Late Collapse Sinks Kings in Loss to Pacers

The Kings led for most of the second half, but a late Pacers run sinks Sacramento.

Mar 31, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) celebrates the game winning basket in the second half against the Sacramento Kings at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

In a game that encapsulates the season, the Sacramento Kings collapsed in the fourth quarter to fall 109-111 to the Indiana Pacers.

The Kings led for the entire second half up until the 1:17 mark in the fourth quarter when Tyrese Haliburton hit a three to put the Pacers ahead by two. The Pacers then forced a 24-second violation for the Kings and Pascal Siakam nailed a three.

And just like that, the game was over. In the span of a minute, a game's worth of effort and fight was meaningless. Both looks by Haliburton and Siakam were clutch shots, but they were great looks for the two All-Stars.

Guarding the three-point line has been a struggle for the Kings all season, but to give up two great looks in a close game is inexcusable and not surprisingly led to the loss tonight.

While the Kings shot better from three than the Pacers, 44.4% for Sacramento and 34.1% for Indiana, they were once again outscored from beyond the arc due to their low volume.

The Kings took only 27 three-point attempts compared to 41 for the Pacers.

While DeMar DeRozan led the game with 31 points, it was the Pacers' balanced approach and bench scoring that led them to victory.

The Pacers bench outscored the Kings 46-12. While Malik Monk has looked great back in his sixth man role the last few games, it was a rough game for the electric guard.

Monk finished with just five points on 2-of-14 (14.3%) from the field. He did have seven assists, but his five turnovers negated his passing.

Was anyone surprised? pic.twitter.com/VDYAsejGoo

— Will Z. Stats (@will_zimmerle) April 1, 2025

The Kings are at their best when they play defense and move the ball, with their assist number being a great barometer for their team performance. With just 22 assists tonight, it shows they once again struggled to play the type of offense Doug Christie is asking for.

While Domantas Sabonis had a nice game with 25 points and 16 rebounds, he finished the night with zero assists. It's the first time he's failed to record an assist in a game since December 13th, 2021 (not counting his game with one minute against the Rockets).

Sabonis is one of the best passing bigs in the game, but lately feels like his passing skills are being underutilized. The Kings offense feels like it's in survival mode as Sacramento tries their best to get to the postseason.

An offense that was once ruled by Sabonis at the top of the key is in flux and more and more pick and rolls are run compared to the dribble handoff.

While the late collapse hurt, it didn't feel like a surprise. At this point of the season, nothing really feels like a surprise with the Kings. They can come out and blow out a team or lose by 30 points, but in the end, the only thing that will matter is what happens in the play-in game(s), assuming the Kings can hold on to the tenth spot, which is no sure thing.