Preview: Kings continue seven-game trip in San Antonio

Feb 1, 2023, 8:48 AM | Updated: 5:19 pm

SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 17: De'Aaron Fox #5 of the Sacramento Kings dribbles the ball up ...

(Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)

Sacramento Kings Beat Writer

A seven-game, two-week road trip will continue for the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday night when they face the San Antonio Spurs for the final time until the closing weeks of the regular season.

Sacramento (28-21) snapped a two-game skid on Monday night by pulling out an overtime win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Kings will hope to use an upcoming stretch against San Antonio (14-37) and struggling teams in the Indiana Pacers, New Orleans Pelicans, and Houston Rockets to strengthen their position in the Western Conference standings.

In two matchups against the Spurs this season (one at home and one on the road), Sacramento has outscored San Antonio by an average of 15.5 points during winning efforts.

Can the Kings continue to prove they can win games that they ‘should’ win? The final five games of this road trip will give us a good idea of what this team is capable of against sub-.500 teams as we approach next Thursday’s trade deadline.

Here are some notes for Kings vs. Spurs:

Keegan Murray put himself in a solid position to secure a second-straight Rookie of the Month award after an impressive showing in January 🔥

14.0 PTS
5.9 REB
51% FG
49% 3PT
32.2 MIN
15 G

Murray leads the '22 draft class in 3PT makes by a wide margin.

Murray – 119
Griffin – 78 pic.twitter.com/NPOyMc2nxV

— Frankie Cartoscelli (@FCartoscelli3) January 31, 2023

Sacramento Kings vs. San Antonio Spurs Game Info

When: 5:00 PM PST

Where: AT&T Center – San Antonio, TX

TV: NBC Sports California

Radio: Sactown Sports 1140 AM – Pregame coverage starts at 3:30 PM PST on Game Night

Line: Kings -7.5, O/U: 244.5

Attack From The Perimeter

San Antonio enters play on Wednesday as the holder of the NBA’s worst three-point defense, as the Spurs have allowed opponents to shoot 40.3% from beyond the arc this season.

For a Kings team that has struggled to knock down consistent looks from the perimeter during the first two games of the trip, a matchup against San Antonio’s three-point defense could be just what the doctor ordered.

After shooting nine-of-33 (27%) from deep during Saturday’s loss in Minnesota, the Kings weren’t much better during Monday’s rematch with the T-Wolves (nine-of-30, 30%). Harrison Barnes and Kevin Huerter have struggled to begin the trip, but facing the Spurs’ three-point defense could get the duo back on track.

Keegan Murray has been dialed in from deep over the past month, as the rookie is shooting 50 percent on 6.8 attempts from beyond the arc since January 7th.

Expect the Kings to be aggressive shooting the basketball against San Antonio.

Offense vs. Defense

Wednesday night’s matchup will feature the league’s top offense in Sacramento (119.5 points per game) versus the league’s worst defense in San Antonio (122.3 opponent points per game).

The Kings’ offense has gone through a mini-cold spell over the past week, averaging just 107.7 points per game over the past three contests. This team has had a knack for struggling on the defensive end and outgunning opponents for wins instead, so a similar matchup against the Spurs wouldn’t be the worst thing.

San Antonio struggles to score the basketball (111 offensive rating, 28th in NBA), meaning that if Sacramento can limit the damage on the defensive end, their offense can do most of the talking on Wednesday.

De'Aaron sinks the DEEP step-back three 🔥 pic.twitter.com/HvoIRcqRaK

— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) January 31, 2023

Offensive slumps have been rare for the Kings this season, and they’re due for a big performance on that end of the floor. Sacramento hasn’t gone longer than four-straight games without scoring 120+ points this season, so it’s about that time for an explosive showcase from this high-powered offense.

A matchup against the league’s worst defensive team seems ideal for that type of performance.

Recent History

With a win on Wednesday, the Kings can claim the regular season series (3-0) against San Antonio. This would mark the second-straight season that Sacramento has secured a regular season series vs. the Spurs.
The Kings have won four-straight games against the Spurs dating back to December 19, 2021.
Sacramento holds a 14-5 record against San Antonio since the start of the 2018-19 season.