The Hornets came to Sacramento last week and handed the Kings one of their worst losses of the season. Now it’s a chance for the Kings to hand out some payback on the Hornet’s home turf.
Let’s talk Kings basketball!
When: Wednesday, January 10th, 4:00 PM PT
Where: Spectrum Center, Charlotte, NC
TV: NBC Sports California
Radio: Sactown Sports 1140
Last Time
The Hornets came to Sacramento just over a week ago and went on a 10-0 run to end the game and win 111-104 in what was one of Sacramento’s worst offensive performances of the season. The Kings had 21 turnovers in the game, with a whopping 11 coming from Domantas Sabonis alone. Terry Rozier led the way for Charlotte with 34 points, while Miles Bridges added 27. The win snapped an 11 game losing streak for Charlotte.
Three in the Key
Good Start
The Kings won yesterday, but had to dig themselves out of a huge hole early. Sacramento spotted the Pistons 47 points in the first quarter lone and went down by as much as 20 points before coming back in the second quarter and taking the lead by halftime. Against Charlotte a week ago, the Kings had gotten off to a good start, leading 18-8 in the first part of the first quarter, but then they got sloppy and allowed the Hornets to get back into the game, even taking a 25-21 lead by the end of the first. The Kings never really regained their momentum after that. Hopefully the sting (pun intended) of that loss is fresh enough that the Kings have some extra motivation to beat Charlotte tonight.
Bench Play
One of the biggest differences between the Kings and the Hornets in that recent game was the play of the bench. P.J. Washington was a huge factor, scoring 17 points in 29 minutes and finishing as a +16. Sacramento’s leading bench scorer was Trey Lyles who scored 9 points. Malik Monk, normally so reliable as a 6th man, had one of his worst games of the season, scoring just 6 points in 20 minutes and finishing as a -21. The Kings have more talent than the Hornets, they just need to play like it. I expect Monk will be out to get a bit of revenge tonight against his former team.
Pound the Paint
The Kings beat the Pistons last night by methodically attacking the paint. The Kings scored a season-high 82 points in the paint, led by Domantas Sabonis’ 37 points. The Hornets aren’t much better at defending the paint than the Pistons are, and it’s something the Kings should look to do again tonight. The three ball is great, but getting a…
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