On this universal day of love, I woke up with hate in my heart. I hate when the Kings lose basketball games. And coming into tonight’s second night of a back to back in Denver, the Kings rolled in on a two-game losing streak after a defeat in the Phoenix desert last night. The Kings have been on a brutal road-heavy schedule this month, and the All-Star break couldn’t come soon enough. But before they could head back home for some much needed rest, they had the opportunity to either quell some anxieties with a big road win against the Nuggets, or break hearts everywhere in the city of Sacramento this Valentine’s Day. Let’s see how they did:
Quick Stats
Outcome: Kings win, 102-98
Sacramento Kings: 102 pts, 43.8% fg, 27.3% 3 pt, 78.9% ft, 21 ast, 48 reb, 15 to
Denver Nuggets: 98 pts, 39.3% fg, 36.0% 3 pt, 83.4% ft, 26 ast, 45 reb, 13 to
Fitting especially well for Valentine’s Day, that game felt like a rom com. It started out with a lot of hope as the Kings demonstrated consistent effort on both sides of the ball, despite some cold shooting. Tension ensued as the Nuggets gained a 15-point lead in the second quarter. But over the course of a long, hard-fought battle, the Kings never gave up and found their way back into the game. And like any good rom com, there was a dramatic finish, filled with chaos, a clock malfunction, and the ever present potential for heartbreak. But, ultimately, the Kings got their happy ending and now get to enjoy a week off with the good vibes of a win.
The Good, The Better, & The Best
The Good:
- Containing Jokic: The Kings held Nikola Jokic to just 15 points, 8 assists, and 5 rebounds tonight. It seemed like Jokic was looking to pass and get his teammates involved for most of the game, helping Aaron Gordon (25 points) and Michael Porter Jr. (19 points) find easy shots, but as he tried to ramp up his scoring in the fourth quarter, the Kings did a good job of containing him as a unit. Chris Duarte gave the Kings some great minutes in the fourth quarter, providing quick defensive rotations to double Jokic and recover to shooters. In a game that came down to just a few possessions, holding Jokic to just 11 points was critical for the Kings to get this win.
The Better:
- Continuous Effort: Early on, it seemed like this game was going to get chalked up to an expected loss. I could hear the reasonings ringing in my mind by the second quarter as the Nuggets gained a comfortable 15-point lead – “it’s the second night of a back to back for the Kings”; “it’s hard to beat Denver three times”; “they didn’t have time to get adjusted to the altitude here”. Luckily for us, the Kings weren’t ready to fall back on these excuses. Even when things looked bleak, it was clear that the Kings were trying. They were getting after loose balls, pushing the ball in transition, and trying to fight over the massive screens set by Nikola Jokic. It was this continuous effort that kept them within range to make their comeback later in the third quarter, where they outscored the Nuggets 30-21 and got themselves within just 3 points.
The Best:
- Winning: At the end of the day, there’s nothing better than winning. Had the Kings lost this one, there would still be a lot of good things to say about their effort and hustle. But winning just makes all those things feel ten times better. Denver didn’t make things easy by any means, and the Kings had to overcome some very cold shooting. Overall, they shot just 27.3% from deep and 43.8% from the field – that kind of paints the picture of how they quite literally clawed their way back into this one, fighting for every bucket they got. Domantas Sabonis finished with another double double (duh) of 20 points and 13 rebounds, while Harrison Barnes had a productive night of 20 points on 6-9 from the field. Down the stretch, the Kings got timely and disciplined defensive stops that set them up for ultimate victory.
The King of Kings
Your clutch king has arrived, Sacramento. De’Aaron Fox scored the Kings’ final 10 points in a row to close out this game in and old-fashioned Fourth Quarter Fox performance. Just when you thought he couldn’t possibly make ANOTHER huge shot, he found his sweet spot in the midrange to lace the net and ice the game. Fox finished with 30 points and 8 rebounds.
Up Next
Thursday, February 22nd vs. San Antonio Spurs – 7:00 P.M. (PT)
