PREVIEW: The Sacramento Kings (3-11) travel to Paycom Center to face the Oklahoma City Thunder (14-1) , pitting two teams heading in dramatically different directions. The Kings have lost 10 of their last 12 games , while the Thunder have won 18 of their last 19 regular season games. Sacramento struggles with midrange efficiency at rank 1st in that category, but their weak defensive rebounding and poor spacing create fundamental problems on both ends of the floor, particularly their rank 27th defense against shots attacking the rim. The Kings average 113.2 points on 46.7% shooting while surrendering 124.5 points, a stark contrast to Oklahoma City's 121.6 points on 47.8% shooting and only 106.2 points allowed . The Thunder's defensive prowess stands as the central narrative in this matchup. Oklahoma City ranks 1st in defensive rim protection and efficient free throw shooting at 85.8%, while forcing turnovers at the second-best rate in the league. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leads the offensive charge with 32.6 points and 6.6 assists per game, while Chet Holmgren contributes 19.3 points and 8.2 rebounds. The Kings will be without Keegan Murray and Domantas Sabonis , further limiting their ability to generate offense against a suffocating Thunder defense that has dominated their recent matchups.