Alexander Hassenstein - Bongarts/Getty Images
Visiting the champs,
soaking in all that success.
Star struck? I hope not.
Sacramento Kings at Dallas Mavericks
6 p.m. Pacific on Comcast SportsNet California
The Kings got roughed up in the second half of the team's loss at Houston Friday. To me, that was a story of four games: the one that the Rockets ran up on early, the Kings' fight back led by Isaiah Thomas and crew, the Rockets repeating their first quarter success in the third and the long, slow close-out by the Rockets. The Kings were near able to replace the big push they had gotten in the second.
The lesson: don't keep falling behind! It's easier said than done, but it happens when the Kings don't seal off the defensive glass. That ruins Sacramento's attack, which is best on the break and secondary break. We have a bad halfcourt offense right now that's still adjusting to and informing Keith Smart.
Unfortunately, Dallas is a good team -- better than Houston, surely -- and the same problems could crop up Saturday. Add in that the Mavericks have an undefendable big man in Dirk Nowitzki and decent backcourt/wing depth (compared to the thin Rockets), and ... yeah, the Kings are going to need much more from DeMarcus Cousins (who was completely taken out of his game by Samuel Dalembert Friday; that was like Battier on Evans all over again), and something from the Salmons-Fredette syndicate.
Game's at 6. Game threads at 6 and 7:30. Let's go Kings!
0 recs | 40 comments
Really wish the phrase "better have my donuts" was 5 syllables
wallywagon11 - January 14, 2012
JJ and Delonte West connection
Here
wallywagon11 - January 14, 2012
Cleveland and Dunkin Donuts
A match made in diabetic heaven.
RJinFairOaks - January 14, 2012
Dirk might go for 100 against us
HeuristicLineup - January 14, 2012
Hopefully this prediction goes the same way my Salmons prediction went
HeuristicLineup - January 14, 2012
Lmfao that is funny.
CousinsEvansDUO - January 14, 2012
Jinx Dirk!!!
raiderking21 - January 14, 2012
Forget about Dirk, he'll probably rest while Odom and Marion go for 40 each.
HighTops - January 14, 2012
Unfortunately I won’t be able to watch this game as I’ll be at the raw house show tonight :( Although maybe that’s a good thing as I won’t have to witness the potential slaughter we might receive from the mavs :/
CousinsEvansDUO - January 14, 2012
Obligatory
wallywagon11 - January 14, 2012
HeuristicLineup - January 14, 2012
rubenho - January 14, 2012
Haha, I have a college friend who was on the news in Dallas
Labeled as Dirk’s “Doppelganger” during the Finals. I’ll have to get him to imitate this picture.
HarveySpecter - January 14, 2012
Caffeine...
Hell of a drug…
Crocoduck - January 14, 2012 via mobile
wallywagon11 - January 14, 2012
The Kings are still one of the worst shooting teams in the league
We’re 29th in FG% at 40.5%, we’re 26th in 3P% at 27.3%, and we’re tied for 1st with Charlotte in Points Allowed.
I have to disagree with you TZ on IT leading anything in yesterdays game. He shot well but 5 assists and 3 turnovers, doesn’t get the team back in the game. And, he only had 1 of the 8 steals that lead to the 22 fast break points that got us back into the game in the 2nd quarter.
The way the Kings are offensively right now, their only chance of winning a game is to get more FGA’s by getting more OFF Rebounds, Steals and FT’s.
We might get the FT’s and depending on how DMC feels we could control the boards, but no way we get the steals and FB pts that we had against Houston. Our only hope is for the 3pt shooters to have their best game of the season.
This will not be a pretty game.
HighTops - January 14, 2012
HT!
I miss your pre-game write-ups!
MichaelMack - January 14, 2012
Me too.
rubenho - January 14, 2012
I read that as
“We’re tied for first with Chandler Parsons Points allowed”
caseycheesecake - January 14, 2012
You can do this Kings!
DiegoKing - January 14, 2012
Flagrant 2!
rubenho - January 14, 2012
The Niners are kicking ass, nice.
DiegoKing - January 14, 2012
Um not so fast.
Lotusprime - January 14, 2012 via mobile
This has been a killer game.
DiegoKing - January 14, 2012
Yes it has
What a great ending. Shades of TO against the packers.
Lotusprime - January 14, 2012 via mobile
I sense another blowout loss looming
Too bad the Kings couldn’t have caught Dallas at the start of the season when they were struggling.
deadenddude - January 14, 2012
Dallas is still not back, but the problem all season isn't the opponent as much as it is US
PW had 2+ years and we still don’t run a Pick and Roll that’s effective. We don’t run plays to get any easy baskets for our front line. No picks, screens or back cuts in the paint. Even Lowry was setting picks on our bigs to free them up, and we have much bigger guards and don’t use them half as much as other teams.
We need less standing around watching and more bodies crashing into each other and running thru the paint to cause confusion and make the defenders chase our shooters instead of cutting off the passing lanes and crowding the paint.
HighTops - January 14, 2012
Wouldn't that
Necessitate us having shooters? We have a ton of slashers but not many shooters. That said I do agree with your points.
Lotusprime - January 14, 2012 via mobile
I think they would probably shoot a better percentage
If they were taking more open shots, and in the flow of the offense, rather than so many forced jumpers, or 20 foot fade aways.
MichaelMack - January 14, 2012
Agree
Smart’s got the team getting easy baskets in transition, but has a lot of work to do in the half court.
I hope Smart continues his trend with Donte. He’s still to trigger happy from 3, but he’s rebounding and defending well, and I think he’s more of a threat around the basket without the ball than anyone else right now. I also think he’d be the best option to try to slow down Dirk.
Crocoduck - January 14, 2012
You could be right about Donte, and he saw 32 minutes at the 4 in the last game
but, without DMC playing or playing well, Dirk will probably spend more time resting on the bench watching the reserves beating us.
HighTops - January 14, 2012
For some reason I expect Odom to remain scoreless
and continue his slump against our overwhelming SF power since it´s opposite day.
rubenho - January 14, 2012
Thornton is back tonight!
james_kevin18 - January 14, 2012
Oh thank goodnes.
caseycheesecake - January 14, 2012
Best news I've heard all day
DiegoKing - January 14, 2012
I wonder if Smart is going to start him or bring him off the bench slowly
If he comes off the bench we’d see a great match-up between him and Terry.
HighTops - January 14, 2012
Dirk was my hero last season in the finals.
It did my heart good to watch him win the championships. It would do my heart good to have the Sacramento Kings beat him tonight.
Isaiah, slay the giant.
Slam_Dunk - January 14, 2012
Anyone else have this not showing up on their TV listing?
Been watching football all day and just went looking for the Kings game and can’t seem to find it on Comcast… err Xfinity… errr whatever. Anyone else having this issue?
Gravymonkey - January 14, 2012
I hope they don"t beat us to bad!!!!!
cowboyron96@yahoo.com - January 14, 2012
oops
caseycheesecake - January 14, 2012
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