Devin Carter put together the best individual performance of his young NBA career on Friday night, pouring in a career-high 29 points to help the Sacramento Kings send their home crowd out on a high with a 124-118 win over the Golden State Warriors.
Carter, who shot 11-of-18 from the field and 6-of-11 from three, was characteristically grounded in the press conference afterward. “First and foremost I just want to give all glory to God for putting me in this position. I’m glad that we were able to get the last home win for the season — it just felt great. The crowd was all into it. I think we’ve got the best fans in the NBA, especially when we’re winning,” he said.
The game was physical from the opening tip — the third quarter alone produced two flagrant fouls, two technical fouls, and a brief ejection later in the fourth — but Carter never let it unsettle him. “I wasn’t worried about it. I grew up being a physical player, so it is what it is. That’s basketball — at the end of the day it’s nothing personal,” he said.
Asked what clicks mentally when he gets into one of those hot stretches where the points pile up quickly, Carter kept the answer simple and rooted in preparation. “It’s just confidence. I put the work in, so at the end of the day I just got to imagine myself being in the gym by myself — that’s where you put the work in, getting all the reps. That’s all it is,” he said.
Friday’s win meant something beyond the box score too. The Kings close the regular season at 21-59, tied with Utah for the fourth-worst record in the NBA — a position that carries significant draft lottery implications heading into what Carter acknowledged will be a meaningful offseason. “It’s going to be a big offseason for me about my life personally. So yeah, just ready to get to this last game and go out on a strong note,” he said.
Sacramento visits Portland on Sunday in the regular-season finale, with Carter and a young Kings core that has shown flashes throughout a difficult year looking to close the chapter with momentum.
