Preview: Kings to begin six-game homestand against struggling Hornets

Dec 19, 2022, 7:27 AM | Updated: 9:14 am

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - OCTOBER 31: Mason Plumlee #24 of the Charlotte Hornets guards Domantas ...

(Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images)

Editor & Kings Beat Writer

After more than two weeks on the road, the Sacramento Kings have finally returned to Golden 1 Center.

The Kings (16-12) capped off a 3-3 road trip on Friday night when they secured a 122-113 win over the Detroit Pistons–a win that pushed the team into fifth place in the Western Conference standings.

Sacramento will open up a six-game home stand on Monday night when they face a Charlotte Hornets team (7-23) that currently owns the worst record in the NBA after losing their past eight-straight games.

Over the next week of action, the Kings will face three teams–Charlotte, the Los Angeles Lakers, and the Washington Wizards–that are under the .500 mark, as their next three opponents own a combined record of 30-57 (.340).

Charlotte is entering play on the second night of a back-to-back after facing the Denver Nuggets on Sunday evening, the Lakers will be without All-Star forward Anthony Davis (foot) for the next month, and the Wizards will also be on the second night of a back-to-back when they matchup against Sacramento on Friday.

If the Kings are hoping to pad their record with wins against lesser opponents, this is the week to prove that they won’t play down to the competition.

It all starts on Monday night at Golden 1 Center.

Last year, the Sacramento Kings went 0-5 during their East Coast road trip.

What did we learn from this year's East Coast trip?

We learned that these Kings are a different beast.

Some thoughts from the past six games as we move into the homestand:https://t.co/jCXIrtVY8x

— Frankie Cartoscelli (@FCartoscelli3) December 17, 2022

Sacramento Kings vs. Charlotte Hornets 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 -10.0, O/U: 241

Tickets: Click here

What To Watch For

Let the big man work

Domantas Sabonis is playing the best basketball of his career, and that trend should continue on Monday night.

Charlotte held Sabonis to a season-low nine points during the team’s most-recent matchup on October 31st, but the Hornets will be seeing a very different version of the 26-year-old this time around.

Over the past 16 games, Sabonis has looked like an MVP candidate–seriously–as the center holds averages of 18.6 points, 12.4 rebounds, and 6.8 assists per game while shooting 68 percent from the field since November 23rd.

Charlotte allows 117.3 points per game (28th in the NBA), with 51.2 of those points coming in the paint (22nd in the NBA).

Expect Sabonis to be aggressive in the post as he looks to take advantage of Mason Plumlee, who will be playing the second night of a back-to-back. With Sacramento having had the entire weekend to rest and recuperate after the lengthy road trip, Sacramento will hope to benefit from a rested Sabonis, who has played well with two days of rest or more this season:

(Basketball Reference)

Protect the glass

As bad as the Hornets might be on the glass, the Kings shouldn’t underestimate this team regarding rebounding.

Sacramento has struggled to rebound consistently this season, as Domantas Sabonis’ league-leading 326 rebounds have single-handily kept the Kings out of last place in several of the NBA’s rebounding categories.

Charlotte enters play on Monday as the fifth-best rebounding team in the league, averaging 54.6 rebounds per game and 13.0 offensive rebounds per game (fourth in the NBA).

The Kings could learn something from the Hornets, as they currently sit at 28th in the league in offensive boards and 23rd in rebounds per game. Players like Harrison Barnes and Keegan Murray will need to be extra aggressive in hitting the glass on Monday, as Sacramento will have its hands full with rebounding threats in Plumlee, Nick Richards, and Kelly Oubre Jr.

Recent History

Sacramento defeated the Hornets back on October 31st by a final of 115-108 thanks to 26 points (five-of-10 from three-point land) from Kevin Huerter
The Kings split last season’s two-game set with Charlotte