A few days ago, I was lamenting that this season was headed down a path we Kings fans veterans have seen all too frequently, a route to despair. Winless on the road, and firmly planted in last place in the Pacific Division, we saw TZ say the Kings had a 1 in 6 chance of defeating the Spurs, and fully two thirds of Sactown Royalty faithful (including me) said the Kings would likely only win one or two games on this five-game homestand.
Then came Monday night. Somehow, despite the tall odds and our low expectations, the Kings beat up the Spurs, 112-99. Beno Udrih posted 27 points. Six Kings were in double figures, including the 8 for 9 shooting Mikki Moore, who tallied 17. This single fluke game got people to sit up and take notice, including my colleague.
Dumbfounded, I respond... "Not really. They're in last place, and they're 0-7 on the road. Bibby is still out..."
Interrupting, she answered, "But they beat the Spurs!"
"At home..." I start to say. "Kevin Martin was 0-6 at halftime and he's their leading scorer..." I continue, mentioning random stats to sound smart, proving nothing.
She continued... "And the Warriors are so bad. The Kings have GOT to be ahead of them..."
Not exactly. Last I checked, the Warriors were 1 1/2 games ahead of our last place Kings, even after their shocking game against the Spurs. You see... the NBA was upside-down on Monday, and while we were dunking on Duncan, the W's were shocking the Suns. But still, the stark weirdness of Monday remains:
- The 3rd quarter was the Kings' BEST.
- Brad Miller out-rebounded and out-scored Tim Duncan.
- The Kings shot 55% as a team for the game.
The Warriors come to town at 7 p.m. Wednesday looking to keep Northern California bragging rights, and to make sure the Kings don't get any momentum.