Though it was only by five points, the loss against the 76ers was the most deflating of the season. In fact, the Kings are only the third team to have lost to the larking team from Philadelphia. To make matters worse, the defeat came on their home court.
The purist of the game may decree a dunk as being just two points. True as that may be, they excite teammates and fans alike, even motivates them. Delineating the two involves a lens shift – from objective and tangible, to subjective and intangible.
Much like the biggest dunk being merely two points, the Philadelphia loss is, after all, just a loss. It counts the same as a loss at the hands of the Warriors, Spurs, or Cavaliers.
Shifting the lenses once more, the loss is more than just another loss – it’s demoralizing.
Up by two points against the Warriors midway through the third quarter, DeMarcus Cousins received two separate technical fouls for arguing a single personal foul. The call was valid, the ejection – justified. The lead dissolved soon thereafter, and the Kings fell 122-103 to the defending NBA Champions.
The duel with the league’s best would be followed-up by one against the league’s worst.
Halfway through the second quarter, the Kings possessed a four-point advantage over the 76ers. Cousins attacked the rim but was rejected by Jerami Grant. The All-Star swung his arm in frustration and looked over at the referee before barking something in disapproval.
The play however, did not stop. The player Cousins was defending, Nerlens Noel, sprang unguarded down the court before slamming in an easy and uncontested dunk.
Both instances spur an urge to tell the big man to move on. (That what happened, happened. That the play and the game go on).
The Kings however, are now 12-20. If one looks carefully, they will see a collective frustration. That Cousins isn’t the only one. Others may express it differently, but it’s there, and it’s shared by all.
Prior to the Warriors loss, the Kings fell to the Portland Trail Blazers. After the game, George Karl abruptly cut his postgame interview short and walked out after saying, “I’m done. I’m frustrated.”
With the Kings currently looking more like a lottery team than a playoff team, it will be important for Cousins, Karl, and the rest of the Kings to do just that – move on.
With the Kings overwhelmed with frustration, there are a few lucky numbers for them to keep in mind to avoid the lottery.
50 – The amount of games left in the season. Dwelling on the previous 32 is futile.
3 – The games back from possessing the final playoff spot in the Western Conference.
7 – The number of teams in the NBA with a lesser record than them.
17 – The number of games against those teams with a lesser record. The Kings have struggled against opponents like these thus far. Moving forward, they will be must-win matchups.
4 – The number of teams they will likely need to beat out for that final playoff spot: Utah Jazz, Portland Trail Blazers, Denver Nuggets, and Minnesota Timberwolves
10 – The games remaining against those four teams. These games will be exceptionally vital as they’re not only an opportunity for a full-game swing, but also can give advantages in the event of a tiebreaker.
It’s true that a dunk is just two points. It’s equally true that it’s so much more than that. Likewise, a loss, even to the league’s laughing stock, is just a single loss. As the buzzer sounds on game 82 in Houston, it’s very likely that game 32 will have proven to be a pivotal one.
Which way that pivot goes is anyone’s guess, but it’s up to the Kings alone to decide. Will it spark a turnaround or be a nail in the coffin? Either way, the Philadelphia loss was more than just another loss.
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