The Sacramento Kings took the league by storm last season, fuelled by their historically high-scoring offense. After years of losing, the Kings are now defined by a fast pace, ball movement, and so much scoring that opponents can barely keep up.
Last season, they ranked ninth in three-point percentage, sixth in three-point attempts, and first in points per game. This season looked much different to start. While taking the third-most threes per game across the league, the Kings only rank seventeenth in three-point percentage at 36.5 percent.
Kevin Huerter, Keegan Murray, Sasha Vezenkov, Chris Duarte, and Davion Mitchell all struggled to connect from beyond the arc. Especially Huerter's and Murray’s struggles hemmed the Kings’ offense. When they aren’t making their shots, the Kings’ offense just isn’t the same.
Last night, that was not a problem, however.
Kings came out firing against the Nets
The Brooklyn Nets came into last night’s game as the top three-point shooting team in the league. Since trading away Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant, the Nets have a roster full of long, athletic 3-and-D wings.
Their great three-point shooting is not a surprise, and they delivered once again last night. As a team, the Nets shot 48.3 percent from three but even that was not enough to get past the Kings.
The Kings shot a mind-blowing 55.6 percent from beyond the arc. De’Aaron Fox, Trey Lyles, Malik Monk, Keegan Murray, Harrison Barnes, Keon Ellis, and Domantas Sabonis combined for 25 made threes.
With that performance, they didn’t just secure the win but also set a new franchise record for made threes in a game. The previous record was 23, and it was only fitting that Murray was the one to hit the shot that sent the Kings past that mark. Just last season, he set a new high for total three-pointers made in a rookie season.
He struggled to shoot before last night, but Murray has the potential to be one of the top shooters in the league over his career.
Kings displayed great teamwork
De’Aaron Fox ranks fifth in the NBA in scoring, averaging 30.4 points per game, and he scored 29 again last night. He is putting his name in the MVP conversation game after game, but the Kings are not a one-man show, and they showed that last night.
Six players scored 14 or more points, and the team combined for 38 assists on 48 made field goals. 26 of those assists came from Sabonis, Monk, and Fox.
If your top three players are setting up teammates like that, you’re in a pretty good position to win. Now, the Kings just need to replicate that performance and continue to play great basketball game after game.