I'm straight up not having a good time. Right about now is one of the many times in a typical Sacramento Kings season where I reflect on myself and seriously question my sanity and life choices. Why do I do this? Why am I still here? What is this all for? I could stop all this masochistic behavior and discreetly jump in line with all the other bandwagon Warriors fans in California. At least then I would be able to sleep at night without nightmares of Marvin Bagley III missing layups, Cory Joseph dribbling into a 3 on 1 situation, or Luke Walton wearing his mask under his nose. It could all be so simple...
Ah, but, alas, there is that one important thing: I ain't no bitch. Unfortunately, my basic human morals would never allow me to be anything other than a miserable, self-loathing Kings fan. So, here I am, still cursing and hating this life I have no escape from.
The Backdrop
The Sacramento Kings entered this game 3-4 and seeded at the 7th spot in the Western Conference.
The Chicago Bulls entered this game 4-4 and seeded at the 11th spot in the Eastern Conference.
We all know where the Kings are at coming into this game (answer: at the bottom of their self-dug ditch of shame) and, frankly, I'm tired of trying to find new ways to describe just how bad these fools have been at playing the game of basketball. The only good news to report for the Kings is that rookie star Tyrese Haliburton will return to the lineup tonight after missing the past two games.
The Chicago Bulls started this season 0-3, as expected, but have won four of their last five games, only losing to Giannis and the Bucks. Their most recent win was from last night where they closed out a nail biter against Damian Lillard and the Trailblazers with a 111-108 victory on the road. In summation, the Bulls are gaining traction and continue to trek up the mountain as the Kings are tumbling down it, scraping their knees and breaking some teeth.
The Chicago Bulls have been suffering from the same franchise flu as the Kings for the past few years, still trying to re-create the blooming days of Derrick Rose. Led by skilled wing, Zach LaVine, and young point guard, Coby White, the Bulls are trying to find the right recipe to bring headlines back to Chicago. The Bulls are ranked 2nd in the league for pace, something Luke Walton has beaten like a dead horse as a goal for the Kings. Tonight will be a good test to see if the Kings are really committed to the fast-paced identity, or if they will sputter out once again and leave us stranded in the middle of nowhere with no cell service or snacks.
Quick Stats
Because numbers make things make sense.
Outcome: Kings win, 128-124
Sacramento Kings: 128 PTS, 51.6% FG, 37.8% 3 PT, 30 AST, 7 TO
Chicago Bulls: 124 PTS, 52.7% FG, 35.0% 3 PT, 27 AST, 14 TO
Richaun Holmes (SAC): 24 PTS, 8 REB, 10-11 FG
Marvin Bagley (SAC): 21 PTS, 12 REB, 3-5 3 PT
Coby White (CHI): 36 PTS, 7 AST
Zach LaVine (CHI): 32 PTS, 7 REB
Bless up, the Kings kept the motor going and brought us all home safely tonight! Led by a big performance from Richaun, a reassuring one from Bagley, and a life-saving one from Haliburton, the Kings put just enough together to start this seven-game home stand on the right foot.
The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly
Because all three are consistent parts of Kings basketball.
The Good:
#Halilujah: I want that hashtag trademarked, please. The 1st quarter started out pretty bleak with the Kings picking up where they left off from Monday night. The offense was stiff and stagnant, relying on isolations from Harrison Barnes. Halfway through the quarter, De'Aaron Fox exited the game with a pulled hamstring and it looked like it was going to be another long, dark night in Sacramento. But just as I was ready to give up all hope, Tyrese Haliburton entered the game and saved me from a very depressing night of writing. Hali is special - he has that unquantifiable factor that helps teams win. Tonight he managed to bring energy, but stability, and movement, but efficiency. He read the defense like a children's book and made all the right decisions to give the Kings the spark they needed.
Two-Man Playmaking: Richaun Holmes ended the night with 24 points, which can be directly correlated to the Kings' total of 30 assists. Kings' guards all executed good pick and roll offense with Richaun, often resulting in a classic Richaun slam or one of his signature short-range push shots. When the offense becomes four Kings on the perimeter watching the ball, effective two-man basketball is a good way to get things moving again.
The Bad:
Not About that Pace: As 2nd in the league, only behind the Warriors, the Bulls have proven that they're all about that pace (bout that pace, no waiting). And especially without Fox, the Kings showed that they are not. The Bulls would look to run at every opportunity, getting a lot of quick points in the open court. When the Kings tried to counter with the same attack, they came up short, often seeming too gassed to finish any contested looks at the rim.
The Ugly:
Stopping the Duo: The Bulls had a pretty consistent game plan when it came to scoring: give the ball to Zach LaVine or Coby White. The duo combined for 68 points on 47 attempts. The Kings showed little to no recognition or strategy in stopping these two main threats. Instead, they let LaVine and White continue to build momentum and confidence all the way up to the last tick. The Kings needed to get the ball out of their hands and force someone else from the Bulls to prove his worth. This isn't a knock at all to LaVine & White, but the Kings cannot expect to stop more powerful duos in the league (do Kyrie & KD, Lebron & AD, or Kawhi & Paul ring any bells?) if they cannot even recognize when one is killing them.
Royal Court Jester
Because someone is always actin' a fool.
Let's keep it light tonight, cause Lord knows we all need some relief. Tonight's Royal Court Jester goes to Tyrese Haliburton for what could have arguably been the longest butt slide on a basketball court. Shortly after subbing in during the 2nd quarter, Tyrese sprinted on defense for a close out on the wing. His feet apparently moved faster than his body, since he was suddenly on his butt and luging straight towards his coaching staff. With how fast he was going to close out on the wing, it's no surprise how far he traveled. Smiles quickly spread, with Tyrese's being the biggest.
But even when he's making us laugh, he's still making big plays. Immediately after sliding into the Kings bench, he recovered and picked off a tipped pass to lead the break the other way. He managed to make me smile two times in a row, something that I haven't been able to do as of late when watching Kings basketball.
The King of Kings
Because at least one person does at least one good thing, usually.
No, this is actually a Sacramento Kings blog and not a Tyrese Haliburton blog... for now. To pair with his new title for longest butt slide, the rookie is also the first player to be named both the Royal Court Jester and King of Kings in one night. As much as I was at a loss for words to describe the atrocity of Kings basketball without him, I am nearly just as speechless when it comes to trying to describe all that is Tyrese Haliburton. Tonight, he was unexpectedly called upon to fill the very fast shoes of De'Aaron Fox, and he did so without even blinking his rookie eyes about it.
He. Does. It. ALL. Tyrese energized and steadied the offense right off the bat, initiating movement with two-man playmaking. He facilitated the offense throughout the game and started to show more confidence and style with some no-look assists. On multiple occasions, he was found crashing the offensive rim for tips that led to extra possessions. Down the stretch, he showed absolutely zero fear in pulling the trigger and hit two huge 3-point shots to maintain the Kings' lead. And to top it all off, he picked off the inbound pass on the Bulls' last possession to secure the Kings' victory.
Let's all sing it together now... HALILUJAH, HALILUJAH, HALILUJAH, HALILUuUuUuUUJaaaaaH.
Up Next
Friday, January 8th vs. Toronto Raptors @ 7:00 P.M. (PT)
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