KINGS DROP THIRD STRAIGHT IN OT
Kings guard Kent Bazemore sounded the alarm after his team allowed 87 first-quarter points in two devastating losses to the San Antonio Spurs and Orlando Magic.
Bazemore said the first period of Tuesday’s game against the Dallas Mavericks would say a lot about the team’s ability to achieve the level of toughness and intensity needed to compete in a playoff-style atmosphere in the NBA bubble. The Kings answered Bazemore’s call for a strong start, but they couldn’t finish in a 114-110 overtime loss at Walt Disney World Resort’s HP Field House.
Luka Doncic record his 16th triple-double of the season for the Mavericks (41-29), posting 34 points, a career-high 20 rebounds and 12 assists. Kristaps Porzingis had 22 points and seven rebounds.
De’Aaron Fox had 28 points and nine assists for the Kings (28-39), who are still seeking their first win in the bubble. Buddy Hield scored 21 points. Bazemore had 16.
Kings coach Luke Walton shook up his starting lineup, inserting Cory Joseph instead of Nemanja Bjelica. Walton started Fox and Joseph in the backcourt with Bogdan Bogdanovic at small forward, Harrison Barnes at power forward and Richaun Holmes at center.
The small-ball lineup was effective early against the Mavericks.
Fox, Barnes and Joseph combined for four 3-pointers as the Kings jumped out to a 12-4 lead in the opening minutes.
The starting unit did a nice job defensively against the dynamic Doncic and a high-powered Dallas offense. When the Kings went to their bench and suffered a defensive breakdown on Hield’s first defensive possession, Walton immediately called timeout to address the issue. As the Kings made their way to the bench, Joseph was seen explaining the coverage to Hield.
The sense of urgency and attention to detail were much improved after two tough losses that left Sacramento behind the Memphis Grizzlies, Portland Trail Blazers, Spurs and New Orleans Pelicans in the race for the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference.
The Kings led 37-27 at the end of the first quarter and carried a 60-56 lead into the halftime break. Sacramento reestablished a double-digit lead in the third and again in the fourth be
fore the Mavericks battled back to tie the game on a free throw by Maxi Kleber with 1:52 to play in regulation.
Neither team could get a bucket in the final two minutes. Fox missed a midrange jumper over Doncic as time expired.
Dallas went up 98-97 on a 3-pointer by Tim Hardaway Jr. The Kings reclaimed the lead on a 3pointer by Hield, but the Mavericks went up by two on a basket by Doncic and extended the lead to seven on a basket by Dorian Finney-Smith.
The Kings cut the deficit to on a 3-pointer by Boganovic with 6.3 seconds remaining, but Trey Burke made two free throws to secure the win for Dallas.
The Kings shot 51.1% from the field in the opening half. They finished at 41.3%.
Fox made 12 of 27 fieldgoal attempts. Hield went 8 of 20. Bogdanovic was 1 of 15, including 1 of 8 from 3point range.
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Alex Len made his NBA bubble debut after missing the first two games following a long and difficult recovery from COVID-19.
Kings coach Luke Walton said Len would suit up and “we’ll see if we can get him out there for a little bit.” The 7-foot center checked in early in the second quarter. He scored three points and picked up two fouls in three minutes before returning to the bench for the rest of the contest.
The Kings have missed Len’s size and toughness. He made a huge impact on the defensive end in nine games with the Kings before the coronavirus shutdown after coming to Sacramento in a trade with the Atlanta Hawks.
Walton said Len’s defensive presence is needed, particularly with upcoming games against physical teams such as the New Orleans Pelicans and Los Angeles Lakers.
“It would be nice, especially with the way that we’ve been defending the ball,” Walton said. “Big rim protector, physical body down there in the paint. He will be a nice addition as we get him.”