The Kings continued their long road trip with the daunting task of facing the injury-riddled New Orleans Pelicans, who were on the second night of a back-to-back. Logic states that these would be favorable conditions for the Kings. History has proven otherwise. Some of the Kings’ most disappointing losses this season have come against shorthanded and/or fatigued rosters. Clutching onto their 3rd place standing, the Kings need to start shedding bad habits and establish more consistent winning. Tonight’s matchup against the Zion-less Pelicans would have been a good place to start. Let’s see how they did:
Quick Stats
Outcome: Kings lose, 104-136
Sacramento Kings: 104 pts, 42.7% fg, 26.2% 3 pt, 85.2% ft, 23 ast, 38 reb, 15 to
New Orleans Pelicans: 136 pts, 57.1% fg, 53.8% 3 pt, 76.5% ft, 26 ast, 48 reb, 11 to
That was ugly. History defeated logic once again as the Kings continued the concerning trend of losing to a team that is 1) lower in the standings, 2) missing key players, and 3) playing on tired legs. The Kings were without De’Aaron Fox again, but this was no excuse for forcing Coach Mike Brown to search the last inch of depth on his bench for someone to play with both fire and discipline.
The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly
The Good
- Bench: Things went south for the Kings pretty quickly, as the Pelicans gained a double digit lead halfway through the 1st quarter. The Kings managed to end the 1st quarter down by just eight points, despite only getting seven points from their starting five. It was their bench unit that kept the Kings from being knocked out by that first punch. Malik Monk and Terence Davis injected some much needed pace into the Kings’ offense, scoring quick buckets in transition. All five made 3-pointers in the 1st half came from the bench, including one a piece from Matthew Dellavedova and Chimezie Metu. Given that this game got out of hand quickly and early, the bench got extended minutes and ultimately outscored the starters 63-41.
The Bad
- Slumps Continue: Some of the worst stretches of tonight’s game occurred when the Kings’ starters were on the floor. The starting unit finished with an average -32 and a combined 14-39 (35.9%) from the field. We saw Keegan Murray (2 points) and Kevin Huerter (10 points) continue to suffer from recent slumps, as both didn’t score their first points until the 4th quarter, a point in which the game was well out of the Kings’ hands. Davion Mitchell, starting in place of De’Aaron Fox (out again due to personal reasons), showed more intentional aggression tonight in getting to the basket and looking to score. However, he was only able to convert on 4-11 field goals for 10 points. The Kings needed more leadership and contribution from the top of their roster tonight. Without it, the Pelicans were able to bury them early.
the Ugly
- Those Dang Turnovers: The Kings had another bad night taking care of the ball with a total of 15 turnovers. At least three that I can remember looked almost identical. A Kings player would drive to the basket, take two big steps, elevate, realize he was under the rim, and throw an off-balanced, mid-air, bail-out pass somewhere towards the top of the key. All three instances resulted in a Pelicans’ steal and basket on the other end. The lack of awareness and chemistry on the offensive end was glaring tonight, as the Kings often looked like they had no idea what they were planning to do with the ball once it was in their hands.
- Lifeless Defense: It was one of those nights. The offense wasn’t rolling, which consequently affected the defense to a point of near standstill. The Kings often looked like they were getting run in circles on defense, looking lost on coverages, and allowing the Pelicans to walk into the paint. New Orleans capitalized on this lackluster resistance in every way, scoring 66 points in the paint, shooting 53.8% from 3, and getting to the line 34 times. This was a dream game for Trey Murphy, as he led the Pelicans with 30 points on 6-8 from the 3-point line. CJ McCollum had an efficient game in this setting, as well, ending with 24 points on 9-11 from the field.
The King of Kings
Malik Monk played with a controlled composure while still maintaining his high level of energy off the bench. Monk was explosive in transition and controlled at the rim, allowing him to blow by defenders and complete soft finishes. He led the Kings with 16 points on seven made field goals.
Operation: MCNAIR – Season 2 Watch
Tonight’s chosen charity is the Anti-Recidivism Coalition. Donate if you are able and be sure to notify Will via Twitter (@WillofThaPeople) or e-mail ([email protected]) so he can continue to track donation totals.
Up Next
Monday, February 6th @ Houston Rockets – 5:00 P.M. (PT)
First time this season we’ve had to bust out the Four Kangz rating.
Burn the tape, whizz on the ashes, pack them up and send them postage-due to the Maloofs.
Secret to beating the team is to defend them well from 3.
I don’t think it’s time to break our a and z out of storage just yet, but man that was ugly.
You got 4 days Monte, otherwise the team could be right back where they’ve been for the past 16 years.
Just 3.5 games separate the Kings from the Lottery.
Gimme a break.
Two and a half weeks ago, we were behind NO in the 4th spot. Prior to yesterday’s win, NO was 11th.
It is basic math.
What kinds of fans are these.
Fans of a team on a 16 year playoff drought?
In a season like this, in which the Kings have played beyond anyone’s expectations, it’s still amazing to see the disparity in how well the Kings have played and how quickly and how often Kings fans have given up.
Stop shilling. When they suck, they suck.
Stop whining. By almost any measure, they’re one of the top teams in the league.
Don’t excuse mediocrity.
A record of 29-23, third place in the west, and the seventh-best differential in the league couldn’t be mediocrity if you replayed this particular game all day long tomorrow.
You might be overreacting.
Good teams win these games. By a lot. I’m saying let’s not just be happy that we are 3rd in the conference on Feb 5. These guys should expect more of themselves than they have shown the last 2 games.
Good teams don’t always wins these games by a lot. In fact, good teams sometimes lose these games by a lot. All of this you already know. I don’t know why you’re typing otherwise.
A good team missing one of its stars vs. a struggling team missing at least 3 starters playing on the second night of a back to back. Show me a recent example of that good team losing by 30?
Stop telling people how to fan
Stop telling me to stop telling people how to fan.
You belittle people because they don’t see things exactly as you do.
It’s ok for fans to be concerned about the direction of the team. Just like it’s ok for people to see
the upside.
If you don’t agree say do. But you attack the poster. Not cool
If you don’t agree with an opinion say so.. I meant
You’re rooting for one of the best teams in the league. I’m glad that it makes you as happy as it does.
It is a syndrome that KanGZ fans seem to be dealing with. Sixteen years of ignoring reality in order to justify being a KaNGz fan. The real unfortunate outcome is that this team has never been held accountable for being dog shit.
Love this organization and fully support critically discussing this organization.
Well, I always enjoy a discussion about the How to Fan Rulebook, but let me just say that some of us have pointed out that the Kings so far have had very little injury absences and are not a very deep team. And that this may spell trouble in a season with so much parity in the West.
Reality is coming at some point. We will find out what that reality is.
I hope they pull off a playoff run.
Yes, the Kings aren’t deep and have been lucky with injuries, which does help to account for why they sit third in the west and have one of the best differentials of any team in the game.
Some fans do doomhunt, especially if one follows the game threads, and that frustrates, that’s all.
Game threads are game threads for a reason. I rarely follow them, and ktake them at face value.
Anyway, I have found that complaining about how other people complain is rarely a good stategy.
That’s cool. To each his own. Personally, I prefer it.
Fans that understand the standings and how they determine who gets in the playoffs.
For the last sixteen years as a a kings fan the standings didn’t matter. Understandably this is a new concept here.
I just think Fox needs to come back asap tomm, the O is so fcked without him. He”ll stable the ship
The Kings need to play and win without him. If he was hurt and out for a long stint then were are lost.
Its as simple as this. YOU DON”T PLAY DEFENSE YOU WILL NOT BE IN THE PLAYOFFS THIS YEAR! Our defense last night was pathetic. Straight line drive after straight line drive after straight line drive. We also can not defend the three. One or two players might have a bad night but we had the WHOLE team, The bench outplayed the starters. The Pelicans bench who had to start out played our starters. Huerter at this time should not even tryout for the three point contest. The best players on the court last night IMO were Monk. Still can’t play defense. number 2 was Davis.Still can’t play defense. number 3 was Delly. He played defense and number 4 was Ellis who also can play defense. Maybe for a game or two let himEllis play point guard on the second unit and see what happens. WON”T HURT. Turnovers in the last 4 or 5 games have killed us. I don’t know how many Sabonis averages in those games but it has to e 5 or 6. I know he handles the ball more than anyone else but that’s what he is does. Also in those games how many layups are missed. Easy ones not those where he is fouled.We have to defend at the point of attack. As an old coach I might be senile, stupid or blind but most of out guards and wings play to far off the ball. They need to close out and get in the players face to protect the 3 and prevent the straight line drives. One last thing. I seems to me that Murray is shooting his 3 off of his back foot.Needs yo elevate straight up. Enough said. I am really disappointed in what is going on since we started the second half. PS Why are we ALWAYS playing down to our competition instead of blowing them out?
🍿
Sheesh. The break can’t get here soon enough. The team just seems pooped and incapable right now. Maybe that’s just an indication of the importance of Fox to the team, but whatever it is the team seems like the a complete bottom feeder right now.
Are we sure that Fox (and family) is okay? I was just thinking about this. Their privacy is well-deserved. Though the absolute radio silence is a little worrying.
Worries me as well.
I had thought I saw on Twitter last week his wife was having a baby or something
Any word on when Fox is back?
Did they use up all their good shooting luck in that last Grizzles game?
Zero positives from this game . Looked like a 13th team in West tonite and can not afford any losses to Houston !
Just F*cking Embarassing this one. This gotta be the worst game of the season. I mean, this should be it and no more for the entire season please.
On the flipside, it seems that other “top” teams have bloody bad games like this if that makes us feel better.
Every team in the history of the NBA has had a game like this.
These Kings are not a championship team, but even the 72-10 Bulls got stomped by the Knicks by a score of 104-72.
Again, these Kings are nowhere close to those Bulls, but that just adds to the point that there’s something to be said for not overreacting.
Typical night of refusing to play defense. Atypical night in which they simply quit all together.
A much improved team that has not left its old self in the past yet. This is occasionally ok for a team that is drastically improved. This is not ok for a legitimate playoff team. We know the team is drastically improved. It is too soon to tell if this team is a legitimate playoff team.
It’s the SEGABABA curse, and it’s getting stronger.
Nothing to do with SEGABBABABBAASS. Everything to do with a team that quit.
I like my theory better, so I’ll just stick with that.
Good on you.
If I ever hear our announcers use the Kings playing 2 nights in a row as an excuse the rest of this season…
Every team plays back to backs and every team gets to play teams that are on a back to back road trip. It evens out. This team should not be allowed any excuses after sixteen years of shit.
If I am not mistaken, this team is now 2-9 in games played against teams that are on a SEGABABA, this season.
They need to figure out how to deal with it. Other teams do it. It is never going away. Good teams figure it out.
Appreciate and understand your theory. I think this team needs to deal with the reality of back to back games.
Do you think Yahski is ok? He is triggered tonight.
Yahski is fine. We all have our moments and frustrations, but we’re all Kings fans. We’ve seen much worse.
Hugs and/or beers for everyone!
*Face twitches*
Breathe deep.
Oh, I was kidding. I think disagreements like these are healthy and generally a positive thing.
I disagr-
Always a good time.
Absolutely disgusting. These guys have been given a gift by the scheduling gods for the last 2 games and have less than than nothing to show for it.
More than the last two games really, it’s been for a good part of the season
Do you know why the scheduling gods are making Mrs. Fox have a baby in the middle of the season? A gift for Fox, certainly.
Put it behind and step up for the next one.
Didn’t we say that after the last game?
I prefer that to mulling in misery, just as much as celebrating the glory of yesterday does little to advance today.
Nuggets lost today by 30, and they are at the top spot- should they hang their heads in shame as well?
Every team loses by a lot. Every team has bad games. These last two games remind me of Fox’s value. This team is doing well but it isn’t deep enough to do well without its two stars.
But New Orleans is deep enough to miss their stars and blowout the 3 seed. That’s a problem.
Congratulations to New Orleans. The mandate of the Kings is to make the playoffs. The Kings will achieve that goal easily, regardless of the talent level of New Orleans.
Will they??
According to you? No chance in hell.
When they’re great, I’ll give them respect. When they suck, I won’t. Tonight, they sucked. Like incredibly bad. Like 2021 bad. Like Luke Walton bad. Like Marvin Bagley as our starting center bad.
When have you ever given them respect?
When they win. Otherwise, we must wallow in the past sixteen years, which have exactly zero impact on this season, or any particular game.
Kings fans buy rope and wobbly chairs in bulk.
Ahahahaha. This is way too funny.
That’s why Monte needs to do some trading.
How did Jokic, Gordon and Murray do?
When the best team in basketball history lost to the Knicks by 32, all of their stars played.
I’m just confirming you’re comparing the Jordan Bulls to this Kings team?
Yes, because it helps my point. Even a team far, far, far, far better than this team can lose by 32.
Ok, fine. If they finish 72-10, then you’re right.
How does that make sense?
That was not his point, if you read upthread.
CAN’T WE ALL JUST GET ALONG?
No, not tonight! 🤣
On January 3rd, Boston lost to the OKC Thunder 150(!) – 117 with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander out.
Nuggets had all 3 out. Minny has KAT out. Nuggets recorded the L.
Well then, surely that means that the Celtics are headed for the play-in. I actually had fooled myself into thinking they were good. Their record must’ve done it to me.
3 starters sat out . Jokic included . Not the same .
Hmm…
Jokic 1546 min
Murray 1464 min
Gordon 1419 min
Domas 1724 min
HB. 1697 min
Fox 1584 min
Huerter 1497 min
Murray 1476 min
Maybe our announcers talking about the players being tired isn’t as outlandish as we think!
Every blue moon when TD has a good game I read those slightly over the top comments about how good he is and whom he should supplant in the rotation. Truth is, he is very inconsistent, which seems true for most of our bench.
Truth.
This team is dramatically better this year because they finally have a starting lineup that consists of legitimate NBA talent. The bench is better this year but definitely not good. Still need legitimate NBA talent on the bench.
Yes. Sane can be said for Heurter. I wish he was a better defender to make up for off nights.
Needs to be traded. Maybe for Matisse or with others for Mason.
Fox and Sabonis are equally important to this team. Either one of them out, we suck.
Keegan…your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to rendezvous with Charity Stripe to shoot The Ball. Should you fail, The Coach will disavow any knowledge of your starter minutes on this squad. Good luck Keegan (smoke, sizzle)…
His shots all looked flat on Sunday, but that’s an easy adjustment if someone points it out.
That someone will not be me, I inadvertently called him Kris.
I friggin swear I read on this site over-and-over that a 29-23 team should AUTOMATICALLY beat a team lower than them in the standing and I wonder if they just started following professional sports two days ago.
This is a site with people who have been following the Kings for a decade or longer.
“professional”
Touché
No one said “automatically” but i’d expect them to not lose by 30 to said team on a SEGABABA while missing 3 starters.
The new curse is playing teams that are on the SEGABAGA.
Expectations do be but a bitch.
No matter how many times we say it, still a bitch.
These huge blowouts happen once in awhile, even for good teams, and the Kings are more like a pretty good team thus far. Still a lot of games left and we saw how fast the Pels slid from 2nd to 10th seed recently. Just praying Fox and Domas stay healthy so we can stay in top 6.
If team goes 12-18 in final 30 games it will end up with a record of 41-41 which zero people predicted or expected . Now the same people would say it’s a disaster . I would not since this team is just starting to be built . Always hoping for more but hope is not reality . 30 to go and a fun ride ahead .
Back to back, too bad
No Fox, no hunt, no drive, blunt
Trade deadline looming
Haiku Road Trip Summary. Nice!
Celtics lost to the Magic multiple times this year just FYI
That’s why they make them wear green.
The issue is that this game is indicative of a larger problem. Starting with that Thunder game on Jan 20th, the Kings have begun showing some cracks in their armor. They let OKC work them over for the first half and had to battle it out to notch a 5pt home win against a non-playoff caliber team. Since that game they’ve gone 3-5 with some losses in the form of getting run at home by Philly without their stars, a drubbing at home from the Raptors, floundering against an inferior team like the Pacers, and flat-out not showing up to a game against the Pelicans who were on their 3rd in 4 nights and missing three of their starters.
What makes matters worse is that they’ve also begun slipping on offense, which is ok if they had some form of defensive play. However, the defense has looked just as bad as it has at any point this season.
So yeah, last night’s game was terrible to watch and in a vacuum could be one of those “it happens to everyone” games. Unfortunately, it’s really just part of a larger trend that’s been happening for over two weeks now. A trend that could very well see them at the 11th spot by the break, if it keeps up. That’s alarming, considering we have no idea how long Fox’s personal issues are going to keep him from the team. I’m just crossing my fingers this roster gets some much needed help added to it by the trade deadline.
Well said.
All true, but it can be a trend, or just a short slump of this team limping into the AS break.
Time will tell.
I hope the Fox family is all right and they just want a bit of rest and privacy.
Over 100 comments in and no one has posted this yet? Come on people, do better!
Didn’t get a chance to watch this one. Feel like kings hucking up 3 pters is a great thing until they stop falling and we don’t take time off the clock giving quick possession back and allowing others to take advantage of our defense to go on runs.
need to lean on interior play of Barnes more and continue to ride sabonis until fox is back.
mis the glory kings good ball movement and quality shots all over the court not just threes but I guess the NBA is a 3pt. Contest now smh. I miss fox when is paternity leave over (hope baby is healthy!)
Badge Legend