Christie lauds Kings' effort in crucial bounce-back win vs. Hornets
Sacramento interim coach Doug Christie praised the Kings' effort in a decisive bounce-back victory over the Charlotte Hornets.
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Christie lauds Kings' effort in crucial bounce-back win vs. Hornets originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
It’s not how one falls. It’s how one gets back up.
After a flustering loss to the Washington Wizards on Wednesday, the Kings responded like a team yearning for NBA playoff basketball, cruising to a much-needed 125-102 victory over the Charlotte Hornets on Friday at Spectrum Center.
In the midst of a six-game road trip and with a loose grip on the Western Conference’s No. 10 seed, interim coach Doug Christie praised the way in which his team bounced back.
“A total team effort,” Christie told reporters. “Love and respect the way that the guys came out after a really disappointing loss.
“One that, in many ways, a team can go the other way. That’s what talking and being about your teammates and loving your teammates and respecting them is all about. A lot of love and respect for how the guys came out and approached this game.”
Sacramento, who dropped the first three games of the team’s last road trip of the regular season, leveraged a balanced approach on offense against an ailing Hornets side.
Despite shooting 0 of 9 from beyond the arc early on, the Kings finished draining 19 3-pointers on 36 attempts.
Trey splashes his THIRD triple of the quarter ☔ pic.twitter.com/WFqpwrJBhB
— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) April 5, 2025
On the other side of the ball, Sacramento did its part in containing the league’s lowest field-goal percentage team to under 40 percent from the floor.
Guard Malik Monk credited the Kings’ mindset for a well-rounded performance.
“Yeah, definitely, that’s what we’ve been talking about: just coming in with the right mind, knowing we’re going to win it and knowing we’re going to play together and play hard and not in spurts,” Monk told NBC Sports California’s Morgan Ragan and Deuce Mason on “Kings Postgame Live.”
“We played, I wouldn’t say a full game, but we played close to a full game today.”
All-Stars Domantas Sabonis, DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine combined for 71 points, while Monk and Trey Lyles contributed a combined 29 points off the bench.
Domas hits the spin cycle AND the slam ???? pic.twitter.com/GAY6nF697h
— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) April 5, 2025
With the urgency and expectation to break out of a three-game rut and gain a frim grip on the West’s No. 10 seed, Sacramento delivered.
Now, with a difficult back-to-back coming up against the Cleveland Cavaliers and Detroit Pistons, Christie has reasons to believe the Kings are up for challenge — regardless of what took place against the Wizards.
“We have some tough teams coming up on a back-to-back,” Christie concluded. “One that we’ve beat, so they’re going to be ready for us. And another one that beat us on a last-second shot.
“So, you bring it. That’s what you do. And that’s what I expect. Hopefully, these are the types of games that you find yourself, you love your teammates and now you take that and continue it on play by play.”
