The Sacramento Kings lost a tough one to the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday, 108-103, as coach Jordi Fernandez led the surprisingly good Nets, where he served as Associate Head Coach with Mike Brown for two seasons. Moreover, Fernandez had his team ready to go against his former team, shooting 13-20 from three in the first half, with Cam Thomas pouring in 34 points (22 in the first half). However, one of the main stories from the game was Kings coach Mike Brown charging the refs for not calling a foul on Colby Jones’ drive to the basket.
Despite the antics, the refs only assessed the coach a technical foul and let him stay in the game. When Mike Brown charged at the refs, the Nets enjoyed a 19-point lead over the Kings midway through the second quarter.
To add insult to injury, Noah Clowney even sank a three-pointer on the other side of the court while Brown went at the ref, per the replays from both ClutchPoints and Sean Cunningham on X, formerly Twitter.
Poise and hot shooting lift Nets over Kings
The coach’s frustration probably reflected the team’s sentiment as a whole, as their new acquisition DeMar DeRozan hasn’t quite put them over the top. The Kings are likely better than their 8-9 record, but it’s a long season, and chemistry takes time.
Still, fans couldn’t help but react to Brown’s agitation, with some pointing out the quality of officiating in the NBA this season.
For instance, @jonnyincali said, “That’s one of those ‘if I’ve got to stay and watch this mess, so do you!’ by the ref,” while @xrpbossm8 added, “Ya these f**king refs are pissing everyone off.”
However, Kings fans like @PMasih007 expressed a lack of confidence in Brown’s ability to lead the team to postseason success.
“It’s losses like this that will keep you out of the top 8,” they posted. “Jordi Fernandez OUTCOACHED Mike Brown and Luke Loucks all by himself.”
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Another fan, @KingNinetyFour also said, “Here are the tough truths Sacramento Kings fans need to accept: Mike Brown is a terrible HC. Terrible game management, player development, and unable to ever make adjustments.”
Likewise, they added, “Monte [McNair] is lazy, and a terrible drafter. Keegan Murray is NOT that guy.”
Despite this record, the Kings still have DeAaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis, who might have to up their production a little more just to keep the team afloat in a wide-open Western Conference.
If there was a year when the West didn’t seem to have clear-cut contenders, this is that year, and every playoff team in the conference should scramble for the best postseason position as possible.