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Keegan and Kris Murray to Face Off For First Time in Kings vs. Blazers

Originally posted on FanNation Inside The Kings
By Parker Thomas | Last updated 11/8/23

Keegan Murray is a fan-favorite name in every Sacramento Kings household after his stellar rookie season, where he broke Donovan Mitchell's rookie 3-point record and earned himself All-Rookie First Team honors.

Naturally, as the 2023 NBA Draft came around, many fans were eager to draft Keegan's twin brother, Kris Murray, with the 24th pick - but the Portland Trail Blazers put a nail in the coffin by selecting Kris with the 23rd pick. Wednesday night, the twins face off for the first time.

Growing up, the two were always on the same teams and did lots of the same things - as is the case for many twins. The pair continued that trend into college, where they played for Iowa, but Keegan entered the draft a year earlier than Kris, who elected to stay behind for one more year.

In an interview with Andscape, Keegan had the following to say about the matchup:

"This can be weird because we’ve never been on opposite sidelines before, so it’s going to be different. But it’s a once-in-a-lifetime thing. Having a twin brother be in the NBA, too, it will be fun."

Kris also had something to say about the game:

"I am looking forward to it. Yeah, it will be cool playing against him, especially growing up watching the NBA together. My parents will be excited for it, definitely. They’ll probably shed some tears.”

Kings C Domantas Sabonis is even excited about this matchup:

Domas is excited to see both Murrays on twin night pic.twitter.com/3Q1AXuoJBh
— Sacramento Kings (@SacramentoKings) November 8, 2023

While this certainly won't be the two's best matchup, it will be a historic first. Kris Murray hasn't cracked the Blazers' rotation yet, only playing in two games for an average of about 5 minutes, but the forward will eventually settle into the NBA. Given the importance to the two of them, it is likely we will see Kris Murray appear in the game, even if it is for a short amount of time.

The 2-4 Kings have struggled this season without their star G De'Aaron Fox and will look to bounce back from a three-game losing streak in his absence. The 3-4 Blazers are looking to get a road win to put them at .500 for the year, but two starting guards are dealing with injuries.

The first Murray Matchup is an important game for both teams, but it will have a bigger meaning for the two than a win or loss. In the meantime, Kings fans can only wonder what would have happened if the Kings got to draft Kris with the 24th pick.

The game is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. PT/10 p.m. ET.

This article first appeared on FanNation Inside The Kings and was syndicated with permission.

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