Crowder starts, adds minutes to wins for Kings after signing deal originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
In less than 24 hours, Jae Crowder went from NBA free agent to starter for the Kings.
And for the veteran forward, the Kings’ debut was truly memorable for the veteran forward in Sacramento’s cathartic 115-104 road win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night at Target Center.
Crowder finished the game with eight points, four rebounds and one steal, but it was his defensive play late in the game against Minnesota forward Julius Randle that earned the proven veteran the Kings’ Defensive Player of the Game award.
But perhaps more impressive was the 34-year-old’s ability to attack the court in such a short period of time.
Crowder arrived in Minnesota at 11 p.m. Tuesday night, according to coach Mike Brown, but was not allowed to sign his Kings contract or play in a game until three hours before tipoff and had to undergo a series of physicals and team-focused meetings beforehand. The veteran even missed the pregame shootout.
“I had a physical and I went in probably 20 minutes late this morning,” Crowder told reporters.
“Coach Mike introduced me and we began our matchup. When I saw my name, I thought, ‘Oh my God. I’m in the fire.’ I was ready to go home, take a nap, and get back to normal life.
“I didn’t know if I was going to play tonight, but once I got into the conference room with the guys, I saw my name. I thought, ‘Okay, this is it.’ So I just tried to prepare and have my mind where it needed to be.”
Crowder, who was selected 34th overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2012 NBA Draft, is in his 12th season and the Kings are his ninth team.
He is the epitome of a league veteran with proven playoff experience. Here’s why Brown and Co. signed him after Trey Lyles’ calf injury.
“Jae has been around for a long time,” Brown said. “He’s been in the league for 12 years. He’s been to the playoffs 11 years in a row, so he knows what it takes to win.”
Crowder’s unquestionable defensive ability cannot be overlooked either.
“Not only that, he’s a big man and he can guard both the 4 and 5,” Brown continued. “And if someone gets into that zone, he’ll never back down. He’ll fight that much harder.
“I tell you again, you saw it tonight. You can’t stop Julius Randle, but you have to fight him. And if he respects you – Julius, I mean – you might have a chance. And we thought starting the game with Jae up front would be a little different than having a young guy right up there.”
On the court, the Kings survived a third-quarter collapse and came back from a double-digit deficit in the fourth to snap a four-game losing streak.
Sacramento had great performances from De’Aaron Fox, who finished the game with 26 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists, and Domantas Sabonis, who recorded 27 points and 12 rebounds despite foul trouble in the third quarter.
Malik Monk, who praised Crowder’s veteran leadership after the game, scored a season-high 27 points off the bench, including 11 in the fourth quarter.
“He’s just a vet. A vet, a great vet, a guy who knows how to play the game. I think he’s only missed the playoffs once in the 12 years he’s been in the league,” Monk said of Crowder post-game. “
“Like I said, he knows what to do on offense and defense. And (he is) a great veterinarian voice.”
Having been mentored by the likes of Dirk Nowitski, Vince Carter, Shawn Marion, and Elton Brand, Crowder classifies himself as a serial winner.
“Like I said, I love winning,” Crowder added. “I’m obsessed with it. I really like winning.
“I like the process of winning. You can’t skip steps to win, and I enjoy that. It’s hard, but our feeling of victory is what you’re after and what you fit into.
“And this is my message to the players. We play winning basketball. You can’t win every game. But if we play a winning brand of basketball, we will have more to gain than to lose. And that’s it. That’s my message to the players.”
In such a short amount of time and with little preparation, Crowder proved it Wednesday night. Of course, the Kings can’t help but be grateful for his arrival.
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