Kings Drop in Newest NBA Power Rankings
While some would consider it a successful week for the Sacramento Kings, NBA writers felt differently. The Kings took down the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers in back-to-back games last week, but fell to the New York Knicks in a low-scoring battle during the weekend.
With rugged defensive performances in all three games, the Kings appear to be a reformed team on that end of the court. One thing that's changed is the playing time of Keon Ellis, a second-year guard that has completely restored the Kings' defensive mentality. Sacramento has seen it's best stretch of defense over the last few games, allowing just 103.5 points per 100 possessions in the four games before taking on the Memphis Grizzlies.
In the newest NBA.com power rankings, the Kings continued to take a tumble despite winning two of three games during the week.
Kings land at 13th in NBA power rankings
Just two weeks ago, the Kings found themselves in the top 10 of these same rankings. Since then, it's been two straight weeks of decline for Sacramento. While the defence has been reformed, it's been rough at times for Mike Brown's squad on the offensive end of the court.
The Kings mustered a mere 91 points against the Knicks on Saturday night, which resulted in their second-lowest score on the year and their worst offensive rating since Thanksgiving. Facing one of the most physical teams in the league, Sacramento was no match for the Knicks and had no answer for Jalen Brunson's 42-point performance where he toyed with defenders.
Brunson would go on to win the Eastern Conference Player of the Week, and deservedly so.
Aside from the loss, it looked like the Kings have found their identity. The team went toe-to-toe with some of the league's best superstars in Giannis Antetokounmpo and LeBron James, shutting down both teams. The Kings held Milwaukee to their second-worst offensive rating on the year, and allowed only 94 points in a 35-point victory.
If Domantas Sabonis & Co. can take care of business on their upcoming road trip, expect Sacramento to rise in the rankings once again. The Kings will first face off against the Toronto Raptors, then head to the nation's capital for a battle vs. the Washington Wizards.
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