Today is Sunday. What some call the Lord's Day, others cherish it as a day to relax and reset for another work week, and I refer to it as just another day to question my sanity for choosing to be a Kings fan. After ruining my weekend before it even had a chance to begin with their embarrassing loss to the Nets on Friday afternoon, the Kings have the chance tonight to surprise me or to send me into the work week with a bitter taste in my mouth and another stab to my heart.
The Backdrop
The Sacramento Kings entered this game 1-4 in the bubble, 29-40 overall, and seeded at the 13th spot in the Western Conference.
The Houston Rockets entered this game 3-1 in the bubble, 43-24 overall, and seeded at the 4th spot in the Western Conference.
The Rockets have a cushion having control of the 4th seed - even if they allow the Thunder to steal their spot, there is no real advantage to be had since there won't be any home court advantage in the playoffs. This cushion is what's probably allowing Mike D'Antoni to feel comfortable in resting Russell Westbrook and Eric Gordon tonight. The Kings will also be without Kent Bazemore and Richaun Holmes.
The last time these two teams met on December 23, 2019, the Rockets came out on top, 113-104. But let's rewind just a few weeks prior to that to relive one of the greatest moment of Kings basketball from this season. On December 9, 2019, Nemanja Bjelica drained a 40-ft buzzer beater to lift the Kings over the Rockets, 119-118. But the icing on the cake was his post-game interview. Watch below:
"Fuck it, we deserve this win." With the scarcity of wins happening in the bubble, this statement still rings true anytime the Kings can grind one out. I just hope Nemanja will be able to say the same tonight.
Quick Stats
Because numbers make things make sense.
Outcome: Kings lose, 112-129
Sacramento Kings: 112 PTS, 47.1% FG, 27.0% 3PT, 29 AST, 17 TO
Houston Rockets: 120 PTS, 47.3% FG, 31.6% 3PT, 21 AST, 15 TO
De'Aaron Fox (SAC): 26 PTS, 9 AST
Austin Rivers (HOU): 41 PTS*, 6-11 3 PT
James Harden (HOU): 32 PTS, 7 AST
*Career high
Once again, De'Aaron Fox was the only consistent threat today. Although Buddy Hield added 16 points and Bogdan put in for 13, it was not nearly enough to compete against the Rockets' high-efficiency offense. Houston got a career high from Austin Rivers, an expected 32 points from James Harden, and an additional 20 points from ex-pizza guy Ben McLemore. Ben is just another example of the constant trend of Kings basketball to see a former first-round drafted bust blossom into his potential once he finds his way to a better ball club.
On another note, as if things couldn't get any worse: although they have been written off since their first two games in the bubble, the Portland Trailblazers beat the 76ers earlier tonight to officially knock the Sacramento Kings out of the playoff race. This results in the Kings missing the playoffs for the 14th year in a row.
In summation, I am in pain.
The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly
Because all three are consistent parts of Kings basketball.
The Good:
Attacking the Basket: Early on in the game, where the Kings had the most success, everyone was attacking the basket - Fox, Bogi, Barnes, and even Buddy. Without Clint Capela on their roster anymore and PJ Tucker now playing the center position, the Rockets' weak link lies in their size inside. During the 1st quarter, it looked like the Kings actually had some sort of recognition and game plan and were actually executing some strategy that worked in their favor.
Better Movement: Although they didn't continue this improvement down the stretch of the game, there were some flashes of promise in the early offense. Bogi & Daquan were making decisive cuts and slashes towards the middle, allowing them to find open pockets for good looks. There was less dribbling and quicker ball movement. Dribbles moved the ball towards the basket, rather than between sidelines. All of these things made the offense more fluid and resulted in easier shot attempts.
The Bad:
Defending Picks: I get it, defending an on-ball screen while James Harden has the ball in his hands is no easy task. You have to compromise in some way in this situation. But a lazy switch is not the answer - when trying to guard one of the most prolific scorers in the league, your only chance at lowering his chance at scoring is to keep your best defender on him.
The Ugly:
Nemanja Bjelica: I almost feel bad for talking so much shit about his hair on Friday since this guy is clearly having a rough time. Since being in the bubble, Nemanja has gone from being in the starting lineup to now only seeing four minutes on the floor in this game. What stood out to me as particularly ugly tonight was his shot selection. in just four minutes, he managed to put up three 30+-foot shots, connecting on one. This, to me, just showed a complete lack of game awareness. Knowing that the Rockets survive on a fast-paced, high-volume shooting game, Nemanja not only fed right into the Rockets' game plan, but also wasted his 6'10" size advantage that could have been used to slow the game down and make the Rockets pay inside.
Royal Court Jester
Because someone is always actin' a fool.
Today's Royal Court Jester goes to the entire Sacramento Kings team as a whole for allowing Austin Rivers to drop a career-high 41 points off of the bench in his elderly calf compression socks. Credit to Rivers for a great performance, shooting 70% from the field and 55% from beyond the arc, but GOOD GOD I am so tired of being the team that everyone sets records against.
I can only assume that Austin Rivers sat in the locker room before the game, rolled his socks up slowly, right below his kneecaps, and thought, "Kings tonight? Oh yup, I'm about due to break a career high."
The King of Kings
Because at least one person does at least one good thing, usually.
This weekend has been taxing on me. Between painting my kitchen cabinets in 100 degree Sacramento heat and being forced to watch two terrible basketball games during my break, I. Am. Exhausted. When I thought I couldn't suffer anymore this weekend, here is but another challenge - trying to identify one person who did one notably good thing from the Sacramento Kings. Just kill me now.
Okay, dramatics aside, I do want to highlight Harrison Barnes as today's King of Kings. He contributed 11 points and 10 rebounds tonight and came ready to back up his recent pledge to hold himself accountable and be a veteran leader for his teammates. After Friday's game, he explained to media:
"I'll be the first to say that it's definitely on us as veteran players, guys like myself. I'll take personal responsibility for that because I've been to the playoffs. I've been to the finals. I know the energy and effort that it takes to win games, and when you don't bring that, you lose."
Understanding that he is one of the few on the Kings roster who has ever been in a playoff setting, Harrison has taken on the responsibility of leading by example of what it takes to compete at the highest level. Although this accountability is now five games too late for this season, he still has three years on contract to follow through on his word.
Up Next
Tuesday, August 11th vs. New Orleans Pelicans @ 6:00 P.M. (PT)
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