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Lighting the beam is not something that the Sacramento Kings have been able to do much of this year. There has been a lot more negative than positive, as they entered Sunday night’s action at just 8-30, losers of nine out of 10 games.
They were taking on the Houston Rockets, a team in the midst of a mini-slide, that struggles to beat teams with losing records. In front of their home faithful, the Kings were able to finally able to score a win, their sixth victory at Golden 1 Center.
At the center of the win and the lighter of the beam was rookie Dylan Cardwell. His opportunities have been limited, but last night the big man finally showed out. However much Houston tried to do, the energy of the rookie slowed them down.
It was refreshing to see in Sacramento, as they finally got back on top.
Dylan Cardwell Turns Heads In Victory
Dylan Cardwell was undrafted after five years at Auburn, going undrafted before landing a two-way contract with the Kings. He got a few minutes early in the season, but they dropped pretty quickly.
Over the last few games since re-entering the rotation, good things have been happening. He grabbed eight rebounds in 11 minutes against the Mavs. In 22 minutes against Golden State, Cardwell put up six points and eight rebounds.
Of course, the breakout came last night. In 19 minutes of action, he posted nine points and 11 rebounds, creating endless second-chance opportunities for the Kings, which they took full advantage of.
It came as no surprise that Cardwell was right there to light the beam following the victory. Energy has been missing from Sacramento all season and he helped deliver an impactful victory.
There isn’t much time to still turn this season around, but performances like that can have this team very hopeful for what the future brings. 28 rebounds in three games off the bench in just 52 minutes should have Cardwell earning more and more opportunities.
The center position was hurting with Domantas Sabonis out for so long, but it’s finally starting to look better here.
Kings Finally Putting Youth On Display
Nique Clifford had his highest scoring total since the dawn of the new year. Maxime Raynaud put up 12 points and nine rebounds with his parents cheering him on up close. Of course, Dylan Cardwell came in and put his fingerprints all over the game.
Even though he was absolutely baptized by Amen Thompson on a transition poster dunk, the fact he tried to contest should be the takeaway. A 24-year-old undrafted rookie not backing away from challenges is what gets him into the floor in the first place.
The plan for the Kings is still very much unknown at this point. But the fact that they can still score wins like this is very significant. The last time they beat Houston, it was the late-game heroics of Russell Westbrook that kept them going.
It has been tough to see as the team has gone to their vets more than their rookies despite being so far under .500. But Doug Christie is showing trust in his younger players. They are proving him correct.
Defeating the Rockets again, and this time sans Keegan Murray, is a fantastic victory. We’ll see if Cardwell can continue to showcase his versatility at the center spot.
Light that beam, Sacramento. You earned it.
Zach Weiss Zach Weiss is a sports reporter covering the NBA for Heavy. He also hosts a podcast about the Cleveland Cavaliers, “Across the Cavs,” and serves as a sports broadcaster for various institutions in the Greater NYC Area. He wrote for Knup Sports for six years. More about Zach Weiss
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