Keegan Murray calls out the team after an ugly NBA Cup loss to the Suns

ByNBAUSA



The The Sacramento Kings are running out of excusesand after Wednesday’s 112-100 loss to the Phoenix Suns, forward Keegan Murray made that reality painfully clear.

Sacramento fell to 5-14 on the season after another weak start, and Murray didn’t sugar why.

“We just dug ourselves too big a hole … it was rough,” Murray told reporters after the game. “That wasn’t our brand of basketball at all.”

The Kings were outscored 41-16 in a disastrous opening quarter, turning the ball over seven times and allowing the Suns to dictate the pace and control the momentum from the opening tip.

Devin Booker led the way with 12 points, while Colin Gillespie added 11 as Phoenix raced out to a 25-point lead before Sacramento could even settle down.

The Kings eventually responded, outscoring the Suns over the next three quarters. But Murray acknowledged that the effort means very little when the damage is already done.

“Over the next three quarters, we started to get a little bit of it,” he said, “but it was too late.

Live ball turnovers, defensive breakdowns and another lackluster start, three issues that have plagued Sacramento all season, once again defined the loss. The Kings now rank near the bottom of the NBA in defensive rating and turnover percentage, two categories that continue to sabotage any progress on the offensive end.

Russell Westbrook and Murray led Sacramento with 19 points. while Malik Monk added 15 off the bench. But even with individual flashes, the Kings lacked rhythm, urgency and discipline, a theme that has become all too familiar.

Meanwhile, Phoenix never lost control. Booker finished the night in cruise mode, and the Suns’ role players looked sharper, faster and more connected than a Kings team still trying to rediscover last year’s identity.

For a franchise entering the season with playoff aspirations, the message from Murray was simple and direct — and one fan might agree:

Sacramento is beating itself.

And if that doesn’t change, the losses will continue.





2025-11-27 12:11:00

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