Game Preview: Defense The Main Priority For The Sacramento Kings In Indy
By Rafe Wong
Throughout their four-game road trip, the Sacramento Kings have been down and up. And then down again. Posting a 1-2 record so far, the Kings will conclude their road trip tonight against the Indiana Pacers.
The Pacers right now have a 16-11 record, ranked 4th in the Eastern Conference, and are lead by rejuvenated superstar Paul George. In order for the Kings to get the upset tonight, lots of things have to go right for the purple and white (limit turnovers, effective shooting, make free throws), but defense is the biggest concern.
Right now both teams are equally efficient on the offensive end, as both are ranked in the top 10 in points scored per game (Indiana averaging 102.6 points and Sacramento 104.4 points) (per ESPN). It’s the defense however that is significantly different between these two squads.
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The Pacers defense has shown to be solid this year, as they have been limiting their opponents to just 98.8 points a game (ranked 7th overall). On the other hand, its has been a different story for the Kings, as their defense has been atrocious, allowing their opponents to score a whopping 107.1 points per contest (ranked 28th in the league) (per ESPN).
The Kings are going to need to buckle up on the defensive end if they want to even have a chance tonight. The Pacers not only have Paul George as an offensive force, but they have plenty of players that can put the ball in the bucket.
Not counting Jordan Hill, who is averaging 9.8 points a contest, the Pacers have 5 different players that are averaging double-digit points per game (per Basketball Reference). This means that whoever is wearing a Kings uniform on the court tonight cannot layoff, and will have to be active on the defensive end. If unable to do so, which is typical for Sacramento this season, the Pacers will show no mercy, and will kick the behinds of the Kings back to their state’s capital.
Overall, both teams have shown to score the ball well this season, but if the Kings are unable to play efficient defense tonight, they will return back to Sacramento with a 1-3 road trip record. To end on a positive note, the Kings have shown to play good defense in spurts this season. Hopefully one gushes out tonight.