I still have goosebumps from De'Aaron’s dunk on Monday night that put a very loud exclamation point on the Kings' victory over the Pacers. Whenever I do anything remotely successful, like getting to work on time, finishing a run, or making a paper toss into the trash can, I want his post-dunk yell to play in the background.
That dunk was so powerful that it not only sealed the W for Monday night's game, but basically overshadowed all the bad things the Kings have made us feel over the course of their last few games. It unified bickering Kings fans who spent the past week trying to pinpoint exactly what is wrong with this team and gave us all something to collectively cheer about. But now that it's been two days since the slam that shook Sacramento, the score is set back to 0-0 and the Kings have to reproduce another winning performance against a familiar and formidable opponent.
The Backdrop
The Sacramento Kings entered this game 5-6 and seeded at the 10th spot in the Western Conference.
The Portland Trail Blazers entered this game 6-4 and seeded at the 5th spot in the Western Conference.
After back-to-back losses to the Raptors and Blazers, both of which were heavy on the highlights of the very worst parts of Kings basketball, it seemed as though the Kings were resorting back to the old mindset of just being complacent with being awful. Luckily, something finally clicked on Monday and the Kings responded to this two-game disaster with some real fight in them. Harrison Barnes and De'Aaron Fox led by example, both showing determination and an unwillingness to lose a third game in a row. And that's precisely where it needs to start - from our veteran leader and our best player. Their full and genuine effort, night after night, is necessary to get this young team committed to consistently showing up for each other. As much as we may want to neatly place all of the blame on Luke Walton, it simply isn't his job or responsibility to get his players to try hard. And as Kings fans, we've been so traumatized and beat down that effort is truly the only expectation we have.
After both having easy nights in the Golden 1 Center, the Raptors and Trail Blazers took a quick trip up to Portland to play some real basketball against each other. The Blazers ended up winning thanks to another murderous performance by CJ McCollum who had 30 points and a game-winning pull-up dagger to end the game 112-111. This man is not messin' around. CJ is now averaging 28.1 points per game and shooting 44.5% from the 3-point line WHILE averaging 11 3-point looks per game. I mean, it doesn't get much scarier than that - the dude has a full arsenal in his bag. He will kill you on the drive, in the mid-range, and now behind the arc. I'm convinced the "J" in CJ stands for John Wick.
The Blazers currently deserve all the fear and respect, and the Kings have to earn theirs back. Tonight is another great opportunity for the Kings to do so and prove that they aren't the same team from their last dance with the Blazers.
Quick Stats
Because numbers make things make sense.
Outcome: Kings lose, 126-132
Sacramento Kings: 126 PTS, 52.4% FG, 50.0% 3 PT, 35 AST, 14 TO
Portland Trail Blazers: 132 PTS, 48.9% FG, 47.9% 3 PT, 28 AST, 9 TO
De'Aaron Fox (SAC): 29 PTS, 5-8 3 PT, 6 AST
Buddy Hield (SAC): 26 PTS, 8-18 3 PT
Damian Lillard (POR): 40 PTS, 13 AST
CJ McCollum (POR): 28 PTS, 10 AST
You know what they say - if it's not one assassin, it's two of them. The Kings did a good job of slowing CJ down early, but Dame came ready to kill and CJ eventually found his stride. Looking at the Kings' stat line above, shooting over 50% from the field AND from the 3-point line, along with 35 assists, it's hard to imagine how they lose this game. In the battle of the backcourts, Lillard & McCollum (68 points) just outscored Fox & Hield (55 points), though not for lack of effort. A loss is a loss, and it always stings, but the Kings did meet our expectations tonight. The effort was there and the production was plenty, but in the end, Portland was just better.
The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly
Because all three are consistent parts of Kings basketball.
The Good:
D3'Aaron: Fox had his best long-range shooting night so far this season shooting 62.5% (5-8) from the 3-point line. This is a welcome sight as it's one of the few things he's struggled with offensively, averaging just 28.9% this season prior to tonight. Seeing these shots fall not only gives De'Aaron more confidence, but will also force defenses to guard him closer on the perimeter. This will open up the court for him and further his ability to cut up the defense and create more looks for his teammates.
Early Pace: De'Aaron set and maintained the pace for the first quarter and all of the Kings reaped the benefits. As a team, the Kings put up 43 points in the first 12 minutes and our pacemaker contributed 15 of those on 5-7 from the field. The Kings' quick scoring put Portland on their heels and forced them into tough shots. In response to Kings runs, we saw Dame take deep 3-point looks just seconds into Portland's shot clock. While Dame is dangerous from nearly anywhere after crossing the half court line, he only made one of these quick pull ups in the first quarter, further dampening Portland's momentum and giving the Kings the edge they needed to close out their best quarter of the night.
The Bad:
Defensive Boards: The Kings allow an average of 8.6 offensive rebounds per game, the 3rd best in the league, hugely in part to Richaun Holmes' activity on defense and ability to secure defensive boards. Tonight, however, Portland was able to secure 13 offensive rebounds and capitalize on second chances. These were especially painful in the 4th quarter when the Kings needed all the possessions they could get.
The Ugly:
Defending the 3: The Kings are currently ranked 25th in the league for opponent 3-point attempts, averaging an allowance of 37.7 looks per game. As bad as this is, the Kings managed to outdo themselves tonight and allowed Portland to reach 39 3-point attempts by the 3rd quarter and 48 attempts for the night. The Kings enjoyed short-lived leads throughout the game, including a 20-point lead in the 2nd quarter and a 19-point lead in the 3rd quarter. 20-point leads sound comforting, but ultimately don't mean much in this league anymore - the game is too fast and scoring is too prolific. But in both of these instances tonight, the Kings allowed the Blazers to fight their way back with the same strategy: give the ball to Dame or CJ, set an on-ball screen if needed, and let them shoot from wherever they are on the floor. Gary Trent Jr. and Robert Covington also contributed in the 3-point barrage that ultimately brought the Blazers back for the win. The Kings needed to run them off the line, thwart the momentum, and force a new strategy from Portland.
Royal Court Jester
Because someone is always actin' a fool.
I almost didn't want to include this here, as I feared it might chip away at the remaining glow of his dunk from Monday. BUT we're all about accountability here in 2021, y'all. So tonight's Royal Court Jester goes to De'Aaron Fox for getting beat in transition and giving Derrick Jones Jr. a clear flight ramp for a jam.
I think DJJ got up high enough to break the gravity barrier and froze in the air for a second before throwing it down to cut the lead to 4. This happened during the first major Portland comeback, so the punch felt especially gutting. I don't think this takes away from De'Aaron’s poster from Monday, but he still has to wear the cap tonight for falling asleep in transition.
The King of Kings
Because at least one person does at least one good thing, usually.
I really wish tonight could have ended with a W because I think it would have highlighted this dude's contributions a lot more. Tonight's King of Kings goes to Buddy Hield, not just for his notable 3-point shooting, but also for his playmaking and defensive coverage early on. He hit a season high of 8 3-pointers, doing so by moving off the ball and coming off of flare and high screens. Buddy also helped his teammates score with his 6 assists. And my favorite part of his performance was watching him work his ass off on defense in covering CJ McCollum early in the game. CJ had a slow start, going 1-4 from the field in the 1st quarter, and that was because of Buddy's relentless face-guarding and hustle.
Up Next
Friday, January 15th vs. Los Angeles Clippers @ 7:00 P.M. (PT)
Comments