The Sacramento Kings emerged victorious in their 2018-19 preseason opener. Here are three takeaways from the win on the road.
The Sacramento Kings took care of business on the road Monday night against the Phoenix Suns, grinding out a tough 106-102 victory in their preseason debut.
It was the first preseason game for both Phoenix and Sacramento, and the debut of the No. 1 and 2 overall picks in the 2018 NBA Draft, Deandre Ayton and Marvin Bagley III.
There were a handful of other first-year pros making their debuts as well. From the Kings’ big man Harry Giles, who was forced to miss the 2017-18 season with a knee injury, to Phoenix’s first-round rookie that they acquired in a trade from the Sixers, Mikal Bridges, to young French point guard, Elie Okobo, who was drafted at No. 31 in the first round.
So, yeah, there was a lot to watch for in this game.
Coming into the contest, Kings head coach Dave Joerger preached on how he wanted his young team to get out in the open court and run, run, run. He also emphasized the importance of the 3-point shot and the plan for adding a healthy dose of it into their offensive diet.
While it was just the first of five preseason games for the Kings, and though these games have little significance (because after all, it is just the preseason), here are three things that stood out in game No. 1.