3-Point eruption puts the 2024-25 Sacramento Kings in rarified air

Dec 8, 2024; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings forward Doug McDermott (7) is congratulated by guard Keon Ellis (23) after making a three point basket against the Utah Jazz during the fourth quarter at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
Dec 8, 2024; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings forward Doug McDermott (7) is congratulated by guard Keon Ellis (23) after making a three point basket against the Utah Jazz during the fourth quarter at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

For fans of the Sacramento Kings, a big topic of discussion this season has been their slow start from downtown. Through their first 23 games of the season, the Kings were hitting only 33.2% of their triples, which placed them at 25th in the entire league.

However, given the Kings' roster – one that sports multiple dangerous shooters (Keegan Murray, Kevin Huerter, Malik Monk, Doug McDermott, etc.) – the team was always primed for some positive regression. And in these last two games, that is exactly what has happened.

In their last two games, the Kings are shooting 38-for-78 (48.7%) from downtown as a team – the second-best mark over that time period. In this contests, Huerter is 10-for-13 (76.9%), McDermott 7-for-8 (87.5%), and Murray is 4-for-8 (50%).

The Sacramento Kings' offense is firing on all cylinders

Now that the Kings are finally able to hit their threes, their offense has hit another level. Against the San Antonio Spurs, they scored 140 points, and they scored 141 when they played the Utah Jazz (both of those games were blowout wins for the Kings).

According to Stathead, the Kings are the first team since last season's Atlanta Hawks to have back-to-back games where they have scored at least 140 points. In NBA history, there have only been 38 occasions (including this one) where a team has had a streak of 140-point games.

The longest streak is three straight games, which has been done five different times. The last time was by the 2008-09 Phoenix Suns, who were quarterbacked by the great offensive general Steve Nash.

This is the first time since the team moved to Sacramento four decades ago that they have pulled off this feat. When the organization was the Cincinnati, they did it in back-to-back games in 1963.

The Kings have a decent chance of tying the all-time record, as they will get three full days of rest before their next game, and their next opponent is the New Orleans Pelicans (who are currently ranked 28th in defensive rating).

Despite finally waking up from downtown, the Kings still have some issues to worry about – like a lack of size and defensively-slanted rotation-level players.

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