Preview: Sacramento Kings Face Winnable Game Against L.A. Lakers

The last time the Sacramento Kings hit the court they were playing against the Los Angeles Clippers Saturday night. Fast forward four days later and the Kings are back in SoCal to face the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Sacramento Kings are continuing to make ground in pursuit for the 8th seed in the Western Conference, and they have a good opportunity this evening to do so.

To say that the Los Angeles Lakers this season have been a disappointment is an understatement. With a record of 9-34, the Lakers are currently in the basement in the NBA standings, and all of this is happening in Kobe Bryant’s last season.

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For the Kings, this game should be a definite win. When you compare the two teams together, there is no question that Sacramento is better than the Lakers in all aspects of the game. However, even though the Kings should win this game, remember we are talking about the Kings.

In the most peculiar way, the Kings are the most unusual team in the NBA. When they face up against elite competition, they tend to play at their best.

Jan 7, 2016; Sacramento, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Jordan Clarkson (6) takes a shot over Sacramento Kings center Kosta Koufos (41) during the second quarter at Sleep Train Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports /

On the other hand, when the Kings are listed as the favorite against inferior teams they just can’t seem to figure things out, and end up frustrating their fans with many upsetting losses.

If deciding who wins this game, I have to go with the Kings. Sacramento on paper is the more dominant team, and the team has shown already that they can outpower the Lakers by beating them twice already this season.

Expect a dominant performance by the Kings’ Big Three tonight, which contains DeMarcus Cousins, Rudy Gay, and Rajon Rondo. Expect Rondo to run the floor and orchestrate the offense, setting up Cousins and Gay to score easily against a Lakers team that allows their oppositions this season to average 106 points a contest.

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Going further, expect the Kings defense to be solid as well. The Lakers as a whole only average 96.3 points a game, and even though the Kings defense is still abysmal, they can do enough to at least score more points than their division foe.

Overall, I believe the Kings will get the win tonight because the Kings are just better from head to toe than the Lakers. In order for the Kings to get the victory, they must make sure their Big Three play efficiently, limit their mistakes on offense (turnovers), and play adequate defense.

The Kings are currently 1/2 a game down to the Utah Jazz, who hold the 8th playoff spot in the West. If the Kings want to be looked at as a legitimate threat to take that spot they must be able to take advantage of games like tonight.

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