LOS ANGELES — Based on what he saw in a 132-122 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday night after what he described as a ''crazy 24 hours'' following the firing of Mike Brown, interim coach Doug Christie thinks the Sacramento Kings are capable of turning things around.
His biggest piece of evidence for that was how the Kings kept fighting, cutting a 20-point deficit in the fourth quarter to six before the Lakers closed things out.
''Part of my biggest message is letting them know that there's a level of competition that we're going to continue to have, and I was proud of that,'' he said.
To break through, starting with snapping a losing streak that now stands at six games, Christie will need his team to tap into the same defensive intensity that allowed him to play 15 seasons in the NBA.
Sacramento struggled to defend without fouling, sending Los Angeles to the free throw line 33 times. Domantas Sabonis picked up his fifth foul with 4:17 left in the third, and his absence allowed a seven-point deficit to balloon to 20.
''Defensively, what I'm asking them to do, the level of intensity that I would like to see, it's difficult,'' Christie said. ''It is. I did it, and I told them that. Like, I understand. I want you to play so hard that you raise your hand and say I need to come out of the game."
Those breakdowns prevented Christie from getting a chance to help the Kings' struggles in close games. Sacramento is 3-11 in games decided by five points or less, culminating in a 114-113 meltdown to Detroit on Thursday.
De'Aaron Fox has seen his effectiveness in late-game situations drop off considerably after pushing the team to winning records the previous two seasons under Brown. DeMar DeRozan has also struggled in those instances being acquired from Chicago in a sign-and-trade in July.
