Russell Westbrook Makes NBA History in Kings’ Loss to Spurs

A historic night for Russell Westbrook wasn’t enough to prevent a heavy defeat for the Sacramento Kings. The veteran point guard reached a major milestone by becoming the 5th all-time assist leader in NBA history, surpassing Mark Jackson (10,334 assists) and Steve Nash (10,335 assists) to reach 10,343 career assists.

The game was briefly stopped in the first half to celebrate this achievement by the 36-year-old, nine-time All-Star. Westbrook continues to write his legend and is now closing in on LeBron James, who ranks 4th with 11,909 assists.

This dime put Russell Westbrook in the Top 5 all-time assists list. 🔥👏

pic.twitter.com/vmbeKqprum https://t.co/DGmM6ssGF5

— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) March 18, 2026

Disappointing Team Performance Despite Individual Achievements

Despite this historic moment, the Kings suffered a crushing defeat against the San Antonio Spurs (132-104). Sacramento fell behind early, trailing by 38 points at one stage and down 31 at halftime.

The only bright spot for the Kings came from rookie Maxime Raynaud, who delivered a remarkable performance with 32 points (career high) and 9 rebounds against Victor Wembanyama. The French center showed impressive skill despite a difficult start, finishing 13/25 from the field.

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Nique Clifford also delivered a solid performance with 15 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists, while Doug McDermott added 12 points with four 3-pointers. The Spurs set a franchise record with 25 made 3-pointers, led by Harrison Barnes who thrived against his former team.

This loss perfectly illustrates Sacramento’s difficult season, as they can now only focus on developing their young players over the final 12 games. De’Aaron Fox, returning to his first NBA franchise, received mixed reactions from the crowd while posting 7 points and 14 rebounds. San Antonio secured their first win in Sacramento since March 7, 2024.