Update: 10 p.m.
The Sacramento Kings have officially lost 11 games in a row after falling 114-111 to the Los Angeles Clippers Friday night. Another good loss for the tank, but the big story of this game was Russell Westrbook, DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine each playing 20 minutes or less. In their place the youngsters finished the game down the stretch of this game, and they made it entertaining.
Speaking of entertaining, Dylan Cardwell finished with 14 points, 14 rebounds, 2 blocks and 1 steal in 31 minutes. He took more shots than DeRozan and LaVine combined! As usual, he got the crowd into and brought great energy. He is a joy to watch. Nique Clifford scored 16 points in his 33 minutes. Malik Monk was on fire from three early in this one, finishing with 18 points in 22 minutes. Devin Carter scored 14 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists in 22 minutes.
With the loss, the Kings maintain the worst record in the league.
From Earlier Preview:
Perhaps even more disappointing than the fact the Kings basically stood pat at the trade deadline is the fact that there’s still 30 games left of this disaster of a season. Tonight the Kings face the L.A. Clippers who made some big moves of their own, but will likely be a bit shorthanded as their new additions won’t be available just yet. Tonight’s game is on Prime Video, so at least for one night, the entire country has to share in our misery.
Who: Sacramento Kings (12-40) vs. Los Angeles Clippers (23-27)
Where: Golden 1 Center, Sacramento, CA
When: 7:00 PM PT / 10:00 PM ET
Watch: Prime Video
The Clippers started out the season just as poorly as the Kings and even more surprisingly so, going 6-21. Since then though, they’ve been one of the hottest teams in the league, going 17-6 and firmly re-entering the playoff race in the Western Conference. Kawhi Leonard is having a resurgent year, averaging a career-high 27.6 points on nearly 50/40/90 shooting splits. The Clippers did just trade their second and third leading scorers (James Harden and Ivica Zubac) at the deadline, and their replacements (Darius Garland and Bennedict Mathurin) aren’t available just yet so L.A. will be a bit more shorthanded than usual tonight.
The Kings are at nearly full strength, although Keegan Murray remains out until at least after the All-Star break and Domantas Sabonis is questionable with a sore back. Sacramento is currently riding a season-long 10 game losing streak and holds the NBA’s worst record.
The Kings started newcomer De’Andre Hunter in his first game as a King, and he finished with 9 points on 3-11 shooting in 26 minutes. He’ll likely get the job of trying to slow down Kawhi Leonard tonight. Good luck.
Prediction: Clippers 119, Kings 109
The Clips seemed to turn things around
And looked like they were playoff bound.
But now Harden’s moved on.
‘N’ Aspiration is gone
While Vivek just runs us aground!
+1 How long before Harden forces his way out of Cleveland?
Amazon prime < Amazon crime
So if I’m not mistaken, post deadline, should the Kings continue to start Russ, LaVine, DDR, Hunter and Sabonis, it makes them the oldest starting lineup in the league.
And the worst.
PLEASE TELL ME THEY ARE USING NATIONAL BROADCASTERS!
I mean I have date night tonight but I may have to cancel because I’ve never heard someone shut the fuck up before when the ball crosses mid court.
Very excited to watch a Kings game without all the constant unrelated stories and lectures while game action is occurring .
Listen, I want to tell you something. Fans might not realize this but you’re correct.
Is that you Kayte? The Kings have been an existential riddle wrapped in defensive negligence all season, but here comes Malik Monk — yes, Malik means King in Arabic — presiding over the chaos like a benevolent monarch in sneakers.
Monk slithers through the labyrinth of incompetence and finds Russell Westbrook, who’s moving with mercurial velocity like he’s late for a flight out of OKC.
Russ kicks it to Maxime Raynaud, the Parisian virtuoso, serving up a little haute-cuisine footwork that sends a defender into the metaphysical blender and straight to the weight room on the replay cam.
Raynaud, with the French flourish, swings it to DeMar DeRozan — the duly elected President of the Middy Committee — signing executive orders from 18 feet and vetoing your rim protection!
DeRozan calmly returns it to Monk, who slices through the porous bureaucracy of this defense like a FOIA request approved on fast-track.
Monk drops it off to Dylan Cardwell in the dunker spot…
CARDWELL ASCENDS WITH AUDACIOUS, INCENDIARY INTENT — THAT WAS NASTY, THAT WAS FILTHY, A FULL-FRAME KODAK MOMENT — TURN OUT THE LIGHTS, THE PARTY’S OVER!
Well done.
Demar is #13 on my list of all time favorite players, but every time he scores is not a testament to his place in NBA history, or does it “just go to show you……” or cause me to “when you look at Demar’s career”.
Perry said in a press conference that he wants to develop the youth/younger players. LaVine, Westbrook, and DeRozan are really developing well by taking 50 shots per game! Good work Perry!
He also said that he does not believe in intentionally tanking, so he expects the team to try to win as many games as possible over the rest of the season.
He isn’t going to just chase shiny objects.
If Cardwell made that same block on Lopez it’s a foul.
I feel bad for most of you guys. This is the first and will be the last game I watch all season. I haven’t had to endure the local commentators. These guys aren’t great but this is WAY better than what I’m used to.
I believe Kayte set a record last game by talking through three possessions.
Brent Barry is a breath of fresh air and solid info .
Hunter sucks. Scotty got fleeced
And he just got poked in eye and out of the game. Yikes
Carter with reverse dunk? I thought bro was too short lol. Not bad DC
He recorded a 42” vertical at the draft combine
Alright, this was fun but we need the tank commander and friends back out there.
Kawhi will take care of it but good for Dylan. Fun game for him
0 vet lineup is not bad
Starters went 0 for 13 from three; reserves 10 for 24.
I like this youngling tank. Good minutes, makes and mistakes to learn from.
It’s not taking, it’s institutionalized losing or something like that.
Tonight I watched the Celts-Heat game. The Kings have been such garbage for so long that I actually forgot how fun watching good basketball can be. Strange to be a fan of a team and having much more fun by tuning them out!
As always, choke on a turd, Vivek.
Hey, let’s fix this headline! Nearly lost my mind reading that the Clips lost to the Kings.
That eye injury looked scary. I hope Hunter is ok.
Not that I give two shits at this point in this abysmal season, but didn’t the Kings lose? Let’s give credit where credit is due.
5 teams vying for the top 4 in the lottery with the Jazz just outside as the 6th.
Kings have to stay on target for the tank.
I like the young guys playing basketball. I’ve always liked Carter and now he has a chance to show us what he can do. Clifford is coming along just fine. Cardwell what can you say. Got a standard contract which he deserved. Raynaud was a find. He is growing and IMO will be a good pLayer for the Kings. I like Plowden. Could be a player here. Hunter has started off slow but IMO will be a good player for the Kings. He has proved it. IMO we should keep Precious. Now we need a point guard to build around.Peterson is my first choice. If we don”t get him then Flemings IMO is right there also. Either one would be fine with me.We also have 2 high second round picks. Could get oner even two good players here. It won’t be long when both Derozan and LaVine are either traded or are gone all together. When thatn happens then might be able to find a diamond in the rough through free agency. Who knows? Good things are coming but have to have patience GO KINGS!
PS. IMO we need to keep Monk as our sixth man if we can’t get someone really young and good thru a trade. IMO he can be in the running again for sixth man of the year. He needs to work on his defense. Only drawback. Love it when he attacks the rim.
What is the point of having a 6th man of the year candidate if this team is going to be a stinker for the next few seasons? Also, IMO, you can find the production like Monk provides at a much cheaper cost. It’s very likely why there were no suitors for Monk at the deadline. As an example, Ty Jerome (one of your favorites if I recall) signed with Memphis last summer for less than half of what Monk is making.
Can someone please explain what “ethical tanking” means, and why this loss was an ethical loss?
That’s a new term for me. Who stated it?
I’ve seen it before, used by others.
So it’s a politically correct tanking term? Why not just call it a “youth movement” or a “developmental shift?”
Seems to be letting the vets get their start so save face. Get 20 min and get some numbers and then let the younger guys play the rest of the way.
There’s nothing ethical about it. They are blatantly tanking and try to use “youth development” as a fig leaf. But ultimately they are sitting/not playing their best players with the game on the line, just like blatant tank teams Washington and Utah.
Nothing ethical about it. No need to put lipstick on this piggie.
I tuned in for the 4th quarter hoping to see Doug play the “youth.” I was happily surprised he and the coaching staff are making the correct call in pulling the vets. I may tune in at the end of games just to watch a full quarter of Cardwell, Maxi, Nique, Carter and scrub.
Might as well give those guys as many minutes as possible to see if they are legit pieces to keep around going forward.
going to be so disappointed if we don’t break the franchise record longest losing streak when we’re so close
Badge Legend