Update: 10 pm

Is there a better game than this for this season? The Kings lost 132-126 for the tank and the rookies played well, starting with Nique Clifford who had a breakout game. He finished with 30 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks in 40 minutes. He was aggressive, impactful and efficient (12-19 from the field). Dylan Cardwell had his second double double in a row with 12 points, 11 rebounds, 1 steal and 1 block in 25 minutes. Maxime Raynauad had 14 points, 7 rebounds and 2 steals in 23 minutes. Devin Carter had 18 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal and 1 block in 27 minutes. And Daeqwon Plowden also played a solid 39 minutes (!), finishing with 16 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and was a +7 on the night.

That is solid production for these young guys. It will be fun to see how Keegan Murray fits in with this group once he returns.

Speaking of fun, watching these guys get more minutes is exponentially more entertaining than watching the veterans slog along in losses. Russell Westbrook had a solid game in 32 minutes (21 points, 9 assists and 5 rebounds) and DeMar DeRozan had 13 points in 30 minutes.

Good loss.

From Earlier Preview: 

The Sacramento Kings have lost a staggering 11-straight games, and find themselves in another challenging situation tonight against the Cavaliers. Let’s talk about it.

Who: Sacramento Kings (12-41) vs. Cleveland Cavaliers (31-21)
Where: Golden 1 Center, Sacramento, CA
When: 7:00 PM PT / 10:00 PM ET
Watch: NBCSCA / LeaguePass

We’re still hours away from tipoff, and the Kings have already ruled out De’Andre Hunter, Domantas Sabonis, Zach LaVine, Malik Monk, and Keegan Murray. The Cavs are significantly healthier, significantly more talented, and better-rested: Sacramento lost to the Clippers last night, and Cleveland hasn’t played since Wednesday.

We’re probably looked at the 12th straight loss here. Good, but also, woof.

Also happening tonight: Dennis Schroder and Keon Ellis return to Sacramento for the first time since Scott Perry shipped them out… just a few days ago. It’ll be interesting to see both how Kings fans receive them, and how they play against their former team, the worst team in the league, after being traded away.

While the Kings did lose to the Clippers on Friday, it was nice to see the youth play so many minutes. Dylan Cardwell dropped a14-point, 14-rebound double-double. Maxime Raynaud scored 12 points, Nique Clifford contributed with 16 points, and even Devin Carter got some burn, posting 14 points and 4 assists in 22 minutes. He went 0-5 from beyond the arc, but hey, he’s barely played all year.

For as bad as the Kings are, it appears that the organization has fully accepted their fate this season, and the younger players are starting to see the floor more. That’s a welcome change. The team is still bad, but at least we’re watching some guys who may be here for a while, rather than 48 minutes of older players going through the motions and running out their contracts.

I’m expecting more of the same tonight vs. Cleveland.

Prediction: Kings 118, Cavaliers 113