March 8, 2026; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings guard Malik Monk (0) reacts after dunking the ball against the Chicago Bulls in the first quarter at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Lee-Imagn Image The Sacramento Kings will look for their first home win in nearly two months when they face the visiting Indiana Pacers on Tuesday.
This matchup features two teams with the worst records in the NBA. Sacramento (15 wins, 50 losses) is last in the Western Conference, and Indiana (15 wins, 49 losses) is last in the Eastern Conference with 9 straight losses.
Russell Westbrook had 23 points, 12 assists and 11 rebounds in Sacramento on Sunday as the Kings toppled the Chicago Bulls 126-110 for their first home win since beating the Washington Wizards on Jan. 16.
The 37-year-old Westbrook notched his 208th career triple-double and his NBA-record fifth of the season, helping Sacramento win its third straight title.
“Russ was amazing,” Kings coach Doug Christie said. “He controlled the ballgame. He found guys in the pocket. He continues to amaze me that he can go out there and produce the way he does. And (Sunday) was not only a great performance, it was the performance we needed.”
Malik Monk scored a season-high 30 points off the bench, and rookie center Maxime Raynaud had 26 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks.
The Kings played without DeMar DeRozan (illness), who missed a game for the first time this season. Daekwon Plowden started in place of DeRozan and recorded 16 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists.
After the win, Monk praised Sacramento fans for sticking with the team through a dismal season.
“It always feels good to win at home, especially in front of the crowd,” Monk said. “I don’t even know our record. It’s terrible, but as bad as we are, it always gives us a lot of energy. I’d like to thank our fans for always supporting us no matter how bad we are.”
The Kings have dropped their last three games against Indiana, including a 116-105 loss in Indianapolis on Dec. 8.
The Pacers are wrapping up a four-game road trip after losing 131-111 to the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday. Indiana has dropped an average of 19.7 points over its last six games.
Pascal Siakam scored 22 points to lead the Pacers against Portland, while Jay Huff added 16 points and five blocks.
The Pacers, winless since the All-Star break, had trouble rallying after Portland went on a 19-5 run to take a 69-52 lead at halftime.
“We did a good job up there and had some good things sprinkled throughout the game, but consistency and the ability to sustain is essential on the road,” Indiana coach Rick Carlisle said. “There were problems we couldn’t overcome.”
Pacers point guard TJ McConnell left Sunday’s game with a right hamstring strain in the fourth quarter and did not return. He will not play on Tuesday.
The injury-plagued Pacers have used 35 different starting lineups, the most in the NBA. The team entered evaluation mode with next season in mind.
“This is an opportunity to look at everything,” Carlisle said. “We’re looking at a lot of different people and different combinations, and by the time we’re done, we’ll have gathered a significant amount of information about our entire team. This makes sense.”
–Field level media
