Preview: Kings conclude four-game road trip in Miami

Nov 4, 2024, 6:44 AM

SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 26: De'Aaron Fox #5 of the Sacramento Kings is guarded by Haywood...

(Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

Lead Editor & Kings Beat Writer

On the heels of a tough overtime loss in Toronto, the Sacramento Kings will look to conclude its four-game road trip on a high note when they face the Miami Heat on Monday night.

The Kings (3-3) had a three-game winning streak snapped on Saturday night as they fell just short to the Raptors, but they appear to be a team trending in the right direction after opening up the regular season with back-to-back losses.

Miami (3-2) enters play on Monday fresh off of a 20-point win over the Washington Wizards behind a strong effort from star center Bam Adebayo (32 points, 14 rebounds).

South Beach has been a house of horrors for Sacramento over the years, as the Heat have won five straight games against the Kings on its home floor. Since Miami’s first NBA season in 1988-89, they are 5-31 against Sacramento at home.

Can the Kings secure its first win at the Kaseya Center since 2018? We’ll see this afternoon.

DEMAR DEROZAN OT TAKEOVER 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/0qbjNjhTXs

— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) November 3, 2024

Sacramento Kings @ Miami Heat Info

When: 5:15 PM PT

Where: Kaseya Center – Miami, FL

TV: NBC Sports California

Radio: Sactown Sports 1140 AM – Coverage starts at 2:00 PM PT on The Drive Guys

Line: Heat -2.5, O/U 224.5

Be sure to tune in right here on Sactown Sports 1140 for all of your Kings vs. Heat coverage, beginning at 2:00 PM PT on The Drive Guys before a 5:15 PM PT tip-off from South Beach.

Three-Point Woes

Three-point shooting has been a concern for this Sacramento roster since preseason, and those concerns have not been alleviated through six games.

The Kings enter play on Monday having shot 32 percent from deep this season (27th in the NBA) while also allowing opponents to shoot 38.6 percent from beyond the arc thus far (29th in the NBA).

Failing to defend the three has long been an issue for the bulk of this Sacramento roster, but failing to convert from downtown is a new wrinkle to an offense that has been overall positive thanks to the efforts of DeMar DeRozan, De’Aaron Fox, and Domantas Sabonis.

During Saturday’s loss in Toronto, the three-ball was the difference in a three-point overtime loss:

SAC: 10/40 (25%)
TOR: 17/37 (46%)

Keon drops the corner trey 3️⃣ pic.twitter.com/vkBoLFC5iR

— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) November 3, 2024

Fox’s struggles during the loss (0/11 from 3PT) weighed down the Kings’ overall performance from three, but the perimeter defense has given opponents a permanent green light to let it fly this season.

Four of Sacramento’s six opponents have shot 38 percent or better from deep, with two teams projected to finish near the bottom of the Western Conference (Utah and Portland) being the exceptions.

Miami is currently ranked tenth in three-point field goal percentage (37%), ninth in made three-pointers, and 13th in three-point field goal attempts this season, meaning Monday night will provide the Kings with another challenge.

On the other end of the floor, the Heat defense has held opponents to 35.4 percent shooting (seventh best in the NBA).

Toughing It Out

Eyebrows were raised around the Sacramento Kings fanbase last week when star guard De’Aaron Fox took the floor with his left pinky and ring fingers taped in the season-opener.

Fox has continued to play with those fingers taped on his dominant hand, and the guard recently peeled back the curtain on the injury that he is dealing with to open up the season:

“I mean, definitely by being on the dominant hand, it’s something, but it kind of happened, like, the second or third day of training camp,” Fox said last week following the Kings’ win in Utah. “So, at this point, I’ve been taping my finger the whole season. Unless we get a month off at some point, you know, it’s going to be here to stay.”

BIG De’Aaron and-1‼ pic.twitter.com/VAZuTHAu2q

— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) November 3, 2024

Fox has mainly seemed unaffected by the finger issue, averaging 23.5 points, 5.2 rebounds, 5.7 assists, and 2.5 steals per game on 47 percent shooting from the field. However, an 0-for-11 showing from three-point range—the most three-point field goal attempts without a make in a single game during his career—raised more concerns regarding the guard’s health.

Following Saturday’s loss, Fox told The Sacramento Bee’s Chris Biderman that the finger injury is “probably a ligament” issue but that he plans to play through the injury.

This isn’t the first time a Kings player has played through a hand injury, as Domantas Sabonis played through most of the 2022-23 season with a left-hand avulsion fracture. Keegan Murray also played through an avulsion fracture during the 2022-23 season that was less publicized.

While Fox isn’t 100 percent, he relayed to Biderman that his finger isn’t the reason behind his poor performance on Saturday night.

“I can’t say (the finger) is the reason. I’ve had games where I’ve shot it well and I’ve had games where I haven’t. I just got to get used to it.”