Sacramento Kings vs. Los Angeles Clippers Swing Stat of the Game

The Sacramento Kings can take advantage of the short-handed Los Angeles Clippers on Friday.

Oct 29, 2024; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Sacramento Kings guard Keon Ellis (23) reacts to a shot against the Utah Jazz during the fourth quarter at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images / Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Before each Sacramento Kings game, I try to find a stat that will dictate the game's outcome. Theoretically, if the Kings win the swing stat, they win the game. If they lose the stat, they lose the game. Make sense? Let’s get into it.

The Kings travel to take on the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday at 7:30 PM PT.

Current Swing Stat Projection Record: 7-4

Kings vs. Clippers Swing Stat: Bench Scoring

Season averages

• Kings: 26.5 (27th)
• Clippers: 33.8 (16th)

Bench scoring has been hard for the Kings to come by this season, but Keon Ellis scored a career-high 33 points against the Atlanta Hawks, and Trey Lyles is rounding into form after a rough start to the season.

With Norman Powell being out for the Clippers, on top of Kawhi Leonard, LA’s bench is thin, but scored a combined 30 points in their last game without Powell. Kevin Porter Jr. led the way with 10 points, Jordan Miller chipped in 8, and Terance Mann 7.

With DeMar DeRozan and Domantas Sabonis returning for the Kings, it puts their bench players back into reduced roles, but with the potential for a big impact. We haven’t seen a game yet this season with everyone healthy and the bench hitting their shots, but it’s hard to imagine a better formula for Sacramento.

The Kings' defensive strategy appears to be limiting star scoring, so this game could be decided by the ‘others’ if the Kings put all of their focus on James Harden.

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