Crunch time haunted the Kings yet again — this time on the road on Tuesday night against the defending NBA champions. 

Sacramento coughed up a seven-point lead to the Oklahoma City Thunder with just over six minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, eventually losing 107-101 at Paycom Center. 

Despite leading for the majority of the game, Sacramento was outscored 17-4 over the last 5:54, handing the Thunder a laborious victory and prompting Kings coach Doug Christie to reflect on why his team isn’t there just yet.

“We got to come up with rebounds when we get stops. We have to convert at a high level,” Christie told reporters after the loss. “When I look at this, we should be 4-0, but we’re not ready to be 4-0. And we have to look in the mirror on that because 4-0 means all that little stuff that I said gets handled when it’s winning time.” 

The Kings, who are now 1-3, have lost three of their first four games despite holding a fourth-quarter lead in all four matchups. 

Christie takes the blame. 

“ … That’s on me too. Like the players, I tell them, ‘It’s never your fault, I’m taking the bullet,’ ” Christie continued. “I will stand on that and always be in the way to protect them. We just have to figure out how to close now. There’s a process to what we do, and I think we have to continue to stay consistent to what gets us to a place and not think we have to do something extra or get outside of it. Those shots are good enough. And listen, if we create them that way and miss them, then we live with that. …” 

On the floor, the Kings were led by Zach LaVine, who scored 23 points in the first game of a tough four-game road trip. DeMar DeRozan added 19 points, while big man Domantas Sabonis tallied a double-double with 10 points and 18 rebounds.

Zach LaTrey only needs a tiny bit of room 🤏 pic.twitter.com/J8eUxrCbB5

— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) October 29, 2025

All eyes, however, were on veteran guard Russell Westbrook, who returned to the city he spent the first 11 years of his NBA career in. The 36-year-old recorded 16 points and nine rebounds in his first start of the season.

Christie is pleased with how Westbrook’s presence is influencing Sacramento’s locker room as he looks for answers amid absences from forward Keegan Murray and rookie Nique Clifford.

“Russ is an incredible human being. [He’s] just a special, special talent,” Christie said. “Watching him compete, watching his aggressiveness, watching the way he speaks to his teammates. Similar to what I say, when it’s the elephant in the room, I’m normally going to say it, sometimes probably to my detriment. 

“To him, he does the same thing. He’s going to speak up. He’s going to say it, and these guys need to see that because the only way for us to improve is for us to communicate and hold each other accountable. 

“Sometimes, that’s a tough conversation, and if you’re not willing to have that conversation, this is just the wrong locker room for you. Period. That’s where it’s at. We got to have it. That’s the only way we’re going to improve. That doesn’t mean that you’re bad or anything. It means we want to be good. And if we want to be good, we have to communicate at a high level.” 

That could be the remedy that the Kings need for their late-game ailment.

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