Kings’ compete level answers Doug Christie’s plea in OT thriller vs. Rockets

Kings’ compete level answers Doug Christie’s plea in OT thriller vs. Rockets originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SACRAMENTO – The 2025-26 Kings are not a playoff team.

But Doug Christie still would like to see some fight from his guys after losing 22 games before January and plummeting to dead last in the Western Conference.

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Over the past three games, the Kings have shown that competitive edge that Christie was known for as a player and preaches now as a coach. The last two have resulted in losses to the Trail Blazers, with the first in Portland ending in overtime controversy and the second in Sacramento being a back-and-forth battle.

After Saturday’s 98-93 loss to Portland, the first question Christie responded to was whether the competitive level his team had displayed was what he’s been looking for with this roster, given its rocky start to the season and its realistic future.

“Yeah. Ultimately, defensively, I thought we were better,” Christie said. “We’re in a hunt. The competition level was higher. That’s what we need. You have to be in the hunt, and then once you get there, you have to execute down the stretch. [Us] missing 10 free throws, those are the things that are going to get us over the [hump].

“But first and foremost, you got to compete at a high level and be in the hunt. We did a pretty good job in Portland as well [on Thursday]. That’s the biggest thing. We have to compete at a high level. And then, in this league, you have to learn how to win games. And that’s where we’re at right now.”

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Well, Sunday’s showing was a promising start.

In Sacramento’s second overtime game in four days, the Kings once again displayed resilience and, yes, that competition level Christie has been begging for from his squad. This time, though, it didn’t end in heartbreak or controversy; it ended with a win against one of the top Western Conference teams, the Houston Rockets, that snapped a five-game skid.

It was a true collective effort.

A late surge led by Keegan Murray erased Houston’s 14-point lead and kept the Kings alive in crunch time. Murray, who has…

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Publish date : 2025-12-21 23:35:00

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