Author: Charlie O. Mallonee

I have been a sports reporter/broadcaster since 1976 which means ... I'm old and I love sports. I have done play-by-play for minor league baseball - including the infamous "Bad News Bees" - San Jose State football and football and high school sports in the Bay Area and on the Monterey Peninsula. I had the great privilege to host a weekly sports talk show on KNRY Radio Monterey/Salinas with my producer the late,great Gary Araki. I also hosted and produced "the Sports Fanatics" talk show on KSAC Radio in Sacramento. For the last 10 years, I have been a beat reporter covering the Oakland Athletics for Sports Radio Service. Three years ago, I became the senior reporter for our Sacramento Kings coverage. My goal is to bring you the news, views, fun and excitement of every event I am assigned to report on for Sports Radio Service.

Kings give maximum effort on the road but come up short to Jazz 103-97

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MASON vs Jazz
Frank Mason III takes it to the hoop vs Jazz Photo @SacramentoKings

by Charlie O. Mallonee

The Sacramento Kings ended a nightmare five games in seven nights stretch with a “Battle Royale” versus the playoff bound Utah Jazz in Salt Lake City on Saturday night. The Kings played a very competitive game for a full 48-minutes but came up just short losing to the Jazz 103-97.

The Kings had to battle the talent of the Jazz, the fatigue of having played at Golden State on Friday night and playing at altitude – SLC sits 4226 feet above sea level. Sacramento played those five games in five different cities – only the Miami game was played in SAC. They also played in three different time zones. Even under those adverse conditions, the Kings finished this punishing part of their schedule with two wins and three loses.

Despite not arriving in Utah until 2 am, Sacramento showed no fatigue starting the game fast and with high energy. The team continued to play hard in the second quarter and took a 54-50 lead into the locker room at halftime. The Kings 3-point shooting helped to carrying them in the first half as they 8-of-11 (72.7-percent) from behind the arc in the opening 24-minutes. Buddy Hield came off the bench to lead the scoring for Sacramento with 10 points while Rudy Gobert was the top scorer for the Jazz with 13.

The Kings have battled third-quarter let downs all season long but managed to avoid that problem in this game. They did fall behind by 10 points in the period but rebounded late in the quarter and trailed the Jazz by just one – 80 to 79 – after three quarters.

In the final period, the score seesawed back and forth with neither team able to take control of the game. The game was tied at 94-all with 40-seconds remaining. Joe Ingles hit two free throws to give Utah the lead then Ricky Rubio hit two from the charity stripe to give the Jazz a four-point lead 24-seconds to go.

The Kings had to foul to stop the clock and keep the game close. They fouled Gobert who converted two free throws to make it six-point game. Garrett Temple hit a 3-pointer to bring the Kings back within three-points then they had to foul Ingles again. Ingles hit the first free throw but missed the second. Gobert grabbed the rebound slammed the ball home to give the Jazz a 103-97 lead which would be the final score.

Top Performances

Kings

Utah Kings starting 5
Kings starting five vs Utah Photo @SacramentoKings
  • Buddy Hield came off the bench to be the leading scorer for his team with 23-points. “Buddy Buckets” shot 9-for-15 for the game and hit 5-of-8 3-point attempts. Hield also led his team with six assists.
  • Bogdan Bogdanovic posted 12 points but had a tough night shooting. He hit just 5-of-17 shots overall and was 2-for-3 from long-range.
  • Fox scored 11-points, grabbed four rebounds, made four steals and handed out two assists but also struggled from the field hitting just 4-of-13 attempts.
  • Garrett Temple had a good game coming off the bench to score 11-points. He shot 4-for-7 and was a perfect 3-for-3 from downtown.
  • Other Sac contributors: Cauley-Stein 9-points, Koufos and Mason III 8 each, Labissiere 7, Sampson 6, Jackson 2.

Jazz

Utah vs Kings 3-17
Photo @utahjazz
  • Rookie of the year candidate Donovan Mitchell was the high-scorer for the game with 28-points. Mitchell shot 11-for-21 from the field but was an awful 1-for-8 from 3-point land. He hit 5-of-6 from the free throw line.
  • Rudy Gobert recorded a double-double scoring 22 points and hauling in 13 rebounds.
  • Ricky Rubio was expected to miss the game after being injured in the Suns game on Thursday, but he did make the start. The point guard scored 14-points, recorded nine rebounds and dished out five dimes.
  • Joe Ingles posted 14 points, seven rebounds and a game-high nine assists.

By the Numbers

Sacramento (23-48)

  • The Kings bench outscored the Utah reserves 56-15. Dave Joerger would like to have that kind of bench production every game.
  • SAC was hot from behind the arc as they hit 14-of-21 (66.7-percent) from 3-point range versus the Jazz.
  • The team shot an acceptable 43-percent (37-for-86) for the game.
  • The Kings recorded 33 rebounds versus 48 for the Jazz.
  • Sacramento scored 20 points off 16 Utah turnovers.
  • SAC dished out 23 assists versus 14 turnovers.
  • The Kings went to the free throw line just 14 times while Utah went to the stripe 38 times.

Utah (40-30)

  • Second chance points may have been the key to the Jazz win Saturday night. Utah scored eight second chance points to just three for the Kings.
  • Success at the free throw line was also a major contributing factor in Jazz win. They converted 31-of-38 opportunities from line. Sacramento went 9-for-14 shooting free throws.
  • UTA dominated the battle in the paint outscoring SAC 46-30 down low.
  • Utah shot 44.6-percent (33-for-74) for the contest.
  • They did not have a great not from downtown hitting just 6-of-24 (25-percent) from 3-point range.

 Up Next

Kings

SAC opens a six-game homestand with the Detroit Pistons on Monday night at the Golden 1 Center. The Pistons made a big trade for Blake Griffin to make a drive for the playoffs in the Eastern Conference but are now six games out of contention for the eighth and final postseason spot.

Jazz

UTA will stay in Salt Lake City and prepare for the “tanking” Atlanta Hawks who will come to town on Tuesday night. The Hawks occupy last place in the NBA East. Atlanta will continue their road trip on Thursday night in Sacramento.

Kings beat the Warriors at Oracle 98-93

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GSW 2 vs Kings
Kings sweep both game in Oakland this season Photo @warriors

by Charlie O. Mallonee

The Sacramento Kings won in Oakland for the second time this season as they defeated the World Champion Golden State Warriors 98-93 on Friday night. Yes, the Warriors were shorthanded as Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant were all on the bench in street clothes due to injury but that is exactly when a team must take advantage of an opponent. “Kick ’em when they’re down” is the motto of successful teams.

The Golden State bench is also better than many of the starting lineups for non-playoff teams in the NBA. A team does not win a championship without having a very strong second unit and bench. The Warriors certainly meet those requirements.

Two Kings players who did not have terrific performances early in the contest came up big late in the game. De’Aaron Fox scored four of his six points in the final two minutes and forty-seconds of the game. Willie Cauley-Stein took a charge and then blocked a 3-point attempt by Nick Young that led to a game punctuating slam dunk that would seal the win for Sacramento.

Top Performances

Kings

GSW Kings starting 5
Kings starting versus the Warriors Photo @SacramentoKings
  • Buddy Hield not only led the Kings in scoring with 22 points but he provided a scoring punch that kept his team in the game when Warriors threatened to runaway with the contest. Hield not only led his team in scoring but he pulled down seven rebounds and distributed seven assists in just over 30 minutes of playing time.
  • Skal Labissiere returned to the floor after being out with a bruised hip that he suffered in a hard fall under the basket. The second-year power forward put up 15 points, grabbed five rebounds and dished out three assists. Labisissiere hit 3-of-4 attempts from 3-point land. He played just over 25 minutes in his return to action.
  • Kosta Koufos continued to be an impact player for the Kings as he scored five points and more importantly hauled in game-high 12 rebounds. Five of his rebounds came on offense which led to second chance scoring opportunities.
  • Other Kings scorers: Bogdanovic 11 points, Cauley-Stein 9, Mason 9, Jackson 8, Temple 8, Fox 6 and Randolph 5.

Warriors

gsw starting 5
Warriors starting five vs Kings Photo @warriors
  • Two-way player, point guard Quinn Cook made a real case that he should be playing in the NBA full-time next season by leading the Warriors with 25 points versus the Kings. Cook shot 10-for-13 overall and hit 5-of-7 from behind the 3-point arc.
  • Nick “Swaggy P” Young recorded 16 points but shot just 5-for-15 from the field and 3-for-8 from downtown.
  • Draymond Green recorded a double-double scoring 14 points and pulling down 10 rebounds. He also led GSW with seven assists.
  • Andre Iguodala added 11 points, four rebounds, two assists and one steal.
  • Former King Omri Casspi started the game strong with six points but had to leave the floor after playing just over six-minutes when came down on the foot of teammate’s foot and twisted his ankle.

By the Numbers

Sacramento (23-47)

  • The Kings shot 43.4-percent (36-for-43) from the floor. They converted 14-of-31 (45.2-percent) from 3-point range.
  • SAC went to the free throw line 17 times and hit 12 of those opportunities (70.6-percent).
  • Sacramento out-rebounded the Warriors 47-40 in the game. They grabbed 11 offensive rebounds and 36 rebounds on defense. The scored 16 second chance points (7-for-15) in the game.
  • The Kings recorded 25 assists and 14 turnovers. The TOVs resulted in 17 GSW points.

Golden State (52-17)

  • This loss dropped the Warriors two and one-half games behind the Western Conference leading Houston Rockets. If the season ended tonight, Golden State’s first round playoff opponent would be the Utah Jazz.
  • GSW shot 42-percent (34-for-81) for the game. They hit 12-of-26 (46.2-percent) 3-point shots.
  • They converted 13-of-18 (72.2-percent) chances from the free throw line.
  • The Warriors had 21 assists and committed 12 turnovers which became 17 Sacramento points.

Up Next

Kings

SAC will be back in action tomorrow night in Salt Lake City as they face the Utah Jazz in back end of of back-to-back road set. Ricky Rubio will not play after being injured in the Suns game on Thursday. They will have to face former King and Reno Big Horn David Stockton who has been signed by the Jazz to a 10-day contract.

Warriors

GSW will also complete a back-to-back set on Saturday night in Phoenix versus the Suns. The Warriors are hoping that their game will not be as physical as the Suns versus the Jazz game was on Thursday night.

 

Kings run out of air at a mile high as Denver wins 130-104 on Sunday

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SAC vs DEN featured image
photo @SacramentoKings

by Charlie O. Mallonee

The Sacramento Kings kicked off a short two-game, three-day road trip on Sunday afternoon 5280-feet in the air versus the Denver Nuggets. The loud crash that you heard was the Kings hitting the proverbial brick wall at 120 mph as they were blown out by the Nuggets 130-104.

Denver entered the contest fighting for their playoff lives in ninth-place in the Western Conference, one-half game out of eight-place and being in the NBA playoffs. With the battle for the playoff berths in the West so close, every game is critical for the Nuggets.

Their victory on Sunday moved Denver into a three-way tie for the eighth and final playoff spot with the Clippers and Jazz. The Nuggets are just one-half game behind seventh-place San Antonio.

The final 15-game stretch of the regular season in the Western Conference is going to be a real “dog fight” as 10 teams battle for eight playoff positions.

SAC was a statistical mess

The Kings just suffered in almost every area of the game on Sunday:

  • They shot 42.9-percent from the field while allowing Denver to shoot 56.2-percent for the game.
  •  The Kings went 6-for-31 (19.4-percent) from “3-point land” while the Nuggets hit 15-of-37 (40.5-percent) from long-range. If you are not hitting 3-pointers, a team cannot afford to have their 3-point defense breakdown and hope to win the game.
  • SAC was out-rebounded 51-38 in the game. The Nuggets owned the defensive glass pulling down 43 rebounds on defense to the Kings 31. A team like Sacramento needs those second-chance point opportunities.
  • The Kings had only three steals. Dave Joerger will not be happy with that number because he is all about making deflections on defense.
  • Sacramento recorded only one blocked shot in the game.

Positive numbers:

  • SAC went to the free throw line 26 times in the game which is they type of numbers the coaching staff would like to see on a consistent basis. The Kings converted 20 of those 26 free throw attempts.
  • The Kings protected the ball very well in the contest as they turned it over just three times which resulted in just five points for the Nuggets.

Individual numbers

Kings (21-46)

SAC vs DEN starting 5
 The Starting Five Photo @SacramentoKings
  • Kosta Koufos started at the five spot again. Koufos posted 14 points and he made it a double-double game with 10 rebounds.
  • De’Aaron Fox was back in the starting lineup and played just over 30-minutes. “Swipa” scored 12 points, distributed nine dimes and had three rebounds.
  • Buddy Hield came off the bench to lead the team in scoring with 18 points. “Buddy Buckets” had a much better shooting night hitting 8-of-15 field goal attempts. He did struggle a bit from behind the arc as hit converted 2-of-6 from long-range.
  • There was more good news for SAC as Willie Cauley-Stein returned after being out with back trouble. WCS scored 12 points and grabbed eight rebounds in just over 30 minutes of playing time.

Nuggets (37-30)

Denver’s starting five was very productive as four of the five scored in double figures and three of the five scored at least 20 points.

  • Nikola Jokic was the man for the Nuggets as he posted a triple-double scoring 20 points, pulling down 11 rebounds and distributing 10 assists. He also had a blocked shot.
  • Gary Harris was the leading scorer for the Nuggets with 21 points.
  • Jamal Murray was the other starter who scored 20 points for Denver shooting 8-for-16 for the game.
  • Trey Lyles had big game coming off the bench scoring 14 points in just over 18 minutes of playing time for his team.

Up next

Kings

SAC wraps up this mini two-game road trip in Oklahoma City on Monday night. The Kings are 4-9 on the second night of back-to-back games this season. The Thunder are 39-29 so far this season and are currently tied for fourth-place in the Western Conference.

Nuggets

Denver has Monday off and then returns to action on the road in Los Angeles versus the Lakers on Tuesday night.

Skal Labissiere hits game-winner as the Sac Kings top Knicks 102-99

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by Jordan Chapin

SACRAMENTO- The Kings won the second game of a five-game homestand on Sunday night at The Golden 1 Center with a 102-99 victory over the New York Knicks. Sacramento put on quite a show in a game that came down to the final shot. After giving up a big lead with seconds to go, Sacramento’s Skal Labissiere hit the game-winning 3-pointer to seal the game for the Kings.

The Kings were really rolling in this game early. They were led by a stellar night from Bogdan Bogdanovic who ended with 22 points and 7 assists. The Kings led by as many as 19 points in the middle of the fourth quarter. As soon as the Kings started to get comfortable, those pesky Knicks came storming back. In the final nine minutes, the Knicks had completely eliminated the Kings lead and tied the game with just over a minute remaining in the contest.

With just under 30 seconds to go in a tie ballgame, Bogdanovic showed why he’s going to be clutch for years to come. He hit a step back jumper to put the Kings on top 99-97. The Knicks were able to get to the free throw line and make both of their shots to tie the game at 99 all. With 5.3 seconds to go, the Kings in-bounded the ball to Labissiere who faked the hand-off to Bogdanovic, rose-up over Kyle O’Quinn and drained the 3-ball that sealed the game for the Kings.

As the Kings prepare for game four of the homestand, it doesn’t get any easier as they have to face the playoff bound New Orleans Pelicans led by All-Star Anthony Davis on Wednesday night.

Something that should be noted, the young players of Sacramento have shown this season that they can have ice in there veins when it comes down to the big shot. Bogdanovic, Fox, and now Labissiere have all hit game-winning shots this season.

Sacramento Kings

Player of the Game: Bogdan Bogdanovic

Although Skal hit the biggest shot of the night, they would not have been in that position without the play of Bogdanovic. Bogy shot 7-for-11 from the field and finished with 22 points and 7 assists in just 27 minutes of playing time.

Key Stats

  • Six players finished in double figure scoring, including all five starters
  • Labissiere filled the stat sheet with 14 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists
  • The Kings shot 45% from the field and 43% from 3-point land
  • SAC shot a perfect 11-for-11 from the free-throw line

New York Knicks

Player of the Game: Enes Kanter

Kanter played only 22 minutes, but he made the most of them. Doing work down low, Kanter finished with 14 points and 16 rebounds racking up his 31st double-double of the season. When Enes was in the game, he dominated the paint, fortunately for Kings fans, he didn’t see the floor as much as usual.

Key Stats:

  • Emmanuel Mudiay was the only starter that didn’t score, its safe to say, Kings fans are happy to have Willie Cauley-Stein instead. The Kings could have drafted Mudiay but chose to go with WCS.
  • NYK went on a 24-5 run in the final nine minutes to tie the game
  • The Kincks the game just once, 14-13
  • Tim Hardaway Jr. was the Knicks leading scorer in the game with 24 points
  • New York shot 45% from the field, but only 28% from 3-point land

Up Next

SAC

The Kings – who are 2-for-3 on this five-game homestand host the Pelicans on Wednesday night.

NYK

The Knicks stay on the West Coast and have to face the very tough Portland Trail Blazers in the Rose City on Tuesday night.

Career night for Caldwell-Pope lifts Lakers past Kings, 113-108

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By: Jordan Chapin

wcs-vs-lakers.jpg

SACRAMENTO- Saturday night at Golden 1 Center the Lakers faithful made there presence known in a very loud, very exciting game that the Lakers came out on top of 113-108. The always anticipated, Lonzo Ball vs De’Aaron Fox match-up was put on hold due to Ball sitting out due to injury, but that did not stop the Lakers guards from putting on a show. The combination of Thomas, Hart, and Caldwell-Pope combined for 61 points, about half of which came from Caldwell-Pope.

After struggling two nights ago, Bogdan Bogdanovic came out of the gates firing on all cylinders. He led all Kings scorers in the first quarter with seven points, and then got a bit of a lift from his “big man” – Willie-Cauley Stein who went into the locker-room at halftime already having a double-double and helped the Kings to an eight point lead after the first 24 minutes.

Sacramento did get a bit of help from the bench, led by Buddy Hield with 21 points, but the second half belonged to Lakers Caldwell-Pope who scored 17 points in the third quarter and didn’t seem to miss any shot. The Lakers led the rest of the way until Bogdan Bogdanovic finished a 4-point play that knocked the Lakers lead to just one with 12 seconds to play. Sacramento had a chance to tie the game after a pair of Isiah Thomas free-throws, but they could not capitalize as Bogdanovic missed a driving lay-up to seal the game for the Lakers.

The Kings will finish there home-stand Monday night as they face a Minnesota Timberwolves team who just lost Jimmy Butler to a knee injury and don’t know when or if he will return this season. Once again, without their first-round draft pick, Lonzo Ball, the Lakers were able to pull off their 25th win of the season and continue to build their young talent for future

Player of the Game: Willie Cauley-Stein

Willie set the tone early grabbing rebounds and scoring around the rim. He finished his first half with a double-double, 10 points and 11 rebounds. It did not stop there for Cauley-Stien. He continued his aggression in the second half, totaling 37 minutes and  finishing with 18 points and 15 rebounds to go along with 2 blocks.

Key Stats

  • As a team, the Kings shot 52% from 3-point land and a respectable 45% from the field.
  • Frank Mason and De’Aaron Fox led the team with six assists a piece
  • “Rising Stars” Bogdan Bogdanovic and Buddy Hield led the Kings with 21 points each
  • Willie Cauley-Stien had a season high 15 rebounds
  • Vince Carter “Slamage”- ONE

Los Angeles Lakers

Player of the Game: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope

KCP has had a bigger role since Lonzo Ball has been hurt, but something that we all know is that he will shoot his shots. He finished his night 12-for-20 from the field and racking up a season high 34 points to go along with 7 rebounds and 2 assists. Caldwell-Pope was the reason the Lakers were able to stay in the game early, and hold the lead late.

Key Stats

  • Had seven players in double digits including all starters
  • Julius Randle finished with another Double-double, after having a Triple-double last night
  • Season high in 3-pointers made with 17
  • Caldwell-Pope’s eight 3-pointers made, is the highest for his career

Westbrook adds 18th triple-double of season and hits game-winning shot for 110-107 Thunder win

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By Jordan Chapin

SACRAMENTO — The Sacramento Kings made their return to the Golden 1 Center after a well-needed week off. The return of Frank Mason and Skal Labissiere jump started the Kings final 25-game schedule with a 110-107 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder Thursday night. The reigning MVP, Russell Westbrook, proved once again why he is one of the most clutch players in the league by racking up his 18th triple-double of the season and hitting the game-winning shot.

After trailing by 23 points in the first quarter, the Kings took advantage of their opportunities with the second unit lead by Buddy Hield with 19 points and Vince Carter with 13 points. The Kings cut the lead within eight at half, and then it was Zach Randolph time. Z-Bo finished his night with 29 points and 12 rebounds and put the Kings up by five with under four minutes to go. After several lead changes, the Thunder led by two with just 11 seconds to go in the game. Vince Carter put up a shot from about 34 feet out–missed–was tipped up several times, and with one second left, Justin Jackson came flying in for the put back lay-up to tie the game.

With exactly one second to go, Westbrook caught the in-bounds pass on the wing, and rose-up over Garrett Temple and drained the three-pointer as the clock expired. Although Westbrook did struggle from the field, he reminded us why he is a perennial All-Star in this league. His teammates Paul George and Carmelo Anthony picked him up on the scoring end, as they combined for 49 points.

When the Kings return to Golden 1 Center on Saturday night, they will have a fully rejuvenated lineup as they take on the Los Angeles Lakers. Sacramento will see Isiah Thomas for the first time since he has put on the Purple and Gold. The Kings extended  their record to 18-40 as OKC gets their 34th win of the season and stand pat as the fifth seed in the West.

Kings Press Row Podcast: The All-Star Break Edition

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press row podcast

hosts Charlie O and Jordan “Chape” Chapin

  • Kings dominate the “Rising Stars Game”

  • Bogi grabs the MVP honors in the game

  • A look at the Kings revamped roster

  • A review of the remaining schedule

  • Total wins projection for the season

  • The role of Iman Shumpert

  • The return of Frank Mason III and Skal Labissiere

The Kings send the Mavs into the All-Star break with a 114-109 loss in Dallas

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00 vs Dal

by Charlie O. Mallonee

Two NBA Draft Lottery teams met on the court in Dallas on Tuesday night. The Sacramento Kings and Dallas Mavericks are both looking ahead to next season right now because neither team will be a playoff contender.

The Kings were playing the second of three games on the road before the All-Star Break. Sacramento lost their first road game in Minneapolis on Sunday night. The game in Dallas was the first contest of a “Texas Two-Step” that finishes with a game versus the Rockets in Houston on Wednesday night.

The Kings shocked the Mavericks by handing them a 114-109 loss on their home court to sweep the season series in Dallas. That is the first time that has happened since 2003.

Sacramento jumped out to a 29-16 lead in the first quarter and led the Mavs 65-44 at the half.

Dallas finally woke up in the third quarter behind the play of Harrison Barnes and closed the gap to 17 points. The Kings held an 88-71 lead after three quarters.

Dallas dropped in 38 points in the fourth quarter behind J.J. Barea’s 12 points and Dirk Nowitzki’s 10 point effort. The Kings recorded just 26 points in the final period. The Mavericks outscored the Kings 65-49 in the second half.

Sacramento ran out of gas in the fourth period but they were able to hang on for the win. It was their quick start out of the gate that allowed the Kings to win the game. The Mavericks outscored the Kings in the third and fourth quarters but it was not enough to overcome Sacramento’s strong early start.

This was the Kings 10th road win of the season.

Star Performers 

5 in DAL

Kings

  • Once again – it was one of the “old guys” who starred for the Kings as Zach Randolph scored a game-high 22 points. Z-Bo hit 10-of-15 shots from the field and went 2-for-3 from 3-point range. He also grabbed seven rebounds and dished out three assists.
  • Kings rookie (Euro veteran) Bogdan Bogdanovic scored 19 points hitting 8-of-17 from the floor with three of those baskets being 3-pointers. Bogie also hauled in five rebounds and dished four assists in almost 34-minutes of playing time.
  • Rookie point guard De’Aaron Fox scored 11 points and distributed seven assists while playing just over 31-minutes in the game. Fox also recorded four rebounds and had one steal in the contest.
  • Special recognition goes to the Sacramento starting five who all scored in double-digits versus Dallas.

Mavericks

  • J.J. Barea was the man for Dallas in the game as he posted a double-double. Barea scored 19 points and handed out 13 assists in the game. Five of his baskets were 3-pointers.
  • Harrison Barnes had a slow start but you are not going to keep a talent like Barnes silent. He posted 18 points, five rebounds, two assists and one steal in the game.
  • Rookie point guard Dennis Smith Jr. put up 17 points while handing out three assists and recording three rebounds.
  • Dwight Powell scored 18 points coming off the bench.

Prime Numbers

Sacramento (18-38)

  • The Kings shot 54-percent (47-for-87) for the game. They hit 12-of-29 (41.4-percent) shots from 3-point range.
  • Sacramento went 8-for-12 (66.7-percent) from the free throw line.
  • The Kings handed out 30-assists while committing only nine turnovers which resulted in 17 points for the opponents.
  • There was only one lead change in the game and the Kings largest lead in contest was 26 points.

Dallas (18-40)

  • The Mavericks hit 38-of-83 (45.8-percent) shots from the floor. The went 15-for-40 (37.5-percent) from long-range.
  • Dallas tried to get healthy from the free throw line by hitting 18-of-23 chances from the charity stripe.
  • The Mavericks recorded 29 assists while committing only nine turnovers which became seven Sacramento points.
  • Dallas was outscored in the paint 56-38 by the Kings

Up Next

Sacramento

The Kings will complete their “Texas two-step” on Wednesday night when they play the Rockets in Houston. Then, it’s All-Star Break time for the men in purple and black (baby blue and red depending on uniform choices).

Dallas

The Mavericks are on their All-Star Break as of now. They will return to action on February 23rd in LA against the Lakers.

Kings play tough in Minnesota but come up just short losing 111-106

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Kings vs Twolves final

by Charlie O. Mallonee

Style points are usually reserved for events in the Olympics. Well, the Winter Olympics are in full swing and the Kings are in full “player development mode”, so we have to judge them on more than just wins and losses.

For their efforts in Minnesota on Sunday night, the young Kings get a 10 for effort, a 10 for hustle and eight for style. Sacramento lost the game to the T-Wolves 111-106, but they did what no one really expected them to do in this first game of a three-game road trip. The Kings made it a very competitive game.

The Kings did two major things right on Sunday night:

  1. They came out of the gate an played hard from the opening jump ball. De’Aaron Fox led the way scoring 14 points in first period as the Kings outscored the Timberwolves 29-23 in the first quarter. Sacramento also played some tough defense as they gave up only 23 points.
  2. The second thing the Kings did well on Sunday night is they avoided the dreaded third quarter letdown. Sacramento has established a habit of playing very ineffective basketball in the third stanza and then having to try to come back in dramatic fashion in the fourth quarter to make up for bad third quarters. The Kings won the third quarter on Sunday night 26-19

The Timberwolves superior firepower took its toll in the fourth quarter as they outscored the Kings 36-26 to win the game 111-106. The game was competitive right up until the final seven-seconds of the contest.

The victory was the Timberwolves 13th consecutive win on their homecourt. That is truly an incredible run.

Star Performances

Kings

Kings vs Twolves 5

  • Rookie De’Aaron Fox played an outstanding game in his almost 35-minutes on the floor. Beyond his 14 points in the first quarter, Fox finished the game with a team-high 23 points. He shot 8-for-16 from the floor and went 6-for-8 from the free throw line. Fox added three steals and two assists to his stats for the game.
  • Buddy Hield had another productive game coming off the bench. Hield played just under 19-minutes but manged to post 16 points in that time on the floor. Hield shot 6-for-13 including going 2-for-5 from 3-point land. Buddy also recorded four rebounds, two steals, one assist and one blocked shot.
  • Rookie (well NBA rookie) Bogdan Bogdanovic put 13 points in the book in 30-plus minutes on the floor. He shot 5-for-12 from the field and hit 2-of-5 from behind the 3-point arc. Bogie also dished out eight assists in the game.

T-Wolves

Kings vs Twolves extra

  • To no one’s surprise, the big KAT was the man for Minnesota on Sunday night. Karl-Anthony Towns scored a game-high 29 points shooting 10-for-17 from the floor. Towns went a perfect 7-for-7 from the free throw line. He grabbed eight rebounds, dished out six assists and blocked three shots in the game.
  • Veteran Jimmy Butler added 18 points hitting 5-of-9 shots from the floor. Butler went to the free throw line nine times and converted seven of those opportunities. Butler also added three assists.
  • Andrew Wiggins was another key part of the T-Wolves win on Sunday. He scored 16 points, grabbed eight rebounds and distributed three assists. Wiggins hit 7-of-13 of his shots in the game.

Prime Numbers

Sacramento (17-38)

  • The Kings shot 47.7-percent (42-for-88) for the game and hit 10-of-25 (40-percent) from 3-point range.
  • Sacramento hit 12-of-17 from the charity stripe. The team needs to go to the free throw line at least 20 times per game, but hitting 70.6-percent of their opportunities is acceptable.
  • The Kings pulled down 43 rebounds – 15 of those rebounds were offensive grabs. Those 15 offensive rebounds turned into 22 points for SAC.
  • Sacramento committed 19 turnovers that became 22 Minnesota points. The Kings totaled only 17 assists which gave them a negative assists to turnover ratio.

Minnesota (35-24)

  • The T-Wolves shot 50-percent (37-for-74) from the floor for the game on Sunday night. They hit 9-of-24 chances from long-range.
  • Minnesota went to the free throw line 32 times. They sank 28 of those free throw shots (87.5-percent).
  • The Timberwolves dished out 29 assists while committing 17 turnovers which is close to the 2-to-1 desired ratio goal.
  • The T-Wolves biggest lead in the game was five points while the Kings largest lead was 10 points. There were 10 lead changes and the game was tied 15 times.

Up Next

Kings

Sacramento will play the second game of their three-game road trip on Tuesday night in Dallas versus the Mavericks.

Timberwolves

Minnesota will stay at home and host the Houston Rockets on Tuesday night.

 

 

Lillard puts up 50 points to lead Trail Blazers past the Kings 118-100

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment

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by Charlie O. Mallonee

Sacramento – NBA teams can be divided into tiers. Different reporters and analysts will use different systems and different numbers of tiers to breakdown the league. This reporter is a simple kind of guy, so I go with a 3-tier system:

  1. Tier One is for those teams that have a realistic chance to fight their way into the NBA Finals. In the Eastern Conference, that would include Toronto, Boston, Cleveland (if the new roster comes together) and Washington if everyone stays healthy. Western Conference tier one teams are the Warriors, Rockets and Spurs in my opinion.
  2. Tier Two is reserved for organizations that make the playoffs and some will make to the second-round, but they are still at least one star player away from jumping into tier one. In the East, that would be teams like the Bucks, Pacers, Heat, Sixers and maybe the Pistons. Western Conference teams that can claim tier two status are Minnesota, Portland, OKC, Clippers and Denver.
  3. Tier Three means welcome to Draft Lottery in June. Eastern Conference teams that occupy that status are Charlotte, New York, Chicago, Brooklyn, Orlando and Atlanta. Out West, tier three members are the Kings, Pelicans, Jazz, Lakers, Grizzlies, Suns and Mavericks.

On Friday night, the tier two Portland Trail Blazers – currently tied for fifth-place in the West – came to Sacramento to face the tier three Kings who are currently in the 14th slot in the conference. Sacramento is contending for the worst record in “the Association” and chance to have the number one selection in the 2018 NBA Draft.

The final outcome of the game was predictable given the talent and experience difference that exist between the two teams. Then, add a “lights out” 50 point game by Damian Lillard and the young Kings were doomed.

The contest was an entertaining “see-saw” battle until just under two minutes remained in the first half. The Blazers went on a scoring burst that allowed them to open up a 10 point – 62 to 52 – halftime lead and they would never trail in the game again. Lillard scored six points in those final two minutes.

Sacramento fought hard in the third quarter and eventually cut the Portland lead to just one point – 75 to 74 – with 4:25 remaining in the period. The Trail Blazers regained their motivation and went on a 17-0 run to end the quarter and for all practical purposes the was over. Lillard scored 15 of those 17 points in the run to finish the quarter with 22 points scored in the third.

Lillard did not play in the fourth quarter. The Kings did cut the Portland lead to 13 points midway through the period but the game never really became competitive again. The final was Portland 118 – Sacramento 100.

Coach Dave Joerger’s take on the game

Reporter’s note: True fans of the game – listen closely to his opening statement

Award winning performanceLillard 50A

Portland’s Damian Lillard gets his own top billing for his performance in this game. The veteran guard put up 50 points in just 29-plus minutes of playing time and he accomplished it in just three-quarters of the game. He became the third NBA player to score 50 or more in just three quarters this season. The other two players – James Harden and Lillard’s teammate CJ McCollum.

Lillard shot 16-for-23 from field and hit 8-of-13 from behind the 3-point line. He also converted 10 of 10 free throw opportunities. If scoring 50 points was not enough, Lillard also dished out six assists and made three steals in the game.

Top Performers

Kings

  • The Starting Five: all five of the Sacramento starters finished scoring in double-figures. Beyond the starting five, the Kings used nine players in the game and seven of them scored in double-digits.
  • Willie Cauley-Stein was the Kings top scorer with 19 points. He also recorded six rebounds, three assists, two blocked shots and one steal in the contest.
  • The “old man” – Zach Randolph – put 17 points in the book playing just over 26 minutes in the game. Z-Bo also hauled in nine rebounds while going 2-for-2 from 3-point land.
  • De’Aaron Fox was the Kings only true point guard in the game with George Hill shipped off to Cleveland and Frank Mason III still out due to injury. Fox played almost 34-minutes scoring 13 points and distributing nine assists.

Trail Blazers

  • Maurice Harkless was the number two scorer for the Blazers with 15 points. Harkless shot 6-for-9 from the floor went 2-for-3 from behind the 3-point arc.
  • Shabazz Napier recorded 13 points coming off the bench. Napier shot a perfect 5-for-5 overall with three of those baskets coming from downtown.
  • CJ McCollum – one of the other players to score 50 points in three-quarters this season – was credited with 11 points shooting 5-for-13 from the floor.

Key Stats

Portland (31-25)

  • The Blazers shot 48.9-percent (43-for-88) overall in the game and hit 15-of-35 (42.9-percent) from 3-point range.
  • The Trail Blazers love the charity stripe. The converted 17-of-18 opportunities from the free throw line on Friday night.
  • Portland made 10 steals in the game. The Kings had a good night and they had five thefts.

Sacramento (17-37)

  • The Kings posted a 42.2-percent (38-for-90) field goal percentage versus Portland but hit only 9-of-23 attempts from long-range.
  • SAC went to the free throw line 21 times in the game and were successful 15 times (71.4-percent).
  • The Kings scored 20 second-chance points while Portland scored just two points when given an additional opportunity.

Up Next

Sacramento

The Kings will close the unofficial “first half” of the season off on the road. They will play their next game on Sunday in Minnesota versus the T-Wolves. Tip-off is scheduled for 4:00 PM PST.

Portland

The Trail Blazers will head back home and host the Utah Jazz on Sunday.