Week in review: Davion Mitchell shines, Richaun Holmes steps away

Kings compete, but come up short in 1-3 week

Author

James Ham
March 19, 2022

The Kings Beat Notes

Off the Record with The Kings Beat Virtual Happy Hour Part 4: "Infectious Disease Control" is scheduled for March 24 from 5:30-7:30. Legendary Kings PA announcer Scott Moak is joining the show for a night of conversation and storytelling. The Happy Hours are for premium subscribers only.

The Kings Beat Discord channel for premium subscribers is LIVE! This is an awesome new space where The Kings Beat community can join in the discussion and hangout. This is an exclusive add-on for premium subscribers only. 

The Kings Beat Merch shop is open for business. We added a fire and ice t-shirt this week, which are flying off the shelf. 

I have created a discount code for subscribers that gives you 15% off your purchase until the end of March: KBPodcast

Lastly,  was a light week of writing due to some health issues. Expect 3-4 articles per week throughout the offseason, including major draft, trade and free agency coverage.

Thanks again for your continued support!

Kings record: 25-47

Kings record on the week: 1-3

You are supposed to bank wins during a long season for those weeks when the schedule completely turns against you. The Kings didn't do that and now they are paying the price. 

Sacramento started the week with a battle on the road against the Utah Jazz. Playing without big man Domantas Sabonis, the Kings, led by a 41-point game from De'Aaron Fox, gave the Jazz all they could handle.

In the end, Fox and the Kings ran out of gas late and fell by a final of 134-125. The score doesn't truly capture the quality of the game. The Kings played well and made it close against a very good team.

The Kings returned home on Monday to face the high flying Chicago Bulls. They continued their recent trend of building big leads, only to give them back. 

Fox continued his hot streak, scoring 34 points. Sabonis put up 22 and rookie Davion Mitchell chipped in 16 off the bench as Sacramento snapped its four game losing streak with a 112-103 win.

The schedule never let up for Sacramento. On Wednesday, the Kings hosted Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks. In a shocker, the home team held a fourth quarter lead against the reigning champs, but couldn't hold on.

Fox and Sabonis put up their standard 20-plus points, but the bench unit of Davion Mitchell and Donte DiVincenzo each chipped in 19 in a barn burner. Like most recent games, the Kings faded late, falling by a final of 135-126.

To finish out the week, Sacramento welcomed the Boston Celtics into the friendly confines of Golden 1 Center. Like the Bucks game, the stars came out in force.

Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown combined to score 62 points for Boston. Sabonis posted a 30-point, 20-rebound double-double, but without Fox, who missed the game with a hand injury, the Kings couldn't keep up, losing by a final of 126-97.

Injuries

Fox injured his right hand against the Bucks, but stayed in to finish the game. He sat out on Friday night against the Celtics, but his injury is not considered season-ending and according to a league source, there is hope that he can return in the next game or two. 

The Kings announced on Friday that Richaun Holmes is stepping away from the team in the final 11 games to deal with a personal issue. Holmes played in just 45 games this season due to eye injuries, covid issues and personal reasons. 

Jeremy Lamb (personal reasons) missed three games this week. He's played in just one of the Kings' last seven games.

Terence Davis is out for the season after undergoing surgery to repair tendon damage in his right wrist. On a positive note, Davis has been seen on the court working out during pregame, although much of the work is focused on his left hand.

Player of the Week: Davion Mitchell

Mitchell hit the rookie wall hard for a ten game stretch beginning in mid-February. Off-Night may have punched through that wall this week. The 23-year-old averaged 15.3 points, 2.5 assists and a steal while shooting 49.1 percent from the field and 40 percent from 3-point range over the four game stretch. He's finishing strong and playing hard-nosed defense. 

Previous winner: De'Aaron Fox

Stats of the Week

  • 9: Fox tried to play through his hand injury against the Bucks and that was probably a mistake. The Kings' star guard turned the ball over nine times in the game, including four in the final 2:42 of the fourth. He lost his zip on passes and it hurt he Kings' chances of coming away with a win.

  • 19: After playing three and a half seasons in a Bucks uniform, DiVincenzo suited up against his former team for the first time on Wednesday. The Big Ragu scored 19 points off the bench in an entertaining battle.

  • 22: With back-to-back losses, the Kings now sit at 22 games under .500. With 10 games remaining in the season, they trail the New Orleans Pelicans by five games in the chase for the play-in tournament and six games in the loss column.

Tweets of the Week

Fox catches fire:

Holmes on the pool report after his suspension:

Holmes on his fine:

TD on the mend:

Neemias Queta making most of G League assignment:

Quotes of the Week

“Richaun is a core member of our team, who is very important to our success. We fully support Rich and look forward to seeing him back on the court for the 2022-23 NBA season.” -Monte McNair on Holmes

“I would like to thank everyone for their support during these difficult times. I love this team, I love my teammates and I look forward to returning next year.” -Holmes on stepping away

"It's awesome. Everyone in this league has worked so hard to get where they are, especially to become the person and player they want to be. And to have someone on your team that is going through a stretch like this, playing unselfish, being a leader on the court, it's awesome. It's great for this team." -Sabonis on Fox's strong play

Videos of the Week

First time father:

Working on the basics:

DiVincenzo on confidence:

Justin Holiday after knocking down six 3-pointers:

Weekly Reading

Weekly Podcasts

In addition to audio options, we now have the podcasts available on YouTube. Subscribe to the YouTube channel and give us a thumbs up!

What's next?

Kings vs. Phoenix Suns, Golden 1 Center, Sunday 3PM

Kings vs. Indiana Pacers, Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Wednesday 4PM

Kings vs. Orlando Magic, Amway Center, Saturday 4PM

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