Kings HC Doug Christie drops hint on starting lineup change after loss to Rockets

The Sacramento Kings were blown out 121-95 by the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night at the Toyota Center. Although Sacramento led by a point at halftime, Houston stormed through the third quarter, outscoring the Kings 36-19 and finishing the stretch with a 30-8 run in the final eight minutes.

Rookie center Maxime Raynaud was the only King who managed to rise above the rubble. Off the bench, the 22-year-old impressed with a career-high 25 points on 10-of-15 shooting, six rebounds, and three assists, including two made three-pointers. His previous high of 19 points came just four nights earlier against the Utah Jazz, and he also contributed nine points and six rebounds against the Memphis Grizzlies.

Sacramento head coach Doug Christie acknowledged Raynaud’s potential to earn a starting role, following the loss, saying:

“Absolutely. It’s a definite, definite thought. I thought about (doing) it tonight. … I definitely consider it. Going forward, everything’s on the table,” (h/t Chris Biderman of The Sacramento Bee).

The Kings were forced to play their cards without Domantas Sabonis, who’s still dealing with a partially torn left meniscus.

Sacramento’s frontcourt had its hands full against the Rockets’ imposing lineup, particularly Steven Adams and Alperen Sengun. Houston wiped the glass 62–32 and punished the Kings in the paint, 78–46.

Malik Monk also contributed 25 points, 14 coming in the fourth quarter, but Sacramento could not overcome the offensive avalanche the Rockets unleashed, led by Sengun’s 28, Kevin Durant’s 24, and Amen Thompson’s 20.

The Kings’ star scorers, Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan, were ineffective. LaVine managed just two points, shooting 1-of-5 and playing only 5:13 in the second half, whereas DeRozan’s 12 points all came before halftime. In a milestone moment, Russell Westbrook recorded eight points and five assists, surpassing Tim Duncan for 17th on the all-time scoring list during the second quarter.

Sacramento’s offense lacked flow, slowed by turnovers and poor spacing. The Kings entered the contest ranked last in the NBA in made three-pointers and led the league in mid-range attempts per game. Given the fact that Sabonis’ return is still a week or two away, Christie may consider tweaking the starting lineup to incorporate Raynaud’s scoring and floor spacing.

Christie rotated a bench-heavy unit late in the fourth, featuring Raynaud, Monk, Keon Ellis, Nique Clifford, and Keegan Murray, attempting to light a fire that never caught.

It was Sacramento’s fourth straight defeat, dropping them to 5-17 on the season. The Kings have two remaining games on their current road trip, facing the Miami Heat on Saturday and the Indiana Pacers on Monday, before returning home to host the Denver Nuggets on December 11.

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