Mike Brown, Kings searching for answers after ugly loss to Rockets originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Not much went right for the Kings on Monday.
Three minutes into the game, Sacramento guard Kevin Huerter hit a 3-pointer from 27 feet to put the Kings up 8-7. That would go down as the Kings’ last lead of the game in their ugly 122-97 loss to the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center, their third straight loss since guard De’Aaron Fox suffered a sprained ankle Oct. 29.
The Kings struggled to get anything going offensively. Their signature quick pace and fluid motions were nowhere to be found. Possessions took too long to develop, and they struggled to get back in transition. Houston built its lead up to 40 points at one point in a loss Sacramento hopes to soon forget.
“They kicked our behind, starting with me,” Kings coach Mike Brown said after the game. “[Rockets coach] Ime [Udoka] kicked my behind, and on down the line. [The Rockets] came ready to play tonight. They punched us in the mouth and we didn’t respond.”
Sacramento went down to the wire with the Golden State Warriors in its first game without Fox — a 102-101 loss at Chase Center — but went down with a whimper in two games at Toyota Center. The Kings lost 107-89 on Saturday and by 25 points Monday, the latter which could have been much worse if not for a valiant fourth-quarter effort from Keon Ellis.
The Kings are on their first three-game losing streak of the season, something they only experienced three times in their magical run to the playoffs last year.
“As crazy as this sounds, the neat part about it is we’ve hit some adversity,” Brown said. “And if we expect to be who we expect to be, who I truly 100 percent still believe in, then we’re going to find our way out of this.
“I don’t know how long it’s going to take. But this is great for us to experience and come back from the right way – collectively and with our shoulders and chest held high.”
Brown and the Kings return home Wednesday to host the Portland Trail Blazers at Golden 1 Center. It will be a special night for second-year forward Keegan Murray, whose brother Kris is a rookie in Portland.