Sacramento Kings’ offense shows up late in 104-88 loss to Clippers

Nov 22, 2024, 9:58 PM | Updated: 10:04 pm

INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 22: James Harden #1 of the Los Angeles Clippers reacts to a play a...

James Harden #1 of the Los Angeles Clippers reacts to a play against Keegan Murray #13 of the Sacramento Kings during the first quarter in the Emirates NBA Cup at Intuit Dome on November 22, 2024 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)

(Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)

BY BRENDEN NUNES

Sactown Sports writer

After playing their first 15 in 26 games, the Sacramento Kings got a rare three-days off in-season before playing the Los Angeles Clippers Friday night.

They had played the last 3.5 games without DeMar DeRozan and the previous two without Domantas Sabonis, but both returned to the lineup at the new Inuit Dome. You would think that would’ve aided their early energy levels, but they came out flat and could never recover. A season-low 29-point first half was too much to overcome.

As it was both teams’ second NBA Cup game of the season, there was added pressure heading into the matchup. The injury report featured some notable names for both sides.

Kings at Clippers Injury Report

Sacramento

Malik Monk – OUT (right ankle sprain)
Devin Carter – OUT (left shoulder surgery)
Mason Jones – OUT (right hamstring strain)
Isaiah Crawford – OUT (G-League)

Los Angeles

Kawhi Leonard – OUT (right knee injury recovery)
Norman Powell – OUT (left hamstring strain)
P.J. Tucker – OUT (not with team)

The Kings and Clippers came into the night as the only two teams without a win in West Group A of the In-Season Tournament. It’s nearly impossible to come out the group, even in a wild card spot, if you lose two or more games in the group stage.

If either wanted a chance to advance to Las Vegas eventually, they would have to take care of business Friday.

Kings at Clippers Game Notes

So, you would think they would come out with fresh legs and high energy levels in the opening moments. An early 8-2 advantage quickly turned sour as they scored one point per minute in the twelve-point opening frame.

Despite the break (or maybe partially due to it), Sacramento’s pace and sense of urgency were lackluster. They jogged through their offense, through unadvisable passes, and were too quick to let shots go.

Five turnovers and shooting 3/14 from the field, including 1/9 from three, left the Clippers with a 26-12 advantage at the end of one. Los Angeles converted the turnovers into transition points, while James Harden and Derrick Jones Jr. found their way into the paint and onto the free-throw line.

It reached a point where Sacramento head coach Mike Brown elected to play second-year guard Colby Jones, likely in hopes of getting some energy from a player hungry for minutes.

To C. Jones’ credit, he did decent during his scarce opportunity. Maybe the only other positive to pull from that tough-to-watch first half was them holding the Clippers to 34 percent from the field. Usually, that sort of defensive effort would be applauded while sitting with a halftime advantage.

Except, this Friday night, the Kings still found themselves down 51-29 at the end of two despite their defense. The lopsided stats paint some of the picture, but it wasn’t pleasant. The below play is an excellent example of the far-too-easy looks the Clippers were getting in transitions off turnovers.

DID SOMEONE SAY HARDEN FULL-COURT DIME? 🪙

Harden ➡️ DJ 🪣 pic.twitter.com/VxbTocvrQT

— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) November 23, 2024

The Kings shot 24.4 percent (10/41) from the field and 11.8 percent (2/17) from three. They also had seven turnovers that led to eight Clippers points and were outrebounded 29-23. Six were offensive boards for Los Angeles.

DeMar DeRozan scored 11 points on 4/8 from the field, and Domantas Sabonis had six points on 2/8, while De’Aaron Fox, Kevin Huerter, and Keegan Murray were a combined 1/17.

It’s not a recipe that will ever produce the Kings’ desired results. And with point differential factoring heavily into the NBA Cup standings, their extensive deficit was far from ideal.

They made their first three shots of the third, re-establishing some positive momentum. As Fox awoke, a once 25-point lead became 13 thanks to a 14-5 run.

Routine work from Swipa 💪

pic.twitter.com/BrfwHQgb34

— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) November 23, 2024

In the final frame, reigning Western Conference Player of the Week Fox had 19 points, with 15 coming in the third frame. He and Sabonis (11 points) found a rhythm while three-point attempts started sprinkling in.

Los Angeles’s just 76-64 advantage going into the fourth seemed like a victory, considering how the first half had transpired. However, the Kings outscored them 35-25 in the third to cut the lead to that point.

As Fox got a moment to rest, their offense stalled again. While James Harden got some rare minutes on the bench, Kevin Porter Jr. got some buckets on his own, and Mo Bamba made an impact.

Sacramento needed to win those minutes emphatically, but were unable to. As the typical closing group found themselves together facing a double-digit deficit, they could cut it down to eight points with a little more than two and a half minutes to play.

Unfortunately, the margin for error was too slim. Doubling Harden left Jones Jr., it looks like he converted to put the Kings away and improve the Clippers to four straight wins.

Coach Brown and his team lost two straight games for the second time this season. They clearly missed Malik Monk’s ability to penetrate on offense and make plays from the paint, but they need to stay afloat better in the meantime.

Their second half was encouraging, but overcoming a 29-point first half was too hefty of a task. With that, any NBA Cup hopes are all but crushed.

Kings at Clippers Game Stats

Sacramento:

Field Goal Percentage: 32/83 (38.6%)
Three-Point Percentage: 7/35 (20.0%)
Free-Throw Percentage: 17/24 (70.8%)
Points in the Paint: 38
De’Aaron Fox: 29 points, seven assists, seven rebounds on 10/20 FG, 1/7 3P, 8/10 FT
Domantas Sabonis: 24 points, 15 rebounds, four assists on 9/17 FG, 2/5 3P, 4/4 FT
DeMar DeRozan: 16 points, six rebounds, two assists on 6/19 FG, 0/5 3P, 4/8 FT

LA Clippers:

Field Goal Percentage: 39/94 (41.5%)
Three-Point Percentage: 10/42 (23.8%)
Free-Throw Percentage: 16/16 (100%)
Points in the Paint: 56
James Harden: 22 points, nine assists, six rebounds on 5/18 FG, 2/10 3P, 10/10 FT
Derrick Jones Jr.: 17 points, four rebounds, one assist on 6/13 FG, 0/4 3P, 5/5 FT