With the victory last night against the Los Angeles Lakers, the Sacramento Kings are now in good position to compete for the eighth seed in the Western Conference.
That will be put to the test tonight as they take on the Golden State Warriors in Oakland. If the Kings win, expect a huge party in Sacramento because that will make it five in a row and two straight against the Warriors in the past two weeks.
The Kings are coming off a four game winning streak with wins against Boston, Atlanta, New Orleans, and the Lakers. During this stretch, the Kings are averaging 105 points per game and shooting 40 percent from beyond the arc.
All season long, Dave Joerger wanted his guys to push the ball quickly up the court to get easy buckets, and they seem to be responding now.
The Kings have also been significantly better on the defensive end. During the winning streak, the Kings are holding opponents to just 98 points per game on 44 percent shooting from the field.
Point Guard Battle-
Darren Collison vs. Stephen Curry- Darren Collison has been averaging 20 points per game during the Kings’ winning streak.
However, Curry will put him to the test, especially on the defensive end. Curry is so good at making his opponents tired due to his constant movement without the ball and running off of screens. You also have to play him tight as soon as he passes the half court line because he is a threat to shoot from anywhere. Collison will have to take one of these things away if the Kings expect to stay competitive.
Arron Afflalo will most likely be the guy guarding Curry when Collison needs a breather since the Kings will be without Garrett Temple and Ty Lawson.
But then you run into another issue; Collison will have to defend Klay Thompson, a proven catch and shoot threat. Offensively, Collison should have his way against Curry, unless Kerr decides to put Thompson on him. There are many interesting matchups and adjustments that will be made during the course of the game.
Don Weir’s Reno Dodge Keys to the Game:
1: Get back in transition defense
2: Contain one of the splash brothers
3: Battle from start to finish
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