Preview: Kings set to face short-handed Clippers in crucial showdown

Mar 3, 2023, 8:45 AM | Updated: 2:59 pm

SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 22: De'Aaron Fox #5 of the Sacramento Kings shoots over Terance Ma...

(Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)

Editor & Kings Beat Writer

One week removed from the second-highest-scoring game in NBA history, the Sacramento Kings and Los Angeles Clippers will meet again on Friday night at Golden 1 Center.

Sacramento (36-25) is playing its best basketball of the season as they have started off its final stretch of the season with a 4-0 sprint, claiming wins over the Portland Trail Blazers, Oklahoma City Thunder (twice), and Clippers over the past week of action.

The Clippers (33-32) have fallen on hard times since returning from the All-Star break, losing four-straight games and dropping from fourth to seventh in the Western Conference standings.

Thursday night’s loss to the surging Golden State Warriors was a costly one for Los Angeles, as forward Kawhi Leonard–who scored 44 points against the Kings last week–said postgame that he will not play against Sacramento on Friday, while guard Norman Powell left Chase Center in an arm sling after injuring his left arm.

With just over a month to go, the West is as tight as it’s been all season as just three games separate the fourth-place Phoenix Suns from the 10th-place New Orleans Pelicans.

One good week or bad week can create a massive difference in a team’s playoff position, meaning that Sacramento is in a place to further bury a short-handed Clippers team that is currently five games behind the third-place Kings (seven games in the loss column) with 21 games remaining.

Now that De’Aaron Fox (wrist) is set to return on Friday, Sacramento will hope to claim the season series against the Clippers and set its attention elsewhere as they look to claim its first postseason appearance in 17 years.

Sacramento Kings vs. Los Angeles Clippers Game Info

When: 7:00 PM PST

Where: Golden 1 Center – Sacramento, CA

TV: NBC Sports California

Radio: Sactown Sports 1140 AM – Pregame coverage starts at 5:30 PM PST on Game Night

Line: Kings -6.0, O/U: 239.5

Tickets: Click Here

No Kawhi? Focus on PG

It isn’t rocket science. If one All-Star is out for an opposing team, you best try and slow down the remaining All-Star.

Although the Clippers will be without Kawhi Leonard (injury management) on Friday, Paul George expects to suit up as Los Angeles looks to stop its four-game losing streak.

George has torched the Kings this season, scoring 40 points on 16-of-31 shooting during a 111-109 win at Golden 1 Center on October 22nd and 34 points on five-of-eight from three-point range during last weeks’s 176-175 Hardwood Classic in Los Angeles.

The Clippers are down Leonard and Powell, with fellow role-players Ivica Zubac and Marcus Morris’ statuses also in question. This means that George is in line for a busy night, and Sacramento can’t bank on Los Angeles’ struggles continuing without a majority of its supporting cast.

During Thursday night’s blowout loss to the Warriors, the Clippers shot just 36 percent from the field and 20 percent from three-point range. Expecting a similar showing–especially against the Kings’ infamous defense–can’t be expected.

George will do his best to put his team on his back, while players like Eric Gordon, Nic Batum, and Russell Westbrook are other players to keep an eye on as Sacramento’s defense will at least have a few less threats to worry about.

Let It Fly

Sacramento’s three-point shooting has been a key component of the team’s 4-0 return from the All-Star break, and they will hope to continue that trend against the Clippers on Friday.

The Kings are shooting 40 percent from deep over the past four games after struggling from beyond the arc leading into the break, but those struggles appear to be a thing of the past.

Kevin Huerter knocking down 3s.

A beautiful sight. pic.twitter.com/W0dfs9Ykms

— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) March 1, 2023

Kevin Huerter had a rough month of February (29%) from three-point land, but ‘Red Velvet’ is heading into March having converted 36 percent of his attempts over the past six games.

If the Kings can get Huerter going in unison with Sixth Man of the Year candidate Malik Monk (48% from three-point land over the past 12 games), Sacramento will have plenty of firepower at its disposal against the Clippers.

Keegan Murray is another player to keep an eye on Friday as the rookie inches closer to setting the NBA’s rookie record for most made three-point field goals, needing just 41 triples over the final 21 games of the season to break Donovan Mitchell’s record of 187.

Over three matchups against Los Angeles this season, Murray is shooting 39 percent from deep while averaging 19.0 points per game–the rookie’s second-highest scoring average against an opponent this season (20.7 vs. OKC).

Sacramento is 22-6 this season when shooting 37 percent or higher from the three-point line. That should be an ideal target as they eye a fifth-straight win.

Recent History

The Kings can claim the season series vs. Los Angeles (3-1) with a win, which would give the team the tiebreaker in any playoff seeding scenario.
Sacramento holds a 1-17 record vs. the Clippers at ARCO/Sleep Train/Golden 1 Center since April 2013. The lone win came on December 4, 2021.