Sacramento Kings vs LA Clippers Prediction & Match Preview - December 1st, 2021 | NBA Season 2021-22
The LA Clippers will host the Sacramento Kings at the Staples Center on December 1st.
The Kings will head into this game off a 92-117 loss against the LA Lakers; they've slipped to 8-14 on the season. Meanwhile, the LA Clippers are coming off a 104-123 defeat against the New Orleans Pelicans; they are now 11-10 this campaign.
Match Details
Fixture - Sacramento Kings vs LA Clippers | 2021-22 NBA Season.
Date & Time - Wednesday, December 1st, 2021; 10:30 PM ET (Thursday, December 2nd, 2021; 9:00 AM IST).
Venue - Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA.
Sacramento Kings Preview
Coming off their loss against the LA Lakers, the Sacramento Kings have a lot of questions to answer. Having beaten the Lakers in their previous meeting in a 3OT thriller, the Kings look to be in good rhythm to repeat their success.
However, after leading by nine points at the half-way mark, the Kings' lead dwindled. They were down by double digits heading into the fourth quarter. Outscored 67-33 in the second half, the Sacramento Kings were plagued by their rebounding and turnover woes, which led to their downfall.
Final: Lakers 117, Kings 92.
Lakers fans were super loud during a second half in which LAL held Sacramento to just 33 points to run away with the road win and get back over .500 on the season.
Their frontcourt pairing of Richaun Holmes and Chimezie Metu had a great outing. However, De'Aaron Fox and Tyrese Haliburton combined for ten of the teams' 21 turnovers, which did not aid their cause.
Key Player - Richaun Holmes
With the continued absence of Harrison Barnes and the inconsistent performances of De'Aaron Fox, the Sacramento Kings may have to rely on Richaun Holmes in this matchup.
Richaun Holmes has 20 points and is a perfect 9/9 from the field. The Kings have stopped getting him the ball. Nobody knows why.
Holmes is an underrated big man. Often discredited for being an offensive force, Holmes is coming off a 27-point performance, albeit in a losing cause against the Lakers. Shooting 12-13 from the field, Holmes also secured nine rebounds in the game.
Although Holmes is not a dominant presence at the defensive end, he sets solid screens at the top of the key. He is also quite reliable in scoring with his push floater within the paint. Against Ivica Zubac, he may face some issues, but Holmes' role in securing rebounds for the Sacramento Kings could be key in this game.
Sacramento Kings Predicted Lineup
G - De'Aaron Fox | G - Tyrese Haliburton | F - Terence Davis III | F - Chimezie Metu | C - Richaun Holmes.
LA Clippers Preview
The LA Clippers are coming off a blowout loss to the New Orleans Pelicans. Thanks to an outstanding performance by the Pelicans big man, Jonas Valanciunas, the Clippers' interior defense was in shambles in this game.
The Clippers were shorthanded against the Pelicans. While the glaring absence of Kawhi Leonard continues to affect the team, Marcus Morris Sr. was also absent in the game. With the additional burden of scoring falling on Paul George, the support from the rest of the team was subpar.
Getting outrebounded 47-35 with 15 turnovers for the game, the LA Clippers seemed out of sorts. While the duo of George and Reggie Jackson combined for 46 points, the former was also responsible for seven turnovers.
Stepback threes never get old.
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Currently on a two-game losing streak, the LA Clippers will look to re-establish their rhythm at home ahead of a three-game road trip.
Key Player - Paul George
Against the Sacramento Kings, Paul George will likely continue to be the LA Clippers' most important player.
In the absence of a superstar, George has stepped up to the plate for his side. Leading the team in multiple categories, George has not been complemented consistently by his teammates.
PG behind the back drop off.
Zubac two handed slam.
@LAClippers up early.
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Coming off a 27-point outing against the New Orleans Pelicans, the exhaustion of the heavy minutes and burden showed on George. He forced seven turnovers in the game, so the Clippers will need to manage the usage of their primary superstar judiciously.
With Marcus Morris Sr. likely to be available for the next game, George may have some latitude heading into this game.
LA Clippers Predicted Lineup
G - Eric Bledsoe | G - Reggie Jackson | F - Paul George | F - Marcus Morris Sr. | C - Ivica Zubac.
Kings vs Clippers Match Prediction
The LA Clippers should emerge as the winners in their matchup against the Sacramento Kings.
Although the Clippers are missing a number of pieces from their rotation, they will be heading into this game off a one-day break, and with home-court advantage. Although the load on Paul George is a concern, the break should help him.
The Sacramento Kings are facing a playoff-contending side on the second night of a back-to-back. So they'll hope that their backcourt duo can rise to the occasion to give themselves a chance of beating the LA Clippers.
Where to watch Kings vs Clippers game?
The Kings vs Clippers game will be broadcast nationally on NBA TV. The game will be locally broadcast on Bally Sports SoCal. The game will also be available on the NBA’s League Pass platform. Fans can also listen to the game on the radio by tuning into KLAC/KWKW-LAC and KHTK .