Game 32 Thread - Kings (17-14) vs Nuggets (21-11)

[OxAndFox]

Tough loss. You can live with it when there is effort and there was.
Brutal game from Heurter on D. He shot well and needs more of the ball.
Keegan needs more than 6 shots in 31 minutes. He also did well on Porter Jr too until for some reason they went away from that matchup and he lit the Kings up. Well, it's because they go with Monk at the 2 and KH at the 3, Barnes at the 4, and tonight it was Lyles at the 5.

[TyFrekey]

This was a deflating game to lose. I know playing the top team in the West tough in the absence of your best player for 3.75 quarters is great, but being up 20 means it's a game you gotta win given that you're going up against same great team tomorrow night likely down your best player again. Story of the game to me was 1) awful guard defense and 2) the offensive collapse in the 4th.

I get that Jokic's gravity is what gives Denver so many easy looks, but you have to do your part as a perimeter defender to defend your man off ball and prevent Jokic's brilliant passing from beating you. Too many way too easy back door cuts. Not to mention the poor point of attack defense when Denver guards had the ball. In terms of 4th quarter offense, the turnovers in the last 4 minutes were atrocious and helped Denver build up that 8 point lead with a minute and a half left, but overall the offense was just not good. The telecast showed a graphic near the end of the 4th that Sacramento was 2/5 from the field in that 4th quarter. 5 FGA in nearly an entire quarter is inexcusable.

Rotations were weird too overall. I don't understand going small against a guy like Jokic in the 2nd half, although the rotations actually seemed pretty good in response.

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[codydaze]

I thought Keegan played a good game tonight but I don't see any reason Monk should have gotten so many minutes to close this one out. If his shot is not falling, he really doesn't give us much else. If we were going small, Davion should have been in.

[TyFrekey]

I thought Keegan played a good game tonight but I don't see any reason Monk should have gotten so many minutes to close this one out. If his shot is not falling, he really doesn't give us much else. If we were going small, Davion should have been in.

Yeah and Davion was playing well tonight. I think playing him in the 4th would've been a good idea.

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[OxAndFox]

This was a deflating game to lose. I know playing the top team in the West tough in the absence of your best player for 3.75 quarters is great, but being up 20 means it's a game you gotta win given that you're going up against same great team tomorrow night likely down your best player again. Story of the game to me was 1) awful guard defense and 2) the offensive collapse in the 4th.

I get that Jokic's gravity is what gives Denver so many easy looks, but you have to do your part as a perimeter defender to defend your man off ball and prevent Jokic's brilliant passing from beating you. Too many way too easy back door cuts. Not to mention the poor point of attack defense when Denver guards had the ball. In terms of 4th quarter offense, the turnovers in the last 4 minutes were atrocious and helped Denver build up that 8 point lead with a minute and a half left, but overall the offense was just not good. The telecast showed a graphic near the end of the 4th that Sacramento was 2/5 from the field in that 4th quarter. 5 FGA in nearly an entire quarter is inexcusable.

Rotations were weird too overall. I don't understand going small against a guy like Jokic in the 2nd half, although the rotations actually seemed pretty good in response.

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I agree with guard D, and if the team doesn't make that adjustment the Nuggets will win the next one by 25+.
While the energy was really good, the rotations from guards on that end were late and the pressure on the ball non existent.

Also whoever was guarding Nnaji needed to step off for the double on Joker, but the next defender needed to be switched on for their rotation. I don't blame Barnes for that at all. It seemed like a game plan issue.
Instead, we were giving up open looks to their better shooters, which luckily they missed...But, they didn't in the 2nd half.