(Photograph credit score: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Pictures)
The Sacramento Kings have averaged 140.5 factors of their final two video games and 127.2 factors of their final 5 video games.
The New Orleans Pelicans have allowed a median of 122 factors of their final 4 video games.
The potential to gentle up the scoreboard can be excessive when the Kings go to the Pelicans on Thursday evening.
The Kings earned a 141-97 victory over the Utah Jazz on Sunday after incomes a 140-113 victory in San Antonio two days earlier.
“The ball was hitting the paint and getting sprayed,” Sacramento coach Mike Brown mentioned of Sunday’s recreation. “We have been spacing correctly. We have been getting off the glass and working, and we weren’t bored. And that is why the play ended up the best way it did.”
Maybe probably the most telling stat is that Sacramento made 22 of 44 3-point makes an attempt, with Doug McDermott and Kevin Huerter every making six long-range pictures off the bench.
Brown mentioned he hoped “the story is not about making three.”
“I hope the story is about how we performed defensively,” he added. “Our guys did a heck of a job defensively for 48 minutes, and whether or not you make threes or miss, for those who put in an effort like that, particularly on the defensive aspect of the ground, and also you attempt to exit and run, you can find a method to win.
“We have not modified something on the subject of creating the three. We’re telling them the identical factor. Contact the paint and spray it…and if anybody will get near you, then drive, kick foot, swing…and for those who’re open, pull on it.”
The Pelicans have averaged 115.8 factors of their final 4 video games, however they misplaced thrice throughout that span as a result of their protection was missing. They’ve additionally misplaced 11 of their final 12 video games.
“We have to hold the ball higher,” coach Willie Inexperienced mentioned. “We now have to maintain groups out of our paint. We now have to do higher in transition. We have not been good in these areas.”
Inexperienced is attempting to make use of practices throughout an unusually gentle schedule in the course of the NBA Cup to deal with weaknesses.
“It’s nearly like coaching camp for us,” he mentioned.
Each groups may have had three days off earlier than Thursday’s recreation. Every group then performs once more solely as soon as earlier than December 19.
“It’s nice for us within the sense that we had a time without work to fill our cup and relaxation and recuperate,” Inexperienced mentioned. “We have had two high-level, detailed exercises. It means that you can step again and take a look at a few of our ideas that we’re doing properly on and areas the place we are able to enhance and take a look at to pick a few of these on which to work. the bottom and work on it.”
Whereas Brown tries to downplay the Kings’ 3-point taking pictures success, Inexperienced tries to get the Pelicans to embrace extra long-range taking pictures. He mentioned the group’s 13-of-38 efficiency from behind the arc in a 121-116 loss at San Antonio on Sunday was “nearer” to his purpose of taking 40 “high quality threes.”
Trey Murphy III led the best way for New Orleans with 4 3-pointers and 25 factors.
New Orleans received all 5 video games towards Sacramento final season. The groups will face one another three extra occasions in February.
–Area stage media
