McDermott wows with spectacular shooting performance in Kings’ win, which originally aired on NBC Sports Bay Area

SACRAMENTO – On a night where the Kings got big performances from several players, Doug McDermott found a way to stand out from everyone else.

And it took him about six minutes.

A healthy substitute in six games during the 2024-25 NBA season, McDermott came off the bench to score a season-high 18 points while knocking down six 3-pointers as the Kings took on the struggling Utah Jazz 141:97 defeated on Sunday evening.

“When the first couple came in, I thought I might as well keep shooting,” McDermott said. “It was a nice win for us. Our group was very happy with the way we finished the game. Everyone on the bench was ready to play.”

No one was more ready than McDermott, who spent the first three quarters watching before Kings coach Mike Brown went deep on his bench.

Admittedly, McDermott’s standout night of filming took place during the cleanup. But it was easily the most exciting thing to happen at the Golden 1 Center, easily overshadowing a spectacular night from Kevin Huerter (season-high 26 points), another double-double from Domantas Sabonis (19 points, 12 rebounds) and a steady performance from point guard De’Aaron Fox (21 points, 9 rebounds).

McDermott was the No. 11 pick by the Denver Nuggets in the 2014 NBA Draft and spent most of his first 10 seasons in the league making little noise and playing primarily as a reserve.

When he signed with the Kings in the offseason, it was viewed as an attempt by Sacramento to add some perimeter shooting.

McDermott remained in a backup role all season, but he definitely made a case for more playing time after his showing against the Jazz.

He made his first six shots — all 3-point attempts — within six minutes. His only mistake was an open look that bounced off the front of the rim with about 90 seconds left in the game.

During his time on the court, McDermott was met with chants of “Dougie, Dougie” from the crowd at the Golden 1 Center. And the song “Teach Me How to Dougie” played over the speakers with every 3-point shot he took, which happens at G1C every time McDermott takes a shot from behind the arc.

“I definitely heard that,” McDermott said. “That was cool. Great fans here. They were always very good even as away players. It’s just good to be on their side.”

McDermott was definitely stuck. Even though everything was fading for him, at no point did he look at the scoreboard to see what was happening.

“I was just in a rhythm, in a zone,” McDermott said. (Alex Len) and (Jordan McLaughlin) and all those guys did a good job of finding me. I didn’t really care about the numbers or the time left. I just shot.”

When it was all over, McDermott got the opportunity to light the beam. When he did, the crowd at the Golden 1 Center roared.

Whether his night results in more minutes or opportunities remains to be seen, but for one night at least, McDermott had fans cheering just as much as he did when he was a star shooter at Creighton.

“I wouldn’t say I needed it, but it just felt good to contribute to a win,” McDermott said. “Our boys set the tone early on and in the end we were able to make a good run there. It’s just a good feeling to get this win.

“Everyone shot well this evening. Everyone hit. It’s contagious. You don’t want to be the one missing, so you go in and be extremely aggressive so the ball finds the right man every time.”

On Sunday in the fourth quarter, McDermott was definitely the man.

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