Game Preview: Sacramento Kings (4-8) at Miami Heat (6-4)
By Rafe Wong
Just coming off a rough loss in Atlanta, the Sacramento Kings are now in South Beach where they will be facing the Miami Heat. Throughout this five game road trip, this matchup might be the most difficult for the purple and white.
Right now, Miami is one of the top tier teams in Eastern Conference based on their record, and are a squad filled with a variety of talent. Despite a valiant effort last night, the Kings fell short in completing a statement win against the Hawks. They have another shot against the Heat tonight, and in order for them to do it, they must complete these three keys to the game.
Limit Turnovers: Last night turnovers were a killer for Sacramento, and have been the bane of their existence this season. Currently, the Kings are ranked 28th in the league in ball control, averaging 16.6 turnovers a game.
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For the Kings to play efficient tonight, they must keep their turnovers at a minimum. Right now, turnovers are the achilles heel for the Kings, so before we start seeing Sacramento win on a consistent basis, their turnover problem must be solved.
Stopping Miami’s Five: Miami currently has one of best starting lineups in the NBA consisted of Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Goran Dragic, Luol Deng, and Hassan Whiteside. According to HoopsStats, Miami’s starting lineup this season has the 7th best efficiency rating in 81.3 and the 3rd best defensive rating in 22.4 in the NBA.
In order for the Kings to hold their own against a stacked lineup in Miami, they need to get off to fast starts in both the first and second halves of the game (when all starters are together). If Sacramento is able to win both those battles, it would huge in contributing to a possible win.
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Offensive Power: On the offensive end, the Kings will face their toughest battle yet. Miami at the moment is currently one of the top defensive squads in the league, ranking 2nd in the league in points allowed (91.5 points per contest).
The Kings are currently ranked 6th in the league in points scored a game, averaging 103.3 points games, and for them to have a chance tonight they must continue their offensive dominance lead by DeMarcus Cousins, Rajon Rondo, and Rudy Gay to give the Heat defense trouble.
Next: Turnovers Hurt Kings In Atlanta
The last 14 times the Kings have hit South Beach, they came out with a loss. Beneficial to Sacramento finally ending that streak tonight are that the three keys above must be exercised. Taking care of the ball, good starts to games, and offensive rhythm are qualities that good teams are accustomed to. If the Kings lack these aspects of the game tonight, most likely they will be looking at 0-2 hole to start what is suppose to be a key road trip for the team.