The Sacramento Kings are three games above .500 in the middle of December, something that hasn’t happened since 2004. They’ve won six of their last eight games, beating the Mavericks on Sunday in a tiny little Luka Doncic revenge game. The Kings, of course, passed on Doncic for Marvin Bagley, who is having a decent rookie season but is currently injured. Doncic, of course, looks every bit the superstar many billed him to be.
Alright fine, I’ll admit it: the Kings are good
We have that and more in Monday’s NBA newsletter.
Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Because the Kings have seemingly turned things around and appear to have a legit star in De’Aaron Fox, there’s some posturing about whether the Kings were right to pass on Doncic. The answer is no, and it will always be no. But if the Kings are actually on the rise, the fandom will excuse passing on Doncic -- they just badly want a good team to root for, no matter who’s on it! Fans are celebrating Iman Shumpert regularly. They aren’t picky.
We keep waiting for the bottom to drop out, but it’s holding. That doesn’t mean Sacramento can hold strong enough to make the playoffs — the West is vicious — but this is a miracle even if they just hold around .500 all season. Dreams do come true.
Scores
Hawks 127, Nets 144
Sixers 128, Cavaliers 105
Knicks 99, Pacers 110
Lakers 110, Wizards 128
Kings 120, Mavericks 113
Heat 102, Pelicans 96
Raptors 86, Nuggets 95
Schedule
On NBA TV:
Jazz at Rockets, 8 p.m. ET
Grizzlies at Warriors, 10:30 p.m. ET
Selections from League Pass:
Bucks at Pistons, 7 p.m. ET
Kings at Timberwolves, 8 p.m. ET
Sixers at Spurs, 8:30 p.m. ET
Blazers at Clippers, 10:30 p.m. ET
Links
If you completely unplugged all weekend, you missed something incredible. Reporters broke word during Friday’s action of a pending three-team trade sending Trevor Ariza to the Wizards with Kelly Oubre landing in Memphis, Austin Rivers, some second-round picks and ____ Brooks going to Phoenix. The only problem: the Suns and Wizards thought it was Dillon Brooks in the deal, but Memphis insisted it was MarShon Brooks they’d be trading. Whoops! The deal died at that impasse. Matt Ellentuck breaks down the winners and losers from that fiasco.
A simpler deal happened early Saturday: Ariza to D.C., Rivers and Oubre to Phoenix. I wrote that it is yet another patchwork trade keeping the Wizards locked in a cycle of false hope.
Kristian Winfield explains why Dec. 15 is the unofficial start of trade season.
FIBA does not seem to be bending on its belief that its current qualification system is an improvement.
A sweet story about Charles Barkley’s unlikely friendship with a cat litter scientist from Iowa.
And finally: Whitney Medworth with a righteous screed against Nike’s refusal to put out Christmas jerseys.
Be excellent to each other.
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