Kings gameday: Westbrook making Clippers debut; Sacramento starts series of back-to-backs
Former MVP Russell Westbrook is expected to make his Los Angeles Clippers debut Friday when the Kings go into Crypto.com Arena on the second night of a back-to-back.
The Kings (33-25) returned from the All-Star break with a 133-116 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday before a sellout crowd of 18,041 at Golden 1 Center. The Kings are third in the Western Conference, two games behind the No. 2 Grizzlies and 1 ½ games ahead of the fourth-place Clippers (33-28).
This is the first of six back-to-backs the Kings will play over their last 24 games as they try to secure a playoff berth for the first time since 2006. They will also play back-to-back sets against the Clippers and Minnesota Timberwolves on March 3-4; Chicago Bulls and Brooklyn Nets on March 15-16; Utah Jazz and Boston Celtics on March 20-21; Phoenix Suns and Jazz on March on 24-25; and New Orleans Pelicans and Dallas Mavericks on April 4-5.
The Clippers will pose one of the biggest threats to Sacramento’s current position in the playoff race. They picked up Westbrook after the Los Angeles Lakers traded him to the Utah Jazz and the Jazz bought out his contract, adding the 34-year-old guard to a team that already features Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.
Westbrook averaged 15.9 points, 6.2 rebounds and 7.5 assists in 52 games with the Lakers, but he shot just 41.7% from the field and 29.6% from 3-point range. The Clippers will have to integrate him quickly with only 21 games remaining. He told reporters in Los Angeles about the impact he hopes to make during his introductory news conference Wednesday.
“For me, it’s just finding my way to be able to help other guys,” Westbrook said. “It’s something I truly embrace, and that’s what I will do — make sure I can make the game easy for all these guys that are here, find out their spots, what they like, what they don’t like. And that’s going to be a process for me, but I’m ready for the challenge and looking forward to it.”
The Clippers will pose a bigger challenge than the shorthanded Blazers, who came in without Damian Lillard, Anfernee Simons, Jerami Grant and Jusuf Nurkic, arriving four hours before tipoff due to weather-related travel delays.
De’Aaron Fox scored 31 points against the Blazers. He recorded his fifth consecutive 30-point game and his seventh in the last eight games, becoming the fourth player in franchise history and the first in the Sacramento era to score 30 in five consecutive games. Domantas Sabonis recorded his seventh triple-double of the season with 18 points, 18 rebounds and 10 assists, breaking the Sacramento-era single-season record of six, set by Rajon Rondo in 2015-16.
Kings at Clippers
When: 7:30 p.m.
Where: Crypto.com Arena
TV: NBC Sports California
Radio: Sactown Sports 1140
Odds: Clippers -6.5
Over/under: 233
Injury report
Kings: Not yet submitted.
Clippers: OUT — Brandon Boston Jr. (G League); Jason Preston (G League); Ivica Zubac (calf).
Upcoming schedule
Feb. 24 at Los Angeles Clippers
Feb. 26 at Oklahoma City Thunder
Feb. 28 at Oklahoma City Thunder
March 3 vs. Los Angeles Clippers
March 4 vs. Minnesota Timberwolves
