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Postgame Quotables: Discussing pace, broken plays, and Haliburton’s final shot

Postgame quotes from Luke Walton, De'Aaron Fox, and Luke Walton.
By | 16 Comments | Nov 8, 2021

Nov 7, 2021; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings guard De'Aaron Fox (5) drives in against the Indiana Pacers during the first quarter at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

The Indiana Pacers defeated the Sacramento Kings Sunday 94-91 in a much different style game than we saw Friday against the Charlotte Hornets.

The Pacers slowed down the game to a snail’s pace and played a tough, defensive-minded style. The Kings spent most the game trying to overcome a slow first quarter and despite that, still had a chance to win in the final moments on a very long three-point attempt by Tyrese Haliburton.

Following the game, Luke Walton spoke about this play, which was intended to be for Harrison Barnes.

“I would take that shot, absolutely. It was not the play all, the play call was Harrison. We knew we were in the bonus. Harrison had done a great job of getting to the line. We have certain plays for certain situations. It was going to be Harrison ISO at the top of the key, and they used their inbound guy to deny that,” Walton said. “Totally fine with me – Richaun [Holmes] popped, threw it back to Tyrese. We’re down two, Tyrese gets an open look from three, he hits big shots. He missed this one tonight. They took away option one, you’ve got to be ready for option 2 and Tyrese got a good look, and it just didn’t go in.”

Walton, Barnes and De’Aaron Fox spoke to the media following the game. The big themes were how the Pacers slowed the game down, the way the Pacers out-rebounded the Kings (54-33), and the slow first quarter.

Pace

Harrison Barnes: “Obviously, they slowed the game down … they were methodical in getting into their sets and we kind of let them get comfortable with that.”

Luke Walton: “It was clear their game plan was to slow it down. They did a good job of trying to keep the pace lower and play a bigger style of basketball. Give them credit, it worked for them tonight. They’re a good team. We had our chances to knock down shots and when you’re playing that type of game it’s much more challenging when you’re trailing and you’re trying to chop away, chop away, it feels like every three point shot is that big, which is why the first quarter really hurt us.”

De’Aaron Fox:  “I just think we didn’t make shots. It was obviously a low-scoring game and it played into their hands. We were able to make them force turnovers, but we just didn’t capitalize on it.”

“[They] just packed in [on defense], but we let them dictate the pace of the game and we played right into their hands, and they ended up winning the game.” “We just have to try to dictate the pace, we just can’t let them do what they want to do.”

Rebounding

Harrison Barnes: “Their bigs were crashing, but their smalls as well. They create a lot of mismatches and rebounding is something we’ve been talking about although we’ve been winning some games we’ve been giving up a lot of offensive rebounds so tonight was one of those games where it came back to bite us.”

Luke Walton: “We had a great rebounding game last game. It’s just now be more consistent. We’ve got to box out, we’ve got to attack the ball off the rim, not wait for it, and when we do that we’re a good rebounding team.”

Slow Start

Harrison Barnes: “We found our compete there in the second half, but at that point we had already let people get into rhythm. At the beginning of a game, I think that’s where you really have to make your mark.” “I don’t think made or missed shots is something we should be focusing on, I think it’s our physicality. The first half we just let them play comfortably. Started making some shots and then as the game went on and they started feeling confident that’s when the rebounding disparity started.”

Luke Walton: “I think if a couple of those shots would have fallen early, I think we would have found our way. You don’t want to rely on those things. … We create our own energy, we don’t need anything else, but no team is there every single night. … We have to look to when we’re able to get stops, get out and run, try to get some easy ones, knock down some threes, continue to play defense when that’s not happening. Unfortunately, tonight that first quarter was kind of a culmination of everything – we couldn’t push it, we couldn’t make open shots, we had some defensive struggles and then the rest of the game we just spent kind of trying to chip away from our first quarter deficit.”

On How To Get Better

Harrison Barnes: “Last game was an anomaly, there’s a reason it was a franchise record for threes, it doesn’t happen too often. So we just have to have the poise and know that we’re not going to come out and shoot 50% from three and drop in 22 threes on a nightly basis. Most nights, more or less, will look more like tonight. So how do we figure out ways to go and get wins? When we get ways to get to the bonus with five, minutes, six minutes, seven minutes in a quarter, those opportunities where we need to start finding contact, we need to start looking at the rim as opposed to shooting jump shots.”

“When we’re playing good teams, especially with shot blocking bigs and just longer wings, we have to get the ball moving side to side. That’s when we’re going to get our best possessions. Yes, we can call play calls and things like that, but against good teams, against playoff teams, you have to move the ball side to side, you have to just play out of random ball movement. It can’t be scripted, and that’s how we get our easy shots. So I think for us, that’s our next progression is when we’re playing these teams like this who if we simply just call our plays and can do a good job of stopping those, what’s the next step?”

A Few Takeaways
  • There was only a limited amount of time on the clock there on that shot with Tyrese Haliburton at the end of the game, but he did release the shot with 5 seconds left on the clock and that is a long shot even for Haliburton. He was open though. You can see how the Pacers did take Barnes out of the play.
  • If the Kings had won this game, it would have been more impressive in my opinion than the win over the Hornets. It would have shown they can win in both styles. That being said, they had a chance to win the game so that is progress.
  • The guards on this team have got to do a better job of rebounding, or at least boxing out. T.J McConnell had 7 rebounds, which was more than any King other than Richaun Holmes. Hield has done a good job this season averaging 5.3 rebounds per game.
  • Barnes’ comment about needing to be able to improvise when the other team is shutting down their play calls was a bit telling. There is still a lot of standing around and isolation with this team when plays break down. Moving the ball side to side is definitely needed.

The Kings are back at it tonight against the Phoenix Suns.

To watch the full media sessions see below.

 

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1951
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November 8, 2021 11:39 am

I am just waiting for the quotes from Kings local media land that tell when when I can start to be concerned about Fox.

sonny
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November 8, 2021 12:03 pm
Reply to  1951

We were already very much concerned about Fox 2 weeks ago!

1951
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November 8, 2021 12:17 pm
Reply to  sonny

Not if you listen to Kings “insiders,” local radio folks, and anyone associated with NBC Sports BA/CA!

No concern is allowed yet! 😉

Last edited 2 years ago by 1951
Kingsguru21
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November 8, 2021 1:41 pm
Reply to  1951

Yeah, no trolling strawman here.

But you do you phony pre shot clock championship banner.

Last edited 2 years ago by Kingsguru21
1951
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November 8, 2021 2:04 pm
Reply to  Kingsguru21

Hey, don’t knock me because I am a free thinker; I only do what Joe Rogan tells me to do!

Kingsguru21
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November 8, 2021 6:20 pm
Reply to  1951

Didn’t realize you were that smart 1951. I stand corrected.

Kosta
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November 8, 2021 12:49 pm
Reply to  sonny

“We had a better Fox two Wheys ago.”
comment image

SexyNapear
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November 8, 2021 11:57 am

“Where’s my cheeseburger?” Fox shouted in the locker room. “I need to add more bulk to start getting more calls.”

Kosta
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November 8, 2021 12:50 pm
Reply to  SexyNapear

comment image

Last edited 2 years ago by Kosta
Kingsguru21
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November 8, 2021 1:40 pm
Reply to  Kosta

Yes, yes I can. RED ROBIN!!!! YUM!!!!!

TerzoM
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November 8, 2021 12:06 pm

We need Turbo-Nos Fox backcomment image

RobHessing
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November 8, 2021 12:09 pm

Kings vs. Indy recap, in handy gif format:comment image

murraytant
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November 8, 2021 1:10 pm

For a team- this team actually- to make the playoffs, the Pacers game is close to a must win. Kings beat two teams- Suns and Blazers who are “better”, lost to Utah twice, lost to duds and Mavs , beat Hornets and NOP. The middle games- duds + Mavs + Pacers– all important to win. and important to beat a few teams who are “better”.

This one was my first real disappointment-

Shooting sucked. Low energy early.
Rebounding ! and second chance rebounds- frustrating.
Hali close to all the way back. Fox -way behind.
Buddy keeping us in games and has the greenest of lights. Looks like Clarkson out there- touch it and it flies. Mitchel starting to dribble too much again but his D is a thing to behold- and saves for some possessions.
Could not stop LaVert- and that pesky TJ. LaVert reminds me of TJ Warren- mid range, good percent and never passes.
Hope to steal one from Suns as make up.

1951
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November 8, 2021 1:11 pm
Reply to  murraytant

lost to duds 

That’s a pinned tweet for the Sacramento Kings’s social media account.

VladeRunner2049
November 8, 2021 2:02 pm
Reply to  murraytant

Yeah Mitchell definitely has a habit of over-dribbling, definitely a hold-over from his college days. When you’re a talented offensive player in college, for multiple years no less, I feel that has an effect on you wanting to dribble a bit too much.

I do believe we can steal one from Phoenix again, which is strange because I would never have said that in previous years. If we lose, it will be even more important to take care of San Antonio afterwards

unfairweather
November 8, 2021 3:35 pm

Worth noting that on the rebounding question Walton addressed in this write-up, the question that was actually posed was if Bagley could help the team with rebounding, and Luke clearly had no intent of touching that with a 10 ft pole.

Last edited 2 years ago by unfairweather

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