Sacramento Kings’ Rally Falls Short In Charlotte, Loses Eighth Straight

The Sacramento Kings’ inconsistent play in Charlotte leads to an eighth straight loss for them. They now sit with the worst record in the NBA.

The Sacramento Kings were defeated by the Charlotte Hornets tonight by a score of 112-107. With this defeat, the Kings’ record (13-33) now sits as the worst in the NBA.

Game Summary

For tonight’s Kings’ veteran rotation, Dave Joerger opted to play Kosta Koufos, Vince Carter, and George Hill, while sitting out Zach Randolph and Garrett Temple.

With no “Z-Bo isos” available for Sacramento’s offense, they needed to turn elsewhere for points. In the first quarter, the Kings’ found some offensive rhythm as they shot the ball well collectively. A quarter which consisted of 58% shooting from the floor and 43% from the perimeter gave the guys in purple a 33-point period to start the game. Unfortunately, for the Kings, the Hornets also scored efficiently as well putting up 35 points for the quarter.

For the second quarter, the Kings’ offense cooled off. Despite players like De’Aaron Fox and Skal Labissiere scoring the ball well, the Kings as a whole shot just 10-28 from the floor which resulted in a 22-point quarter. Adding this with the Hornets remaining hot scoring the ball, behind the play of Kemba Walker and Jeremy Lamb, the Kings found themselves in a 67-55 hole at halftime.

To start the third quarter, both teams cooled off offensively. For the Kings specifically, they were shaken by the presence of Dwight Howard who recorded five blocks for the quarter. Although the Kings were able to also prevent the Hornets from scoring, Charlotte was able to construct a late run in the quarter to give them a 92-75 lead to end the third.

With the Hornets holding a 17-point lead into the final period, an eighth-straight loss seemed inevitable for the Kings. But Sacramento was not ready to throw in the towel just yet. Their defense buckled up and their offense was solid as the young guys contributed to most of the scoring.

The Kings were able to cut the lead down to three points with two minutes remaining, but the Hornets were able to survive with a 112-107 win due to their clutch free-throw shooting.

Final Thoughts

Overall, another inconsistent night for the purple and white. The team was able to show their true potential tonight, but it only came in spurts throughout the game. The sign of a team that is rebuilding and developing their youth.

With tonight’s loss, the Kings now hold a record of 13-33 which has them ranked as the worst team in the NBA. Very depressing season so far. But hey, they are now the favorites to receive the first pick in this year’s NBA Draft. Have to think on the brighter side.

Listed below are some key notes to take from tonight’s contest.

Key Takeaways

• Skal Labissiere came to play tonight. He ended the game with 23 points and four rebounds on 10-15 shooting from the floor. Looks like someone does not want to wear a Reno Bighorns uniform ever again.
• De’Aaron Fox continued to show his ability as a facilitator. He had an all-around performance as he finished with 16 points and seven assists.
• The Kings had trouble defending Charlotte’s guards, especially Kemba Walker and Jeremy Lamb who combined for 44 points.
• Dwight Howard turned back the clock as he was a dominant force on both ends of the floor. He finished the night with 14 points, 16 rebounds, and six blocks.
• Buddy Hield remains to be a scoring spark off the bench as he recorded 18 points on 7-12 shooting.
• The Kings did a solid job in protecting the ball tonight. Their offense finished with 27 assists with just seven turnovers. Almost a 4:1 ratio.
• Vince Carter, George Hill, and Kosta Koufos were the veterans who dressed for the Kings tonight. None of them recorded 20 or more minutes in the game.

The Kings’ next game is scheduled for tomorrow night as they face off against the Orlando Magic. Will the losing streak finally end?