Three Takeaways As Kings Snap Winning Streak, Fall To Trail Blazers

Well, nan Sacramento Kings had to suffer astatine immoderate point. After winning a astonishing 4 straight, nan Kings fell 117-110 against nan Portland Trail Blazers successful a adjacent contest. The crippled was adjacent astatine nan end, but it felt for illustration nan Blazers had power for nan full title and outworked Sacramento.

The winning streak was fun, but this crippled was a reminder that nan Kings are now sitting astatine 12-31. They'll person bully stretches aliases games, but particularly arsenic they proceed to activity Domantas Sabonis backmost into nan rotation, they'll person games for illustration coming wherever they conscionable consciousness off.

There were still stretches wherever they played good tonight, but turnovers put them down early and they were ne'er capable to drawback backmost up. They vanished pinch 16 giveaways that led to 28 points for nan Blazers. Sacramento had 24 points disconnected of turnovers themselves, but Portland consistently sewage retired successful modulation to get easy looks. But successful nan end, nan nonaccomplishment isn't nan worst point for nan Kings arsenic nan talk and dream astir a draught prime continues to turn successful Sacramento.

Here are 3 takeaways from nan Kings latest nonaccomplishment connected nan season.

Three Bigs Are Here to Stay

The return of Domantas Sabonis raised questions astir nan halfway position and frontcourt rotation, but aft 2 games, it appears we person our answer. Not only are some Maxime Raynaud and Dylan Cardwell some going to support their spots successful nan rotation, but nan two-big lineups look for illustration they are present to stay.

Doug Christie is doing precisely what needs to beryllium done this play to research pinch nan large lineups, and he leaned into it moreover much coming against nan Blazers. Sabonis only played 19:49 minutes, truthful it's difficult to opportunity what nan rotations will beryllium erstwhile his minutes summation backmost to nan thirties.

Cardwell erstwhile again stood retired tonight, finishing nan crippled pinch a career-high 12 points and 10 rebounds for his first profession double-double.

Kings Couldn't Get Stops Inside

Even pinch those two-big lineups, nan Kings struggled to extremity nan Blazers wrong nan overgarment tonight. They outscored nan Kings 62-50 inside, and much importantly, changeable 10-of-11 successful nan restricted area.

That's an area wherever nan Kings person struggled each season. They came into nan crippled allowing opponents to sprout a league-high 72.7% successful nan restricted area. No matter really bully Cardwell is inside, this squad is struggling to take sides nan rim.

Part of that was nan aforementioned modulation buckets for nan Blazers, but nan Kings person to find a measurement to get amended astatine protecting nan rim arsenic they put truthful overmuch attraction connected defense this season.

Monk Continues to Shine

Even successful nan loss, Monk continued to beryllium a agleam spot disconnected nan bench. He vanished nan nighttime pinch 23 points connected 9-of-15 from nan section and 5-of-9 from three, and was a three-pointer distant from 1 of nan biggest pops successful Golden 1 Center of nan season.

The Kings person changeable good from 3 complete nan past 4 games, but it continues to beryllium a struggle for them to get up a precocious measurement of looks from deep. They changeable 31 tonights, making 11 for 35.5%. Monk is having a profession twelvemonth from three. He was shooting 40.5% from beyond nan arc coming into nan game, and that number is going up aft his 55.6% shooting from heavy tonight.

Three-point shooting continues to reign ultimate successful nan NBA, truthful whether it beryllium pinch nan Kings aliases different squad pursuing a trade, Monk's three-point occurrence looks to beryllium a season-long trend. But conscionable for illustration it has pinch nan Kings complete nan caller days, Monk's worth could beryllium connected nan emergence successful nan waste and acquisition marketplace arsenic his beardown play continues.

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