NBA makes final decision on controversial Kings vs. Spurs moment
Yesterday at 01:19 AM
The San Antonio Spurs continue to play above expectations to begin the 2024-25 season. They have been emerging as one of the most exciting teams in the association, climbing to 11-9 on the campaign after defeating the Sacramento Kings, 127-125, on Sunday night.
However, this victory for the Spurs did not come without its fair share of controversy. With the Kings trailing by just three, Keldon Johnson missed his second free throw — opening the door for Sacramento to potentially tie the game at 125-apiece. Alas, Victor Wembanyama appeared to blatantly go over Domantas Sabonis' back to tip the ball to Chris Paul — with the veteran floor general promptly icing the game by making his two freebies.
The Kings, understandably, felt hard done by the referees' decision to swallow their whistles. But according to the NBA's official Last-Two Minute Report, the Spurs were not guilty of a foul late in the game. In fact, it was Sabonis who was deemed guiltywho was deemed guilty of "clamping and holding Wembanyama's arm", therefore being the one to initiate the "illegal contact".
Upon closer inspection, it did look as though Sabonis was indeed guilty of such an infraction. Regardless, two wrongs do not make a right, and it's not as if Wembanyama wasn't also guilty of a loose ball foul on the rebounding battle against the Kings star.
It's quite a shame for the Kings since Malik
Monk and Sabonis made triples on consecutive possessions to trim the Spurs' lead. But the deficit was too big to overcome, and the referees' decision-making in the end did not help matters for them whatsoever.
Kings are gradually declining from Beam Team's 2022-23 peak
Two seasons ago, the Kings were the league's best feel-good story. They were the darlings of everyone who followed the NBA as they managed to snap a 17-year playoff drought by playing exciting, motion-based basketball.
Fast forward to the 2024-25 season, and the Kings look like a shell Kings look like a shell of their former selves. The addition of DeMar DeRozan, while helpful, hasn't moved the needle for them whatsoever.
Their depth has also been very questionable, forcing the Kings' best players to log heavy minutes on a nightly basis — not a good sign for an aspiring playoff contender this early in the season.
Their loss to the Spurs knocks them to 9-12 on the season, and in the loaded Western Conference, there is no forgiving that slow of a start — although it helps that De'Aaron Fox is playing at such a high level to begin the campaign.
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