Don't worry, Sacramento Kings fans. Your TVs are fine, and Kings coach Mike Brown really did repeat the word “possession” a whopping 26 times in about a minute during his postgame conference after his team beat the lowly Utah Jazz, 141-97, on Sunday. Likewise, the Kings may have finally broken out of their shooting slump, scoring 140+ points for the second straight game after dropping 140 on the San Antonio Spurs on Friday. Moreover, this hot shooting bodes well for a 12-13 team that hasn't found a groove offensively, despite signing DeMar DeRozan in the offseason.
Anyway, here are some clips of Mike Brown repeating the phrase “possession after possession” 26 times, from @SacFilmRoom and @jimminyjamjum on X, formerly Twitter.
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The Kings are figuring it out
Sacramento Kings head coach Mike Brown talks to media members before the game against the Utah Jazz at Golden 1 Center.
© Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
In their demolition of the Jazz, the Kings hit a season-high 22 three-point shots on 44 tries, while Kevin Huerter provided additional firepower off the bench, finishing 6-9 from range.
Even end-of-bench guys like Doug McDermott exploded for 18 points on 6-7 shooting from beyond the arc, provoking chants of “Dougie” throughout Golden 1 Center.
“I definitely heard that. That was cool. Great fans here. They've always been really good even as a road player. Just good to be on their side,” McDermott said after the game, via Michael Wagaman of NBC Sports.
Perhaps one reason for the Kings' offense firing on all cylinders isn't only Mike Brown repeating “possession” 26 times, but Malik Monk returning from an ankle injury.
His presence in the starting group added fluidity and movement to the Kings' offense, which became quite stagnant with two ball-dominant players DeRozan and De'Aaron Fox sharing the court on the same time.
With Monk on the floor, the court opens up due to his threat as a microwave shooter, and his ability to dribble and finish in the paint also requires the opponent to collapse around him in the interior, then he can kick out to the shooters.
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Consistent defense
On the other hand, the Kings also held the Jazz to 97 points on 38.8% shooting from the field, their second time holding Utah below 100 points this season. This team is not known for defense, but they have done a good job against the Jazz, who could still put up points on the board behind Lauri Markkanen and Collin Sexton.
The Kings have the personnel to make some noise deep in the season and maybe in the playoffs, since they're only three games out of the fifth seed despite a 12-13 record.
However, they'll have to lean more on defense instead of engaging in shootouts with other teams night after night, and these wins against the Jazz should be a good start.