What we learned as the Kings hit rock bottom with a big loss to the Pacers originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SACRAMENTO – Another game, another double-double from Domantas Sabonis and another frustrating loss for the Kings.

Sabonis had 17 points, 21 rebounds and four assists but finished with a minus-26 mark as the Kings suffered a 122-95 loss to the Indiana Pacers on Sunday at the Golden 1 Center.

De’Aaron Fox added 23 points and seven assists. Malik Monk scored 14 points while Keegan Murray had 10.

In comparison, the Pacers had seven players score in double figures. Former Kings’ first-round draft pick Tyrese Haliburton scored 14 points.

The Kings stayed close in the first half, entering halftime tied 52-52, but Indiana scored 35 points in the third quarter and sailed from there.

It wasn’t all bad.

The Kings took care of the ball much better than in recent games, capturing 15 offensive boards.

However, since the end result is another L, it doesn’t matter much. After battling back to .500 a few weeks ago, Sacramento fell to 13-17 and remained in 12th place^Th place in the Western Conference.

Here are the takeaways from Sunday’s game:

DDouble-double dynasty

Due to his defense, Sabonis has to endure a lot of heat, which is due to the fact that he often has to guard players who are much taller and more physical than him.

Domas’ dominance on offense is undisputed.

Already the franchise leader in double-doubles, the Kings’ 240-pound center added another in what has become an annual gameday tradition. It took him just two quarters to score his latest goal.

That’s 359 in the 28 games Sabonis has played this season^Th of his career – fifth in the NBA since 2016-17.

Lack of kick-out passes

The Kings had limited shooting success, especially from behind the arc, because they didn’t get many open looks.

Much of this could be solved by using the key to lure defenders deep and then releasing a spray pass to the perimeter. It’s been one of Mike Brown’s pet peeves all season, something the head coach has openly criticized in the past.

Instead of driving to the rim and distributing, the Kings were content to simply drive into traffic and try to get through multiple defenders. When they passed the ball into the crease, the Pacers were never caught off guard and finished with ease.

KAeon MIA

Keon Ellis was the Kings’ best backup player this season because he was willing to do whatever it took or play where Brown needed him.

Still, Ellis almost became a healthy DNP. At one point, several fans sitting near the Kings erupted in cries for Ellis to play, only to see No. 23 remain on the bench.

Ellis made his first appearance less than five minutes into the game and scored three points in four and a half minutes. In a close game like this, where Sacramento seemed to need a boost of energy, it would have been nice if he had gotten more time.

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