Sleep is overrated anyways…that’s going to be the message to Denver Nuggets fans and players alike as Denver is in Sacramento to play the Kings in what may be the latest scheduled tip off in franchise history (I’m too lazy to look it up). Put the kids to bed, make sure the dishes are done, don some pajamas and then battle the sandman until 11:30 PM tonight.
The Basics
Who: Denver Nuggets (7-2) at Sacramento Kings (3-7)
When: 9PM MST
Where: We know we’re a “non-profit” credit union but you don’t get to be non-profit without spending millions of your members money on naming rights…Center. Sacramento, CA.
How to watch/listen: NBC/Peacock. Altitude Radio 92.5FM
Rival blog: The Kings Herald
The Matchup
| Position | Nuggets | Kings | Advantage |
| PG | Jamal Murray | Dennis Schroeder | Nuggets |
| SG | Christian Braun | Zach Lavine | Kings |
| SF | Cam Johnson | DeMar DeRozan | Kings |
| PF | Aaron Gordon | Precious Achiuwa | Nuggets |
| C | Nikola Jokic | Domantas Sabonis | Nuggets |
| Bench | Bruce Brown, Tim Hardaway Jr., Jonas Valanciunas, Peyton Watson | Nique Clifford, Malik Monk, Russell Westbrook, Drew Eubanks, Keon Ellis | Even |
Injury report: Jamal Murray – probable (calf), Aaron Gordon – probable (hamstring), DaRon Holmes II – out (G-League), Tamar Bates – out (G-League), Curtis Jones – out (G-League); Domantas Sabonis – questionable (ribs), Keegan Murray – out (thumb), Isaiah Stevens – out (G-League), Daeqwon Plowden – out (G-League), Dylan Cardwell – out (G-League).
The Three Things
The thing to watch for: A new Kings offense?
The Kings have gone away from utilizing Domantas Sabonis as a hub of their offense.
— Evan Sidery (@esidery) November 10, 2025
Sabonis is averaging his lowest assist total in seven years as Sacramento is falling off with a 3-7 record.
Rival executives believe Sacramento will soon make Sabonis available in trade talks. pic.twitter.com/kR6SJ527bc
Reports have surfaced that the Kings are allegedly going away from Domantas Sabonis as the centerpiece of their offense. Sabonis has largely played that role since he was traded to Sacramento, and in particular after the Kings traded point guard DeAaron Fox. It hasn’t yielded success for them though. After missing the playoffs for two straight years the Kings are off to another subpar start and it’s time for a shakeup. They already did the coach firing thing last year so with Doug Christie at the helm it looks like he’s going to make some strategy changes to get the team going again. That apparently means running a more traditional offense rather than trying to mimic the success of a team who only runs the offense they do because they have the best player on the planet. Probably a good idea for Sacramento, but Sabonis’ long-term future with the team is suddenly not as solid as it used to be.
The thing to remember: A couple CSU boys in purple
Isaiah Stevens will not play for the Kings tonight as he’s currently been assigned to the G-League. Stevens played five seasons in Fort Collins at CSU and is the school’s all-time points, assists, steals & win shares (among other things) leader. He was a two time All Mountain West Conference first team honoree and one of the most beloved Rams of all time. His teammate, both in Sacramento and Fort Collins, Nique Clifford will play tonight. The rookie first round draft pick returned to CSU last year for his fifth collegiate season after testing draft waters following his fourth season. He was the clear best player on his team in his final year (after being the clear second best to Stevens the year prior) and was the MWC Tournament MVP. He flashed a skill set that looks easily translatable to the NBA last year and that made betting on himself pay off. After being told he was a late 2nd round pick at best in 2024, Clifford was drafted 24th overall by the Kings this Summer.
The thing to bet: Jonas Valanciunas over 5.5 rebounds (+121)
Four out of nine game this season Valanciunas has pulled down six or more rebounds, and five games he has not. Recent, albeit brief, history tells us this is essentially a coin flip but we’re getting better than coin flip odds. Additionally, the options Sacramento has for bigs off the bench are Drew Eubanks (6’10”, 245lbs, 10.3 career rebs/per 36) and Dario Saric (6’10”, 225lbs, 8.5 career rebs/per 36). I like my chances with Jonas (6’11”, 265lbs, 13.3 career rebs/per 36) banging against those two on the glass. Additionally, the Kings are not playing well so the chance for Nikola Jokic to sit the entire 4th and Jonas creeping up closer to twenty minutes tonight exists.
