The Kings started their much anticipated matchup with the Sixers by going down early and staying down throughout the quarter. Both Bagley and Holmes picked up two quick fouls and the Sixers took advantage of it by keeping a pretty steady 5-9 point lead and went away with a 10 point lead. The second quarter saw Philly fighting off then failing to stop an eventual 9-0 Kings run that ended up with back to back to back threes from Buddy and Hali to take a lead late in the second quarter. The Kings went into halftime up 71-66. The second half was back and forth with the Kings always managing to hold a two or three point lead. The fourth saw the Kings offense stagnate and the Sixers take advantage with a 12-2 run to pull ahead at the halfway point and from there they just executed far better than the Kings. There was an interesting wrinkle where, down five, the Kings intentionally fouled Ben Simmons with a minute left to play percentages and he hit one of two. Holmes followed it up with an And-1 layup, but the free throw was missed. The Kings fouled Embiid, but missed a three on the other end and it was all but written on the walls. Sixers beat the Kings 119-111.
De’Aaron Fox started off the night being picked up right away by Ben Simmons and he responded by dropping 15 points and 5 assists in the first quarter. He was pretty much the only thing that was working for the Kings and he called his own number often and to great success. If the Kings went on a run to close a gap tonight, you could money Fox was on the court for it. He scored 23 points with 7 assists in the first half and had Ben Simmons skidding across the hardwood like a pup that needs some glands expressed. The more and more I see of Fox during this hot streak, the more I’m convinced that this is just the future finally come to pass. He ended up with 34 points to go with 10 assists and 6 rebounds.
Rookie Tyrese Haliburton came in and picked up where Fox left off, scoring 9 points before halfway through the second quarter. There was a decent stretch in the second quarter that had Rese squared up against Matisse Thybulle and my goodness did I suddenly get hot and bothered. Those two guys are going to rule All-Defensive teams someday and it was certainly a fun little preview of things to come. Captain Clutch didn’t wait for the fourth today to make noise – he shot 6-8 from the field and 3-3 from deep and had 15 points in the first half. Hali’s second half was much quieter. He ended up with 15 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks and 2 steals to add to it.
Buddy Hield struggled again to open this game, hitting on 1-4 for 3 points and grabbing 3 boards in the first. Then all of a sudden it was Buddy of old and he closed the first half with a barrage of buckets to pull the Kings ahead. He went 5-9 from three in the first half alone and dropped 17 in the first two frames. Buddy only ended up with 21 points for the game, shooting 6-16 from deep and 7-20 overall. He also had 8 rebounds and 4 assists as well.
Random Notes on the Night
Philly shot well over 60% in the first quarter. The Kings defense of old reared its head and gave up FORTY-TWO POINTS in the first. Yeesh. Rough way to start and still expect to win.
Take a guess who has scored the most points in the paint in the last 10 games? De’Aaron Fox with 13.6
Seth Curry lit up the Kings in the first half with 16 points and had for the game. It’s always a pleasure to see the kid playing well. I hope George Karl gets a cramp in one of his hammies tonight.
In the first half, the Kings shot 11-20 from deep and only 4-8 from the free throw line. These kids and their wonky efficiencies.
Kyle Guy got 4th Quarter run again! He did nothing with it.
This was a game that looked like a blowout through a quarter and a half and then De’Aaron Fox just refused to let that happen. Sure, they didn’t end up winning but they scared the hell out of the current best team in the East.
Tough loss. A win was in our hands.
I would like to take back all of CoJo & Whiteside’s minutes.
Fox & The Steal played well. Barnes was off again tonight, which could’ve been the difference.
When do we get DaQuan Jeffries back?
Tough loss indeed. But I’m more fine with a loss to a top team with the way we’ve been playing.
If we were still that 5-10 team I woulda been PISSED lol Progress for sure.
Agreed. For it to come down to the wire with the #1 seed in the East, after a great stretch of wins, I’m not gonna get upset…but DAMN, we were so close to sweetness.
Why can’t we just win 10 straight and answer the question of whether we’re good or not? Now we gotta wait an extra off day for that fricken Orlando game lol
Observations
1) We ran them off the floor in the 2nd quarter. Then slowed down immensely in the 2nd half and the 4th. 3 games in 4 nights effect?
2) In a game where we need Whiteside the most, he comes up small. Cojo was awful tonight as well. BTW, Luke has shortened the leash on his vets. I like.
3) Fox has been amazing, but there was alot of one v one vs Thybulle late 4th. I dig the leadership, but it came back to bite him a bit. Which led to…
4) Hali not getting alot of ball handling duties late 4th. Let Hali help you Fox.
5) MOST IMPORTANTLY, we fought back and played the #1 East team well even through a cold shooting night and a minus 20 on the boards. I AM ENCOURAGED.
6) True KANGZ test vs Orlando this Friday. Yikes.
3 and 4 are spot on. Haliburton only took one shot in the second half- that just cannot happen. But more to your point, Fox had trouble getting to his spots down the stretch not just because of Thybulle but the length of Philly’s defense is ridiculous. They should’ve at least put the ball in Haliburton’s hands more down the stretch to see what he could do.
I agree that Haliburton needs to get more shots but he needed to be more aggressive on the offensive end in this one. I think that’s on him. He had some opportunities to shoot and he didn’t take them. He’ll learn though. Good learning experience for him.
I could be wrong but it didn’t feel like he had the ball much in the latter stretch of the 4th. I’m with you that it’s partly on him but Fox can close games without having the ball in his hands all the time. Let Haliburton work and Fox play off ball so he can attack close outs instead of a set defense.
Oh I definitely agree but he did have some opportunities and instead of trying to assert himself a little more he deferred. Just thinking about plays like the turnover when he tried to thread the needle to Bagley and turned it over. I’m not worried about it, I think over time he’ll learn when he needs to look to score a little more. He’s certainly capable. When Fox is out he takes over for stretches. Just a growth point for him moving forward.
Yeah that TO to Bagley was uncharacteristic of him. Needed to go at Embiid and get fouled or get Embiid in the air and dump it to Bagley. Oh well, like you said a good learning stretch for him.
Embiid is also a really good defender and played it well. Not sure many guys would have stolen that pass.
Well it was a pretty easy read.
Teams know by now that Tyrese is always looking to pass first when going towards the rim.
Tyrese had a lot of lob assists at the beginning of the year. That one lob he gave to Bagley seemed like the first one he’s had in quite awhile TBH.
That’s why Tyrese needs to be more aggressive. Teams just now sit on the lob pass when Tyrese is the PnR ball handler. He’s got to be more aggressive to open up the other options now.
If there’s anything to take away from this game, it’s what happened in the 4th quarter if the Kings can’t make 3’s. Teams are going to sit and pack the paint and just play Fox. As good as Tyrese has been, they know Fox is the only capable ball handler against man to man press defense.
His aggressiveness will come. He’s already got the whole package offensively, floaters, mid range, and 3s. I fully expect him to learn to get to the line. He’s too smart not to. Man that’s exciting.
Yep he’s got all the tools to be a great offensive player. He’s so good already it’s sometimes easy to forget he’s only played 20 games. In a couple years he’ll be able to get whatever he wants.
Thybulle is a monster. Another observation I did not mention, Thybulle played 21 minutes and took NO SHOTS.
Didn’t let him prove he wasn’t a liability on the offensive end.
Agreed.
The Sixers are 14-0 when their full starting lineup plays. I don’t care how hot the Kings have been, the Sixers are unquestionably a superior team. I thought the Kings actually played pretty well in this game. And I haven’t said this very often this year but Bagley played pretty good defense tonight all things considered. He earned his 4th quarter minutes.
Not too upset over this one. Come back out and beat Orlando in a couple days and we’re good to go.
I really liked how the bench came alive and cheered Bagley on for a couple of possessions, especially the charge he drew. They know his defense has been his weakness so it was nice to see them give him praise for his effort.
Yeah I’m still skeptical this is really talented enough to make a serious run at the playoffs but the chemistry seems pretty good.
It’s really hard to outmuscle Embid, but Bagley used craftiness and athleticism to bother him quite a bit in the 3rd and beginning of the 4th. Surprised to be writing that. Happy to see it though. He was sprinting the floor, fighting to face guard Joel and I was pumped to see him have a little success against a MVP candidate.
Wanted that one bad. It was right in our hands and shots just stopped falling. Got a favorable one on Friday against Orlando barring some COVID issues hitting us but I would be lying if I said I wasn’t worried about that one.
And big shout out to Bagley. He really battled tonight. His best performance of the season IMO
Yes, kudos for effort, taking charges, … I wish he would learn some fundamentals. His defensive stance is all lean/bend at the waist, he let’s opponents (Simmons) turn him around to easy (he turns himself around unnecessarily). It probably is all too much input for him, but if he understands and accepts how much he needs to learn that would be progress.
My thoughts
– Not a win but a very respectable effort
– Buddy’s shooting slump may have been a blessing is disguise. Something has started to click with the other aspects of his game. His decision making has improved significantly and he’s a sneaky good rebounder. We need to see more but he’s definitely trending upward.
– Maybe Fox has taken a cue from Haliburton because he’s improved every aspect of his game. Wow, what a player he’s becoming on both ends of the court.
– I don’t know if the average basketball fan can appreciate how well Haliburton defends. I can’t believe a guy with just 20 NBA can be that fundamentally sound. He forces to the proper side, he positions himself perfectly off ball, he anticipates and roams with impeccable instincts, he plays perfect help defense, he plays the passing line beautifully, and he almost never leaves his feet inappropriately.
– I can honestly say, I’m not sure how you proceed. Perhaps now you go out and try to get some bench help. Maybe you try to start getting minutes for NB. Whatever, bench help is needed if we’re gonna make a run at the playoffs.
– Bagley’s improving and Walton is utilizing him properly. He’s not one of our top 5 but certainly within the top 7. A lot of great effort on a herculean assignment with Embiid.
– Can we get Kayte Hunter to replace Doug Christie?
Radio Doug is great
TV Doug tries too hard
Kayte would be cool
Yea Doug was pretty bad last night. Grunt Level 10.
Can you imagine DC paired with this guy?
Would have liked to see a better audition for the Sixers by Buddy. Although, not sure they need him with the way Curry was playing.
Agreed.
I also mentioned Buddy’s improvement on my post, specifically his PNR game. I think Haliburton has rubbed off on him as well. Seeing a teammate run the PNR at an elite level maybe opened Buddy’s eyes.
As for Haliburton’s defense, I see shades of a prime Doug Christie. Also, I think as he gains more experience we will see him as the primary ballhandler more and more, even over Fox at times. He is that good.
Good game overall, the better team won out in the end. Hard for me to be too mad at this loss.
RUN IT BACK.
Me watching Bagley tonight.
Against a superior team, I can’t knock this loss. The effort was there. The good news is the flaws in a roster were exposed in a better light because there was good effort and play for the most part, we just got out-talented. Haliburton got phased out of the offense in the second half when he had a hot hand. He should have had plays drawn up for him to score. Big step forward for Bagley, I have to give credit where it is due and he played good down the stretch. He still had a couple Bagley moments but overall good effort.
Played good enough to win, and for the better part of a quarter had their way with a top NBA team which was awesome to watch.
Had several wide-open threes in the 4th (2 for CoJo, 2 for GRIII, 2 for Fox, 2 for Bags (made 1!) by my count). If one more of those falls or they clean up the FT game it would be tied or close to it in the final minute. Maybe they lost their legs a little in the 2nd half (3 of 22 from 3, and 40 points total), but you’ll take a loss like this.
They’ve earned a couple of days rest and hopefully come out fresh and firing.
One of those losses that does not upset me. We lost to a superior team, we had good looks just didn’t made them.
Some observations:
1) Thybulle defended Fox well in the 4th. He made passes to open guys, just couldn’t make shots.
2) Bags can be a decent defender with the right mindset. I think he played one of his best quarters in the 3rd.
3) Rotations are somewhat confusing. I think Fox played the entire 4th which I think drained his energy. Luke usually subs him around 6-7 mins left on the games that he took over for us.
4) The team played also a bit tired in the 4th, maybe the effect of 3 games in 4 days.
5) This game is an example why some TKH members doesn’t like Whiteside at all. He only shows up in one game then disappears.
Hope the team gets some rest and practice. I think most of us will be upset if we Kangz the Magic.
Yeah, Whiteside could be a useful player even in today’s NBA … if he just wanted to a little bit (more). I guess that has been the story for his whole career.
Whiteside got one run…hard to show up when you don’t get minutes.
He had 2 blocks that the kings were pretty unlucky on because they bounced right back to a Philly player for a put back.
Big guy less than double digit minutes tends to lineup as a loss for the Kings
Great effort. Sixers are just too tough of a match up physically for the Kings.
Best chance was to get hot from 3. But 3/22 from 3 in the 2nd half!! Lot of open shots too. But that’s the way it goes sometimes. Frustrating but can’t be too mad.
The Sixers though! Honestly, they must be sick knowing they wasted Vlade’s free gifts. Fultz, giving away Mikal Bridges, losing Jimmy Butler, etc. Really could’ve been a legit Super Team.
They are a super team, just young.
This is good
Great effort by the Kings tonight! Would have love to get away with a win but can’t be mad with the loss.. As long as they continue to play competitive basketball I’m fine with the outcome win or lose. Hey they can’t win every game right? Hopefully they get some much needed rest and get ready to play hard against Orlando. Try to build that winning streak again.
When was the last time the Kings had a 4 game winning streak? I have been actively following Kings since the 17 was it? game winning season (JT’s rookie year), and don’t recall too many streaks greater than 3.
I’ve changed my opinion on Bagley. Seeing how Fox has taken that next step this year I’m willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. He’s basically only in his second year and he’s super young so who knows, maybe with some consistency he gets better year after year from here on out if he stays away from injuries
He still has a lot of question marks. At least he is going in the right direction and seems to want to be better. Considering he probably doesn’t have much trade value, it is probably worth the time and effort to see what he can become.
I think tonight showed that Bagley has the potential to be a decently good defender. He’s basically a second year player who played one year in college on a team (Duke) that played a lot of zone defense. I’m cautiously optimistic.
Just wanted to drop in and say how impressive Thybulle was on Fox in the 4th. Haven’t seen him play much and thought all the unabashed love for him in potential trade threads was a bit unwarranted.
Holy shit can that guy play defense. He really bothered Fox in the 4th. Something Kawhi Leonard was unable to do.
Sign me up.
Indeed, if there is ever going to be a trade with 76ers in which they want Buddy or Barnes, I’d insist on Thybulle being apart of the package. All good teams need a defender like that.
The Kings stayed toe-to-toe with a giant, maintained their poise, and definitely looked like a playoff team to me last night. Their pace wore out Embiid early, there were many possessions even before the fourth quarter where he stayed on the perimeter. Unfortunately for the Kings the Sixers might be the best fourth-quarter team in the league and a lot of that has to do with Embiid focusing on his free throws and Harris taking his deadly mid range jumpers. Those two simple shots were really the only difference in the game once the Sixers seemed to tire out early.
It was a good look at Thybulle last night, and how he isn’t being asked to do anything offensively. So with all the chatter here asking about him for a trade, I wouldn’t overvalue him because he just hasn’t put up the offensive numbers that would demand a big return. Right now he’s just a defensive specialist and so I really wonder what his value is. I’d hate to see him brought in somewhere and be expected to be in offensive spark plug, he’s in that we just don’t know phase for sure. I’ll say it again, he’s the best defender in the league.
If he indeed the best defender in the league, then he is worth his weight in gold. Even you can only play him 20 minutes a night due to his offensive limitations, you put him on your opponents best wing or guard and shut them down.
If he could just develop a respectable corner 3 he could have a long career as a Bruce Bowen type specialist.
Truth.
The Sixers are good. I was thinking abt how they could give the Lakers a run, but then I realized that the refs would call 3 BS fouls on Embiid when on AD in the 1Q and the game would be over.
Not the visual I was expecting.
My observations:
Shots just weren’t falling at crucial times. No shame in that, over a long season it will happen. The defense was there so it was a competitive game. I will take that over embarrassing blowouts.
I have been as critical as anyone on Bagley but have to give him some credit. He is making progress on his defense, he made some nice plays on Embid. It helped when the Kings went to an immediate double on him instead of trying to play him straight up. Also, his mobility caused Embid some problems on the other end. I think his wrist is getting better, he did seem to be taking it stronger to the basket. I did notice after he made a couple plays on defense and made a couple shots, he started to revert to hero ball and forced a few shots. That is part of the learning curve I guess.
If you had told me before the game that Bagley did a better job with Embid than Whiteside I would not have believed you. I have praised Whiteside on here as much as I have been critical of Bagley so I have to be honest. As much as Whiteside can help defensively, rebound and block/change shots sometimes he just does not look like he is ready to play. Also, does anyone know if he got hurt? He had a large ice pack on his leg in the second half.
Weirdly….. his stat I have been tracking held true, it’s now:
Whiteside plays more than 12 minutes: Kings are 9-2.
Whiteside plays less than 12 minutes: Kings are 3-10.
I think at some point in the future Haliburton may become the primary ballhandler. I love Fox but Haliburton keeps his teammates involved better. Would be interesting with Haliburton as the 1 and Fox as the 2.
Honest question:
Do you think Haliburton has rubbed off on Buddy? What I mean is Buddy is showing a PNR game I have not seen from him before, maybe he has seen Hali run the PNR at an elite level and tried to add that to his game. So the rookie is doing what truly elite players do¦he is making the players around him better.
What’s the feeling on going all-in for playoffs v. tank? Personally, I cant think of anything more KANGZ than to trade away assets in an effort to make the playoffs in a season when fans cant attend the games. I am completely on-board with moving Barnes/Buddy/CoJo/Nemanja/etc. if value is available, keep developing the core, and roll out Fox, Haliburton, Bagley, Lottery pick (maybe another 1st in a Barnes trade?) next season when we can (hopefully) get fans back in the building.
Good post – I’ve been struggling with that decision also. I think Barnes’ performance so far this season is an anomaly. At 28 years old, I think his trade value is the highest it will ever be right now. I like buying low and selling high so I’d be quietly shopping Barnes and I hear the Celtic are interested. I’d trade Barnes, Cojo, and Bjelica to Boston for Smart, Langford and Boston’s first round pick next year. Smart provides some toughness and bench strength, Langford gives us a young replacement for Barnes and I love having a another first round pick in the upcoming draft. If we are going all in to win, we have to improve the bench without sacrificing the future, not an easy task. I’d also consider trading Barnes for Aaron Gordon and Mo Bamba. A young long shot flyer in Bamba is intriguing and I like Gordon’s contract better than Barnes. Full disclosure I had Gordon for about 7 weeks on an AAU team I coached. I think a change of scenery to the Kings would be great for him.
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