The Sacramento Kings had a crucial win-or-go-home Play-In game on Wednesday night against the Dallas Mavericks as they hoped to keep their playoff hopes alive.
Sacramento had a solid start to the game as they led Dallas by two points at the end of the first quarter. Everything would change in the second quarter though as the Kings were outscored 44-19.
The Mavericks never looked back after their second quarter dominance as they went on to the defeat the Kings 120-106 to advance to play the Memphis Grizzlies for the eighth seed in the Western Conference on Friday.
With the loss, the Kings’ season comes to a disappointing end as Sacramento failed to live up to expectations put upon them before the season began.
After the loss, interim head coach Doug Christie addressed the media as he opened up about his future with the franchise.
“None,” Christie said after a reporter asked him whether he has been given any assurances about his job moving forward. “But this is where I want to be. I think you guys know that. I need to finish what I started.”
Interim Kings coach Doug Christie on whether he's been given any assurances about the job moving forward: "None, but this is where I want to be. I think you guys know that. I need to finish what I started”
— Jason Anderson (@JandersonSacBee) April 17, 2025
Of course, Christie took over head coaching duties in late December after the Kings fired head coach Mike Brown after their abysmal start to the season.
Under Christie, the Kings went 27-24 and finished the regular season with a 40-42 record as they clinched the ninth seed heading into the Play-In.
The Play-In Tournament did not go as planned for the Kings as they fell to the Mavericks and they now have multiple major decisions to make, including whether or not to keep Christie as their head coach.
It is clear that Christie wants to remain the coach in Sacramento after his comments but with the Kings moving on from general manager Monte McNair following Wednesday’s loss, they may look elsewhere to fill their head coaching hole.
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