Kings vs. Spurs game highlights: Wembanyama puts up triple-double in win over Sacramento
DeMar DeRozan returned from injury and Malik Monk moved into the starting lineup, but Sacramento’s struggles continued in a 127-125 loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento.
Victor Wembanyama recorded a triple-double with 34 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists for the Spurs (11-9).
DeRozan had 28 points, five rebounds and eight assists for the Kings (9-12), who lost after leading by 17 points in the first quarter.
The Kings will be back in action Tuesday when they play host to the Houston Rockets.
Black Falcon returns
Harrison Barnes returned to Golden 1 Center for the first time since being traded to the Spurs in the three-team sign-and-trade deal that brought DeRozan to Sacramento.
Barnes received a standing ovation when the Kings paid tribute to him with a video montage during a first-quarter timeout.
Barnes was a fixture in Sacramento’s lineup for six seasons, starting all 399 games he played for the Kings while averaging 14.7 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.1 assists. He played all 82 games in 2022-23 and 2023-24.
“What a fantastic human being — big, big, big-time person,” Kings coach Mike Brown said. “He and his wife Brittany were staples in the community. He was great with everybody on the team, especially young guys. The ultimate professional and then he was consistent. No matter what else was going on, you knew he was going to show up every single day and do his job to the best of his ability.”
Barnes, who helped the Kings end a 16-year playoff drought in 2022-23, spoke fondly of his time in Sacramento after the game.
“It’s a lot of love,” Barnes said. “I think from the very first time I came to Sacramento that the fans always showed love. Obviously, there were a lot of hard days, a lot of tough times on the court, but those guys were always consistent. Having a lot of teammates come through these walls and being in this building, I know that tribute videos are hard to come by, so definitely honored, humbled to get one and let the fans know I appreciate them.”
Injury update
DeRozan returned to the lineup after missing two games due to lower back muscle inflammation. Kevin Huerter was ruled out after spraining his right ankle in Friday’s loss to the Portland Trail Blazers.
Halftime report
The Kings carried a 65-58 lead into the halftime break. They led by as many as 17 points in the first quarter before the Spurs came back to cut the deficit to five in the second.
DeRozan led all scorers with 18 points in the opening half. Wembanyama had 16 points and eight rebounds.
Sacramento shot 47.1% from the field while holding San Antonio to 42.2%. The Kings had a 30-8 advantage on points in the paint and a 15-2 advantage in points off turnovers.
Closely contested second half
There were three ties and two lead changes in the third quarter. The fourth quarter featured four ties and one lead change.
San Antonio took a 103-101 lead on a dunk by Wembanyama with 8:11 to play in the fourth. The Spurs went up 118-113 on a 3-pointer by Vassell with 2:49 remaining.
The Kings got within two on a 3-pointer by Fox with 42 seconds to play, but Chris Paul answered with a 3 at the other end, essentially sealing Sacramento’s fate. The Kings would have had a chance to tie the game and force overtime, but they couldn’t come up with the rebound when Keldon Johnson missed the second of two free throws with 9 seconds remaining.
Up next
The Kings will conclude a brief two-game homestand when they play host to the Rockets on Tuesday at Golden 1 Center.
Houston had won four of five and nine of their last 11 going into Sunday’s showdown with the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Rockets have seven players averaging double figures in scoring, including Jalen Green (19.4 ppg), Alperen Sengun (18.7 ppg, 10.7 rpg, 5.1 apg) and Fred VanVleet (15.1 ppg, 6.3 apg).
The Rockets proved to be a difficult matchup for the Kings last season, going 3-0 to sweep the season series.
Upcoming schedule
Dec. 3 vs. Houston Rockets
Dec. 5 at Memphis Grizzlies
Dec. 6 at San Antonio Spurs
Dec. 8 vs. Utah Jazz
Dec. 19 vs. Los Angeles Lakers
This story was originally published December 1, 2024 at 8:39 PM.
