DeMar DeRozan and Keegan Murray didn’t hold anything back after the Sacramento Kings’ 112–100 loss to the Phoenix Suns, a game that exposed every flaw the team has been trying to overcome. Both stars delivered frustrated assessments of a night that went out of control in the first 12 minutes.
The Kings were outscored 41-16 in the first quarter, a deficit so big that the remaining three quarters felt like a massive battle. Sacramento did try to fight back, getting the lead down several times and even generating strong defensive stretches. But the massive first-quarter deficit was too big to overcome.
Murray was one of the few bright spots, finishing with 19 points and eight rebounds, while DeRozan only had 10 points. Still, that individual production didn’t change the reality of how the game slipped away early.
And DeRozan made sure the point wasn’t lost on anyone.
“It’s unacceptable. We can’t dig ourselves a hole like that. The rest of the game we fought, kept ourselves in it, gave ourselves a chance. But when you dig a hole that deep, it’s too hard to get out.”
DeRozan talked about consistency, awareness, ball movement, and momentum after two competitive games. Nothing from the opening quarter resembled what the Kings want their identity to be, and DeRozan didn’t hide his frustration.
“We just have to be aware. Even if we play well two games in a row, the next one will be tougher. We have to be ready from the jump.”
He also pointed out that Sacramento opened the game with zero assists, a stat that says everything about how stagnant their offense was.
“We have to share the ball and move the ball. We need to create advantages for each other if we want to get a rhythm early.”
Keegan Murray echoed every word DeRozan said, adding more detail on exactly how the Suns exposed the Kings.
“It was a lot of live ball turnovers in the first quarter. They had a lot of offensive rebounds. I think we were creating tough shots, so we weren’t trying to get easy ones. And when you lose a quarter 41-16, it’s hard to come back. We dug ourselves too big of a hole.”
The Suns bullied the Kings on the glass, highlighted by Mark Williams’ 21 points and 16 rebounds, including nine offensive boards.
“When you have a guy that big with that kind of wingspan, you need someone to sacrifice and just box him out, the way people do with Gobert. Instead, we tried to jump with him. He affected the game because we weren’t putting a body on him, and that gave them more extra opportunities.”
Murray also admitted something deeper, something that should concern the Kings far more than a single loss. He was asked about the team’s identity, and his answer was painfully honest.
“I don’t think we’re showing it right now. You saw it more in the Minnesota and Denver games. We want to disrupt teams, play fast, be the aggressor, keep teams on their heels, and keep punching. Tonight we only did that for one quarter. That’s something we need to fix.”
The Kings fell to 5–14 with the loss, losing all the momentum they briefly built from competitive outings against Minnesota and Denver. They were booed by home fans, suffered yet another incident involving a fan and a player, and watched Zach LaVine struggle again, now mired in a six-game slump.
But the loudest message of the night came from two of their leaders. DeRozan and Murray didn’t just critique a bad performance. They described a team still searching for who it is. And until the Kings solve that problem, one brutal quarter like this can undo everything they build.
