Kings Report – 12/18

Did anyone catch De’Aaron Fox and Mike Brown on Tuesday night in the NBA Cup Championship? Unfortunately, it’s not 2023, and you certainly wouldn’t see the Sacramento Kings anywhere near a championship. Instead, it was De’Aaron Fox and the San Antonio Spurs facing off against Coach Mike Brown’s New York Knicks. For those who don’t know, the NBA cup is an in-season tournament; early rounds of the tournament are also season games, which is meant to add some excitement to this early part of the season. The league definitely accomplished its goal of delivering us an exciting game. While the Fox and the Spurs held a slight lead for most of the first half, they built up a double-digit advantage early in the third quarter, which, unfortunately for them, didn’t last long. Mike Brown’s Knicks had erased that deficit by the end of the third, went on to dominate the fourth quarter, and won the NBA Cup, 124-113. The MVP of the game was no shock to anyone, Jalen Brunson finished with 25 points, eight assists, and four rebounds, looking every bit like the leader of an NBA Finals–caliber team. Fox didn’t have his best scoring night, finishing with 16 points, but he stayed involved, dishing out nine assists and keeping the Spurs competitive. I enjoyed seeing second-year player Tyler Kolek out there for the Knicks in the fourth quarter; he got 14 points along with five rebounds and five assists.

And make no mistake, this game mattered. Every player on the winning team takes home over $500,000, and no one showed that more clearly than the Knicks’ bench. Their reaction said it all. For them, it’s not just another trophy; it is life-changing money.

Don’t misunderstand, I am genuinely happy for Coach Brown, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy watching him and his team doing so well. When asked about the Kings a few days ago, Brown, being the class act he is, took the high road, thanking Vivek Ranadivé for the opportunity to coach the Kings. He also expressed his appreciation for the fans, calling them “fabulous.” But as Brown put it, change happens in life, and you have to be ready to pivot. And he certainly isn’t dwelling on the past, and why should he? His team is 18-7, in 2nd place in the Eastern Conference, and he just won the NBA Cup.

As for the Kings, they sit at 6-20, with all their players on the chopping block, and no idea what the future holds. Don’t worry, I still love the Kings! Hopefully we’ll win a game this week… you can catch the Kings on Thursday in Portland against the 10-16 Trailblazers, who they will then play on Saturday at home in Sacramento for the first of a four game home-stand. Next up, they take on the 16-7 Houston Rockets on Sunday and the 21-5 Detroit Pistons on Tuesday. With four games this week, we have to win one… right??