I hope you all enjoyed your break from Kings basketball and your blood pressure is all normalized because we’re now entering the stretch run of a tight playoff race and you just know there’s going to be some Kardiac Kangz moments these next couple months. It all starts tonight as the Kings take on the San Antonio Spurs at home, but they might have to do it without Domantas Sabonis who could miss his first game of the season.
Let’s talk Kings basketball!
When: Thursday, February 22nd, 7:00 PM PT
Where: Golden 1 Center, Sacramento, CA
TV: NBC Sports California
Radio: Sactown Sports 1140
Last Time
The Kings have played the Spurs once this season as part of the In-Season Tournament, beating the Spurs 129-120 in San Antonio. The Spurs got out to an early 23-7 lead but the Kings stormed back to make it a two-point game by the end of the first quarter. It was a close game most of the rest of the way but the Kings were able to pull away with the victory in the 4th quarter thanks to some classic De’Aaron Fox clutch moments. Fox scored a game and season-high 43 points to go with 8 rebounds and 7 assists. Zach Collins led the way for the Spurs with 28 points and Victor Wembanyama scored 27 himself.
Three in the Key
Nomantas Sabonis
The news broke yesterday that Domantas Sabonis would be listed as doubtful for tonight’s game because of an illness. If he doesn’t play, it would be the first game this season that Sabonis has missed. Obviously this is not ideal; Sabonis is an integral part of Sacramento’s gameplan on both ends of the floor. On defense, he’s the leading rebounder in the NBA and the reason the Kings have the best defensive rebounding rate in the league and allow the least second chance points. On offense, he’s both the primary initiator and the team’s second leading scorer. Without him, the Kings will likely have to play a completely different style of basketball. Neither JaVale McGee or Alex Len will be able to provide similar styles of play so it will be interesting to see how the Kings adjust and who Coach Brown will go to as the main replacement. In my opinion, I’d go with Alex Len, who is less erratic than McGee.
Ball Movement
The Spurs may have one of the worst records in the league but there are characteristics that all of Gregg Popovich’s teams have: They like to share the ball. The Spurs rank 2nd in the league in assists per game and have six players averaging three or more assists a game. The Kings have definitely seemed to struggle more against teams that share the ball a lot and don’t necessarily have a featured offensive player to focus on, so hopefully they can come out of the break a bit more focused on defense and play on a string to deal with the Spurs passing attack.
Just beat a bad team at home already
The Kings have one of the toughest remaining schedules in the league going forward which isn’t great news for the playoff race. On paper, the Spurs are the easiest team they’ll face for the remainder of the season. The Kings have already lost to the Hornets and Pistons at home, and barely beat the Trail Blazers here. There’s something about bad opponents that brings the worst out of the Kings. This is not a game the Kings can just take for granted (in fact there are no games the Kings can take for granted). With Sabonis or not, this Kings team is better than the Spurs and they need to show it and start this post-break stretch on a good note.
Prediction
De’Aaron Fox comes out rejuvenated after a nice break and ends up breaking the franchise record for points in game by dropping the first 60 bomb in Kings history and announce to the rest of the league that the reigning Clutch Player of the Year is more than ready for the final part of the season.
Kings 134, Spurs 119
Fan Predictions
As promised, the leaderboard has been updated and wouldn’t you know it, three former champions are all in the top three. I guess they’re former champs for a reason.
Live feed from G1C Medical Center
Swipa will be cooking tonight
It’s about time. 3 weeks too late, but better than never.
Don’t have a repeat of what happened against Detroit at home, please. Take care of business on a game you should win and let’s start the post All-Star stretch with a win.
Before breaking we had a great win;
Now we’re back with the Spurs coming in.
We may not have Ox;
Still need a prime Fox
To keep Wemby’s head in a spin!
+1 If Domas is out, everyone else must hold down the fort!
I’m expecting the usual well rested Harrison Barnes explosion tonight followed by a week of wondering why he can’t score 40 every night.
this would be a great time for that.
Domas is likely out with a non-Covid illness. Hope he gets well soon.
As for tonight though….uh oh. Gonna need Star Fox to show up or this could be the start of the road to the play-in.
Is the league still requiring covid and non-covid illnesses on the injury report?
That didn’t come up in your meeting with the NBA medical team discussing your masterful medical skills developed while having a swollen impetusienceous gland in the fourth grade?
nah
Wonder why they don’t consult with you daily?
Maybe he might play after all.
this man cannot be stopped
UpgradedToQuestonable!
Domantas Cyborgus.
I am ready to watch some hoops! A week off in the middle of the season seemed longer than usual this time. Coach Brown had some interesting acknowledgements these last two days (need better 3FG defense and defending home court for instance) and the word from De’Aaron that he admits to being banged up. Enough talk, let’s see some action!
There’s some discussion in the threads of how the older teams are in surprisingly decent health: Lebron and AD’s LAL, Kawhi, PG and Harden’s LAC, and PHX’s Durant and Booker (Beal is another story), but not much of how Sac has benefited from a second consecutive season of very good (but not great) health (I know, I shouldn’t even type it here – jinx!). Here we are and the Double Double Machine, Triple Double League Leader, Iron Ox (what happened to last season’s Lithuanian Lasagna?) is out (which means If I had whatever it is that ails him, I’d probably be hospitalized because that dude has been superhuman). For these Kings to get another 16-20 wins these last 28 games and securing a 6 or better seed, staving off the injury bug is paramount.
for tonight: Zach Collins was tough last go round with Pop & Co. Maybe it was a Zag v. Zag thing and with Domas out, perhaps Lyles, Len and McGee will fare better. I am also looking forward to just how increasingly phenomenal Wemby has been thus far and will be (but not tonight). As a fan, having Wembanyama on the Spurs with Coach Popovich seems like the best match it could be.
Yay, basketball is back!
Go Kings…!!!
Soft!
Slightly Less Soft!
Let’s start our 28-0 + 16-0 record Final Run !!!!!!!!!!!!!
Fuck yeah!
Alright! Let’s get this W tonight!
Badge Legend