We’re in a bit of a small market renaissance in the NBA lately, and perhaps no two teams exemplify that more than two teams featured tonight in the Sacramento Kings and the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Thunder have the 2nd best record in the West despite also having one of the youngest rosters in the entire league and the Kings are holding steady themselves. Sacramento took the first matchup in the season series even without De’Aaron Fox, but this should still be a nice battle between two fun teams as the Kings kick off a six-game homestand.
Let’s talk Kings basketball!
When: Thursday, December 14th, 7:00 PM PT
Where: Golden 1 Center, Sacramento, CA
TV: NBC Sports California
Radio: Sactown Sports 1140
Three in the Key
Live & Die by the Three
As mentioned above, the Kings won their only other matchup this year against the Thunder despite missing De’Aaron Fox, and a big reason was the three point disparity in the game. The Kings made 13 threes to just 7 for the Thunder, but most of the Thunder’s threes came late in the game. OKC started off 1 for 16 from distance in the 1st half, a big anomaly considering they lead the league in 3P% at 39.1% as a team. They don’t shoot all that many attempts though (20th in the league) so if the Kings can give them trouble on the ones they do shoot, they should be in a good spot. The Kings themselves seem to do far better when their own threes go in; Sacramento is shooting 39.8% from distance in wins but only 30.5% in losses. If the three ball isn’t falling, the Kings should at least try to get something going in the paint where the Thunder don’t have great size.
Fox vs. SGA
De’Aaron Fox and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander might be the two best two-way Point Guards in the entire league at this point and they’ll be facing off for the first time this season after Fox missed their last matchup. Both are averaging right around 30 points, 6 assists and 5 rebounds a game. De’Aaron’s also averaging a very respectable 1.4 steals a game but despite the nickname “Swipa” is getting dwarfed by SGA’s league leading 2.8 steals a game, not to mention a block. Shai has size on De’Aaron at 6’6, but Fox has the speed. This should be a very fun matchup between two of the premier guards in the NBA, both MVPs of their respective teams.
2nd Quarter Woes
As mentioned in my article yesterday, the Kings have been an awful 2nd quarter team this season. It was even their worst quarter in the last matchup against OKC when they scored only 19 points, shooting 0 for 12 from three. For some reason this quarter has been trouble for the team all season in a way that others haven’t, and hopefully tonight can be the start of a turnaround.
Prediction
SGA and Fox both drop 40 but it’s Sacramento’s supporting cast led by Malik Monk that comes out on top in a nailbiter.
Kings 127, Thunder 123
Fan Predictions
Link to Leaderboard (Updated 12/3/23)
Beat them once even with no D Fox.
Doesn’t mean for this game we are locks.
The Thunder’s still rising,
But won’t be surprising
If Keegan dunks over Chet’s blocks!
+1 Thunder gonna crash!
The caption is everything.
What’s the situation with Giddey now? The investigation is still ongoing?
Last I saw is that police were investigating, as was the NBA. Nothing further at this point as far as I can find.
Pretty sure that the age of consent in Oklahoma is eight, so this is all moot.
It supposedly happened in CA and it’s where the girl resides so even if it took place in OK, the only difference would be an additional charge of crossing state lines with a minor with the intent to groom or have relations. Apparently, the parents aren’t cooperating with the police investigation, but they retained Gloria Allred and are likely looking for a huge payout.
The only thing I KNOW is that Josh Giddey is a real piece of shit. There is no shortage of legal-aged NBA groupies.
Alleged piece of shit.
Point of order: The word alleged is only used while a player is in a Kings uniform.
– Buford T. Justice
At least the Clippers can leave the boxing gloves at home tonight!
One of the two NBA media darlings are in town (the other being Hali). Even if we win, the post game chatter will be about the Thunder.
It’s OKC and the Kings.
There isn’t going to be any post-game chatter.
The Thunder have earned 100% of the chatter. They are young, deep, and are playing great basketball. Their red-shirt rookie is giving Wemby a run for his money for ROY, and SGA has been everything that Fox has been, plus lights out at the free throw line. The Thunder may be my favorite non-Kings team right now.
Let’s hope they can stop Shai Gilgeous-Foulhunter tonight.
You know that Fox gets to the line slightly more than SGA, right? Also, jeebus, I wish that Fox shot FTs like SGA.
Yeah Fox gets there more, I just see SGA hunting for fouls like Luka and Harden try to do. Fox gets them more in the flow of his game and not just hunting them.
Clips, Pels, and the like may be bad matchups for the Kings, but tonight the Thunder have the bad matchup.
Sabonis’ beef is too much for Chet, Fox’s speed and Kings’ spacing is too much for OKC’s perimeter. Rested at home, I expect a sound victory.
I tend to agree. Since the Kings already beat OKC, without Fox, and while shooting poorly, they’d have to shit the bed to ruin the matchups. Kings should rule the boards tonight and Sabonis should feast on Chet.
OT
I should add, He basically gives you what you brought in Duarte to do. Also the timing is interesting as tonight, being Dec. 14th, is the day trade restrictions expire to free agents signed this summer. Tomorrow is the unofficial beginning to trade season, so why fill the last roster spot tonight?
Yeah, I don’t see the logic of this signing in isolation. Hopefully there’s a deal percolating with more players going out than coming in.
The F-Seattle matchup!
Go Kings!
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