We’ve made it, Kings fans – the coveted All-Star break, heavy emphasis on the ‘break’ part. How are we feeling about it? Typically, I am desperate for the respite from Kangz basketball by now. It’s usually around this time that the Kings have fully squandered all hopes and lie somewhere around 20 wins. Well, they came into tonight’s final matchup before the break with 22 wins, so that part hasn’t changed much. BUT, the big difference is that my soul is on its umpteenth resurrection as this team has once again given me something to raise an eyebrow at. The Fox & The Ox seem like a match made in heaven, right down to the rhyming nicknames, and so I’m back in, baby. While I always look forward to a little mental break, for the first time in a long time, I am also looking forward to more Kings basketball after the All-Star festivities. But before we could all get to that rest, the Kings had to first face the Chicago Bulls tonight. Let’s see how they did:
Quick Stats
Outcome: Kings lose, 125-118
Sacramento Kings: 118 pts, 51.2% fg, 40.0% 3 pt, 90.9% ft, 24 ast, 36 reb, 13 to
Chicago Bulls: 125 pts, 50.0% fg, 41.4% 3 pt, 95.0% ft, 25 ast, 47 reb, 13 to
It was a hard fought battle, but the Kings came up short to the best team in the Eastern Conference. Though suffering from some injuries, this Bulls team proved that their success this season is no joke. Led by DeMar DeRozan, who made what felt like 50 incredibly tough shots, the Bulls executed down the stretch to hold off any attempts by the Kings to take back this game.
The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly
The Good
- Fox & Ox Connection: The Kings started the game hot, opening with a 7-0 run and a lot of infectious energy. De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis showcased their natural chemistry early on with some beautiful plays to one another. One included a back door cut by Fox and a perfectly placed pass by Sabonis. Then on the next trip down, Fox returned the favor by finding Sabonis on a roll to the basket for an easy two points. The beauty of this duo’s playmaking ability is amplified when they are able to find each other and connect on these types of plays. Fox led the Kings tonight with nine assists, with Sabonis following closely behind with eight of his own.
- Third Quarter Bench: During the second quarter, the bench unit struggled to put together successful sequences on either end of the floor. However, they made up for it by stepping up in the final minutes of the third quarter. As De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis got their rest, the Kings’ second unit held it down. In the final three minutes, after trailing by nine points, Donte DiVincenzo either scored or assisted on the Kings’ 11 points and ultimately cut the Bulls’ lead down to two. On the other end, Moe Harkless anchored the defense as DiVincenzo flew around to pester the ball and battle for rebounds.
- Intentional Defense: From the very start, the Kings showed an intentional focus on DeMar DeRozan, and rightfully so. Despite him being the primary focus of the Kings’ attention, DeRozan still managed to drop 38 points on 16 made field goals and a perfect 5-5 from the line. As haunting as that stat line is, this speaks more to how incredible DeRozan is playing right now than any terrible knock against the Kings’ defensive execution on him. The Kings constantly threw hard hedges at him on every ball screen, forcing the ball out of his hands, and even forcing a few turnovers. When they did double him, the Kings’ secondary rotations were solid and showed a collective understanding of the defensive game plan. Kings’ defenders were also disciplined on staying down on DeRozan’s pump fakes, and forced him into making tough shots.
- Full 48 Fight: This was a physical game. Domantas Sabonis was bleeding from a cut on his elbow before the end of the first half, and by the fourth quarter, we saw bodies flying. The Kings never backed down and although they trailed by a likely insurmountable nine points with 30 seconds left, we still saw the Kings fighting for loose balls, offensive rebounds, and extra chances. They left it all on the floor tonight, and should go into their vacation feeling satisfied with their efforts.
The Bad
- Limited Defense: While the Kings made a good step tonight by executing a defensive strategy in targeting DeMar DeRozan (futile as it was), that’s all they were able to do defensively. With all of their attention on DeRozan, the Kings fell asleep on the four other Bulls on the court. This resulted in all five Bulls’ starters scoring in double digits, with Coby White going off for 31 points and Javonte Green getting 15 of his own. The Kings showed an inability to focus on more than one player at a time, as White consistently cashed in when the Kings weren’t paying attention to him.
- Crunch Time Chemistry: Down the stretch, the Kings had a few opportunities to dig their way back on top, but just couldn’t quite complete plays. During meaningful possessions in the final minutes, the Kings’ lack of chemistry with their new players was exposed as they turned the ball over or made the wrong pass to the wrong person in the wrong situation.
The Ugly
- Perimeter Defense: Some good news first: Justin Holiday made six 3-pointers tonight, which was a great sign of him getting more comfortable within the offense. Bad news: Coby White matched every single one of them with six 3s of his own. On top of that, Javonte Green shot 3-4 from deep. In focusing so much on DeMar DeRozan, the Kings left the perimeter open several times tonight and both White and Green took advantage.
The King of Kings
De’Aaron Fox looked like he was on a mission tonight. From the jump, he was aggressive in attacking the basket and had some incredible finishes at the rim. After just 12 minutes, he was up to 14 points and showed no signs of slowing down. Fox finished with 33 points on 14 made field goals. I hope he enjoys his vacation because he certainly deserves it.
Operation: M.C.N.A.I.R. Watch
Tonight’s chosen charity is Hands4Hope – Youth Making a Difference, a local non-profit organization that provides a platform for young leaders to make a positive impact in their communities. As always, make sure to share your donation with Will on Twitter (@WillofThaPeople) or through e-mail ([email protected]) so he can keep track of totals. Thank you for always being #SacramentoProud!
Up Next
Friday, February 18th @ 6:00 P.M. (PT) – Watch Davion Mitchell & Tyrese Haliburton (I’m still not ready to let go) compete in the Rising Stars Tournament at All-Star weekend.
Thursday, February 24th vs. Denver Nuggets – 7:00 P.M. (PT)
The offense is close to being very good and the defense still poor but effort has improved ! Seems Gentry has got to pick a rotation . Holmes needs to become a player again soon !
Holmes needs a few games off. Backup center minutes need to be going to Jones or Lyles for the time being.
Good but sad comment. Holmes seems deflated. I hope he bounces back
I am OK with Gentry giving Holmes some minutes in the Q1, but if he looks flat and ineffective, they need to play someone different as the backup C for the rest of the game.
Hoping the break helps him get his mojo back.
I have some observations on last nights game. Tell me what you think. First, although we had no control over this if Mitchell played we would have won the game. Two reasons, Derozan got his points. White was the player that beat us. If Mitchell played on ball defense on White the outcome would have been different.Second, Mitchell would have given Fox more time on the bench. Fox needed rest. He played really good defense which when you do that takes its toll.When it came to the fourth quarter the last five or so minutes Fox looked tired and it showed. His shots were hitting the front of the rim which indicates a tired player.I personally think Trey Lyles can help this team. He is a Pop player.He only played five minutes and had 4 points and two rebounds. He can also defend. Harkless played 30 minutes and hsd 4 points and two rebounds.Play Lyles more get him into the game and see what happens.What has happened to Holmes? He is one of my favorite players but looks like he has checked out. 10 minutes no points and 2 rebounds. On the bench he looks own and dejected. Maybe because he isn’t starting or maybe he knows Monty is trying to trade him. Who knows. He needs to be a better professional. What about Jones? I thought in the last couple of months he has really played well.If he might be the backup center then Gentry needs to play him. Lastly I think the league ought to fire the three refs. True they let both teams play but if they don’t do their job right someone will serious get hurt. Won’t be the players fault.Look at some plays on Sabonis last night. Luckily no back issues or lost sight on intentional elbows to the head.Those were some of my observations. What do you think.
I agree with most of what you said. Fox was clearly tired by the last 4 or 5 minutes of the 4th and it showed. Holmes hasn’t been in it, hopefully the ASB will reset his clock. I don’t have much problem with the refs with the physicality of the game. But it seemed every 50/50 call went to the Bulls. Also every 50/50 crazy boinking missed shot went to the bulls. Some very Kangz things happening there.
Agree with much of this.
It’s frustrating the inconsistency with which physicality is called by refs.
Mainly I wanted to comment on Holmes. I try to keep in mind that he suffered 2 eye injuries, which included a stretch of games and practices out. Then the health and safety protocols time out. Then the trade deadline rumors, and while not being traded out, seeing the team go get an All Star center, position that he has been starter at for some time now.
Lastly is, not just regarding Richaun, but all professional athletes- they are people too with ‘regular’ problems. We don’t know what Holmes might be dealing with personally beyond all the basketball stuff.
It’s tough because Holmes along with Hali were the only sparks of joy I found in the team the past couple seasons. I love his passion and energy, and I hope that whatever is ailing Richaun, gets better soon- whether physical, mental or emotional. Ultimate dream would be for him to bring back the limited 3pt shot he showed in Philly, so he can play alongside Sabonis, as I think he has shown decent potential to be defending 4s on the perimeter.
I think the refs only called fouls against DeRozan. It was open season to clobber the Fox and the Ox.
Hard fought game but team needs better defense and more players who can shoot the 3. Also, I feel like the league doesn’t give derozan the respect he deserves. I’ve always like his game, still can’t believe San Antonio couldn’t hold onto him.
The Bulls are solid. Demar is scorching. And yet, we still competed. Baby steps people. We’re more competitive, but we’re still a few starter-quality players and a new coach away from potentially making some noise next year. At least there is some renewed optimism.
Side Note: Who do we have to call to get Sabonis’ Basketball Reference page updated with “The Ox” listed as a nickname? Let’s make it happen, people.
Two weeks ago, they would’ve been blown out by 30 vs the Bulls. No moral victories, but positive signs continue to show.
they’ve had games like this before; inexplicably close ones against teams much better than them. Nothing has really changed.
Definitely missed Mitchell tonight. Divincezo shouldn’t be getting anywhere near that many minutes. Ideally he’d see around 15 or so.
Yeah, and the Bulls definitely missed Lavine, Ball, Caruso and Williams.
A good team overcomes injuries. We are not a good team.
This team is a step away from being a step away.
I don’t think a week of training sessions will make this a decent defensive team, but maybe Gentry will prove me wrong.
Lots of work to do in the offseason.
Oh, don’t get me wrong. I’m fine with the outcome. Spurs, Pacers, Blazers all won, so this loss was a much needed one for us. Davion is just a better & much more enjoyable player to watch than Donte.
I think both Davion and Donte are tough, committed, and skilled defenders—with DD having a significant size advantage. Lots of minutes for both, rest the Fox a little more.
On the bright side, we get a nice lottery pick to fill some gaps. We also will have approx 7 to 12 mil in cap room to bring in a solid-middling kind of player in free agency.
While this reconstituted team seems more effective when Sabonis facilitates, rebounding is still a weakness as is defending at nearly all positions. White had a career night which tells me that somebody (i.e. Gentry) didn’t get the memo. I think we need more height on the floor. I’ve noticed that Sabonis has somewhat short arms for his size and he is not the greatest leaper. Perhaps alternate Barnes with Damion Jones. I think Divincenzo for Hield was a wash.
Maybe more height is needed, but why mention Sabonis as part of the comment in that regard? He’s getting his rebounds. And since this trade the Kings as a whole have been better at rebounding I think.
Agree Gentry “didnt get the memo”, and it appears sometimes he is reluctant to take his vets off the court if they are not playing well to let them work it out. Respectfully disagree with DDV and Hield comment, as it looks like DDV’s effort/attitude and defense far outweighs Hield’s self-centered approach.
I agree
I said this after the first couple wins post-trade and it remains true now, this team badly needs another wing that can shoot and play some defense. Thankfully we’re pretty easily on pace for a top 6 pick so we should have a shot to get that player.
VERY BADLY
Thank you, Donate DiVicenzo and Donatus Sabonis,
Don’te mention it!
.
Game was a lot closer than I thought it would be. Good to see after the debacle in the last game.
Regarding DDV, though, how exactly does he make the team better? Is it entirely defense and energy? It’s certainly not his shooting. He’s shot only 29% from the field for us, including only 22% from deep.
Agree, but there is hope with him ! He has a several game window to establish he can be a top 8 rotation guy ! Missing a year due to injury gives him a pass but not a long one ! In no way should he play more than Davion , now or likely forever !
Their are other tangables such as a high BBIQQ
I went to the game tonight, and as soon as I walked into United Center I realized that I hadn’t attended an NBA game since the last one at Arco. Years and years of the raucous Sacto crowds had me expecting a similar vibe in Chicago, but man, I was wrong. Nobody in my vicinity seemed to care about anything but themselves and their phones, and at one point, a 30-second, tone deaf spot came onto the jumbotron that featured courtside assholes flashing diamond jewelry and tugging at their Burberry scarves (six blocks away, people are living without heat).
The game just kinda went on for 48 minutes… and then it ended. While my brother-in-law and I made our way to the car through crowds of selfies and self-importance and snow and rain (and a guy that slipped backwards on an slippery sidewalk while taking a piss), I kept reminding myself how much better the atmosphere would’ve been had the game taken place in Northern California.
So, I came home and bought a ticket “home” in three weeks to see the rematch on March 14th. It’ll be my first time at Golden One and my first time in Sacramento in 7 years. So, uh, what’s changed?
Our society is becoming more self-absorbed by the day. Capturing moments through a phone instead of with your own eyes, and having the experience being about bragging to other people who don’t give a crap about them.
Such a weird time of civilization we are living in.
Yep. I’m in my mid-30s and feel more like a crotchety old grandpa every day. Being around teenagers is like hanging out at a drug addicts’ convention. They’re all addicted to their phones and it’s really, really sad.
It’s post modern society and only going to get worse. I’m truly thankful I got to experience life as a young adult pre social media/smartphone age.
Those not old enough to remember won’t understand, and those old enough will have no doubt.
The crowd at Golden 1 will be about half what it was at Arco ! That ship has sailed until actual winning occurs !
The bar is not that high. The ship has sailed until actual caring occurs. If the team keeps playing this hard, and even minimal results follow, Golden1 will fill up again soon.
I was listing to the G Man and you could not tell from the crowd reaction if the Bulls were playing well or not…it was just a constant murmur most of the game.
Don’t mind loses at all because the team has obviously improved, added a piece and has a direction
A High pick would be huge since they need to improve -add players.
i don’t think the Kings can ascend to contenders/be good unless Fox addresses/fixes his shooting(3) amd defense. (And his 1-1 O in big situations-glue hands won’t give up the ball to open teammate)
This team goes as far as Fox improves those. If he can?
And I really like Davion. His absence is noticeable. Not really sure why he’s getting less minutes then some.
I don’t think this a playoff team. Think about it. The West has dealt with injuries to stars across the board: Dame, Murray, MPJ, Kawhi, George, Zion, AD, Lebron, etc.
This team’s ceiling is around .500. No one is going to mistake this roster for a 50 win team.
Offense looks better. Defense looks worse.
Can someone with more knowledge of shooting mechanics please do a breakdown of Fox’s 3 pointer? It looks so damn weird to me that he is almost turned sideways when he shoots.
I’ve been wondering about this!
I wrote this 3 games into the season:
I’m not worried about the slow start after 3 games.
What worries me about Fox (and has always worried me) is he is not a great facilitator and his shooting mechanics are bad. I think Haliburton should be the primary ball handler and Fox should play off the ball a little more.
As for the shooting, he is never squared up, he keeps his left foot forward, he even does this on free throws. It creates a twist to his shooting form, you can see this in the ball rotation. Also, he shoots from the elbow too much, it should be more from the wrist. By bending his elbow so much, it creates a lot of unnecessary movement which makes the overall shot more complicated than it needs to be. Basically controlling and repeating a shorter, simpler motion is much easier than a longer, more complicated one. Look at the shots of Larry Bird, all the Currys (Steph, Seth and dad Del), Reggie Miller, Ray Allen, Peja, the mechanics are much tighter and smaller motions than Fox. I have never seen him adjust this and until he does I don’t think he will ever be a good, consistent shooter.
As of a month he’s shooting 87% from the free throe line.
Free throes? I like it.
This team still sucks. The 2-0 post trade start that had most fans hyped was clearly just wins against bad teams. I didn’t get the excitement then and 4 games in now one can tell this is still a bad team, just not as bad. The team is still far off from being relevant unless we get some draft lottery luck, I just don’t see how we land a star or third wheel at the least to go a long with fox n ox.
They have gotten worse since they started practicing after the Wizards game…think a coaching change will be happening in the offseason.
Wolves are a good team. Kings caught them on a B2B unprepared for the new lineup. Wash rolled out a G league team.
Well that “G league team” has a much better record than the Kings. They played mostly their core rotation players, minus Beal and Gafford due to injury.
The fact that the Kings had to make up huge deficits says a lot about their own roster and ability.
it’s not easy to shoot a .50/.40/.90 slash line, as a team, and still lose.
Fox and Morant aren’t the same player, but I do think some comparison is fair.
Fox took 4 FTs last night, Morant took 25.
Would love to see Fox utilize his natural talents to get to the line more often.
Needs to get that nasty streak like Morant has and take over the game. Fox is a mostly passive player.
Ja is a leader and skilled playmaker ! Fox is neither- just a very good scorer !
Morant averages 7 FTs a game and Fox averages nearly 6, which leads the team, but I do agree, with his driving ability he should be getting a lot more attempts. He needs a little Kevin Martin in him.
But holy shit, 25 FT attempts is a lot. The Kings, as a team, average less than that per game.
Great recap. Couldn’t agree more. I’m loving the De’Do Duo, I think we finally have a real duo to build around.
Boy o’ boy is Domantas exciting to watch. I was as hard as everyone else on shipping out Hali but I’ve seen enough already to be onboard with Monte’s vision. Dude takes a beating down low and is constantly smiling and having fun… oh and he’s damn good at scoring and setting his teammates up despite it all. I feel safe saying he’s the best talent we’ve seen on this team since before the boogie days. The guy just has “it!”
They both have it. Tough trade, not necessarily a bad trade.
Take the bag off our heads! No more Kangz! Be proud to root for the Sacramento Kings!
I felt more pleasure from that loss than from some earlier victories—such as the early blowout of the Hornets. The fight was there. The defensive effort was there, despite lapses that can be corrected. Ox, DD, and Holiday are fighters, a joy to watch!
I think you make a good point. There is a big difference between getting beat and losing…though the outcome is nominally the same.
Agree, but wins still must come or that thrill will subside ! Moral victory’s only work short term !
the Excitement is back. I’m fine with good effort, close losses for the rest of the season. Looking forward to a high draft pick, trades/free agency (I know we aren’t getting big names in free agency) and a new coach in the offseason. Then I’ll be expecting wins and to finally make the play ins at the least.
Have a little patience it will come.
Yeah, the Kings tried hard and didn’t crap the bed in a loss!
They really frustrated DeMar a ton but he just said “fuck y’all” anyway. That man is playing incredibly well. This team’s ceiling is still a first round exit, though.
They really don’t have any above average players besides Fox, Sabonis, and Barnes now that Holmes has cratered.
Thinking abt our 3pt shooting and the talk we keep having about finding the floor spacer. Why can’t HB be that guy? He is shooting 41% from 3, but he only shoots abt 4/game. A more aggressive HB shooting 7 3’s per game could be a big help for our inside game.
Barnes is fine, the team needs an additional floor spacer to pair with him. Either a 3/4, big, or whatever the new term is.
No clue who that players is and whether or not that player is gettable, but the kings need one badly.
You can get it thru the draft but I would prefer a trade. You know what you are getting.
We still need one more really good 3 point shooter. Hope it comes as 3 and D player.
why is Holmes not on the bad/ugly when hes unplayable and the fans are beginning to despise him?
Not sure who despises him? I think it’s fair to call out a player who isn’t performing well, it has nothing to do with the fans but with his performance.
Eh… Bulls we’re without Lavine, Caruso, Williams, and Ball. Kings were gifted a game like this and they still
lost. If The Bulls we’re healthy, Kings would have never been in this.
Just what are the goals at this point in the season. Management should state those goals and be measured against them. What are the expectations for the rest of the season. If the expectation is to make a playoff run and they don’t even achieve a playin spot then who’s accountable and who gets fired. Does anyone believe they have a hint of a plan. It just appears to be reactionary management to me. IMO they should be preparing for next season, which is to evaluate their roster, and positioning themselves for the next draft. Sabonis is eligible for a contract extension at the end of the season, I think they should get that don’t. If they lose Sabonis in two years, that would be a disaster along the lines of passing up on Luka. I don’t think winning is the highest priority for the preponderance of the season.
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