Sacramento Kings blow out Charlotte Hornets to improve play-in chances

Domantas Sabonis powered through a lingering ankle injury to help the Sacramento Kings improve their play-in chances with a much-needed win over the Charlotte Hornets.

Sabonis posted 24 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists to lead the Kings to a 125-102 victory over the Hornets on Friday at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. Sabonis recorded his league-leading 57^th double-double of the season after being listed as questionable due to right ankle soreness.

Zach LaVine had a game-high 25 points and 10 rebounds for the Kings (37-40), who had lost seven of eight and 11 of 14. Sacramento now leads the Phoenix Suns by two games for the final play-in spot in the Western Conference with five games remaining.

DeMar DeRozan scored 22 points. Malik Monk came off the bench to score 17 points on 7-of-12 shooting after going 6 of 27 over the past two games.

Miles Bridges scored 22 points for the Hornets (19-58). KJ Simpson had 13.

The Kings shot 49.5% from the field and 44.4% from 3-point range. The Hornets shot 39.8% overall and 22.9% from beyond the arc.

The Kings will be back in action when they visit the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday.

Halftime report

The Kings trailed early while going 4 of 14 from the field and 0 of 8 from 3-point range to start the game. They led 26-18 at the end of the first period after outscoring the Hornets 20-6 over the final seven minutes.

The Kings struggled to make shots, but they had some nice sequences on defense, holding the Hornets to 27.3% shooting in the first quarter. The Kings opened up a 19-point lead midway through the second quarter and carried a 68-49 advantage into the halftime break.

Sabonis was dominant despite being hobbled by the sore ankle, scoring 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting with eight rebounds and six assists.

Second half

The Kings continued to have their way with the Hornets in the second half. They led 98-72 at the end of the third quarter and led by as many as 30 in the fourth.

Up next

The Kings will face the Cavaliers on Sunday before concluding a six-game road trip against the Detroit Pistons on Monday.

The Cavaliers (61-15) have the best record in the Eastern Conference and the second-best record in the NBA. The Kings handed the Cavaliers a 123-119 loss March 19 in Sacramento, but winning in Cleveland won’t be easy. The Cavaliers are 33-5 at home this season.

This story was originally published April 4, 2025 at 6:17 PM.