Allow me to mention again: last year we allowed this team to average 115.3ppg against us, and we went 0-4 against them. This season we have allowed them to average 96.5ppg against us, and we are 2-0. Funny how that works.
BTW, blurb from the game recap:
Sacramento had zero fastbreak points in becoming only the second team this season to win this season without a fastbreak point.
Link to Boxscore
Afflalo ( B- ) -- nearly identical to Ben -- 10pts on 7shots, 1reb 2ast stl 1blk -- and just felt solid on both ends. Nothing more certainly. But after Hill hit a few threes to start the game, AA settled in, had a brief stretch in the second half where he began to work his post game, and just solidly competed. Our SG/SF duo did fine and largely matched theirs.
Cousins ( B+ ) -- perhaps not his most inspiring effort as he continues to feel things out, but saavily started the Kings comeback by allowing Buddy Hield to grab him by the particulars and ask for a date, boarded well throughout, hung in there after he got screwed on a Montejunas flop for a T (likely will be reversed) and made plays down the stretch again to help us close out the win.
Koufos ( C+ ) -- came out of the gate leading the team in shots, which wasn't necessarily Warriors-level spectacular. Hit the boards, did the Kosta. In the end it was largely a non-impact game (indeed was one of only two Kings (Malachi) with a negative +/-, but it was only -1. No reason to go lower with this grade...or higher.
McLemore ( B- ) -- there's a little Benness to this grade, as when you get down to it it was the same line as Afflalo in the end (11-2-1-1-1), and he wasn't really playing anybody. but he continued to be efficient from 3ptland, with the moment of excitement being when he hit back to back threes to key our run to start the 3rd. Kinda fell back after that however.
Collison ( B ) -- had a higher grade than this through a strong 3 1/2 quarters, before absolutely horrid play down the stretch threatened to sink us and give the game away. May have just tired as he again had no backup. Did more of his scoring early than late, but finally gave us a little more true PG play with some good setups. Then crunchtime came, the Pels started hopping and trapping him, he blew layups, and...yikes.
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Barnes ( B+ ) -- an important contributor again, hit a pair of timely threes, helped us wobble through our Collisonless minutes, and most importantly was our best defeender on both Tyreke, and especially Davis late.
Cauley Stein ( B ) -- less impact than he has been having, but flashed some skill while looking very comfortable and aggressive out there, pursued several long rebounds, and tried to give A.D. something to think about on defense, although in the end the smaller Barnes was more effective.
Tolliver ( B- ) -- I was thinking this was suck, then I was thinking then was strong, and in true Tolliver fashion, the whole difference in perspective came when he finally hit a couple of threes. Not terribly effective on the glass or defense.
Richardson ( C- ) -- got a good and+1 drive, where he muscled to the point of almost offensive fouling, but nothing else fell, and got introduced to Tyreke's ghost on the other end, which...well, chalk it up to a learning experience.
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