[Game] 79/82: Kings @ Pistons 07 APR 2025, 4pm PT/7pm ET

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

Sacramento Kings 38-40 (19-21 away) @ Detroit Pistons 43-35 (21-17 home)
07 April 2025, 4pm PT/7pm ET
Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, Michigan

Last 5:
Kings 2-3 Pistons 2-3

Series:
Pistons lead 1-0​

Game Preview:
Kings Look To Carry Momentum Into Meeting Vs. Pistons (NBA.com)

Availability:
Broadcast: NBA League Pass (NBC Sports California)
Radio: Sactown Sports 1140 AM

Box Score (via ESPN.com)

Team Homepage
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Injury Report (as of 1pm ET):
Kings:
Keegan Murray - QUESTIONABLE (back)
Jake LaRavia - OUT (thumb)

Pistons:
Jalen Duren - QUESTIONABLE (leg)
Tobias Harris - QUESTIONABLE (heel)
Jaden Ivey - OUT (lower leg)


Referee Assignments:
Zach Zarba (#15 - Crew Chief), Tre Maddox (#23), Evan Scott (#78) - Forty-two years combined experience



Mister Slim Says:

 

[pdxKingsFan]

The best thing about Detroit

*Iggy & The Stooges technically from Ann Arbor so I will go with MC5.
Detroit rock and roll has a great history. Arguably the Rock Hall should have been placed there.

The worst thing is that guy in the Nudie suit.

 

[Tetsujin]

Just don’t foul a three point shooter at the end of the game this time

 

[Vinny Basketballerino]

I changed my mind. Don't blow it up. This team can win it all this year!!! Go Kings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Tetsujin]

https://twitter.com/statuses/1909300484537450937

 

[Spike]

The second best thing about Detroit? Windsor, Canada. IYKYK.

 

[Remi]

Which team will we get this time from Jekyll & Hyde pocket?
Kings can lose to any team and can beat any strongest team in the league .... there is only one problem - inconsistency.

 

[Caccia]

I would have voted for the Detroit Institute of Arts. Fabulous museum.

 

[datamanwes]

If both Keon and Keegan dont play tonight. Will anyone play defense besides Carter?

 

[gunks]

If both Keon and Keegan dont play tonight. Will anyone play defense besides Carter?

Nah. We gotta go for 140

 

[Caccia]

If both Keon and Keegan dont play tonight. Will anyone play defense besides Carter?

I usually look at the NBA stats but for this question, I consulted BasketballReference, which calculates offensive and defensive ratings very differently. Our top rotation players for defensive rating are: Valančiūnas (111); Ellis (113); Carter and Sabonis (114); Lyles (115). Murray and Monk are further back at 117.

Notice that three of the top five are bench players.

 

[iowamcnabb]

I usually look at the NBA stats but for this question, I consulted BasketballReference, which calculates offensive and defensive ratings very differently. Our top rotation players for defensive rating are: Valančiūnas (111); Ellis (113); Carter and Sabonis (114); Lyles (115). Murray and Monk are further back at 117.

Notice that three of the top five are bench players.

Hard to take those ratings seriously with Monk and Keegan being tied. Just my opinion but I think Keegan is pretty easily our best defender. Keon is by far the most disruptive, but he still gets cooked regularly. Still plenty of time in his career to get stronger

 

[HndsmCelt]

The best thing about Detroit

*Iggy & The Stooges technically from Ann Arbor so I will go with MC5.
Detroit rock and roll has a great history. Arguably the Rock Hall should have been placed there.

The worst thing is that guy in the Nudie suit.

Kick out the Jams M@!?$& F@&$!?!!!

 

[HndsmCelt]

More Keon, more Trey! the answer to our success is letting the scores score in the defenders defend

 

[SacTownKid]

Hard to take those ratings seriously with Monk and Keegan being tied. Just my opinion but I think Keegan is pretty easily our best defender. Keon is by far the most disruptive, but he still gets cooked regularly. Still plenty of time in his career to get stronger

Number 1, obviously individual ratings are what they are. Kind of a decent way to see if someone is capable of defense maybe? Other than that, usually not the best metric. The Keegan thing is interesting. I remember that post about Keegans letter grades based by the position he was guarding and it matched the eye test. He was average/below average when on guards, and was near elite guarding F's. Keep him on F's and that rating might jump.

 

[chief bromden]

The Fox Theatre in Detroit is pretty dope.

 

[iowamcnabb]

Number 1, obviously individual ratings are what they are. Kind of a decent way to see if someone is capable of defense maybe? Other than that, usually not the best metric. The Keegan thing is interesting. I remember that post about Keegans letter grades based by the position he was guarding and it matched the eye test. He was average/below average when on guards, and was near elite guarding F's. Keep him on F's and that rating might jump.

I feel like that was earlier. He rarely gets blown by on drives anymore, something he struggled with years past and a bit early season. The guy that seems to give him the most trouble is RJ Barrett for some reason haha. Against 6’4 ish type guards he can use his length. There aren’t many people that guard Steph Curry better.

 

[Srzly]

I feel like that was earlier. He rarely gets blown by on drives anymore, something he struggled with years past and a bit early season. The guy that seems to give him the most trouble is RJ Barrett for some reason haha. Against 6’4 ish type guards he can use his length. There aren’t many people that guard Steph Curry better.

I don’t know how ratings are determined but it can’t help that Keegan has played with 4 guys that don’t play defense for most of the season where.

Whereas these bench guys usually get to play against other bench players and our bench actually has capable defenders together with JV, Keon, Carter, Jake.

I trust what I see with my eyes in the games more than these stats. Keegan has been near elite against almost every matchup this year, guard, forward, even centers at times.

 

[SacTownKid]

I feel like that was earlier. He rarely gets blown by on drives anymore, something he struggled with years past and a bit early season. The guy that seems to give him the most trouble is RJ Barrett for some reason haha. Against 6’4 ish type guards he can use his length. There aren’t many people that guard Steph Curry better.

Yeah, and it's not really about getting blown by perhaps, it's pick and roll. The Kings have played so much drop coverage that if Keon, Carter, Keegan, whoever gets pinned on a screen it's a wide open lane. Keegan is just simply a bigger target for screeners so he's always going to have nights where if he's on the ball, there has to be a little more help than with a smaller quicker guard defender.

 

[gunks]

Cade is back! This could be a tough one. We're not playing a bunch of scrubs like Cleveland tonight!

 

[Tetsujin]

lol Zach’s heater carrying on from last night

 

[Kingz19]

Domas and Zach turning into a good connection. It was just a matter of time

 

[Sluggah]

Motown.

 

[iowamcnabb]

9-11 from the field so far for Detroit. Gotta figure that out fellas

 

[gunks]

9-11 from the field so far for Detroit. Gotta figure that out fellas

This game definitely has those "we can score 120 and still lose vibes"

 

[Tizzy Flip]

Jeezus christ Monk. Shake out of this 3 month slump you’ve been on

 

[SacTownKid]

This game definitely has those "we can score 120 and still lose vibes"

Yeah, and not sure how well that works on a back to back.

 

[Caccia]

Our players, including Domantas, are backing down instead of advancing, when the Pistons dribble into the lane. That's one reason Detroit is getting whatever they want. You have to meet the ball, be aggressive.

 

[iowamcnabb]

Tim Hardaway JR averages 11 points a game. Has 11 in 6 minutes against the Kings

 

[megapoxy]

Kayte liking what she sees is a recipe for disaster.