Some nights in the NBA, a team just doesn’t have it going and a rout ensues. In many instances, it’s a one-off case for a team. For the Sacramento Kings, of late, big losses have become a habit as they’ve lost four of their last six games by 18 or more points.
Last night’s 46-point drubbing at the hands of the Atlanta Hawks is perhaps the low point for the rebuilding Kings this season. After the game, both coach Dave Joerger and several of the team’s veteran players took the blame for the defeat. As Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee notes, the Kings were not expected to be playoff contenders this season. But they also weren’t expected to be pushovers, either:
The Kings have lost three in a row and have been blown out a lot this season a lot. Still, Wednesday’s debacle was startling in how bad it was. The Hawks don’t have a good record, but they play hard every night. That can’t be said for the Kings, who more than once in limping to a 3-11 record have admitted they play without energy and not enough force.
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“We told our guys you’ve got to be ready to play because they’ll come at you, they compete and they play hard,” Kings coach Dave Joerger said. “Losing is one thing, but we have to do a much better job of competing.”
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“We’ve got to figure out how to start competing, start being men,” Garrett Temple said. “Growing up early, growing up quick and the veterans that are here, we’ve got to compete. … We’ve got to make shots, we’ve just got to play basketball.”
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“(Losing by) 46 points in the NBA is almost like laying down,” George Hill said. “You’ve got to compete every possession, including myself. At times as a leader I’ve got to take it upon myself to do a little bit better on both ends of the floor.”
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