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Black’s Hustle, 3-Point Shooting Help Kings Earn 1st Win
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- Black’s Hustle, 3-Point Shooting Help Kings Earn 1st Win
(Jerome Miron/Imagn Images)
The Sacramento Kings finally got the help they needed from the bench in their first win over the Dallas Mavericks on Monday.
Malik Monk finished as the second-highest scorer with 24 points, but two-way signee Leaky Black stole the show. Black scored 12 points on 4-for-7 shooting (4-for-6 from three) and had four steals in his second game for Sacramento.
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He gave the Kings exactly what they needed: shooting and defense. Rookie Darius Acuff Jr. found the two-way signee in the left corner for a lead-taking three in the third quarter with under six minutes left.
Sacramento had its best shooting night of the season, converting 19 of its 44 3-point attempts. Black's contributions help build a promising case to earn more minutes in coach Doug Christie's rotation.
His defensive hustle provided a breath of fresh air for a defense that has been lacking all season. The 6-foot-6 forward drove on the hardwood for loose balls, fighting for the extra possessions the team needed to grind out its first win.
Black may be a gem buried on the bench and on the G League affiliate, the Stockton Kings. He played the first of 50 games limited by his two-way contract.
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If Christie continues to play the two-way forward with similar production, then the organization may have to upgrade him to a standard contract.
He impressed in the preseason, showing consistency from long range and generating turnovers. Black shot 63% from three and averaged 1.3 steals in three preseason games.
Sacramento rewarded him with its last two-way contract over Tristen Newton and Viktor Lakhin, and that decision has paid dividends early.
Two-way players have been key contributors for the Kings since last season. Daeqwon Plowden stepped up for a short-handed squad that missed Zach LaVine and Russell Westbrook for extended stretches.
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Plowden played 32 games for the Kings last season and averaged 10.8 points, three rebounds and 1.3 assists. He shot 43% from the field and 33.3% from beyond the arc.
The Kings' two-way guard posted a career-high 22 points against the Charlotte Hornets and then eclipsed it against the Orlando Magic with 23. Plowden became a bright spot during a dark stretch for the organization.
Sacramento signed him to a two-year standard contract this offseason , and he's averaged 12.6 minutes in six games.
Plowden's rise shows the organization is not shy about committing to talented gems who start on two-way deals. Black's 12-point performance is just the start, and his future looks promising if he builds off that.
