The Kings’ season has been very up and down so far. After a successful seven-game road trip, they came home and lost to the Pistons. Then, they responded with a win over the defending champions before falling to the young Thunder.
Some players seem in dire need of a break, but the Kings still have two games left until the All-Star break against two good teams—the Suns and the Nuggets. After starting the season off with some injury trouble, the Suns are now rolling.
They are in sixth place in the West, one spot ahead of the Kings, so this is an important game for both teams. The last time they met, Sacramento blew a twenty-point lead and allowed Kevin Durant to get the Suns back in the game to eventually get the win.
Is Kevin Durant playing tonight?
Durant has been by far the healthiest of the Suns’ stars this season and he is playing tonight as well. So are Devin Booker and Bradley Beal, meaning that the Suns will be at full force with their big three available.
Neither team is very good defensively, but the Kings will have to come out locked in and ready to fight on both ends of the floor. If this game comes down to a scoring race, it will be tough for the Kings to keep up with the Suns. Durant and Booker each average 28 points per game, and Beal chips in almost 19.
Keegan Murray can only guard one person at a time, so everyone else will have to be at their best defensively as well. De’Aaron Fox has collected a total of 21 steals over the last six games. If he can bring that level of defense and Davion Mitchell and Keon Ellis wreack some havoc defensively on the perimeter as well, it would really boost the Kings’ chances to come up with the win.
Which Kings players are not playing?
The Kings will be without Sasha Vezenkov, who will reportedly miss a few weeks with an ankle injury. Chris Duarte is also listed as questionable with an ankle sprain.
This could maybe open up a couple of minutes for Kessler Edwards to come in and play some great defense. He is one of the few Kings players with the talent and size to stick with Durant. Plus, he and Murray would form a solid defensive pairing on the wing.