Though they were without All-Star guard De’Aaron Fox (right ankle sprain), the Sacramento Kings lost by a single point on Nov. 1 at Golden State — and it required a Klay Thompson buzzer-beater.
The Kings were nowhere near as close, however, in their next two games. The Rockets crushed Sacramento on Saturday and Monday in Houston, and the average margin of victory was more than 20 points.
Houston, which finished tied for last among 15 Western Conference teams a season ago, won with ease versus a Sacramento group that finished third. It was a stunning turn of events, and Kings head coach Mike Brown gave credit to his counterpart, Ime Udoka, in Houston.
Brown’s postgame comments:
They kicked our behind. Starting with me, Ime kicked my behind, and on down the line. They came ready to play tonight and punched us in the mouth, and we didn’t respond.
It was evident when you look at the game and you watch us defensively, just how many times in the first half … somebody on the weak-side block ducked in front of our defender and caught the ball at the charge line.
I don’t know if I’ve been a part of any situation where we gave up four or five duck-ins … to where the duck-in was at the charge line. That’s just the evidence of them kicking us in our behind.
Complete video of Brown’s postgame remarks from Monday night is available below (via NBC Sports California).
“The tough part about it, our spirit got deflated, and we didn’t have anyone on the floor that could bring it back up,” Brown concluded in his remarks. “That also was tough to watch.”
“They kicked our behind.”
Mike Brown sounds off after the Kings’ ugly loss to the Rockets pic.twitter.com/JGHJdYqtsc
— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) November 7, 2023
The Rockets (3-3) have won three straight, overall, and excluding samples of two games or less, they’re at .500 or better for the first time since being 11-11 early in the 2020-21 NBA season.
All three wins have come within the friendly home confines of Toyota Center, and that’s where the Rockets look to keep the momentum rolling on Wednesday versus the Los Angeles Lakers.
