Sports

The Sacramento Kings are back, baby! After those three brutal losses in a row, the Kings pulled out three amazing wins. While their first win against the third-worst team in the Western Conference, the Portland Trail Blazers, was a little rough (there were 28 lead changes and 15 ties!), the Kings pretty much dominated the next two games. They scored the first bucket in the game against the now 5th-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder and never gave up the lead. That was also their first win in the NBA’s new “in-season tournament,” which I will probably tell you more about in the coming weeks.

Remember last week when I mentioned Keon Ellis, the second-year player who played really well when the Kings were down big and had given up? Well, he must have impressed Coach Brown because, in the game against Oklahoma City, Brown gave him the starting position that needed to be filled in the absence of De’Aaron Fox. And while he certainly wasn’t perfect, and he didn’t score 15 like in his first game against Houston, he played well, and he’s earned himself some playing time.

On Monday, at home against the Cavaliers, Fox made his return after a five-game absence due to an ankle injury, and he looked like he hadn’t missed a second. The Kings absolutely dominated the Cavaliers. De’Aaron Fox said it best himself after Monday’s win when Kings commentator Kyle Draper asked him what had changed from that trip in Houston now that they had won three straight games. Fox said, “I think that showed what we needed. That team (Houston) is physical, that team is long, they give it to you defensively, and they showed us that we weren’t where we wanted to be at. In these last two games, I think especially defensively, I think we were great these last two nights. And then coming into tonight… I think we did a good job of pretty much controlling the game throughout the entire game, honestly.”

Commentator Matt Barnes then asked about Keegan Murray and Kevin Huerter, “who got off to a real slow start shooting the ball offensively, but you guys stayed encouraging them, not only the coaching staff but the players. How good is it to see both of them back in rhythm your first night back?” Fox said, “It’s great, man. I’m one of the guys that are really on them about ‘keep staying the course.’ We have team wins; we have multiple guys who can get 20. I think we have the most in the league of guys who have scored 20 this year. So, we share the ball, everybody has fun, and we need those guys to get it going. I think they did it the last two games, and we want to keep this thing going. I think it’s easier to play that way; it’s easier to play freely.” Fox emphasized what I loved about this Kings team last year: they play team basketball, they have fun, and it’s fun to watch.

The Kings now go on a six-game road trip starting with the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday, November 15th, the San Antonio Spurs on Friday, November 17th, the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday, November 19th, a two-game series in New Orleans against the Pelicans on Monday, November 20th and Wednesday, November 22nd, and will finish up in Minnesota against the Timberwolves next Friday, November 24th. Here’s hoping for some wins on the road!