Sacramento’s road trip comes to an end tonight as they head back west and face a Pacific Division rival in the Phoenix Suns. This will be the third time the Kings have faced the Suns this season, but the first time that all three of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal are available.
Let’s talk Kings basketball!
When: Tuesday, January 16th, 6:00 PM PT
Where: Footprint Center, Phoenix, AZ
TV: NBC Sports California
Radio: Sactown Sports 1140
Last Time
The Kings have beaten the Suns in both matchups so far this season with the last matchup resulting in a 120-105 Kings home victory. Domantas Sabonis led the way with a 28 point, 12 assist and 11 rebound triple-double.
Three in the Key
Finish Strong
The Kings are currently 2-2 on this road trip, and their last game against Milwaukee might have been the best game they’ve played aside from the final result (make your damn free throws!). They’ll finish the trip tonight with yet another tough matchup as they’ll be going up against the full strength Suns. This is a good opportunity for the Kings to finish the road trip strong and if they can play like they did against Milwaukee consistently, they should win most nights.
Fully Operational Suns
The Suns have finally got the gang all together and it’s been paying dividends. Phoenix has won 7 of 10 and Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal are taking turns lighting it up on a nightly basis. Beal is the only one not scoring at least 20 points a game but he’s still averaging 18.2 on a very efficient 51.2% from the field and 42.4% from three. Sacramento’s strategy in the first two matchups against the Suns has been to get the ball out of Booker and Durant’s hands, but having Beal on the floor just adds another weapon that can punish excessive doubles. The Kings may be forced to play more straight up than normal. Jusuf Nurkic is also back after missing the last matchup against the Kings, and he provides a stalwart counter to Domantas Sabonis. This is going to be a tough matchup and the Kings will have to be on top of their game to come out of Phoenix with a win.
Return of the Red King?
One good thing that came out of Sacramento’s loss to Milwaukee was a hopeful return to form for Kevin Huerter. Huerter scored 26 points, including 6-9 from three and he added a season-high 10 rebounds to boot. This is the version of Kevin Huerter we haven’t seen in a while and one that needs to be around for more than just one game. The Kings don’t need Huerter to be scoring 20+ every night but they do need him to be able to hit his open shots, especially from distance.
Prediction
The Kings own big 3 of Domas/Fox/Murray outduels Phoenix’s Big 3 of Durant/Booker/Beal with both sides totaling over 90 points combined each. And in a thrilling bit of karma after their last loss, it is the Kings and De’Aaron Fox who hit the game winning shot at the buzzer to win the game.
Kings 127, Suns 126
Live By The 3, Die By The 3
Let Threedom ring!
(Sac’s shotmaking, not Suns’ Big)
The Suns big 3: Booker/Durant/Beal
The Clips big 3: Kawhi/PG-13/Harden
Others?
Boston big 3 or Big 4: Tatum/Jaylen/Porzingas/Holiday
Warriors big 3 or 4: Steph/Klay/Dray/Wiggins
Bucks big 3: Giannis/Dame/Middleton
Minny big 3: AntMan/KAT/Gobert
?What say you?
Warriors Big 3: 2025 1st round pick, 2030 1st round pick, 2035 1st round pick
and James Wiseman
Warriors are a Big 2 now — Steph and Dray. And the latter can’t stay on the court.
Bucks big 3 favors Lopez over Middleton, who hasn’t been the same in a few years.
Big 1.5, given’s Green’s lack of offense.
What a brutal 3 game stretch in Philly, Bucks, then the Suns on the road. Kings face the very real chance having just their second 3 game losing streak of the season. I really don’t like the matchups for this one.
Road trip to Arizona?
Not for a million dollars.
Well…let me see the money.
NEVER LEAVE A MAN BEHIND
Wild West shootout no defense. Keegan, Huerter, Monk dropping 3s to win ????
The Suns have their big three in place,
And show signs they are back in the race.
The rankings they’re scaling
But us, they’re still trailing.
A Kings win gives them further to chase!
+1 Phoenix is no longer a Joke(r)!
Kings: ill prepared and no D vs. Philly. Robbed (themselves) of victory in Milwaukee. Makes the Suns game very important for a 3-2 road trip. I guess I could be a duds fan: whine, whine, how could we lose to the Memphis Grizzlies who were missing the entire team?
Perspective: I bemoan the fact that the Kings could not beat Hornets or Philly but the duds have to explain a loss to the Grizz.
While I would like to have Siakem, either giving up Keegan or an unclear signing future makes that trade untenable. duds can have him- trade 6 future picks + two young guys for a 3-month rental and miss the play in.
But didn’t the Kings blowout the Hornets by 25?
Looking forward to see the Kings play this big three. Will be an interesting game for sure.
Would be a good day to start Ellis and Lyles for the defensive boost over Barnes/Huerter. It won’t happen, but it should
If we are Sound Gardening their big 3 we can wash away the rain of the last game and defeat the Black Hole Suns
Superunknown has held up beautifully, if anyone was wondering.
Fine slapped on for Mike Brown.
Ouch. Hopefully he got some clarity from the league about the rules on verticality and why the calls are so inconsistent
If the refs can’t get together on the rules of verticality then the league fined the wrong person.
The NBA doesn’t miss a thing…except for calls during the game, of course. They miss those all the time.
The NBA even sent tape back to MB and I’m sure he thought it was info that was going to help explain what the rules are for verticality (one hand? or two?), but instead it was just video of the press conference highlighting exactly which words he used that earned his fine. Darko said he didn’t get a video so he’s not sure where he went wrong.
He did not criticize the officials. He complimented them. He simply asked for clarity and consistency. He did not criticize them at all.
The $50k seems strong, but there was no way that he was going to avoid a fine of some sort after storming onto the court while the ball was in play, and making contact with an opposing player before lambasting the official on court.
Just another example of the inequality!!! Raptors coach only fined 25k!
That was in Canadian $$$’s
He’s going to officiate a Kings game 7 isn’t he?
Except that Hwang wasn’t the guy that overturned the Lopez/Monk call. That came out of replay HQ.
Oh ok we were out hiking Redwoods Sunday so only watched 4th Q. So replay HQ has the authority over the Zebras? or the zebras can still overturn the overturn? 😀
Milwaukee challenged the call. Now, the call on Fox and the non-call on Payne that Brown discussed were floor calls. Hwang may have called the foul on Fox (not sure), but none of the three made the call on Payne.
And once a coach challenges, it’s in the hands of replay HQ. I’m guessing that HQ can solicit input from the refs, but the call is HQs to make.
Wow ok. I hope there is an AI future where the Coach just clicks a button and the AI review center makes a call instantaneously and play continues. Still need a human ref on the floor for other less important game duties.
Hwang would have been the ref in position to see/call the hook, though.
How come the HQ refs don’t understand the rules?
Better yet, why didn’t the HQ refs check the replay to see the hook?
Blew my mind that they overturned that. I thought the replay showed Monk was fouled twice. A push in the back and then Lopez with the forearm.
Let’s go Cyborg refs! Come to think of it, our commish kinda looks like one.
Silver looks like the evil mastermind from a movie. I really miss David Stern. Silver just doesn’t do it for me.
An Inspector Gadget villain if O ever saw one!
One thing that the NBA has taught me: As a baseball umpire, I know absolutely nothing about refereeing basketball.
Breaking up the fights on the field, eh?
What level of baseball did you ump, out of curiosity
I’ve done a little high school, and I used to do a lot of league and tournament softball. But now I volunteer my time at Rocklin Little League. My son went through there and it’s as close as an ump can get to having home games. It’s my ticket to stay be on the field, and they feed me after the games. As a pastime, it is much more rewarding, less frustrating, and considerably cheaper than golf.
Is the ‘Prediction’ ever not a Kings victory? It kind of makes you take it less seriously if so
Are you new?
Mike Brown knew the fine was coming so he decided to get his money’s worth. I applaud him for the post game explanation, not the outburst on the official.
this is one of the moments you take the bullet for the team, hoping that future game officials call fouls more evenly.
Rockets have shown interest in Barnes. Trying to move Oladipo’ expiring contract.
Give me Eason, Whittmore, and the Oladipo contract for Barnes. (Highly unlikely rockets take that deal)
Why do the Rockets want Barnes? Seems an odd match.
It was in a Marc Stein piece. They want to get Sengun some help…apparently they haven’t seen Barnes play this season
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