‘Just trying to make it’: Sacramento Kings keep playoff hopes alive with win over Pistons
Kings fans haven’t seen many meaningful games in March during the team’s streak of 13 consecutive losing seasons. They didn’t like what they saw at the start of Sunday’s game, either, but jeers turned to cheers as the Kings stormed back from a 21-point deficit to beat the Detroit Pistons 106-100 at Golden 1 Center.
De’Aaron Fox had 23 points and seven assists for the Kings (26-34), who moved within three games of the Memphis Grizzlies for the eighth seed in the Western Conference. Sacramento is now tied with the New Orleans Pelicans and San Antonio Spurs for ninth in the West, a half-game ahead of the Portland Trail Blazers.
Buddy Hield struggled early but scored 14 of his 19 points in the second half. Bogdan Bogdanovic added 15 points. Alex Len came off the bench to post eight points, 13 rebounds and five blocked shots, helping Hield lead the charge off the bench.
Christian Wood had 20 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Pistons (20-41), who handed the Kings a 127-106 loss on Jan. 22 in Detroit. Brandon Knight had 16 points and seven assists.
Bogdanovic was checking the league scoreboard after the game, saying the team is determined to reach the postseason.
“We just want to make the playoffs,” Bogdanovic said. “We are really motivated. That’s what drives us and that’s what really motivates us every single day. We’re just trying to make it.”
The Kings felt fortunate to win after falling behind by 21 points during a dreadful first quarter. They trailed 27-6 after missing 11 of 13 shots and committing four turnovers in the first eight minutes of the game.
Kings coach Luke Walton anticipated the possibility of a poor start given the team was playing its third game in four nights with an early 3 p.m. tipoff after being on the road for four games.
“We talked about the dangers of coming back from a long road trip and that’s not how we want to start a ballgame,” Walton said. “That’s as bad as we’ve been. On both ends of the court, we didn’t have the energy required, so give a lot of credit to the second unit for coming in and engaging us in that fight finally.”
The Pistons carried a 31-16 lead into the second quarter, but they were unable to maintain it after point guard Derrick Rose left the game in the first quarter with an injury to his right ankle. The Kings still trailed by 10 with 3:39 to play in the second quarter, but the closed the half with a 14-5 run to get within one going into the halftime break.
Sacramento took its first lead of the game on a basket by Harry Giles III early in the third quarter. Detroit briefly reclaimed the lead, but the Kings responded with a 17-2 to go up 69-59 on a 3-pointer by Bogdanovic midway through the third.
The Kings went up by as many as 14 before the Pistons made a late charge to cut the deficit to three on a 3-pointer by Brandon Knight with 37.8 seconds to go. Fox answered with a step-back jumper to help Sacramento secure the victory.
Richaun Holmes nearing return
The Kings announced Sunday that center Richaun Holmes could return to practice this week after missing the past 23 games with a torn right labrum.
Holmes hasn’t played since suffering a labral tear in a game against the Golden State Warriors on Jan. 6. The Kings said Holmes was making progress and is on track with his reconditioning plan three weeks after receiving a platelet-rich plasma injection in his shoulder.
The team said Holmes has initiated h is “basketball-specific court progression” and is moving into full-contact activities with the hope of returning to practice later this week.
“He’s coming along,” Walton said. “He played some 1-on-1 today and looked good, felt good. We’ll see how it feels once his body cools off, but he said he felt good. We’re going to want to get him in a few practices and keep pushing him conditioning wise. It’s been a long time since he’s really played.”
Holmes was averaging career highs of 13.1 points, 8.5 rebounds, 1.4 blocked shots and 1.1 steals during a breakout season for the Kings before he got hurt, shooting 66 percent from the field.
‘Harry, Harry’
Giles heard repeated “Harry” chants that reached a crescendo in the third quarter as he made heart and hustle plays to help his team. Giles finished with 12 points, seven rebounds, one steal and one blocked shot in 20 minutes.
“It was great,” Giles said. “It is just that love and it just keeps showing how much the love is mutual between each other. I play hard. They cheer hard. So keep playing hard, right?”
Gametime decisions
The status of the Kings top two point guards was in doubt in the hours leading up to the game. Fox was listed as questionable due to lower abdominal tightness. Cory Joseph was questionable with a bruised right heel.
Walton said the status of both players would be a gametime decision.
“Just watching them walk around in there, De’Aaron looks much more likely than Cory,” Walton said. “Cory has surprised us before. I mean, he couldn’t walk in San Antonio and somehow he played and played at a high level, so we know he’s tough and, if he can go, he’ll go.”
Fox moved freely during his pregame warm-up routine and immediately declared he would play when he came off the floor. Joseph appeared to be in some pain as he began his warm-ups, but he seemed to be more comfortable near the end of his routine and said he was “going to try” to play.
A short time later, the Kings announced Fox and Joseph would both be available for the game.
Injury report
Pistons: QUESTIONABLE — Thon Maker (ankle); Christian Wood (foot). OUT — Blake Griffin (knee); Bruce Brown (knee); Luke Kennard (knee).
Kings: QUESTIONABLE — De’Aaron Fox (lower abdominal tightness), Cory Joseph (right heel contusion). OUT — Richaun Holmes (shoulder); Marvin Bagley III (foot).
Kings upcoming schedule
March 1 vs. Detroit, 3 p.m.
March 3 vs. Washington, 7 p.m.
March 5 vs. Philadelphia, 7 p.m.
March 7 at Portland, 7 p.m.
March 8 vs. Toronto, 6 p.m.
March 11 vs. New Orleans, 7 p.m.
This story was originally published March 1, 2020 at 5:34 PM.
