Outside of any big picture context, the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Sacramento Kings played a pretty fun back-and-forth half of basketball tonight before the game turned into a blowout win for the good guys.
In context you’ve got two bad basketball teams playing decent-at-best basketball with no real stakes aside from draft position. I hate to be that guy, but as a fan of this team that has watched 14 years of meaningless second-half-0f-the-season-basketball, I have this overwhelming sense of indifference. It’s a familiar feeling at this stage of the NBA season. I’ll keep watching because that is what we do, but the result just doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things. I can only get so high after a win like this.
With that being said, the Kings did some nice stuff tonight. Tyrese Haliburton has been struggling mightily since the All-Star break, averaging just 8.2 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 3.8 assists on 34% shooting from the field, and 25% shooting from three in his last 6 games. Haliburton broke out of his slump in a major way tonight with a career high 28 points on 11-15 shooting and 4-5 shooting from three. He was great tonight, particularly in the first half when the game was still close. That’s a legitimately positive development in an otherwise fruitless basketball game, but at least we got that.
If you’re actually interested in how the game went, the Kings and Cavaliers traded a lot of points for about 24 minutes. In the second half the Cavaliers fell behind and the Kings kept pouring in buckets. Sacramento got 30 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists from De’Aaron Fox, 28 points from Haliburton, 19 points from Buddy Hield, and 17 points to go with 16 rebounds from Richaun Holmes.
Luke Walton’s new starting lineup was dominant in the second half. This unit has played well all season long, and it’s encouraging to see them continue that strong play in extended and consistent minutes. The Cavaliers did make it mildly interesting with a late run in the 4th, but it never got uncomfortably close. Kings win a game they should win, 119-105.
One last thing I wanted to mention here before we close this one down is the resurgence of Buddy Hield. Since the Kings broke their 9-game losing streak on February 25, Hield is shooting .436 from three on 11.7 3PA over his last 10 games. Small sample size? Sure. But that is elite+ level shooting from a guy that was having the worst shooting season of his career up until now. Is it just a hot streak or a true slump breaker? Who knows? But it’s certainly encouraging for both the Kings, and any potential suitors as the March 25 trade deadline approaches.
Next up for the Kings is a Wednesday night, March 25 matchup vs. the Atlanta Hawks in Sacramento at 7 PT / 10 ET. The Kings and Hawks will tipoff just hours after the trade deadline passes, so I’m sure we’ll have much more interesting things to talk about than an inconsequential win over the Cleveland Cavaliers then.
Damn, Kosta!
This game gave you gonorrhea?
Get well soon brotha!
Haha, thanks, Dirkula!
Not gonorrhea, but I have had some weird things going on with my stomach since getting my first shot a few days ago.
Maybe for that gif, you could say Cleveland got burned by the Kings?
Nice games from Fox and Haliburton. About time they were used as a 1-2 scoring punch. No need to be playing our starters that deep into the 4th.
I like a win, but I’m hoping for a top 6 pick at least.
I feel like it will be top 4 (with lots of luck) or about 9-12 for the pick.
Honestly if we get to see more Hali and Fox playing like this and some solid defense which we got tonight, I would be ok with picking more in the 10 range.
Hali and Fox’s continued development is priority number one the last 30 games. If they are as good as we hope and can play like this together with more regularity, this team (with remaining schedule) is not bad enough to get down to 5-6 range, regardless of Monte’s moves. Unless he trades all of Holmes, Buddy and Barnes, then sure.
If Hali can look like a real Star player the 2nd half, it makes the lottery jump feel a little less vital. Would be great obviously…but I don’t think they can tank hard enough to get into top 6 or so.
We will see if Monte can thread the needle in making future moves for flexibility while still giving those two NBA type players to develop off of.
We won!
mellow dance
Season 3 was sooooo bad (shakes fist at Netflix).
Well, I just watched the 2010 Karate Kid for the first time with Will Smith’s spawn and a veteran mentor-Kings level Jackie Chan, complete with the “Jacket-On, Jacket-Off” craziness.
I’ll still be watching season 4!
….just like I’ll be watching the Kings next season, playoffs be damned. 🙁
It was bad
De’Aaron Fox finished with 30 pts & 6 ast tonight in a win vs the Cavaliers.
It’s his 13th straight game with at least 15 pts & 5 ast, the longest streak by a kings player since Phil Ford did it in 18 straight from Dec. 30, 1980 to Feb. 8, 1981
Fox is coming to get ya Phil
« Here I come, Phil
I’m coming to getcha!
FOXY SWIPA «
The tank is bleeding and running on fumes at this point.
Who you guys got for the 7th?
Hopefully Scottie Barnes is there…?
Maybe we can take Garza in the second round so we can finally get Luka.
If Kings end up with a pick in the 7-10 range, I wouldn’t mind if they drafted Kispert. He’s my type of player.
I wouldn’t mind either if Scottie Barnes is off the board. Though I would prefer him later in the lotto, I must admit something about him has Kings fan favorite written all over it.
I generally think that’s an overpay for that archetype. He’s a great shooter, but not significantly better than guys like Weiskamp or Livers who you can likely get much, much later, or even some guys likely to be UDFAs. Personally, if I’m looking for a marksman in the 1st and sitting in the Kispert range, I’m probably looking to trade down an targeting Duarte. He’s not quite the shooter Kispert is, but he brings a lot more playmaking and defense.
I think you’ve misfired on this one. Duarte doesn’t bring more playmaking ability than Kispert who’s more than a spot up shooter. Duarte is spectacular at times but he’s painfully inconsistent and just doesn’t have the overall basketball acumen as Kispert. I say this as a big Oregon fan who has a kid attending the school. Of course one never knows how these guys will ultimately pan out but as of now Kispert is significantly better. Be careful judging on a small sample of viewing especially in Duarte’s case.
I never said Kispert was just a spot up shooter. He shoots well off movement, relocation, and pull-ups as well. But he is just a shooter. He doesn’t create for himself or others. Duarte is absolutely better at that than Kispert. He’s also a significantly better defender and has more defensive upside. But that’s beside the point. The point is, and this is a personal preference, I’m simply not interested in spending high picks on shooters without ancillary skills with upside. Kispert’s ceiling, IMO, looks a lot like Joe Harris or Duncan Robinson or even Korver. Who are very good players who are great at what they do. It’s great to have those guys on the roster. But they’re also 2nd rounders and UDFAs. It you look at a list of the best shooters in the NBA that aren’t really creators, it’s chock full of guys taken well after the range we’re seeing Kispert mocked.
Ultimately, Kispert is an excellent all-around shooter who will move the ball and, you hope, not embarrass himself on defense. Personally, that isn’t a lottery profile for me. I’d rather take a somewhat lesser shooter with more playmaking and/or defensive upside. A high-low comp range of Joe Harris – Doug McDermott just isn’t what I’m personally looking for in that 7-10 range.
Yeah I guess I’m comfortable with his floor, and can imagine a scenario in which he’s more versatile than he’s given credit for. I don’t know enough about defense to really have an opinion on that side of the court. I assume the hope is he’s a good enough team defender to make up for being a poor one on one defender.
Tyrese was Haliballin today. Fox was not foxin around. Holmes was solid. The rest of the team sucked
The strongish stumble towards the play-in spot that nobody else wants continues!
Thanks, no tanks, Vivek!
The play-in seems to be fool’s gold for certain owners.
I just have to remind myself that players like Haliburton fall to 12. I think learning and building winning habits and feelings is needed as much as a high draft pick.
We’ve had top 10 draft picks for how long now? And we’ve been trash for years.
Yes, we’ve been fun, but we need to start winning, damnit. I don’t care if it’s Cade Cunningham or Jon Brockman or DeMarcus Cousins who whoever. Let’s start building a winning culture. Losing sucks and stifles growth.
Definitely agree about the learning and building winning habits.
And I enjoyed the win and especially Haliburton’s good showing scoring the ball and being more aggressive.
I’ll be honest, when Haliburton and Fox play like that I think it’s fun. So, I enjoyed that game.
The ascension to Rookie of the Year has begun.
Isn’t the trade deadline Thursday?
Yep
Hey, a win. Yay!
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