A Royal Pain
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Sacramento Kings: Miami Heat down Kings in California Classic finale

By Tyler Watts

SACRAMENTO, CA - JULY 5: Marvin Bagley III #35 of the Sacramento Kings high-fives Justin Jackson #25 of the Sacramento Kings during the 2018 Summer League at the Golden 1 Center on July 5, 2018 in Sacramento, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images)
SACRAMENTO, CA - JULY 5: Marvin Bagley III #35 of the Sacramento Kings high-fives Justin Jackson #25 of the Sacramento Kings during the 2018 Summer League at the Golden 1 Center on July 5, 2018 in Sacramento, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Sacramento Kings wrapped up the California Classic summer league on July 5 with a loss to the Miami Heat in front of their home crowd.

The Sacramento Kings concluded the California Classic Summer League on Thursday afternoon.  It was Sacramento’s first time hosting.  The fans turned out to provide a fantastic atmosphere, but with Vegas just around the corner things had to wrap up.

The Kings fell in their final game 86-76 against the Miami Heat.  The Heat had regular rotation players Bam Adebayo and Derrick Jones Jr leading the charge to beat the Kings.  It dropped Sacramento to one win and two losses during the California Classic and a third-place finish on the week.

Slow start

The King started slow, and it seemed like only Justin Jackson was scoring for Sacramento early on.  They slipped behind early including trailing 25-17 at the end of the opening quarter.

The Kings lost the second quarter as well.  Despite winning the second half, they could not overcome the early hole they dug.

Related Story: An in-depth look at Harry Giles first game as a King

Rough night for MB3

Marvin Bagley III looked like a superstar in the opening game of the classic, but he struggled in game two.  That continued on Thursday.  Bagley III scored just one point.  He also had three rebounds, one block, two turnovers and four personal fouls.  More troubling, he only took two field goal attempts and was a massive negative 21 in the plus/minus category.  It was a game to forget for the number two overall pick.

Justin Jackson scores again

Justin Jackson was the star man and led Sacramento in scoring for the second consecutive game.  He scored 26 points on 17 field goal attempts.  Jackson also sank four 3-pointers and went four of five from the foul line.  JJ has the confidence of a second-year player in summer league, and his combination shooting ability and aggressiveness stood out against the Heat.

Giles rounding into form

Harry Giles had his best game as a professional against Miami.  He sat out all of last season, and the rust is finally coming off.  Giles produced 11 points, 12 rebounds, one assist, and one block plus five of eight shooting from the field.

His seven turnovers and seven personal fouls were both a little worrying, but Giles is still only 20 years old.  Expect some rookie mistakes and rough play given his age and the fact that he missed a lot of playing time over the last few years.

Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee had this to say about Giles performance this week.

On to Vegas

With one summer league in the books, the Kings now pack up and head to Las Vegas for their annual competition.  All 30 teams are attending this year.  Sacramento’s first game is on Saturday against the Phoenix Suns.  That should be a fun contest headlined by the first two picks of the 2018 NBA Draft going head to head.  Bagley III should see plenty of time covering DeAndre Ayton as well, so please tune in for that.

Final thoughts

The Sacramento Kings wrapped up the inaugural California Classic with a loss to the Miami Heat on Thursday.  The Kings got valuable game action for their young players.  Overall, the event was a massive success.  Expect to see the California Classic back next season and likely with a fresh team or two in the field.

Next: Kings 2018 NBA Draft grades

A Royal Pain should be all Sacramento Kings fans one-stop shop for everything on the team all year long.  Please check back with us frequently to never miss an article.  Thank you for reading.

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