The Sacramento Kings have extended their winning streak to four games tonight as they defeated the Orlando Magic by a score of 107-99.
Well, Kings fans. Your team has done it again. The Sacramento Kings have defeated the Orlando Magic tonight which has them now at a record of 5-3 for the season. The Magic now drop to a record of 2-5.
Game Recap
The first quarter was subpar for the Kings. De’Aaron Fox was feeling the pain in his back from the night before which caused Sacramento’s offense to be sluggish to start.
The Magic were hot from the perimeter to begin the game which gave them a comfortable lead throughout the quarter. But due to the play of Frank Mason III and Marvin Bagley III, the offense for Sacramento was able to get back into rhythm. By the end of the first, the Kings were trailing 31-25. Not bad considering they were down by 11 at one point.
Once the second period began, the Kings’ offense remained efficient. Led by Nemanja Bjelica and Willie Cauley-Stein, Sacramento was able to outscore Orlando 33-25 in the second which gave the purple and white a 59-56 lead going into the half.
Once the third quarter began, the Kings continued to succeed. The backcourt of Fox and Buddy Hield started to heat up which helped the Kings’ offense immensely. Not only was Sacramento’s offense good, but also their defense as they allowed Orlando to score just 16 points for the quarter. As a result, the Kings took a “comfortable” 85-72 lead going into the fourth.
When the fourth quarter began, it was the Magic’s turn to take control of the game as they started the period with a 12-2 run. The momentum that the Kings got from their third-quarter play was suddenly gone, but the Kings were able to gain their composure and hang on to their lead. Believe it or not, it was Sacramento’s defense down the stretch that helped them win this game as guys like Hield, Troy Williams, and more made key defensive stops when their team needed them the most.
Once the clock expired, the Kings became victorious by a score of 107-99. The purple and white are now 5-3 for the season!
Thoughts on the Game
Thought #1: The Kings Won As A Team
Tonight’s win for Sacramento was no doubt a team-earned victory. Usually, the Kings lean heavily on the play of De’Aaron Fox, but due to him playing hurt, other guys on the team needed to step up and make plays.
As a result, six players on the Kings scored 10 or more points tonight. Also, four players recorded eight or more rebounds in the game as well as two players dishing out five or more assists. A collective by Sacramento indeed.
Thought #2: Top Performers
Players that stood out the most in my mind were Buddy Hield who recorded 25 points, 11 rebounds, and three assists, Willie Cauley-Stein who scored 14 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, and Nemanja Bjelica who finished with 21 points and eight rebounds.
Another guy that deserves credit is Troy Williams who made some pivotal plays during the fourth quarter. He ended up with 12 points, five rebounds, and two blocks.
Thought #3: Kings Show Defensive Potential
The offense for Sacramento has been awesome this year while their defense has been hot garbage. That was not the case tonight.
When the Kings needed to get defensive stops, especially in the fourth quarter, they were successful in doing so. The team as a whole showed an amount of effort and energy on the defensive side of the ball that I have not seen from them this season prior to tonight.
The Kings do not need to be a lockdown defensive squad. But if their defense can continue to be aggressive and pesky like tonight, this team will keep on shocking the NBA world as the season goes on.