Stressful Start to the Sacramento Kings Playoff Race | Locked On Kings
The Western Conference playoff race is underway and I’m not exaggerating when I tell you that every single one of these games could have massive implications on whether the kings are a playoff team or a playin team well tonight the Kings got that race started a little more
Stressful than we would have liked but with a victory over Victor wanyama and the San Antonio Spurs we’ll break it all down right here on locked on Kings you are locked on Kings your daily Sacramento Kings podcast part of the locked on podcast Network your team every day and now ladies and gentlemen
It is that time time for another episode of lock on Kings hello and welcome into locked on Kings your podcast hub for Sacramento Kings coverage all season long today’s episode is brought to you by prize picks the easiest and most exciting way to play daily fantasy sports go to
Prize.com lockon NBA and use code all lowercase locked on NBA for our first deposit match up to $100 my name is Matt George I have the privilege of being your host here I’m a Sacramento Sports Anchor and reporter for ABC 10 news and I think I and maybe you as fans we all
Needed the allstar break as much as the Sacramento Kings did just to reset refresh I know the locked on Kings podcast cast hasn’t been coming out at the frequency that you’re used to and that you expect I took advantage of that All-Star break to to get some rest and
Take a break from the Kings myself also doing other things for ABC 10 like covering the Super Bowl and things like that regardless I’m happy to be back here in the golden one center it’s been a while since I’ve been in this building to watch Kings basketball I wasn’t here
For that embarrassment of a Detroit Pistons game nor was I here for the win over the Denver Nuggets both those games I was in Las Vegas covering the Super Bowl so it’s nice to be back back here to watch Kings basketball and to come into tonight’s game and to come into the
Arena tonight recognizing the significance of these games the significance of the playoff race not wanting to take anybody lightly or any team for granted period but still recognizing that look the Kings need to absolutely win this game against the San Antonio Spurs I think the the term must
Win is overused in sports like mathematically the Kings do not have to win this game if they want if they wanted a chance to to make the playoffs they didn’t have to win this game or their playoff chances were done right but Optics wise for the sake of me
Talking to you here for 30 minutes after every game if the Kings had found a way to lose this game to the San Antonio Spurs I don’t know if I could reasonably come up with any topic on this podcast to to to to Really make the case that
This Kings team was absolutely a playoff team now when I say a playoff team that doesn’t mean that that making the playoffs by way of the playin is not the same as being a playoff team but the reality is the Kings want to be a top
Six seed right they they want to go straight into the playoffs even if they’re not a top four seed which means they have homecourt advantage in the first series who cares like just get to the playoffs don’t play this playin game right there’s no reason for the Kings to
Want to play one or two extra games just to have a chance to get into the series into a playoff series where they’re likely going to be underdogs right avoid that at all costs the Kings had to win this game tonight in my opinion to to to
Get off on the right start because I think it’s going to take a not necessarily A Herculean effort but I think it’s going to St take the best of the Sacramento Kings or close to the best of the Sacramento Kings to get to a top six spot even though they’re very
Close the race is super tight they’re only like half a game or a game back of that six spot it’s still going to be tough with the amount of teams in the west that are also fighting for those spots we’ll get into that more in a little bit tonight’s win it’s good right
Of course it’s good obviously like to to have the beam lit to beat the San Antonio Spurs to start this race with a win to build off of the win that you had uh in Denver against the nuggets before the All-Star break like really really
Solid the kings are back uh to to nine games above 500 awesome it was more stressful than I think any us would have liked right this game was setting up for the Kings to lose in such a similar fashion to ways that they have lost this season against
Bad teams and we’ll get we’ll get into that like ultimately mission accomplished but Sacramento’s inability especially at home to pull away and to put opponents away especially bad opponents it’s perp perplexing it’s confusing right the Kings win 127 7 to 122 their largest lead was 11 points
They went on a barrage late in the third quarter to kind of build that 11-point lead up but really quickly the Spurs cut it right back down the Spurs actually took a lead with a couple minutes remaining in this game and everybody in this Arena was groaning thinking oh God
Here we go again it’s Charlotte it’s Detroit those losses in this building it’s happening again right the Kings need to find a way to be the best version of themselves in this building because right now statistically they are a better team on the road I think they
Do have a better win percent at home than they do on the road which is to be expected but especially defensively the kings are much better on the road than they have been at home and that goes back to last season as well the kings were a better Road team overall last
Season than they were a home team I don’t know if that’s because of the the the Kings relying too much on the fan energy and not creating their own energy like they have to on the the the floor or rather on the road I don’t know if
It’s because the Kings like being the ant antagonizers the the villains that that shut a crowd up versus fire a crowd Crow up here in Sacramento I don’t know what the reason is but the Kings play including tonight 17 of their final 28 games are in this building so now 16 of
Their last 27 games will be here inside the golden one Center that’s a perfect scenario for a playoff race you’re playing at home a lot you need to defend this home floor you need to be the best version of yourselves in this building and that includes being able to put
Teams away or build leads maintain leads pull away and sustain leads long and better than the Sacramento Kings have done in this season as a whole and in tonight’s game against San Antonio that being said dearon Fox’s defense in the fourth quarter his defensive play on Devon vasel who is absolutely torching the
Kings and my OG locked on Kings listeners remember back in the Devon Vel draft which was when the Kings took Tyrese Halbert and so it worked pretty good for the Kings overall I really wanted the Kings to draft Devon vasel and was mad at the Spurs when they
Grabbed him again ultimately it worked out I’m a big fan of Devon Vel so it didn’t necessarily surprise me that he put over 30 points up on the king’s heads tonight that being said he should not have been scoring and playing as well and having as as good of a night
Against the Sacramento Kings as as he did but in the fourth quarter Devon Vel completely beat dearn Fox back door and this is is a close game it’s a single possession game looks like vel’s going to have an easy layup or dunk at The Rim dear comes flying in out of nowhere
Again he’s he’s beat right he’s behind the play by all means he is out of the play and we know the speed that dearen fox has but it’s that burst that he has suddenly comes out of nowhere I don’t know honestly if they ruled it a steal
Or ruled it a block whatever it was it was one of the best defensive plays certainly of dearon Fox’s career I’d probably call it the best defensive player of dear’s career one of the best defensive plays I’ve ever seen and honestly I truly put that clutch defensive play for dearen Fox up with
All of the clutch bucket get that he he hit last year and has hit this year when he last year of course won the clutch player of the year I put it up there with like his tip dunk uh in Miami the gamewinner tip dunk the gamewinners that
He’s hit throughout his career like I think it was that big of a moment and it’s great to see look dearen Fox leads the kings in scoring tonight right Fox 28 points super efficient 12 of 18 from the field five rebounds nine assists two steals one block all over the stat sheet
And as great as his scoring is we love to see his scoring to see him really truly have the game-winning moment be with that steal now granted he hit a three before that steel a really big three to I think give the Kings the lead
Back or tie the game up it was something like that and then after that steal he hit a pull up mid-range jumper to to Really create some separation and pretty much put this game on ice but Fox did it offensively too but that defensive moment is what’s going to stick out with
Me and it’s like it’s the idea that if dearen can be the Superstar scorer an MVP caliber scorer that he showed to be earlier on in the season that he showed to be in the playoffs last year against the Warriors like we know fox has that to his game and he’s virtually
Unstoppable and he said himself like he can get any shot he wants on the floor period but if he can add massive defensive plays and defensive moments and clutch spots like he did tonight to that clutch player Mantra or or or complex that he has good Lord like it’s
Just another element another level to dearon Fox’s super St start them that was a super defensive play that the Kings don’t win this game in my opinion if he does not make that stop so shout out dearon Fox and of course shout out to mon sabonis playing through an illness right he was
He came into tonight’s game being doubtful a game time decision went through warm-ups the Kings elected to let him play dearn fox said postgame actually that that he said yeah do there’s no way domas wasn’t playing like he said he was going to play he was a game time
Decision but we all knew he was going to play like domas is not filling 100% like he’s battling an illness I don’t know if it’s the bug that I got and my family got going around because my goodness there is a illness going around Sacramento right now and it sucks I hope
Damont sabonis doesn’t have what I had for a couple days during the All-Star break that being said he’s a stronger man than I while I’m lying in bed in the fetal position he’s out there battling Victor freaking win Bama and doing what he does best which is putting up a
Triple double 22 points 11 rebounds 11 assists also has had a block in the very beginning of the game he blocked Victor win banama 610 damont sabonis blocked 74 Victor wi Bama now this was the first time that I I got to see Victor play in
Person oh my God right like he didn’t do a lot on the floor that really impressed me but to just see this man in person like I got to be on the floor during warm-ups and stand within like 10 feet of the guy it’s ridiculous how tall that
Man is I was also blown away too like Zack Collins is a really really tall dude as well and both Keegan Murray and damont sabonis put Zack Collins on a poster in the fourth quarter it was pretty awesome two back-to-back dunks within like a minute span poor Zack
Collins was just down there getting dunked on twice in a row but seeing Victor win Bama in person what a just unbelievable athletic physical creature that that man is like the alien emoji is a real deal that man is absolutely an alien tonight he was impressive 19 points took 21
Shots to get those 19 points went eight of 21 from the field 13 rebounds five steals now danda sabonis stat line even though he had a triple double is not massively monstrously better than Victor WN Bama but here’s another instance of one of the top centers in the league
Your favorite NBA Center getting cooked and getting outplayed by domas who went right into him from the very beginning like damont sabona started out this game blocking his shot scoring on wimy and then a couple possessions later going in the post one-on-one with Wy going right
Into his chest beating him back uh like behind the basket and into the restricted area and then finish at The Rim right domas is not as tall or as long as wmi that is obvious but he’s way stronger than wmi is granted that’s to be expected WM is a rookie coming into
The league domas is in his prime full grown man it’s expected that domas would play better than when Bama did tonight so I’m not saying it was out of nowhere that sabon has outplayed wmi this this big I’m just saying add wmi to the list of NBA superstar bigs that everybody
Loves to talk about that Damon sabonis keeps out playing and more importantly the Kings keep beating when sabonis is out playing them here’s my favorite number of the night talk about leading by example for dearen Fox on the defensive end of the floor dearen Fox and damont sabonis combined for 20 of
Sacramento’s 29 assists Fox led the team in scoring damanda sabonis was had 22 points right the Kings had four players finishing in with 20 plus points Kevin herder and Malik monk being the other two I think Keegan Murray also had 16 but you have your two leading scorers who also led
The team in assists like 20 out of 29 assists coming from your two stars that’s awesome that’s getting your teammates involved while also getting yours beautiful ball movement beautiful execution by those two you love to see it now I’m gonna play for you uh Kevin herder Mike Brown and dearen fox talking
About dearen Fox’s clutch defensive play there at the end of that Kings win that I mean that was that was one of the freakest defensive plays I think I’ve ever seen that up close like for him to be beat like that back door recover to
It jump in the air and then find and be able to P the ball like that as he’s going out like that was that was a ridiculous defensive play and a handful of Guys across the league that can make that and uh Vel was Vel was tough all
Night um but Fox made a made a huge play when we needed it and um yo on both sides of the ball he made plays for us but that was that was a crazy defensive play for for foxy uh to come up with that play defensively especially at that
Point in the game was huge um because he didn’t quit we were able to we were able to execute down the stretch and that was big for us obviously uh Devon hit some tough shots and I mean he he was great all night long uh from from the
Beginning of the game to the end of the game and uh for me I mean I was trying to deny and he’s a good cutter so he got back door and uh it’s just not giving up on the play um it was either you do that or you try
To foul him don’t let don’t let him get his arms up but I just went for the ball and was able to get the ball were you surprised that you were able to get it oh I mean I wasn’t surprised uh but I feel like I have pretty good recovery
Speed and um I knew that he was going for the dunk so like there wasn’t much movement that was probably going to happen so uh like I said I just swung and I was able to get it today’s episode of the lockon Kings podcast is brought to you by sacyard Community Tap House
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That easy all right I’m going to put on a little bit of a Negative Nancy hat here and get into why part of tonight’s game or a lot of tonight’s game bothered me before I get into that though the context of of what I want to play for you here I think is
Really really important after the game I asked Mike Brown dearon Fox and Kevin herder about how this stretch right this this home stretch of the season this playoff race in the west where every single game is crucial how it can be just as impactful or just as important
To the Kings developing into a playoff or rather Championship Contender as if they were playing playoff games right like we all think okay in order to the king to to the Kings to get further on their playoff stage and closer to that Championship goal they have to actually
Win in the playoffs right and that’s true to some extent but that doesn’t mean the regular season is as useless as some people want to make it out to be this playoff race can be crucial to the Kings unlocking that next step or climbing that next run rung up the
Ladder to become a contender but rather than hear me blab about it why not hear from the head coach who’s coached championship teams before and the players who are in the trenches every single day here’s what they had to say about it Mike I think a lot of people
Naturally think to the playoffs and uh as the way that this team can build upon last year and get closer to being a contender like you’ve talked a lot about but can you share specifically how this final stretch of the season with how tight the West is in the race for even a
Playoff spot how you can use that to also build to being a contender every time you know every time we step on the floor because we’re in a completely different situation than last year you know like I said last year we were injuryf free uh there were no
Expectations and so it was just happy gol lucky Pat me on my back feel good about what’s going on we’ll take whatever comes our way no pressure this year is a little different you know coming into the season there were expectations and you we talked until we
Were bleue in the face to our guys that and everybody else at the end of the day we probably put more expectations on ourselves anybody else but you can still you know everybody’s human and if you haven’t been in this position before especially in especially in the position
That you’re in individually uh I eat Malik monk never been in this position before uh in terms of how much we need him and how much his impact helps this team but he’s never been in this position before uh being the hunted with the expectations and then dealing with the
Injuries that we’ve dealt with Fox hasn’t dolas Kevin herder I me you can go down the line the one guy that may HB might have been in this position before but not many of our guys and so every time we step on the floor from especially from this point forward
Because of where we’re sitting in the standings it’s a different feeling that they haven’t gone through and and we have to perform at a high level to get a win just to get into the playoffs so we’re fighting for our lives right now and it’s great because it’s the we you
Need experience in order to grow and sometimes you need adversity in order to grow and that’s the best or the quickest way you’ll be able to learn by going through something falling on your face and getting up and and figuring it out you know because that’s when it stings
The most so I I like all this stuff for us we we need it uh we’re going to embrace it and at the end of the day I believe this group can get it done Fox the importance of these games down the stretch speak for themselves but I’m
Curious obviously the goal is to get back to the playoffs to build off of last year’s playoff series but in your mind and maybe if Mike’s talked about it how important is this stretch in the Western Conference race and how significant all these games are to you
Think building to where you guys want to get to that contendership status I mean it’s it’s huge you obviously you know there are there are different spots where you can come after allar break and you could be fighting for a playoff spot or you can come after allar break and
You can be counting the days down until the game until the season’s over um and with the way that the West is right now um every obviously at the beginning year every game matters but right now you can win one game or lose one game and you
Can move up or down three or four spots like that’s that’s how close it is right now and we know that every game is important that’s why I said um sometimes that you I mean you’d always rather a win than a loss no matter how they come but especially right now you’d rather
That uh but you try to build as much momentum as you can going into that first round of the playoffs and then there there’s there’s no stopping right now it’s you know you’re you’re you’re in a Full Throttle right now some people think the the regular season is is
Meaning less and less and less of course you guys want to get back to the playoffs and and build off of last season but how important is this stretch and the W Western Conference race to you think building and developing this team into the contender that you want to
Become yeah we we got to use every practice every game to do that uh we’re consistent across the board and we’ve beaten the best teams this year and we’ve we’ve lost to some of the some teams that are struggling this season so uh I just think continue to find that
Consistency night in and night out the urgency to show up uh especially doing the little things at home in front of our own crowd is is huge for us and uh like I said we’ll take it one game at a time but everyone is Big so I came into
Tonight’s game like I said expecting a win absolutely expecting a win I was not going to accept anything less right and you best believe I would have not been a happy camper here on locked on Kings had the Kings lost tonight’s game but they won that being said I confess myself
Unimpressed right for some of the reasons I talked about earlier the king’s inability to pull away from a team like San Antonio at home for it to be as close as it was for it to follow the pattern of of keeping a team in it giving them hope giving them hope giving
Them hope instead of just kind of crushing them stepping on their throats for lack of a better term and just just commanding the game and sending a message right I loved how well the Kings started the second half quote unquote second half of last season when they
Came out of the All-Star break and silenced the haters silenced the doubters people said you know what the Kings have never been in this playoff race position before they’re not going to hold on to the third seed there are experienced playoff teams behind them that are biting at their heels the kings
Are going to be in trouble in this final stretch and Sacramento granted I don’t remember how close their games were on that eight game stretch that they had where they were playing really really well coming out of the All-Star break but Sacramento sent a message to the
Rest of the league that they belonged in that third spot they held down the that spot and and really I think it was that push to start the again second half of the Season that helped them secure it or really secured it for them I think the
Kings are going to need a similar kind of start to this second half in order to have a chance at a top six seed in making the playoffs outright so I was hoping for more more tonight and I and I admit maybe this is more my nervousness and my anxiety and anticipation when
Looking at the west and how crazy I think this race is going to be and how crazy it already is I think I was more emotionally taking that into account than I was logically thinking about tonight’s game like the the Spurs despite the fact that they’re the worst
Team in the west they’re not a pushover team right and they’re coming off of the All-Star break and getting the rest just like the Sacramento Kings did right so I wanted the Kings to come out and send a message to the rest of the league tonight beat the breaks off the Spurs
Come out of the gate hot take a commanding lead and maintain that commanding lead and stamp their foot down to say damn it we’re a playoff team in the west we’re not a play in team but the reality is there was no way like I almost wanted the Kings to do something
That was as close to them securing a playoff spot in one game even though that’s not even close to mathematically possible it’s almost like I wanted them to do that when logically and realistically they never could do that so I admit my shortcomings right I I admit that the way I’m feeling doesn’t
Necessarily makes sense but watching this game going through it I just I felt like the kings were the better team of course they played well Fox and sabonis played really really well Kevin herder had a great night Malik Monk and and Keegan Murray had good moments right like there’s there’s plenty from this
Game to be positive about like we’ve already talked about on this podcast but I just wanted more I needed more I just wanted to see the Kings send a bigger message and you know what maybe the message is on standby maybe it’s on hold maybe it’s a draft because maybe that
Message is going to be sent on Sunday when the Kings take on the Los Angeles Clippers as it stands right now the kings are still a play a playin team I think there’s a little bit of a shift in the standings I think the the the Dallas
Mavericks Leap Frog the Phoenix Suns uh so the Suns I think are now in seventh and the Mavericks are in fifth or sixth and the Pelicans are still up there regardless like I was trying to think like which team if the kings are going to move into the top six which I think
Is a very possible scenario I’m trying to think which team falls out maybe the Suns maybe the Pelicans although I don’t think it’s going to be the Kings knocking the Pelicans out because the Kings have struggled against the Pelicans this season I guess it’s more likely that the
Pelicans with the lack of experience and the star power compared to the Suns they fall out but I don’t know but I saw some people talking about this and and I I made this joke earlier this season if the standings the top of the standings held if the kings make it out
Of the play and spot and get to the sixth seed right they secure the playoffs outright they don’t have to play the play in game definitely cause for celebration right but as of right now the team in the third seed is the Los Angeles Clippers so the Kings would
Hooray you avoid the play in here’s a series against an LA Clippers team that has dominated you this season I know some people are making the joke like I’d almost rather be a playing team to avoid the Clippers and then if you win a a play in spot you’re either
Taking on like the the Timberwolves or the Thunder who are the top two teams I believe right now like I get that and I it’s it’s like it’s kind of a joke and it’s kind of tongue and cheek but also it’s kind of not I want to hear your
Thoughts on it like do you think it would be strategically better for Sacramento to take the risk of the play in tournament to avoid the Clippers in the opening round or just get into the playoffs outright if you get the Clippers you’re going to be the underdog
Figure it the heck out right I think that’s the better option but how do you feel about that let me know at Matt George sack on Twitter email me Matt jports gmail.com and leave your thoughts in the YouTube comment section down below but the Kings have another crack
At the Clippers Sunday hopefully it goes better than the other couple meetings uh have been against Los Angeles so far today’s episode of the locked on Kings podcast is brought to you by something very important to me it’s better help better help is a amazing sponsor that makes therapy makes mental
Health more uh important and makes it easier to get the help that you need right therapy is something that I take very very seriously mental health is something I take very very seriously because I was maybe like you I was like a lot of people where I had that that
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And suited to your schedule go to betterhelp.com lnba to get 10% off your first month that’s betterhelp hp.com lockon NBA before we wrap up really quickly wanted to talk about a couple of things the first being Kevin herder it was nice to see Kevin herder come out of the
All-Star break and looked like his Sharpshooter self he had his first four three-pointers in tonight’s game finished with 21 points five of eight from three-point range and five assists look you’re not going to get 21 points a night from Kevin anytime you do get it hopefully you’re winning like the Kings
Did tonight but that five of8 three point shooting that coming out of the gate making an impact on the perimeter and not having to dominate the game to do so right it’s not like Kevin had a bunch of plays drawn up for him it’s not like Kevin was demanding the basketball
Or changing what dearen fox or Damon sabonis or anybody else was trying to do he got his shots within the flow of the offense if the Kings have the better version of Kevin herder right the Sharpshooter who’s knocking down close to 40% of his three-pointers throughout the remainder of this season I really
Like their chances to make the playoffs that’s something they seriously have lacked consistently this season overall and it’s certainly something they lacked in a major way during the playoff series against the Warriors last year Kevin herder whether you feel he’s on the outs or not with this Kings team whether his
Days in Sacramento are numbered or not and whether he’s going to be traded this off SE season or not he’s on the team now the kings are trying to win right now and the best version of the Sacramento Kings features Kevin herder knocking down three-point shots now one
Of the things I love about Kevin I didn’t play this audio for you but Kevin in his postgame press conference was asked about just the defense and the perimeter defense by the Kings and by himself he basically put his hand up and said look I thought my defense was
Terrible tonight but I was making shots so I’m I’m glad my shots were going in Kevin defensively has struggled this year as have many other people but Kevin at times has kind of been front and center of the defensive struggles of the Kings so much so that he lost his starting job
For a period of time right and he’s been dealing with the frustrations of that the confusion of that going back to the preseason but what I love about Kevin and what I love about that moment is here he is talking to the media after a good game he hasn’t been able to do
That too often this season comes talks to the media after a good game and says I was not good defensively I need to be better defensively right what that says to me is yes you and I can be frustrated with how Kevin’s playing defensively or when he’s missing his shots Mike Brown
And the King’s coaching staff can be frustrated defensively with what Kevin is or isn’t giving them nobody is going to hold Kevin herder more accountable than Kevin is he’s not making excuses for himself he might be frustrated that he feels like sometimes he’s being sing singled out as
The the scapegoat defensively when the Kings as a team have a clear defensive issue but I really appreciate Kevin taking ownership and it just makes me appreciate Kevin the teammate and Kevin the man even more like I don’t hate the idea and I’ve never hated the idea of
Kevin being a long-term piece of hopefully a championship team here in Sacramento maybe not as the starting two but if Kevin herder is part of this team going forward I have a hard time feeling like that’s a bad thing for Sacramento in the locker room and on the floor of
Course if he continues to slightly improve as a Defender while being that Sharpshooter that the Kings need there’s always in my opinion going to be a place for him on this roster but I really appreciated him bringing that up after the game speaking of three-pointer uh three-point shooting Sacramento’s
Three-point defense Mike Brown po pointed this out in practice over the All-Star break and it it was mind-blowing to me and a lot of Kings fans the kings are the worst perimeter defensive team in the league or one of the worst like historically one of the worst three-point defensive teams in NBA
History just bad bad bad bad bad once again tonight they were beat bad on the perimeter the San Antonio Spurs shot 44% from three-point range 11 of 25 not as bad as we’ve seen it we’ve seen it in the 50s uh too many times over the
Course of this season but still over way above average for the Spurs from three-point range tonight against the Kings it’s a problem right and Mike pointed out that with the Kings defensive improvements in other areas if the kings were just League average defensively from three-point range they would be eighth in the league
Defensively that’s how big of an issue Sacramento’s three-point shooting is I mean it it speaks for itself how bad those numbers are and how low they are in the The League rankings and three-point defense but if they correct that not make it the best in the league
Or one of the best in the league just League average this King team is a top 10 defense that’s both encouraging and discouraging because your problem is right there in front of you you fix it you are in great shape the problem is the problem is so
Bad you don’t know how to fix it and truth be told I don’t think there’s anybody on this roster I don’t think the Kings have the Personnel overall as a team to be able to fix it I just think their size their lack of length and their rotations and how they play this
King’s team is just not going to be a good perimeter defensive team and hope to God that doesn’t kill kill you as bad as it potentially can and maybe will in the playoffs but it’s a problem right now a big problem I don’t need to point
That out to you or I don’t need to sell you on why like it’s it’s pretty obvious the Kings if the kings hold opponents to to average to below average shooting Nights from three-point range they have a great chance of winning every single night but more often than not even in
Winds like we see tonight more often than not they’re giving up way too high of a percentage from the perimeter and we’ve seen it cost the Kings a lot this season and I think it’s going to cost the Kings a lot at times over the course of this playoff race if they don’t
Correct it we’ll see how that goes on Sunday against the Clippers of course we’ll have a lock on Kings podcast after that game I’m I’m working to get back into the flow back into the consistant rotation and volume of lockon Kings podcast for all of the final 27 games
This season I plan on having postgame pods for you the buildup to the playoffs everything in between make sure you keep it locked on to locked on Kings see what I did there I appreciate your support thank you for all of you who came to the
Game tonight who stopped by said hi said hello I’m always at the top of Section 105 if you’re at a game in the future against 16 home games remaining this season so I’ll be at all of them come by say hi would love to chat with you in
Person I appreciate your support can’t wait to have you join me on the next episode of lockon Kings until then my name is Matt George you’ve been listening to the lockon Kings podcast part of the lockon podcast Network
Matt George reacts to the Sacramento Kings’ close victory over the San Antonio Spurs, as the Kings are now fully in the heat of the Western Conference playoff race.
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Stressful Start to the Sacramento Kings Playoff Race
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19 Comments
Great team game!! Loved the teamwork today. Fox back to being Foxy!! Sabonis with half HP gets a triple double on the freak of nature Wemby!! LTB🔦🦊🐂👑🖤💜
So tonights game:
Victory always taste better then defeat, so congrats guys… That being said we beat a team that a team of the Kings caliber is "Supposed" to beat, it is still a win, regardless.
Spurs just went downhill all night on us, continually going right to the bucket and seemingly scoring at will, not to mention, like most other teams against us, shot well from 3. I bring this up because it seemed like we closed out on most perimeter shots better then other games, but the spurs did a great job of slipping past the approaching defender and driving inside, just kept happening all night.
I would love to see more peskiness when they drive, swiping at the ball, closing off the drive outside the circle, someone other then Davion setting their feet, taking a charge, etc
Sabonis, not sure what else to say, the man is a beast!
Heurter was on fire tonight!
Those Dunks were insane facials!
4th quarter Fox, so much fun to watch, when all looked bleak, Fox looked at the clock in the last 2 minutes and said "Not tonight!"
That block Fox got at the end of the game was so fast, I didnt even know what happened until I saw the replay, Has anyone ever seen Fox and "The Flash" in the same room at the same time? That was sick!
Great Locked on again Matt!
We have zero shot of winning a play in game zero. Lakers/GSW will live at the line rather get swept by the clippers send Atlanta our first than the other option
Number 24 would be perfect on the kings
i was away on vacation but im shocked Kings did nothing @ the deadline…loved the moves Dallas & Suns made…Kings will be kings i guess
Shootout with the spurs lol the lack of defense is why nobody on this team got to go to Indy
That Spur's team will be turning the corner soon, the Kings still out executed them to close out. Fox looks like he really needed the break, Domas is a freak of nature and it appears coach Brown has figured out his 8 or so rotation players. I agree with you that they play down to their competition most night
1 how do you stress on defending wide open 3s and just break down 3 defensive possessions into the game. 2 HB is the only player that knows what it's like to be hunted😂?! Mike browns infatuation with HB is bonkers, the man can only say positive things bout that dude that played less than 20 min tonight cause he is a defensive siv.
Really think because of schedule 40-42 record. Maybe play-in round.
I am not afraid of the Clippers. Kings match up well against the Clippers, we just need to play focused. The Clippers have been doing great in the regular season this year but never in a playoff.
Keegan in the post..that’s all I need.
Looking at the standings, I think the Kings will fall between the 5-8 seed. A play-in game is very likely with how tight the race in the west is!
We're going to need a couple win streaks to wrap this up if not at least one good 7-9 game win streak.
The standings are tight. Have to win the games the are favored to win. Too few games left to not get expected wins.
They had stretches in the 2nd quarter where they made adjustments and played solid D, until the other team makes adjustments, kings needed a piece or 2 at the deadline to help 🤦🏽♂️
Lyles, Barnes , Len , can be liabilities Mitchell still can’t shoot
Mavs could fall out, Kings can rise to their spot.
Only a loser would rather be a Wild Card than play the Clippers. So, a team like that, with fans like that, would definitely lose in the Play-In. A winner sacks up and plays whoever is in front of them. To quote Vito Corleone, 'You could act like a man; that's what you could do!'
Domas gets our respect again!