The Sacramento Kings have added another loss to the stat sheet, maintaining an exceptionally tenuous hold on 14th in the Western Conference. Once again, a second half collapse cost them a game that should have been a win. The pattern of pulling a loss from the jaws of victory continues.
It keeps happening over and over again. By the end of the first half, Sacramento either has a lead of some kind or is only a handful of points behind. They are usually at least within striking distance when the second quarter comes to a close, which is a solid place to be in.
Then, the Kings hit the court after halftime and it's like they're a different team. The defense, such as it is, utterly falls apart and the hoop suddenly seems to have a lid on it. Occasionally, there's a late game run that makes the final score slightly less brutal, which is small comfort to their fans.
If you look at the breakdowns of all the Kings' 37 games so far this season, you'll find that pattern holds true in most cases. Sure, there are some minor variations but the second half tank is real for Sacramento, and they don't seem to be able to do anything about it.
The Mavericks take the game from the Kings in the second half
Last night's loss to the Mavericks was a prime example of this pattern. By the end of the first half, Sacramento led Dallas by a score of 58 to 46. If that isn't the most points the Kings have led by at the half this season, it has to be one of their best performances through the first and second quarters.
Like clockwork, halftime came to an end, the third quarter hit, and the Kings lit a dumpster fire. By the end of that 12 minutes, the Mavs were only down by two points. The fourth quarter turned into a real slugfest with Dallas ultimately winning by two points and a final score of 100 to 98.
In case you're wondering, that is the second game in a row the Kings have failed to score at least 100 points as well as their sixth loss in a row. Oddly enough, their last victory was against the Mavs. Regardless, the second half, particularly the third quarter, remains a trainwreck for the Kings.
It has been said before and it has to be said again: the Kings need to play a full 48 every night. Massive lapses like this aren't going to do much to push the team in the right direction, not that they are contenders this season. A run of three or four wins in a row would be nice to see, though.