Pelicans 123, Kings 109: A Good Loss

[Editor’s note: sorry for the delayed recap! Mirann wrote this right after the game, it’s just the publishing itself that was delayed]

For the 16th year in a row, here we are again – winding down another season of Kings basketball in April, with no hopes of postseason play. With less than a week left in the regular season, we have somehow once again found ourselves in a battle with the Los Angeles Lakers – only this time, it’s a race to the bottom for the 12th seed. I can’t help but laugh at this. The whole thing is ridiculous. 16 years of torture and we are still somehow being haunted by our annoying neighbors to the south. The Lakers are currently on a six-game losing streak, so a loss for the Kings tonight would help bolster their position in the 12th seed against the rolling dumpster fire that is going on in LA. But we’ve seen that Davion Mitchell and this young Kings squad are not ones to lie down easily. Tonight they faced the New Orleans Pelicans. Let’s see how they did:

Quick Stats

Outcome: Kings lose, 123-109

Sacramento Kings: 109 pts, 51.3% fg, 36.7% 3 pt, 90.9% ft, 28 ast, 35 reb, 15 to

New Orleans Pelicans: 123 pts, 50.6% fg, 48.0% 3 pt, 80.8% ft, 26 ast, 44 reb, 12 to

Unlike Sunday’s loss to the Warriors, this one didn’t induce copious amounts of eye rolls, groans, or lasting regret for how you just spent your night. Instead, the Kings pieced together a competitive performance and gave the home crowd a product to cheer for as the doors of Golden 1 Center closed on another Kings season.

The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly

The Good

1. Off-Ball Cuts: Although the Kings never led during tonight’s game, they continuously found creative ways to score to keep themselves close on the Pelicans’ heels. From the start, the Kings showed acute awareness on the offensive end and executed off-ball cuts that led to easy baskets. There was a classic Harrison Barnes attack off of a Davion Mitchell dump off, and even a lob to Chimezie Metu from Jeremy Lamb on a drive to the basket. Cutting to open space and sharing the ball allowed the Kings to probe the Pelicans’ defense and find gaps to score. From this creative offense, the Kings were able to connect on 28 total assists.
2. Damian Jones: After heading to the bench early in the game with foul trouble, Damian Jones was able to regroup and find his stride in the second quarter. Jones had himself a moment where he scored six straight points for the Kings towards the end of the half to help cut their 13-point deficit to a 3-point one heading into the locker room. Jones finished with 22 points on 8-10 from the field and showcased his offensive skill with hard drives to the basket and soft touch in the midrange.
3. Bench Shooting: Both teams struggled from the 3-point line in the first half, as both teams hit just three 3-pointers each. Of course, the Pelicans entered the second half correcting this course, as Brandon Ingram, Herbert Jones, and Jaxson Hayes each laced in a 3 to start the third quarter. On the other hand, the Kings’ starters struggled from distance all night, combining for only four made 3-pointers. Luckily for the Kings, their bench came ready to shoot, as Jeremy Lamb, Donte DiVincenzo, and Josh Jackson each connected on two 3-pointers a piece to keep the Kings from falling behind as the Pelicans shooting picked up.

The Bad

1. Transition Defense: The Kings had some glaring defensive breakdowns in transition. The worst was allowing  Jose Alvarado to travel baseline to baseline for a layup after the Kings just forgot to pick up the person with the ball. Other instances showed the Kings ball watching and failing to locate trailing shooters such as Brandon Ingram and Devonte Graham. The Kings were slow to match up in transition and this kept them from being able to collectively and consistently contain the Pelicans. CJ McCollum (23 points), Brandon Ingram (17 points), and Jaxson Hayes (career-high 23 points) all took advantage of these scrambles.

The Ugly

1. Switching: My eyes have bled all season long at watching how often and easily the Kings switch on defense. Although he was able to stay out of foul trouble down the stretch of the game, Damian Jones was once again caught with two fouls halfway through the first quarter. Too often Jones is switched onto the opponent’s guard, tonight being CJ McCollum, and is expected to be able to defend him 20-feet from the basket. It happens almost every possession and is always a terrible gamble. Tonight was just another example of how this habit can lead to early foul trouble for the Kings’ bigs and put them at a defensive disadvantage.

The King of Kings

Davion Mitchell broke a franchise record tonight by logging a career-high 17 assists as a Kings rookie. I repeat – SEVENTEEN assists!!! He even paired this with 15 points for a double-double. Mitchell’s court vision and unselfish play earned him this new milestone and I look forward to him breaking it again soon.

Operation: M.C.N.A.I.R. Watch

On behalf of the lives lost, injured, and affected in last weekend’s mass shooting in Sacramento, tonight’s chosen charity is Americans Against Gun Violence, a non-profit organization working to reduce rates of gun violence in America. Donate here and be sure to notify Will via Twitter (@WillofThaPeople) or e-mail ([email protected]) so he can continue to track donation totals.

Up Next

Saturday, April 9th @ Los Angeles Clippers – 6:30 P.M. (PT)