Month: November 2014

Kings Defeat a Tough Chicago Bulls Team

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By Jeff Hall

SACRAMENTO–

The first place Chicago Bulls were in Sacramento to take on the Kings and the Kings outplayed the visiting bulls 103 – 88 at Sleep Train Arena in front of a sellout Crowd of 17, 317 and a on a nationally televised game on TNT.

The Bulls were without two of their key players Derrick Rose and Pau Gasol who did not play because of injuries. Rose has a left hamstring injury and Gasol has a left calf string injury.

The loss prevented the Bulls from starting the season on the road with a 7-0 record for the first time in team history.

The last team to start the season 7-0 was the San Antonio Spurs who started the season on the road with an 8-0 record in the 2010-2011 season.

The Bulls offense became sloppy in the second quarter turning the ball over and the Kings took overthe lead at the end of the half out scoring the Bulls 30-18 in the second quarter.

The Kings Forward Derrick Williams was strong off the bench scoring 10 points in the first half. Rudy Gay led all scorers with 13 points in the first half. Malone spoke highly about the play of his young Forward. “ He’s not played a lot this year, but he stayed ready, he’s been working very very hard.” Said Malone.

A happy Kings coach Michael Malone spoke after the game about the play of his team. “Everybody stepped up, a big win for us to close out the homestand 2-1.”

Up next the King will head to Minnesota to take on the Timberwolves Saturday

Sharks come back twice, but still lose to Panthers

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By Ivan Makarov

SAN JOSE, CA — After losing to one of the bottom teams in the NHL in Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday to cap off the seven game road trip, San Jose Sharks failed to return to their winning ways when they fell to another Eastern Conference outsider Florida Panthers, and this time at home. They twice came back from behind and did  salvage a point, but still lost 3-2 in the shootout.

What seemed like the turning point in the game came when there was only six minutes left to play and the scale was turning in the Sharks favor. Trailing the Panthers 2-1 in what was a close game up to this point, Patrick Marleau had two great chances to tie the game for the Sharks. First chance came on a breakaway when he used his speed and stick skills to blow past Florida defense and only had the netminder Roberto Luongo to beat. He had the momentum and the Tank was about to explode, but a stick from behind stopped Marleau right as he approached the net. The referee called a penalty shot and Marleau got to try his trick again. This time he went to his left (he was heading right on the previous place) but the puck got too close to Luongo who denied him with a poke check, leaving the Sharks trailing.

But Marleau got another chance to shine in the game.

With the home team desperate and their net empty for another skater, it was Patrick Marleau, again, and of all people, who came through and tied it at last on a pass from the corner by Joe Thornton from just below the face-off circle.

Sharks saved the point, but not the victory, as they fell in the shootout when Florida’s game hero Nick Bjugstad who already had two goals in the game to his name, helped Florida secure the victory with the game deciding shootout goal.

And that was not that much different from how the game went overall.

The contest got off to a rough start for the Sharks when it was Panthers who got on board first and early. It happened just 24 seconds in the game when the first puck went in from Bjugstad as a redirect of a long shot from Dmitriy Kulikov. It didn’t look all that dangerous but when the puck changed directions, it went into the net between Antti Niemi’s pads and it was likely too close for him to have the time to react.

Sharks tied the game close to halfway in the second period when Logan Couture scored his eighth goal of the season on the power play. Panthers penalty kill struggled on Tuesday against LA Kings, allowing three goals, and it continued to leak against the Sharks who generated multiple scoring chances just prior to the goal. Joe Pavelski was the one who put the original puck on the net, causing Roberto Luongo to spread on the ice trying to make a save, and it was Couture who pushed the rebound into an open net, breaking the ice for Sharks offense that look potent but unable to put one into the net up to this point.

But the Florida went on to score again towards the end of that period, when Bjustad lit the lamp with blast of a shot from just above the face-off circle, on a power play.

San Jose Sharks spent a lot of time on the road, and did show some rust at times on Thursday. But the next five games are still at home, and they will need to improve in their play and execution if they are to make the home stand a success. They will next face Arizona Coyotes on Saturday.

San Francisco seeks third straight win against Washington

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By: Phillip Torres

SANTA CLARA- The San Francisco 49ers (6-4) will host the Washington Redskins (3-7) on Sunday at Levi’s Stadium. The 49ers are seeking their third consecutive victory as they are coming off of two great defenses performances. Last week against the New York Giants, the 49ers defense forced five turnovers, all via the way of interception. San Francisco’s defense held the Giants to just 10 points on the afternoon.

The 49ers have forced eight turnovers in the past two games and despite all of the defensive shuffling that has occurred this season, San Francisco has the second ranked defense in the league. With Aldon Smith’s return last week, and rookie linebacker Chris Borland’s emergence, the 49ers defense has not skipped a beat. Although he did not record a sack in his Week 10 return, Smith made his presence felt on the field at MetLife Stadium against Eli Manning and the Giants. The pressure he put on the quarterback was known and he cleared the way for the rookie pass rusher Aaron Lynch to get to Manning.

Borland was named the NFC’s defensive player of the week after another sensation performance against New York. Borland recorded 13 tackles and became just the second 49ers linebacker in 40 years with two interceptions in one game. The rookie has 47 tackles in the month of November; 11 more than anyone else in the league.

Despite All-Pro linebacker Patrick Willis being lost for the season, it looks like the 49ers defense will be getting healthier very soon. Nose tackle Glenn Dorsey was activated earlier this week after a torn biceps on August first. Also, fellow All-Pro linebacker NaVorro Bowman returned to practice nearly 10 months after suffering a devastating injury knee injury and broken leg in the NFC Championship game against the Seattle Seahawks in January.

This is a big game for Jim Harbaugh and San Francisco as they look to improve to 7-4 before they host Seattle on Thanksgiving night. After Sunday the Giants will face rival Seattle twice within in a span of 18 days. San Francisco and Seattle know how big the match ups are between them because with the 9-1 Arizona Cardinals sitting atop the NFC West, there might not be room for the two division foes in the 2014 playoffs. There are also four teams in the NFC East and North sitting at 7-3 coming into week 11.

Robert Griffin III and the Redskins are coming off of a 27-7 loss at the hands of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Washington has averaged just 13 points per game when RG3 has been under center. The Redskins have put up nearly 11 more points in the games where Griffin has either not started or finished.

Raiders end losing streak

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By Jeremy Kahn

OAKLAND-Well, the Oakland Raiders will not tie the Detroit Lions for most losses in a season and they can thank the arm of Derek Carr and the legs of Latavius Murray.

Carr found James Jones for a nine-yard touchdown pass with 1:42 remaining in the game, and the Raiders defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 24-20 before a rain soaked crowd of 52,865 at the Coliseum.

That final Raiders drive covered 17 plays for 80 yards and took 7:21 to run and the Raiders became the final team in the NFL this season have a drive of over seven minutes.

With the victory, the Raiders snapped their 16-game losing streak, as they won for the first tine since defeating the Houston Texans at Reliant Stadium on November 17, 2013, a span of 368 days.

Murray ran for 112 yards on just four carries before being forced to leave the game with a concussion.

The second-year running back out of the University of Central Florida gave the Raiders a 14-0 lead before the Chiefs could even get on the scoreboard.

Murray gave the Raiders a 7-0 lead on their second possession of the game, as he took the handoff from Carr and scampered 11 yards into the end zone.

On the Raiders second series of the second quarter, Murray broke through the Chiefs defense and ran 90 yards for a touchdown to give the Raiders their largest lead of the season at 14-0.

The 90-yard touchdown run by Murray was just the fourth touchdown of 90 yards or more in the Raiders 55-year history.

Terrelle Pryor and Bo Jackson, who did it twice are the only other Raiders players to ever score touchdowns of 90 yards or more.

Since the merger of the two leagues in 1970, the Raiders became just the third team to beat a first-place team for their first win of the season after they lost their first 10 games to begin a season.

The Indianapolis Colts defeated the Green Bay Packers in 1997, and the Buffalo Bills defeated the Dallas Cowboys in 1984.

Following the Carr to Jones touchdown that gave the Raiders the lead, Alex Smith began to drive the Chiefs down the field for a potential game-winning score; however Smith’s desperation pass on fourth-and-13 fell incomplete and the Raiders could celebrate their first win of the season.

Just one play earlier after a Khalil Mack and Sio Moore sack, the two began to celebrate, while the Chiefs ran up to the line and hiked the ball.

The officials threw a flag for offsides on the Raiders; however veteran Justin Tuck was able to get the timeout after telling at his younger teammates.

Smith brought the Chiefs back from two different 14-point deficits at 14-0 and 17-3 to take a 20-17 lead on a Cairo Santos field goal on the drive prior to the Carr to Jones game-winning touchdown.

A 28-yard punt return by Freddie Hammond setup Santos’ second field goal of the game with 9:03 remaining in the game.

Carr went 18-for-35 for 174 yards, while Smith went 20-for-36 for 236 yards passing on a 57 degree night in Oakland.

Longhorns Hand Number One Cardinal First Loss of the Season

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By: Joe Lami

STANFORD, Calif.–

On Monday, it was the Stanford Cardinal that stormed the court, as they ended the longest winning streak in the country held by Connecticut at 47 games. On Thursday, it was the Texas Longhorns that did the storming, as they Stanford’s home winning streak at 28 games defeating them 87-81 in overtime.

Poor shooting is to blame for the loss, as Stanford had trouble all game, finishing just 36% from the field, and when it mattered most a dreadful 14% in overtime. The Cardinal’s problems also flooded into three-point territory as they finished the night 26% from beyond the arc. Taking way too many shots from beyond the arc as well, as they attempted 27. Stanford head coach, Tara VanDerveer, admitted it too “we took way too many perimeter shots”.

Texas, on the other hand, had no trouble scoring. They finished the night 49% from the field, and had four different players get into double digits. Nneka Enemkpali led the way with 18 points, Ariel Atkins added 16, including a perfect night from the charity strike. Kelsey Lang scored 14 and almost completed the double double, as she was just one rebound shy. Empress Davenport finished the night with 13 points.

“Texas was extremely motivated, they got the better of us,” said VanDerveer following the loss. The coach also added “Our team battled, but we didn’t have the pep in our step that we need. We didn’t play very well and still forced overtime”. It is also the first time in school history, where the Cardinal have played in back-to-back overtime games.

It was a back and forth affair, which saw seven different lead changes. However, Texas did dominate most of the night, as they led most of the way, with their biggest lead being ten. Stanford was down by nine with just over ten minutes to go, before they were able to turn it around and get the game close again. The Cardinal then went on a 7-0 run to make the game close once again.

The Cardinal gained the lead late in the game. However, Texas was able to tie it up with just one second remaining thanks to a drive by Davenport.

Thursday night was a major disappointment, especially after the win against the Huskies on Monday, but Lili Thompson views it as a learning experience “We definitely have things to work on. Even with beating UConn on Monday”.

Thompson led the way for the Cardinal for the third straight game, as she finished the night with 28 points. Amber Orrange was the only other Cardinal player to get into double figures, as she added 15 before fouling out in the 29 minutes that she played.

Thursday night saw a combined 51 fouls between the two squads. Three different players fouled out, two for Texas and one for Stanford. Seven other players got into foul trouble, with at least three fouls or more. Texas coach, Karen Aston, commented after the game “We’re an aggressive team, that’s our style. However, nobody wants that many fouls”.

For Texas, it is one of their biggest wins in school history, as it is the first time since February 1, 2009 where the Longhorns have defeated an AP Top 10 team. It also is the first time in the last six contest, where the Longhorns have come out on top of the Cardinal. “I’ve never experienced in four years, what I’m experiencing now,” commented Enemkpali.

The home winning streak is over at Maples at 28 games. The previous loss suffered on home court for the Cardinal was January 3rd of last year to the #7 Cal Bears 67-55. They look to start a new streak next month against the Santa Clara Broncos, but before they can do that they have to head off on the road. The Cardinal will travel to New Mexico to take on the Lobos on Monday before they’re off to Hawaii to participate in the Rainbow Wahine Shootout in Honolulu over Thanksgiving weekend. The Hawaiian trip consist of three games in three days, with the opponents being North Carolina, Hawaii and Prairie View A&M.

A’s Agree to Terms with Billy Butler on a Three-Year, $30M Contract

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OAKLAND – The Oakland A’s agreed to terms with designated hitter/first baseman Billy Butler on a three-year contract through the 2017 season, the club announced today.
Butler spent the first eight seasons of his career with Kansas City, compiling a .295 batting average with 127 home runs and 628 RBI in 1166 games.  He ranks third on the Royals career list in batting, sixth in doubles (276), RBI and walks (427), seventh in at bats (4317), hits (1273), home runs and extra base hits (407) and eighth in games played.  The 28-year-old had his best season in 2012 when he hit .313 with 29 home runs and 107 RBI in 161 games.  He was named to the American League All-Star team that year, won the AL Silver Slugger Award at designated hitter and was honored with the Edgar Martinez Outstanding Designated Hitter Award.  Butler had three straight seasons with 40 or more doubles from 2009-11, has topped 90 RBI three times in his career and batted .300 three times.
Butler batted .271 with nine home runs and 66 RBI in 151 games with the Royals last year.  He hit .321 with four home runs in 137 at bats against left-handed pitching compared to .255 with five home runs in 412 at bats against right-handers.  Butler had an .847 OPS against lefties compared to .653 against righties.  He saw most of action at designated hitter, but also started 35 games at first base, his most since 2010.  The right-handed hitter added a .262 average and eight RBI in 13 postseason games for the AL Champions.
Butler will wear number 16 after asking current Athletic Josh Reddick for his number. Reddick will now wear number 22.

Sacramento to meet with MLS in New York City on Thursday

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MLS Primary_8

by Charlie O. Mallonee

Major League Soccer has asked three markets to come to their headquarters in New York City on Thursday to make presentations to the expansion committee. Sacramento, Minneapolis and Las Vegas have been invited to the meeting.

The meeting is part of the MLS expansion that will take the league to 24 teams by the end of the decade. Two new teams – New York FC and Orlando City – will begin play in the 2015 season.

Los Angeles FC, Atlanta and Miami are scheduled to enter the league in 2017. The Miami entry is dependent on securing a stadium site. David Beckham is the main figure in the Miami franchise group.

Sacramento, Minneapolis and Las Vegas are believed to vying for a fourth team to begin play in 2017 to bring the league to 20 teams. The Sacramento delegation is headed by Mayor Kevin Johnson and the owners of the Sacramento Republic FC with assistance from the Sacramento Kings organization.

“We look forward to having the opportunity to represent Sacramento in New York City to present to the Major League Soccer Expansion Committee,” said Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson. “As part of our presentation we’ll highlight the progress we have made in terms of our three core areas of strength: market, ownership group, and a clear path to a downtown facility. Our group remains singularly focused in our efforts to bring a Major League Soccer franchise to Sacramento.”

According to MLS, its Board of Governors will meet on December 6th to further discuss expanding the league.

Kings struggle late and Fall to Pelicans.

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By Jeff Hall

SACRAMENTO –

It was the Tale of two halves between the Kings and the New Orleans Pelicans. The Pelicans had the better half defeating the Kings 106-100 in front of 16,526 at Sleep Train Arena.

The Kings got off to another hot start in the first quarter against the Pelicans. And took a 27-20 lead. Jason Thompson scored 10 points to lead all scorers in the first.. DeMarcus Cousins scored 6 points and had 6 rebounds in the opening period.

The Kings play stayed consistent in the second quarter where the Kings out scored the Pelicans 27-25 to take a 54-45 lead at the half. The Kings played solid defensive play in the first half, but the Kings began to break down defensively and get sloppy with ball handling at the end of he first half and in the 3rd quarter allowing the Pelicans to get back into the game.

DeMarcus Cousins Led the Kings with 24 points and 17 rebounds. But again,Cousin’s performance is not enough for the Kings to get a vicotory

After the game DeMarcus said “the team completely broke down on defense. We gave the team life and we let Ryan Anderson get going. We gave them life towards the end of the game and they took advantage of it”

But the second half looked like a familiar Kings game. The Pelicans outscored the Kings 31-17 in the 3rd quarter and 31-30 in the final period.Former Sacramento Basketball stars were strong for the Pelicans.  Former Kings player Tyreke Evans scored 18 points 5 of 11 from the field and Jesuit High Grad and Cal player Ryan Anderson scored 22 points. Anderson was 9 of 17 from the field including 4 3 pointers where the Kings failed to defend  him beyond the arc.

Another strong player Anthony Davis led all scorers  with 28 points for the Pelicans

The Pelicans have won 3 of their last 4 games and improve their record to 6-4, the Kings record is now 6-5.

Game Notes: The Kings announced they have signed Rudy Gay to a contract extension throught the 2017-2018 season.

If you build it they will come.   The 2017 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament – aka March Madness – will be held in Sacramento. The last time the tournament visited Sacramento was in 2007

Sabres hand Grosenick first loss

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(Photo by Bill Wippert/NHLI via Getty Images)

By Pearl Allison Lo

Captain Brian Gionta had two goals, including his first of the season, as Buffalo won consecutive games for the first time since February, beating the San Jose Sharks 4-1 Tuesday.

After a 45-save NHL-record debut for Troy Grosenik, Grosenik suffered his first NHL adversity, as he started his second straight game. The shot total was the opposite of his debut with only 14 shots, but the Sabres played strong.

San Jose is now 0-7-1 versus Buffalo.

It was a game that was preceded by a snowstorm and featured three disallowed goals, two of them belonging to the Sharks.

Both teams had disallowed goals in the first period, due to contact with the goalies, both wearing #34.

On the second one, which was San Jose’s Matt Nieto against Michal Neuvrith at 17:18, the play ended in Neuvrith leaving the game at the end of the period with a lower body injury. This led to former Sharks’ goalie Artus Irbe suiting up as the emergency backup.

Grosenick gave up his first NHL goal at 5:25 of the second. After a pass from Rasmus Ristolainen, Cody McCormick’s shot hit the Sharks’ Mirco Mueller’s skate first, and Nicolas Deslauriers got the rebound to score.

During a power play at 9:28, an interesting sequence occurred. The Sharks’ Patrick Marleau took down former Shark Torrey Mitchell while he was on a breakaway, but no penalty was called. Then at the other end, at 10:29, Brent Burns imitated teammate Joe Pavelski’s slap shot six seconds earlier, to tie the game against new goalie Jhonas Enroth. Burns was aided by Thornton and Logan Couture.

Gionta’s game winning goal hit the post first as the puck went in at 11:54. He was helped by Brian Flynn and Tyler Myers.

Enroth made a save with his back against Jason Demers at 16:31.

With 11.1 seconds left in the period, Gionta made a cross ice pass to Flynn to make it 3-1 on a 2-on-1.

Perhaps the most controversial of the disallowed goals came in the third period. Marleau had a goal which was initially called as passing the goalline before being fished out at 15:16. After further review however, the goal was taken back and San Jose was awarded a power play for a hooking penalty that had occurred at the same time.

Gionta scored the 4-1 empty netter at 19:18, assisted by Myers and Andrej Meszaros.

Game notes: The Sharks outshot the Sabres in every period, for a total of 30-14. They also won the faceoff battle, while Buffalo won hits and blocked shots. San Jose went 3-4 on their road trip and now will be home for six games, hosting Florida first, Thursday at 7:30p.

0-10 Raiders host Chiefs Thursday in primetime

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By Joe Hawkes-Beamon

OAKLAND — With Derek Carr limited in practice with a quad injury, along with several players dealing with injuries, the Raiders will have to get healthy in a hurry with the Kansas City Chiefs coming to town for Thursday Night Football to kickoff Week 12. This will be the first time that the two AFC West rivals have seen each other this season when the ball kicks off at 5:25 p.m. PDT at O.co Coliseum.

The Raiders are coming off a tough 13-6 loss to another AFC West rival, the San Diego Chargers in Week 11 where the defense harassed Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers all day, even injuring the Chargers signal caller at one point.

Rookie linebacker Khalil Mack recorded his first career sack, one of two on the day (the other by defensive tackle Antonio Smith, his first as a member of the Silver & Black).

Safety Charles Woodson led the team in tackles with 11 (three assisted), and Oakland’s 32nd ranked defense kept the Chargers’ 17th ranked offense at bay yielding only 300 yards of total offense, and one touchdown (a Rivers 22-yard toss to wide receiver Malcolm Floyd on the Chargers third play from scrimmage following a Carr fumble).

But, the offense couldn’t muster any type of chemistry.

Carr played a mediocre game, completing just 16-of-34 passes for 172 yards and couldn’t get the Raiders into the end zone. Oakland managed just three first downs and had four 3-and-outs in the first half. Matter of fact, Oakland didn’t get into the red zone until 5:05 left in the fourth quarter, but came up empty what essentially would be the final drive of the game.

The running game? Well, the running game was still a no show with the exception of running back Latavius Murray.

Murray showed flashes of what he could do when given an opportunity, racking up 43 yards on four carries, one for a 23-yard gain. All career highs.

The tandem of Maurice Jones-Drew and Darren McFadden managed just 27 yards on 12 carries combine. According to Raiders interim head coach Tony Sparano, Murray will get more time running the ball.

“He played a little bit more yesterday and he’s going to continue to do that,” Sparano said. “I like what I’ve seen out of him so far. So in a roundabout way, I’m saying yeah, you’re going to see more of him.”

But running the ball could be tough for Oakland, especially against a Kansas City team who hasn’t given up a rushing touchdown all season, and that can be credited to their intimidating nose tackle, Dontari Poe all 6’3″, 346 pounds of him.

“He’s a real handful,” Sparano said. “He really is.”

The Chiefs are coming off a 24-20, come-from-behind victory against the reigning Super Bowl Champions Seattle Seahawks Sunday at Arrowhead.

Quarterback Alex Smith was his usual efficient self, completing 11-of-16 passes for just 108 yards through the air but it was the play off their Pro Bowl running back Jamaal Charles on offense that set the tone for Kansas City.

Charles ran through the vaunted Seahawks defense, rushing for 159 yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries. The seventh-year running back out of Texas appeared to find running lanes against a Seahawks team that was missing it’s star defensive tackle Brandon Mebane, gone for the season with a hamstring injury.

At 7-3, Kansas City is tied with the Denver Broncos for first place (with Denver currently holding the tiebreaker over the Chiefs following a 24-17 home victory in Week 2) in the AFC West and with a Week 13 home date against the Broncos, Kansas City better not overlook the Raiders.

Oakland would like nothing more than to spoil Kansas City’s chances at taking sole possession of first place in the AFC West, even if it means helping out the Broncos in the process.

Face it. Oakland is just thirsting to end its 16-game losing streak dating back to last season. It will take more from Carr and the offense to support a defense that has played pretty well in recent weeks.

You can’t win football games in the National Football League by just kicking field goals.

Players To Watch

Oakland, RB, Latavius Murray: It’s no secret that the Raiders running game has been, pedestrian, to say the least this season. Ranking dead last with just 630 yards on the ground as a team, Oakland needs the fresh legs of Murray to provide a jolt, something that Maurice Jones-Drew and Darren McFadden can’t do.

Kansas City, TE, Travis Kelce: Even though wide receiver Dwayne Bowe leads the Chiefs with 41 catches for 508 yards, it’s the second-year tight end out of Cincinnati that seems to be the guy that quarterback Alex Smith trusts the most. Kelce is second on the team with 37 catches for 475 yards receiving, but leads the team with four touchdown grabs. Bowe has yet to find the end zone. Heck, none of Kansas City’s wide receivers have yet to find the end zone this season.