RECAP: Sacramento Kings 1st Game w/o Keon Ellis, Lose in The District 116-112 To Wizards

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.PUBLIC RECORD – 30 –
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.Tony ‌Ray‌ ‌Harvey‌ ‌|‌ Public Information Officer
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WASHINGTON WIZARDS 116, SACRAMENTO KINGS 112

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Despite a total of 67 points from Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan, the Sacramento Kings drop their 6th-straight winless game on the road, falling 116-112 to the Washington Wizards at Capital One Center on Feb. 1.

Rookie Will Riley had 18 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, and AJ Johnson added 17 points for the Wizards (13-35, 9-16 at Capital One), winners of 3 of their last 4 games. Marvin Bagley and Bilal Coulibaly had 15 points each.

Former Kings draft pick Skal Labissiere added 13 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals. Wizard had 56 points in the paint to the Kings’ 42, despite 17 turnovers.

LaVine had 35 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, while DeRozan finished with 32 points, 5 assists, 2 rebounds, and 1 block for the Kings (12-39, 3-23 on the road), losers of their last 9 games, including winless on the road since beating the Miami Heat on Dec. 5. Maxime Raynaud had 14 points and 6 rebounds.

Down by 17 points in the first half, Zach LaVine got it going to pull the Kings to 53-48 of the Wizards lead in the first half. The Kings only achieved 14 points in the 1st quarter, making 4 of 22 (18.2%) from the floor and 1 of 6 (16.7%) beyond the arc.

Keon Ellis was traded by the Sacramento Kings to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Jan. 31, 2026, as part of a three-team deal involving the Chicago Bulls.

The primary reasons for the trade from the Kings' perspective were to acquire an established 3-and-D wing in De'Andre Hunter, consolidate a crowded backcourt, and manage impending free agency risks regarding Ellis.

Ellis, born Jan. 8, 2000, is a 6-foot-4 guard who was undrafted after a stint at the University of Alabama and a strong Summer League performance. He solidified a spot in the NBA, becoming a key contributor for the Sacramento Kings (2022–2026) with efficient 3-point shooting and solid perimeter defense.

Ellis started at Florida SouthWestern State College, which made his journey much more compelling. After impressing the head coach Mike Brown and his coaching staff with his "3-and-D" capabilities, Ellis secured a standard, $5.1 million contract in February 2024.

He was the Kings fans’ consummate hero for his high energy and tenacious effort on defense.

Hunter is a 28-year-old, 6-7, NBA small forward originally drafted 4th overall in 2019. Known as a two-way wing, had previously been acquired by the Cavaliers from the Atlanta Hawks at the 2025 trade deadline.

MISCs: The Kings had to make drastic changes to adjust to the major three-team trade. DaQuan Plowden, Isaiah Stevens, and Devin Carter touched the floor. Clifford started at the point guard position.

MISSING IN ACTION
The District: The team is managing several absences. Trae Young, Cam Whitmore, and Tristan Vukčević remain sidelined. Rookie Tre Johnson was also ruled out of the contest with an ankle sprain.

Kings: Russell Westbrook and Domantas Sabonis were sidelined. Keegan Murray is still out with a moderate left ankle sprain he suffered on Jan. 5.

The ALMANAC
The District: Host the New York Knicks on Feb. 3.

KINGs: Host the Memphis Grizzlies on Feb. 4.

#SacramentoKings #Sacramento #DougChristie #RussellWestbrook #NBA #KeeganMurray #ZachLaVine #DeMarDeRozan #NiqueClifford #MaximeRaynaud #WashingtonWizards