Welcome to SEGABABA night for the Beam Team. Mark Jones noted early in the first quarter that the Kings arrived to their team hotel in Brooklyn around 3:15 AM, hours after beating the Bulls in Chicago on Wednesday night, and hours before tipoff vs. the Nets on Thursday night. These new-look Nets are playing some pretty good basketball, too.
Brooklyn entered the arena tonight with a 5-2 record over their last 7 games, and they're in the middle of a tight Eastern Conference play-in race. The Nets have a lot to play for, at home, with the Kings running on tired legs. Another good test for the 2nd best team in the Western Conference. Let's talk about it.
Domantas Sabonis got off to a dominating start vs. Nic Claxton and Nets frontcourt. I like Claxton a lot, but Sabonis had a real strength advantage here all night. More on that later.
Outside of Sabonis' strong play, though, the Kings' offense was uncharacteristically sluggish out of the gate, leading to an uneventful 24-24 score after the first quarter.
The biggest moment in the first quarter was an unfortunate one for the Kings. Kevin Huerter injured his right leg on a cut to the basket, and was quickly ruled out for the rest of the game.
Kevin Huerter is being checked out in the locker room after appearing to injure his lower leg on this play pic.twitter.com/y6uGoSo3D5
— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) March 16, 2023
Adrian Wojnarowski got the scoop shortly after, reporting that early indications are Huerter injured his right hamstring, and he'll undergo an MRI on Friday. Fox40's Sean Cunningham followed up with a report stating a mild hamstring strain is the early diagnoses, but there is optimism and relief that the injury wasn't worse. Stay tuned.
Sacramento's lethargic offense woke up with an incredible run to end the first half. The game was tied at 41 with 3:36 remaining in the 2nd quarter before the Kings ran up a 13-0 run to give them a 54-41 halftime lead. What felt like a meh start for this squad turned into a strong lead for the Kings in a matter of minutes. That's what having the best offense in the NBA can do for you.
The 2nd half featured the Nets doing their best to carve into Sacramento's 13-point lead to varying degrees of success. The Nets got close on several occasions only for the Kings to steal momentum back. I've got to give props to Kessler Edwards here. He hit two big threes in the 3rd quarter against his former team when the Kings really needed to add some separation.
Edwards' strong play didn't stop there. The Nets continued to chip away at the Kings lead deep into the 4th quarter with Sacramento looking like they were finally running out of gas.
Mike Brown rewarded Kessler's strong play in the 3rd quarter with crunch time minutes over Keegan Murray, and it really paid off. With 3 minutes left and the Kings up 5, Edwards made an excellent pass to Malik Monk in the corner for three, and that was probably the biggest bucket of the night. Monk's shot gave the Kings enough separation with the clock on their side, and the Nets ran out of time to put together a real comeback.
Kings win 101-96.
Sacramento got some solid contributions from their role players tonight, but this was the Domantas Sabonis show. Domas finished with 24 points, 21 rebounds, 4 blocks, and 5 assists on 8-14 shooting from the field. The Nets, like many other teams before them, had no answer for his size, strength, and skill.
The Kings improved to a Western-Conference-best 10-2 since the All-Star break. Unreal. Light The Beam.
Next up: Kings vs. Wizards in Washington, D.C. on Saturday night.
It’s been 42×2 years!
But now…
I mean, is there a better way to say it than that?
…MURRAY!
It’s been (half of) 84 wins…
We Kings fans don’t need instant gratification. We like patience so we can truly savor the moment.
Now go out and win the whole darn thing already, FFS.
FOR FOX’s SAKE?
Fresno’s
So, this hits different for me. I became a Sacramento Kings fan BECAUSE of Walt Williams.
I grew up in Baltimore, Bullets moved to DC, it was all about the Terps at that point. Walt Williams saved Maryland in the post Len Bias era. When The Wizard got drafted to Sacramento, I became the biggest Kings fan. To see this post from Kosta signifying the first winning season in forever, it just makes an amazing season even more special for me.
I love this team, I love this post-website-that-shan’t-be-named-website community that has risen from the ashes, I love it all.
From a diehard fan since 1992, I just feel grateful for this season & this team. It’s been a long, long road. I hope everyone is enjoying it as much as I am.
A true die hard – you stuck around through the good and the bad, including the the 16-year malaise!
Love it. Thanks for sharing this!
I hope lots of older Kings players can be celebrated. Lots of bad seasons and rough times, but now everything is fun and happy. What better time to celebrate our history?
I lived in Little Italy from 1992-1994. I loved living in Baltimore, it was much safer than where I grew up.
Walt freaking Williams
Holy carp! A winning record!
I effing love this team! Mike Brown for President!!
With the Bucks loss tonight to the Pacers (<3 Hali), they are now 9-3 since the All-Star Break.
With the Kings’ win tonight, they now have THE BEST RECORD POST ASB AT 10-2. WE ARE THE BEST TEAM POST ASB. TAKE THAT FOR DATA.
I posted that I thought they would 16-9 after the break…on pace to beat that mark.
I thought they would go 16-9, too. When Kenny Caraway asked what he thought the Kings record would be on Twitter, I told him I predicted 16-9 initially but after the Phx W I upped that to 18-9. I stand by that, actually. I think the Kings finish at 50 or so wins and the 2nd seed. Its an unusual year record wise with so much parity and injuries and that allows for a lower than we’re accustomed to record for a 2 seed.
You can’t just add two more games for the Kings to win.
Clearly, you are a cap prodigy, but game schedules are your blind spot.
You’re right. I should have predicted 51 wins as the franchise has never done that. Clearly I was being shortsighted. Thank you, yet again, for showing me the error of my ways Sims.
he is counting pre-season or a special post season bonus
Yet my guess is that Brown’s message to the team continues to be…
We still have so much dancing to accomplish. Where’s the dance thread?
No Sleep Till Dance Thread
Come on, BEAMIE BOYS
Guaranteed winning season!
Guaranteed winning home record!
Guaranteed winning road record!
The fact that these guys came in on a second night of a back to back on the road (the broadcast said they got into Brooklyn at 3:30 in the morning) and played so well is beyond impressive. I fully expected them to be tired and that we might lose the game, but they proved me wrong!
Yeah, but
Yeah, box score suggests he hurtered us tonight.
Hopefully this doesn’t hamstring our chances in the playoffs
(ducks, runs for life, gets a Face-off surgery, changes legal name)
All good as long as your credit card number doesn’t change.
I thought for a moment you wrote
“…doesn’t charge”
No, that would be really bad.
Oh dang, I should have read the review first. Didn’t realize he got injured. Thank goodness early indications suggest it’s minor.
Oh yeah–my gif was supposed to be like I fainted because of Kevin’s injury.
Are you trying to tell us that all this time you’re really Catherine O’Hara? Next up you’re going to inform us your doggie photos are really fake.
To which I’d have to boo you on that one….FWIW.
Well, Teri Hatcher isn’t wrong in that regard.
Not anymore they aren’t. You seen her lately?
I will never see Teri Hatcher as she is…..I will always see her as she was. In fact……I thought the woman sitting on the Verizon signs in all those ads WAS Teri Hatcher.
Ugly win, but a win. Take em anyway they can get em right now. Light that beam!!!
A +0.500 record both on the road and overall!
They are also 6-0 on the road and 3-2 at home in this stretch. This team just doesn’t make sense. They win games on tough SEGABABAs on the road at a rest disadvantage (@Toronto 12/14, @LA Clippers 2/24, @Brooklyn 3/16). I’ve watched alot of Kings basketball and games where the Kings looked like they were running in mud. Like the 01-02 team. (That was a brutal 6 team in 8 day trip, to be fair, that went from Seattle to Sac to Minneapolis, East Rutherford NJ, Boston and Washington DC. The Kings complained, rightfully so I’m sure, that they should never do those type of road trips ever again. I can’t remember another one like that, ever, either. ) This group just keeps chugging along, though. I don’t get this team, and what’s more I don’t want to. It’s just too much fun being mystified.
Light. The. Fucking. Beam.
I feel you Pook!
Please don’t touch me. My nipples are very sensitive.
That doesn’t align with our prior agreement. I call BS!
And there we go……I just threw up in my mouth a little
4-2. Forgot about the W against Portland to open the post ASB festivities. 😂😂😂😂
One word…Sabonis. He is a beast, and a borderline great basketball player. He is deserving of MVP considerations. He is the primary reason for this teams success.
I. CANNOT. BELIEVE. THIS. IS. REAL.
But it is. I was ready for what easily could have been a schedule loss. Guess what? NOPE.
This team is 100% legit and I’m overwhelmed with emotion to be here with our guys. Holy shit, people. These Kings are making history… and they have me truly believing that something special is coming. Damn. What a delicious time to be a fan of your Sacramento Kings. Right?!
LIGHT THE BEAM
All this winning is changing the way I look at everything. I might be revealing a lifelong issue but right now the way I look at reality has changed. It is very cool…….but also a little weird.
Wow… just wow.
Hey, that’s my line!!!
But yeah, wow.
That’s Jason Thompson’s line.
Cold world…
I’ve been a Kings fan for 25 years in a small country, and have never met another Kings fan. What they’ve achieved this season I never would have believed could come together so quickly.
The goodness of the front office, coaches and players is truly uplifting.
This is really good! You have many virtual fellow Kings fans here.
I may have asked before (and forgotten) but which small country are you from?
New Zealand. It’s good! But there’s nobody here. Just a bunch of cattle.
Oh dangit, you literally posted this as I was claiming you were from the Netherlands.
A bunch of cattle means lots of cow bells. You fit right in!
Are you Pro-Delly? Or Anti-Delly?
Maybe I’ll put you down for Anti-Delly, eh? Eh?
I’m guessing the Netherlands!
Stay off my turf!
You about to find a BUNCH.
Back to back road games….back to back wins. I still have a hard time processing how well this team has played all year. But I’ll take it.
OT: 35 extra minutes to grab a Beam Team jersey! Ends at 9pm PDT!
I bought my son one. Looking forward to seeing him wear it with pride! Go Kings!!!
shouldn’t your head be buried in work as it’s your busy season… of course all the cash crops in Humboldt probably make your job a little crazier…. Now that Kings are relevant you will have to take more breaks to watch the kings vs working 24/7 from February-May!
Well if he’s as food as a CPA as I think he might be then for sure….without a doubt……he’s figured out a way to deduct his son’s LTB jersey as a business expense.
I bought one!
I know I’m going to look ridiculous. But at least I’ll be on the cool side of history.
I beamed.
And then my wife wanted to beam too. We will sort out who will wear 5 and who will wear 10 on game days I guess.
Starting to get used to it! #LightTheBeam
Kings have better winning percentage on the road than at home. I said coming out of the ASB that I was hoping for a 14-11 finish. Now that would be a disappointment. 8-5 to finish with 50 wins is very much in reach. But just win the next one first.
Heck, I was hoping for at least a .500 or slightly better record post ASB, given how tough the schedule was. They are blowing WAY past even my most optimistic views.
That’s the beam team way.
(if someone could add the purple besm there…)
The heart is mightier than the thumb.
The way he’s playing, I hope he doesn’t take it off until we win the NBA title. Like Monk with the band-aid.
Agreed.
the dude has been cheesy hot!
Lithuanian Lasagna should be on the menu at G1C during the playoffs.
And Red Velvet cupcakes.
Monkfish Po’Boys!
Buffet Trey?
Yeah, how about we give him a fresh wrap each game?!
I want to give this team two thumbs-up but remembered thumbs mean nothing to them
Quoting HB after the game.
“I think being here for over four years now, and seeing the bottom — the very bottom — and to see the frustration of fans and the people in the organization, I think it’s nice to be on the other side it… a lot of people, they don’t get a chance to stay in an organization long enough to see the good times and the bad, they just see the bad side. So I consider myself fortunate to be able to be part of this moment.”
And there goes my tears as I’ve read that. Man I love HB, I love this team!
Proud to say that in a nation full of bandwagon L*kers and Warriors fans, we exist! #LightTheBeam
I wish Barnes and his family would move in next-door to me.
No idea why he’d want to slum it, but I’ll keep wishing.
Yeah he’s the definition of “class act”.
With Barnes, it’s not an act.
With all of you on that. I’ve said it hear and other sites as well but to repeat myself……I would not be surprised at all to see HB as a US Senator or in a position of equal importance and responsibility. He is an extremely bright man….a thinker…an excellent communicator and with a high level of EQ.
Not to mention IQ…which means he’s well balanced (EQ) and smart (IQ).