Sacramento Kings Coach Sounds Off on Jaden Ivey’s Game-Winner

Kings coach Mike Brown was frustrated after a loss against the Detroit Pistons.

Dec 26, 2024; Sacramento, California, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Jaden Ivey (23) drives in against the Sacramento Kings during the second quarter at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images / Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images

With just a few seconds left to go in Thursday’s matchup between the Sacramento Kings and the Detroit Pistons, Jaden Ivey had a chance to become a hero.

Detroit trailed by three points, climbing back from a 19-point deficit. They closed in on the Kings’ big lead with a near-40-point fourth quarter, getting sharpshooting from deep from the veteran Malik Beasley.

When the Pistons needed a game-tying three, they put the ball in Ivey’s hands. Sacramento head coach Mike Brown has a plan in place to have his players foul before letting the Pistons get a three-point shot off. While the Kings fouled Ivey, it was whistled during his shooting motion.

Not only did a successful deep field goal allow the Pistons to tie the game, but the extra shot put them in a position to win.

JADEN IVEY 4-POINT PLAY FOR THE WIN ‼️

Pistons win 114-113 🚨 pic.twitter.com/9wuXDyj85V

— NBA (@NBA) December 27, 2024

“Obviously, tough game,” Brown told reporters. “Jaden [Ivey] shouldn’t have even had an opportunity to shoot a three. First of all, we told our guys, if somebody catches and their back is to the basket, foul them. They dribbled for eight seconds, and we didn’t foul them. If you’re up three, you got to guard your man at the three-point line. There should be no close-out opportunity—no close-out opportunity—the only thing that can hurt us is a three.”

Ivey converted on his three, followed by a successful free throw attempt, leaving Brown to question his team’s decision-making down the stretch of the game.

“I need to go back to watch the film to see where Fox was, but there was no reason for there to be a hard close-out. We were okay with them scoring a two at the rim, so you should not be in a position to help at all. You should be hogged up to your man at the three-point line. Everybody should. Why there was a close-out by Fox? I’m not sure. I got to go watch the tape,” Brown continued.

“For sure, one hundred percent, we told our guys, ‘Can’t give up a three, can’t give up a three, can’t give up a three. Stay connected, stay on the high side, stay on the high side.’ I even drew an example of if your guy is on the floor, just hop on his high side. The only thing that could hurt us is a three. And we close out, and we foul with three seconds to go. That’s tough.”

Kings head coach Mike Brown, baffled, pissed, shocked and emotional at the end of tonight's 114-113 loss to the Pistons when detailing what went wrong in the 4th, 37-22 in the final period. pic.twitter.com/Eu0V074h3S

— Sean Cunningham (@SeanCunningham) December 27, 2024

The Kings dug deeper into their hole on Thursday, losing their fifth game in a row.

They responded by moving on from Mike Brown, according to Shams Charania of ESPN.

As for the Pistons, they probably haven’t felt better. With a third-straight victory, the Pistons are one win away from closing out a difficult but successful West Coast road trip, which started with the Phoenix Suns, Los Angeles Lakers, and the Kings before it ends on Saturday against the Denver Nuggets.

Sitting at 14-17, the Pistons are ninth in the Eastern Conference. They are one game behind the Indiana Pacers and one game in front of the Chicago Bulls.