Tag: Chimezie Metu

Finding An Edge: Kings tip Pacers ahead of the final buzzer, and get the last word on the Haliburton trade

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By Morris Phillips

In a game featuring some spirited competition, and some intentioned, pointed side glances, no one was particularly interested in saying just how important getting a win was.

Well, one guy, Sacramento’s Damian Jones, who tipped in the game-winner with less than a second remaining, didn’t hesitate to say what was on his mind. After all, that is what winners do.

“It was good to see Tyrese and Buddy. It felt good to rub it in,” Jones said after the Kings robbed the Pacers 110-109 in Indianapolis.

In a match-up that featured players traded in the second-most discussed trade deadline deal, most notably the Pacers’ Tyrese Haliburton and Buddy Hield, the Kings got the last word with the win, even if they weren’t tremendously interested in exploiting the occasion by running their mouths.

“We’ve been struggling on the road,” Kings coach Alvin Gentry said. “Just to come and find a way to win a game on the road is really important to us. It makes a statement that these guys haven’t quit. They’re still battling and do the best they can to win games.”

Along with the win, the Kings got slightly worse positioning in the upcoming draft lottery, which has flattened its odds to the point neither team will notice the difference a month from now when the ping pong balls start cycling. But the speculation regarding which team made out best vis-a-vis to the trade starts now. And with Domantas Sabonis fashioning himself as a double-double machine while rookie Davion Mitchell has more than adequately replaced Haliburton in the Sacramento lineup, the Kings aren’t looking like suckers for moving their dynamic, second-year player from Iowa State.

For one, the Kings are no longer last defensively in points allowed, the Rockets are. And the Kings’ defense was noticeable in the fourth quarter Wednesday, when they held the Pacers to 20 points. And no pointing fingers, but Haliburton missed the Pacers final shot attempt with 37 seconds left which would have put them up five. Then Hield fumbled the ball out of bounds with 14 seconds remaining, opening the door for the Kings.

This time the Kings saw the open door and walked right in. Down 109-108, the Kings saw Trey Lyles miss a 3 attempt with a couple seconds left only to see Jones tap in the careening basketball just ahead of the final horn.

“I missed a layup. Buddy had a bad turnover in the full court, obviously,” Haliburton said. “I thought we were in position to win. We just didn’t execute down the stretch.”

That the Kings had to show some grit late to secure just their tenth road victory in 35 outings wasn’t surprising. But their hot shooting first was. Without Sabonis and leading scorer De’Aaron Fox, both out with injuries, the Kings couldn’t miss, shooting 72 percent in the first quarter, and still above 61 percent at halftime, when they led 66-61.

Metu, But Not For Two: Kings get three from an unlikely source at the horn to beat Dallas, 95-94

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By Morris Phillips

SACRAMENTO–Alvin Gentry wanted more passion and desire, Gentry’s players were desperate for a different storyline, and Kings’ fans demanded a win on a blustery, cold night.

And the key to pulling all these wishes together?

Trust your teammates. That’s exactly what De’Aaron Fox did with his decision to find a wide open Chimezie Metu with the game on the line.

“He turned the corner and went so quickly,” Gentry said of Fox’s decision. “He said, ‘I was either gonna dunk it and try to get to the line or if I saw them pull in so far I was going to try to hit the corner guy.'”

“It’s tough,” Dallas coach Jason Kidd said. “Unfortunately if we give up a layup the game is tied, we go into overtime. But DP (Dwight Powell) went to help and they made a shot.”

Metu’s 3-pointer at the buzzer made the Kings winners, 95-94 over the shorthanded Dallas Mavericks, who were without superstar Luka Doncic for the ninth, consecutive game due to COVID protocols. The Kings found themselves in far more favorable circumstances regarding COVID with Davion Mitchell, Alex Len and Louis King gaining clearance for Wednesday’s game although only Mitchell saw playing time.

The Kings took control with a 35-13 second quarter only to see the Mavericks respond with a pair of significant runs in the third quarter, which set the scene for a tense, tight fourth quarter in which the Kings had just one lead, 92-90, until Metu’s final shot.

Gentry’s frustration with his club got the desired effect, as the Kings were better defensively. But at critical junctures, the hosts had no answers for the 1-2 punch of Kristaps Porzingis and Jalen Brunson, who combined for 49 points to lead Dallas.

The Kings got efficient efforts from the rookie Mitchell and De’Aaron Fox who combined for 30 points. They were two of six Kings that scored in double figures, though none scored more than Fox’s 16.

The Kings satisfied Gentry’s desire for more focused play by shooting 38 percent from three along with a 46-40 edge in points in the paint. The Kings free throw shooting perked up as well with the team canning 13 of 15.

Defensively, the Kings were far from stout, but there was a competitiveness in their play, as they collapsed on drivers in the paint, and showed some resistance, especially with Dallas’ wings and their aggressive guards, particularly Brunson, who made tough shots throughout.

Wins on consecutive nights pulled the Kings within a half game of 10th place San Antonio in the densely packed Western Conference playoff race, and made it more likely that the club will look within for improvement as opposed to trying to orchestrate a high profile trade.

How unlikely was Metu’s decisive shot? The 6’9″ forward didn’t make a three in either of his first two seasons in San Antonio, and was shooting just 26 percent from three this season. But with game in the balance, Metu was composed and ready to shoot. His mean mug reaction to the game winner was priceless as well, as he never broke a smile even after his teammates mobbed him in celebration.

“It was a great moment,” he said. “Since I’ve been in the league, for sure one of the best moments I’ve had. For us to grind that one out, it felt good.”

The Kings again host Dallas on Friday night with the possibility that Doncic and some combination of seven other Mavericks in protocols could be cleared to play.

THE RETURN OF I.T.: Did anyone attend Wednesday’s game expecting to see Isaiah Thomas in uniform? Probably not, but Kings’ fans were ready with a hearty ovation when Thomas entered the game for Dallas in the second quarter. The 32-year old signed a 10-day deal with Dallas on Wednesday under a COVID hardship rule, and scored six points in 13 minutes. Thomas was originally drafted by Sacramento and played his first three seasons with the Kings.