NBA
Kings’ Luke Walton on hot seat after loss to Toronto Raptors
The Kings, who started the season 5-4 currently sit at 11th in the West with an extended losing streak that has coach Luke Walton’s job under jeopardy.
Sacramento Kings coach Luke Walton is under pressure- again.
Following the Sacramento Kings’ loss to the Toronto Raptors (89-108) on Friday, several fans chanted “Fire Luke Walton” before they got up and left their seats.
Sacramento (5-8) has lost four consecutive games heading into Monday’s game at Detroit, and currently sit at 11th in the West, with the 13th ranked offense and a bottom-10 defense. With an extended losing streak that has torpedoed since last season, it is reasonable to expect coach Walton will not be given the same leeway this season; reports surfaced suggesting that Walton’s job status could be in jeopardy if things continue to go south.
Like a few other players, Kings’ guard Tyrese Haliburton showed support to his coach after the Friday game, “I got his back,” Haliburton said. “I know we all do. He’s put a lot of time and a lot of trust into us as players, and when you get that from a coach who invests in his guys, it’s hard not to like him, to be honest with you.”
Haliburton proceeded to say that it’s not his coach’s fault that the Kings are losing, and that the team has to be better down the line, “ it’s not on him. It’s not. He did not shoot 32 of 84 from the field. He did not shoot 64% from the free-throw line. Our staff did not do that. That has nothing to do with them. We just have to be better down the line and guys know that.”
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The Kings face the Utah Jazz (10-5) on Saturday, and have a chance to lessen the peril on coach Walton and show that they can up their game as a team.