Kings smack Sun Rays; Guardians next

By ECS Staff
Updated: November 18, 2019

2019-20 SAN DIEGO KINGS BASKETBALL

By Damon Sloan

Special to East CountySports.com

The San Diego Kings got their largest victory of the season on the road against the Fresno Flaming Sun Rays 147-112. Not only was it the most points the Kings have scored this season at 147, but it was also the widest margin of victory that the Kings have won by at 35 points.

Marcus Bell came off the bench to put up 34 points, going 13-15 from the field, imposing his dominance on the low block, including a smooth post-spin baseline for a two-hand slam and two nice alley-oops, including a one-hand tomahawk in the third to put the Kings up 72-47. He also grabbed eight rebounds, four on the offensive glass.

Coach Davion Famber believes Bell will be a force once the season really kicks off.

“He changed the game on both ends,” Famber said. “His strong play on offense and rim-protecting on defense adds so much to our team, he will be a force in the ABA.”

The Kings started the game on a 9-0 lead and were able to get out in transition to get didn’t look back ending the first quarter, 33-14, over the Sun Rays.

The Kings were able to push their 19 point lead at the first to a 33-63 lead with 7:42 left to go in the second quarter. They used their impressive 2-2-1 press to keep the pressure on the Sun Rays and it worked forcing 24 turnovers for the Sun Rays and getting 24 points in transition out of it.

The Kings were able to get over 100 points in the third quarter and were able to blow the Sun Rays out the water in the fourth and ended the game with everybody on the team scoring a basket.

“Our guys played with an intensity that just couldn’t be matched tonight. The Sun Rays are a young team; they will get better as the season goes on.

Even after such a dominating win, Famber reiterated the importance of getting better and preparing for their crosstown showdown against the San Diego Guardians.

“It’s rivalry week,” Famber stated. “Our plan for the Guardians of San Diego is to impose our will on them in the paint just like we did against the Sun Rays. We have to continue to get better on defense, rebounding and protecting the ball on offense. We get those three things fixed, we are going to be rolling.”

Manny Perez finished the night with 21 points and five rebounds, including 4-of-9 from three-point range. Braxton Smith dropped 18 points and nabbed 4 steals to go along with 4 assists.

Jordan Holmes and Mark Ware made their first starts of the season and did not disappoint. Holmes was cooking from three-point range, range going 4-for-4 from three, creating his own shot off the triple and spot-up threes, as well.

Ware was aggressive offensively getting to the foul line nine times and grabbed three offensive rebounds for extra possessions. He finished with eight points and four rebounds total.

Nick Ross played steady on both ends of the floor, getting after loose balls and running the lanes in transition. He finished the night with 13 points, shooting 5-of-10 from the field.

Deonte Jones also added quality scoring from the bench with 13, but also pulled down four rebounds and three assists in a complete offensive stat line.

Alec Calloway stepped in a provided great minutes on both ends for the Kings. He was able to space the floor on the offense going 2-for-6 from deep and finishing the night with 10 points off the bench.

Yuri Kozhanov played great defensively for the Kings and was able to collect two steals through the Kings’ constant ball pressure.

Ray Williams and Damian Elam did a great job of spreading the floor and getting guys involved offensively combining for 15 assists between them, eight for Williams and seven for Elam.

Justin Johnson was in foul trouble for the game. But he played physical and helped force turnovers for the Kings with his activity, forcing 2 steals.

The Kings will go into their matchup against the San Diego Guardians with a 4-1 record and will look to claim the throne as the No. 1 professional basketball team in San Diego.

The Kings are averaging a ridiculous 120 points per game this season, That’s two points more than the NBA’s league-leading scoring team, the Milwaukee Bucks.

The Kings are playing at a high level right now and are only five games into the regular season. They’re quick, athletic and have a mix of young talent and veteran leadership that makes them one of the best teams in the country.

If you haven’t had a chance to come to see them play, you need to make plans fast because this team is on the rise. Check them out this Saturday, Nov. 23 live from El Cajon Valley High School. Tickets start at 15$ and 25$ for courtside seats at the door. Visit SDKINGSBasketball.com to get season tickets for 69$ and 99$ for VIP court-side season tickets.

FOLLOW THE AUTHOR

IG:@DamonSloan/@retroswish

Facebook: DamonSloan/RetroSwish

LinkedIn: Damon Sloan