The Kings are back on the road, facing the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday (4 p.m. Pacific, Comcast SportsNet California and NBA TV). After a 3-2 homestand which featured the Sixers, Bobcats, Magic and Cavaliers (in addition to the Blazers), this should be a nice change of pace. And by nice I mean painful.
I think we all want to see how the reigning Western Conference Player of the Week matches up against potentially the best defensive center in the NBA. Should be a brawl.
3 THINGS
1. You know what? Indiana is fantastic ... but its offense remains decidedly mediocre overall. The Pacers are ranked No. 18 in team offense (the Kings are No. 12, for what it's worth). So while Paul George is pretty awesome and David West really tough to handle, this isn't a Portland-level scoring juggernaut. The Kings might not give up 100!
2. Foul trouble could be the story of this game. As in, the Kings can't afford to lose Cousins for a stretch in the first, second or third, and Hibbert is excellent at avoiding fouls.
3. Lance Stephenson is fun to watch. He reminds me in some ways of Tyreke Evans. The difference being that Stephenson was a second-round pick and Tyreke went No. 4.
PRE-GAME HAIKU
Three straight wins? Alright! Next victim is ... Dammit. Well, bye streak!
PREDICTION
Pacers 120, Kings 82. (I know, I'm such an optimist.)
Below are a series of prediction questions for tonight's game. The first four questions will be asked every game, while the 5th will change each game.
Point value for predictions are listed next to the questions. If you believe that more than one player will lead a category, you can vote for multiple players, and this is worth double points if you are correct, but zero if you are wrong. Alternately, if you only guess one player when multiple players are tied, you get zero points.
All submissions must be input before tip-off. Any submissions after tip-off will not count. You are allowed only one submission and may not change unless specifically stated.
Questions:
1. Who do you think will win the game, and what will the final score be? (1 point for guessing winner. 2 points for guessing winner and correct score of one team. 5 points for guessing winner and exact score)
2. Who will be the game's leading scorer? (1 point for guessing scorer, 2 points for guessing exact points scored)
3. Who will be the game's leading rebounder? (1 point for guessing rebounder, 2 points for guessing exact rebounds)
4. Who will be the game's leading assist man? (1 point for guessing assist man, 2 points for guessing exact assists)
5. Predict Paul George's Steals, 3PM and FTM. (1 point for one right answer, 3 points for two right, 5 points for all right)
It was always going to be tough for the Kings to come into Indiana and beat the Pacers, but the least we could have hoped for was that the team would be competitive. For much of the game, the Kings were able to hang on and keep it relatively close, but it got out of hand in the 4th quarter as Paul George caught fire. George led a balanced Pacers attack with 31 points on just 18 shots.
For Sacramento, all eyes were on how DeMarcus Cousins would play against Roy Hibbert, one of the best (if not the best) defensive big men in the game today. Cousins proved up to the challenge with 31 points (12-21 from the field) and 13 rebounds in just 30 minutes of action.
Cousins didn't get much help from any of his teammates though. Rudy Gay was the only other player in double digits but had just 12 points. Isaiah Thomas had one of his worst games of the season, tallying just 7 points and 1 assist to 3 turnovers. Jimmer Fredette and Derrick Williams both scored 9 points off the bench.
Michael Malone will be most upset about the lack of defense, as the Kings allowed the Pacers to score a season-high 116 points on 54.9% from the field.
Sacramento won't have long to linger on this game, as they look to bounce back tomorrow night against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Paul George exploded in the second half to score 31 as the Pacers blow out Sacramento to reach the 30 win mark.
The Indiana Pacers were challenged early by the Sacramento Kings, who staying close with the Pacers were able to pull into the lead early in the second quarter thanks to solid play from Jimmer Fredette and their backups. The Kings went up 33-32, but the Pacers turned up the defense, outscoring Sacramento en route to a 14-point halftime lead. DeMarcus Cousins managed to keep the Kings within single figures, but a lack of help around him and a resurgent Paul George helped the Pacers push the game into a blowout in the fourth quarter, scoring a season high 116 points.
George led the Pacers with 31 on 10-18 shooting as one of five Pacers in double figures. David West scored 16 on 7-11 with Lance Stephenson scoring his 13 points in the first half. C.J. Watson scored eight of his 10 points in the fourth quarter. Roy Hibbert also scored 10. Cousins led Sacramento with 31, including 19 in the third quarter. The Pacers scored 25 fast break points and 22 points off of 15 Sacramento turnovers. The Pacers move to 30-7 on the season with the win.
Indiana grabbed their 30th win of the season as Paul George scored 31 points on 10-18 shooting. DeMarcus Cousins led Sacramento with 31 and 13 rebounds.
Rasual Butler threw down a dunk with 4:51 left in the fourth quarter to push the Indiana Pacers up 29 points, helping to cap what would be a 116-92 victory against the Sacramento Kings. The fourth quarter explosion helped put away a Kings team that had the game in single digits before Paul George drilled a buzzer beating three to end the third quarter, the lead getting pushed to 15 when he hit another three pointer to open the fourth.
It started a 16-2 run that last the first four minutes of the final quarter that put the Pacers up 23, resulting in a short night for the starters and a lack of need for Sacramento to bring DeMarcus Cousins from his fourth quarter rest. Indiana's ability to pounce all over the Kings with Cousins out of the game was huge, especially considering Cousin's contributions in the third quarter. Indiana was playing well offensively, but Sacramento was only within single digits because of Cousin's 19 third quarter points, part of his team high 31 points.
Just as Indiana had no answer for Cousins in the third, no one else on the Kings had an answer for Indiana's defense after the Pacers ratcheted up their effort early in the second quarter, when the Kings led by a point. Indiana has generally struggled with Rudy Gay since he was traded to Toronto, but he was held to just 12 points on 6-14 shooting, with Isaiah Thomas being held in check as well, scoring just seven on 3-9 shooting.
Gay was the only player besides Cousins to reach double figures on a night the Pacers were just the second team in Sacramento's last 19 games to hold them under triple digits. Indiana's defense helped open up their own offense for a season high 116, with the Pacers excelling off of Sacramento turnovers, scoring 22 points on 15 Kings miscues as part of their 25 fast break points.
George's second half scoring effort of 24 helped play the role of slump-buster, with George reaching 31 points on 10-18 shooting including four three pointers. He didn't look totally in sync offensively, at least not compared to some of his early season performances, but considering where he's been, coming off of a 2-14 shooting performance and not having an over 50% shooting night in 2014, it's a welcome step in the right direction.
Lance Stephenson led the way in the first half for the Pacers with 13, excelling in playmaking, but seemed a bit disjointed for whatever reason in the second half, but did wrap up with five rebounds and five assists to go with his 13. George Hill deserves plenty of credit for his defense on Thomas, with early scoring leading to his nine points.
Five Pacers reached double figures, David West scored 16 on 7-11 shooting. West had little effort going up against Sacramento's front court shooting, while also grabbing a team best eight boards. Roy Hibbert had 10 points, picking up a pair of blocks, but Sacramento had a lot of success inside, grabbing 15 offensive boards and scoring 56 points in the paint, largely due to Cousins's success.
Bench defense was an issue in the second quarter as the Kings took the lead behind big shots from Jimmer Fredette, but Indiana's bench still got some punches in offensively with C.J. Watson playing big in the fourth quarter, scoring eight of his 10 points in the last quarter. Danny Granger and Luis Scola each scored nine points with Scola grabbing seven boards.
The Pacers shot 54.9% in the win, dropping the Kings all the way to 42.4%, when they had sat near or above 50% for much of the first half. Indiana becomes the second team to win 30 games in the 2013-14 season, maintaining their league best record at 30-7. Frank Vogel also gained the honor of being the head coach for the Eastern Conference All-Stars, where he'll be joined by George, and no doubt another player or two.
Up next for Indiana is a home game against the New York Knicks, a Thursday tipoff on TNT. The Knicks had won five straight and six of seven before losing to Charlotte on the second night of a back-to-back.
Sacramento's big man was once again the best player on the floor, but Indiana showed once again that they're the best team in the NBA.
Fresh off winning Western Conference Player of the Week, DeMarcus Cousins faced a big test on national television going up against Roy Hibbert, the anchor of the best defense in the NBA. Last season, Hibbert held Cousins to just 14 of 44 from the field, a miserable 31.8%. Would Cousins be able to keep up his high level of play?
We shouldn't have been worried. Cousins ended up having a fantastic game, scoring 31 points on 12-21 shooting to go with 13 boards, 2 assists, 2 steals and a block, all in just 30 minutes. 19 of his points came in a dominant 3rd quarter, where he couldn't be stopped around the basket, even with Hibbert draped all over him. In a game against the best team in the NBA, Cousins was the best player on the court.
So how did the Kings lose by 24?
Well for starters, nobody else on the Kings but Cousins had what you could call a good game. Rudy Gay and Isaiah Thomas have been great as his supporting cast recently, but both weren't able to get their games going against Indiana's defense. Gay scored just 12 points and Thomas 7, well off their averages. Thomas' performance was one of his worst of the season, as he really struggled to get the Kings into their offense or to get clean looks for himself. Thomas had just 1 assist to 3 turnovers, and the team as a whole had just 13 assists to 15 turnovers. Many of those turnovers were unforced errors that the Pacers took advantage of.
Indiana made a couple big moves that set this game apart. The first came in the second quarter. Sacramento's bench had been able to keep it close and even managed to take the lead at one point, but that was short-lived. Indiana went on a 23-5 run over the next 6 minutes and what had been a close game turned into one that the Kings had to fight desperately just to stay in it.
The second move by Indiana started when Paul George banked in a buzzer beating three to end the 3rd quarter. The Kings had just cut the lead to 9 but now faced a double-digit deficit to start the fourth quarter. Indiana used that momentum and blew the game wide open, turning a 12 point game into a 23 point game in just 4 minutes. It was enough to cause Michael Malone to wave the white flag and not bother putting his starters back in (a wise decision because of the back-to-back).
Considering how bad Sacramento's defense was during the game, it was kind of a miracle that they even stayed as close as they did for three quarters. Sacramento allowed Indiana to score a season-high 116 points on 54.9%. Eight Pacers players scored at least 9 points, and while George led the way, each player stepped up at different times. Stephenson got it going early by attacking the paint. Hibbert hit some big jumpers to stop a couple Sacramento runs. David West bullied whoever Sacramento threw at him and thoroughly outclassed Jason Thompson. Luis Scola nearly had a double-double off the bench in just 16 minutes. The Kings meanwhile played a lot of isolation ball, making the job easier for an already great defensive team. It was a total team effort from the Pacers and it's easy to see why they are considered among the favorites to win the Championship this year.
The Kings won't face anywhere near as tough a defense on the rest of this road trip, but their own defense will have to step up big time if they want to have a chance to come back home with a win or two under their belts. The Timberwolves, who the Kings play tomorrow night, have one of the best offenses in the NBA and aren't too shabby on the other end of the court either. The Kings need to take a lesson out of the Pacers play book and step up as a team if they want to have a chance to win in Minnesota.
Random Observations:
The Kings reaaaally need someone at SG, whether it be Marcus Thornton or Ben McLemore, to start playing better because right now it's like they're playing 4 on 5 on both ends.
Speaking of Marcus Thornton, I wonder why he doesn't take it to the basket more when he's so good at finishing around the rim? Especially with his shot not falling, I'd like to see him drive the ball a little more.
The big lineup that had done so well against the Cavs and Magic didn't seem to do anything against the Pacers. In fact it seemed to do worse, probably because Jason Thompson was having such a bad game.
I don't know how Quincy Acy finished that one alley-oop sequence from Jimmer Fredette in the second quarter, but he did and it was amazing.
With the win, Frank Vogel clinched All-Star coaching duties a full month before the game. That's how bad the East is. Nobody but the Heat can possibly catch the Pacers record by then, and Erik Spoelstra isn't allowed to coach in consecutive years.
Vogel locked up the honor after the Pacers pushed their record to 30-7 with a 116-92 win over the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday. The All-Star coach is determined by the team with the best record in each conference on Feb. 2, but Miami's Erik Spoelstra is not eligible this year since he coached the team last season.
The Pacers have more than a ten game lead on on the next teams in line (Toronto, Atlanta) so with ten games to play before Feb. 10, Vogel will get a chance to coach the league's elite in the NBA's showcase game in New Orleans.
No surprise that Vogel pointed to the success of the team and organization as a whole for him earning the honor to coach the All-Star game, but so much of the current success of the team and the culture of winning that's taken the Pacers to the top of the East is due to the efforts of Vogel. His 141-81 record since taking over a broken team from Jim O'Brien in 2011 has been a fantastic journey to follow and easy to root for along the way.
Lance Stephenson has done plenty to earn All-Star votes with his play on the court this season, but his recent efforts off the court demand a vote in his favor.
Really, you don't have to give Lance Stephenson your NBA All-Star vote. BUT...you do have to watch this "Sir Lancealot" video promoting his All-Star credentials.
Watch it and then try NOT to vote for Lance for the All-Star team. You won't succeed.
The Pacers continue their torrid pace atop the Eastern Conference with no signs of slowing down.
The Pacers took full advantage of some rare time off of late to rejuvenate their game and blast the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday night. While the Pacers struggled a bit last week working through a busy schedule they were still able to continue collecting W's and with the win last night became the second team in the NBA to win their 30th game (San Antonio beat them by a few days).
With their current winning percentage (.811) the Blue and Gold are on pace to win at least 66 games which would surpass the franchise-record 61 wins by the eventually ill-fated, 2003-04 team. Of course, the fuel for this team has nothing to do with franchise records or even a certain number of wins. It is all about having one more win than the Miami Heat at the end of the year to make sure they have home court advantage.
So far more important than hitting the 30-win milestone in mid-January is the fact the Pacers remain three full games ahead of the Heat in the race for the top spot.
The Kings got their road trip off to a rough start in Indiana, and now have a chance to bounce back against the Wolves.
The Kings got a dose of reality yesterday against the Pacers, but they don't have much time to linger on it as they face the Timberwolves in Minnesota tonight (5 p.m. Pacific, Comcast SportsNet California and 1140 KHTK). Rudy Gay and Isaiah Thomas were shut down by the Pacers and will look to bounce back. This will also be the first game back in Minnesota for Derrick Williams, who the Kings traded for back in November.
Cousins did a great job against Roy Hibbert last night, scoring 31 points on an efficient 12-21 from the field in just 30 minutes. Pekovic, who isn't known as much of a defender and is not nearly the rim protector Hibbert is, should be an easier matchup. However, since entering the league, Cousins has struggled more against Pekovic than anyone in the entire league. In 10 games against the Wolves, Cousins is averaging just 11.9 points and 6.3 rebounds a game. That is by far his lowest average against any team, and well off his current season averages of 23.5 points and 11.6 rebounds. Pekovic has done a phenomenal job in the past of denying Cousins position in the post. Pekovic will also prove a handful on the other end, where he's one of the most efficient scoring Centers in the league, averaging 18.3 points a game on 53% from the field.
3 THINGS
1. The Timberwolves are better than their record indicates. According to their Expected Wins-Losses (which goes off of Point Differential) the Wolves should be 24-13. Instead they're 18-19, losing many close games. They have the 5th best offense in the NBA and the 9th best defense. Considering that they're fighting for a playoff spot, every game is meaningful for them and they're going to come out strong.
2. Unlike the Pacers, the Wolves want to push the pace and get out in transition. They're 2nd in the league in Pace and first in overall field goal attempts. The Kings are slightly above average in those areas but it'd behoove them to keep the Wolves from running all game.
3. Ricky Rubio came into the NBA with a lot of hype, but 3 years in and he hasn't really set himself apart. He's a great passer and is the best in the NBA at stealing the ball (4.1% steal rate, tops in the league two years running) but he's also shooting just 34.7% from the field and has never shot higher than 36.0% in a season. Interestingly, he's shooting better on threes (35.9%) than twos (34.3%).
PRE-GAME HAIKU
Kevin Love and Cuz, Two of the best bigs today. Who comes out on top?
Below are a series of prediction questions for tonight's game. The first four questions will be asked every game, while the 5th will change each game.
Point value for predictions are listed next to the questions. If you believe that more than one player will lead a category, you can vote for multiple players, and this is worth double points if you are correct, but zero if you are wrong. Alternately, if you only guess one player when multiple players are tied, you get zero points.
All submissions must be input before tip-off. Any submissions after tip-off will not count. You are allowed only one submission and may not change unless specifically stated.
Questions:
1. Who do you think will win the game, and what will the final score be? (1 point for guessing winner. 2 points for guessing winner and correct score of one team. 5 points for guessing winner and exact score)
2. Who will be the game's leading scorer? (1 point for guessing scorer, 2 points for guessing exact points scored)
3. Who will be the game's leading rebounder? (1 point for guessing rebounder, 2 points for guessing exact rebounds)
4. Who will be the game's leading assist man? (1 point for guessing assist man, 2 points for guessing exact assists)
5. Predict Kevin Love's 3PM, Ricky Rubio's Steals and Kevin Martin's FTM. (1 point for one right answer, 3 points for two right, 5 points for all right)
Sactown Royalty and O'Mally's get together for StR's first "road game."
Over the past several years, Sactown Royalty has put together a number of "nights" at ARCO/PBP/Sleep Train Arena. On Saturday, February 1st, StR will hold its first "night on the town." Please join us at O'Mally's, as the Kings travel to San Antonio to take on the Spurs. The broadcast for the game begins at 5:30 PM Pacific, so we're going to start up at 5 PM.
About O'Mally's: Located in Old Sacramento at 1109 2nd Street, O'Mally's was opened on St. Patrick's Day 1997 by the parents of our very own HulmboldtCPA. Locally owned and operated (and completely independent of the O'Malley's chain out of Southern California), O'Mally's boasts four TVs and a pool table downstairs (which will be reserved for StR, which is perfect, since we are all a bunch of blogging basement dwellers anyway), as well as a full bar. There are a couple of other TVs, another pool table and a bar featuring 17 taps upstairs. O'Mally's serves food as well, and HumboldtCPA recommends the Irish Tacos (flour tortilla, corned beef, cole slaw and pepperjack cheese), the burgers and the corned beef sliders.
Oh, another thing about O'Mally's: these are some service-oriented cats. They want to make sure that they are properly staffed when StR decends upon them, so please RSVP via the thread or at asksactownroyalty@gmail.com if you are planning on attending.
If you have ever attended an StR night at the arena, you already know how much fun it can be meeting your fellow StR members. If you have never attended an StR night, here is a great opportunity to make some new friends, hang out in a great and welcoming establishment, and watch your Sacramento Kings take on the San Antonio Spurs.
The Kings were up 102 to 91 with just over three minutes left to go, but careless mistakes and terrible time management allowed the Wolves to come back and have a good chance of winning or at least sending the game to OT. Fortunately, Rudy Gay hit a huge three in the final minute, the Kings hit their free throws, and J.J. Barea's deep three to tie at the buzzer was well short.
Gay was the star of the night for Sacramento, scoring 33 points on 12-19 shooting to go with 6 assists, 5 rebounds and 2 steals. Isaiah Thomas and DeMarcus Cousins combined for 46 points themselves, although they also committed 12 of the Kings 19 turnovers.
Kevin Love led the Timberwolves with 27 points, 11 rebounds and 5 assists. Love hit two huge threes of his own down the stretch to help whittle the Kings lead down. Five other Timberwolves scored in double digits.
Derrick Williams had a great game in his first visit to the Target Center as a visitor. Williams scored 16 points off the bench on 7-11 shooting to go with 5 rebounds and 2 assists.
The Kings are now 1-1 on this road trip and get a day off before visiting Rudy Gay's old team, the Memphis Grizzlies, on Friday.
For the opponent's perspective, visit the excellent Canis Hoopus.
This week I'm joined by Kings co-owner and Leap Motion founder Andy Miller. We talked Kings, DeMarcus Cousins, the fan experience, and much more!
The Sactown Royalty Show is back! This week I'm very excited to welcome Sacramento Kings co-owner Andy Miller as my guest.
We discussed a variety of topics this week. Andy is a great interview and shared his thoughts on the evolution of the Kings fan experience, how the culture of the team is changing, and DeMarcus Cousins' All-Star campaign. He also teased an upcoming announcement that will be coming out Thursday morning.
It was a fun show, and a thrill for me personally. I can't thank Andy enough. Be sure to follow him on Twitter, he's a very active presence in Kings social media.
Like the show? Subscribe to us on iTunes or on Stitcher! Leave us ratings, leave comments, let us know how we're doing. Ratings and comments on iTunes really help us out with promoting the show. And of course, continue the discussion in the comments below.
It got close towards the end, but the Wolves record in games by 4 points or less fell to 0-11 following tonight's loss.
It got interesting at the end, but I left the Target Center feeling anything but encouraged. A late run at the tail end of the fourth quarter, including two Kevin Love three-pointers, left the game appearing closer than it felt while I was watching it.
"We were just trying to take whatever they allowed us to take and we didn't force the issue on anyone," Wolves coach Rick Adelman said following the game. "We have to force the issue. We are so hands-off defensively it almost takes an act of congress for us to go out and foul somebody. You have to go after people in this league, they are too good, and people are too good offensively in this league to allow them to do what they want."
The first half started rocky, and avalanched into ugly as it got into the second quarter. A 15-4 Kings run to end the second quarter was the highlight the half, as Sacramento went into the locker room with a 58-47 lead. The Kings had a mini dunk contest in that half, showing next to no fear as the half went along. Perhaps the highlight of the evening came from Williams:
Williams had a fantastic first half on the offensive end, fishing with 12 points on 5-6 shooting in just 13 minutes. He only had 4 in the second half, but he definitely made his presence felt in his return to the Target Center.
Nothing really changed in the third quarter, with the Wolves cutting the lead by just 1 point. Nothing really picked up for the Wolves in the 4th quarter either, until the final 2 minutes, when an Alexey Shved and-1 and a pair of Love three-pointers got it as close as 109-108 with 4.6 seconds to go. Even with the rally, it was too late to complete the comeback, and the Kings were able to hold on.
The Wolves looked out of sorts for the majority of the game, and frankly, didn't look engaged, especially after the 1st quarter. Only towards the latter stages of the fourth quarter did we see any life from the Wolves, and even then, it wouldn't have gotten so interesting if not for a couple tough threes by Love in the final moments.
Other than Love, who finished with 27 points, 11 boards and 5 assists, nobody really brought it tonight, especially from the starting lineup. Brewer had some breakaway buckets, but struggled mightily in guarding Rudy Gay (Luc Mbah a Moute did not see the floor tonight) throughout. Ricky Rubio struggled with turnovers, finishing with 5 on the night. Pekovic was out of position for most of the evening, and DeMarcus Cousins was able to slow down a guy who has otherwise been stellar over the past few weeks. Martin could not hit, and didn't attempt a three pointer all night.
Shved played well off the bench, but besides him, there wasn't much production from the reserves either.
This game was seen by some as the opener of an easier stretch of games the for Wolves, and this loss simply puts more pressure of the handful of contests coming up. At 18-20, they're 4 games out of the 8th slot in the West. That isn't too much ground to make up, but that isn't the only issue. With Denver and Memphis (who just got Marc Gasol back) hanging around, there are 11 teams vying for 8 playoff spots. More specifically, 5 teams fighting for the 2 final playoff spots. It's doable, but they're making it tough for themselves.
The Wolves are off until Friday. They'll be in Toronto that night to face the Raptors, a game that will start up at 6pm and will be broadcast on FS North.
It wasn't the prettiest of wins, but the Kings managed to beat the Timberwolves thanks to a solid team effort for 45 minutes and dominance from Rudy Gay. That doesn't mean their mistakes should be forgotten.
"You shouldn't accept in victory what you wouldn't accept in defeat" - Michael Malone
Those were some of the first words out of Coach Malone's mouth after the Kings 4th win in 5 games, and their first of this road trip, and I couldn't agree more.
The Kings won this game, and almost did it comfortably. Through 45 minutes, the Kings played some of the best team basketball (on both ends of the court) of the season. Rudy Gay was dominant after a lackluster game the day prior in Indiana; Gay scored 33 points, including 22 in the first half alone, and he did so on an efficient 12-19 shooting. He also added 6 assists, 5 rebounds, 2 steals and a block. Minnesota had no answer for him.
It wasn't just Gay though, like it was just Cousins in Indiana. The whole team did a good job of both running the offense and playing tough defense. The Timberwolves, one of the better offensive teams in the NBA, shot just 44.3% for the game, and before that final flurry in the last few minutes (we'll get to that), the Kings were on pace to hold them under 100 points. Sacramento ran the fastbreak to perfection most of the night, outplaying the Wolves at their own game. Derrick Williams came back and haunted his old team, scoring 16 points on 7-11 shooting in 28 minutes while Luc Mbah a Moute didn't even get off the Wolves bench (a perplexing move considering Adelman called him their best defender and Gay was going off).
The Kings had a big run in the 2nd quarter that pushed the lead into double-digits. For most of the rest of the game, Sacramento kept the Timberwolves in check between an 8-12 point range, never full pulling away but also never really letting the Wolves back in it. With 3:17 left, Isaiah Thomas hit a three to put the Kings up 11, and that should have been the dagger that sealed the deal. Instead the Kings almost blew the game with some of the worst game management I've seen. Let's break it down.
3:04 - After the Thomas three, the Wolves called timeout. Out of the timeout, J.J. Barea blows right by Isaiah Thomas and anyone else in a black jersey to get to the rim for the easy layup. Nobody contests the shot and Mike Malone calls a quick timeout. DeMarcus Cousins, who had just left the game in order to not pick up his sixth and final foul, checks back in. 102-93 Kings.
2:53 - Isaiah Thomas pushes off of J.J. Barea and commits an offensive foul. For as good a game as Thomas had been having (26 points, 10-16 from field, 7 asissts), he was awful down the stretch. This was his 7th turnover of the game, setting a career-high. He and Cousins combined for 12 of the Kings 19 turnovers.
2:23 - DeMarcus Cousins makes a bad pass and Shved steals the ball.
2:09 - The Kings play decent transition defense, and Nikola Pekovic misses a jumper. Cousins snatches the board.
1:53 - Derrick Williams misses a short jumper, Pekovic boards and Barea races down the court.
1:42 - Barea finds Pekovic for the easy layup. 102-95 Kings.
1:29 - Cousins catches the ball in tough coverage and tries to go up with it despite nearly 11 seconds left on the shot clock. Pekovic swats it away and Wolves recover.
1:23 - Barea gets to the rim and Gay is forced to foul to prevent the layup. Barea hits both Free Throws. 102-97 Kings.
1:01 - The Wolves get the ball up the court in no time at all and Shved scores an easy layup. Malone calls a timeout. 102-99 Kings.
0:49 - Out of the timeout, the Kings regain some composure. They go to Cousins on the low block. Cousins uses his patience in the post to get around Pek and score a shot off the glass. 104-99 Kings.
0:39 - Shved finds Kevin Love curling around a screen on the left side and hits him. Love drills the three. 104-102 Kings.
0:19 - Gay brings the ball up the court and begins to dribble out as much of the clock as he can at the top of the three point arc. Cousins comes to set a screen, and Gay's man decides to go under the screen. Gay, now with space, doesn't hesitate and drills the long three. Wolves call a quick 20 second timeout. 107-102 Kings.
0:17 - Out of the timeout, the Wolves run the exact same play to get Love a look at three from the same spot he just hit. He hits again. 107-105 Kings.
0:09 - The Wolves are forced to foul Isaiah Thomas, but have a foul to give.
0:08 - The Kings get the ball to DeMarcus Cousins, who asides from Jason Thompson, is the worst FT shooter on the floor for the Kings (72.6% on the season). Cousins calmly nails both. 109-105 Kings.
0:04 - The Wolves have no timeouts remaining. The last thing the Kings want to do is give up a three. They let Barea speed up the court and go right to the rim, where Isaiah bafflingly decides to contest the shot and gets whistled for the foul as Barea makes it. Grant and Jerry think Barea might miss on purpose. Barea opts to hit the free throw instead. 109-108 Kings.
0:04 - The Wolves fouls Isaiah Thomas immediately on the inbounds. Thomas makes both. With no timeouts, Barea races the ball down the court. The Kings can only be hurt by a three, but decide not to foul. Barea gets to about 30 feet and throws up a three that is short as the buzzer goes off. 111-108 Kings Win.
Despite those mistakes in the final few minutes, the Kings played like the better team for most of the night and deserved this victory. We've talked a lot in the past about how the Kings need to learn from their defeats in order to win. This game against the Wolves shows us that they'll also have to learn from their wins in order to keep winning.
Random Observations:
Marcus Thornton hasn't been able to score much lately, but tonight he did a decent job of being physical with Kevin Martin and not letting him get too comfortable. Martin scored just 14 points on 14 shots, and only got to the line once.
No other big man in the league has bothered Cousins more than Nikola Pekovic. It looked like it was going to be another one of those nights as Cousins had just 2 points and 3 rebounds entering the half, but he came alive in the second half to finish with 20 and 12. He also did a good job himself on Pekovic, holding him to 14 points on 5-12 shooting (considering Pek averages 18.3 on 54% shooting that's pretty good). He had a phenomenal stop late in the game on Pek right at the basket that led to the Isaiah three everyone thought would be a dagger.
Ben McLemore rolled his ankle and missed most of the game but by all indications will be ready to go for Friday against Memphis.
Ricky Rubio looked bad. Isaiah Thomas had him on skates all night, and he didn't play in the 4th quarter at all. What once looked like a promising career for Rubio now looks grim. He's definitely got skill, but he's also got a long way to go, particularly with his shooting.
Quincy Acy needs to learn from Carl Landry to stop taking unnecessary dribbles when catching the ball around the basket and just go straight up. He's explosive enough that he can make things happen that way. The dribble lets the defense get just a little more ready.
Jimmer played just 6 minutes. I would have liked to see him in just a little bit longer, if only because Isaiah looked gassed down the stretch and that could have contributed to his miscues. I'm guessing Malone didn't want Jimmer having to guard the speedy Barea.
Yep, he's kicking off his tenure as NBA Commissioner in Sac Town.
NBA Commissioner David Stern is handing the keys to the league over to Deputy Commissioner Adam Silver on Feb. 1 and Sacramento will be one of the incoming commissioner’s first stops.
Sactown Royalty can confirm News 10’s Nick Monacelli’s report Thursday that Silver will be in attendance at the Feb. 5 Kings v. Raptors game.
BREAKING: Future NBA Commish Adam Silver coming to Sac for Kings game on 2/5. Told it's a progress report & guidance visit. #NBAKings
We had heard rumblings of this the last couple of days.
Silver was reportedly a key advocate for the Kings remaining in Sacramento during the relocation meetings with NBA owners last year. Washington Wizards owner Ted Leonsis went so far as to say Silver "changed the conversation."
Kings fans were happy to welcome/thank Stern at the season opener. I would imagine the new commish will get the same treatment.
Tyler Lashbrook and Sam Vecenie take a look at the 2014 Draft's point-guard class.
As everyone in this community is well aware, the NBA Draft is a pretty big deal as it pertains to the Orlando Magic's future. In order to prepare for it, we at Orlando Pinstriped Post are providing you with some insight throughout the season on the crop of prospects. In this e-mail chain, Fear the Sword'sSam Vecenie and I talk about the point guard class, the position which we feel is the weakest of an otherwise very good Draft.
We've run several of these e-mail chains, but we haven't yet touched on a Draft topic that is tearing Magic fans apart at the seams: point guards.
It's no secret that Orlando needs a young point guard and all signs seem to indicate that Victor Oladipo, while a special prospect, is not a full-time point guard. In our lottery boards we released last week, we both had Marcus Smart at no. 5 overall and Dante Exum at no. 7. I had Arizona State's Jahii Carson at no. 13 and he's my third-best point guard in the Draft, but there are plenty of other guys we haven't talked about yet.
Who are a couple of guys you've got your eye on after Smart?
Sam Vecenie: Marcus Smart is clearly the class of the NCAA point guard class this year. No one else comes particularly close to combining his athleticism and killer mentality. If he had a slightly better shot, we'd probably be talking about him in the class of the top four.
After him is a bit more murky. Jahii Carson has been considered the "best of the rest," but I have some serious questions. I was at the UCLA-Arizona State game Sunday night, and I came away with more questions than answers regarding his play. The quickness and ballhandling ability is evident, but UCLA's length really bothered him. Norman Powell and Zach LaVine (6-foot-4 and 6-foot-5, respectively) were the main players tasked to guard him, and he really struggled to get into the paint. Then he missed a couple of open outside jumpers and looked frustrated. He picked up his fourth foul with about 15 minutes left in the second half and had to sit for a while.
Now, that's just one game. He's shooting 46 percent from three, and won't always go 0-of-5 from three and get frustrated. But for a guy who is 5-foot-10, the ability to play against size and length is an essential skill. It's a worry that's going to persist with him. I'd rank Tyler Ennis over him right now if he were to enter the draft, and I wouldn't think twice.
Tyler: Other than a game earlier in the year against Miami, that game was Carson's worst. The Bruins have long guards and it visually bothered him all night. I don't think it's enough for me to knock him down. If anything, it's his turnover problems that worry me. A lot of that has to do with he's asked to do on that team and the players around him, but it's definitely a problem.
I'm with you on Ennis, especially if he's considering leaving. He's not the greatest athlete and he's struggled a bit in the paint, but he's always in control in a way that is rare for a 19-year-old freshman. His turnover rate is extremely low, especially for a guy tasked with most of the ballhandling, and he's averaging nearly seven assists per 40 minutes, an absurd number for a freshman. Obviously, who he plays with helps some of that, but he's definitely a top point guard prospect, especially if his three-point percentage stays around 38.
From what I've seen, Dante Exum has an incredible first step, the ability to create his own offense, and a jumper that doesn't look too bad fundamentally.Tyler Lashbrook
One guy we haven't talked about much is Dante Exum. Obviously, he's a top prospect and if we're considering him a point guard, he makes a strong case as the no. 1 guy, even ahead of Smart. One of his strengths--the one that scares me most--is his anonymity. We don't really know a whole lot about him other than the limited tape we get to see. From what I've seen, he has an incredible first step, the ability to create his own offense, and a jumper that doesn't look too bad fundamentally. I don't know if he's a point guard because, well, I've only seen him play two full games, and highlight tapes aren't really the best way to fully scout someone. But he's intrigued a lot of Magic fans because there's seemingly so much potential there and Magic fans are starving for a point. What say you?
Sam: Yeah, Ennis' poise, pace, and distribution are probably the best in the NCAA right now. He's only a freshman, but that's honestly where he is right now. Might be the most impactful freshman in the country. Speaking of freshmen, we should probably mention Andrew Harrison, but my guess is the Harrison twins don't declare. Andrew isn't particularly ready yet to run a team, and would be better served to wait until next season when he can be a lottery pick.
Yeah, with Exum, it's just hard for me to say much of anything with authority. I've watched him in the U19 games a couple of times, and at the Nike Hoop Summit, and I came away remarkably impressed with his athleticism and length. He got to the rim at will, looked to have solid mechanics on his jumper, and seemed to have really good poise with the ball, never forcing the action. I really liked him; I just need to see more of him.
As far as who is left after that, this class isn't particularly deep at point guard. I thought last season there were about six guys who I loved as potential backup point guards late in the first round and early in the second. This season I don't see it. I'm not particularly a fan of Semaj Christon because he has trouble with turnovers and looks to be more combo guard than point guard. Russ Smith exists as a player, but I don't know that he can be an NBA level point guard either. Devyn Marble is a 6-foot-6 guy out of Iowa who plays point for the Hawkeyes, but might be better suited to play the wing in the NBA. Aaron Craft can run a team and change a game defensively, but he's going to run into all kinds of hand-check problems in the NBA.
Do you like any of those guys at all?
Tyler: You know, I was way higher on Christon last year than I am this year and I'm a little disappointed that he hasn't developed in the way I thought he would. His True Shooting is up to an acceptable number and his turnover rate has dropped significantly, but a lot of that is because he's playing off the ball. I still think he's a solid pickup if you can grab him late in the first round, but he isn't the dark-horse lottery pick that I once imagined he'd be.
Russ Smith is kind of an enigma. He's an electric ballhandler and nifty passer, but his shot selection is so off-the-wall that he really terrifies me. With the right coaching, he could be an excellent sparkplug off the bench, but it would take the right situation, which is sad because he is such a creative passer and crafty initiator in the pick and roll. I covered a Louisville game and Rick Pitino said afterward that he thinks Russ can translate as an NBA point guard, but what else is he supposed to say? I'm not sure I fully buy in.
Aaron Craft: no. Marble reminds me more of a wing than a point guard. DeAndre Kane is interesting, but I'm not fully sold.
I like Elfrid Payton out of Louisiana-Lafayette as a late first-round or early second-round project. He's athletic and an extremely good ball handler who can create offense for himself and others and get to the rim. He's a spotty shooter, though, and out of control a lot, which is something you brought up in a one-on-one conversation we had.
There's also a few other guys we haven't mentioned: Zach LaVine, though he looks much more suited to play shooting guard; Andrew Harrison, who needs a lot of work, but has potential; Ron Baker, I'm actually higher on him than most people, but I'm not reaching for him if I'm on the clock; Shabazz Napier, don't know how he'll translate.
Should we rank these guys? I get so lost after Smart, Exum, Carson, and Ennis.
Sam: I've never particularly been a big fan of Christon as it relates to the NBA. Normally, combo guards who can't shoot and turn the ball over are not going to translate well. That's just kind of the way it is. Maybe he can be a spark off of a bench, but again he struggles to shoot the ball. I'd probably be okay with him in the second round, but I'd take any number of wings and bigs over him.
As far as Payton is concerned, I don't particularly like him in the NBA either. He plays out of control and can't shoot. Yeah, he's a good creator, but compare him to a small college guy last year in Ray McCallum. I'm not sure there's anything that Payton does better than McCallum, and McCallum is kind of struggling to stay on the Sacramento Kings' roster. The shooting is really going to hold him back.
Evan Dunlap and Tyler Lashbrook are always taking your Magic questions for the site's Mailbag feature. Send 'em to OPPMailbag@gmail.com.
The sleeper I like is Olivier Hanlan out of Boston College. His shooting has taken a step back this season with increased usage, but he still displays a solid stroke. Hanlan gets to the line a ton--over 9 per 40 minutes--and has the size at 6-foot-4 to play a combo guard kind of spot. The reason I like him over Christon is that he combines the shooting with the ability to get to the free throw line. They're both playing more a little more off-ball right now than I'd like to see, but I see Hanlan as a better version of Christon.
Having seen LaVine on Sunday, I feel confident that he's a two-guard. He's much taller than I thought he was. He's at least 6-foot-4, maybe a legit 6-foot-5 in shoes. He was a full inch taller than Jordan Adams, it looked like, who is--albeit generously--listed at 6-foot-5. Plus he's all arms and legs, so his length should translate well. He needs to stay in college anyway, though. If he stays, he has a very real chance to be the first guard off of the board next season. If he leaves this season, he won't see an NBA court in 2014 because he has no idea how to play any sort of defense. He releases way too quickly on the break in order to get transition dunks right now, plus is slow on rotation even for a freshman. He has a TON of potential, but it's not quite there yet.
As of right now, I'd rank the point guards like this:
Smart
Exum
Ennis
Carson
Hanlan
Smith
Christon
I'm not sure there is any other point guards worth drafting, honestly. Marble is draftable, but probably as a wing. Harrison would be pretty close to Carson if he were to leave.
Tyler: See, I view Hanlan more as a two-guard than Christon. Christon has a 2-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio but Hanlan is sitting right at one. I love his ability to attack and get to the free throw line and knock down gimmes at a very good rate. Like you said, his shooting will improve when he's not leaned on as heavily, but he looks to me like an off-the-ball guy who can make plays off a ball swing. He is, however, a nifty little passer and really shows flashes of brilliance when he, you know, actually does it.
We're on the same page with LaVine, by the way. We'll probably have even more to say about him in the future; I know I do, at least.
I'll go:
Smart
Exum
Carson
Ennis (not far behind Carson and has a chance of moving up in conference play)
Hanlan
Harrison
Christon
Smith
Payton
Baker
I do think if Payton does some work on the basics--shooting, staying in control, etc.--then he'll have all the physical tools to defend the position and run an offense on the other end. He probably won't leave this year, but he's got potential. I'll see him twice in person when I cover WKU vs. Lafayette so I'll more comfortably report back then. Man, almost every person on that list other than Carson and Ennis feels like a combo guard.
The biggest thing to take away from this Draft class of point guards: there are few real point guards.Sam Vecenie
Sam: You may be right about Hanlan. But yes, that's the biggest thing to take away from this Draft class of point guards: there are few real point guards. Even Smart and Carson have some combo guard tendencies. I'm not sure if that's a wave of the future or a simply a weird season, but it's worth mentioning.
Overall, though, this position feels like the weakest one in the Draft. Smart and Exum are the clear cream, then depending on if Ennis leaves college, this class could fall off of a cliff. I have Carson in the 20s right now, and I can't remember the last time there wasn't a mid-first round point guard in the Shane Larkin, Brandon Knight or Kendall Marshall molds. 2010, maybe? This Draft class needs an Ennis to enter.
We'll have to wait and see at this point it looks like.
Tyler: Yeah, this is the weakest position, especially if any combination of Carson, Ennis, and Harrison stays another year. We could be looking at Smart and Exum as top-eight picks, and then another 20 or 30 picks until Russ Smith gets picked. That's a real thing.
If everyone leaves--which is extremely unlikely--then we're looking at a solid crop. Otherwise? Yikes.
Smokin' Rudy Gay is back in Memphis with vengeance in his heart.
The Kings continue their road trip in Memphis, where they will face the Grizzlies at 5 p.m. Pacific (News10). The Kings are 1-1 on this trip after Wednesday's fending-off-the-zombies defeat of the Timberwolves. Rudy Gay was spectacular in that one, and the hope is that will continue in Tennessee, where he faces the team that traded him about a year ago.
Cousins was wrapped up pretty well by Nikola Pekovic on Wednesday (especially in the first half) after a great showing against Roy Hibbert. How about another huge test? The good news is that Gasol just returned from injury, so he may still be getting back into game shape. The bad news is that Gasol just returned from injury. It'd be a much easier night against Kosta Koufos.
For what it's worth, Gasol played limited minutes on Wednesday, and didn't score. He's such a great passer that the Kings guards and wings will need to be watching cuts if he's not looking to put the ball in the hole over Cousins.
3 THINGS
1. Three-point shooting defense -- it's still a mystery. Kevin Love was the only Wolf to get going behind the arc on Wednesday; likewise, it was just Paul George, really, on Tuesday. Memphis isn't much in the way of a shooting team, so this could be a better night for the Kings' defense in that regard.
2. I'm still not worried about Ben McLemore. But for his sake, I'd really like to see him hit some shots.
3. Isaiah Thomas' defense on Mike Conley is going to be a huge -- maybe the biggest -- factor in this game. Conley is lightning quick and smart, and Thomas has struggled on that end since becoming a starter. He'll mix in some spectacular stops, but he has so little margin for error because of his size and the lack of a shotblocker behind him. Conley's good enough to leverage that.
PRE-GAME HAIKU
More wins, please! Ping pong is a game the Kings can't win. Well, like basketball.
