Down two of their veteran leaders on Saturday night the Kings pulled out a win against the Nuggets on Saturday night on the backs of the young guns, and tonight against a Spurs team that is lacking some key players they might have to end up doing it again. With George Hill and Zach Randolph’s status up in the air for the second game in a row, the Cardiac Kings have caught a break in the schedule; Rudy Gay, Danny Green and Kawhi Leonard are all expected to be out this game with various maladies. Any other team and I’d be ecstatic with Sacramento’s fortunes. Unfortunately, this Spurs team is still coached by a man who could pull me out of the stands and pull from my broken body and spirit a serviceable San Antonio Spurs player. Here’s to one more game of a successful youth movement! Let’s talk Kings basketball!

When: Monday, January 8th; 7:00 pm

Where: Golden 1 Center; Sacramento, CA

TV: NBCSCA

Radio: KHTK Sports 1140 AM

For Your Consideration

Spur Deterrent: This is the Kings second match-up in three weeks against the Spurs and as such, lessons to be learned from their nine point loss. If you can recall two things about the game on the 23rd, it’s that LaMarcus Aldridge had himself a permit that allowed him to do anything he wanted, going off for 29 points, and Pau Gasol messed around and got a triple double. In a game where Bogdan went a perfect 6-6 from the field, Buddy had himself 24 points on 57% shooting and Willie broke free for 22 points and 11 rebounds, it was the young guys that kept this game within range. With a renewed confidence from their win against another good team in the Nuggets, the Kings kids carry some momentum into this game and with the Spurs on a second night of a back-to-back and injured, the potential is there for another “wait, the Kings won last night??” at the water cooler tomorrow from your co-worker who is a big fan of the Bulls “because Jordan dude, duh”.

The biggest issue for the Kings tonight will remain their rebounding and their opponent’s sky high three point makes. One of the best things to come out of their last game against the Spurs was that they kept pace with San Antonio’s rebound, losing the battle on the boards to the third best rebounding team in the league by just two measly boards. A moral victory if I ever saw one, but one that kept you from flipping to reruns of American Dad in the middle of the third quarter too. The Spurs shot 11-23 from deep against the Kings and again Sacramento kept pace, actually outgunning the Spurs and going 12-22 from three. Maybe this seems silly, pointing out things that the Kings did well in what amounted to a nine point loss to the Spurs, but fans have seen a ton of blow outs to far worse teams, many of those blowouts on the backs of poor rebounding and a three-point needle tipped so far to the opponents side that it considered spinning around in circles. The Kings can play with any team in the league and they’re proving it, one good-game-out-of-seven at a time.

Is Harry Giles Playing Tonight? No.

Prediction: Everyone who we were told wasn’t playing will play, per usual. Willie has another 20-10 game with 20 points and 10 steals, because suddenly DeAaron Fox has competition on who the real Swiper on the team is. Bogi steals Manu’s super sub mantle tonight for good, and I explain to my parents for the 100th time this season why the Spurs are quietly the team we should all have a crush on. Also, that its LaMarcus Aldridge on the Spurs, not “Marcus Gasol”.

Kings: 104, Spurs 101