Sacramento Kings head coach Mike Brown expressed deep frustration with his team’s performance in the first half on Friday night. The Kings struggled with sloppy play, sluggishness, and a lack of energy, ultimately falling 104-88 to the Los Angeles Clippers in an NBA Cup in-season tournament game at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood.
“They outcoached and outplayed us tonight, so we’ve got to give them their due respect,” the Kings head coach said towards the media.
The Kings found themselves in a 25 point hole and were unable to mount a comeback, even though they played a stronger second half against a depleted opponent.
“That first half was probably, if it wasn’t the worst half of basketball I’ve seen us play since I’ve been here, it was close. We weren’t a step slow, we were three or four steps slow.” Mike Brown continued.
“There was very limited aggressiveness to us offensively and same defensively, and when you are on your heels in this league, teams will make you play, and the Clippers did,” he continued.
The Sacramento Kings and the Los Angeles Clippers both needing wins in the In-Season tournament
Both teams had dropped their opening Cup game and needed a win to remain competitive in the in-season tournament.
The Clippers started cold, making just 1 of 10 field goals and missing all 6 of their 3-point attempts in the first four minutes. However, Sacramento’s turnovers kept them from building a significant lead. Despite the Clippers’ rough start, they went on a 14-0 run and led 16-8.
Los Angeles finished the first quarter with a 26-12 advantage, as the Kings had a rough start. Sacramento made only 4 of 21 shots (.190) from the field and 1 of 9 (.111) from 3-point range, along with five turnovers.
Fox, Huerter, and Murray all started cold, missing their first five attempts. The Clippers built a 14-point lead in the first quarter, stretched it to as much as 25 in the second, and entered halftime with a 51-29 lead.
The Kings struggled offensively, shooting just 24.4% from the field, 11.8% from beyond the arc, and 63.6% from the free-throw line. They were outscored in several key areas, including points in the paint (24-10), second-chance points (10-3), fastbreak points (10-2), and points off turnovers (8-2).
The Clippers led 76-64 heading into the final quarter and increased their lead to 19. Mike Brown and the Kings fought back, narrowing the gap to eight following a dunk by Sabonis with 2:47 left, but the Clippers answered with key shots from Harden, Jones, and Porter in the closing moments to secure the victory.
The Kings coming up short despite their stars returning
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The Kings star guard De’Aaron Fox recorded 29 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists for the Kings (8-8), while Domantas Sabonis contributed 24 points and 15 rebounds. DeMar DeRozan chipped in with 16 points and six rebounds.
The Kings score an average of 116.9 points per game, ranking seventh in the NBA, and shoot 48.9% from the field, the third-highest in the league. Fox is averaging 28.8 points per game, placing him sixth overall.
DeRozan and Sabonis returned to the lineup after sitting out recent games due to lower back tightness. Coach Mike Brown expressed his satisfaction with their return, noting that neither player would face any minutes restrictions.
James Harden finished with 22 points, six rebounds, and nine assists for the Clippers (10-7). Despite shooting 5 of 18 from the field and 2 of 10 from beyond the arc, he was perfect at the free-throw line, making all 10 attempts.
Derrick Jones Jr. contributed 17 points, while Kevin Porter Jr. added 14 off the bench.
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