Kings vs. Cavaliers Preview & Predictions: End of the Road

I hope all of you are doing ok after the crazy winds we got this weekend.  The Kings are back in action tonight for the final leg of their season-long seven game road trip with the chance to go 6-1 on the line.  The Kings have already made this the most successful seven game road trip in Sacramento-era history with five wins, and the last time they won six games in one trip was a perfect 6-0 trip back in 2002.  This is also a chance for the Kings to get their 30th win before their 20th loss, something that hasn’t happened since the 2004-05 season and has only happened six times in the Sacramento-era, all under Rick Adelman.

Let’s talk Kings basketball!

When: Monday, February 5th, 4:00 PM PT
Where: Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse, Cleveland, OH
TV: NBC Sports California
Radio: Sactown Sports 1140

Last Time

Cleveland was the first Eastern Conference opponent the Kings faced this season back in early November, with the Kings taking care of business on the home floor 132 to 120.  Four Kings starters finished with 20 or more points, led by De’Aaron Fox’s 28 points.  Donovan Mitchell led the way for Cleveland with 22 but was held to just 7-21 from the field thanks to some stout defense from Keegan Murray.

Three in the Key

Streaking Cavs

There might not be a team in the league hotter than the Cavaliers right now, as they’ve won 14 of their last 15 games, despite missing starters Darius Garland and Evan Mobley for much of that streak.  Both those guys are back now though and the Cavaliers have kept on rolling.  Now, the Cavaliers have definitely benefited from a relatively weak schedule during this stretch; Eight of those games came against teams in the bottom six in the league, and only five came against teams over .500.  Still, they’ve featured good wins over teams like the Magic, Bucks and Clippers during this stretch and shouldn’t be taken lightly.  This is a top tier defense (currently ranked 2nd in the league) and they’re now 3rd in the East at 31-16, a record more commensurate with their projections coming into this season.

Don’t be afraid of the Paint

The Cavaliers are on paper a team that should give the Kings trouble; They have length and size at most positions, especially in the middle where they have the twin towers of Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen.  They are one of the best teams in the league at keeping teams out of the paint.  But in Sacramento’s win against Cleveland this season, it was the Kings who won the battle in the paint, 52 to 50, and they did so very efficiently, making 26 of 34 (76.4%) of their paint shots compared to 25 of 48 (52.1%) for the Cavs.  Outside shooting definitely helps open things up (the Kings were 20-42 from three in that game as well), but I’d like to see the Kings attack inside early and often.

End with a Bang

As I mentioned at the very top, this has been one of the most successful road trips in Sacramento history.  Before the trip, I would have been fine with a 4-3 record and ecstatic about a 5-2 trip.  Now the Kings have a chance to go 6-1 but will have to beat their toughest opponent of the trip to do so.  It’s not going to be an easy task but I’d love to see the Kings come out swinging and end this road trip with another win, our 30th of the season.

Prediction

The Kings finish off their longest road trip of the season in exciting fashion as a close game turns into a nailbiter in the final few minutes before De’Aaron Fox does what he does and hits a clutch midrange jumper to win the game for the Kings at the buzzer.

Kings 120, Cavaliers 119

Fan Predictions