Fresh off a nail-biting victory over the Golden State Warriors, the Sacramento Kings continued their 7-game road trip with a visit to Dallas. The Mavericks were riding high off Luka Doncic’s 73 point outing against the Atlanta Hawks, but traveled from Atlanta to Dallas for the back-to-back. Could the Kings take advantage and secure a second win to start the road trip?
Quick Stats
Outcome: Kings win, 120-115
Sacramento Kings: 120pts, 53.8% fg, 36.7% 3 pt, 76.7% ft, 27 ast, 39 reb, 13 to
Dallas Mavericks: 115 pts, 43.9% fg 34.8% 3 pt, 72.2% ft, 35 ast, 43 reb, 10 to
Well, a win is a win. The Kings were in complete control for the first 2.5 quarters of this one, but the Kings habitually fail to put away their opponents. The Kings squandered multiple leads and allowed the Mavericks to hang around just long enough for the Kings terrible late-game execution to once again show its ugly head. The Kings get a W in the books, but need to consider themselves lucky, and take a good look in the mirror as they continue the season.
The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly
The Good:
- Keegan’s Defense: Keegan Murray guarded Luka Doncic early and often, and it was glorious. Three blocks, a drawn charge, and creating frustration and confusion everywhere. It’s incredible how much of a defensive leap Keegan has made in just his second year in the league, and it paints a picture of a very bright future for Murray as a two-way star. Keegan struggled with his shot in this one, but it’s great that Keegan has already evolved and grown to the point where he can has a huge positive impact on a game even without shooting well.
- Aggressive HB: Barnes continued his recent trend of starting games aggressive and finding opportunities to score. Barnes finished with 20 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists, and was 4 for 7 from beyond the arc. The Kings are simply a better team when Barnes is aggressive.
- Double Double Domas: Domantas Sabonis did not have his best game, but still extended his double-double streak with 17 points and 11 rebounds, plus 4 assists. I never want us to lose sight of just how consistently good Domas is. 17/11/4 as a bad night has us a little spoiled.
The Bad:
- The Bench: The Kings were carried by the starters in this game, while the bench struggled mightily. Malik Monk led the bench unit with 9 points. Monk made some beautiful passes but his shot wasn’t there for the second game in a row. JaVale McGee added 6 points, Trey Lyles has 1 point, and that was it. Davion Mitchell was scoreless in 11 minutes, and was absolutely cooked on defense.
The Ugly:
- Late game execution: This should have been an easy win, but the Kings let the Mavericks hang around. Down the stretch the Kings displayed every issue we’ve lamented in close games this season. We saw rushed shots, abandoning the offensive scheme, dumb turnovers, a failed coach’s challenge, and Malik Monk missing back-to-back free throws. It caused some major flashbacks, and the Kings were very lucky to survive all their mistakes.
The King of Kings
De’Aaron Fox
Star Fox is absolutely back. 34 points, 7/8 from the free throw line, 5 assists, 3 rebounds, and all the swagger we’ve come to love from Fox in a big game. And Fox put up those numbers despite struggling from beyond the arc, going just 1 of 5 from three.
Up Next
@ Memphis Grizzlies, Monday, January 29th, 5 PM PT
