THE SACRAMENTO KINGS HAVE WON 40 GAMES. THIS IS NOT A DRILL.
Hey, remember this great moment of fun from the preseason?
Kings fans didn’t know how to act after winning two summer league games
“WE’RE GETTING 40 WINS THIS YEAR” pic.twitter.com/yHplVfHnR5
— SB Nation (@SBNation) July 3, 2022
Turns out Sean Chew and his friends weren't just overhyped fans enjoying Keegan Murray, they were prophets.
WE DID IT YALLLLLL pic.twitter.com/6c3gncQUg3
— Sean Chew (@chewislin) March 12, 2023
The Sacramento Kings secured their 40th win of the season tonight, defeating the Phoenix Suns 128-119 in a contest that was neck-and-neck until the very end. The Kings had solid contribution from the whole squad, with seven players finishing with double-digit scoring, but despite the usual De'Aaron Fox heroics (18 points, 6 assists, 4 rebounds), this will be known as the Kessler Edwards Game.
Devin Booker was going off in the first quarter, with 10 points when the Kings as a team has scored just 6 points. Mike Brown subbed in Kessler Edwards, and the tide of the game shifted. Edwards ended up playing 26 minutes tonight after playing just 29 minutes for the Kings up to this point. Edwards finished with 12 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal and a ton of great defensive effort. Devin Booker has always given the Kings fits, and he still ended the night with a game-high 28 points, but Edwards frustrated Booker and made him earn every bucket.
It's worth taking a moment to remember that the Kings acquired Edwards in a salary dump from the Brooklyn Nets, in which the Nets PAID THE KINGS to take Edwards. He's a 22 year old win who plays defense, grabs rebounds, and was able to contribute on the offensive end, including a huge three in final minutes of the game.
There's so much more I could say about this game, but really the biggest thing is winning the 40th game of the season. It's a benchmark the Kings haven't hit in the 16 years of the playoff drought. Mike Brown becomes only the second coach in Sacramento Kings history to win 40 games in a season, joining Rick Adelman.
Go nuts, Kings fans. We won 40 games.
L. T. B.!
Will enjoy seeing Kessler get the chance to defend Chris Middleton and Michael Porter Jr,, among others…
Kessler Edwards man…what a game he had. That redeem he had hitting that three pointer late in the game after having that turnover that ended up being an And-1. I really hope we found ourselves another solid player.
Look out TD. He might replace you on the roster as a solid defensive bench player. TD will have his chance simply because he can light it up at times but Kessler can play defense.
Having TD when we need buckets and Edwards when we need a stop, is a beautiful thing.
Guys, Be The Ball specifically asked for no spoilers. This is so disappointing.
Thank you Rik. It was still spoiled, but it was via text and not by anyone here. You all held up your end of the bargain!
Who are these Kings? What is reality?!
They are The Hunters.
Exactly.
Brown and his staff have a lot of cards to play, and I do not think the Kings have peaked yet.
They just find ways to win. Excellent analysis up thread.
Monte has certainly brought in an awful lot of good players-talent. Coach
It’s weird having all legit NBA players on the Kings squad.
Out of the darkness.
We are already here.
Only took 16 years.
Also, think about the off-season: Sacramento has become a destination!
This makes it easier to re-sign HB and Trey, attract Sasha, extend Domas, and possibly bring in another veteran who would also be a good locker room presence.
Dare we think championship?
We dare!
The Kings, right now.
I’m excited to find out how far this team can actually go because I agree, they have been steadily improving the whole season. Now Davion is starting to play better and we might have a new rotational piece in Edwards. We aren’t gonna be an easy out in the playoffs because of the consistency and reps these guys have built with one another for 82 games.
The Huerters
A couple of comments. Monte has done a terrific job as GM. Every player from Mitchell, Lyles, Huerter Monk Murray Edwards even Ellis and Queta are doing a solid job of playing in the big league and the G league. IMO Queta and Ellis will both be Kings next season.Other than Edwards he has kept the core together and didn’t upset the apple cart. What I saw last night was a total team effort. Anybody who came into the game contributed in some way. It didn’t have to be a Fox and Ox show although both were great last night. Fox still controlled the fourth quarter and Sabonis isn’t afraid to attack anybody in this league. Right now IMO the Hali Sabonis trade isn’t even close. I love Haliburton but Monte did the right call. He also got Lyles in a trade for who? I am so impressed with Lyles. So steady. Brown and his staff were the right choice by Monte. Playing Kessler was a great move and keeping Lyles in for Murray was another. I’m not worried about Murray. He has shown so much improvement in so many areas since the begging of the year. He will just be fine. We were worried about a backup center to Sabonis but IMO Metu has done a great job as backup mostly since the all star break. Really nice pick pocket on Ayton last night. Lastly I am hoping the defense the last couple of games is not a fluke but they are starting to buy in and playing defense together. GO KINGS!!! PS If they start playing defense even in the tune as in the middle of the league watch out. The sky just might be the limit or beyond.
Lyles being more productive here than a certain #2 pick in a shorter time is awesome. I love that we’re kind of like the island of misfit toys. Players who weren’t living up to projection in their situations have came here and flourished. Change of scenery? Opportunities? Coaching? All yes. It’s beautiful basketball in Sac
Wasn’t Lyles basically one of the throw-ins to make the 4-team swap work with the hype really finally getting DDV from the Bucks?
No, I think they wanted both DDV and Lyles.
Poetic because fuck the Suns. Chris Paul is still a bitch.
Kings in 4
LOL, perfect.
Booker takes after Paul, too. Can’t stand his play on the court. Elbow push offs, cries about any small amount of contact, tries to talk shit every time he scores.
Let’s dedicate this 40th win to #40 Harrison Barnes!
And next win to #41 Trey Lyles!
(Neemias Queta says “I’ll wait till next season. 88 wins, regular season plus playoffs!)
The sun isn’t beaming
as bright as this…
What’s crazy is 10-6 the rest of the way gets the Kings to 50 wins. After going 8-1 since the ASG, it’s not inconceivable.
I want to thank the Kings for an early birthday present. Gonna be 60 in a few hours.
Happy Birthday!
Happy 60th, and 40th!
I turned 80 a month ago, and I am learning to better understand and watch basketball from TKH comments.
Let’s get Daydreamer a championship!
Yes!
Let’s all daydream for a championship!!!
Let’s make it for real! Not just daydreaming.
Boom! Congrats Daydreamer.
Cheers to commenter BlueJohn as well, he turned 71 just a few days ago.
I will say this…….sometimes 71 feels like 80…….but not often
Congratulations DayDreamer!!!!
Congratulations to you too.
Congrats Mike!
Cheers Mike!!
Woot woot! I think there is still a very real chance they get to 60+ wins…if we are counting playoffs!
16 wins in the playoffs let’s gooooo!!!
They say it’s your birthday! Gonna have a good time!! Hope it’s fabulous!!!
Happy Birthday.
Daylight Savings Time lose an hour night, might as well go full Monty and do 60 shots of Fireball, take two aspirins and call us in the morning.
or two shots of Fireball and 60 aspirin
Where is the anti-Daylight Savings post?!
Happy birthday!
Happy Birthday Buddy!
Happy birthday bro. So glad you still have your youth. Enjoy it! I turned 71 yesterday and an ex lady friend texted me “71 is the new 70!” I quickly remembered why we broke up. Happy Birthday Mike. BTW 60 is the new 47……..until you hit 65.
Big Birthday Ups to you BlueJohn!
BlueJohn, also a big congratulations to you, my man.
I’m gonna speak it to existence. Wanna live to 102. Not just make it to 100. My oldest aunt is 100 so the genes are there.
I’m 72, and I definitely had more fun being 20 something in the 70’s than 70 something in the 20’s.
I want to thank Kings for a late by one day March 10- birthday present. I was 60 a while back.
And you congrats!
Congrats!
40 you say
“Records are made to be broken, Dave. It’s all good.”
Klassic Kosta
What I really like on this team, besides getting the 40-win milestone after 16 years, is that every player is likeable. No low-IQ players like Hield who makes dumb errors in crunch time
that oftentimes cost the tram a victory. Or that All-star guy who was always in the running for most technicals in a season and a cancer in the locker room.
On likable:
I lived in Chicago for 30 years and, being a geographical chameleon, was a Bulls fan during the Jordan years. Jordan may have been the greatest player ever. But he was not likable.
The Kings are very, very good and becoming very tough. And they are LIKABLE.
I think the likability part is what is putting some extra shine on a really remarkable season. You just feel these guys.
Ditto. Love MJ and the Bulls.
But personality-wise? Na ah.
I’ll take Sir Charles anytime.
Maybe more importantly, they all seem to like each other. These are the No-drama Kings. I’m beginning to think this maybe a reason why Monte didn’t make any moves at the deadline. The locker room may have more chemistry then we could possibly realize.
You can really see that now. There is something special cooking. Smart to see what happens in the playoffs, and address it this summer.
Exactly, Mike.
100% Adam.
No moves at the deadline. We may get to the 2nd round of the playoffs and that’s it, which will then lead Monty and his staff to evaluate what players to add next season to improve the roster.
But not breaking the camaraderie in the locker room is a feat in itself already!
And didn’t we steal Kessler Edwards? another likeable and effective wing?
KINGS! Thank you for a turn-around season.
We’ve been tortured for 16 years by stupid former Fakers!
Oh definitely, and you add the fact that a lot of other teams haven’t had the continuity we’ve had. It’s a big advantage come playoff time
Monk and Davis can do some inexplicable shit on occasion but that’s mostly just trying too hard to make something happen, which is a lot easier to swallow than Hield dribbling off his foot.
As Adamsite says, though, nobody really seems to mind too much – everyone understands that the high variance players will be high variance and there is no drama about it.
Good take on Davis and Monk.
passable mistakes from time to time, but not BuddyHield-level.
And we have a good coach to rein over them!
And when they start cookin’, get the F oit of the kitchen.
Yea Monk has high BBIQ, he’s just a bit chaotic sometimes. If you don’t have Davion or Fox in there to kinda handle his ADHD a bit, he’s gonna whiff a few TOs.
TD has all the talent in the world but I think out of everyone in the squad, he has the lowest BBIQ. Though that isn’t saying much as collectively they’re a smart bunch.
Well put Sonny
After last night, shouldn’t you change your name to Kingy?
To paraphrase the legendary Jeff Goldblum, the Kings find a way.
128 points against a good team without one player getting twenty.
Value add player before the deadline in Kessler making an impact against an All-NBA guard and closing the game, whilst adding 12 pst and 7 rebounds.
Trey Lyles adding to his resume in his 8th Man of the Year campaign.
Davion showing out on the offensive end as well as making his usual appearance in the opposing team’s soup.
Mike Brown and his staff pushing buttons and a brilliant use of the challenge.
Malik going nuclear in a six minute stretch, previewing how he is going to win us at least one game in the playoffs on his own.
The Kings have the 4th toughest schedule after the break? Please. Eight wins and one loss baby.
The Kings are formidable. The Kings are the Danger.
BlueJohn celebrating his birthday?
Nope. It’s Mike on his 60th!
I wish I had that much hair!
Did Brad Miller get a perm?
“Mike Brown and his staff pushing buttons and a brilliant use of the challenge.”
I missed the challenge while tending to to my daughter. What happened?
Davion had an and-one which the refs initially called a charge. 3-point swing and good for momentum. It was a cool play actually. Davion was aware that the defender’s feet were in the restricted area when he decided to explode to the hoop and draw a foul. High level awareness. After the call, he pointed to the restricted area (while getting back to play D).
Hunted ? or Hunter?
I was mentally calculating the best and worst teams to face in the playoffs but now I think they should try to avoid us.
Suns trying to catch up to us in the standings? No way! We’re number 2!
Is this what optimistic RPO looks like? LOL
I thoroughly expected us to be 4th place or worse in the West at this point, so yeah kinda the optimistic me.
The bench is playing a really good job…
Davion knocking down 3….
and Lyles did what he always did………
Monk assisting and hitting some big shots…
and Metu, key steal on Ayton
(of course…K. Edwards)
Kessler erupted with a lot of flare!
Chris Paul was like:
“There’s nothing I can do…a total eclipse of the Suns.”
Maybe that was his brother out there tonight!
I love this team
Kings Win! Dance!
&ct=g
This is one of the strongest wins of 2023 to me. I’ve been harboring sone envy at the Warriors, without Steph, and now the Grizzlies without Ja, Adams and Brandon Clarke because their second units and bench mobs have risen to the occasion.
This game was carried by Sacramento’s second unit – Davion was awesome, Lyles as well, Metu had it going, and Monk was, well, Monk was Monk (Funny seeing Terrence Ross and Monk as opponents) and OMG! what about Kessler Frikkin’ Edwards!? He was a game changer. The Wave cooled the Suns.
In a game where Heurter was off and Keegan was mostly absent, and PHX concentrated their energies, effectively, on the All-Stars, Fox and The Ox, the second unit never let up. And another solid performance by Harrison Barnes btw.
Awesome Win!
LIGHT THE BEAM!