Sacramento Kings Outlast Houston Rockets on National TV

Sacramento Kings take down the Houston Rockets 132-127 in a back-and-forth battle.

Jan 16, 2025; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings forward DeMar DeRozan (10) shoots the ball against Houston Rockets forward Amen Thompson (1) during the second quarter at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images | Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images

The Sacramento Kings showed fight and resilience to fend off the Houston Rockets, winning 132-127 back-and-forth game that featured 22 lead changes.

The Kings pulled ahead by 16 points in the third quarter, but the Rockets fought their way back in to keep the game close down to the wire.

Houston picked up their defensive effort and used their physical defense to disrupt the Kings on offense And as they often do when their offense slows down, the Kings turned to DeMar DeRozan.

DeRozan finished the night with a game-high 33 points and helped bring the game home for Sacramento. (Note, numbers below show 31 PTS prior to stat correction).

DeMar DeRozan tonight
31 Points
5 Rebounds
4 Assists
52.2% FG
50% 3P
100% FT

Once again hit tough shot after tough shot pic.twitter.com/VKgcBYxlGu

— Will Z. Stats (@will_zimmerle) January 17, 2025

The Kings don't rely heavily on isolation plays, especially under interim Head Coach Doug Christie, but when the Kings need a bucket, DeRozan is one of the best players to ask to go get a bucket.

The Rockets made life difficult for De'Aaron Fox all night long, putting most of their defensive effort on the speedy point guard. That created favorable matchups for DeRozan, who went to work like he so casually does.

As a team, the Kings showed fight and resilience down the stretch. They let the Rockets back in the game with three straight turnovers from the 3:15 mark to the 2:36 mark in the fourth quarter, but didn't have a single turnover after that.

In a game which every point mattered, they made 11 straight free throws in clutch time. They didn't get rattled and closed out strong, letting their work lead to the result.

The Sacramento Kings don't get much time on National TV, and when they do and win a battle like this, it gets felt throughout the city. Lighting the Beam on TNT may not mean much to those watching around the US, but it sure means a lot to the Kings and fans in Sacramento.

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