“Light the Beam”! “Light the Beam”!
It’s become a favorite chant for Kings fans at Golden 1 Center. The Beam and winning basketball have Kings fans ecstatic.
KINGS GET HOT
The Kings, who started 0-4, have now won nine of their last 11, including six in a row!
Could this really be the Sacramento Kings we’ve been waiting for? The Kings who haven’t had a winning season or a playoff appearance in 16 long, frustrating seasons?
GETTING A CHANCE TO SHOW OFF
The Kings have been so bad that they rarely get to play in a nationally televised game.
Perhaps that will change now?
The Kings had a coming out party on TNT last Tuesday.
And what a party it was!
PARTY HARDY
The Kings made quite a statement, as they scored 153 points to annihilate the Brooklyn Nets by 32 points.
A sellout crowd was rocking. It’s been a long time since the Kings have had a crowd make that much noise.
The Kings shot the lights out. Terence Davis played like Michael Jordan reincarnated, dropping 31 points on 12-16 shooting with nine rebounds, four assists, three steals and one block.
Oh, and Davis didn’t get into the game until the second quarter.
Davis is not the only bench player that has performed well for the Kings. Their bench has been special.
HOW DO YOU LIKE ME KNOW?
The Kings’ performance against the Nets certainly opened some eyes around the NBA.
Suddenly, the Kings are getting noticed.
Where’s your team? 👀 pic.twitter.com/iZU6PmmDXd
— CBS Sports HQ (@CBSSportsHQ) November 19, 2022
Pistons coach Dwane Casey on the Sacramento Kings: "They're one of the best teams in the league right now."
— Cameron Salerno (@cameronsalerno1) November 21, 2022
Kevin Durant had some great words to say about the Sacramento Kings. Says they’re 10-11 guys deep. Mentions Fox and Sabonis as All-Stars, and Calls Mike Brown and the Kings a perfect pairing. pic.twitter.com/VEGfDa8FRz
— Magnus Savage (@MagnusSav) November 16, 2022
KINGS ARE GOOD AT ONE THING FOR SURE
Offense is certainly the Kings’ calling card.
After scoring 153 against the Nets, the Kings scored 130 and 137 points in wins over San Antonio and Detroit, respectively.
As of Monday morning, the Kings are the top scoring team in the league at 121.4 points per game while shooting a league-best 50.2% from the field, too. They were a horrible three-point shooting team last season, ranking 21st in three-point shot attempts at 33.2 per game, making only 34.4% to rank 24th.
So Monte McNair wanted to improve the team’s shooting during the offseason. The Kings General Manager traded for Kevin Huerter, signed Malik Monk as a free agent, then drafted Keegan Murray.
As of November 22nd, the Kings are first in true-shooting percentage at 62.1% and are tied for third in assists with 28.3 per game, up from 23.7 per contest last year (22nd).
BINGO!
Huerter is shooting a sizzling 49.5% from deep, while Monk and Murray are right around 36%.
De’Aaron Fox, meanwhile, has taken a big jump in this his sixth season. Fox has struggled throughout his career from beyond the arc, posting a meager 32.3% clip but is hitting 38.2% this year and looks more comfortable and confident from distance.
STILL NOT SO GOOD AT ONE THING
The other side of the coin is defense.
Last year, the Kings ranked 27th in defensive rating at 115.3. This year, the Kings are still 27th with a defensive rating of 114.9.
Can we call that progress? Even if it is only slight?
The Kings have played better defense at times this year, but defense remains the Kings’ biggest weakness.
FAN EXCITEMENT RETURNS
As the Kings have faltered on the court, fan interest has declined. The Kings were 29th in attendance a year ago. The offseason moves brought excitement, but the fanbase was still weary.
Winning is the greatest “cure-all” tonic.
Yes, they’re baaaaack! Kings fans over the past four game home stand packed Golden 1 Center. And they are rocking the place.
Golden 1 Center is ridiculously loud for a 3pm Sunday game against the team with the worst record in the NBA
— Brenden Nunes (@BrendenNunesNBA) November 21, 2022
Just listen to the crowd here in Sacramento pic.twitter.com/yZhBLPYt8H
— Cameron Salerno (@cameronsalerno1) November 21, 2022
The 17,866 in attendance is a new Golden 1 Center record.
— James Ham (@James_HamNBA) November 21, 2022
LIGHT THE BEAM!
It’s something new the Kings started this year. They “Light the Beam” and send it shooting into the sky after any Kings victory, home or away. Fans love it!
Light the beam. pic.twitter.com/q1kiet79rQ
— James Ham (@James_HamNBA) November 18, 2022
IN LOVE WITH THE BEAM!!! 💜 pic.twitter.com/o0HkBW1ecd
— Mirann Lolani Tsumura (@MirannLolani) November 21, 2022
The Beam has become such a big hit that some are calling the Kings “The Beam Team”.
The Kings head out on the road now to play Memphis, Atlanta and Boston. They then come home to play Phoenix and Indiana.
Can they stay extend the winning streak? Can they stay above .500? Will this be a “November to Remember”?
It will if they can keep the light on!
