It was only a week ago that the Kings last faced the Hornets, and the outcome was less than ideal, as the Kings fell to an injured and tired Charlotte team. This time, the tables were slightly turned. Charlotte was still shorthanded, missing LaMelo Ball and Gordon Hayward, but the Kings now were the ones playing on the road and on the second night of a back to back. After two incredibly confusing performances to start this week, the Kings looked to find some normalcy and just comfortably win a basketball game. Let’s see how they did:
Quick Stats
Outcome: Kings win, 123-98
Sacramento Kings: 123 pts, 51.7% fg, 37.1% 3 pt, 78.3% ft, 24 ast, 53 reb, 10 to
Charlotte Hornets: 98 pts, 40.2% fg, 42.1% 3 pt, 75.0% ft, 17 ast, 36 reb, 10 to
The world is healing. The Kings got off to a concerning start, but quickly found their balance and did what they should be doing more often: they beat a bad team. No comebacks, no cardiac events, and no calls to Anh Phoong. The Kings just WON, and it was peaceful.
The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly
The Good:
- A Game of [Three] Thrones: It feels as if the Kings have been waiting all season for their three stars to all shine at the same time. We’ve grown accustomed to De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis being consistently great, but Keegan Murray, as a sophomore in this league, has understandably been more sporadic in his big performances. Tonight, the Kings got consistent production from all three of their stars as Fox, Sabonis, and Murray combined for 68 points. Fox got cooking early, igniting the Kings’ lead at the end of the first quarter with back to back 3-pointers. He finished with 19 points in 28 minutes. Sabonis showed off his strength with aggressive post moves on Nick Richards and logged 24 points, 10 rebounds, and 7 assists in 28 minutes. When the Kings get efficient production from their big 3, they’re hard to keep up with, and it results in some welcomed fourth quarter rest for their stars.
- King of the Bench: Even when the Kings get big nights from their stars, they don’t win big like they did tonight without an additional boost from the bench. Malik Monk has become one of the most consistent players on this team, and does so from the second unit. Monk provides so much energy, playmaking, and maybe most significantly, point production. He gives the Kings the luxury of feeling like they have a starter on the bench, ready to create points whenever needed. Monk again led the bench in scoring with 20 points and 4 assists and went a perfect 7-7 from the free throw line. Trey Lyles (8 points) and Alex Len (8 points & 10 rebounds) also contributed productive minutes in the second unit and helped spark the Kings’ wake up call after their slow start.
The Bad:
- Slow Start: As has plagued them in too many games to count, the Kings came out with a serious lack of vibes and energy to start tonight’s game. The bad vibes started just 40 seconds into the game when Kevin Huerter had to commit an off-ball foul to stop play so he could limp into the tunnel after suffering a non-contact left ankle injury, ending his night before it had a chance to begin. Sacramento responded to this early adversity by looking lethargic, and even seemed reluctant to communicate with one another. This mood led to three unforced turnovers and a quick 6-0 disadvantage. It wasn’t until the 9:12 mark that De’Aaron Fox finally got the Kings on the board with a flying layup. Fox and the second unit got things rolling towards the end of the first quarter and early in the second to give the Kings the boost they needed to run away with this one, but the slow start remains a concerning habit.
The Ugly:
- Defending the Arc: Charlotte shoots an average of 35.9% from the 3-point line on an average of 32 attempts per game. Tonight, the Kings allowed them to shoot 16-38 (42.1%) from deep. Defending the arc has been a struggle for the Kings all season, and tonight was no different. These open 3-point looks allowed Miles Bridges (24 points) and Brandon Miller (15 points) to each drill 4 3s a piece. Terry Rozier also enjoyed the open space by hitting 3-6 of his own. Either their opponents are blessed every night by the basketball gods with the purest shooting touch of their lives, or the Kings have a bad habit of slow closeouts and rotations. I don’t know about you, but I think I’m an atheist on this one. The Kings still need to tone up their defensive details.
The King of Kings
It was a game of thrones tonight amongst Sacramento’s big 3 and Keegan Murray won. Murray exuded confidence with the ball, looking to attack at every opportunity. He played with an aggression and assertiveness we hope to see him have every night, and it paid off. Murray led the team with 25 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists on 3-7 from the 3-point line.
Up Next
Friday, January 12th @ Philadelphia 76ers – 4:00 P.M. (PT)
