The Kings kick off a six-game road trip tonight in Denver, their longest trip of the season to date. Hopefully the Kings can come out the other side looking just as good as they came in.
Let’s talk Kings basketball!
When: Thursday, January 23rd, 6:00 PM PST
Where: Ball Arena, Denver, CO
TV: NBC Sports California
Radio: Sactown Sports 1140 AM
For Your Consideration
The Kings and Nuggets meet tonight in a battle between two of the hottest teams in the NBA. The Kings have won 10 of 12 games under interim head coach Doug Christie, including a remarkable 18 point comeback win against the Golden State Warriors last night. The Nuggets meanwhile have won 11 of their last 14 games, with two of those losses coming during games in which Nikola Jokic didn’t play.
Sacramento is obviously at a disadvantage tonight coming into Denver on the second night of a back to back, but if there’s one thing that Doug Christie’s Kings have shown, it’s that they don’t have much quit in them. This is the start of a very tough six-game road trip, and a win tonight would be one of the best of the season. The Kings and Nuggets have met once before this season, with the Kings suffering a heartbreaking 130-129 loss despite holding a double digit lead with 4 minutes left. Sacramento was able to hold Jokic to one of his worst shooting performances of the season as he scored just 20 points on 8-19 from the field, but Jamal Murray came up big in the clutch with 28 points and the eventual game-winner. The Kings didn’t have Keegan Murray in that game though, and tonight both teams will enter with a relatively clean bill of health for all the major rotation players.
Denver is one of the best offensive teams in the league, ranking 4th in Offensive Rating. They’ve been even better over their last 14 games though, ranking 1st with a 123.3 offensive rating, 2.4 points per 100 possessions better than the 2nd place Cavaliers during that timespan. They’ve also cranked it up defensively, ranking 6th during that same timeframe compared to just 16th for the entire season. Now, Denver’s schedule during this stretch hasn’t been the toughest (their only win against a team with a better record than the Kings was against the Clippers), but they are still undeniably rolling. Jokic is somehow playing even better than he was during his three MVP campaigns, averaging a career-best 30.1 points to go with 13.2 rebounds, 9.9 assists, 1.9 steals and shooting 47.5% from three as well. Russell Westbrook has been rejuvenated as a supporting piece in Denver, providing a steady dose of everything and young guy Christian Braun is starting to figure it out as well, having a breakout year shooting 57.1% from the field for 13.9 points. The Nuggets are as dangerous as anyone in the NBA, with possibly the best player in the NBA, and it’s going to be a tough task to topple them on their home floor.
Denver is one of the most efficient teams in the league offensively, leading the league in FG% and 3P%. However despite their accuracy from distance, they shoot the fewest threes of any team in the league at just 30.9 a game. That’s partly because of how dominant they are inside, leading the league in both Points in the Paint (58.2 a game) and Fastbreak Points (20.0). Theoretically, the Kings are good at countering those two strengths, as they’re the best in limiting fastbreak points at 11.9 (they held the Warriors to 0 yesterday, compared to 28 of their own), and 4th best in Opponent Points in the Paint (44.7). In their first matchup, the Kings won the fastbreak battle 30 to 16, but were crushed in the paint 76 to 58. It was by far the most points in the paint the Kings have allowed all season, and it’s usually not a good sign for the Kings when they let opponents dominate inside. For the season, the Kings are 4-8 when allowing 50+ points in the paint, and 7-13 when allowing 44+. That means the Kings are 16-7 when they manage to hold opponents to below 44 paint points, but that’s easier said than done with threats like Jokic, Westbrook and Aaron Gordon who all love to attack the rim.
-If there’s been one common thread in Denver’s 16 losses, it’s been opponent three point shooting. Denver only allows teams to shoot 32.8% in the games they’ve won this year, but in losses, opponents have shot 38.9%. Denver also allows opponents to shoot way more threes than they do, even more than the Kings. Denver’s opponents typically average 9 more attempts from three a game. If the Kings can capitalize and hit their open shots, they’ll have a good chance of winning the game.
All eyes will be on the Sabonis-Jokic matchup, but equally important will be the De’Aaron Fox-Jamal Murray minutes. De’Aaron’s had a rough stretch over the last four games, averaging just 16.3 points and shooting just 33.3% from the field. He’s been making up for it in other areas though, averaging 7.8 assists, 6.0 rebounds, 1.8 steals and a block a game. Still, the Kings need De’Aaron to get back on track to maximize their chances of winning. Murray is equally important for the Nuggets as their second option. The Kings held him in check for most of the game during their first matchup, but it was his tough shotmaking in the clutch that eventually won the game for Denver. I wouldn’t be surprised if we see the Kings throw Keegan at Murray to try to slow him down.
This is gonna be a tough one, and the Kings are definitely underdogs, but this Kings team has a different mentality about them now. Nothing would surprise me at this point, and hopefully the good times can keep on rolling and the Kings can start this road trip off on a bright note.
Prediction
The vibes remain emaculate.
Kings 114, Nuggets 110
