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NBA Regular Season 2012-2013, Game 52:
Utah Jazz (28-23) @ Sacramento Kings (17-33)
#UTAatSAC Game Stream -- Sactown Royalty (SB Nation) -- Jazz at Kings coverage
Sadly saying goodbye to Sacramento . . . for now.
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The Basics:
The Kings haven't played since they last played us on Monday. They needed the rest from their insane road trip. Tonight we're the tired team having played last night, and look to be competitive on the road. The Jazz are 32-52 in Sacramento all-time, and while we lead the season series, any win here in any season has been seen as something to celebrate. I have nothing but respect for the Sacramento Kings franchise and diehard fans. They deserve to keep their team. I don't want to get into it because I have very strong feelings about small market clubs.
And the fans in Sacramento will always have a place in my heart for their respectful send off of John Stockton.
The Kings are injury free, and we're still down Mo Williams and Gordon Hayward. Earl Watson may be available, but if we're honestly trying to take minutes away from Alec Burks right now then we're only doing so out of spite. Right now he's the only guy we have who can hope to keep up with Isaiah Thomas and the other smaller, quicker guards out there that seemingly populate the NBA. (And we saw this all year long, when he was put on Darren Collison we won. There are more examples but I'm pressed for time right now.)
DeMarcus Cousins has been throw out of 2 of the 3 games we've played so far this season. I'd expect him to keep his head tonight -- but the Kings have given us trouble even without him (we needed Overtime to beat the Kings without him, and lost to the Kings without him too). The games are close. They have strengths at some of our weaknesses, and they play hard and don't roll over.
I expect a good game tonight, and a close game. The Jazz are wounded and need to right the ship if they want to stay in the playoff hunt. The Kings aren't playing for anything right now except for their fans who deserve better.