The Pacers (13-9) have a chance to come away with winning Western Conference road trip on Saturday night. Standing in their way is a Sacramento Kings (10-11) team that has been surprisingly competitive through the first quarter of the season.
The Kings weren't thought to be a playoff contender in the West coming into the year, but they have exceeded expectations so far this season and are currently just a game out of a playoff spot. The biggest reason why has been the emergence of their starting backcourt.
Third-year shooting guard Buddy Hield and second-year point guard De'Aaron Fox are living up to the potential that made them both top-six picks in their respective drafts. Hield leads Sacramento at 18.4 points per game and is shooting 42.5 percent from 3-point range. Fox has taken a significant leap in his sophomore season, increasing his scoring average from 11.6 to 17.4 points per game and his assists from 4.4 to 7.6 per contest.
Wheat Hotchkiss
https://www.nba.com/pacers/preview-pacers-kings-181201
