SACRAMENTO – Kings basketball is back and so are the notorious late-game collapses.
Sacramento's 2024-25 season opener came down to the wire, but a late rally led by Anthony Edwards lifted the Minnesota Timberwolves to a 117-115 win over the Kings on Thursday night at Golden 1 Center.
After completing the first half with just nine points, Edwards came alive in the second -- finishing with 32 points on 10-of-24 shooting from the field and 5 made 3-pointers, also going a perfect 7 of 7 from the free-throw line. He added seven rebounds, four assists and one steal in 39 minutes.
And he wasn't even the leading scorer for Minnesota.
Instead, it was new Timberwolves forward Julius Randle who finished with a game-high 33 points on an efficient 13-of-17 shooting from the field and 5 of 6 from beyond the arc, adding five rebounds and four assists in 35 minutes.
Despite holding a 12-point lead in the third quarter, Sacramento repeated a similar pattern from last season and collapsed late in the contest -- and continued a trend in recent home openers.
The Kings now are 1-10 in home openers over the last 11 seasons, including 1-3 in the previous four.
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There were bright spots of the loss, such as a confident shooting night from Domantas Sabonis and the continued progression of soon-to-be two-way star Keegan Murray. Not to mention the official Kings debut of DeMar DeRozan.
But it's not the preseason anymore, and there are no moral victories in the regular season.
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Here are the takeaways from Sacramento's collapse in the season-opener:
DeMar’s debut spoiled
Just before team introductions, DeRozan took the mic at mid-court and addressed Kings fans – whom he referred to as the best in the league. He said he was excited for the new season before signing off with a loud and proud: “Go Kings!
The six-time NBA All-Star officially made his Kings debut as he enters his 16th season. And that excitement before the game instantly carried over into the contest.
Thirty-four seconds into his Kings debut, DeRozan knocked down his first shot as a Sacramento King. As the game carried on, so did his impact.
DeRozan registers his first regular-season bucket as a King 👑 pic.twitter.com/vCf5n94xDe
— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) October 25, 2024
He was resilient. He drove to the basket. He made plays. He got to the free-throw line. All things Sacramento expected of the veteran star when they acquired him this offseason via a sign-and-trade deal.
At one point in the second quarter, with De'Aaron Fox sitting, DeRozan made or assisted six straight points for Sacramento. He had just four points in the first quarter and then took it upon himself to get going with the star point guard getting some rest, adding 10 more points.
He finished his debut with a team-high 26 points on 7-of-18 shooting from the field and 12 of 14 from the charity stripe, with eight rebounds, two assists and one steal in 43 minutes.
He'll have to wait to light the beam for the first time, and he and the Kings hope that time comes soon.
Two key pieces return
Sacramento entered Thursday’s game as healthy as it has been in a while. From injury rehabs from last season to a slew of new minor injuries through training camp – the Kings got most of the band back together just in time for their season opener.
Kings center Orlando Robinson (MCL sprain) and Rookie guard Devin Carter (shoulder) were the only players on the injury report, with the latter likely out until at least January.
But the Kings got a pair of significant reinforcements back Thursday, each of whom will play a pivotal role in Sacramento’s deep playoff run aspirations.
Kevin Huerter reclaimed his role in the starting lineup and, for the most part, looked like a player who has missed a significant amount of time due to injury.
It’s normal, and shouldn’t be a cause for panic – for now.
Huerter finished with just two points on four attempts but contributed four rebounds and was a plus-nine in plus/minus rating through 19 minutes.
Brown never has been the type of coach to grade one’s performance off how many points they finish with, but rather how they find other ways to contribute and impact the game. He'll have to ease his way back in, but at the end of the day, the Kings need their sharpshooter to knock down shots. He’s a key ingredient to Sacramento’s offense.
Also returning for the Kings was Trey Lyles, who was out for training camp and the entire five-game preseason slate with a left groin strain.
Lyles played just over 10 minutes and finished with three points on 1-of-4 shooting, with one rebound and one assist.
Sacramento’s sixth man
Even with DeRozan making his official Kings debut, the return of Huerter, the intros of Sacramento's stars Fox and Sabonis, or the deafening "Keegan Murray" chants -- no cheer was as loud as the one that came when Monk stepped onto the floor for the first time at the 5:42 mark of the first quarter.
And to return the favor for the warm welcome back, Monk checked in and had four quick points in about a minute.
Let em' know, Malik 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/hXrzJAhqVg
— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) October 25, 2024
The energy Monk brings off the bench might sound like a broken record to those not watching, but his electrifying impact is clear as day to those who are.
The 26-year-old finished the game with 17 points on 6-of-9 shooting, with one rebound and four assists in 26 minutes, leading the team off the bench in scoring by a large margin.
MALIK MONK AND-1 FOR THE LEAD pic.twitter.com/0SSojuZmVu
— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) October 25, 2024
The rest of Sacramento's bench finished with a combined eight points.
