Kings vs. Clippers. Game 81. We’re almost done here.
According to my friend Rob Hessing, Sacramento walked into Los Angeles tonight mathematically locked into 7th place in the lottery, so if you thought the games haven’t matter for a couple of months now, well, at this stage they really don’t matter.
That didn’t stop Alvin Gentry from trotting out the same tired starting lineup of Davion Mitchell, Justin Holiday, Harrison Barnes, Trey Lyles, and Damian Jones, though. If you were hoping to see Starting Center Neemias Queta, or anything different at all, sorry fans. More Justin Holiday for you.
Gentry’s determination to start His Guys did not pay off in this one. The Clippers jumped out to a big 31-16 lead by the end of the first quarter. Of course this would have been the case no matter who the Kings started, or what Gentry did, but that is sort of the point here. If you’re going to lose, lose with something we haven’t seen for 80 nights already.
This is a 0.01 on the 10-point scale of things that have been frustrating about the Kings over the last 16 years, but whatever. There isn’t much else to talk about, so excuse my whining.
Anyway. If you care about the game at all, the Kings played better basketball from the 2nd quarter on, but it was never good enough to overcome the big first quarter deficit, and the difference in 3-point shooting tonight was just impossible to overcome. The Kings shot 7-28 (25%) from three, and the Clippers shot 21-43 from three (49%). You’re not going to win too many games like that.
Clippers 117, Kings 98.
Davion Mitchell was probably the Kings’ best player tonight – something we’ve been able to say pretty often since De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis shut it down for the season. Mitchell dropped 22 points on 56% shooting from the field to go along with 7 assists.
Trey Lyles contributed with 15 efficient points of his own, and this solid stretch to close the season likely earned himself a spot on the roster next year. The Kings have a $2.6 million team option on Lyles, and he’s probably played above that contract since the deadline.
Despite my complaining, Neemias Queta did play nearly 20 minutes in this one. They were OK. Queta got to the line, blocked some shots, made a couple of nice passes, and finished with 10 points, 2 blocks, 2 assists, but oddly just 1 rebound.
Next up: Game 82 in Phoenix vs. the Suns tomorrow night.
Operation M.C.N.A.I.R details below:
Tonight’s Operation: M.C.N.A.I.R. donation of $10 goes to Seeds of Solidarity Urban Farm brought to Sacramento by @NorResist!
Feel free to post your donation below!
Donate here: https://t.co/TT3Ifge8F4…#OperationMCNAIR #SacramentoProud https://t.co/mHMfToeSdk
— Will Griffith (@WillofThaPeople) April 10, 2022
Is it though?
It’s over until next season starts. Then we get to do this all over.
Barnes missed a point-blank shot, and missed two free throw….
I think he just exhausted for the season.
What McNair need to do is a thorough search for a new coach…..
He had made a bad and very wrong decision by retaining Luke Walton….and made this season a complete failure…….
We got a better roster before the start of the season, but we need an upgrade at the coach position…
New coach same talent similiar results .
Perfect analysis
You mean the season?
The decade?
I think this game I’d rest Barnes. back-to-back at the end of the season. That means, ironically, lots of minutes for Holiday and Lamb.
Wonder if Gentry will start the disgruntled DD?
Guess I should give a reference…
NBA Rumors: Donte DiVincenzo Not Happy with Kings, Feels They’re Limiting His Value | Bleacher Report | Latest News, Videos and Highlights
This is so silly. Listen to James Ham podcast (which is the source of that) and you’ll hear what James said.
It’s really not as big a deal as it sounds IMO. Unless, there’s no way to get DDV on the same page as you. Squawking about not qualifying for the starting criteria on the QO is simply a waste of time. DDV isn’t signing the QO unless negotiations completely break down. And if that’s the case, you can assume DDV will leave anyway.
The biggest issue is the relationship being good enough to keep DDV around and happy in his role. That’s what James pointed out.
The front office should have been conferring with him all along. If they have no intention of trying to keep him, then the answer is he shouldn’t be playing at all. If they really like to keep him then they should have been playing him much more all along. Seems like they blew it either way.
I have said a lot of negative stuff on here about the Kings but honestly there is not much good to speak of. The only good thing I can say is that the Golden State Warriors only made one playoff appearance between 1994-2012, 1 in 18 seasons. After that the basketball gods blessed them with probably the greatest team in history, most wins ever, you know the story. So the way I see it, our 16 and counting years of total suck are just setting us up for one of the greatest runs of all time.
Vivek says hold my beer.
Badge Legend