Where: Sleep Train Arena in Sacramento, CA
When: Wednesday, April 17th, 2013 @ 7:30PM (PST)
TV:
Radio:
Previous Meetings:
12/1 vs Kings: W 116-81
12/21 vs Kings: W 97-85
3/19 @ Kings: L 101-116
PG: #3 - Chris Paul SG: #1 - Chauncey Billups
SF: #5 - Caron Butler PF: #32 - Blake Griffin
C: #6 - DeAndre Jordan
A Tribe Called Bench
Bledsoe | Crawford | Barnes | Hill | Odom | Hollins
PG: #22 - Isaiah Thomas SG: #23 - Marcus Thornton
SF: #5 - John Salmons PF: #9 - Jason Thompson
C: #15 - DeMarcus Cousins
Reserves
Douglas | Fredette | Outlaw | Patterson | Aldrich
Inactive List:
None to report.
Tyreke Evans (Strained Left Quadriceps) is out.
Team Leaders and Statistics
Blake Griffin - 18.2 Points and 8.4 Rebounds in 32.6 MPG
Chris Paul - 9.6 Assists (2nd) and 2.4 Steals (1st) in 33.5 MPG
DeAndre Jordan - 1.3 Blocks in 24.4 MPG
Team Performance
Road Record: 23-17
101.1 Points Per Game - 9th Overall
94.7 Points Allowed - 4th Overall
41.5 Rebounds Per Game - 18th Overall
11.4 Offensive Rebounds Per Game - 15th Overall
10.9 Offensive Rebounds Per Game (Opp.) - 9th Overall
23.8 Assists Per Game - 4th Overall
14.6 Turnovers Per Game - 15th Overall
16.2 Turnovers (Opp.) Per Game - 1st Overall
35.7% on 3 point field goals - 17th Overall
37.4% allowed on 3 point field goals - 26th Overall
23.2 Free-Throws Attempted Per Game - 9th Overall
24.0 Free-Throws Attempted Per Game (Opp.) - 26th Overall
0.230 FTA per FGA Allowed: 29th Overall
Offensive Rating: 110.6 Points Scored Per 100 Possessions - 4th Overall
Defensive Rating: 103.6 Points Allowed Per 100 Possessions - 8th Overall
Pace: 91.1 possessions per 48 Minutes - 19th Overall
DeMarcus Cousins - 16.8 Points, 9.8 Rebounds and 1.5 Steals in 30.8 MPG
Isaiah Thomas - 3.9 Assists in 26.7 MPG
Cole Aldrich - 1.0 Blocks in 12.2 MPG
Team Performance
Home Record: 20-20
100.1 Points Per Game - 10th Overall
105.0 Points Allowed - 30th Overall
40.5 Rebounds Per Game - 25th Overall
11.5 Offensive Rebounds Per Game - 13th Overall
11.9 Offensive Rebounds Per Game (Opp.) - 27th Overall
20.8 Assists Per Game - 12th Overall
14.7 Turnovers Per Game - 16th Overall
14.8 Turnovers (Opp.) Per Game - 16th Overall
36.3% on 3 point field goals - 11th Overall
35.3% allowed on 3 point field goals - 13th Overall
22.8 Free-Throws Attempted Per Game - 12th Overall
24.2 Free-Throws Attempted Per Game (Opp.) - 28th Overall
0.228 FTA per FGA Allowed: 28th Overall
Offensive Rating: 106.1 Points Scored Per 100 Possessions - 12th Overall
Defensive Rating: 111.3 Points Allowed Per 100 Possessions - 29th Overall
Pace: 93.6 possessions per 48 Minutes - 8th Overall
It's Day 82 of the NBA Regular Season. Normally, the match-ups have been decided and teams are resting their players throughout the final games of the season. This year, that will not be the case for many Western Conference teams. There are many games with playoff implications as the season draws to a close. The Clippers are in a heated battle for HCA and potentially the 3rd seed. A win against Sacramento guarantees that the Clippers will host Memphis in the 1st round, but a win along with a Denver loss would have the Clippers hosting either Houston or Golden State. A loss coupled with a Memphis win would mean that we'd open the playoffs against the Grizzlies on the road.
While the Sacramento Kings are not immersed in a playoff battle, they are embroiled in rigorous fight with the city of Seattle for the possession of their team. We will not likely know the fate of the Kings for at least another week. There is a strong chance that this could very well be the final home game for the Sacramento Kings ever (or until a future team is acquired), therefore, expect the Kings to play with a lot of emotion. Sacramento has had an average attendance of 13.6K for each home game which is 3.7K less than their maximum occupancy. Attendance could be higher and the fans could be cheering their hearts out. The last trip that we made to Sacramento, they defeated us by 15 points. The Clippers will be looking for revenge, but also playing for purpose as they gear up for the postseason which begins Saturday. Who will have more fight? Who will have the bigger heart?
With the uncertainty of the future of the Kings, I wanted share a few of my favorite memories of the franchise.
My all-time favorite Sacramento King is easily Mitch Richmond. He is one of the most underrated players ever and is often overlooked because of where he played and who played in the league at the same time as him (some guy in Chicago). Although he spent 7 years divided amongst the Warriors (3 years), Wizards (3 years) and Lakers (1 year), the other 7 years (his prime) was spent as the man in Sacramento. He finished his career with over 20,000 points (41st All-time), 6 All-Star appearances, 5 All-NBA honors, Rookie of the Year honors and a championship (where he played very sparingly in the twilight of his career).
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EuXs8KMFJ58[/youtube]
One of my favorite NBA teams throughout my lifetime as an NBA fan was the 2001-2002 Sacramento Kings. This was pure team basketball at its best. Chris Webber, Vlade Divac, Mike Bibby, Peja Stojakovic, Doug Christie, Bobby Jackson, Scot Pollard, a young Hedo Turkoglu and a seldom played rookie named Gerald Wallace coached by Rick Adelman. Poetry in motion. This is one of the best teams to not win it all imo and we all know why
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iw0mUeChQDE[/youtube]
