In today’s fact that sounds unbelievable but is 100% factual, the last time the Sacramento Kings came away with a victory against the Milwaukee Bucks in Wisconsin was in 2015. For some context on just how long ago that was, Barack Obama was still President of the United States and Giannis Antetokounmpo was a skinny third-year player who wasn’t even an NBA All Star yet.
In that matchup, forward Rudy Gay led the way with 36 points and Rajon Rondo recorded a double-double with 10 points and 13 assists. Both teams would finish with identical 33-49 records and miss the playoffs and the Kings will be hoping to avoid the fate, while the Bucks are looking to get back in the upper echelon of the Eastern Conference.
On Saturday evening it was a collective effort that saw the Kings triumph as four of their five starters scored more than 20 points with Zach Lavine leading the way with 31. Rookie Dylan Cardwell got the surprise start but played just five minutes in a game relied heavily on his veterans against a tough Milwaukee team.
What was most impressive about this victory is that the Kings fell behind early 21-6 but fought back and showed the same grit they have showed in every game this season. The difference in this victory versus the crushing recent losses was that the Kings showed composure in the final minutes and held on to a fourth quarter lead.
With less than a minute to go a Myles Turner three made it a one-point game but the Kings held firm with tough defense on Giannis who missed the go-ahead layup. After a pair of clutch free throws from Dennis Schroeder, who had 24 points and 7 assists on the night, the Kings extended the lead and didn’t blink after that.
A wild sequence after a purposeful miss from AJ Green at the free throw line had the result in doubt for a split-second but the Kings held on for a much-needed victory. Milwaukee thought Antetokounmpo was fouled on the attempt but we rarely see officials make that call in a situation like that.
This was a potential statement win for a team that has been looking for an identity in the midst of what was a 1-4 start. Doug Christie knows he has the veteran talent to win tough games like this but he is still working on the right mix of lineups. It’s no easy task for a rookie head coach but games like this will give him and the rest of the roster faith that he can get things right.
