After finding themselves on the wrong end of the would-feel-rare-if-it-wasn’t-the-Kings double reversed comeback on Monday against the Denver Nuggets, the Sacramento Kings are sticking around town for the holidays, and will be home tonight for a two game set against the… oh, my apologies everyone, this is a preview featuring the Los Angeles Lakers. Let me reset real quick.
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Okay, I think I’m good to go.
Let’s talk Kings basketball.
When: Friday, December 19th, 7:00 PM PST
Where: Golden 1 Center, Sacramento, CA
TV: NBCSCA
Radio: Sactown Sports 1140 AM
For Your Consideration
Bored is the King: Magic Johnson’s favorite traveling, semi-professional basketball team is in Sacramento today and I can only assume it’s less about a regular season match-up with the Kings and more that the Lakers heard Gavin Newson declared a state of emergency over a new strain of bird flu and seeing the opportunity for another championship, immediately came to the seat of government to petition for the requirement of another Bubble style NBA season. Speaking of banners that don’t matter: I struggle to truly think there’s some sort of basketball karma, sports god spirituality thing in this ol’ world until see things like Darvin Ham and Taurean Prince, two guys driven out of town by Los Angeles this off-season, immediately winning an NBA Cup with a team that moments before the tournament started was trying to figure out if they were going to light Doc Rivers on fire or throw him from a moving bus. There was a finger on the scale there: a moment where the universe saw the collective bad karma of this tiny pinprick in the grand scheme known as the Lakers, and it rewarded two members that were cast out.
Do you think that after his team-sanctioned functions end, and the fake Pat Riley schtick melts away on the drive home, that JJ Redick sits there at the kitchen counter with a glass of wine that’s a third fuller than last week, looks at his warped reflection in the window and thinks “I got fucking duped.”? Does he see the nepotism hire of a GM having conversations with more experienced coaches behind his back and wonder how long he’s got until he’s gets moved out of the chair? Do you think he sees the lackluster training and medical support around him, tending to the two most “handle with care” superstars in the league, or the only owner left in the NBA that relies on team revenue for income chartering jets instead of owning one and realizes that he’s not the head coach of a professional basketball team but the lead carnival barker for a worn down strongman’s farewell tour? When Dollar Store Rob Lowe assured him that they’d never trade LeBron, even at his advanced age and even for an amazing deal, do you think it’s connected yet that it isn’t out of a sense of loyalty to the player or belief in him as a coach, but instead to the cold hard cash people will pay to watch a dying star?
Naw. It’s JJ Redick. He’ll be on some podcast smoking a blunt with Matt Barnes or trying not to think about the stick liquids he’s encountered on the set of Gilbert Arenas’, and use any introspection he’s gleaned to sell ads for BetterHelp or a 24 year old’s investigative true crime podcast that the owner of some Toyota dealership in El Monte is backing for his daughter.
Will, get to the preview! Do you have anything at all to say about their last match-up? Yeah, I guess. The only thing I’ve to say on that is that you’d think Domantas Sabonis was the CEO of a healthcare company the way he was taking shots in back from a fed-up unibrow with a history of injuries and disappearing for months on end after being denied everything time and time again.
Alright, now that we’re warmed up and settled in it’s really time to get serious:
–leaves his job, inexplicably, without prior notice to management, confusing everyone involved, only to later blame it on a foot injury–
Prediction
Gavin Newsom denies the Lakers request, mostly because he can’t make a call like that for a private organization, especially one spanning multiple states like the NBA. Jeanie Buss tried to slip him an oddly folded $20 bill. He again says no. She takes it back, mumbling under her breath that the bible verse printed on the inside fold of it was actually pretty good and she was going to use it on the next wage slave she was forced to tip. Gavin hears that and mumbles “good” as he turns ands walks away.
Somewhere in Orlando, Florida, Bronny James sees he’s missed three phone calls from his dad. He’ll pay for this – not answering the phone the first time. But they’ve just played the Greensboro Swarm, and his teammates are starting to thaw on him and maybe, just maybe, there’s a place in the NBA for him after all. He’ll call dad tomorrow, or answer sometime in the next three call’s he’ll get from him, but today, the decision is all his.
Kings: 119 Lakers: 114
Let’s see how this plays out for us injury-wise.
Man, if Domas and Keegan are out, I’m not sure I want to watch this one. AD may drop 50 on the Kings.
Sheesh, how do the players manage to get injured during extended periods with no games? I know MB is known for his intensive practice sessions but I’d figure he’d know when to put on the brakes.
Several days off again so I expect the team to come out lethargic as hell for the first quarter. Also expect this to ultimately be a close game because of their tendency to play up/down to the level of their opponent (last two games have been a glaring case-in-point). Whether they win or lose will come down to whether they completely suck shooting the 3 or not.
Let’s fast forward to tonight’s post game press conference.
This game will come down to how the Kings play down low more-so than the 3 ball. Mike Brown hopefully makes full use of the roster. There are players on the bench that have shown ability to withstand bully ball in the paint. More of I Jones, Robinson, and Crowder.
Looking grim if Sabonis can’t play;
Chances then AD has his way.
With LeBron showing signs
Of Time’s grand designs,
We were looking to have a good day!
+1 Hey, LeBron, isn’t it time?
&ct=g
The entire first quarter against the Nuggets, every time I saw Aaron Gordon embarrassing someone all I could think was “Why not put Isaac Jones in?” Even if he’s not the offensive threat, and even if all he can do is deter the other team’s big a bit, why not give him some run in the biggest area of need: Big dude near other team’s big dude?
You’re asking too many questions. We’ll have none of that sound logic in the Mike Brown era. Ya hear me? None!
Very odd to start the game with a total mismatch at two positions ( Porter/Gordon ). .’ Domas outplayed Jokic and Fox/Monk solid . Jones made sense to most .
FWIW—a bit of an update
With Lyles likely back hopefully Domas can give us 25 minutes. Of course with Coach Brown there isn’t really an in between on minutes it seems
If the Ox can still stand up, I expect him to play. He is simply amazing. Domas Ex Machina.
Ox Machina
yes! even better
Another update:
Good news
OT Dubs trailed the Grizzlies by 50 pts after three quarters! Steph with just 2 pts in 24 minutes on the floor—0 for 6 from three, 0 for 7 overall.
Badge Legend