DeMar DeRozan has played in hundreds of NBA games across 15 seasons, but Sunday night’s contest against the Los Angeles Lakers was unlike anything he’s ever seen.
The Sacramento Kings fell 127–120 at Golden 1 Center, but it wasn’t the scoreboard that had players and fans frustrated, it was the whistle. The Lakers attempted 46 free throws to the Kings’ eighteen, a staggering gap that had DeRozan searching for words after the game.
When asked if he’d ever been part of a game with that kind of imbalance, DeRozan didn’t hesitate.
“No,” DeRozan said. “It’s crazy.”
The veteran guard explained how the constant fouls and stoppages prevented Sacramento from finding its rhythm.
“It’s deflating, especially when we’re going out there trying to play hard, trying to compete,” DeRozan told NBC Sports Bay Area. “And it seems like we’re getting called for fouls, but on the other hand, when we try to be aggressive, you know, nothing don’t go our way. It’s kind of deflating at times, especially when you’re trying to get it going. You have guys in and out of rotation because of foul trouble, you know, it’s hard to get a rhythm because you’re putting them on the line, giving them the rhythm, so it’s definitely tough.”
DeMar DeRozan reacts to the 46-to-18 free-throw margin in favor of the Lakers tonight pic.twitter.com/T74nKOBCpC
— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) October 27, 2025
Austin Reaves was at the center of that parade to the stripe, shooting 22 free throws, four more than the entire Kings roster.
Kings head coach Doug Christie didn’t hold back his frustration, though he stopped short of directly criticizing the officials.
“We got to play defense without fouling, obviously,” Christie said. “But there are two teams on the floor. It’s wild. It’s wild. It’s wild.”
Kings guard Zach LaVine did note that while the free-throw gap was glaring, his team still had late chances to win but didn’t capitalize.
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