Kings bounce back, win in Las Vegas
- Updated: December 15, 2019
2019 SAN DIEGO KINGS BASKETBALL
KINGS 101, ROYALS 98
By Damon Sloan
Special to East CountySports.com
LAS VEGAS – The San Diego Kings got back in the win column as they went on the road to defeat the Las Vegas Royals, 101-98, last weekend.
This game was purely about pride for the Kings, who were coming off a blowout loss at home to the Jacksonville Giants.
They Kings wanted to come into Vegas and steal one on the road against a competitive ball club like the Las Vegas Royals and they were able to do it with their physicality and late-game execution.
The Kings were only able to suit up seven guys on the Vegas road trip but still found a way to battle out a win on the road, getting huge scoring performances out of Marcus Bell, Manny Perez and Ray Williams, who combined to score 76 of the Kings’ 101 points.
“Those three were huge offensively for us tonight,” Kings head coach Davion Famber said. “I thought (James) Hancock came in and gave us a lot of extra possessions which allowed us to get more opportunities to score.”
Bell and Hancock both had double-doubles for the Kings. Bell finished with his first 20-20 game with 26 points and 23 rebounds (nine on the offensive glass). Hancock put up 12 points with 14 rebounds to boot (10 offensive rebounds).
Williams scored 25 points in his return to the lineup. He was also able to dish out seven assists and grab eight rebounds nearly recording a triple-double himself.
Perez also scored 25 points and went 8-for-8 from the free-throw line. He spaced the floor as usual and was able to make three of the Kings’ seven three-point shots.
The Kings and Royals battled back and forth throughout the entire game with Las Vegas looking to wear the Kings out with full-court ball pressure and physical defense.
The Kings shot 25-for-37 from the line as a team, forcing the ball in the paint consistently and finding holes in the Royal defense to draw fouls for free throw opportunities. That allowed them to slow the tempo down and get their defense setup for the next possessions.
The Royals were able to get the ball game tied with 33.2 seconds left on the clock.
The Kings gave the ball to Bell and he was able to get to the lane and finish an and-one to make the game a 101-98 lead with 16.2 seconds left on the clock.
A missed game-tying three by the Royals sealed their fate at the end of this one and the Kings were able to escape with a win against the Royals with only seven players suited up in uniform.
The Kings (5-3) return to San Diego this week to prepare for their rematch against the Phoenix Outlaws.
The Kings defeated the Outlaws in the season opener this year, 113-112, in a game then went right down to the wire.
Tip-off jumps at 6 p.m.. Tickets are $15 at the door and $25 for courtside seats. To get $5$off for your tickets, visit the link below.
https://san-diego-kings.ticketbud.com/vs-phoenix-outlaws-dec-21-19/damon
