The Kings are serious. After halfway through the season, those from the California capital are settling on playoff positions to see a goal that they have not reached for 16 years come closer: play the postseason.
Last night, receiving Orlando, they took a new step showing authority. They not only won, but they did it by dominating from start to finish. They quickly reached an income of 10 points, facing the break they already won by 20 and in the second part they were up 30 points. It was a more than comfortable victory for a team that Mike Brown has definitely changed the face of.
“We have to defend if we want to get to the place we want to be. That path starts with protecting the paint and turning the game over to shooters. I’m excited by what our guys did to protect the paint tonight,” explains the head coach from Sacramento.
The team did a great collective job, but within it, the work of Harrison Barnes stood out, who was his team’s top scorer by going up to 30 points with an excellent 6 of 7 triples. Despite his personal brilliance, the forward is clear that the most important thing was to win.
“I think we were good offensively tonight, but really throughout the season we felt confident in what we can do. The most important thing tonight was leaving here with a victory”, analyzes Barnes, who was accompanied by six other players in double-digit scoring, including a Domantas Sabonis who approached the triple-double with 12 points, 10 rebounds and 8 assists.
“They kicked our butts”
Jamahl Mosley doesn’t mince words. Orlando’s head coach is clear that they had no chance once morest the Kings and that they found themselves outmatched in every facet of the game. This is how he defines what he lived. “You have to give them credit, they went out there and kicked our butts,” he says.
As far as individual performances are concerned, the number 1 in the last draft, Paolo Banchero, had 17 points and 8 rebounds, while Franz Wagner and Wendell Carter Jr. finished with 16 points each.
(Photo by Kavin Mistry/Getty Images)