So being happy doesn't work, being cynical doesn't work, and being neutral doesn't work. No matter how I approach this, the Sacramento Kings will find a way to eventually break my heart. I guess I should be used to it by now. The beautiful thing about basketball and this league is that no matter what, even in the midst of a global pandemic, the game will continue and there will be another day for things to go right. Or terribly wrong. Either way, I'll be here, rolling with the repeated punches and waiting for our day in the sun to finally come.
The Backdrop
The Sacramento Kings entered this game 8-11 and seeded at the 12th spot in the Western Conference.
The New Orleans Pelicans entered this game 7-11 and seeded at the 14th spot in the Western Conference.
These two teams last met in Golden 1 Center just two weeks ago. De'Aaron Fox had a career-high night with 43 points and even added 13 assists, we enjoyed a double-double from Marvin Bagley III, and can you remember what happened? That's right. De'Aaron Fox damn near broke his back carrying this team and the Sacramento Kings still lost that game by five points and allowed the Pelicans to score 128 points.
Since then, the Kings have slightly improved on their defense, now only the 29th worst team in the league in opponent points per game, only ahead of the Washington Wizards. The Kings have had three big wins of their last five games, with one of those losses being a one-point heartbreaker to the Miami Heat. The Pelicans have lost four of their last six games, with all of those losses by a margin of 10 points or more. Reason would lead us to hope that the Kings can put together a more collective effort tonight and focus on not letting the Pelicans score 128 points again. It might just be me, but it doesn't seem like a good idea to try to win a basketball game by letting the other team score that much. I predict that if the Kings can hold the Pels to 110 points, they will win this game.
Quick Stats
Because numbers make things make sense.
Outcome: Kings win, 118-109
Sacramento Kings: 118 PTS, 47.7% FG, 32.6% 3 PT, 31 AST, 20 TO
New Orleans Pelicans: 109 PTS, 39.6% FG, 30% 3 PT, 22 AST, 10 TO
De'Aaron Fox (SAC): 38 PTS, 12 AST
Harrison Barnes (SAC): 24 PTS, 8 REB, 5-9 3 PT
Brandon Ingram (NOP): 20 PTS, 7-8 FT, 5 REB
Zion Williamson (NOP): 17 PTS, 8 REB
Holy hell, they did it!!! They baaarely held the Pelicans below 110 points but they did it and they WON! Thanks to another electrifying performance by De'Aaron Fox, the Kings responded to the dominant duo of Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson with a big-time win. Along with De'Aaron's scoring spectacle, Harrison Barnes and Richaun Holmes showed up on the defensive end to hold Ingram & Zion to a combined 37 points. All these pieces fit tonight to get the Kings their 9th win of the season. We are just ONE win away from double digits!
The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly
Because all three are consistent parts of Kings basketball.
The Good:
Bagley Bunnies: Prior to his ejection, Marvin Bagley III was having one of his better games. In his 21 minutes, he scored 10 points on 5-12 from the field. What was most noticeable was his touch - he made the bunnies that we've been used to seeing him miss lately and even dropped in a few of those baseline hooks. Bagley was also active in running the floor and showed more confidence and comfort when given the ball. Now he just needs to make sure he keeps himself in the game. If he can continue to improve and be consistent in his close-range efficiency, I see more minutes in Bagley's future.
Forcing the Spider into a Web: The Kings executed a great defensive strategy by containing the daddy long leg spider tonight. Brandon Ingram had 20 points on 6-20 shooting. It started with great individual coverage by Harrison Barnes and also included some well-timed double teams by help side defenders. This forced the ball out of Ingram's hands, or into tough shots that resulted in his 14 misses from the field. By focusing on the Pelicans' main scorer, the Kings were able to hold the Pels off enough to secure the W.
The Bad:
Lack of Backup Offense: The Kings shot a total of 43 3-point attempts tonight, well over their season average. This would be a welcome sight, except they only hit 14 of those. While it was enough to push them over the finish line, the Kings failed to show much of an alternate offensive strategy, aside from just giving De'Aaron Fox the ball and letting him shred. Especially in the middle quarters, the Kings' offense felt like a lot of jacked up and missed 3-point attempts, with little driving, cutting, or movement. Against better shooting teams, the Kings are going to have to find other ways to score to keep up when their long shots aren't falling.
Buddy on Defense: At one point tonight, I couldn't help but yelling out, "Buddy just defend SOMETHING, PLEASE." So often I see Buddy Hield get beat off the dribble or fail to fill a help side role. He gets caught either ball watching or man watching and the Pelicans took advantage of his blind sides. Whether he starts by focusing on keeping someone in front of him or simply knowing where both man and ball are at all times, Buddy needs to start contributing more solidly on the defensive end. It's just painful to watch sometimes.
The Ugly:
Turnovers: I never would have thought that the Sacramento Kings would win a game after having 20 turnovers. The Kings gave the ball away 11 times in the first half which resulted in 14 points for the Pelicans and their 12-point lead going into the half. Had De'Aaron Fox not completely taken over in the 2nd half, this would have been a factoid we would look back and lament on as the biggest contributor of their loss. Especially in the 1st half, passes were soft, floating, and telegraphed. The ball moved around lazily and lacked any sharpness or decisiveness. The Kings should hold this win close, as it could have easily been given away with their careless handling of the ball.
Royal Court Jester
Because someone is always actin' a fool.
BIG SIGH. Tonight's Royal Court Jester goes to Marvin Bagley III, not for getting ejected (his second technical was questionable), but for his atrocious sequence to end the 1st quarter. After De'Aaron hit a free throw to tie the game at 30 points with 8.6 seconds left in the quarter, the Pelicans quickly inbounded the ball and got it to Zion Williamson. Firstly, Bagley should have just denied Zion from getting the ball. Instead, he gave him the room to receive the ball and tried to guard him straight up, 80 feet from the basket. Zion charged towards the right side of the bucket as the clock ran down and desperately spun to try to get a shot up. Bagley bailed Zion out by swiping down as he went up and gifted him two free throws with 0.1 seconds left on the clock. This allowed the Pelicans to end the quarter with 33 points and a 3-point lead.
As if this wasn't frustrating enough, Bagley then said something colorful enough to earn himself a technical foul, making this the third game in a row that the Kings have been given technicals. This reminded me of Jeremy Lin's reflection when he got his first technical foul back in 2013 and tweeted:
"Got my first ever technical last night and lost $2000...makes me angry when i realize thats 2000 mcchickens or 4000 jack in the box tacos"
I'm tired of seeing the Kings give opponents free points and possessions when they get technicals. Next time any of them feel like getting mouthy, I request that they just give me 4,000 Jack in the Box tacos instead, please.
The King of Kings
Because at least one person does at least one good thing, usually.
While Marvin Bagley III's emotions got him thrown out just a few minutes into the 3rd quarter, De'Aaron Fox was back to the calm, cool, and collected leader we are used to seeing. De'Aaron earned himself two technicals in the past two games by being visibly and vocally upset at the refs. As a result, his game and team suffered, as his leadership presence took a backseat to his frustrations.
But tonight, De'Aaron Fox WANTED ALL THE SMOKE and didn't care what the refs, Pelicans, or anyone else in the universe was doing. He was going to EAT and no one was going to get in his way. De'Aaron ended the night with 38 points, 12 assists, and at least five different plays that made me scream in my living room. I want to build a permanent residence in 4th Quarter Fox Land. His speed, creativity, and craft is so fun to witness and when matched with a strong mentality, he is nearly impossible to stop. Tonight, De'Aaron Fox was locked in, both physically and mentally, and is therefore tonight's King of Kings.
Up Next
Wednesday, February 3rd vs. Boston Celtics @ 7:00 P.M. (PT)
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