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Dec 30, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Sacramento Kings guard Russell Westbrook (18) defends Los Angeles Clippers guard James Harden (1) in the first half at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Three Takeaways from Kings' Embarrassing Loss to Clippers

Originally posted on Sacramento Kings on SI
By Will Zimmerle | Last updated Dec 31, 2025 1:33 AM ET

The Sacramento Kings have been playing competitive basketball of late, but as we've seen so many times already this season, this game against the Los Angeles Clippers was over early. (The only reason it wasn't earlier was the late 8:00 start time).

The Clippers jumped out to an early lead and never looked back. They outscored the Kings 34-20 in the first quarter and led 73-40 at halftime. And it never got closer, as the Kings fell 131-90 at the end of four.

They had no answer for Kawhi Leonard tonight, who finished with a game-high 33 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals, and a block as he was everywhere on the court. James Harden chipped in 21 points, but on a less efficient 6-of-14 from the field.

Here are three takeaways from the Kings' latest loss as they fall to 8-25.

Size Continues to Be An Issue

If it feels like you just read about this, it's because I had the exact same takeaway following the loss on Sunday against the Los Angeles Lakers. There are certain matchups where the Kings lack of size is even more prevalent, and the Clippers are one of those teams.

They have size everywhere on the court, and with the return of recent return of Derrick Jones Jr., they have even more size than they have had most of the season. It's a tough look when you have 6-foot-5 Nique Clifford guarding 6-foot-9 John Collins.

It's nothing new, as we've known this about the roster since the offseason, but just like with the Lakers game, it's a good reminder of how much work lies ahead for Scott Perry.

Keegan Murray Quiet in Return

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Keegan Murray made his return after missing two games and had a very quiet game with 11 points, 2 rebounds, and an assist on 4-of-13 shooting from the field and 1-of-4 from three. It was a quicker return than expected for the fourth-year guard, but was a tough matchup against one of the best defenders in the NBA against Leonard.

It's hard to judge him on this game, as the whole team struggled to get anything going, but Murray's performance and development continues to be one of the most important things for the Kings to look at this season.

The good news is that he led the team with 13 field goal attempts. Even if they aren't going in, that's the type of aggression the Kings need Murray to play with as he looks to fill one of the lead roles on offense.

The Kings Have a Long Long Long Way to Go

Even after the Lakers game, which was also a blowout loss, there were some positive things to take away. That, along with the recent five-game stretch where Sacramento played great, had signs of encouragement after a disastrous start to the season.

But tonight felt like a slap in the face reminder that the Kings have so far to go to get back to NBA relevance on a night-to-night basis. They will have surprise wins this season again, for sure, but they need to play nearly perfectly to even be in close games, let alone win.

It's so easy for them to come out flat against an opponent, fall behind early, and never recover. If it feels like you've seen this game dozens of times this season, it's because you already have. Yes, the rookies continue to look good, and yes, there are still good things happening in spurts on the court, but Scott Perry and Doug Christie have a long way to go to avoid more 40+ point losses in the future.

This article first appeared on Sacramento Kings on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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