The Sacramento Kings’ spirited 4th quarter run was too little, too late, as they fell to Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets 132-123 on Thursday night. Domantas Sabonis had 23 points, 19 rebounds, and 8 assists, and Doug McDermott fueled the 4th-quarter comeback attempt with 15 points on five threes in that final period. But Jokic had a mind-boggling 35 points, 22 rebounds, and 17 assists on 12 of 19 shooting and had an answer for Sacramento every time the Kings thought they had some momentum.
After Joker hit a 66-foot casual hook-shot to end the 3rd quarter, Sacramento trailed 110-85 to start the final period and seemed destined for a blow-out to start their 6-game road trip. Enter McDermott, who was the catalyst for a 14-0 run to start the period and the Kings best shot-maker throughout the 4th. His final three cut the Denver lead down to 5 at 126-121 with 0:48 left in the game. But Joker hit his clutch free throws and Sacramento’s last shot attempts rattled off as Denver secured the victory.
DeMar DeRozan had 24 points and 6 boards in the loss. De’Aaron Fox finished with 17 points and 6 assists while Malik Monk had 15 points and 7 assists – but the Kentucky duo combined to shoot just 12 of 37 from the field and never got their rhythm going. Keegan Murray had 11 points and 9 rebounds, and fueled a run in the 3rd quarter when he hit three quick threes.
Meanwhile, Denver had all 5 starters score 18 or more points – Christian Braun had 21, Michael Porter Jr. had 20 points and 8 boards, and Russell Westbrook had some vintage Westbrook rim-runs and consistently crushed the Kings’ defensive spirit.
After a low-energy and low-efficiency first half left them trailing 74-52, Sacramento looked the part of a tired squad playing on the second night of a back-to-back against Denver’s elevation advantage. The high-effort runs in the 3rd and 4th quarters were a welcome sight for Interim Head Coach Doug Christie, but effort doesn’t show up in the standings. If Sacramento hadn’t been blown out in the first half, where they surrendered a 45-20 rebounding advantage to Denver, this one may have been easier for them to steal in the end.
The Kings continue their six-game road trip on Saturday with a matchup in New York against the Knicks.
I love Domas so much. I think he’s amazing and he’s my favorite current Kings player. The guy never takes a game off, rarely takes a play off. That’s so special.
But calling Domas ‘Jokic Lite’ is almost an insult to Jokic. Last night he was Jokic Very Light.
Jokic is my favorite current NBA player. The Joker is just on another level.
NBA MVP so far this year and this decade, no real question.
He will wind up being the most underrated great player of all time, regardless of how many MVPs he amasses. He will be seen the same way that younger people look at film of Larry Bird and say, “What’s the big deal?” No mad hops. No breathtaking “athleticism.” But an AI head on a point center body. Jokic will pass Kareem for #1 for all-time assists by a center pretty soon, as he has already passed Wilt and Bill Russell. Boy, did Denver ever make the right choice when they retained him over Nurk.
I sometimes think of this because there was serious debate when they shipped off Nurk to PDX in favor of Jokic. I kid you not, I sometimes think Keon is stuck back in the rotation in a similar way and just needs someone in front of him moved so he can take the next step. I’m not saying he’s a future MVP or anything remotely close to that, but seeing what Dyson Daniels is doing in ATL keeps giving me those thoughts.
Keon has become a longer, ceiling version of what we were hoping Davion might become.
And I don’t mean that Keon has reached his ceiling, but that how he is playing was beyond our wildest dream for Mitchell.
High lottery picks are still where the majority of superstars are found, but man, has there ever been a better time for 2nd round and undrafted players in the NBA, especially under this new CBA?
Yep. I don’t sweat dealing the 2nd round picks, because I think that there is still plenty to mine after the draft, and Keon is a great example. I just hate selling those picks for cash, as I think that they still have trade capital value.
I actually do sweat dealing 2nd picks in the new CBA. The rules have made them far more valuable, like the 2nd round exception. You can’t sign undrafted players under that one. I see undrafted players as fodder for 2-way contracts that can sometimes strike gold (see Keon), but 2nd picks now have the potential to be very cheap controlled assets that will be very valuable to capped and apron teams.
Watching Keon really come into his own this last few weeks, as silly as comps really are, I think the player he reminds me of the most is one of my top ten favorite players of all time, Michael Cooper.
Coop might be the origin story of the 3&D heroes of today’s game, and one of the nastiest on ball defensive players in history.
If he improves his ball handling and playmaking even marginally, I think he is, to quote the legendary King’s Head Coach George Karl talking about another scrappy gaurd making his way “he’s going to be around for a couple years”.
Coop!
Or maybe Doug Christie
Oh, that’s a nice on! If he can develop into any version of Coop or as Kfan state, Christie, the Kings have a gem. Both are guys that prove you don’t need to be a prolific scorer in order to have a massive impact for your team. The league still has a few of those and I feel they are greatly under appreciated in an era that values scoring above all else.
I’m one who has been skeptical of Keon’s ball-handling skills, but he impressed me last night on two specific plays.
On one, he was being pressed on one side of the court with the clock winding down. He somehow found (I think it was) Lyles on the opposite side of the court with a confidant, accurate pass for an open three-pointer.
The other was a straight-line drive down the middle of the lane for a layup. I don’t think he would have attempted that drive a couple of weeks ago.
People forget that in his prime Bird was pretty athletic, he would dunk on people at times. I think a lot of judging the book by the cover happens with Bird, same with Joker.
I have wondered this, how do you think Joker would have done in the 80s/90s, more physical, center dominated eras?
Just my opinion:
He would have been very good but not as good as he is now. Matchup wise I think he would have a very hard time guarding any of those guys; Robinson, Hakeem, Ewing, Shaq. He would get his too but I don’t think his post up game would be nearly as effective.
I don’t know. Walton was awesome – he just couldn’t stay healthy. That is probably where I would slot today’s Jokic, a healthy Walton, with the caveat that Jokic’s BBIQ is off the charts, and I think that he would mold his game to fit the era.
I agree a healthy Walton is a good comp. Walton in his day was more athletic and faster and also had the BBIQ. I think the elite centers back then were vastly superior athletes to Joker and that would be his struggle.
I agree his BBIQ is way up there but I also think his passing looks even better now because of the better spacing today and less physicality.
Big Red was an all around monster in his prime: athletic- he ran the floor well, and he was a defensive force, the only two areas to criticize the great Joker.
Highly skilled as a passer, shooter, scorer and rebounder (had an amazing Wes Unseld like defensive board turn in the air outlet pass, though Wes was better) I would rate his game as superior all around, but at the same time, less dominating.
I believe the healthy Arvydas Sabonis comps are probably closest, but-
I am just throwing out my own silly opinions, and I don’t know any?/many U.S. fans that ever really saw Sabas play his younger, healthy game. We NBA fans saw the two blown knees, 31-36 year old, adapted to NBA version and while wonderful, we fantasize about the rest.
He is listed as 7’3” 290 lbs. That’s very Joker like.
To me- 1975-78 Blazer William Theodore Walton III “Bill” Walton was my ideal Center. The 6’11” Grateful Red was a two way threat and superb on court leader. One of the greats, but much too briefly so.
Anyone on this site have any expertise/experience with a finger like Fox’s? It’s an issue that doesn’t seem to be going away until he can get some serious rest and surgery, but my concern is the possibility of permanent damage. Could he be doing more harm to his dominant hand by continuing to play vs. what production he may be giving the team?
I only ask because I once got to meet and talk with Ron Artest, and let me tell you, that dude’s fingers were gnarly. a large part of that was because of the way he played. He was always poking at ballhandlers and being a disruptive defender, but by his own admission it affected his shooting. Ron wasn’t a good shooter by any means, and I wouldn’t consider Fox to be one either. So my concern for Fox’s long term hand health could be warranted, especially if signing a long term extension this summer.
Didn’t Sabonis have a similar injury to this thumb 2 years ago? They have different styles, so it’s apples to oranges.
Sabonis had a fractured thumb on his non shooting hand that didn’t require surgery, while Fox can’t even straighten his pinky and has said “will need to be dealt with in the offseason”
Swipa World Peace. I like it!
My only beef with the injured De’Aaron, is that he is trying to “play through it” which is noble – but his play has been obviously effected, and you know it, I know it, he knows it – but as a Coach, how to best deal with it? Last night as an example, had Fox taking shots that didn’t fall, in place of sending passes out to McBuckets or supporting a Trey Trois he hoisted some bricks. It likely didn’t make a difference to the outcome – but who knows? Maybe Coach Christie should have pulled Fox out during that time.
DC actually did pull Fox out briefly midway through the 4th qtr, but pulled McDermott at the same time. Fox subbed back in 45 seconds later, followed by McDermott another 15 seconds after that. Did Fox lobby to go back in so quickly? Who knows?
Christie mentioned in the post-game that even when Fox isn’t making shots, he keeps defenses honest because of his gravity. I don’t think teams see him as much of a threat right now because he is shooting poorly and his dribble is highly suspect because of the injury.
He can draw fouls, like he did against the Warriors, but teams seem to be sagging of him much more at the 3pt line, seemingly being okay with shooting 30% from 3.
He has done a superb job of drawing fouls (not last night) and making clutch foul shots.
Looks like he’s made 21 FTs in a row. You have to go all the way back to the 4th qtr of the Bulls game to find one he missed.
Sabonis injury:
An avulsion fracture of the thumb occurs when a small piece of bone is pulled away from the thumb joint by a torn ligament or tendon. This can happen when the thumb is suddenly pulled away from the hand or when a muscle contracts forcefully.
Fox injury:
De’Aaron Fox, a guard for the Sacramento Kings, injured his left pinkie finger during training camp. He dislocated the finger and likely has ligament damage. Fox has been taping his pinkie and ring finger together to play through the injury.
They seem similar, yet different at the same time.
There is a rule of thumb on this, but I can’t put my finger on it.
LOL, perfect comment.
Nailed it!
Cute(icle).
Life in the digital age
Hands down, the best thread.
Thumbs up?
A pointed question
Knuckleheads.
Pinkies and thumbs?
Better than staying at The Palms.
That’s because it’s plugging a hole.
I’m concerned that the Kings are taking too much risk by playing an injured Fox. The team showed earlier this month that they don’t need Fox to play to win games. Waiting till the offseason to get it fixed is ridiculous. Get the surgery you need before it gets broken even worse. This is bush league asset management by the Kings.
A couple of observations:
That the Kings went 3-0 without Fox is a small sample size that you cannot hang your hat on. A cursory look at this roster and current playing time would probably have Monk moving to the point and Ellis upgrading to 30+ mpg. But since Monk is already playing a full game and you’re only adding about a dozen minutes to Keon, you’re going to need to fine another 26 minutes on this roster. That probably means a large dose of J-Mac and more minutes for Huerter, as Carter is really showing his greenness lately. Given the defensive contribution of Fox alone, that is going to hurt like a bitch over the longer haul.
Fox is chasing the Supermax, and he needs to play 65 games to qualify for the chance of all-NBA. So he has millions and millions of reasons why he probably does not want to sit. And if the organization shuts him down without his consent, all holy hell will break loose.
Recapping, the team is better off with an injured Fox than without, given the already meager depth and contributions of the bench. And if Fox does not want to sit, the organization really can’t force it without alienating him.
Yeah, I said it in the post-game thread. I really don’t like the 65 game minimum-rule.
I like it because it rewards players that play, but there are two edges to that sword.
It’s a tough line –
His play is borderline (in the discussion) All-NBA when fully healthy. This injured hand version is not in the running for that honor (IMO).
If he plays – the Kings have to win. As we’ve seen with the arguments over All-Star Game status for Sabonis by some who insist to “reward winning” whereby some are considering Sengun over Domas. Fox has to have great numbers and Sacramento has to win win win (not just win, because it is, after all, Sacramento), like Top 5 teams in the West.
And even then – I dunno. Is he a Top 15 player in the League? Over Domas? I don’t see that. There was SuperMax Fox the first 6 weeks of the season. Not so much these last 4 weeks.
It’s a numbers game. There are top 15 players that are not going to play 65 games, and when that happens, everyone moves up a chair, or two, or three.
I think that Fox landing all-NBA is the longest of longshots, but if you were him, with all of those extra millions on the line, wouldn’t you ride it out until you knew you were shut out? Unless a doctor implicitly tells me to shut it down or suffer permanent, life altering injury, I’m playing.
I agree. I think the voters should just take in to account the number of games played and how that correlates to being effective or not when it comes to All-NBA and other voted on awards.
But they didn’t. Hence the rule.
I thought it was more about the “rest” or “injury management” that upset Silver. National games where stars chose to sat instead of play and increase viewership and profit.
The “stick” was used to curb this. I don’t know what alternative could have been done.
Yep.
Yes, the team is better off with an injured Fox, but just for this season. Regarding my concerns of long term damage, if there is potential for that, the reality may not rear it’s head until after his max extension is signed.
Simply put, could it be better for both Fox and the Kings’ long term interest to mend him sooner rather than later. I mean, I think we can all agree that this team is currently not a title contender and Fox’s shot at All-NBA is dwindling fast.
But given the circumstances, it’s really Fox’s call.
I agree. I’d just hope the little birdies in his ear aren’t whispering “super-max” or “NBA title” at the expense of his health.
I only bring this up because we’ve seen it before in the league. Look no further than IT’s stint in Boston.
I’m not a doctor and I haven’t heard anyone officially weigh in on this, but I think between Fox, the Kings, and Rich Paul, someone would have stepped in and put their foot down if there was risk of more/permanent damage. Again, just speculation, but if he’s playing through it I believe it means there’s little-to-no risk of permanent damage. Some injuries it’s just a matter of how much is a player willing to play through.
See my comment higher up:
I had the same injury (I think, not for sure without more info). As long as he gets some stretching of the tendon and he gets surgery at some point there is not a risk for permanent damage.
Posted this on the previous thread right before this got posted:
I have some personal experience with this type of injury, but I am just guessing based on his words and how it looks. I think he tore the tendon to his second knuckle.
I tore the tendon off the bone of the last knuckle on my ring finger in college. I was able to play through it the same way Fox is by taping it to the adjoining fingers. I got used to it and it didn’t affect me much. Mine looked a lot like Fox’s does after a couple months it would not straighten, you can still bend the other knuckle but the torn one does not move.
Some differences are mine was the ring finger and protected by the middle and pinkie more, I would think the pinkie is worse. Also, mine was on my off hand and Fox’s is on his shooting hand, also worse.
It requires surgery and I was told back then it would be 4 months give or take.
Mine still does not straighten all the way. If you wait too long for the surgery the tendon shortens and reconnecting requires more and more PT and stretching after. This was in the late 80s I’m sure the surgeries are better now.
Thank you for sharing.
I know they do ligament/tendon replacement surgeries with cadaver pieces (Allograft). I had that with my ACL reconstruction. I don’t know if they did that back in the 80s. Not sure if that surgery would be done for Fox’s type of injury.
Medical advancements are crazy now!!!
Mine they reattached the tendon to the bone with a pin, no replacement. the tendon had shortened and my finger was bent severely until I went through PT and stretching and had to wear this stretching (torture) device.
I did put my surgery off longer than I should have, almost a year.
My finger does fine but does not completely straighten and really squeezing a fist hurts a little.
They can insert a new ligament/tendon and make it the correct length to help reduce the chance of being short and needing to be stretched. Either way, it is not fun!
I just had this thought, but he’s likely waiting cause he wants to hit 65 games to be supermax eligible. With all the guys missing games (Doncic, Morant, maybe Curry) he’s got a great chance if he can tough it out. Wish he would get the surgery though.
Fox isn’t an all star so All NBA is not going to happen IMO. If anything, he is hurting his value If the finger really does affect his dribbling and shooting. His shooting efficiency and assist to turnover ratio are the worst itheyve been since 21-22 season.
Id hope the finger is an issue, otherwise Fox is barely a top 50 player
Let’s see, from last year’s All NBA teams, Luka and Kawhi are already out. Durant is on track to be out also (let’s say it happens) and I think Hali won’t make it this year, Booker also iffy. So that’s up to 5 slots up for grabs.
Wemby, Donovan Mitchell, and Lamelo probably take three of those slots.
So Fox has to battle the last two slots with KAT, Jalen Brown, Cade, Kyrie, Trae, JJJ, Booker. Even finishing strong, Fox might in the middle of that pack so yeah pretty unlikely.
I’m curious how you were able to meet Ron Artest? Was it at a fan signing?
Oddly enough, we shared the same massage therapist for a bit while he was playing for the Kings. Met him in her office.
Oh wow, that’s wild.
The lingering question in my mind regarding last night’s contest was
Would the Mike Brown Kings have played differently?
Credit where credit is due – the comeback in the 4th, after a particularly harsh 3rd quarter beatdown – was met with some fight by these Kings. The McDermott and Lyles led resurgence had Michael Malone re-insert his tired starters, followed by Sacramento doing the same. Unfortunately, the result was the same and Jokic and Co. held them off.
The Kings generally have 6 core rotation players that contribute consistently most games. Lyles is the 7th man who has ups and downs when it comes to production. 7 man rotation is hard to have if they want to sustain success in the regular season, let alone in the playoffs.
They need to add another consistent bench producer before the deadline. These starters are getting gassed each night, and the minutes will have a cumulative effect as the 2nd half of the season only intensifies.
So I just realized this, which might make me dumb, but the reason Fox is likely waiting on surgery is because he needs at least 65 games to hit all-NBA and be supermax eligible. I wish he would get the surgery though.
Fire up Keon!
Funny thing is (and I know it was a small sample size when Fox didn’t play for 3 games), if Fox has to miss some time, I feel less worried compared to last year if Fox had to miss some games.
Meanwhile, Cam Johnson is also being held out, and we will be in Brooklyn in just a few days.
&ct=g
LOL, well played.
Cam Johnson, Day’Ron Sharpe, Zaire Williams, De’Anthony Melton, and some firsts for Fox and Huerter works….just saying.
Fox is not eligible for the SuperMax if traded. Only the Kings can offer the SuperMax and only if De’Aaron is either an All-NBA (any of the 3 teams) or DPoY.
Jokic is a true 1a. With Steph we were able to take the ball out of his hands. We didn’t have the energy to do that last night. You can totally see how tired we were.
What is Denver’s record (in the last few years, whatever) when their opponent is playing the second game of a back to back in Denver?
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