Game Preview: Consistency Is Key For Sacramento Kings In Dallas
By Rafe Wong
The marathon continues…..
After the Sacramento Kings lost a close one to the Memphis Grizzlies last night they continue their road trip by playing the second part of a back-to-back against the Dallas Mavericks this evening.
Based on the records of both teams this season the Kings will certainly be looked at as the underdog for tonight’s contest, but history also says it as well.
In the last 19 contests that the Kings have played against the Mavericks in the Lone Star State, the purple and white have lost all of them. The last time the Kings were able to leave Dallas with a victory was in the year 2004 during the NBA playoffs.
For the Kings to be able to break this notorious streak, they must play an all-around game. This means both the offense and defense will have to play at a solid level tonight for the WHOLE 48 minutes.
More from Kings News
- 3 Ways Chris Duarte improves the Kings chances in 2023-24
- Bleacher Report crazily lists Kings’ All-Star as “most overrated NBA player”
- Kings and Heat fans clash on Twitter to debate All-Star players
- Sacramento Kings’ Chris Duarte playing in 2023 FIBA World Cup
- 3 Young players the Kings must develop, 2 to give up on
The level of consistency played by Sacramento will determine their fate in tonight’s game.
Consistency has been an issue for the Kings this season, and many seasons in recent past, as in most games the team just cannot figure out how to play with the same level of efficiency for an entire game. Yesterday night’s game was an epitome of that.
Last night against the Grizzlies the Kings showed that they can hang with any team. Without the services of Rudy Gay and Seth Curry, the Kings were still able to stay with the Grizzlies and only lose to them by 6 points.
The Kings could have come out with the victory in Memphis, but inconsistency played its part. The Kings played solid in the first quarter but then followed it up with an abysmal second. The Kings then played a great third quarter to get them back into the game, but just didn’t have enough energy left in the fourth to break the barrier.
The Kings just can’t take quarters off, especially on the road against good teams. The Kings are just not good enough to be inconsistent and still come out with wins.
Next: Willie Cauley-Stein Showing Offensive Improvement
The Kings roster as a whole has the talent to be competitive against anyone, but they cannot turn it on and off like a faucet throughout periods of the game.
The odds are against them, but the Kings can definitely achieve that long-due win in the American Airlines Center. As long as the team can be consistent in playing at a competitive level for all four quarters, the Kings definitely have a shot in finally ending their losing streak in Dallas.