Sacramento Kings vs Oklahoma City Thunder Preview
Sacramento Kings Team News
The Sacramento Kings are in an absolute freefall, and calling it a disaster would be putting it lightly. At 3-11, they’re already on pace for one of the worst seasons in franchise history, and first-year head coach Doug Christie is not holding back his frustration.
After losing four straight games by a combined 105 points, including a 133-100 embarrassment at home to Atlanta, Christie went off in his postgame presser.
Christie, a former Kings defensive star, is watching his team get run off the floor night after night with no resistance. They’re getting outrebounded, turning the ball over constantly, and playing with what Christie called a “shameful compete level.”
The roster construction is a mess. After trading De’Aaron Fox to San Antonio for Zach LaVine in February, Sacramento brought in Dennis Schröder and Russell Westbrook to create what’s basically a guard logjam with no real fit. LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, Malik Monk, and Domantas Sabonis all have individual talent, but this group makes zero sense together on the court.
Making matters worse, Keegan Murray – their best and really only defender – hasn’t played a single game this season due to thumb surgery. Sabonis has been dealing with a ribcage contusion and playing questionably. When your defensive anchor is out and your All-Star big man is banged up, you’re already behind the eight ball.
Oklahoma City Thunder News
The Oklahoma City Thunder are doing exactly what defending champions are supposed to do; they’re dominating. At 13-1, they’ve picked up right where they left off after capturing the franchise’s first NBA title in the OKC era last season.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is playing at an MVP level once again, following up his 2024-25 MVP campaign with more bangers. SGA dropped 33 points on Charlotte recently and just keeps carving up defences as he did last year. The man is virtually unguardable when he gets going, and he’s shown incredible clutch gene down the stretch of tight games.
Moreover, the supporting cast is everything you want around a superstar. Chet Holmgren is developing into a legitimate two-way force, recently dropping 25 points on the Hornets. Jalen Williams continues his ascent as a budding star, averaging over 21 points per game and proving he can be a go-to scorer when needed. His 40-point explosion in Game 5 of last year’s Finals announced his arrival as a household name.
Isaiah Hartenstein has also been a monster on the glass, averaging 14.5 points and 11.4 rebounds since the beginning of November. Alex Caruso and Lu Dort provide elite perimeter defence, though Dort has missed time with an upper trapezius strain.
This team ranked first in the NBA in defensive rating last season for a reason, and they’re right back at the top this year. They forced an NBA-record turnover differential of +566 last season, and that defensive chaos is still their calling card. When they get stops and push in transition, they’re absolutely lethal.
Sacramento is in for a headache if they think they can take it matchup easy in any way, shape, or form.
Sacramento Kings vs Oklahoma City Thunder Main Game Info
- Date and Time: Wednesday, November 19, 2025, 8:00 PM ET
- Venue: Paycom Center
- Location: Oklahoma City, OK, USA
- Last game: Oklahoma City Thunder 107 vs 101 Sacramento Kings (October 28, 2025, NBA Regular Season)
Sacramento Kings vs Oklahoma City Thunder Prediction, Odds
- Pick: Oklahoma City Thunder to win
- Score prediction: Oklahoma City Thunder 124 – 101 Sacramento Kings
This one has blowout written all over it, unfortunately for Kings fans. The Thunder are rolling, the Kings are reeling, and the gap between these two teams is absolutely massive right now.
Oklahoma City already beat Sacramento 107-101 back on October 28th when they were 5-0 and still finding their rhythm. The Kings actually led most of that game before SGA took over in the fourth quarter with clutch buckets to seal it. That was with the Thunder playing on a back-to-back after beating Dallas the night before too.
This time? The circumstances are even worse for the Sacramento Kings. Sacramento is coming off that humiliating loss to Atlanta and is in complete disarray. Players are getting called out publicly by their coach. The effort level has been questioned, and Murray is still out. This is a team that’s given up before they even show up some nights.
The matchups are also super rough here, because who guards Shai? LaVine and Schröder are both undersized and not particularly strong defenders. The Thunder will hunt those switches all night long. And on the other end, Sacramento’s offence is based on pace and transition; exactly the style OKC thrives against because they can turn defence into offence so quickly.
Sabonis will try to control the paint and keep Sacramento in it with his passing and rebounding, but the Thunder have the length and athleticism to make life difficult for him. Holmgren, Hartenstein, and even Williams can all make Sabonis work for everything.
Realistically, this game may be done in the first quarter; the Thunder will smell blood in the water early and never let up.
Expect OKC to jump out to a big lead in the first half, push it to 20+ by the fourth quarter, and cruise to an easy victory. This is a statement game for the Thunder to remind everyone they’re still the kings of the West.
Sacramento Kings vs Oklahoma City Thunder Betting Tip
- Pick: Oklahoma City Thunder -12.5
The spread here might look steep, but it’s actually offering value when you consider the massive talent and motivation gap between these teams. OKC has covered bigger numbers against better opponents this season.
Sacramento is 0-2 against the spread as home underdogs this year, and this is on the road where they’ve been even worse. The Kings have no answer for the Thunder’s defensive pressure and transition game. When OKC forces turnovers, and they will, repeatedly, they convert them into easy buckets on the other end.
Christie talked about wanting 48-minute effort, but this Kings team hasn’t shown they can sustain that for even 24 minutes against elite competition. The Thunder, meanwhile, have the depth to keep fresh legs on the court all game long. When the second unit comes in with guys like Mitchell, Joe, and Wiggins, the intensity doesn’t drop at all.
The public will be all over the Thunder, and rightfully so. This line might move up even higher, so jump on it now. Oklahoma City wins by 20+ and makes this one a laugher by halftime.
New York Knicks vs Miami Heat: Where to Watch (Canada)
- TSN
- Sportsnet
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