[Game] 78/82: Kings @ Cavaliers 06 APR 2025, 3pm PT/6pm ET

[Elektrik]

Great win Kings! 9th in the play in now

 

[coolhandluke]

Let’s just say the best part of Monk’s game today was rebounding

Don't forget that free throw shooting,

 

[Caccia]

not the least bit surprised the Kings will win the toughest game on a road trip they lost to the Wizards on

Nope. Not surprised at all.

How do they match up with the Pistons?

 

[Caccia]

Let’s just say the best part of Monk’s game today was rebounding.

One of Kayte's "Keys to the Game" was to control the boards. Clearly, the coaching staff thought the same thing because Monk was really going after it on the defensive rebounds. In the end, the battle was even, 39-40.

 

[The_Jamal]

Monk was just really having an off night. Christie just stuck with the starters. Keon was getting destroyed on defense most of the night but the offense was just rolling through LaVine and DeMar so it really wasn't in need of Monk's offense in this one.

Interesting. Yeah, even if Keon isn't having the best defensive night, just the shear fact he's a 3pt threat that doesn't need shots, let's the offense flow better. Just take one high USG mouth out of the game that you feel you have to feed.

6 stocks from Keon and he was bad though? Really?

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

Nope. Not surprised at all.

How do they match up with the Pistons?

Well, at least you feel reasonably sure that the Kings aren't going to lose to the Pistons the same way they lost the last time.

 

[NewArena]

The weirdest Kings team of my lifetime but a healthy Sabonis in a rhythm certainly makes a difference and this is why i don’t wanna tear every single thing down when it comes to some of this roster.

 

[Caccia]

Really impressive shooting from Zach LaVine (15-21, 7-11) and DeMar DeRozan (10/18, 2/5). An exciting win with a lot of poise down the stretch.

Of course, all the starters played 40 or 42 minutes. Considering how truly awful the Kings have been on back-to-backs under Doug Christie, I have no complaints.

 

[bball_nomad]

At first Domas, then Zach. Kings have elite talent, that's unquestionable. Just the whole season was beyond chaotic thus crappy seeding going into play-in. Who knows how things will end. Oh well, as long as Kings play watchable bball - I'm OK

 

[Spike]

Saw the score at the half, decided not to post to not jinx it. Almost posted in the 4th, but held firm.

All we need to do is make it to the finals.

 

[Capt. Factorial]

I just don’t get this team at all. How do they lose to the bullets and then look so good against the cavs. It’s enough to drive you batty.

The last time the Kings lost to the Bullets, Mitch Richmond scored 38 points to outpace Chris Webber's 27.

 

[The_Jamal]

LaVine and Sabonis finally looking in sync. They looked totally different together today

Love hearing this. On paper, their game should mesh absolutely perfect. Domas screen assists and LaVine is one of the best 3-level scorers/shooters in basketball. Get him an inch of space that should be going up

 

[SLAB]

The last time the Kings lost to the Bullets, Mitch Richmond scored 38 points to outpace Chris Webber's 27.

Obviously shows that the Bullets won that trade.

 

[jphilip]

I missed pit on game glad we won will work early for pistons game tommorow lifht tge beam

 

[bball_nomad]

Love hearing this. On paper, their game should mesh absolutely perfect. Domas screen assists and LaVine is one of the best 3-level scorers/shooters in basketball. Get him an inch of space that should be going up

Zach in Chicago played alongside Vucevic. Vuc and Domas have similar bodies. Not a lob threat or big 7+++ footers but as screeners - very good. Active, smart. Just Domas is younger, stronger, quicker, faster... Plus - much better passer. They just need to develop "feel" for each other and watch out Needles to say that other 3 guys on the floor for the Kings on offense should benefit greatly too.

 

[Tizzy Flip]

What’s crazy about this season is we would be in the same position as we are today even if we stood at 44 wins right now. We were in such a big hole at 13-18, as it stands there was no way we would get to a 6 seed or better unless we went on a 22-6 run like the Warriors are having since trade deadline (or 31-14 since Brown was fired). Simply not happening. If we win those Nuggets and Clips game, does that give the org a false sense of success and keep the status quo? We obviously need to get rid of 1 or 2 of the Monk/Demar/Lavine trio but wondering if this rough stretch is a blessing in disguise, whereas a few mins wins would have driven more of the same

 

[megapoxy]

Just finished watching the match via "all possessions" mode that is available only via Cavs stream (with those idiotic +/- to explain the margin on top of their score).
It's really weird what happened with LaVine's basket. I think normally when there is under 2 minutes left they stop the play and review the basket to see if it was on time or not. It's not like they let video replay people do it as it happens early in the game, am I right? And it seems that it was after the clock expired... we would be fuming if it was Garland instead of LaVine.

Besides that the whole media going bananas (worldwide not just in USA) with Lakers winning at Oklahoma, not such a buzz with the Kings beating Cavs that this time were not in "rest" mode, they needed the win to narrow the gap for the best record in the league and Kings were the ones having absences. Has any other Western team "swept" Cavs this season? Nobody in the East has done that for sure.

Zach and Deebo hit some hard shots in the 2nd half, what usually happens in those cases of first matches on back to back is that we play a good team, we fight hard keeping the starters for 40+ minutes and we lose down the stretch (on a buzzer beater like at Clippers) and then the next day playing an "easier" match the team plays awful and loses easily. So it feels good that we didn't keep up with this bad trend.

 

[megapoxy]

Not bad for the Western Bulls, LaVine broke the record that was held by.. Buddy Hield!

Sunday beamin' 🔦🟣

Defensive Player of the Game presented by @PhoongLawCorp pic.twitter.com/3s0yzrsEpf

— Sacramento Kings (@SacramentoKings) April 7, 2025

Zach LaVine tonight:

37 PTS
7 3PM
0 FTA

The most points in a game without any free throw attempts in Kings franchise history. pic.twitter.com/4W3JAaXQNn

— Polymarket Hoops (@StatMamba) April 7, 2025

 

[Tizzy Flip]

Zach in Chicago played alongside Vucevic. Vuc and Domas have similar bodies. Not a lob threat or big 7+++ footers but as screeners - very good. Active, smart. Just Domas is younger, stronger, quicker, faster... Plus - much better passer. They just need to develop "feel" for each other and watch out Needles to say that other 3 guys on the floor for the Kings on offense should benefit greatly too.

I only got to watch starting from the last few mins of the 1st half, but I noticed Domas playing a little bit deeper around free throw line extended and in the paint. Instead of from outside 3pt line like he would with those high PNRs with Monk. And would then run some action with LaVine and Demar. Not sure if that was just an adjustment they made that they saw with Allen that they thought they could take advantage of. Definitely felt like we got better movement once he established himself as a paint threat

 

[gunks]

So all we need to do is make it through the play-in, playoffs, WCFs, then hope we match up against the Cavs....

... And we're contenders!

 

[QWERTYLICIOUS]

All I ask for is a strong showing over the final 4 games of the regular season. And then we can worry about game 83.
LET'S GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

 

[Capt. Factorial]

Not bad for the Western Bulls, LaVine broke the record that was held by.. Buddy Hield!

Sunday beamin' 🔦🟣

Defensive Player of the Game presented by @PhoongLawCorp pic.twitter.com/3s0yzrsEpf

— Sacramento Kings (@SacramentoKings) April 7, 2025

Zach LaVine tonight:

37 PTS
7 3PM
0 FTA

The most points in a game without any free throw attempts in Kings franchise history. pic.twitter.com/4W3JAaXQNn

— Polymarket Hoops (@StatMamba) April 7, 2025

No, we can't go out for Shai-Gilgeous Alexander. We have Shai-Gilgeous Alexander Lite at home.

 

[Capt. Factorial]

Obviously shows that the Bullets won that trade.

"Would eventually win" - I didn't say who was on which team!

 

[SacTownKid]

Interesting. Yeah, even if Keon isn't having the best defensive night, just the shear fact he's a 3pt threat that doesn't need shots, let's the offense flow better. Just take one high USG mouth out of the game that you feel you have to feed.

6 stocks from Keon and he was bad though? Really?

Yeah, Keon was getting beat almost every time on pick and roll or when he was on Mitchell. In fact, Christie adjusted and ended up putting LaVine on Mitchell and a few plays had DeMar come up to switch onto him. Keon is starting to really play too much for the steal and today it was leaving him out of position on the perimeter a lot of the time. It'll be interesting to see what happens if the Kings make the playoffs. I get the whole deflections and forcing turnovers thing, but personally I think it's an iffy way to judge defense since come playoff time it usually comes down to whether you can stop bodies, not play the passing lanes, swipe down, or guard from behind your man. If you are consistently getting broken down teams are going to end up beating you in a 7 game series if they have more talent.

 

[kingsboi]

Yeah, Keon was getting beat almost every time on pick and roll or when he was on Mitchell. In fact, Christie adjusted and ended up putting LaVine on Mitchell and a few plays had DeMar come up to switch onto him. Keon is starting to really play too much for the steal and today it was leaving him out of position on the perimeter a lot of the time. It'll be interesting to see what happens if the Kings make the playoffs. I get the whole deflections and forcing turnovers thing, but personally I think it's an iffy way to judge defense since come playoff time it usually comes down to whether you can stop bodies, not play the passing lanes, swipe down, or guard from behind your man. If you are consistently getting broken down teams are going to end up beating you in a 7 game series if they have more talent.

he may of gotten this tendency from Fox who was consistently doing this

 

[megapoxy]

Plot twist

Trey Lyles won DPOG, but he gave the crown to DeMar DeRozan for passing Jerry West for 26th on the NBA’s all-time scoring list. https://t.co/cv2IzBNoOB

— Jason Anderson (@JandersonSacBee) April 7, 2025

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

I mean, I guess if you believe in the old cliché about the best defense being a good offense... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[TheMobb]

he may of gotten this tendency from Fox who was consistently doing this

I think this might be a point of emphasis from coaching. Maybe the thinking is there’s no rim protection or strong 1 on 1 defenders, so being a disruptive defense and speeding up the ball handler is the teams best chance.

 

[Caccia]

I think this might be a point of emphasis from coaching. Maybe the thinking is there’s no rim protection or strong 1 on 1 defenders, so being a disruptive defense and speeding up the ball handler is the teams best chance.

Keegan Murray is a strong one-on-one defender, but was out last night. Keon Ellis is a very good one-on-one defender, but is not very strong.

 

[TheMobb]

Keegan Murray is a strong one-on-one defender, but was out last night. Keon Ellis is a very good one-on-one defender, but is not very strong.

Agreed, but those 2 alone aren’t enough to be a strong defensive team. I just think the emphasis is on being a disruptive defense because there’s just not enough plus defenders on the team.