It wasn’t the prettiest game of the season for the Sacramento Kings, but it was one that again showed that this Kings squad isn’t the same as in years past. After a Bulls charge midway through the 4th quarter cut the lead to 93-90 and put all momentum at Chicago’s back, Sacramento took control when it counted and held off the stampede. The Kings beat the Bulls 110-101 on Sunday, securing their third straight win and improving to 13-9 on the season.
Domantas Sabonis led the way with a 11 point, 17 rebound, 10 assist triple-double as seven Kings, including all five starters, scored in double figures. De’Aaron Fox had 16 points, 7 boards, and 4 assists, while Malik Monk went Monkrowave off the bench for 20 points, 5 assists, and 2 steals. Harrison Barnes finished with 17 points and 6 boards, and seemed to hit every one of his shots when Sacramento needed to retake the momentum.
Given their upcoming Eastern Conference road trip—which kicks off on Wednesday in Milwaukee and has the Kings facing 6 teams in 10 days—it was great to see Sacramento handle business against a inconsistent Bulls team (9-14). Much like their victories against Indiana and a depleted Los Angeles Clippers team, the Kings beat Chicago in a game they should have won – which hasn’t been something we could say in Sacramento for a long time.
Zach LaVine exploded for 41 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 rebounds on 16-28 shooting and went full-on Human Torch against anyone the Kings matched up against him. DeMar DeRozan tried to get going late in the contest and was rewarded with some questionable foul calls against Davion Mitchell, but he otherwise had an off night; 18 points on 18 shot attempts wasn’t good enough for the Bulls, who otherwise lacked any consistent offensive options.
Kings were predictable and a tad lifeless early in the game – 11 of their first 12 shots were from deep, and they weren’t falling. It took some energy from the second unit, and some hilarious, athletic drives and dunks by Chemezie Metu, KZ Okpala, and Barnes (?!) to get the Kings offense rolling. Then it was Malik Monk’s time to take over – in 13 minutes in that first half, Monk had 11 points, 5 assists, and 2 steals, and that defensive determination spread across the whole team.
That defensive intensity lagged in the third quarter when LaVine and the Bulls punished the Kings in the post and midrange, and outscored the Kings 31-20 in the period. Chicago pulled within three after an and-one from DeRozan cut the contest to 93-90 with 6:52 to go, but then Kings turned on the grit; a tough floater from Kevin Huerter, a mismatch-drawn layup by Sabonis, and a steal and end-to-end drive from Davion gave the Kings a 99-90 cushion they’d never relinquish.
The Kings will head East this week and face off against the Bucks (2nd seed in the East), Cavaliers (3rd in the East), Knicks (10th seed), 76ers (6th seed) and Raptors (7th seed) over the next week and a half.
Game Notes:
- While Keegan Murray’s final statline doesn’t jump off the page (11 points, 4 rebounds, 4 of 7 shooting), he had some big moments defensively, including a beautifully timed block against DeRozan that led to a fast break dunk by Metu.
- KZ Okpala was a tone setter off the bench for Mike Brown, and was a big factor in keeping DeRozan out of rhythm in the first half. He also had two eyebrow raising drives to the basket, and the combined energy from Okpala, Metu, and Monk changed the game for the Kings in the 2nd quarter.
- Off Nite’s defense came up clutch in the 4th quarter and it was no surprise to see Mike Brown keep him in late into the game; he finished with 9 points, 5 assists, 3 steals, and a block.
Bulls dance.
Dance!
Bulls?
COWS!
Zach Lavine trying to look good in a loss ..
41 points. No balance to the team. Verses what the Kings are showing. It is encouraging. I’d really like to fast forward and see how it turns out. It is still difficult to watch though.
RikSmits after watching the Kings win again and the Beam being lit.
Can you see the Beam from the Netherlands?
I can feel it.
Nice!
I love it when you post in the 3rd person <3
Kosta loves it, too.
Okpala’s defense on DeRozan in the first half pretty much stopped him cold!
Don’t look now, but the Kings have crept their way to be right around league average on defense, while still sporting a top 5 offense ????
They currently rank 4th in ORTG, 16th in DRTG, and 6th in NETRTG
And fivethirtyeight.com finally has the Kings at 50% likelihood of making the playoffs.
Having b2b sub 100 DRtg games tends to make your DRtg better. Just saying. 🙂
And FWIW, just calculating the league avg (since NBA.com doesn’t do it for you), the league average ‘rating’ is 111.95 or basically 112.0 if you round up (and they usually do).
So by the measure of rating, the Kings are literally league average on defense and 3.9 points better on offense. Consider there are 13 teams league average or better on offense and 16 teams league average or better on defense.
Of the teams league average or better, you have Boston, Phoenix, Sacramento, New Orleans, Dallas, Cleveland, Brooklyn, and Toronto as teams that are league average in both O/DRtg’s. (Golden State and Memphis are very close to that mark as well and I would suspect by season’s end will be.)
I think it’s fair to say the Kings are performing like a top 12 NBA team right now, at the very least. And, currently are on a 48 win pace. That’s…..something.
The improvement in defense is what’ll put them in the playoff picture. Hopefully can stay in the 12-15 range.
The improvement to a top 5 offense and average defense is what makes them a potential 48 win team. They haven’t been a top 5 offense over the course of a season since the Adelman era.
I was the schmuck who thought that other teams were just cold offensively against the Kings recently. No, these guys are buying into Brown’s defensive philosophies. They stay playing offense and defense like this?? That’s a scary team.
CleaningTheGlass has the Kings as the best defensive rebounding team in the league, just like we all predicted. Their other defensive factors are pretty mediocre, but I can live with mediocre if they’re scoring 120 PPG
Well, yeah this is where not having rim protection, or enough of it, does hurt to some degree.
Coming into the Clippers game, their defensive eFG% was 55.7% good for 27th in the NBA. After these pair of weekend games, that number has improved by a percentage point to 54.7% good for 22nd in the NBA. That’s why the Kings DRtg has climbed so dramatically. The Kings don’t foul a ton, and they don’t force an amazing amount of TOV’s either.
Really, what they do is they’re not god awful at anything and they grab a lot of defensive rebounds (although sometimes game numbers don’t reveal that) to make their offense put pressure on your defense. The Bulls kept Caruso on the court to keep the Kings in check on the defensive side of the ball but it cost them dearly on the offensive side of the ball. Caruso was even less of an offensive factor than KZ Okpala yesterday. That’s impressive.
And what you have to consider is that sometimes TOV’s create easy buckets for you as well. The Kings TOV’s are not always of the live ball variety where a lot of their TOV”s are forced which by nature are live ball TOV’s. Which in turn allows for mismatches on the offensive end, and that’s particularly valuable for the 2nd unit that struggles to create offensively in the halfcourt.
It’s not their defense is exceptional, it’s more that they do enough on that end to allow their offense to continue to function at a high level.
And really, I think this is the biggest part. It’s not that this team is doing anything amazing (even the rebounding element) on the defensive end. It’s that everything is done in a manner that converts defense into offense. That’s one reason why this team is so good on the offensive end. They are #1 in 2pt%, but get 57.2% (25th in the NBA) of their total shots there. A big part of that is that a lot of their offense in the halfcourt is really about creating 3’s, not layups.
Subtlety, the Kings get more points off TOV’s than their opponents. They allow less 2nd chance points than what teams average. Teams aren’t marching to the FT line quite as often as your Twitter feed might be telling you they are. And these are little things, but as Will Z’s tweet (and my response) is attempting to point out, these things add up over 48 minutes. That’s how you end up with a team like this Kings team that has the differential it does, and the offense and defense it does.
I would argue that the rim protection is approaching adequate. Sabonis is really hampered by what appears to be poor officiating in his direction. He recognizes opposing offences and gets to his spots. It’s hard when you get into foul trouble even when your defense is clean.
Even with poor referees, I’ve been awestruck by the number of times we’ve disrupted layups in the low block to where they don’t fall. It felt like there were 4 or 5 missed layups in the Bulls game. Yeah, we’re not swatting shots much but the rim protection shows in other ways.
This is exactly what rim alteration is. Sabonis is exceptional at that. He just doesn’t combine that with rim protection like Rudy Gobert.
Rim alteration is rim protection. But it’s like the pullout method — technically an effective form of protection, but not quite reliable for stopping the unwanted result.
Happy they got the win today. Got to put yourself in the best position you can before heading out on a burtal six-game road trip.
If the Kings continue to play at the level they’ve been playing at, they have a good chance of going into 2023 with a 20-12 record, and all that requires is they go 3-3 on this trip. As long as they take care of business against New York and Detroit, then they only need to beat one of Milwaukie, Toronto, Cleveland, or Philly.
Not gonna count those hens before they hatch, tho. Go out an earn it, Beamers
My target is 25-17 by the time they finish their back to back with the Rockets in mid January.
If they can do that, they only have to play .500 ball to end up with 45 wins on the season. We’re talking about the 6th seed at that point.
I think the Kings could go 26-16 by that last game against the Rockets, but I’d point out it doesn’t stop there. You play SA, the Lakers at LA (the last time you play them), home against OKC, Memphis, Philly and Toronto. I would say by the time you head out on the 7 game in 5 city trip in late Jan, you’d like to be 30-18.
I know that’s usually too optimistic for these parts, but that’s about where I’m at.
I have been thinking 17-13 at 30 games and haven’t gone so far as 41-42 games out, but I like that number
I was slightly off with the 30-18 number so I should modify it and say 29-18. But if that’s the case, you’re still talking about a team on pace for 50 wins.
Thing is, the Kings will have a day of practice most likely Tuesday before they leave for Milwaukee (have tomorrow off I would suspect). And they seem to do well under those scenarios.
The other thing is, it’s not like Cleveland is insurmountable. Philly is in the same boat (and who knows who will be available for them). Milwaukee is the toughest team, and well, we’ve already seen the Kings go up against Boston and Phoenix and perform fine already this season.
I’m not terribly concerned about this road trip, but I do think we need to see better offensive production from Fox moving forward. These subpar offensive games are too common for him, and a few in a row wasn’t a big deal. But we’re talking about 6 in a row now and that’s not the best trend. I think he needs a big road trip for the Kings to be thinking about 3 or even dare I say it 4 wins.
But I keep looking at this as a 13 game stretch dating back to the game in Memphis until the end of this trip. As of now, the Kings are 4-3. If you told me the Kings go 7-6 in this stretch before it started, I’d be very happy with that. I’m not changing my mind seeing these guys now. Today was a big win for a variety of reasons.
This will be a very interesting, and hopefully fun, road trip. I don’t remember the last time I thought a road trip might be fun. Was during the glory years, no doubt.
Yes, that would be burtal.
The Fox yo-yo has defined his entire career. The TEAM is winning games. Foxes is doing what he does. So far it is working.
A selfish Fox putting up thirty is not going to help anything.
Fox is going to have to play more like he did in October – November if we are going to go 3-3…
I’m perfectly happy with a 3-3 road trip, anything better than that would be outstanding.
Agreed. On the flip side, anything worse will be disappointing. It’s both nice and stressful to cheer on a team with earned expectations.
Release the beam!
I’m very Bullish for this Happy Holiday Season – Thanks Chicago!
I really liked how Davion stayed aggressive defensively towards the end of the game after 2 “blocking” fouls and some other calls. He was not to be deterred.
His fast break layup in the 4th quarter was my favorite play of the game.
Zach Lavine scoring that meaningless lay-up at the end denied us of a consecutive sub-100 defense.
Bad beats
That game was awesome. I got randomly upgraded to courtside seats next to the scorer’s table, Domas had a triple double, the beam was lit, Marc Jones stopped by to say hi, couldn’t be better!
However! The beam lighting thing needs some serious improvement – it’s, like, a plastic purple plate on a sad wheelie table; Our beam deserves more gravity than that! Go spend 10k and get someone to build a heavy ass looking switch and roll it out with a bunch of 5 gauge wire. The wire doesn’t need to go anywhere and the switch doesn’t have to actually do anything, but lets give the ceremony some damn dignity!
That sounds like a fantastic day out. Glad you got to enjoy that!
…..
If they can light a Christmas Tree, they can light the Beam.
Make it happen, Vivek!
Button 3.0
(pictured: CeeLo Beam)
CeeLo would be a Green laser. We’re going for purple.
Dammit. …True.
I’m guessing the in-arena team is going to do some upgrades to the whole beam experience over the next 2 weeks. They can do so much more with it…
Hopefully they get something spiffy up and running by the time the playoffs roll around.
I would also like to note that Richaun Holmes seemed far more interested in the gum and candy selection at the check-in table than in any basketball that was happening. Love Richaun, but he needs to be traded for everyone’s best interests.
Even in garbage minutes against 3rd stringers…he looks over-matched.
Would love to see him traded too, but I would guess his value is negative right now…and that contract doesn’t help.
I know the contract seems bad….but it’s not. There’s 2 years left after this one (at most) at about 27M total. That’s not horrible for a starting C in the NBA. Buddy Hield got traded making 40% of what Holmes does.
I wonder if the Kings have a deal for Holmes already, but that’s just pure speculation on my part.
Do they have to wait to trade him?
No. But other teams interested might have those restrictions until Dec 15th or Jan 15th at the latest.
Problem is he’s not a starting center. He’s a 3rd-string center making starting center money. IMHO Kings are just going to have to eat his contract. There are a dozen free agent veterans sitting by their phones at home who could contribute 90-100% of what Richaun can while demanding 10% of his salary.
I don’t think the Kings will get back a super desirable piece but I think they can take someone else’s mismatched piece for Richaun. And there’s a few options there.
Oh… and what was up with TD being unavailable tonight?
Apparently he had a sore back.
Hope he is back, soon!
Cool. Definitely want him back
I didn’t even realize TD didn’t play.
I am finding this to be a really fascinating team, in that they are figuring out different ways to win. It’s not just an overwhelming offense, or lucky three point shooting that will come back to earth. The coaching staff is truly engaged, and the front office have given them a lot of tools. A few quick things that stood out to me during this game, and really the last three games:
1) I think Malik and Manu Ginobli need to do a 23 and Me and see who their common relative was. He has that exact same dynamic scorer/playmaker force-of-nature punch off the bench that is oh-so-valuable. He really has found his niche, as he seems to relish the responsibility and seems energized by the challenge and importance of his role.
2) There are so many tools in the chest. Every game I feel like there is a five man lineup out on the floor that I have not seen before. The starting lineup is obviously talented and balanced, but Brown is curious and emboldened to figure out something every game to pitch at the opponent. It seems like there is an endless combo of pace, defense, shot creation, shooting, and playmaking from Monk, TD, KZ, Metu, Lyles, and Davion, with some brawn and brains to break glass in case of emergency in Len, Holmes, and Delly. This offense and defense is complex and seems keyed on familiarity, I can’t help but think that their performance is not only sustainable, but probably going to improve. I can’t think of one player that has over performed, and it seems like at the very least Keegan, Davion, and TD can be quite a bit better than they have been so far. Kudo’s to the front office, and they still have Holmes’s 11m/yr contract to use once trade season gets into full swing and we see who are buyers and sellers. I love Richuan, but he doesnt have the passing or screen setting skills to fit in this offense. Someone will love his pick and roll potency and willingness to mix it up underneath.
3) I am all in on our youngsters. I see Murray do things every game that make me think he is going to be a successful pro. Obviously the shooting makes him seem being an 18-22 ppg scorer inevitable, but his ability to rebound in traffic, his team defense and knack for blocking shots, all make me think he is going to be a very good to great player. I love how Brown is treating him like a vet already, he has been aggressive in assigning him to very difficult to guard opponents, of all sizes, and I think his jump is going to happen during this season, not next. Much the same with Davion, his ability to get to the rim is something he is starting to realize, and he has so many shots rim out. I am guessing the second half of the season he is one of the Kings five most important players.
This team is 13-9, without any player over performing, and a coaching staff and key rotation players being relatively new to each other. I am going to bet, sans a major injury to a key player, that this team is much closer to 50 wins than 40 wins.
I heard Mike Brown say tonight that he wouldn’t feel comfortable with a 30 point lead going into the 4th quarter, which seems like exactly the right approach for a Kings coach.
to be clear, the pawn stars guys asked him something about how comfortable he felt about the 10-ish point lead going into the 4th and MB said he would worry about a 30 point lead
I thought that I’ve been seeing the pawn stars guy at the games. Does anyone know the story behind that? I wonder if he’s just a fan of the game or a Kings fan. I also wonder if he has a house in the area or he’s just taking flights to watch games.
Given that 40-point quarters are a dime a dozen in the NBA these days, that makes perfect sense.
I love the Malik/Manu thought. Two really fantastic, energizing players.
And along the lines of 23 and Me….
Who is better: Prime Domantas, or Prime Arvydas? (I know that’s hard to evaluate because Arvydas got injured when he was still young and wasn’t the same, physically after that but he was still putting up big numbers and was an excellent passer in his Blazer days).
At the beginning of this season when Domas was struggling a little, I was thinking he was lesser than his father by a lot.
But damn, he just looks fantastic right now. If anyone on the Kings should be getting serenaded with MVP chants at the free throw line right now, it should be him.
Of course, me being a Monk fanboy, I’d be chanting it for Monk. 😛
That is really an interesting thought exercise. I was a big fan of Arvydas, which made me follow Domas from his rookie season. I think Domas is a very unique player, and easy to underestimate without seeing him game in and game out. I think as the Kings keep their pace, he is going to be getting a lot of recognition.
Yes, great question. I guess depends on the parameters. If you include Arvydas’ pre-NBA career it’s no question at all. At his prime (c. 1985) Arvydas was probably a top 6 or 7 player in the world. That said, in just a year or two Domas should already have had a better overall NBA career, since Arvydas moved to the NBA post-injuries and only played seven seasons.
The interesting question to me would be: in a single seven-game series, would you take Portland-era Prime Arvydas (mid-90s) or All-star level Domantas?? I was also a huge fan of Arvydas, he was so damn skilled and savvy, so it’s hard for me to vote against him. But All-star Domas is a high-IQ workhorse that puts up better numbers than his father did in the NBA… tough decision.
I agree, Domas is very, very good. Arvydas pre-injuries was going to be an all time great.
I posted this after the trade during similar discussion:
By the time his dad arrived in Portland he was over 30 and already had multiple major injuries and surgeries. The Portland team doctor said when he arrived “that Arvydas could qualify for a handicapped parking spot, based on the X-ray alone.”
I saw footage of him when we was younger and lighter. As a comparison, think of Jokic or his son for style of play while being 7′-3″ and could run, shoot 3’s and was more athletic than either of them.
I 100% agree that Domas and Monk have been our mose valuable players, and who do the most to elevate the rest of the team. Not to take away the otherworldly ball Fox was playing at the beginning of the year. But Domas makes this team go. If he gets hurt, that would be a big blow to the season.
I think Fox has been more valuable than Monk due to his more impressive defensive acumen and full three-level scoring ability, but Monk is right up there with them. All 3 are what make the offense tick, and it’s a luxury to be able to always have at least one (and often 2) of them out there at all times.
Also agree with you about feeling that this team will improve as the season goes forward. They are learning to play together, learning Coach Brown’s system, developing chemistry.
If we stay healthy, it’s hard not to be optimistic about the second half of the season and the playoffs.
Very nice comment, MM. Thanks.
Nice to see a post from you Gallo, I have missed your humor.
Gallo is sorry to have failed in leading the discussion with his optimistic belief this season. But I’m in the middle of a bathroom remodel in addition to my wife’s medical issues, and I can’t just sit at the computer. The bathroom I can tend to at my leisure, but being a primary caregiver is hard, and I’m not a natural at it. It will take some practice and training.
Good luck and strength, Gallo. The roost takes precedence.
I like Gallo’s chances of becoming a great primary caregiver.
Agreed. I think Gallo is underestimating his caregiver capabilities.
GALLO GOT THAT 2ND CAREGIVER JUMP
You are a beacon for everyone here, and most of all for your wife, Good on both of you.
Take care of yourself, too, brother. Make sure you’re sleeping, eating, and, if you drink alcohol, going easy on the booze.
The team is actually acting like a TEAM.
Great to see the wins come with the help of new players.
Two wire to wire blowouts (basically) on back to back games is a rarity. The continual improvement on defense is also something to to be very encouraged about.
Now the schedule gets very tough (Mil, Cleveland, Philly, Toronto) in the next six games. If they can come out of this road trip still at or above .500 that’d be very encouraging. I’m thinking they’ll go 2-4 over the next six, anything better than that is a huge win.
Love the progress and the team play! The second unit is a perfect compliment to the starters.
The Beam Team makes me so happy these days. Lets go light up the East!
I expected this team to be better than last year, but not this much better. The offense is phenomenal. Tons of talent and they play well together. So much balance with shooting and driving. And they can get better with better team defense. How does Monte NOT have an extension right now? Vlade got what, 5 years? Not a single year he had even compares to this. Vivek doesn’t like his frankness, but he knows what he’s doing. Extend the man.
In fairness to Vivek, he’s waiting to see if 50 Cent wants the GM job first.
I hate that this could be true lol
I’m getting some light, poor homeless hobo version of the Spurs vibes with these Kings. Fox as the speedy weapon who can get a bucket anytime he wants (Tony Parker), Sabonis as the Shaq/Barkley ™ “guy who makes everyone better because he commands a double team” player (Duncan), and Monk as the 6th man Ginobili bringing scoring and playmaking off the bench. Again, it’s way too early to make this comp, but as far as roles on this team, it’s what I am seeing shades of.
Harrison Barnes = Bruce Bowen? Danny Green is Davion?
Golden 1 Center is the Alamo!
Lordy, Sabonis has led the Kings in assists for the past seven straight games. Eat your heart out, Vlade! With 6.5 assists per game, he’s 17th in the league with only Draymond (7.1) and Jokic (8.9) ahead of him among the big boys. He’s tied for 7th in the league in rebounds, too.
I know we’re all on the bandwagon for an All Star berth for Fox but I’m not sleeping on Domas.
I find myself reading the national power rankings from the top down, which I believe is a first for me…I don’t recall weekly power rankings even existing the last time the Kings were upper half material.
They existed on places like ESPN. There just weren’t like 7 of them coming out every week like these days.
Speaking of ESPN…just wrapped up today’s hour-long weekend wrap-up of NBA Today…not a single mention of the Kings.
They’d rather talk about the Pacers… smh
Good. I want the East Coast to be like
“What just happened” as we hitting the Sacramento tarmac having gone 6-0 on this road trip.
ESPN has no love for Sacramento. Even in the 2000’s we only made SportsCenter top 10 with J. Will highlights. I believe Bagley’s 360 alley-oop was the last thing Kings related I’ve seen on SportsCenter. And I hope they keep sleeping on us…
I’m guessing we’ve finally made it into the top 30 teams?
Is this three games in a row where 7 players scored in double digits? I much prefer that to relying on Fox for 30 a game.
I love that when Heurter is off, Monk is right there to pick up the slack. And vice-versa.
If ever there’s a game where every player is shooting well, I think we will score 300 points, give or take a few.
I think that was basically the Nets game. Huerter, Monk and Davis combined to go 25-35, 13-19 from 3. 65 pts. on those 35 shots.
Thats what we call FIRE. Damn
Or TD, or Barnes, or Sabonis…
It seems there is always someone to pick up the slack. That’s is what you get with good depth.
Absolutely.
And if their both on together?
You get the Nets game.
“Nets game”?
I think the fans of the team in Brooklyn refer to that game as:
The Gross game.
I’m not used to having games “we should win” and we actually go out and win them, consistently.
I don’t know what to do with this strange sense of optimism.
*shoves it furiously back down inside before anyone notices…
Does anyone know how we can reasonably trade for Patrick Williams? He is a really good weak side rim protector, can rebound, block shots and shots the 3 with good percentage.
PS. The reason I asked is I read somewhere where the Bulls might want to make some major trades.,like DeRozan and Vicevic to the Lakers. Seems they aren’t winning with what they have. Might even trade Caruso.
I was there and enjoyed the game surrounded by a lot of Knowledgeable good bulls fans so it was fun ( most of them were excited for the new Kings) . I should have offered my extra ticket to someone here and will next time ( my son got called into work)
How was the Beam?
I didn’t see it when I walked back, but I leave the NE exit, and park next to ice rink so didn’t have a clear view. But loved the Light The Beam chants… energy is starting to feel like old kings games..
Ma6 Monk
Badge Legend