It was only a week ago that the Kings last faced the Hornets, and the outcome was less than ideal, as the Kings fell to an injured and tired Charlotte team. This time, the tables were slightly turned. Charlotte was still shorthanded, missing LaMelo Ball and Gordon Hayward, but the Kings now were the ones playing on the road and on the second night of a back to back. After two incredibly confusing performances to start this week, the Kings looked to find some normalcy and just comfortably win a basketball game. Let’s see how they did:
Quick Stats
Outcome: Kings win, 123-98
Sacramento Kings: 123 pts, 51.7% fg, 37.1% 3 pt, 78.3% ft, 24 ast, 53 reb, 10 to
Charlotte Hornets: 98 pts, 40.2% fg, 42.1% 3 pt, 75.0% ft, 17 ast, 36 reb, 10 to
The world is healing. The Kings got off to a concerning start, but quickly found their balance and did what they should be doing more often: they beat a bad team. No comebacks, no cardiac events, and no calls to Anh Phoong. The Kings just WON, and it was peaceful.
The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly
The Good:
- A Game of [Three] Thrones: It feels as if the Kings have been waiting all season for their three stars to all shine at the same time. We’ve grown accustomed to De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis being consistently great, but Keegan Murray, as a sophomore in this league, has understandably been more sporadic in his big performances. Tonight, the Kings got consistent production from all three of their stars as Fox, Sabonis, and Murray combined for 68 points. Fox got cooking early, igniting the Kings’ lead at the end of the first quarter with back to back 3-pointers. He finished with 19 points in 28 minutes. Sabonis showed off his strength with aggressive post moves on Nick Richards and logged 24 points, 10 rebounds, and 7 assists in 28 minutes. When the Kings get efficient production from their big 3, they’re hard to keep up with, and it results in some welcomed fourth quarter rest for their stars.
- King of the Bench: Even when the Kings get big nights from their stars, they don’t win big like they did tonight without an additional boost from the bench. Malik Monk has become one of the most consistent players on this team, and does so from the second unit. Monk provides so much energy, playmaking, and maybe most significantly, point production. He gives the Kings the luxury of feeling like they have a starter on the bench, ready to create points whenever needed. Monk again led the bench in scoring with 20 points and 4 assists and went a perfect 7-7 from the free throw line. Trey Lyles (8 points) and Alex Len (8 points & 10 rebounds) also contributed productive minutes in the second unit and helped spark the Kings’ wake up call after their slow start.
The Bad:
- Slow Start: As has plagued them in too many games to count, the Kings came out with a serious lack of vibes and energy to start tonight’s game. The bad vibes started just 40 seconds into the game when Kevin Huerter had to commit an off-ball foul to stop play so he could limp into the tunnel after suffering a non-contact left ankle injury, ending his night before it had a chance to begin. Sacramento responded to this early adversity by looking lethargic, and even seemed reluctant to communicate with one another. This mood led to three unforced turnovers and a quick 6-0 disadvantage. It wasn’t until the 9:12 mark that De’Aaron Fox finally got the Kings on the board with a flying layup. Fox and the second unit got things rolling towards the end of the first quarter and early in the second to give the Kings the boost they needed to run away with this one, but the slow start remains a concerning habit.
The Ugly:
- Defending the Arc: Charlotte shoots an average of 35.9% from the 3-point line on an average of 32 attempts per game. Tonight, the Kings allowed them to shoot 16-38 (42.1%) from deep. Defending the arc has been a struggle for the Kings all season, and tonight was no different. These open 3-point looks allowed Miles Bridges (24 points) and Brandon Miller (15 points) to each drill 4 3s a piece. Terry Rozier also enjoyed the open space by hitting 3-6 of his own. Either their opponents are blessed every night by the basketball gods with the purest shooting touch of their lives, or the Kings have a bad habit of slow closeouts and rotations. I don’t know about you, but I think I’m an atheist on this one. The Kings still need to tone up their defensive details.
The King of Kings
It was a game of thrones tonight amongst Sacramento’s big 3 and Keegan Murray won. Murray exuded confidence with the ball, looking to attack at every opportunity. He played with an aggression and assertiveness we hope to see him have every night, and it paid off. Murray led the team with 25 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists on 3-7 from the 3-point line.
Up Next
Friday, January 12th @ Philadelphia 76ers – 4:00 P.M. (PT)
First back to back Wins guys! let’s go!
Kings blow out the Hornets on the second night of a back-to-back!!!
Better! Awful team but I’ll take it and after the last couple weeks nothing has been a given, Kings won every quarter which is good!
I’m on the NBA app waiting for the first Kings player or coach come out for the post-game press conference, and Mirann has already written and posted the recap.
Speedy! Something to read while I wait.
D’oh! Forgot I was watching the Hornets feed.
Insert dance gif. (I still don’t know how to do that after many years)
This is my favorite dance gif ever.
Did someone tell Keegan to start being more dominant with the ball and look to score? Two games now it looks like he’s looking to take shots more than pass, I’d say by a healthy margin. I like it.
When he learns how to draw fouls, he’s going to be a big time scorer.
In Detroit, his parents were in the crowd. It relaxed him. Keegs need to feel comfortable/reiaxed in order to stop deferring it seems to me..
So, I think he carried that feeling/mindset to Charlotte Hopefully he’ll tap into the aggressiveness more often.
I love his mid-range and fadeaways-$
OT: Warriors getting destroyed on their home floor by the Pels. So, not just us. Currently they’re down 30.
40 now
Warriors are garbage though…. Nuggets meanwhile getting drubbed by the Jazz…. I love it.
Kings Core 4 with 88! (Fox, Sabonis, Murray, Monk who scored 114 last night in MoTown)
Alex Len with a nice looking game tonight as well.
Sabonis 9-10 at the Free Throw line the last two games – showing that the Free Throw defense (FTD) of both Detroit and Charlotte is likely one of the understandable reasons they have so many losses this season.
Really enjoyable game. Love the aggressiveness I saw out of Keegan today. That looks like a 20ppg scorer in waiting to me.
Once he finds when he needs to be aggressive and not defer to Fox/Domas/Monk, he should take off. He is getting there, though.
This win made my positive covid test a little easier to stomach.
Sorry to hear that. Take care.
Thanks!
Bummer, hope it doesn’t knock you down much!
Sorry to hear that, get well soon! I tested positive for covid last year in late March, the day that we clinched the playoffs.
Chicken soup. It will help. Get well.
Feel better, BTB!
This team is fine as constructed. Roll with it Monte!
Don’t screw up a good thing!
IMO still need a good defensive player or 2. One at the 3 or 4 and SG. If Huerter can get his moxey back then 1 at the 3 or 4. I like Finley Smith at least for 2 or 3 years. He is 30. I like Cameron Johnson but probably dreaming. What about Kuzma? Can play either 3 or 4. Has shown better defense than previous years. I love Barnes but just not cutting it anymore.
Kuzma is eligible for trade on the 14th and I have a feeling the Wiz are definitely looking to offload him. The problem is, I don’t see the Wiz wanting to take on long term salary like Barnes and Huerter. They are also likely looking for picks.
I can squint and see they my sniff at Huerter, Sasha, and a future first.
The 15th he is eligible.
Maybe even a second or two. Just speculating but if we could get Kuzma and then Thybulle it would be Fox, Thybulle , Murray, Kuzma and Sabonis, Now you have a point of attack with Thybulle( and Fox is no slouch) and Murray can play too. If Kuzma is willing to be #4 on offense ( he always wants the ball ) and is looking for a contender to play with then IMO it is what it takes to be a very good contender. If Barnes isn’t included then he would be a very good backup.
It’s fine if we want to lose in the first round of the playoffs. I know some people are cool with that. I’d like to see them win a series so I’d prefer they try to upgrade.
Nothing like two horrific teams to make us feel like contenders!
Warriors and Nuggets?
Phoenix and Oklahoma City?
Phoenix twice?
Oklahoma City twice?
Oklahoma City and Phoenix?
Lakers twice?
In an 82 game season every team has horrible games. However—it’s true—the Kings have been blown out too much this season (as one of us showed in a recent comment). A good team, not a great team.
Keegan just gets better and better
Keegan is a national treasure and must be protected at all costs.
I see him trying to hide that smile…
It looks as though he was photoshopped into the pic.
Alex Len is a grown ass man who does all the little things that don’t show up in the boxscore, and I love it.
Also, I don’t want to see McGee on the floor anymore unless it’s garbage time.
Surprisingly made all his free throws!
But yeah, I swear, the ball slips out of his hands so often when he’s on the floor.
He had 7 rebounds in 4 minutes, and 5 of them were on the same possession because his layups/tips weren’t going in, haha.
Haha, that was such a ridiculous sequence. I’m shocked he eventually got it to go in.
Lensanity!
I said the same phrase, “grown ass man” when I was watching the replay last night. I swear I forget on a game to game basis exactly how enormous he is. I have always loved bangers/bruisers, and Len is not afraid to make contact on anyone or on some possessions, everyone. My favorite play of his last night though, was his doing a quick double team near mid court, then sprinting to get back to his man on the low block. I hope he can get consistent minutes for the rest of the year. I appreciate his entertainment value, but I don’t want to see McGee shaqtin a fool twelve minutes a night.
I remember when McGee was first signed, many assumed (myself included) he would be the second string center and Len would be the third stringer. I’m glad Len has proven me wrong.
The most telling stat to me is the difference in usage. McGee weighs in at a whopping 23.2% (same as Sabonis), while Len is a tidy 12.5. Len does what you want your backup center to do, while McGee more often than not undoes his good deeds by trying to do more than he should.
I enjoyed the screen he set for Monk on the perimeter, then proceeded to crash to the rim and screen another guy to get Monk wide open. Javale would have tried to slither his way in for the alley-oop. Different styles, and I think Len’s style is more of a team approach.
Solid win. More please!
45% of the way through the season and the Kings are on pace to win 51 games. They have a tough stretch ahead of them, but this team has shown that they can rise to some of the toughest opponents and fall to some of the weakest. They are a pretty good road team. While fat from perfect, I’m loving this team and this season.
OT: Such a joke. Ja has played a total of 9 games and has more votes than Fox. Sabonis doesn’t even make the top 10.
Its a popularity contest, which is a stupid way of doing it since many people measure a player by All-Star appearances.
As long as players like LeBron and Steph Curry are still playing, they will always be at the top of the list no matter how average/bad their teams are.
I’m not sure there’s anything I care less about than the All-Star fan vote. It’s just so irrelevant.
I care less about the actual AS Game than I do about the vote. 🙂
I haven’t watched an All-Star game in many years. Just a silly exhibition of the worst type of basketball played. I can just go watch some mix tapes on YouTube and be good.
I care, in that the players care – and they have a very significant financial incentive to care. All-Star Domantas Sabonis is a very different label from Domantas Sabonis of the Sacramento Kings. To note, it is recognition not just the fans, but the coaches to make the team. We know better than to expect a Sacramento King will win a popularity contest.
That prestige and the accolade translate to hard cold contract dollars – and that matters, even for a devoted team guy like Domas who busts his butt every time he’s on the floor. (Yes, he signed a $200M+ contract this Summer and then was labelled “overrated” by some pundit)
Speaking of recognition – there is an announced NBA version of “Quarterback” that will highlight 5 NBA players – Lebron James, Jayson Tatum, Jimmy Butler, Anthony Edwards and … Domantas Sabonis. I don’t think he will become a household name, but I am excited that his warmth and intelligence will raise some eyebrows. I don’t think he will get more calls from the refs (like Lebron, Tatum, Jimmy and AntMan) but he might! (now, if only he can sink those free throws).
Coming to a Netflix near you!
Yeah I’m pretty fired up to check that out knowing that Sabonis is in it.
Ziller note: Sabonis averaging 20 pts. on 62% true shooting, leads the league in rebounding, 8th in assists.
He is so vastly overlooked by the rest of the league. He doesn’t have the “wow” factor that the casual fan/media member looks for. He is the best player on this team, brings it every night, and never have to question his motor.
He’s getting the same treatment that Jokic got for years. He is not a highlight reel player.
The thing that tells me how good Sabonis is is how many fanbases absolutely loathe him. He is achieving Danny Ainge (the player) levels of hate. His game must drive opposing fanbases completely nuts.
I really like the more aggressive approach he’s had looking for his own shot the last few games. I hope it continues. It will open up his passing.
I’d like him to shoot the 15 footer more too. And do it with confidence.
He shoots decently from the elbows, he just doesn’t take many. It will really open up lanes for him to drive or for others to cut and/or get an open three because of the defense having to move more.
He has the flat footed wrist flip shot – I wouldn’t call it a jumper – from the high post.
He passes up a lot of these mid-range shots. It would be a nice additive to his game to keep defenses honest if he would take, and make those 5-12 footers.
Completely agree. The more he looks to attach the better it is for the team. It opens up a lot if he’s a threat.
Damn, the Grizzlies can’t catch a break this season.
And they currently have the 6th pick in the draft. They could land another solid piece in the draft.
What’s working against them is a (to this point) unspectacular draft class and a $183m payroll.
of their $160M in payroll this season (HoopHype.com) $77.5M is in medical bills (Ja Morant, Steven Adams, Brandon Clarke and now Marcus Smart and the $5M they have to Bismack Biyombo who they just waived to sign Vince Williams, Jr. ($2.32M). The Desmond Bane contract kicks in next season – $207M/5 yrs.
Ouch!
They could but this draft looks truly terrible. Even the guys that were supposed to be at the top haven’t been playing or have been really bad. There will be some hits but good luck figuring out who they are. It’s part of the reason why it’s so important for the Kings to give up their pick to the Hawks this year.
Can someone remind me what the protections are for our pick to the Hawks? If we make the playoffs this year does the pick convey to Atlanta?
2024 first round draft pick to Atlanta
Sacramento’s 1st round pick to Atlanta protected for selections 1-14 in 2024, 1-12 in 2025 and 1-10 in 2026; if Sacramento has not conveyed a 1st round pick to Atlanta by 2026, then Sacramento will instead convey its 2026 2nd round pick and 2027 2nd round pick to Atlanta [Atlanta-Sacramento, 7/6/2022]
per RealGM
will convey this year, baring complete crash
Hopefully
There’s no guarantee of anything, just look at what has happened to Memphis. Knock on wood, but the Kings could could be a serious injury away to Fox or Sabonis to being completely irrelevant.
Hearing that this draft class is subpar, I’d love for that pick to convey this year. It would be great if the Kings could get ATL to just take the pick this year and free up future obligations, but maybe ATL prefers that it doesn’t convey this year as well.
It’s really encouraging that the Kings seem to be figuring out how to win games when the opponent out-shoots them from three. Force your way down low and get easy buckets until the perimeter frees up. For all of our angst about this team, they’re three games ahead of where they were after 37 games last year. I keep trying to remind myself of that stuff when I start losing my mind as they’re down 20 points to Detroit.
Yeah. Last year the improved play was new and shiny, so we overlooked the poor games. This year it feels like we’ve been playing like crap, but we’re better in the standings.
This road heavy stretch into the AS break is critical.
OT: Some encouraging news for the Sixers game—Embiid will be out!
https://www.libertyballers.com/2024/1/11/24035049/joel-embiid-injury-update-knee-swelling-sixers-robert-covington-kenneth-lofton-jr
whoa possible 3-0 roadie
Maybe they figure they can easily beat us even without him.
Read the article:
Mea culpa. Hadn’t read the article but knew he’d missed a few games. Thought that the 6ers might’ve decided to give him another game to rest because they thought they could handle us without him. Having read the article, didn’t realize his injury was that serious.
Whoa PDX currently losing to OKC by 60. Hard to believe we beat OKC and got blown out by PDX.
Badge Legend