Another Sunday, another random 12:30 pm start time for the Sacramento Kings as they finish off the last leg of their January road trip against the free falling Clippers. Much like the Grizzlies, the Clippers started this season hotter than than a two dollar pistol and spending time at the #1 spot in the West. But they too fell victim to the Western Conference meat grinder, and have slipped all the way to seventh, only a couple of games between them, that other Los Angeles team and the Kings. Tune in to see the longest last name in NBA History get awkwardly bent around the back of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s jersey, but stay to see the Chimney of Kostelac eat every King alive in the 4 minutes he’s legally allowed on the floor for. Let’s talk Kings basketball!

When: Sunday, January 27th, 12:30 PM PST

Where: Staples Center, Los Angeles CA

TV: NBCSCA

Radio: KHTK Sports 1140 AM

For Your Consideration

The Dirty 12:30: I hate these 12:30 start times. Hate them. You wanna be a little extra and have Sunday brunch with the fam? Congrats dummy, you’re checking Twitter half way through Aunt Carol’s third mimosa story about her trip to Dayton, Ohio in the 80’s and she’s pausing every time you look down below the table at your thigh. Maybe you had some errands to run? Well you just walked past a Beach Hut Deli on your way to Petco to pick up more pee pads for the puppy and lookie there! Buddy just hit a three before cutting to c*/ommercial. And the best part is? Your significant other doesn’t even like Beach Hut. You’re going Subway after, and before you can grab your lukewarm tuna on Parmesan and jet home, look who it is: your sweetie’s Aunt Carol who wants to sit there and chit chat about her up-coming trip to the Midwest and how its the first time she’s been in ages. But Will, you could always just stay home and watch the game at the terrible time! You wanna stay around your place until 4 pm and waste the last day before the soul crushing, reality numbing rat race of the 2019 work week begins again? Be my guest. That’s why Aunt Carol has concerns about you. 12:30 games are terrible. Basketball should be played the way the man upstairs intended: at night, and to distract you from the sirens and mayhem that happens outside of the boarded up windows of the house you’ve been squatting in after the love of your life left during your argument over appropriate times to check your phone when “enjoying” meals with “relatives”.

The Kings and Clippers are going to screw up your Sunday, and here’s how they plan on doing it. The Clips come into today scoring at a similar clip (hardy har) to the Kings; dropping 113.9 points per game to the 113.1 that the Kings put up. Los Angeles also is accustomed to the track meet that is the Sacramento Experience, running at the ninth fastest pace in the NBA. The Clips are good at a couple of key things: they can absolute smoke three pointers and they get to the foul line. Right now the Clippers shoot 38% from beyond the arc, 4th best in the league. See if this triggers any memories from previous seasons: the Clipper’s are also 29th in attempts. So Key #1 for the Kings: allow the Clippers to shoot their regular ol’ average amount of threes. Play defense at the arc, and their offense will take them away from that shot. As to the second point: the Clippers are the best team in the league at getting to the free throw line as well as overall free throw makes per game. This might be because they’re 8th in the league in free throw percentage at 79.2% from the charity stripe. So, #2 on Will’s list of stuff you can already discern but would rather just see it flat out there on the screen in front of you: the Kings really need to watch their hands. Harry Giles, treat Steve Ballmer’s two billion dollar jingling keys with mittens, my guy! If the Kings can limit the Clippers threes, and can also play without fouling, they’ve got themselves a good chance at this game. If they give up above average amounts in either, they’re going to struggle.

Prediction

Sub five comments, Akis deletes my whole rant, Aunt Carol will never likes you because of how much you resemble a guy that turned her down back when she was Rudy the Flyer in college. De’Aaron Fox scores 25 and Marvin Bagley finds a way to grab 10+ boards through the sea of Clipper big men.

Kings: 116, Clippers: 109