Though Sacramento Kings forward Keegan Murray returned from injury for the team’s two-game skid, his presence wasn’t enough as the Kings dropped both games for the week.
The second-year star was previously dealing with right hip irritation he suffered against the Milwaukee Bucks on Jan. 14. But he put together a pair of efficient performances despite the losses.
Murray notched a statline of 18 points, four rebounds, three assists, and a single block and steal in Tuesday’s 119-117 loss to the Phoenix Suns where the Kings blew a 22-point fourth quarter lead.
Those 18 points came on 7-of-12 shooting from the field, 3-of-5 from deep, and 1-of-2 free throw attempts in 35 minutes played.
Despite the 126-121 loss to the Indiana Pacers on Thursday, Murray provided immense value when he was on the floor, being just one of two Kings players to finish with a positive plus-minus — himself with a plus-minus of 10 and De’Aaron Fox the other with a plus-minus of three.
In 38 minutes played, the 23-year-old finished with 27 points, nine rebounds, two steals, and a block. He did most of his damage inside the arc as he shot just 1-of-5 on threes but went 10-for-13 on two-point shots and 4-of-5 from the free throw line.
Keegan Murray 27 pts 9 rebs vs Pacers 23/24 season
In a very close Western Conference, Sacramento has dropped to the eighth seed as it sits under a four-game losing streak. The New Orleans Pelicans are the fifth seed sitting just a game in front of the Kings, so the standings are bound to change from week to week in terms of the middle of the playoff picture.
Kris Murray
After a previously productive week, Portland Trail Blazers forward Kris Murray failed to receive significant playing time in two of the three games this week.
The 23-year old rookie played just nine minutes between Wednesday’s 105-103 win against the Brooklyn Nets and Sunday’s 134-110 blowout loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. In those games, Murray logged just one rebound and one block — an unproductive set of games from the young forward.
But the twin brother of Keegan Murray played 15 minutes against the Indiana Pacers on Friday.
He finished with five points and three rebounds but committed three turnovers in the process. Despite struggling to take care of the ball, he finished with a plus-minus of eight, proving he had a positive impact with his limited time on the floor.
Portland went 2-1 for the week but still sits at the 14th spot in the Western Conference standings with a 12-30 record.
Luka Garza
Minnesota Timberwolves center Luka Garza played just one of seven possible games between the NBA and the G League this week.
His lone appearance came in Thursday’s 118-103 win against the Memphis Grizzlies. He played just 39 seconds and didn’t record a single stat.
But if the third-year big were to get a real opportunity, he does carry potential to have an impact — although playing behind Karl-Anthony Towns, Rudy Gobert, Jaden McDaniels, Naz Reid, and Kyle Anderson only makes it much harder to see real time on the NBA hardwood this season.
Minnesota still owns the first seed in the Western Conference standings and the second-best record in the NBA at 30-12, just one game above the Oklahoma City Thunder and Denver Nuggets.
Joe Wieskamp
Dallas Mavericks guard Joe Wieskamp continues to provide a positive impact for the G League affiliate Texas Legends’ three-game skid.
The third-year guard played his first game of the week on Wednesday against the Sioux Falls Skyforce. He finished with six points, five rebounds, one assist, and one steal on 1-of-3 shooting from the field and 2-of-3 free throws in 21 minutes. Wieskamp provided a nice spark off the bench, finishing with a plus-minus of six in the 129-117 win.
Wieskamp turned around and put together another solid individual performance despite the 126-119 loss against the Rio Grande Valley Vipers on Friday.
He logged 14 points, three rebounds, and two steals on 6-of-8 shooting from the field and 2-of-4 from three in 18 minutes of play. But his impact on the game itself wasn’t great as he finished with a plus-minus of -11 — the second-lowest on the team.
Joe Wieskamp (16 points) Highlights vs. Rio Grande Valley Vipers
The 24-year-old put on his best performance of the week in the second half of the back-to-back against the Vipers on Saturday.
Wieskamp logged 16 points, three rebounds, two assists, and one steal while hitting 6-of-8 shots and knocking down two of his four shots from deep in 19 minutes. This time around, the Vipers got the best of the Legends with the 132-118 victory.
Wieskamp averages 10.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.1 assists on 50.7/37.1/81.8 shooting splits in 10 appearances for the Legends so far this season. Meanwhile, the Dallas Mavericks are right there with the Sacramento Kings, owning a 24-18 record and sitting at the sixth spot in the Western Conference standings.
