Sacramento Kings: Game 54 Preview vs Atlanta Hawks

Oct 31, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins (15) loses control of the ball to the defense of Atlanta Hawks forward Kent Bazemore (24) and forward Paul Millsap (4) during the second half at Philips Arena. The Hawks defeated the Kings 106-95. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

The Sacramento Kings play host to the Atlanta Hawks on February 10, 2017. This article provides a preview of that game from a Kings’ perspective.

The Sacramento Kings play game five of a six-game homestand tonight against the Atlanta Hawks. This is the second of two meetings between the teams this regular season. Atlanta hosted the Kings on October 31st and the Hawks were victorious 106-95 on that Halloween evening. Below is a highlight video from that game in case you missed the action.

It is worth mentioning that DeMarcus Cousins was only suspended one game, so he will be back in the lineup tonight for the Sacramento Kings. It will be a welcomed sight especially since the Hawks feature two versatile and skilled big men.

Without further ado, let us move on to the preview for tonight’s contest between the Sacramento Kings and the Atlanta Hawks.

Oct 31, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Sacramento Kings guard Ty Lawson (10) tries to shoot over Atlanta Hawks guard Dennis Schroder (17) and forward Paul Millsap (4) during the first half at Philips Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Injuries

Sacramento Kings

The Sacramento Kings have two players listed as out as of this writing. Rudy Gay (out for the season with an Achilles injury) and Garrett Temple (hamstring) are both out for the Kings tonight.

Omri Casspi is listed as questionable with a calf injury. Casspi has missed the last 14 games with this injury but is eyeing a return for tonight’s game. Be sure to check on his status as the game approaches.

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Ty Lawson is listed as doubtful with a hamstring injury. Lawson injured his hamstring in Wednesday’s game against the Celtics and an MRI revealed a strain. He is probably out tonight and potentially misses a few more games as well.

The Kings’ injury list continues to grow, so I hope for healthy Kings the rest of the season.

Atlanta Hawks

The Atlanta Hawks have just two players listed on their injury report. Both Tiago Splitter (Calf) and Thabo Sefolosha (groin) are listed as out for tonight’s game. Down two rotation players is never ideal, but the Hawks are sitting pretty compared to Sacramento tonight.

Stay Alert

Be sure to check twitter or watch the pregame show to get the final statuses of Casspi and Lawson. Injuries are tricky and often are not reported until just before tipoff, so make sure to stay in the know.

Atlanta Hawks’ Scouting Report

The Atlanta Hawks enter tonight’s game with a record of 31 wins and 22 losses. They are currently 5th in the Eastern Conference and just a half-game behind both the Wizards and Raptors for 3rd.

Last time out, the Atlanta Hawks hosted the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday. The Hawks were victorious 117-106 in a run and gun affair. Below is a highlight video from that game to give you a glimpse at the Hawks’ recent form.

Schroder?

Dennis Schroder is probably the best point guard you know little to nothing about. Thrust into a starting role this season after trading away Jeff Teague and the 23-year-old Schroder has flourished. Schroder is averaging 17.4 points, 6.3 assists, 1.2 three-pointers made, 2.9 rebounds, 0.8 steals, and 3.1 turnovers per game while shooting 46.1% from the field and 83.4% from the free throw line. He is only averaging 30.7 minutes per game as well.

Schroder is a blur in the open court and has the potential to continue to grow into an All-Star point guard. It will be interesting to watch him in tonight’s game and to continue to monitor his development over the next few seasons.

What to Watch for Tonight

Return of the Boogie

DeMarcus Cousins served his one-game suspension on Wednesday for accumulating 16 technical fouls this regular season. It will be interesting to see if Cousins changes his game a little tonight. He cannot afford to pick up any more technical fouls. Every two T’s he receives results in another one game suspension, so Cousins needs to cut back on his referee chatter tonight and going forward.

It is also worth mentioning that Cousins struggled against the Hawks in the first meeting. He failed to draw fouls (only three free throw attempts in the game), shot poorly from the field (6 of 16), and had four turnovers to go with his five personal fouls.

I think the suspension and Monday’s ejection will have Cousins fired up tonight and he will produce a big statistical line against the Atlanta Hawks, so tune in and watch Boogie go.

The Return of Ben McLemore

Do not look now, but Ben McLemore has played 35, 29, and 30 minutes in three of his last four games.

It has been an up and down season for Mister McLemore, to say the least. He has started 17 games this season and yet was a DNP-CD for most of the month of January. He has shot poorly for the season and his counting statistics are almost nonexistent, but 47 points in his last 4 games make it seem like McLemore is moving in a positive direction.

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Ben McLemore is still just 23 years old. I wrote a piece before the season outlining why the Kings should still believe in him and I stand by those words. It will be interesting to see if McLemore can turn his season around and prove me right or if he fades out of Coach Joerger’s rotation with the return of Omri Casspi or the emergence of Malachi Richardson. Stay tuned.

Defending a Balanced Attack

The Hawks are a dangerous team in part because they do not rely on one player to beat you. They spread the ball around and have a multitude of players who can get the job done. All-Star Paul Millsap and Dennis Schroder both average over 17 points a game, but three other players are in double figures and the bench is deep with players who can chip in.

The Kings will need to be on their toes defensively. They looked great defensively against the Celtics on Wednesday and that propelled them to victory, so let us hope they are up to the task tonight against the Hawks.

Summary

There you have it, my game preview for tonight’s contest between the Atlanta Hawks and the Sacramento Kings.

The Kings have a shot to win their third game in the last four chances tonight and defeat back-to-back Eastern Conference playoff teams. That would be a big momentum booster for a team on the fringe of playoff contention.

Please tune in tonight and root on the Kings as they go for victory number 22 on the season.

Be sure to make A Royal Pain your stop for everything Sacramento Kings this season. Thank you for reading.