The rejuvenated Kings are a new team under interim head coach Doug Christie, who already is making history in his temporary role.
Sacramento now is 10-2 with Christie as its coach and has risen from the No. 12 seed in the Western Conference to the No. 7 seed in three weeks.
But one striking stat stands out above all. The Kings began the season 6-13 in clutch time, which was third-worst in the NBA under former coach Mike Brown. Clutch time is defined as the final five minutes of the fourth quarter or overtime when the score is within five points.
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With Christie at the helm beginning Dec. 28, they now rank first in the association with a flawless 6-0 record in clutch time. Additionally, Christie now is the only coach in the 21st century with three 15-plus-point comeback wins within his first 12 games as an NBA head coach, per OptaSTATS.
The @SacramentoKings under Doug Christie:
— OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) January 23, 2025
18-point comeback win vs. Dal (12/30)
17-point comeback win vs. Mia (1/6)
18-point comeback win vs. GS (tonight)
No other coach in the 21st century has had three 15+ point comeback wins within his first dozen games as an NBA head coach. pic.twitter.com/DftWhkUUyl
In Sacramento's win over the Dallas Mavericks on Dec. 30, the Kings overcame an 18-point deficit sparked by a 17-2 run to close the third quarter. De'Aaron Fox scored 33 points and the Kings gave Christie his first victory as interim head coach.
The first of many.
NBA
One week later, Tyler Herro and the Miami Heat put on a show in their lone visit to Sacramento. Miami took a 17-point lead after Sacramento's second-half collapse, but the Kings showed life late in the fourth quarter to spark a comeback and force overtime. Twice. DeMar DeRozan scored nine of Sacramento's 11 points in double overtime to will his team to a tiring victory.
And most recently, with NorCal neighbor Golden State Warriors in town seeking revenge and up by as many as 18 points, DeRozan scored 19 points in the third quarter to re-energize his team and secure its 10th win in 11 games.
It's not about how you start, it's about how you finish. And for the most part, the Kings appear to have cracked the code on battling through the finish line.