Update: 9 p.m.
The win streak is over as the Sacramento Kings fell to the Portland Trailblazers 117-110 Sunday at the Golden 1 Center.
The Blazers won points in the paint 62-50 and had trouble containing Donovan Clingan on the boards who finished with 17 rebounds and 21 points. The Kings fouled the Blazers 26 times and Portland converted 88% of those free throws. Deni Avdija finished with 30 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists. The Blazers led for 85% of the game.
For the Kings, Russell Westbrook and Malik Monk had 23 points. Dylan Cardwell ended up playing more minutes (26) than Domantas Sabonis (20) and Maxime Raynaud (23). Cardwell finished with 12 points and 10 rebounds.
The winning streak is over because well, you can’t win them all. The tank is charged back up.
From Earlier Preview:
The Kings have won 4-straight games for the first time this season, defeating the Rockets, Lakers, Knicks, and Wizards. They’ve won each of these games by 10+ points, and face the Portland Trail Blazers tonight to see if they can extend the streak to 5. Let’s get into it.
Who: Sacramento Kings (12-30) vs. Portland Trail Blazers (21-22)
Where: Golden 1 Center, Sacramento, CA
When: 6:00 PM PT / 9:00 PM ET
Watch: NBCSCA / League Pass
The Kings are playing some good basketball right now, and that includes the returning Domantas Sabonis. The Kings center hadn’t played since mid-November, and returned to the lineup on Friday against the Wizards. In 20 minutes off the bench, Sabonis dropped 13 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists on 5/6 shooting from the field, and looked pretty comfortable out there.
Great sign for Domas, bad sign for the tank.
At the moment, the Kings are playing about as well as anyone could reasonably expect. If fans want to enjoy it that, go ahead. I’m not going to tell you what to celebrate, but I am going to share the other side of the coin. The problem is that the ceiling for this team, both heading into the year, and right now on January 18, is making the play-in game. They have played well below that ceiling for most of the year, hence the unintentional tank ride we’ve been on for most of the season, but they always had this potential. They’re getting healthier. They’re getting more comfortable with each other. But we’re still looking at a play-in ceiling.
And that is a dangerous ceiling, particularly when your team is as old and veteran-reliant as the Kings are.
Thankfully Brooklyn also won their game on Friday night, so the Kings still hold the 4th worst record in the league, but Sacramento also has one of the easiest remaining schedules in the NBA. They’ve got to be careful. With 10 games remaining before the trade deadline, the vets can still do some damage to the tank before some of them are shipped out, if that’s the plan. That’ll require Scott Perry to turn what has been an accidental tank thus far into a very intentional tank and youth movement.
It’ll also require ownership to be on board, and these recent victories could quickly turn Vivek Ranadive into a believer. That’s where the organization can really get themselves into trouble.
Go Kings, but don’t go too well.
Prediction: Kings 117, Blazers 108.
The Blazers have beaten us twice—
Close games, just a roll of the dice.
Our tank’s gone off track,
But they’re back-to-back.
Vivek’s world is a fool’s paradise!
+1 The tank is streaking to disaster!
It’s funny, I don’t necessarily think of Portland as a young team. My first thought goes to Jrue Holiday, Grant, and of course Dame, but then I see they have 6 dudes who are younger than anyone on the Kings! SIX! Holy fuck this Kings roster is old.
Maxi is the youngest and he turns 23 before the season is over. The team really needs to get younger if they are to have any future.
Keep in mind that Jrue, Grant and Dame have been out for a big chunk of the season, and Dame will be out for the whole season.
The Blazers have been doing this behind mainly Deni, Clingan, Sharpe, Camara and a pair of two-way guys, Love and Sidy Cisoko (remember him?).
The path the Blazers have chosen is much more viable than whatever the Kings have been doing. They have a core of exiting young players.
Deni is in the convo for MIP and an All-star berth, Clingan is one of the best young offensive rebounders and rim protectors out there, Camara is a top wing defender and no. 1 in drawing offensive fouls, while Sharpe is a rare athletic specimen who is still improving. And Scoot henderson is injured and has yet to play a game this season.
All 25 years and younger…
Jrue and Grant are just coming back, and now they have one of the easier schedules for the rest of the season.
Yup. One of the many reason PDX remains as my second favorite team in the league.
Ja balled out today, get ready for the announcement
All of the following could be true, and may be very likely:
IMO, you’ve just described the Vivek years perfectly. Rinse and repeat.
Phew tank is bank on its stealth schedule
The tank lives on!!!
I’m glad the team had the day off yesterday. It gave them time to remember that they suck.
All this winning had me feeling uncomfortable. With this loss though…
Badge Legend