The Sacramento Kings accomplished their biggest victory since Demarcus Cousins left the team in February. They defeated the worst team in the Western Conference, Phoenix Suns, by a significant margin of 25 points. The Kings won a second quarter 30-14 and led by 19 points at the half. Ty Lawson had a triple-double with 22 points, 11 rebounds, and 12 assists in just 30 minutes, shooting 6 of 10 from the field. That was the first triple-double of his career. Buddy Hield ended a game with a career-high 30 points while shooting 12 of 20 from the field.
The Kings scored 129 points, and eight players finished the game in double-digits. Tyler Ullis led the Suns with 27 points, while Marquess Chriss had 22 points and seven rebounds.
The future for the Kings
Well, the future for the Sacramento Kings seems brighter now than it was when they traded Demarcus Cousins. They get talented guard Buddy Hield, who showed himself as a great scoring option. Hield’s outside shot has been good when he was a member of the Pelicans. He was shooting an impressive 45 percent from the three point line in almost five attempts per game. He kept that percentage with the Kings, but he has also improved his game on so many levels. His shots of the dribble were the problem in New Orleans, but now he is shooting above 50 percent with the Sacramento Kings.
With Willie Cauley-Stein, Kosta Koufos and rookie Georgios Papagiannis, the center position is looking pretty solid. The power forward position is, however, notably weakened since Cousins left. Surely, Demarcus is irreplaceable, but that new kid Skal Labissiere has some big potential. The Kings coach Dave Joerger will have a challenging task to stabilize his roster shortly.
Last day of the season
The Sacramento Kings have just one game left on their schedule, and it's at the Staples Center tonight against the L.A. Clippers. The Phoenix Suns and the Charlotte Hornets are the only two teams that are done for the season, as they finished their schedule last night. Fourteen games are remaining, and they are all set tonight, on the final night of the NBA regular season.
There are only a few questions left unanswered. Who will fall out of the playoff picture in Chicago- Indiana-Miami triangle? Who will finish at the first position in the Eastern Conference, the Boston Celtics or the Cleveland Cavaliers? Who will finish at the 4th spot in the Western Conference, the Los Angeles Clippers or the Utah Jazz? We'll find out tonight.
