Kings' Domantas Sabonis: Misses out on triple-double
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Sabonis tallied 29 points (11-21 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 6-8 FT), 16 rebounds, eight assists and two steals in 36 minutes during Tuesday's 117-114 preseason win over the Jazz.
Sabonis continued his dominant stretch of play Tuesday as he converted his first three-pointer of the preseason. Sabonis led the NBA in triple-doubles with 26 last season and doesn't appear to be slowing down heading into the 2024-25 campaign.
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Kings' Orlando Robinson: Sits out again
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Robinson (knee) didn't play in Tuesday's 117-114 preseason loss to the Jazz.
Robinson has yet to suit up this preseason while dealing with a knee injury. His next chance to suit up is Thursday's preseason finale against the Clippers.
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Kings' Kevin Huerter: Doesn't play against Utah
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Huerter (shoulder) didn't play in Tuesday's 117-114 preseason loss versus the Jazz.
Despite being cleared for full-contact activity, Huerter missed his fourth straight preseason outing Tuesday while recovering from left shoulder surgery. His last chance to suit up before the regular season is Thursday's preseason finale against the Clippers
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Kings' DeMar DeRozan: Limited impact in preseason loss
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DeRozan had eight points (4-10 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 0-2 FT), two rebounds, four assists and a steal across 30 minutes in Sunday's 108-85 preseason loss to the Trail Blazers.
DeRozan had a subpar performance Sunday from a scoring perspective. However, neither the Kings nor the veteran forward should be overly worried about his numbers in a preseason game with the start of the new campaign right around the corner. DeRozan should be one of the most important players for the Kings in 2024-25 alongside De'Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis.
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Kings' Domantas Sabonis: Stuffs stat sheet Sunday
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Sabonis notched nine points (4-11 FG, 0-3 3Pt, 1-2 FT), eight rebounds, seven assists and two blocks across 30 minutes in Sunday's 108-85 preseason loss to the Trail Blazers.
Sabonis was a double-double machine in the 2023-24 season and led the league in that category. Even though he might experience a regression in his numbers after the Kings added DeMar DeRozan to the mix in the offseason, Sabonis' status as a double-double threat every time he steps on the hardwood shouldn't change. Even if this performance wasn't his best from an efficiency perspective, Sabonis still ended one point, two rebounds and three assists away from a triple-double, which speaks volumes about his versatility on the offensive end of the court.
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Kings' De'Aaron Fox: Logs 28 minutes Sunday
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Fox recorded 11 points (5-11 FG, 1-5 3Pt), seven rebounds, three assists and three steals across 28 minutes in Sunday's 108-85 preseason loss to the Trail Blazers.
The Kings played their projected starters between 28 and 30 minutes, and even though Sacramento looked overmatched at times, there shouldn't be any notable changes in the rotation, let alone the starting unit before the regular-season opener against the Timberwolves on Oct. 24. Fox had one of the best years of his career in 2023-24, averaging career-high marks in several categories including points (26.6), rebounds (4.6) and steals (2.0) per game.
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Kings' Jordan McLaughlin: Not on injury report vs. Portland
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McLaughlin (ankle) is off the injury report for Sunday's preseason game against the Trail Blazers, Frankie Cartoscelli of KHTK Sactown Sports 1140 reports.
McLaughlin was held out for two weeks due to a Grade 2 right ankle sprain he sustained during offseason workouts. However, the 28-year-old is off the injury report and could make his debut for the Kings on Sunday. In 56 regular-season games with the Timberwolves last season, McLaughlin averaged 3.5 points and 2.0 assists across 11.2 minutes per game.
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Kings' Malik Monk: Off injury report Sunday
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Monk (personal) is not on the injury report for Sunday's preseason game against the Trail Blazers.
Monk missed Friday's preseason game against the Warriors due to personal reasons, but he is back with the team and expected to suit up Sunday. The 2024 Sixth Man of the Year is set to reprise his prominent role off the bench coming off a career-best year, during which he averaged 15.4 points, 5.1 assists and 2.9 rebounds while shooting 44.3 percent from the field across 26.0 minutes per game in 72 regular-season appearances.
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Kings' Orlando Robinson: Ruled out Sunday
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Robinson (knee) has been ruled out for Sunday's preseason game against the Trail Blazers, James Ham of ESPN 1320 Sacramento reports.
Robinson is dealing with a left knee injury that has kept him off the court for the entirety of the preseason. The severity of the injury is unclear, though the 24-year-old's next chance to play will come Tuesday against the Jazz.
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Kings' Kevin Huerter: Remains out Sunday
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Huerter (shoulder) has been ruled out for Sunday's preseason matchup against the Trail Blazers, James Ham of ESPN 1320 Sacramento reports.
Huerter was cleared for full-contact activity Friday, though the club is still expected to slowly work him back to playing form. The Kings are optimistic the sharpshooter will return by Opening Night, and he could see some limited playing time during the remainder of the preseason. Huerter's next chance to suit up in the preseason will come against the Jazz on Tuesday.
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Kings' Keegan Murray: Busy at defensive end Friday
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Murray scored 17 points (5-11 FG, 1-5 3Pt, 6-8 FT) while adding five steals, two assists, one rebound and one block in 26 minutes during Friday's 109-106 preseason loss to the Warriors.
The Kings' new-look starting lineup with DeMar DeRozan appeared to be just about in midseason form, as all five players scored in double digits. Murray made his biggest impact on the defensive end though, an encouraging sign after he averaged 1.0 steals and 0.8 blocks over 77 regular-season games in 2023-24. The third-year forward may have more to offer in those categories this season, especially with DeRozan on board to handle more of the offensive load.
Fox scored 19 points (6-12 FG, 4-6 3Pt, 3-4 Ft) while adding six rebounds and three assists in 26 minutes during Friday's 109-106 preseason loss to the Warriors.
The 26-year-old guard led the Kings in scoring and three-pointers on the night as every member of the starting five dropped at least 12 points. Fox appears to be adjusting quickly to working alongside DeMar DeRozan, and after setting career highs in 2023-24 in points (26.6), boards (4.6), threes (2.9) and steals (2.0) per game, he needs only to stay healthy to put together another impressive campaign.
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Kings' Domantas Sabonis: Double-double in Friday's tuneup
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Sabonis scored 13 points (5-8 FG, 0-3 3Pt, 3-5 FT) while adding 13 rebounds, four assists and two steals in 25 minutes during Friday's 109-106 preseason loss to the Warriors.
Sacramento's starting lineup looked to be just about in midseason form, as all five players scored in double digits, but Sabonis was the only King to pull down more than six boards. The 28-year-old big set a modern NBA record with 61 straight double-doubles in 2023-24 and had an incredible 77 total in 82 regular-season games, and Sabonis appears to be ready to pick up where he left off when the current campaign tips off.
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Kings' Orlando Robinson: Out once again
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Robinson (knee) didn't play in Friday's 109-106 preseason loss to the Warriors.
Robinson is dealing with a left knee injury and has yet to suit up for the Kings in the preseason. He has three games left before the start of the regular season against the Timberwolves on Oct. 24. His next chance to feature will come against the Trail Blazers on Sunday.
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Kings' Malik Monk: Still away from team
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Monk (personal) is out for Friday's preseason game against the Warriors, as he is still away from the team, Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee reports.
It was previously reported that Monk rejoined the team on Thursday, which may have been true, but he is again away due to personal matters. He is not expected to miss an extended period of time. The Kentucky product figures to once again be in the Sixth Man of the Year conversation as the Kings' top bench option this season.
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Kings' Kevin Huerter: Cleared for full contact
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Huerter (shoulder) has been cleared for full-contact court activity and will enter the final stage of his recovery process, Frankie Cartoscelli of KHTK Sactown Sports 1140 reports.
The Kings are being very cautious with Huerter's recovery process, and he's inching closer and closer to being available. The veteran shooting guard won't be available to face the Warriors on Friday, but it seems there's a shot he might be able to play at least a few minutes in the preseason before the Kings open the regular season against the Timberwolves on Oct. 24. The Kings still have three preseason contests left after playing Golden State on Friday.
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Kings' Malik Monk: Rejoining team
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Monk (personal) will rejoin the Kings on Thursday afternoon, Sean Cunningham of Fox 40 Sacramento reports.
Monk exited Wednesday's preseason game due to personal reasons but appears good to go for Friday's preseason matchup against Golden State. Monk should continue to be one of the league's most productive bench players this season.
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Kings' De'Aaron Fox: Goes for 11 points in loss
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Fox compiled 11 points (5-10 FG, 0-2 3Pt, 1-1 FT), three rebounds, an assist and a steal across 19 minutes in Wednesday's 122-112 loss to Golden State.
Fox will be able to focus more on ball distribution with DeMar DeRozan at the wing. Fox's output has been necessary to keep the Kings competitive, but DeRozan's addition will ease the pressure on Fox to force low-percentage shots and instead focus on moving the ball around more frequently.
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Kings' Domantas Sabonis: Grabs eight boards in 17 minutes
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Sabonis recorded 11 points (5-7 FG, 1-2 FT), eight rebounds and four assists across 17 minutes in Wednesday's 112-112 loss to Golden Stare.
Sabonis was well on his way to a characteristic double-double before taking a seat. Although Nikola Jokic received all the accolades, Sabonis bested him in a few key metrics last season. He led the league in double-doubles (77) and triple-doubles (26), beating out Jokic in both categories. He'll demand a bit more attention and respect after a dynamic 2023-24 campaign.
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Kings' DeMar DeRozan: Perfect from field with 15 points
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DeRozan logged 15 points (6-6 FG, 1-1 3Pt, 2-2 FT), an assist and a blocked shot across 15 minutes in Wednesday's 122-112 loss to Golden State.
In what could be a portent of things to come, DeRozan took the court and inflicted damage quickly, nailing every shot he attempted. While the Kings have utilized Malik Monk as a scoring specialist off the bench in the past, DeRozan's skill and experience make him a front-runner to start with the first unit and stay there. The Kings have had issues with finding the right combination to complement De'Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis, and DeRozan could prove to be the missing piece.
