Another late-season victory has given the Sacramento Kings two wins in their last three games. While the Mavericks were brutally undermanned, that doesn't change the fact that several young guns came through big for the Kings. It's the early stages of the rebuild happening in real time.
Last night's game in Dallas was a late-season bench war for both parties. The Mavericks were short Cooper Flagg as well as five other players. The Kings showed up with Russell Westbrook, Zach LaVine, Domantas Sabonis, De'Andre Hunter, Keegan Murray, and Dylan Cardwell all injured.
Naturally, all of these injuries are terrible and are definitely not an indication that either team is trying to tank. But if they are actually trying to lose, the Kings did a terrible job of it. They ultimately beat the Mavericks by a score of 130 to 121. Big wins won't get you the number one draft pick.
That being said, it's good for the few people left willing to openly admit that they're Kings' fans to see the team win games late in the season. It's especially important after watching Sacramento suffer through the longest losing streak in the franchise's history. And these wins are due to future stars
The Kings' youth movement was on full display
Precious Achiuwa led the way against the Mavs, finishing the game with 29 points, 12 rebounds, four assists, three steals, and one block. He's been around the league for a minute or two, but Achiuwa is only 26 years old. He could play a big part in the rebuilding process for the Kings.
Both Nique Clifford and Maxime Raynaud had solid games as usual, particularly Clifford who was flirting with the triple-double. Devin Carter was also in rhythm last night, as was Daeqwon Plowden, who scored 19 points on 100% shooting from the field, the three-point arc, and the free throw line.
Recent addition Patrick Baldwin Jr. only had a handful of minutes and a relatively quiet evening. Killian Hayes, on the other hand, is picking up steam quickly. In 18+ minutes, he collected five points, four rebounds, six assists, and one steal. It showed his potential on the Kings.
Sacramento is getting an opportunity to evaluate this young group in tough circumstances, allowing both the coaching staff and the front office to see if they fit into the long-term plan. Players like Clifford, Raynaud, Achiuwa, Carter, Plowden, and even Hayes could be key to it.