Kings’ 2024-25 schedule released, to host Timberwolves in season opener

(FOX40.COM) — The Kings’ schedule is officially set for their 40th season in Sacramento.

The NBA released the 82-game 2024-25 regular season schedules for all 32 teams on Thursday and the Kings are one of the teams that will begin the season at home.

The Kings will host the Minnesota Timberwolves in their season opener on Oct. 24 at 7 p.m.. The Kings’ schedule begins and ends with a majority of road games.

The team is slated to play five of their first seven games as the visitors. Sacramento will conclude the regular season with six of its last nine games away from the Golden 1 Center, but the team’s final three regular season games will be at home.

Sacramento Kings News:
• Kings rookie Devin Carter to be held out of Summer League
• Kings trade Davion Mitchell, Sasha Vezenkov to Raptors for Jalen McDaniels
• Trophy unveiled for California Classic
• Malik Monk signs extension with Sacramento

Sacramento has 16 sets of back-to-back games, meaning they’ll have play on consecutive days.

Other notable games for the season includes a 10-day stretch where they play against the Los Angeles Lakers. The Kings will host their Southern California rival on Dec. 19 at 7 p.m. and Dec. 21 at 3 p.m. Sacramento faces Los Angeles at Crypto.com Arena on Dec. 28.

The Kings first trip to Crypto.com Arena will be on Oct. 26, the second game of the season for Sacramento.

Harrison Barnes is slated to make his first return to Sacramento to face the Kings when the San Antonio Spurs come to the Golden 1 Center on Dec. 1 at 6 p.m.

The Golden State Warriors will come to the Golden 1 Center on Jan. 22 for a nationally televised game on ESPN. The Kings’ Bay Area rival will return to the downtown Sacramento venue on Feb. 21.

Reigning NBA Champion Boston Celtics will play against the Kings in Sacramento on March 24 at 7 p.m..

The Kings will play 12 nationally televised games including six that will be broadcast on NBA TV. Games could get flexed into national television later in the season.

The 2024-25 season brings much anticipation amongst fans after the Kings acquired six-time all-star Demar DeRozan from the Chicago Bulls in July. The veteran is joining a core that includes former all-stars De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis.

DeRozan is slated to make his first return to Chicago when the Kings visit the Bulls on Jan. 12.

NBA Cup Schedule

The NBA’s In-Season Tournament is returning but will be known as the NBA Cup for the upcoming season.

The Kings are placed in West Group A with the Timberwolves, Los Angeles Clippers, Portland Trail Blazers and the Rockets. None of the Kings’ NBA Cup games will be nationally televised.

Group play for the Kings begins Nov. 15 when they host the Timberwolves. The Kings then head to the newly-built Intuit Dome in Inglewood on Nov. 22 to face the Clippers.

Sacramento will host Portland on Nov. 29 and will conclude group play at home against Houston on Dec. 3.

The NBA Cup splits each of the league’s Western and Eastern conferences into three groups of five for the group stage. Eight teams advance to the knockout rounds with the teams with the best record in each of the six groups along with two wild cards, according to the NBA.

Quarterfinals for the 2024 event run from Dec. 10-11, followed by the semifinals on Dec. 14 and the tournament concludes Dec. 17 with the championship game. The semifinals and championship will take place in Las Vegas.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX40.