Washington Wizards (10-29, 14th in the Eastern Conference) will play against Sacramento Kings (11-30, 14th in the Western Conference) on Friday, 16th of Jan. 2026 at Sacramento, California, 10 p.m. EST.
The Washington Wizards are hitting a rough patch right now. They're heading to Sacramento after dropping three straight games, and they'll need to find some spark against the Kings.
Both teams are struggling this season, but let's break down what they've been doing at home and on the road. The Kings have an 8-13 record in their own building. They've been solid in close ones, going 3-2 when games come down to three points or less.
Over on the Wizards' side, they're 4-15 away from home, not great for road warriors. But they do have a nice edge when they take care of the ball: they're 6-3 in games where they commit fewer turnovers than the other team. Washington coughs it up 15.6 times per game on average, though.
Offensively, the Kings put up 110.2 points a night, which is a good 13.8 points below the 124.0 the Wizards are letting opponents score. The Wizards love bombing from deep, knocking down 12.8 threes per game, that's just 0.2 more than what the Kings give up to shooters.
DeMar DeRozan has been carrying a big load for Sacramento. He's shooting an efficient 50.8% from the field and averaging 19.1 points. Russell Westbrook's been on a tear lately too, dropping 15.3 points over his last 10 outings.
For the Wizards, Bub Carrington's stepping up with 40.5% shooting and 9.5 points per game. Tre Johnson’s been money from beyond the arc, making 2.1 threes over the last 10 games.
The Kings are 3-7 in their most recent stretch. They're averaging 104.5 points, grabbing 38.9 rebounds, dishing 22.5 assists, with 6.6 steals and 4.6 blocks per game. Field goal percentage sits at 46.6%. The bad news? Opponents are lighting them up for 116.8 points a game.
The Wizards are a bit steadier at 5-5. They average 113.3 points, 44.9 rebounds, 24.9 assists, a strong 8.8 steals, and 8.0 blocks while shooting 46.8% from the floor. Still, foes are getting 118.0 points against them.
Kings: Keegan Murray is out with an ankle issue, and Domantas Sabonis is sidelined by a knee problem.
Wizards: Bilal Coulibaly is day-to-day with back soreness, Cam Whitmore's out (shoulder), and Trae Young's missing time with a quad injury.
The Sacramento Kings (11–30) look to extend their hottest stretch of the season as they host the Washington Wizards (10–29) this Friday night at the Golden 1 Center. After a dismal first half of the campaign, Sacramento has finally found its rhythm under head coach Doug Christie, riding a three-game winning streak that includes impressive double-digit victories over the Rockets, Lakers, and most recently, the New York Knicks.
The story in Sacramento is the historic play of DeMar DeRozan. In Wednesday's win over the Knicks, DeRozan scored 27 points to move into 22nd place on the NBA’s all-time scoring list, surpassing Hall of Famer Kevin Garnett and crossing the 26,000-point milestone. DeRozan remains the engine of a Kings offense that is averaging over 115 points per game during this streak. He is supported by an explosive backcourt featuring Zach LaVine and Russell Westbrook, the latter of whom recently notched an 11-assist double-double, proving he can still orchestrate a high-speed attack.
Even with Domantas Sabonis (knee) and Keegan Murray (ankle) sidelined, the Kings have found an interior spark in Precious Achiuwa. The former Knick has stepped into the starting lineup and provided exactly the kind of physicality Sacramento lacked, highlighted by a dominant 20-point, 14-rebound performance against his former team. His presence in the paint will be critical against a Wizards frontcourt led by rookie Alex Sarr.
The Wizards, meanwhile, arrive on a three-game losing streak and are severely shorthanded. Star guard Trae Young (quad) and Cam Whitmore (shoulder) have both been ruled out, leaving a massive scoring void. While veteran Khris Middleton and rookie Tre Johnson provide some punch, Washington’s defense, which allows a staggering 124 points per game, is ill-equipped to handle Sacramento’s three-headed scoring monster of DeRozan, LaVine, and Westbrook. Expect the Kings to keep the beam lit and take care of business at home.
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