Sacramento Kings vs. Miami Heat Swing Stat of the Game

The Sacramento Kings face the Miami Heat on Monday night.

Feb 26, 2024; Sacramento, California, USA; Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo (13) shoots the ball over Sacramento Kings forward Domantas Sabonis (10) during the fourth quarter at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images / Sergio Estrada-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 face the Miami Heat on Monday at 5:15 PM PT.

Kings vs. Heat Swing Stat: Corner 3’s

Season averages

• Kings – 4.7-of-14.3 (43.1 percent) | Ranks: 6th, 7th, 5th 
• Heat – 5.4-of-13.8 (39.1 percent) | Ranks: 1st, 2nd, 12th 

#'Z for Nerdz - Kings vs. Heat

1. Pass the ball; Heat allow 5th most Ast/Gm
2. Dominate Pts off TOs
3. Maybe limit Mid-Range attempts
4. Take advantage of the Corner 3

How are y'all feeling for tonight? pic.twitter.com/23rZ9LsjGx

— Will Z. Stats (@will_zimmerle) November 4, 2024

Known for their ‘Heat Culture,’ Miami has started the season with an interesting combination of stats. There’s not much that stands out that they are great or terrible at, but they land in the middle of multiple categories.

They are excelling at defending at the rim and the mid-range early on in the season, though, holding opponents to 50.6 percent and 22.2 percent in the two areas, respectively.

Those are two areas the Kings have excelled in this season. Sacramento shoots a league-high 14.3 mid-range attempts per game and is hitting their restricted area field goals at a 73.6 percent clip, the second highest in the league. But tonight, they may have to find different ways to score against the Heat.

Miami is giving up a league-high 12.8 corner three-point attempts per game. Opponents haven’t shot great against them on the looks on 34.4 percent from the corners, but a strength of the Kings through the first five games of the season has been hitting their corner looks at a 43.1 percent rate.

On the flip side, the Heat take a ton of shots from the corners themselves, so defending the corners will need to be a focus for Sacramento as well. That makes the corner three a perfect stat to keep an eye on throughout the night.

---

Follow Sacramento Kings on SI on Facebook and Twitter.

Subscribe on YouTube for breaking Kings news videos and live-stream podcasts!