Dennis Schröder lost his first game with the Sacramento Kings. The Californians squandered a big lead and lost 116-120 to the Phoenix Suns.
This was certainly not how the Kings had imagined their season opener. The Kings were leading by up to 20 points at the end of the first half, but by the start of the fourth quarter, that lead had completely evaporated. The two guards, Grayson Allen (18 points) and Devin Booker (31, 10/19 FG, 10/15 FT), had caught fire, and the visitors were barely able to stop them.
After two three-pointers from Royce O’Neale, the Suns took the lead for the first time since the opening minutes and didn’t relinquish it for the rest of the game. The Suns always had an answer, Dillon Brooks (22) was fouled late on a three-pointer, and Booker converted a short jump shot with about 38 seconds left, which ultimately sealed the deal.
Schröder makes solid Kings debut
The Kings were missing two key players in Domantas Sabonis and Keegan Murray, but DeMar DeRozan (29, 12/17) and Zach LaVine (30, 13/24) took over the lion’s share of the scoring. LaVine had already scored 22 points by halftime, but cooled off noticeably after the break. Schröder, on the other hand, played just under 30 minutes and had occasional problems scoring in the zone. His jump shot, however, was much better, with two successful mid-range shots and two three-pointers.
In the end, the DBB captain had 14 points (6/13 FG, 2/4 three-pointers), seven assists and two steals, but also four turnovers. In the final phase, Schröder was hardly on the ball, with DeRozan and LaVine repeatedly getting the chance to try their luck.
The Kings now return home, where they will host the Utah Jazz at the Golden 1 Center on Saturday night, followed by the Los Angeles Lakers two days later.
