The Sacramento Kings softened their disappointing start to the NBA season by defeating the Milwaukee Bucks.

The Sacramento Kings, second-to-last in the Western Conference with only one win and a current three-game losing streak, secured a hard-fought victory away to the Milwaukee Bucks (135-133) on Saturday in an NBA regular season game. Their opponents were third in the East and had just won their last two games.

Milwaukee had taken an early lead in the first quarter (47-36), but by halftime, Sacramento had erased the deficit and trailed only 71-70. Late in the game, the Californians managed to take control, but the Bucks had several opportunities to tie and force overtime. Giannis Antetokounmpo, who had made a nice three-pointer in the fourth quarter, missed a shot, while AJ Green failed to convert his long-range attempt.

The Kings secured the victory thanks to Zach LaVine (31 points), DeMar DeRozan (29 points), Domantas Sabonis, and Dennis Schroder (24 points each). Maxime Raynaud played in only his second NBA game, logging 4 minutes for one rebound and going 0-for-1 from the field. For the Bucks, Antetokounmpo scored 26 points (along with 11 rebounds and 8 assists), while Kyle Kuzma, coming off the bench, scored 22 points in as many minutes but remained on the bench for the final three minutes.