Sacramento Kings First Basket Stats 2025-26: Who Scores First
DeMar DeRozan scored the Kings’ first basket more than anyone in 2025-26: 18 times in 77 starts, or 23% of the games they started. Maxime Raynaud was next with 13. The Kings made the game’s first field goal in 49% of their 82 games and won 52% of their opening tipoffs. Everything below is counted from the play-by-play of every 2025-26 game (1,225 regular season, 85 playoffs, 6 play-in).
Who scored the first basket for the Kings in 2025-26
First basket for team is the first field goal by any SAC player; first basket of game is the game’s first field goal by anyone. Rates are per game started.
| Player | Starts | First basket for SAC | Rate | First basket of game | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DeMar DeRozan | 77 | 18 | 23% | 9 | 12% |
| Maxime Raynaud | 56 | 13 | 23% | 8 | 14% |
| Russell Westbrook | 58 | 11 | 19% | 4 | 7% |
| Zach LaVine | 37 | 10 | 27% | 4 | 11% |
| Precious Achiuwa | 57 | 8 | 14% | 6 | 11% |
| Keegan Murray | 22 | 4 | 18% | 1 | 5% |
| Domantas Sabonis | 15 | 3 | 20% | 2 | 13% |
| Daeqwon Plowden | 7 | 3 | 43% | 1 | 14% |
| De’Andre Hunter | 2 | 2 | 100% | 2 | 100% |
| Drew Eubanks | 11 | 2 | 18% | 1 | 9% |
| Keon Ellis | 5 | 2 | 40% | 1 | 20% |
| Devin Carter | 12 | 1 | 8% | 1 | 8% |
| Nique Clifford | 28 | 1 | 4% | 0 | 0% |
| Dennis Schroder | 14 | 1 | 7% | 0 | 0% |
| Malik Monk | 3 | 1 | 33% | 0 | 0% |
| Killian Hayes | 3 | 1 | 33% | 0 | 0% |
| Dylan Cardwell | 1 | 1 | 100% | 0 | 0% |
How often the Kings scored first
| Split | Games | Scored first | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| All games | 82 | 40 | 49% |
| Home | 41 | 23 | 56% |
| Away | 41 | 17 | 41% |
| Regular season | 82 | 40 | 49% |
Opening tipoff
| Jumper | Tipoffs | Won | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maxime Raynaud | 53 | 33 | 62% |
| Domantas Sabonis | 13 | 4 | 31% |
| Drew Eubanks | 11 | 3 | 27% |
| Team | 77 | 40 | 52% |
How the Kings’ first baskets were scored
| Method | First baskets | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Other 2-pointer (jumper, hook, tip) | 46 | 56% |
| 3-pointer | 15 | 18% |
| Layup | 14 | 17% |
| Dunk | 7 | 9% |
2024-25
| Player | Starts | First basket for SAC | Rate | First basket of game | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Domantas Sabonis | 71 | 26 | 37% | 7 | 10% |
| Malik Monk | 45 | 14 | 31% | 5 | 11% |
| DeMar DeRozan | 78 | 12 | 15% | 8 | 10% |
| Keegan Murray | 77 | 11 | 14% | 4 | 5% |
| De’Aaron Fox | 45 | 8 | 18% | 4 | 9% |
| Jonas Valanciunas | 9 | 4 | 44% | 2 | 22% |
| Trey Lyles | 5 | 4 | 80% | 1 | 20% |
| Keon Ellis | 29 | 1 | 3% | 1 | 3% |
Who scores the first basket most often for the Kings?
DeMar DeRozan, with 18 of the Kings’ first baskets in 2025-26 (23% of their 77 starts), ahead of Maxime Raynaud with 13.
How often do the Kings score first?
The Kings made the first field goal in 40 of 82 games in 2025-26 (49%): 56% at home and 41% on the road.
Who takes the opening tipoff for the Kings?
Maxime Raynaud took 53 of the Kings’ 77 opening tips in 2025-26 and won 62% of them.
Is DeMar DeRozan a good first basket bet?
That depends on the price. A player who scores first for their team in 23% of starts is worth a bet only when a book prices them below that, after adjusting for tonight’s lineup and opponent. Our models make that comparison every 30 minutes for every NBA game; see NBA first basket picks.
Source: NBA play-by-play and box scores, 2025-26. Updated October 13, 2026. See the NBA first basket leaders for every team, or all stats.