The Sacramento Kings could match their longest losing streak since the 2021-22 season when they visit the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday at Paycom Center.
Domantas Sabonis will be out of the lineup, but help is on the way. A league source told The Sacramento Bee on Tuesday that Keegan Murray is expected to make his season debut in Thursday’s game against the Memphis Grizzlies after being sidelined for five weeks due to thumb surgery.
The Kings (3-11) have lost six in a row after suffering a 123-110 loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday. They have lost all six games by double digits, losing by an average of 22.0 points per game.
The Thunder (14-1) has won six in a row since suffering its only loss of the season. Oklahoma City has won all six of those games by double digits, including a 132-101 victory over the Kings on Nov. 7 in Sacramento. The Thunder beat the Kings 107-101 on Oct. 28 in Oklahoma City.
Here are three keys to Wednesday’s game.
Sabonis’ injury
Sabonis will miss his fourth game of the season. He has been dealing with a left ribcage contusion, but he has been ruled out for this game due to left knee soreness.
The three-time All-NBA selection is averaging 17.2 points, 12.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists. He had a season-high 34 points in Friday’s loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The Kings will likely start Drew Eubanks in place of Sabonis. Eubanks is averaging 6.4 points and 2.8 rebounds in 14.6 minutes per game. He has averaged 10.7 points and 3.7 rebounds in three starts this season.
Westbrook watch
Russell Westbrook has already replaced Dennis Schroder as Sacramento’s starting point guard after signing with the Kings less than a week before the team’s season opener.
Westbrook, who spent the first 11 years of his career with Oklahoma City, is averaging 14.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, 6.4 assists and 1.0 steals for the Kings. He is shooting a career-high 40.5% from 3-point range on 5.3 attempts per game.
Westbrook needs 27 assists to pass Magic Johnson for seventh on the NBA’s all-time list. He needs 15 steals to pass Allen Iverson for 14th and 91 points to pass Tim Duncan for 17th in scoring.
The MVP
Reigning NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 31.9 points, 4.9 rebounds, 6.7 assists and 1.5 steals for the Thunder. He is shooting 53.1% from the field and 38.6% from 3-point range.
Gilgeous-Alexander scored 31 points on 11-of-20 shooting against Sacramento on Oct. 30. He scored 30 points on 12-of-20 shooting against the Kings on Nov. 7.
Kings at Thunder
When: 5 p.m.
Where: Paycom Center
TV: NBC Sports California
Radio: Sactown Sports 1140
Odds: Thunder -17.5
Over/under: 232.5
Injury report
Kings: OUT — Dylan Cardwell (G League); Keegan Murray (thumb); Daeqwon Plowden (G League); Domantas Sabonis (knee); Isaiah Stevens (G League).
Thunder: OUT — Thomas Sorber (ACL); Nikola Topic (surgical recovery); Aaron Wiggins (adductor); Jalen Williams (wrist); Kenrich Williams (knee).
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Jason Anderson
The Sacramento Bee
Jason Anderson is The Sacramento Bee’s Kings beat writer. He is a Sacramento native and a graduate of Fresno State, where he studied journalism and college basketball under the late Jerry Tarkanian.
