Official Game Thread: Hawks at Kings

[lethalweapon3]

“Wow… I like what you’ve done all the bricks, Saddiq!”

 

“keeeee-gannnn…”

“MURRRRR-RAYYYY!”

While Domantas Sabonis and De’Aaron Fox are out there doing their respective things, their team has one objective. Satisfying the home fans, by making sure to feed Keegan Murray at least 15 shots per night.

Attendees at the Sacramento Kings’ arena, cheering on the home team, are interested in one thing. That goal used to be witnessing some playoff home games, before their time on Earth concludes. But now that last year’s club checked off that box, there’s no longer such a hurry to become a Finals contender. What matters most these days is maximizing the opportunities to play call-and-response with the Kings’ Pavlovian PA announcer.

You can put the cowbells and the purple beams away. As it stands, in this Center, Keegan Murray is The Golden 1. The second-year wing is shooting 50.4 percent from the field in his home building, including 44.4 3FG%, while ringing up nearly 20 PPG to go with over six rebounds per contest.

It’s a different show when the Kings hit the road, as Keegan averages under 13 PPG with unimpressive splits of 42.6/28.4/77.8 in away games. He was lackluster offensively in Atlanta last month (4-for-12 FGs, incl. 1-for-6 on threes on Dec. 29) when the Kings turned to Fox and Sabonis to walk down the Hawks for the 117-110 victory. But back in Sactown, oh, do these fans love them some Murray. They just can’t get enough… they just can’t get enough.

This season, and last, the call-out was supposed to go like: “Kevvvv-innnn! Huerrrr-terrrr!” But Keegan’s fellow wingman, former Hawk Kevin Huerter, has been more of a icebox cake than a Red Velvet since the Kings secured their first playoff run since 2006. 25.0 percent on threes to close out the 2022-23 regular season, 20.5 percent in the 7-game series loss to Golden State. And despite a recent hot streak (31 points, 7-for-12 3FGs vs. IND last Thursday, 15-for-27 over past 3 games), Huerter’s long-range bombs (career-low 35.8 3FG%; 10.5 PPG, ahead of only his rookie season averaging 9.7 PPG) have been quite the dud.

The Big Huert lost his longstanding starter spot to Chris Duarte right after the game in Atlanta. His head coach, Mike Brown, didn’t give it back until Kevin shot the ball fairly well in what was otherwise a blowout home loss versus New Orleans. Given that Huerter remains such an unsteady source for virtually every other on-court contribution, he’ll have to keep the pilot light aflame to maintain his tenuous starter stature, and his playing time.

Hawks fans like Yours Truly, on Team Will Not Convey as it pertains to the lottery-protected pick in 2024 (Top-12 next year, Top-10 the year after that), have been shouting Oy-Vey a lot less in recent weeks. Certainly less than when the Kings beat Atlanta and Memphis on the road to close out 2023 at seven games above .500. Sacramento (23-18) will have to wait a little longer before they secure their first victory of calendar year 2024 against a fellow member of the Western Conference. Of late, it has been rough sledding versus decent teams from the NBA East, too.

The Kings broke the Embiid-less 76ers’ three-game fall on January 12, losing to Philly for the tenth-straight time as Tobias Harris short-circuited Sabonis (14 points, to the latter’s 37) in the Sixers’ 112-93 win.  Then it was on to Milwaukee, two nights later. Fox missed a crucial free throw in OT, then Dame Lillard’s buzzer-beater reminded Sacramento why they should be happy to see him just twice per season.

Brown’s laptop works great when showing postgame reporters the errors of the referees’ ways. But it goes on the fritz when it comes time to compute ways to stop the Kings’ opponents from going on oft-epic runs (SAC 118.4 January D-Rating, 24^th in NBA, worse than ATL’s 117.0).  Phoenix was down 113-96 at home with under six minutes left, last Tuesday, before toppling the Kings 119-117, allowing Tripper Allen to tie a franchise record with nine triples and Kevin Durant to grin from ear to ear.

Then it was supposed to be Home Sweet Home on Thursday night, with the Pacers arriving at Golden 1 Center without any of Tyrese Haliburton, trade acquisition Pascal Siakam, or the players sent away to acquire Siakam. Indy caught off-guards Murray and Huerter off-guard, closing the first half with a 12-2 run to head to the lockers up 70-57.

Huerter came alive with seven points to kickstart the second half. Then the Kings staged a fourth-quarter comeback to narrow the visitors’ lead to three. But despite the pleas for Keegan threes, Murray (27 points and 9 rebounds), Sabonis (third-straight triple-doubles), and the other floor mates are often left to stand around and watch Fox and Malik Monk cook in the clutch. Monk (team-high 4.8 clutch MPG and 3.9 PPG) managed to rebound the missed three from Fox with seven seconds to spare, but was sent to the line and missed both freebies.

“A loss like this, it should sting,” said Brown of his sting-numbed troopers, currently losers of four straight, in the locker room to postgame media. “I know that we can be a better defensive team than we are. So it has to start there because, at the end of the day, we’re going to figure out a way to score. We’ve just got to figure out a way to slow some of these teams down.”

The good news for the Kings is they haven’t played since that Thursday game. The better news is that, after tonight, they’ll get two more off-days in preparation for a seven-game, 12-day, cross-country road trip that begins in San Francisco on Thursday.

The best news is their draw tonight is our similarly D-ficient Atlanta Hawks (10 PM Eastern, Bally Sports Southeast and 92.9 FM in ATL, NBC Sports California). Being the gracious hosts that they are, the Kings will show the Hawks the door tonight, allowing Atlanta to tenderize the Warriors in whatever condition they’re in on Wednesday, before following up on Thursday to take on their division rivals. (No, really, who sprinkled water on the Hawks’ schedule gremlins?)

Brown will appreciate that the Hawks are likely to be impeded, not due to any of Sacramento’s defensive wrinkles but the absence of their floor general. Trae Young is likely unable to make this West Coast quick-trip due to the concussion he sustained late in Saturday night’s 116-95 letdown back home against Cleveland.

It’s not just Bey (0-for-12 FGs vs. CLE) whose shooting has been Sadd-eek. Making Trae’s night long and under-productive, former King Bogi Bogdanovic went 1-for-6 on threes versus the Cavs, with Jalen Johnson and Dejounte Murray slightly better at 1-for-5 and 2-for-7, respectively.

Fortunately perhaps for Atlanta, Sacramento’s swingmen are more adept at helping Sabonis and Trade Deadline Hall of Famer Harrison Barnes secure defensive caroms (74.6 team D-Reb%, 3^rd-best in NBA) than they are in contesting along the perimeter (39.2 opponent 3FG%, 2^nd-worst in NBA).

While the net effect may be backwards, you don’t have a hard time spotting Hawks defenders hustlin’, every day – the rim protector who leads NBA centers in charges drawn, the scoring leader who sticks his nose in where it probably shouldn’t belong while hunting for steals and charges, the guard who goes for deflections and steals. Aside from Fox (3.3 deflections/game, behind only SGA), when it comes to his floor mates, you genuinely can knock the hustle.

Californian Onyeka Okongwu may be better suited at keeping pace with Sabonis (25-10-and-7 @ ATL on Dec. 29) than Hawks starter Clint Capela. Atlanta coach Quin Snyder can utilize Capela, Trent Forrest and Garrison Mathews in tandem with Dejounte, in ways that keep Fox (8 assists, 5 steals, 8-for-16 3FGs @ ATL) from turning this game into a track meet, given Atlanta’s already sprinting with one major shoe off.

If that happens, and the Hawks’ supporting-cast shooters take advantage of open looks created off screens (SAC 45.9 opponent off-screen score frequency, 4^th-highest in NBA), by game’s end, there may be a whole other Murray in position to steal the show.

Going forward, Fox could maybe use a guard who isn’t food to share the backcourt defensive duties. Sabonis could use an improving, not declining, perimeter threat to space the floor out further. Brown could use another, steadier option in the clutch. Whether or not it helps avoid a tough Play-In draw, Sactown’s fans could use another Murray to shout about. Someone like… like…

“de-jounnnnn-tayyyy!”

 

Let’s Go Hawks!

~lw3

[lethalweapon3]

Sasha's not feeling so fierce, yet Vezenkov is the only Kings player on the Boo-Boo Report (Questionable, sprained ankle). Along with Trae, De'Andre Hunter (inflamed knee) and 2Ts Matthews (strained calf) remain on the Outs.

The Hawks can afford to be judicious with their not-in-the-act-of-shooting fouls, so long as Dejounte isn't risking foul trouble. Sacramento missed 19 of 44 freebies in their past two narrow defeats, and are down to a league-worst 72.,5 team FT%. Leading scorers Fox and Sabonis have regressed to 71.7 and 66.8 percent, respectively, from the charity stripe.

Founded as the Rochester (NY) Seagrams way back in 1923, the current Kings' commemorative logo honors "100 Years of Royalty". If not Loyalty, considering all the moves they've made through the decades (the five jewels rep their present and prior NBA homes. For their sake, I am glad Seattle isn't jewel #6).

Back home, the pictured-above Sears and Roebuck building, constructed in 1926 before its current form as BeltLine-bougie playground and food hall Ponce City Market, is "the largest brick structure in the Southeast U.S." Good masonry, Saddiq!

~lw3

[JayBirdHawk]

1 hour ago, lethalweapon3 said:

“Wow… I like what you’ve done all the bricks, Saddiq!”

Ouch.....that's .....I'd laugh if it wasn't sad   

[JayBirdHawk]

 

 

 

Meanwhile the Hawks has to fly to Miami for a later than normal game and endure an extra long half time and getting back to the A later than normal to prepare for a Cavs team on 2 days rest, then fly to the West coast for tonight's game vs Sac.

Great Job NBA!!! 

[Nash]

Embiid dropped 70/18 on Wemby and KAT dropped 58 at the end od the 3rd Q lol. What a night for stat padders

[Nash]

KAT at 60pts with 10 3's, 9:30 before end. That's the player we need at 5

[Hawkmoor]

Capela had the ugliest looking drive to the basket that probably ever seen from a center a few plays back...lmao

 

Edited January 23 by Hawkmoor

[Nash]

I swear to God I want to vomit watching Clint. Trade the fuc*ing loser that can't score from 6" away from the basket. Disgusting 

[terrell]

We're still starting Bey and Capela I see........... 

Edited January 23 by terrell

[terrell]

25 minutes ago, Nash said:

KAT at 60pts with 10 3's, 9:30 before end. That's the player we need at 5

And just lost to the Hornets.. lol

[Diesel]

Saddiq Saddiq Saddiq

[Diesel]

What's all this love for Monk about?

[terrell]

6 minutes ago, Nash said:

I swear to God I want to vomit watching Clint. Trade the fuc*ing loser that can't score from 6" away from the basket. Disgusting 

What does this say about OO?

 

[Diesel]

Bad rebounding squad out there and Sabonis just little boy'd OO.

[Diesel]

Night of the Big men...

KAT scores 62..  EMbiid scores 70!!

[Nash]

6 minutes ago, terrell said:

And just lost to the Hornets.. lol

With a bad TO lol

[Diesel]

Sam Merrill drops 8 3pters on Orlando...

Damn.

 

[Nash]

Bogi's already benched for not taking bad shots. Played only 4 mins lol. This coach

Edited January 23 by Nash

[TheNorthCydeRises]

Shoot the ball Murray

[TheNorthCydeRises]

Hawks 7 - 26 FG . . only down by 3.