BOX SCORE
SACRAMENTO – Keon Ellis scored 20 points in place of injured starting point guard Malik Monk, but the Kings unraveled at the end and came up short against the Milwaukee Bucks, losing 114-108 on Saturday at Golden 1 Center.
DeMar DeRozan led the Kings with 22 points. Zach LaVine added 16 points, seven rebounds and five assists while Keegan Murray had 13 points and nine rebounds.
The Kings fell back to .500 at 35-35 following their second consecutive loss and sixth in eight games.
Sacramento once again played without center Domantas Sabonis, who is nursing a sprained right ankle he suffered earlier in the week. Monk was a late scratch due to illness.
The Kings seemed to handle playing without the two fairly well in the first half but couldn’t sustain the momentum. Milwaukee outscored Sacramento 28-19 over the final 12 minutes.
Here are the takeaways from Saturday’s game:
JV Has Varsity Night
Jonas Valančiūnas has given the Kings quality minutes off the bench since his arrival about a month ago, and he maintained that level while starting in place of Sabonis against the Bucks.
Jonas finds LaVine for the jam 💥 pic.twitter.com/L1tndWJCcG
— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) March 23, 2025
The 6-foot-11 center wasn’t flashy or spectacular, but he was effective. Despite the Bucks consistently attacking the paint, Valančiūnas kept Milwaukee from totally dominating in the middle.
He finished the night with 18 points and seven rebounds in 27 minutes.
Keon Making Things Happen
Whether he’s in his usual role coming off the bench or making an occasional start like he did in place of Monk, Ellis brings an infectious energy to the court every time he’s out there.
Making his second start in the last three games, Ellis displayed the type of skills that have made him a fan favorite in Sacramento. If he wasn’t helping effectively on defense against Giannis Antetokounmpo, Ellis was racing down the court to keep the Kings’ offense flowing.
He got a breakaway dunk after a DeRozan steal in the second quarter, then later snagged a defensive board and fed it to LaVine, resulting in a four-point play.
Steal ➡️ Slam 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/uGcpd7M2Sk
— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) March 23, 2025
It’s the ninth time in 16 starts this season that Ellis has scored in double figures.
Shut Giannis Down
Although Antetokounmpo is enjoying another spectacular season, the Kings showed no fear in trying to stop him.
Antetokounmpo, who dropped 33 on Sacramento when the two teams squared off in January, didn’t break double figures until the second half in the rematch. He shot just 12 of 20 and was minus-six.
Murray had the bulk of work defending Antetokounmpo and did a solid job despite a three-inch, 45-pound difference between the two. Not surprising since Murray has been one of the Kings’ most reliable defenders all season.
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