Sacramento’s road trip continues tonight in Dallas in a matchup that could be very important for future playoff seeding. Only one game separates the Kings in 5th from the Mavericks in 8th, so a win tonight would be huge. The Mavericks are on the second night of a back to back themselves, so this is a prime opportunity for the Kings to make up some of the ground they lost during their last road trip.
Let’s talk Kings basketball!
When: Saturday, January 27th, 6:00 PM PT
Where: American Airlines Center, Dallas, TX
TV: NBC Sports California
Radio: Sactown Sports 1140
Last Time
The Kings won their sole matchup with Dallas this season, winning 129-113. All five Kings starters scored 12 or more points, led by Domantas Sabonis’ 32 points and De’Aaron Fox’s 30. Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving had 25 and 23 points respectively.
Three in the Key
Luka Magic
Every time I think I’m over the Kings not having drafted Luka, he goes ahead and does something crazy like dropping SEVENTY THREE points in a game on only 33 shots against the Hawks last night. For comparison, Kobe needed 46 shots to get 81. What Luka is doing this season is insane. The man is only 24 years old and averaging 34.6 points, 9.2 assists, 8.6 rebounds a game and 1.4 steals. He’s shooting a career-best 38.1% from three on over 10 attempts a game. Vlade, I still love you, but COME ON. One bit of good news for the Kings is that Luka had to play 45 minutes last night to score that 73 points, and Luka isn’t exactly known for his conditioning. He also has not had much help this season aside from Kyrie Irving, who has been out for the last couple of games and could miss tonight’s game as well with a thumb injury. If the Kings can contain or at least slow down Luka like they did in the first matchup (anything under 30 points is considered containing Luka), they should have a good chance of beating Dallas.
Is the Black Falcon here to stay?
Harrison Barnes has been absolutely ridiculous over the past two games. Barnes has scored more in the last two games (71 points) than he did in the last eight before that (60). There was a noticeable difference in Barnes’ aggression these last two games, looking more like the Harrison we saw last season. His three point shooting has been excellent all year (he’s shooting a career-best 41% from three) but these last two games we’ve seen him get back to posting up and getting to the line, something he hasn’t done much of this year. The Kings are now 10-1 when Barnes shoots at least 10 FGA, which isn’t even a crazy amount of FGA. Nobody is expecting Barnes to be dropping 30 points on a nightly basis, but he also can’t be just disappearing for entire nights like he had been. He’s too good of a scorer for that, and I hope that these last two games have encouraged the Kings to maybe feature him a bit more on the offensive end than they had been.
Dominate the Interior
The Mavericks are not a big team even at full strength, and they’re even smaller than usual right now. Rookie Dereck Lively II and former King Richaun Holmes are their only healthy big men right now, with 57 year old Markieff Morris the only other player over 6’8 on the roster. Lively has been very promising as a rookie, averaging 8.8 points (on 73.5% from the field since they’re all dunks), 7.8 rebounds and 1.4 blocks a game, but Domantas Sabonis had no trouble with him the last time these two teams played. As a result of the lack of big men, the Mavericks are one of the worst rebounding teams in the entire league on both ends of the court. This is a game where the Kings need to dominate inside and hopefully wear the Mavericks out.
Prediction
Harrison Barnes does something that’s even more impressive than Luka Doncic scoring 73 points in a game: scoring 30 points for a third game in a row as the Kings blitz the tired Mavs early and often and maintain a double digit lead throughout the game.
Kings 126, Mavericks 113
Pretty straight forward game plan:
1) Feed Sabonis. No one on this Dallas team can stop him. Triple-double is a lock.
2) Put Keegan on Luka all night to frustrate the hell out of him. Sit back and smile after Luka gets his 2nd tech halfway through the 3rd quarter for being a whiny bitch.
Ha! Luka is already thinking about ducking Keegan.
Kyrie Irving will be upgraded to questionable* because that’s who Kyrie Irving is, even when fully healthy.
*I just wanted a good excuse to write that.
If that injury report holds up, there is absolutely no reason for us to lose.
(Which of course means we probably will lose).
Trap!!!
Seen this movie before
Question for you Adamsite because I really trust your comments. If you had a choice of trading either Huerter or Monk who would it be and why? I have a couple of ideas on both.
Monk. 100%.
He’s an expiring deal who may walk for more money in the offseason. Huerter is locked up on a very fair deal and is more of a two way player.
Okay one more question if I may ask. What about a possible trade for Herb Jones using Monk another player and compensation. I’m not sure which player or how much compensation but Monk is on an expiring contract and the Pels want to get ride of Jones’s contract. You think this might be possible? Thanks for you time.
I don’t believe the rumors that the Pels want to get rid of Jones. I know they want to remain flexible with their cap sheet, but that doesn’t need to happen by this deadline. I see them riding with what they have and see how they do in the playoffs. I feel they’ll make adjustments and decisions in the offseason.
I tend to agree. I also appreciate your time. GO KINGS!!!
Luka 48 but Mavs lose. Make it so #1!
Our potential for winning expands
When embracing defensive demands.
Now facing the Mavs,
Do our best through both halves.
Don’t let Luka go off out of hand!
+1 Black Falcon takes another turn!
funny article yesterday on the Athletic by Doug Haller: “how a suns fan’s Luka Doncic trash talk turned into a viral nba moment.”
Badge Legend