Highs and Lows: Sacramento Kings Give Away a Game in Philly

Just when you think that the Sacramento Kings have turned it around, they haven’t. Biggest tease in the NBA.

Tonight, the Kings had a chance to add another one to the win column, but instead, they lose today’s match to the Philadelphia 76ers by a score of 122-119. Listed down below are the highs and lows in tonight’s game that pertain to the purple and white.

HIGHS

DeMarcus Cousins: For a second straight game, DeMarcus Cousins was a complete beast on the hardwood. For the game, the All-Star big finished with a stat line of 46 points, 15 rebounds, and 5 assists. I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again, the Kings have no chance of making the playoffs if they are without the services of #15. He is the BEST big man in the NBA today.

Perimeter Shooting: The Kings’ perimeter shooting has been efficient in their last couple of games, and tonight’s performance was no different. For the night, the Kings shot 13-29 (44.8%) from beyond the arc, their third straight game shooting over 40% from the area. The question all season long towards the Kings’ offense was if DeMarcus Cousins was ever going to have shooters around him to help carry some of the offensive load off his back? Well, he sure did in tonight’s game.

Jan 28, 2017; Charlotte, NC, USA; Sacramento Kings center Willie Cauley-Stein (00) talks with guard Ty Lawson (10) after a foul during the second half against the Charlotte Hornets at the Spectrum Center. The Kings won 109-106. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

Lawson-Trill Tandem: Willie Cauley-Stein has been a pleasant surprise in the last 5+ games, and a big reason for his success is Ty Lawson. The pair is starting to gain legit chemistry with each other on the offensive end. In tonight’s contest, Cauley-Stein posted 17 points (season high) in which Lawson was the distributor of five of Cauley-Stein’s made baskets. When Rajon Rondo left the Kings last summer, it definitely was a blow towards Cauley-Stein because Rondo was a huge help for Willie on the offensive end. But it looks like now Trill has found a replacement in Lawson.

LOWS

Defense: The offense for Sacramento has been clicking the last week, but their defense remains to hold them back. In tonight’s game, the Sixers were able to score 122 points on the Kings while shooting 54.2% from the floor, 35.5% from the perimeter, and 80.8% from the charity stripe. The Sixers also had seven of their players finish the game scoring in the double-digits. A broken record, but if the Kings don’t find success on the defensive end, they won’t win many games going forth.

Turnovers: Another broken record: The Kings turn the ball over way too often. For tonight’s game, Sacramento recorded a whopping 20 turnovers for the night. If there was anything negative to say about the Kings’ offense this month, it’s their high rate of turnovers. The offense for the Kings runs smoothly, but turnovers stagnant it at times and gives momentum towards their opponents. Bottom line, the offense for Sacramento can be pretty darn good if they can limit their turnovers.

Same Ole Kings: The Kings were up by as much as 16 points in this game against a Sixers team that had no Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons. Easy win, right? Wrong. The Kings continue this trend where it leads to migraines and psychological help towards their fans. In the early or middle stages of a game, the Kings will look like a legit basketball team that leads their opponents by a “comfortable” margin. But for some peculiar reason, they crumble when the later stages of the game are in play, which usually ends in them losing the game. Not only is giving up leads a headache of its own, but the Kings also give up these games to inferior opponents like the Sixers tonight. The Kings do have a chance to make the playoffs this season. I truly believe that. But if they cannot figure out how to close games against winnable teams, they can meet their friend, the NBA Lottery, once again in May.