There's no doubt that the Hawks are not a good team, but I'll leave that out of the conversation. Instead, let's look at some fundamental rules laid out from our last conversation:
(Stats Corner: Want to Win? Make Shots!)

1. If the Kings shoot above 50% from the floor, they win.
(Tonight, they shot a season-high 57%. They won.)

2. Make more field goals than the other guys.
(Tonight, the Kings sunk 43, to the Hawks' 32.)

3. If they take fewer field goal attempts, but the right ones, they win.
(Tonight, they shot 75 attempts to the Hawks' 77)

4. If you must go to the free-throw line, make a higher percentage than the opponent.
(Tonight, they eked out a 76% to 74% margin)

Just about the only place the "rules" didn't apply tonight was with three-point shooting. While the Kings tend to win with more activity behind the arc, tonight, they were happy with layups and jumpers. Going 2-8 from three-point land, to the Hawks' 5-17, turned out not to be a game changer, as it has in the past.

For those stat-heads, we're trying to keep the season database updated, at a new more permanent URL. (Download Now)