The Kings’ defeat by the Mavericks creates a “great opportunity” for a comeback match………….
At least that’s what Sacramento Kings coach Mike Brown believes, as he explained before Tuesday’s crucial game against the Dallas Mavericks. Brown’s message was straightforward: Adversity can be good for a team, but he doesn’t think the Kings have faced much of it since he took over as head coach last season. Brown may have spoken too soon, though, and inadvertently got what he wanted in Tuesday’s awful 132-96 blowout loss to the Mavericks at Golden 1 Center, which matched the Kings’ worst result of the 2023–24 NBA season. The loss satisfied the criteria for what Brown deems an adverse situation.
“Yeah, this is a great time for us to see if we have it within ourselves go out and play the right way,” Brown said postgame. “You’re not going to win every game, obviously. I don’t care how well you play. But you don’t want to walk away from the game, if you can help it, with a bad taste in your mouth, knowing that there were a lot of things out on the floor that we could have done better. Just by keeping the game simple. Just by doing what we do, doing what we emphasize.
And the reason it’s challenging is that while we do focus on a few topics frequently, lately the sprays and the contest have taken center stage. Furthermore, we performed poorly in both areas. Thus, it seems like a fantastic chance for all of us in that locker room to see if we can recover, play the proper way, and see if we can defeat these guys in the course of the next three days.
When the Kings host the Mavericks on Friday for the second part of a two-game set, they will not only be attempting to exact revenge for an ugly, nationally televised setback, but they will also be competing for an NBA playoff seed.
The No. 6 seed in the Western Conference—the only playoff slot that avoids the NBA play-in tournament—has alternated between Sacramento and Dallas.
The Kings and Mavericks had identical records going into Tuesday’s game, giving the Kings the slight advantage. But the sixth seed is still up for grabs following the defeat. After winning the first two meetings in Dallas earlier in the season, Sacramento could have won the tiebreaker with a victory on Tuesday night, but the Mavericks’ victory moved the season series at 2-1 and increased the intrigue level for Friday’s game.
The Mavericks (43-29) and Kings (42-30) switched places at the completion of Tuesday’s play, with the latter team jumping up to the sixth position.
Before Tuesday’s tip-off, Brown stated, “It’s just great to feel the pressure of big games or big moments.” Some guys handle things differently, especially when we as a group haven’t felt it too much. What we’re aiming for, or striving for, is for all of us to go through it, experience it, and maybe succeed with it. But it only aids in our growth if we are successful with it.
As I’ve mentioned before, many outstanding people believe that failure is a necessary part of growth. Although I hope we never [fail] in any of our instances, that is ultimately the nature of life. And whatever experience we have, it will help us in the long run.
On Tuesday, the Mavericks were aware of the stakes. The Kings also did so. Before the game, coaches and players from both teams discussed it.
Sadly for Sacramento, Dallas showed up on Tuesday night more prepared. Sacramento, fortunately, has a shot at atonement in less than a week.
Kings point guard De’Aaron Fox stated after the game, “We play this team again, so hopefully, if we’re able to win that game, then we have the tiebreaker [and] we’re back tied up again.” “But it’s true that things are competitive in the West right now, especially when you’re facing a side that’s right in the hunt. Obviously, a victory or a loss against them makes all the difference in the world.
We are aware of how crucial this game is, which makes Friday’s match even more crucial in order for us to win the series 3-1, secure the tiebreaker, and get back to square one in front of them. Thus, we need to be ready for the upcoming match.
The Kings will have an opportunity to address the pregame hardship Brown talked about on Friday.
Brown insisted that last season’s heart-stopping best-of-seven playoff series loss to the Golden State Warriors wasn’t hardship. For once in a long while, neither was going into the 2023–24 season with high expectations. Having to deal with multiple injuries this season following a strong and reliable campaign last season did not satisfy Brown’s adversity requirements either.
But the defeat on Tuesday most definitely did. In only a few days, Brown will be watching to see how his team react and rise to the occasion.
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