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The Sacramento Kings are set to host their Pacific Division rivals, the LA Clippers, for the first time in the 2020-21 NBA season.
The Sacramento Kings have started this year's campaign with a rather shabby 5-7 record and currently stand in 12th place in the Western Conference standings.
Meanwhile, the LA Clippers have had a strong opening to their campaign and are currently in second position (8-4) in the Western Conference standings. With their star duo of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George playing with authority, the LA Clippers would look to end their road-trip with a win.
Match Details
Fixture: LA Clippers vs Sacramento Kings - NBA Season 2020-21.
Date & Time: Friday, January 15th, 9 pm, CT (Saturday, January 16th, 8:30 am IST).
Venue: Golden 1 Center, Sacramento, California.
LA Clippers Preview
LA Clippers enter the game on the back of consecutive wins on the road against the New Orleans Pelicans and the Chicago Bulls. The second-placed team in the Western Conference are surprisingly the best 3-point-shooting team in the league, with a success rate of 42.9%.
Even though the LA Clippers lost a few key pieces during the off-season including the 2019-20 Sixth Man of the Year Montrezl Harrell, they managed to pull off a brilliant capture of Serge Ibaka.
The LA Clippers are a tough team to beat, given that four of their starters are averaging double-digits in scoring, and they have a very deep and capable bench unit too.
Paul George is performing at an All-Star caliber, currently averaging a team-high 25.2 points per game to go alongside 6.3 rebounds and 5.5 assists. On the other hand, off-season-acquisition Serge Ibaka is leading the team with 6.5 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game.
The LA Clippers' supporting cast, which includes the likes of Patrick Beverley, Ivica Zubac, Marcus Morris and others are not only helping at the offensive end but have also been very useful at the defensive end too.
Key Player- Kawhi Leonard
After going down with a jaw injury earlier in the season, the LA Clippers' All-Star Kawhi Leonard has returned stronger and determined to dominate the league.
He recently crossed the 10,000 career points milestone in the LA Clippers' win against the Chicago Bulls.
Leonard is leading his team with six assists per game and is the league's leader with two steals per game. He is averaging 24.8 points and five rebounds per match and has a good 46.8% FG and 43.8% 3P percentage.
Leonard has scored 20+ points in his last five games, tallying 28 points on three occasions during this period.
He scored a season-high 35 points in a tough win against the Chicago Bulls. While Kawhi Leonard achieves personal landmarks almost every time he steps out on the court, he needs to carry the LA Clippers with consistency and deliver on a nightly basis.
LA Clippers' Predicted Lineup
Patrick Beverly (PG), Paul George (SG), Kawhi Leonard (SF), Nicolas Batum (PF), Serge Ibaka (C).
Sacramento Kings Preview
Struggling for consistency at this early stage of the season, the Sacramento Kings are languishing in a lowly 12th place in the Western Conference.
They have not been able to clinch a playoff berth in the last five years but will look to change the narrative this season despite their underwhelming start to this season's campaign.
The budding players of the Sacramento Kings have contributed good numbers with their performances, as the team are in eighth place with a 114.8 points average.
However, the Sacramento Kings have conceded an average of 122 points every game. The good news is all their starters are averaging in double digits, with De'Aaron Fox leading with a team-high19.2 ppg.
They have good firepower from beyond the arc as well. Buddy Hield is one of the league leaders with 3.9 3-pointers made every game. Harrison Barnes, Richaun Holmes and Tyrese Haliburton have more than 40% 3-pointer conversion percentage.
However, the Sacramento Kings need to transform their defensive exploits this season.
Key Player- De'Aaron Fox
De'Aaron Fox is undoubtedly one of the finest young talents in the league to watch out for.
His athleticism, high basketball IQ and playmaking skills have earned him the reputation of a fierce point guard. Fox continues to make an impact on the Sacramento Kings squad, with a team-high 19.2 points average, 1.4 steals and a fair 5.4 assists per game.
Despite coming off a hamstring soreness, Fox produced good numbers in his last game against the Portland Trailblazers: 29 points, six rebounds and six assists while shooting five of eight from beyond the arc. However, the Sacramento Kings came up second best.
In the game before that, Fox went berserk at the ring with a vicious dunk late in the fourth quarter against the Indiana Pacers, ending with 21 points, nine assists, five rebounds and a win for the Sacramento Kings for the charts.
De'Aaron Fox has been a key player for the Sacramento Kings in the past three years and continues to do so. He is a player to look out for when healthy and could be a game-changer against the LA Clippers.
Sacramento Kings' Predicted Lineup
De'Aaron Fox (PG), Buddy Hield (SG), Harrison Barnes (SF), Marvin Bagley III (PF), Richaun Holmes (C).
LA Clippers vs Sacramento Kings Match Prediction
Any team going up against a fully-stacked LA Clippers tend to feel a little overwhelmed, but the young Sacramento Kings could look to stand up to the challenge. With all their players healthy, they will look to make their home-court advantage count.
While Kawhi Leonard and Paul George are trying to prove they are hungry to win it all, the Sacramento Kings' youngsters De'Aaron Fox, Marvin Bagley III,and Buddy Hield will look to stand toe-to-toe against the veterans.
This game is expected to be a high scoring affair and might go down to the wire. However, the Clippers are expected to emerge triumphant.
