“When I was 25… it was a, very, good year…”
Which NBA team has wins over the following opponents under their belt: the Cavaliers, the Celtics, the Raptors (twice), the Warriors, the Jazz, the Grizzlies, the Thunder? How ‘bout those Sacramento Kings? They get a visit from the Hawks tonight (10:30 PM Eastern, Fox Sports Southeast and 92.9 FM in ATL), as Atlanta concludes their pre-All-Star Break schedule with a three-game West Coast trip.
Somewhere in Norcal, All-Star Paul Millsap woke up this morning discovering he just turned 29 years of age for the fourth consecutive year (one year fewer than ex-Hawk favorite Zaza Pachulia). Millsap can take solace in knowing he will always be four days younger than Kris Humphries.
Hump and Sap awoke to the knowledge that their Hawks are tied with Boston for the best road record (15-11) in the Eastern Conference. At least for a day, Atlanta can have the top spot all to themselves with a win tonight against a Kings team that, as the Celts can attest, can upend decent teams whenever they put their mind to it.
Sacramento (21-32) has lost 10 of their past 15 games, and are supposed to be reeling from the loss of would-be trade chip Rudy Gay (Achilles) for the season. But following are the five wins during this latest stretch.
There was a road win in Detroit, an overtime road win in Cleveland, a road win in Charlotte, an overtime win back home, at the new Golden 1 Center against Golden State. And, on Wednesday, a convincing win without DeMarcus Cousins against the Celtics.
The last victory denied frog-faced MVP candidate Isaiah Thomas a triumphant return against the team that signed-and-traded the 2014 restricted free agent for Alex Oriakhi and am unused trade exception (Where have you gone, Pete D’Alessandro?)
Aside from his routinely abused ego, Cousins was not sidelined due to injury. The surly center was suspended, as mandated by the league, for the Boston game after collecting his 16th (non-rescinded) technical foul. Boogie shattered the fastest-to-16-techs record previously held by Dwight Howard (8 tech fouls this season), who was at least mindful enough in 2011 to wait until after the All-Star Break (March 5).
Beyond Cousins and Gay, the Kings were already going into the Celtics game without recent starter Garrett Temple (out with torn hammy), and bench swingman Omri Casspi (out with calf strain). After starting point guard Ty Lawson (doubtful for tonight) hobbled off with a thigh strain midway through the second quarter on Wednesday, Sacto soldiered on without four of their top six scorers on the season.
Then, a funny thing happened: under the direction of former Grizzlies coach Dave Joerger, the shorthanded Kings got a bit of modified grit-and-grind going. After cruising to a 28-19 first-quarter lead, the Celtics couldn’t exceed 22 points in any of the next three stanzas.
Former Grizzly Matt Barnes chipped in with 11 defensive rebounds, four assists, and three triples. Also coming off the bench, much-maligned guard Ben McLemore surprised with 17 points in the second and third quarters. The King of the 4th Quarter turned out not to be Thomas (26 points, but 6-for-16 FGs), but backup center Willie Cauley-Stein, who dazzled the Kings crowd with a highlight-filled 10 points to help close out the contest. Perhaps the team’s most-desired trade commodity in Gay’s absence, B-Mac is likely to return to the Kings’ starting lineup tonight.
The Kings are 4-18 when their opponent’s bench outscores their own, so productive outings from Malcolm Delaney, Mike Dunleavy, Mike Muscala, Kris Humphries, and either rookie Taurean Prince or DeAndre’ Bembry (5-for-7 FGs in the win vs. DEN on Wednesday) will make it easier for Atlanta’s starters to close out late. Not that it should be necessary, but if anyone could help with scouting Sacramento’s bench brigade, it would be Lamar Patterson.
Recently signed to a second 10-day contract, Patterson spent his time in training camp and preseason with the Kings, after being claimed off waivers from the Hawks over the summer, then starred with the Kings’ D-League outfit in Reno. His familiarity should only help the Hawks’ backcourt exploit a group of Sacramento guards (inclusive of the injured Lawson and Temple) that rank 28th in D-Rating on the season.
Barnes is assisting not only as a help-rebounder, but as an emergency backup for Darren Collison (26 points, 12-for-21 FGs vs. BOS on Wednesday), who slides back into the point guard slot with Lawson’s latest injury.
Tonight’s game will be a contest of composure for the Hawks. Cousins (career-highs of 27.9 PPG, 36.6 3FG%, and 4.7 APG) will again be at his letter-best with the ball in his hands. But he and Barnes will work throughout the game to try unnerving Howard, Dennis Schroder (10-for-15 2FGs, 10 assists, 3 TOs vs. DEN on Wednesday), and Kent Bazemore into mistakes and foul trouble. Boston players managed just 18 assists and 17 turnovers on Wednesday, so successfully stifling Atlanta’s ball movement should similarly gain the Kings an upper hand.
When last these teams met on Halloween night, the Hawks could not be tricked out of delivering treats to one another. Atlanta players committed just 13 turnovers and dished out 24 assists (8 from the hands of birthday-boy Millsap) in a 106-95 win. A lot of those buckets came from Kyle Korver (5-for-8 3FGs), who now plies his wares in Cleveland, all of his made shots in the contest assisted by Atlanta bigs. Perimeter shots from the offensively-improving Bazemore (3-for-4 3FGs vs. DEN; 46.3 3FG% in last 10 games) and Tim Hardaway, Jr. ought to fill in the gap left by Korver tonight.
Led in scoring by Gay’s 22 points on Halloween, the Kings used a 37-point third-quarter to go up by two, after falling behind by 13 earlier. A fourth-quarter surge by Millsap and Bazemore helped turn the tables, while defense from Howard and Thabo Sefolosha (out with groin strain) put that game out of reach.
Cousins was effectively neutralized (6-for-16 FGs, incl. 1-for-5 3FGs; 1-for-3 FTs, 4 TOs and 5 personal fouls) on the offensive end in that game, and suppressing the Kings’ offense tonight includes keeping DMC (career-high 7.6 FTs per game) and Collison (86.3 FT%) off the free throw line. Schroder (3 steals vs. DEN) will be tasked with pressuring the ball, thwarting dribble penetration, and compelling Collison to rely on others to handle the ball in the Kings’ halfcourt offense.
With Howard switching off of Kosta Koufos to attend to Cousins, Millsap will be burdened primarily with having to keep Koufos from gathering offensive boards, along with defending Anthony Tolliver (1-for-7 3FGs but 3 steals vs. BOS on Wednesday) around the 3-point line when the former Hawk comes in off the bench.
While the Hawks can firm up the momentary title of Best Road Team in the East, the Kings are vying to avoid seizing petty Devin Booker’s Suns (8-17) for the claim of Worst Home Team in the West (10-15). It will take more than simply blowing out one of Millsap’s 32 candles for Atlanta to get their wishes granted tonight.
Let’s Go Hawks!
~lw3
