More NBA bubble trouble for Kings in 119-106 loss to injury-ravaged Brooklyn Nets
There is no shame in losing to a Brooklyn Nets team that features a collection of NBA All-Stars and champions like Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and DeAndre Jordan, but the Nets didn’t have those players Friday against the Kings.
Caris LeVert and Joe Harris combined for 43 points and Jarrett Allen flirted with a triple-double, leading the shorthanded Nets to a 119-106 victory over the Kings at Walt Disney World Resort’s HP Field House.
LeVert finished with 22 points, seven assists, five rebounds and three steals for the Nets (33-36). Harris added 21 points. Allen had 17 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists.
Bogdan Bogdanovic scored 27 points for the Kings (29-40), who fell flat following Thursday’s win over the New Orleans Pelicans, losing for the fourth time in five games in the NBA bubble. De’Aaron Fox had 21 points and seven assists. Buddy Hield scored 17 points. Harrison Barnes had 16.
“We have to become a much more mentally and physically tough team,” Kings coach Luke Walton said. “We were definitely tired. I know our guys have been through a lot and we were asking guys who haven’t been playing, or playing big minutes, to step up with some of the bodies down, but in that type of game we need more.”
The Kings led 27-24 at the end of the first quarter and went up by six early in the second, but they were outscored 19-4 over the next six minutes. The Nets extended their lead to 10 on a basket by LeVert and went up by as many as 14 late in the half.
The Kings shot just 39.5% in the first half and committed nine turnovers. The Nets shot 51.1% while committing only two turnovers.
Brooklyn went up 78-62 on two free throws by Temple in the third period. Bogdanovic sparked a 12-0 run to help the Kings cut the deficit to four with 5:03 to play in the third, but the Nets reestablished a double-digit lead going into the fourth quarter. Sacramento trailed by as many as 23 in the fourth.
Updated playoff race
The Kings are on the verge of elimination in the race for the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference playoffs. They are now 3 ½ games behind the eighth-place Memphis Grizzlies, 2 ½ games behind the Portland Trail Blazers, 1 ½ games behind the San Antonio Spurs, one game behind the Phoenix Suns and a half-game behind the Pelicans.
The Kings can no longer catch the Grizzlies, who beat the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday to earn their first win in the bubble. The Blazers will be out of reach as well if they win one more game or the Kings lose any of their remaining games against the Houston Rockets, Pelicans or Los Angeles Lakers.
Off the mark
Hield’s shooting struggles continued in the loss to the Nets. He scored 17 points but made just 6 of 16 from the field and 3 of 10 from 3-point range.
Hield averaged 11.8 points over the first five games in the bubble, making 22-of-67 (.328) from the field and 12-of-43 (.279) from 3-point range. He matched a season low with three points in a season-low 11 minutes against the Pelicans on Thursday. He logged just 20 minutes against the Nets.
“Buddy still has my trust and we need him,” Walton said before the game. “We’re going to need him to come off (the bench) and provide that scoring punch that he’s done for us for most of the season. So it was hopefully just a one-game thing there as far as where those minutes were, but he’s a big part of our team.”
Defensive presence
Alex Len has provided an undeniable defensive presence since the Kings acquired him in a February trade with the Atlanta Hawks. The 7-foot-tall, 250-pound center has provided elements of size, strength and toughness, qualities the Kings missed while he was recovering from a long battle with COVID-19.
Len was held out of Sacramento’s first two games against the San Antonio Spurs and Orlando Magic while working to improve his strength and conditioning following the illness. He posted eight points and six rebounds in 15 minutes in Thursday’s win over the Pelicans. He had six points and 11 rebounds in 16 minutes against the Nets on Friday.
“It’s big,” Walton said. “Having him in there to clean stuff up, to clog the paint, to rebound, to be physical, those are things that have hurt us at times this year, so having him back out there is a big bonus for our team, especially on the defensive end.”
Depleted Nets roster
Sacramento’s injury report was nothing compared to Brooklyn’s. Joe Harris (groin) and Jarrett Allen (ankle) were cleared to play, but the Nets were already missing: Durant (Achilles); Irving (shoulder); Jordan (COVID-19); Spencer Dinwiddie (COVID-19); Taurean Prince (COVID-19); Michael Beasley (COVID-19); Nic Claxton (shoulder); Wilson Chandler (opt out); and Jamal Crawford (hamstring).
Despite the depleted roster, the Nets managed to go 2-2 in their first four games in the bubble with wins over the Washington Wizards and Milwaukee Bucks.
“They have nothing to lose and they’re going to be in the playoffs, and they play extremely hard,” Walton said. “They play very fast and they have guys that, if we’re not guarding and playing individual defense, they’re going to spread you out and shoot 3s, and then they have a big man who’s protecting the paint and rolling all the time, so they have a very capable team.”
Kings injury report
Kings guard Kent Bazemore (calf soreness) and center Richaun Holmes (hip soreness) were listed as questionable going into the game. Walton said the status of both players would be game-time decisions.
Holmes was in the starting lineup after getting the green light. He had one point and five rebounds in 11 minutes, but he left the floor midway through the second quarter and was later ruled out for the rest of the game.
Bazemore was ruled out after being evaluated before the game. Bazemore has been good for the Kings since they acquired him from the Portland Trail Blazers in January. He has averaged 10.3 points and 4.9 rebounds in 23.1 minutes per game.
Up next
The Kings will face the Rockets (43-25) on Sunday. The Rockets won three of their first four games in the bubble, including a 113-97 victory over the Lakers on Thursday. The Rockets were missing Russell Westbrook and Eric Gordon in that contests, but Harden said they hoped both players would return against the Kings after two days off.
Kings schedule/results
Spurs 129, Kings 120
Magic 132, Kings 116
Mavericks 114, Kings 110 (OT)
Kings 140, Pelicans 125
Nets 116, Kings 103
Aug. 9 vs. Rockets, 5 p.m. (NBCS)
Aug. 11 vs. Pelicans, 6 p.m. (NBCS, TNT)
Aug. 13 vs. Lakers, TBD (NBCS)
This story was originally published August 7, 2020 at 4:35 PM.
