Kings will scrimmage three of NBA’s top teams before seeding games begin in Florida
The Kings will face three of the NBA’s top teams in a series of scrimmages before seeding games begin July 30 at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida.
The NBA on Saturday released the schedule for scrimmages to be played in the days leading up to the restart as teams prepare to resume the season following the coronavirus shutdown. The Kings (28-36) will play the Miami Heat on July 22, the Milwaukee Bucks on July 25 and the Los Angeles Clippers on July 27.
The Heat (41-24) are fourth in the Eastern Conference. Miami features five-time All-Star Jimmy Butler, who was averaging 20.2 points, 6.6 rebounds and 6.1 assists when the season was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Kings split two games against the Heat during the regular season, falling 118-113 in overtime Jan. 20 in Miami before beating the Heat 105-97 Feb. 7 in Sacramento.
The Bucks (53-12) sit atop the Eastern Conference with the best record in the NBA. They are led by reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, who is averaging 29.6 points, 13.7 rebounds and 5.8 assists, and Khris Middleton, who averages 21.1 points per game. The Bucks beat the Kings twice this season, winning 127-106 on Jan. 10 in Sacramento and 123-111 on Feb. 10 in Milwaukee.
The Clippers (44-20) are second in the Western Conference. Led by Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, Lou Williams, Montrezl Harrell at Patrick Beverley, the Clippers have one of the deepest teams in the league. Landry Shamet has tested positive for COVID-19 and is not likely to accompany the team to Florida, The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported Saturday.
The Kings won two of three against the Clippers before the shutdown. The Clippers rolled to a 105-87 victory over the Kings on Dec. 31 in Sacramento. The Kings beat the Clippers twice in Los Angeles, winning 124-103 on Jan. 30 and 112-103 on Feb. 22.
After scrimmaging three tough teams, the Kings should be well prepared when seeding games begin. The Kings will open against the San Antonio Spurs on July 30. They will also play the Orlando Magic, Dallas Mavericks, New Orleans Pelicans (twice), Brooklyn Nets, Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Lakers.
This story was originally published July 4, 2020 at 11:24 AM.
