Despite the fabulous play of Bogdan Bogdanovic, the Sacramento Kings were unable to get the win against the Los Angeles Clippers as they lost by a score of 133-121.
The Sacramento Kings had the chance to impress the country as they played against the Los Angeles Clippers tonight on the national stage. Although the purple and white were able to entertain the crowd with flashy highlights, they came up short on the scoreboard as they were defeated by the Clippers.
With this loss, the Kings now fall to a record of 10-11 and are currently on a three-game losing streak. As for the Clippers, they continue to be hot as this win keeps them in the top seed of the Western Conference with a record of 15-6.
Game Summary
The beginning of the game was not ideal for the Kings. The home team was playing with little energy which the Clippers took advantage of on the offensive end. For Los Angeles, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Avery Bradley were their top scorers, but it was a collective effort that made them dangerous. As a result, the Kings trailed 42-26 after one.
With the Kings looking for any type of momentum in the second quarter, they got it from their second unit. Guys like Bogdan Bogdanovic, Marvin Bagley III, and Troy Williams uplifted the Kings as they were able to trim the Clipper lead down to single digits. Once the starters for Sacramento came back in, the momentum was theirs. Led by De’Aaron Fox, the Kings continued to chip away Los Angeles’ lead. Once halftime began, the Kings only trailed by a score of 71-68.
When the third quarter started, the Clippers regained their offense. Behind the play of their starters, and utilizing the pick-and-roll offense, Los Angeles was able to get back into rhythm as they extended their lead. But once the Kings put Bogdanovic back in the game, the home team rallied back but still found themselves down 101-93 at the end of the third.
The theme of the game remained the same in the fourth quarter. Both teams were rolling on offense with the Clippers still maintaining the lead. But behind the play of Bogdanovic, again, the Kings were able to gradually cut the Clipper lead which had the game close going into crunch time. But in the end, the Clippers’ offense executed well in the final six minutes of the game, leading to their victory by a score of 133-121.
Final Thoughts
Tonight’s loss for the Kings is another tough one to endure. There were multiple times during the night where the home team could have regained the lead but were unable to keep up with the Clippers on both ends. But with that being said, let me give the Clippers props. They proved to everyone tonight that they are a team to be reckoned with as they executed well on both sides of the ball, especially during the important stages of the game.
As for the Kings, even though they lost, one big positive note to take away from the game is Bogdan Bogdanovic. Even coming off the bench, he was excellent tonight as he was the anchor for every Kings rally that happened tonight. For the game, he recorded 26 points, six assists, and four rebounds while shooting 40% from the floor.
Hopefully, the Kings can bounce back in their next game. Even though they have been a pleasant surprise so far in their campaign, they are starting to lose momentum and can definitely go back to their losing ways. Their next match will be on Saturday against the Indiana Pacers who will be another good test for the purple and white.