Again, the Sacramento Kings were unable to close the game against a good team, proving they are still far away from reaching their ultimate goal.
Another Sacramento Kings game, another heartbreak. As the purple and white hosted the Boston Celtics tonight, it was critical for Sacramento to win in order to stay close in the playoff race.
Even though the Celtics were the favorites to win tonight’s match, the Kings could care less. Throughout the game, the Kings played physical and were competitive as they gave the Celtics a run for their money. But when the game was on the line in the final minutes of the contest, the Celtics proved why they are considered a legit title contender, and why the Kings are not.
Crunch Time Report
During crunch time, the Kings were able to keep the game close due to their electric offense, but when it came to getting defensive stops, they were unable to as the Celtics were able to execute and get key buckets in the clutch.
With that being said, however, the Kings still found a way to tie the game with under 10 seconds remaining. One stop on defense and the Kings would force overtime. But when it mattered, Celtics’ forward Gordon Hayward put his team on his back and scored with just seconds remaining.
The Kings had the chance to tie or win the game but failed to do so as Harrison Barnes missed a contested three-pointer as the buzzer sounded, officially giving the Kings another close loss for the season.
Final Thoughts
The Kings have made great strides this season. Greater than many expected them to make. That said, however, they are so close yet still so far away from reaching their goals. Throughout their campaign, Sacramento has suffered a ton of gut-wrenching losses to teams that are considered top-tier in the NBA.
I know that the Kings are not predicted to win many games similar to tonight, but for them to take that next step forward in their developments, they need to start recording statement wins.
For the Kings to finally break their playoff drought and compete for possible titles, winning games like tonight is a must in their future. Hopefully, the young Kings can continue to learn and grow so they can begin a new reputation of being able to consistently defeat the top teams in the NBA.
The sooner the better would be ideal. For the mental and physical health of Kings fans everywhere.