[Game] Kings @ Mavericks - Sunday, Dec. 8 - 4 PT, 7 ET

[Kingster]

Nice game.

Bjelica was on target tonight. A few games ago when he had all those travelling calls it seemed to have gotten him all off-kilter, but tonight he was all good.

Bjelica: Whatever you ate today, keep eating it. Whatever you wore today, keep wearing it. Whatever girl friend you've been seeing, keep seeing her. Don't change a thing.

Not once did I see the Kings get baited tonight by Doncic. It was a testament to discipline, not exactly what this team has been known for recently. Walton devised the defense and the Kings executed it to perfection.

The offense had just enough drives to the basket in the 2nd half to get them over the hump. (It obviously still needs work). I said to my wife with about a quarter to go in the game that the Kings had to get to 110 points to win. It's nice to be right and it's even better to win when you're right.

 

[NewArena]

They won't see the Knicks. With Fox and Bagley coming back, and several fluky losses on our resume, I wouldn't count us out just yet.

Right.

Over our next nine games, we have a chance to win 8 of them and there’s nothing outlandish about that. With Bagley and Fox returning ... oh boy.

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

At one of the old House Party Live events I attended, Kayte wore flats and I could swear Koz had lifts on...and she still towered over him.

That's what makes it so funny! Like, Kayte is tall, but she's not that tall.

 

[NewArena]

Geez we miss Fox so much

I’m gonna cry happy tears when he returns

 

[Kingster]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1203861674983337984

That 12 points and 9 rebounds by Holmes doesn't remotely tell his story. The guy was fantastic.

 

[NewArena]

In case you missed it:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1203861264176427009

LOL Grant lives to jinx this team. I’m glad we held on after this, my goodness

 

[VF21]

Only one Mavs fan predicted a loss for their team in their game thread. They started off pretty salty, even quoting my admonition about Luka.

Bless their hearts.

 

[Kingster]

I’m gonna cry happy tears when he returns

Grant said he thinks he'll be back in a couple of weeks. I'm shaking my head on that one. If he's back before February 1 it will be like hitting the lottery.

 

[Kingster]

Only one Mavs fan predicted a loss for their team in their game thread. They started off pretty salty, even quoting my admonition about Luka.

Bless their hearts.

What admonition?

 

[VF21]

What admonition?

Check out the thread. You're even mentioned.

 

[upinsmoke]

What admonition?

It's been nice knowing you bro.

 

[Kingster]

They are playing the passing lanes. Teams do this repeatedly to the Kings and typically the Kings struggle.

Didn't seem to bother them much in the first half. The Kings trust their dribble more than they trust their passing when it gets tight; also, guys stand around a lot.

 

[VF21]

Didn't seem to bother them much in the first half. The Kings trust their dribble more than they trust their passing when it gets tight; also, guys stand around a lot.

I was thinking the exact same thing. I remember Webber saying once that good passing was the result of trusting your teammates. The Kings are still a work in progress but I think they'll get there...especially with Luke Walton at the helm.

 

[Kingster]

Yeah, no doubt, and as great as Joseph has been on defense, we are seeing how much Fox being a threat to score at PG is missed. My question is what would Bagleys role be? He's another player you can enter the ball into beyond the pressure as well. But will it be used in the right situations?

We're finally going to get an inkling on December 11. I've got it marked on my calendar.

 

[Kingster]

I was thinking the exact same thing. I remember Webber saying once that good passing was the result of trusting your teammates. The Kings are still a work in progress but I think they'll get there...especially with Luke Walton at the helm.

And they've had a lot of turnover problems this year, so it's totally natural to not want to pass the ball when the pressure is on. Like you said, it's a work in progress.

 

[NME]

It never hurts to have your starting big men combine for about 75% from the field.

 

[Tetsujin]

Only one Mavs fan predicted a loss for their team in their game thread. They started off pretty salty, even quoting my admonition about Luka.

Bless their hearts.

The Mavs are a team whose record is hiding the fact that they’re a horrible team aside from one player. Unless one of their other guys breaks out, I can see them coming down to earth moving forward.

 

[jellyfish]

Luka might be the King in the States but there is only one King in the Balkans all hail Lord Bjelly.

 

[burekijogurt]

Luka might be the King in the States but there is only one King in the Balkans all hail Lord Bjelly.

And that's it.

 

[gunks]

Bummed I missed this game, but happy with the result!

Not that I need more grey hairs or anything. This team is gonna turn me into a silver fox in no time.

 

[Sactown ExPat]

The Mavs are a team whose record is hiding the fact that they’re a horrible team aside from one player. Unless one of their other guys breaks out, I can see them coming down to earth moving forward.

Yeah, this was my first time watching them, and I have some thoughts. The Zinger looks like a shell of himself. Not just physically, but emotionally. We kept putting 2s on him, and all he could muster were turnaround fallaways. He hit some of them, and its not a bad shot for him in theory, but it can't feel good to get stonewalled by guards all night. He just looks like a guy realizing he made a huge mistake. He had the Knicks in the palm of his hand--now he's second banana and getting scraps from Luka. Because Carlisle sure as heck isn't going to run anything for Zinger. They ran, like, 2-3 plays for the big fella. Carlisle seems like the type of coach who treats his ONE star well, and is really sharp on Xs and Os, so solid role players are put in a position to succeed. But man, if you're a second tier star like Zinger, I don't think Carlisle is very fun to play for. Basically, the Larry Brown school of coaching. Long story short, I think Zinger will be available by the summer.

Agree with a couple posters above, the Mavs just don't seem that dangerous, in the end. I know they are playing well now, but every playoff team is going to have a guy that can guard Luka the way Joseph did tonight. Plus, whistles get tight. And, whistles are going to tighten up for him anyway, because of the histrionics. Ice cold take: I predict a lot of fines in Mark Cuban's future for when he whines about touch fouls not getting called for Luka. Luka, like Lebron, has a step-back three from that one spot on the floor (literally the same spot) and no where else. If you can sit on that and still be strong enough to hold position on his shoulder barge drives, then you can bother his game a lot.

 

[Kingster]

Agree with a couple posters above, the Mavs just don't seem that dangerous, in the end. I know they are playing well now, but every playoff team is going to have a guy that can guard Luka the way Joseph did tonight. Plus, whistles get tight. And, whistles are going to tighten up for him anyway, because of the histrionics. Ice cold take: I predict a lot of fines in Mark Cuban's future for when he whines about touch fouls not getting called for Luka. Luka, like Lebron, has a step-back three from that one spot on the floor (literally the same spot) and no where else. If you can sit on that and still be strong enough to hold position on his shoulder barge drives, then you can bother his game a lot.

Indeed. I do think there could be similar aspect to Doncic and Harden: When the playoffs start the gimme ref calls occur less and less.

Also, we've got a long ways to go before the playoffs. I'm not assuming Dallas is a foregone conclusion for a playoff berth, by any means.

 

[sactowndog]

I love how NBCSN has to pan out wide on that studio shot, because if they zoom in too close, it becomes too obvious how much Kayte towers over Kozimor.

Did you notice Koz standing on a box?

 

[Tetsujin]

Indeed. I do think there could be similar aspect to Doncic and Harden: When the playoffs start the gimme ref calls occur less and less.

Also, we've got a long ways to go before the playoffs. I'm not assuming Dallas is a foregone conclusion for a playoff berth, by any means.

I mean, somehow losing to the Knicks twice and then losing to the Kings coming off of a slump and with pretty much no primary option left doesn't normally indicate playoff readiness

 

[sactowndog]

Didn't seem to bother them much in the first half. The Kings trust their dribble more than they trust their passing when it gets tight; also, guys stand around a lot.

Yeah the Kings don’t always see the obvious pass. Even on the Bogi-Barnes play they did a great job of getting Luka switched defensively on Barnes. Barnes went past him easily forcing help. Unfortunately, Barnes failed to drop the ball off to a waiting Holmes.

 

[KingsFanSince85]

Corey Joseph fouled Doncic. We caught a break

It‘d be the first break they caught this season. Doesn’t quite make up for the lack of calls in the LAL and BOS games, though.

Regardless, I call it good defense because it was subtle and not noticeable in real time. That kind of thing happens numerous times through out a game w/o a whistle.

 

[KingsFanSince85]

but it was one of those plays where you would have to assume a foul because the shot was missed.

So anytime a player misses shot, we should assume a foul?

 

[KingsFanSince85]

Kings were terrible against the zone last season with Fox as well. That epic collapse vs Brooklyn was because of the zone defense. I think it’s just the Kings inability to quickly adapt to opponent changes in strategy.

Zone only works when guys don’t make their open perimeter looks. As many good shooters as the KINGS have, it really isn’t a recipe for success for an opponent on a consistent basis. But anything can work from time to time.

 

[kingsboi]

just got done watching the replay, this game should of not been so close and Luka had a good look to tie this game up, whether he got fouled or not I can't say for certain but the Kings never do make it easy, this much we know

 

[burekijogurt]

just got done watching the replay, this game should of not been so close and Luka had a good look to tie this game up, whether he got fouled or not I can't say for certain but the Kings never do make it easy, this much we know

the Mavs' broadcast had many replays of that play and he did get fouled, elbow touch to make the ball fall short. Its at least a little bit of a payback for all the times we have been screwed this season in the last 2 minutes.