THE Kings of Sacramento will seek to reverse a schedule disadvantage in their favor when crossing the border from north to south in order to assume the Wizards of Washington in the nation’s capital Thursday evening.
The Kings (40-28) were playing three games in four days in two countries after going to overtime in their home finale Monday. They made the most of their trip to Canada on Wednesday, crushing the Toronto Raptors 123-89 for a second straight victory.
Riding momentum from the road blowout and without any players being rushed for over 31 minutes of play in Toronto, the Kings find themselves in a much better position than they could have expected on the second night of a back-to-back match, with an international flight in between.
One night after Domantas Sabonis (24th triple-double) and De’Aaron Fox (game-high 20 points) wiped out their stats in just 28 minutes each, the Kings have the opportunity to double their fun when they take on the Wizards faltering (11-58).
Washington has lost five in a row, all by at least 12 points, and the Wizards have allowed 127 points or more in each of the last four.
The same could be expected – especially in the scoring column – against the Kings, who took a 143-131 victory when the Wizards visited Sacramento on December 18. Sabonis, the league leader in triple-doubles, also had one in this contest, with 28 points, 13 rebounds and 12 assists.
The potentially marquee affair could take a surprising defensive turn, however, when Kings newcomer Keon Ellis takes on Wizards guard Jordan Poole.
The Kings know everything about Poole. A former rival of the Golden State Warriors, Poole has burned the Kings for 22 or more points five times in his career, including 22 in a critical Warriors victory in Game 4 of last year’s playoffs and 28 in the previous meeting in Sacramento this season. .
Ellis, then a rookie for Sacramento, did not play in Golden State’s seven-game series last April. He came off the bench for just 15 minutes during the Kings’ game against the Wizards in December.
However, mainly due to his defense, Ellis has taken on a bigger role of late, starting three of the last five games and playing at least 25 minutes in each. He recorded a positive plus/minus in all four of the Kings’ wins during that stretch.
“(He’s) amazing,” Sabonis said. “He’s always there. He’s always in the right place. Every time we need a stop, we have to put him on the field.”
If Ellis starts again Thursday, he will likely face Poole, who has started the Wizards’ last three games. Poole had 31 points in Sunday’s loss to the Boston Celtics, sandwiching two 13-point efforts in which he shot a combined 9-of-30.
Even in a season in which the Wizards have the worst record in the league, Poole remains convinced that better days are ahead.
“Everything I’ve done (in my career) has basically worked, so there’s no need to change anything,” said the 24-year-old, who won a championship with Golden State in 2022. “Just find ways to get a little better, wherever I can.”
–Field level media
Copyright 2024 STATS LLC and Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and the Associated Press is strictly prohibited.
