The Sacramento Kings suffered another tough loss when Doug Christie and his team fell to the San Antonio Spurs 132-104, in a game that quickly got out of hand. The Kings continue to be on the rise this season, and the presence of Victor Wembanyama has made the difference even more pronounced. During the game, cameras caught Christie raking smelling salts on the bench and waving them at associate coach Mike Woodson. That moment felt desperate. It also symbolizes the team that is searching for answers that have not yet come.
Doug Christie and Mike Woodson on the Kings Bench 😭😭
Tanking is really affecting teams
(h/t @Brewin07) pic.twitter.com/SXRPIAYKCW
– FullCourtPass (@FullCourtPass) 18 March 2026
The Kings never stood still. Spurs controlled the momentum early and never looked back. Vembanyama decided everything. He scored with confidence, varied shots and made the game look simple. On the contrary, the king looked trapped. His crime stopped. His defenses were broken. Each Spurs run felt heavier than the last. The energy never transferred.
At 18-52, the numbers tell part of the story. A 5-5 record in the last 10 games provides some comfort. Because when the lights get brighter, the same issues come back. Same pattern repeats. And the struggles of the Kings’ season are far from over.
Despair grows as King searches for direction
Doug Christie’s smelling salty moment quickly became the talk of the town online. Fans reacted quickly. Some laughed. Others saw a coach going to great lengths to breathe life into his team. Somehow, it captured the mood surrounding this group.
On the court, the stats told the same story. Nearly every Kings player finished with a negative plus-minus, a clear indication of how one-sided the game had become. Only one player managed to stay positive. That difference reflects overall performance. Defensive lapses piled up. The aggressive rhythm disappeared under pressure. Against a Spurs team brimming with confidence, those flaws were exposed again. Victor Vembanyama took control, and the Kings had no response.
Time is still on the clock. But the urgency keeps increasing. Change is needed in this team. It needs recognition. This requires faith. Otherwise, moments like this will continue to define everything. So the question now is, how much longer will it take for the Kings to finally make some changes this season?
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