Kings see cause for optimism ahead of matchup with soaring Spurs
The Sacramento Kings get an opportunity to put their improved play on display against a quality, but potentially tired, opponent when they host the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday night.
The Kings, who had the worst record in the NBA after losing to the New Orleans Pelicans on March 5 to fall to 14-50, have turned things around in the past week and a half, winning four of the past five.
Included in the Sacramento successes was a 118-109 road triumph over the Clippers on Saturday, the same team that took the Spurs the distance before falling 119-115 in Los Angeles on Monday night.
DeMar DeRozan has been the driving force in the Kings' surge, averaging 29.8 points while playing in four of Sacramento's past five games. During that run, he has shot 61.4% from the field and found time for 6.3 assists per game.
Seven other Kings are averaging double-figure points in the team's revival, including Russell Westbrook, who has recorded triple-doubles in two of his past three games.
All of a sudden, a team that seemed to be putting everybody on the trade block last month actually has players talking about being Kings next season.
"I love Sacramento," Precious Achiuwa said this week. "The city has embraced me. The team has embraced me -- the organization from the front office to my teammates to the coaching staff. I would love to be here."
Achiuwa has helped fill the void left by the season-ending knee injury sustained by Domantas Sabonis. He has contributed an average of 15.6 points and 9.6 rebounds over the five-game stretch.
The Kings will be hosting the Spurs for the first time this season after getting thumped in two earlier visits to San Antonio, beaten 123-110 on Nov. 16 and 139-122 on Feb. 21. Former Kings De'Aaron Fox and Harrison Barnes contributed a total of 80 points to those Spurs wins.
Fox had 18 points in 29 minutes and Barnes logged eight points in 18 minutes on the front end of a back-to-back Monday against the Clippers. Three San Antonio starters -- Stephon Castle (36), Devin Vassell (35) and Victor Wembanyama (34) -- were all extended at least 34 minutes in the hard-fought victory, one that featured a rally from a 14-point deficit.
Vassell wound up with 20 points, four assists and three rebounds as the Spurs earned their 18th victory in the past 20 games.
"Devin just felt sharp all night," Johnson said, according to the San Antonio Express-News. "He was pretty vocal in one of our later timeouts just about body language, energy, just finishing the job. He had a very professional, mature game, I thought, just by his production and the way he went about it."
Wembanyama had 21 points, 13 rebounds, four blocks, two assists and a steal against the Clippers in the type of all-around performance that has allowed him to remain a part of the Most Valuable Player conversation despite missing 15 games this season.
Wembanyama played only the second of the earlier meetings with the Kings, dominating to the tune of 28 points, 15 rebounds, six assists and four blocks.
In five career games against Sacramento, Wembanyama has averaged 28.4 points, 13.0 rebounds, 5.4 assists, three blocks and two steals.