kings 46-27 in the second frame and easily pulled away in the second half.

At 12-45, the Sacramento Kings are on pace to finish 17-65, which would tie the 2008-09 team for the worst record in the Sacramento era. pic.twitter.com/knr3A2zoU1
— Frankie Cartoscelli (@FCartoscelli3) February 20, 2026

They used shot lights out from three-point range all night, making a franchise-record 27 threes on just 51 attempts, good for 52.9%. Comparatively, the Kings made just eight threes on 27 attempts, a 29.6% clip. It's almost impressive that Sacramento didn't lose by more after losing the three-point battle by 57 points.

Here are three takeaways as the Kings fall to 12-45 on the season.

Franchise Worst

This season will officially be added to the franchise record books as the losing streak hits 15 (and counting?), passing a streak that has lasted since the 1971-72 season. Losing at this point isn't the worst thing for the Kings, or even bad for that matter for the lottery odds, but they are sinking themselves into a hole that they don't appear to be able to get out of.

Even lottery-bound teams need to win every now and then, but the Kings are getting blown out more times than not lately, which is terrible for team and fan morale. That's a recipe for disaster with 25 games left. Kings fans have never abandoned the team, even through a 16-year playoff drought, but things are bleak in Sacramento right now.

Bad Offense, Bad Defense

Feb 19, 2026; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings center Maxime Raynaud (42) loses the ball between Orlando Magic guard Jevon Carter (2) and forward Wendell Carter Jr. (34) during the fourth quarter at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images | Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images

Just like they have been all season, the Kings were bad on both sides of the ball tonight. They had 19 turnovers to just 22 assists, and there's a reason the Magic hit a franchise-high 27 threes. They got wide open look after wide open look, and made the Kings pay.

Some of those included shots from below-average three-point shooters, but even bad shooters are going to knock down threes at a high clip when they are wide open time and time again. Throw in the Kings continued struggles from beyond the arc with both makes and volume, and it's a trend we've seen throughout the year sink them once again tonight. At this point, we shouldn't be surprised.

Keegan Murray's Return

One of the few bright spots of the night was Keegan Murray's strong return (with a strong game from Maxime Raynaud just behind him). Murray finished with 15 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 assists on 6-of-13 from the field and 3-of-7 from three.

He came out aggressive and showed some rust, but his shooting, or even his threat of shooting from deep was sorely missed by this team. The Kings have been slow to bring back players from injury this season, but Murray played 31:36 minutes in the blowout loss, which is a great sign for the rest of the season.

He continues to be one of the biggest X-factors for the franchise going forward, and getting him as many reps in a higher-usage role should be a top priority for the rest of the season.