Victor Wembanyama makes his second visit to the California capital, looking for his first win there, when the San Antonio Spurs face the Sacramento Kings on Sunday night.
The Spurs played twice in Sacramento last season, but Wembanyama played just once in front of Kings fans. He had 19 points, 13 rebounds, five steals and five blocks in his first game in Sacramento last February, which the Kings won 127-122. He sat out another game with an ankle injury.
The Kings swept a three-game series last season, but Wembanyama went on a winning streak against Western Conference opponents with 34 points, 14 rebounds and three blocks in a 116-96 win over San Antonio on November 11.
The tie opens a two-game road trip for the Spurs, which could be topped off with a look at Tuesday’s NBA Cup contest in Phoenix. San Antonio will enter the finals in a three-way tie atop West Group B with the Suns and Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Spurs saw their four-game winning streak end on Wednesday when they lost at home 119-101 to the Los Angeles Lakers. Wembanyama had 20 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks in the loss.
The club got silver when Devin Vassell returned from playing five games due to a knee injury and scored 14 points off the bench in 21 minutes.
(It feels good to have him,” said Wembanyama. “He opens the floor for us. He is an attacking player. I am still looking forward to expanding our game when he gets all his minutes back.”
Vassell contributed 12 points and four assists off the bench when they beat Amakhosi earlier.
Wembanyama got a big boost during the team’s winning season from rookie Stephon Castle, who averaged 17.5 points and 5.5 rebounds per game.
Sacramento has shown a different look in its past two games, with Jae Crowder not only joining the team but stuck in the starting lineup.
The 13-year veteran, signed as a free agent, made his season debut with eight points and four rebounds in 27 minutes in a 115-104 win at Minnesota on Wednesday. He had 10 points and two rebounds in Friday’s 115-106 loss at Portland, the Kings’ fifth loss in their last six games.
Kings coach Mike Brown wasn’t surprised to see Crowder make an immediate impact despite playing in 68 games over the past two seasons.
“Jae has been around a long time,” Brown quoted. “He’s been in 11 games in a row, so he knows what it takes to win. He’s not going to back down.”
Crowder hasn’t played with DeMar DeRozan, who has missed Sacramento’s last two games with back pain. He still has doubts about Sunday’s game against his former club.
Domantas Sabonis had his fourth triple-double of the season in Friday’s loss at Portland, posting 21 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists. He scored 22 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists when Wembanyama only visited Sacramento last season.
–Field Level Media
Source link
