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.
The new Little Caesar’s Arena in downtown Detroit*
The Sacramento Kings played their best game of the three-game road trip on Saturday night in Detroit even though they lost the game 108-99. The Pistons (7-3) went on a 16-5 scoring run late in the third quarter and the Kings (1-8) were unable to close the gap after that run losing their seventh consecutive game. Sacramento finished 0-3 on the road trip.
The Kings played their best basketball against the most physical team they had to face on the road trip. Maybe the most important accomplishment was scoring more than 86 points in a game which they had not done in their last four contests. There are no moral victories but there are games where a team can show improvement. That is what the Kings showed on Saturday night. They showed improvement.
Dave Joerger went with a starting five consisting of veterans and youth. Zach Randolph and Garrett Temple were the vets who started. Third- year man Willie Cauley-Stein got the start at center while rookies Bogdan Bogdanovic and De’Aaron Fox were also in the starting five. Fox started at point guard because George Hill was not with the team due to personal reasons.
Joerger would also use a 12 man rotation versus the Pistons. Everyone on the Kings bench except Papagiannis played in the game.
The Kings managed to take the lead in this game. Their biggest lead was only one point but in was a lead. They stayed within three to four points of the lead for much of game.
Top Performers
Kings
Bogdanovic drives the lane in Detroit*
Zach Randolph led the Kings in scoring with 19 points shooting 8-for-14 (57.1-percent) from the floor. Z-Bo also hit 2-of-3 from behind the 3-point line. Randolph played almost 30-minutes in the game.
Bogdan Bogdanovic scored 14 points against the Pistons hitting 6-of-7 shots from the field (85.7-percent). He was a perfect 2-for-2 from 3-point land. As usual, Bogdanovic played very strong defense as well.
De’Aaron Fox also posted 14 points but seven of those points came in the fourth quarter when the game was really out of reach. He dished out four assists in his 26-minutes on the floor.
Buddy Hield — who was nursing a sore ankle from the Boston game — put 13 up points and grabbed eight rebounds.
Garrett Temple had a very solid game with 10 points, three rebounds, three steals and one assist.
Willie Cauley-Stein who struggled in the first half really improved in the second half scoring eight points to go with three rebounds, four assists and two steals.
Frank Mason played an important role as the point guard for the second unit in the game. Mason played 21-minutes scoring seven points and distributing six assists.
Pistons
Andre Drummond posted a double-double in the game*
Avery Bradley led the way for the victorious Pistons with 24 points. He hit 10-of-15 shots from the floor (66.7-percent). Bradley played 32-minutes for Detroit versus the Kings.
Power Forward Tobias Harris scored 20 points, hauled in five rebounds, added five assists, had one steal and one block in the game.
Big man Andre Drummond posted another double-double scoring 16 points and grabbing 19 rebounds. He also had four assists, three steals and one block.
Point guard Reggie Jackson — who was the subject of trade rumors earlier in the week- scored 15 and dished out seven assists.
Former King Anthony Tolliver scored 10 points against his former team.
Team numbers
Sacramento
The Kings shot an impressive 52.6-percent (40-for-76) from the field. They hit 10-of-21 (47.6-percent) of their 3-point attempts.
The Kings still did not make it to the free throw line enough on Saturday night. They made 9-of-13 opportunities. Sacramento needs to bring that free throw attempted number up to 20-plus.
Sac pulled down 32 total rebounds (3 off/ 29 def) which is on the low side and could be of concern if those numbers continue to be low.
The Kings had 24 assists and committed 18 turnovers which resulted in 18 Piston points. The assist to turnover ratio is well below the goal of 2-to-1.
Detroit
The Pistons also shot over 50-percent from the floor as they hit 40 of their 79 field goal attempts.
Detroit was on fire from “downtown” as they connected on 13-of-24 (54.2-percent) of their shots from behind the 3-point arc.
They hit 15-of-22 attempts from the charity stripe.
It was a low rebounding game for both teams as the Pistons hauled in 35 (8 off/ 27 def) rebounds.
Detroit came close to the 2:1 assist-to-turnover ratio as they posted 28 assists versus 15 turnovers. Their turnovers turned into nine Sacramento points.
The Pistons had 10 steals against Sacramento Saturday night.
Up next on the schedule
The Kings flew home after the game and will be off until Tuesday when they host the Oklahoma City Thunder at Golden 1 Center. Russell Westbrook, Paul George and Carmelo Anthony should provide quite a challenge for the Kings.
The Pistons stay in Detroit and will return to action on Wednesday when the Indiana Pacers visit Little Caesar’s Arena.
podcast hosts Charlie O. Mallonee and Vasu Vaddiparty
Need help at QB?
Josh McCown is available in more than 50% of Fantasy Football Leagues. He has a tough game Thursday vs the Bills
Now that Jimmy Garappolo is a 49er – should you add him to your roster? How soon can he help your team?
Need help at RB?
Alfred Morris is expected to see some serious playing time with Elliott headed to the suspension list.Veteran Darren McFadden will try to help fill the gap left open by Elliott’s absence for Dallas.Damien Williams is in line to take over some of the load at running back for the Miami Dolphins.
The Party-Man and Charlie O will be happy to answer your fantasy football questions. Email them at raydeoman@gmail.com. Good luck this week!
Bradley Beal drives on Buddy Hield Photo USA Today Sports
by Charlie O. Mallonee
The Washington Wizards opened the game with the Sacramento Kings on Sunday afternoon with a 13 – 0 run. By the time Sacramento head coach Dave Joerger mercifully called timeout with 7:16 to go in the first quarter, very few in the Golden 1 Center had any doubts about how the game would finish.
By the time the final buzzer sounded 48 – minutes later, the Wizards (4-2) had handed the Kings (1-5) their third consecutive defeat 110-83. Quite possibly more important than losing three-in-a-row is the fact the Kings are 0-3 at home this season. Even for a young team – there is supposed to be some semblance of a “home court advantage”. This young edition of the Kings has not established that home court presence as of yet.
Wizards were on a mission
John Wall scored a game-high 19 points Photo USA Today Sports
Washington had been on a very tough road trip. The Wizards won the opening game of the trip in Denver, then everything fell apart in Los Angeles. After John Wall was very outspoken about the way he was going to go at Lonzo Ball, the Lakers beat the Wizards 102 – 99 in overtime. That loss led to some major headlines across the nation.
On Friday night, Washington had to face the Golden State Warriors in Oakland. The Wizards were in control of that contest until late in the game when the Warriors came alive to outscore the Wizards 33-20 in the fourth period. Golden State won the game 120 – 117.
That Warriors game also featured the “scuffle” between Draymond Green and Bradley Beal. The Wizards literally did not know until 90-minutes before the game whether Beal would be able to play or be suspended. The league chose to fine him and Beal played against the Kings.
Wizards head coach Scott Brooks made it very clear in his pregame remarks that his team had one goal and that was to finish the road trip 2 – 2. They met that goal.
The 3-point shot was the Wizards weapon of choice
Washington used the 3-point shot to perfection against the Kings on Sunday. The Wizards hit 17-of-34 3-point attempts (50-percent) in the game. That was not a franchise record. Washington has the 11th best 3-point shooting percentage in the NBA. Ironically, the team with the 12th best 3-point shooting percentage in “the Association” is the Sacramento Kings – except they shot only 27.3-percent (6-for-22) from beyond the arc on Sunday.
John Wall led the Wizards hitting 5-of-6 from downtown. Otto Potter Jr. sank three and Kelly Oubre Jr. connected on two from long range.
Every active player on the Washington roster played and scored in the game
The Wizards had 12 men on the active roster Sunday afternoon and all saw playing time against the Kings. Every Wizard scored points. John Wall scored a game-high 19-points and dished out nine assists.
Otto Porter Jr. put up 16-points and grabbed five rebounds. Bradley Beal – who in this reporter’s opinion should have been on suspension for his actions last Friday night – scored 15-points. Mike Scott added 13-points and Jodie Meeks recorded 11.
Every active player on the Kings roster played in the game
Dave Joerger planned on using a 10-man rotation on Sunday. When Garrett Temple sustained a cut over his eye, that changed the plan and all 13 Sacramento players saw time on the floor.
Bogdan Bogdanovic led the Kings in scoring with with 15-points going 7-for-9 from the field. Frank Mason III put up 11-points shooting 5-for-10 in his 21-minutes on the court. Skal Labissiere and Malachi Richardson each tallied 10 points against the Wizards.
Dave Joerger had some interesting takes on the loss to the Wizards
Wizards Head Coach Scott Brooks thoughts on the game
Scott Brooks looks on as his Wizard destroys the Kings Photo USA Today Sports
“I thought we came out defensively and contested shots and made them miss shots. We were really moving the ball well, and knocking down 3’s. It was probably the best that we’ve played on both ends of the court. Our passing, leading to open 3’s were just terrific. Hopefully, we can continue that trend. Defensive mindset was really good tonight.”
Kings management must react to the “boos” and empty seats
Kings head coach Dave Joerger made some comments in his pregame news conference about the starting lineup and roster being about player development. Everyone understands that Kings are in a “rebuilding mode” but that does not mean they will be patient if they go into a “G-League” mode. Kings fans are paying top dollar for the opportunity to see their team play at the Golden 1 Center and they expect to see their team at least be competitive on the court.
Having George Hill and Zach Randolph on the inactive list against a team like the Wizards is not putting your best product on the floor. If you want to experiment with a young, inexperienced roster, do it in Indiana or Atlanta where their fans will love the “blow out” and not feel “ripped off”. At home, the Kings need to do everything they can to win games. They owe that to their fans.
It is not acceptable to hear boos at the end of the first-half and to have a half-full arena as the second-half tips-off. Kings fans have worked too hard to keep this team in Sacramento to suffer experimental lineup after experimental lineup. Experiment on the road and be competitive at home.
Up next on the schedule
The Kings head out on the road for a three-game road that begins on Halloween in Indiana with the Pacers. Then on Wednesday, they have the back end of a back-to-back set on the road in Boston. Sacramento wraps up the road trip on Saturday in Detroit with the Pistons.
The Wizards head back to Washington and will face the Suns on Wednesday and then must get ready for the Cavs on Friday.
commentators Charlie O. Mallonee and Vasu Vaddiparty
Your Quarterback just went under the knife and now you need a new QB – who should you choose?
Both of your starting running backs have byes this week – now what do you do?
You’re in a 14 team league and you’re in desperate need of a wide receiver who will put up some points this Sunday – who should you grab off the wavier wire?
Are there any Tight Ends out there that worth grabbing for this weekend?
Need a defense? Vasu has some suggestions!
Fantasy Football Emergency is here to help you salvage your season and get you into the playoffs!
Zach Randolph scored 11 points and grabbed 9 rebounds on Saturday night Photo: USA Today
NBA teams have only a 33-percent chance of winning the second game of a back-to-back set on the road. Sacramento won in Dallas on Friday night. The odds were against them going into Denver on Saturday which is why they entered the game as a -12.5 point underdog.
When the final buzzer sounded, the Kings had lost their second game of the season as the Nuggets outscored them 96-79. Denver did not play that spectacular. They just played less sloppy than the Kings did in the game.
For all of the Sacramento rookies, this was their first back-to-back set of games on the road. Add in the fact that the game was played at “mile high” altitude” in Denver and it becomes a real learning situation. This is not an effort to make excuses for the Kings but rather an opportunity to explain the literal uphill battle they faced on Saturday night.
Rebound stats may explain the entire game
The Nuggets out-rebounded the Kings 58-39 in the game. There are very few games where a team can give up 19 more rebounds to their opponents and walk away with a victory.
When the rebounding stats are broken down even further, the impact of Denver’s efforts becomes even greater. The Nuggets pulled down 18 rebounds on offense which created 13 second chance point opportunities. Denver converted eight of the second chance situations which turned into 19 points.
The Kings had only 12 offensive rebounds that turned into 10 points. Eight of those rebounds on offense came in the second half when the Kings had a significant scoring deficit to make up so they did not have the impact they might have had earlier in the game.
The problem — tired legs. You could see that the Kings did not have the spring in their legs like they had in Dallas on Friday night. Fatigue and altitude can be brutal. Yes, the young players will to learn how to deal with these adversities, but that is why fans have been cautioned to remember this is going to be a season of learning.
Top Performances
Labissiere came off the bench to score 13 points for SAC Photo: USA Today Sports
Kings
De’Aaron Fox continued to amaze on Saturday night as he scored a team-high (tied for game-high) 18 points shooting 8-for-13 from the floor. He sank one 3-pointer, grabbed five rebounds and had one assist. He did all of that while being double-teamed by the defense much of the game.
Skal Labissiere came off the bench and brought some offense to the game for the Kings. He finished with 13 points in 25-minutes on the floor. He shot 6-for-12 including one 3-pointer. Labissiere also pulled down four rebounds and dished out four assists.
Z-Bo showed the young kids how an “O.G” plays in a back-to-back on the road. He put up 11 points in 20-minutes. He also grabbed nine rebounds (four offensive). Randolph spent much of the game being very frustrated with the officials and the lack of foul calls.
Rookie Frank Mason III played in his first NBA game and scored seven points.
Malachi Richardson saw some playing time most of which came in the fourth quarter and scored eight points.
Coach Dave Joerger used all 13 of his active players in the game on Saturday night.
Nuggets
Faried came off the bench to score 18 points for the Nuggets Photo USA Today Sports
Denver had two players who tied for team-high in scoring and game-high in scoring with De’Aaron Fox. Paul Millsap put up 18 points to go with nine rebounds. The hyperactive Kenneth Faried came off the bench to score 18 shooting 7-for-10.
Guard Gary Harris scored 17 points going 7-for-11 from the field including three 3-pointers. Early in the game, he just broke loose and worked the backdoor for easy buckets under the basket.
Will Barton quietly scored 15 points for the Nuggets. He shot 6-for-13 overall and went 3-for-8 from 3-point land.
Team Performances
It was not a beautiful game for either team.
Sacramento (1-2)
The Kings shot just 36.6-percent (31-for-85) for the game. They went just 8-for-23 (34.8-percent) from beyond the 3-point arc.
Free throw opportunities were in short supply again on Saturday night. SAC went to the line just 13 times in the game and hit nine of those opportunities. They have to increase the number of free throw attempts per game.
They dished out 15 assists but turned it over 14 times which resulted in 19 Denver points. That ratio is not acceptable.
Rebounding — that has already been discussed.
Denver (1-1)
The Nuggets shot an acceptable 43.5-percent (37-for-85) from field. They hit 10-of-30 3-point opportunities (33.3-percent).
Denver went 12-for-20 from the charity stripe.
Their 58-39 rebound advantage really made the difference in the game for the Nuggets.
The Nuggets distributed 25 assists and turned the ball over 16 times. Those TOVs resulted in 13 points for the Kings.
Up next
Sacramento
The Kings will have Sunday off in the Valley of the Sun and then will face the 0-3 Phoenix Suns on Monday night. The Suns lost to the Clippers in Los Angeles on Saturday night 130-88. FiveThirtyEight.com gives the Suns a 66-percent chance to win the game. They make Phoenix -4-point favorite.
Denver
The Nuggets will return to action on Wednesday in Charlotte versus the Hornets. Denver is a 2.5-point underdog according FiveThirtyEight.
Final Note
Denver head coach Michael Malone Photo USA Today Sports
The rivalry between Denver and Sacramento because they are facing former Kings coach Michael Malone is officially over. No player on the Kings roster was ever coached by Malone. Wow! How quickly things can change in the NBA.
Cauley-Stein puts in a dunk to cut the Rockets lead to three points with seven seconds to go in the game
by Charlie O. Mallonee
Kings open the 2017-18 regular season with loss to the powerful Houston Rockets
The Sacramento Kings kicked off their new season before a sellout crowd of 17,583 at the Golden 1 Center on Wednesday night. Their opponent was the very powerful and talented Houston Rockets who started their season on Tuesday night with a last second win over the defending NBA Champion Golden State Warriors in Oakland.
The Kings hoped to take advantage of catching the Rockets on the second game of a back-to-back set on the road. They also received some good news when they learned that Chris Paul would not play due to ongoing problems with a knee contusion.
Sacramento (0-1) kept the game close through all four quarters. They even won the third quarter 24-23. The lead changed eight times in the game and the contest was tied four times. Houston’s largest lead was 11 points while the Kings biggest lead was six.
James Harden struggled through the first three quarters of the game appearing to be tired from effort that expended versus the Warriors on Tuesday night. Unfortunately for the Kings, Harden caught a second wind in the final period and scored 12 of his game-high 27 points over those last 12 minutes. That performance really made the difference for the Rockets (2-0).
Despite being down by 11 points with 5:13 remaining in the game the Kings did not give up and cut the Houston lead to just three points with 26-seconds to go in the contest. It was at that point this game took a left turn that the Kings would never recover from.
The Kings George Hill sank two free throws to make it a 98-95 game with Houston in the lead with 26-seconds remaining. On the inbounds play, Hill appeared to disrupt the possession by Eric Gordon who lost control allowing the ball to go out-of-bounds. The big crowd went wild but settled as a video replay was ordered.
What the crowd, the Kings bench and the majority of the media did not understand was the replay was not to determine if Gordon was the last player to touch the ball before it went out-of-bounds. The replay was to confirm a foul call that made on Hill by the referee on the far-side of the court. The replay center in Secaucus upheld the foul call and Gordon was sent to the charity stripe to shoot two shots.
Gordon hit both shots to give Houston a five-point lead with 26-seconds to play essentially sealing the win for the Rockets. The Kings gave it their best effort but came up short.
Kings head coach Dave Joerger addresses the call in a very subdued manner in part two of his video comments.
Dave Joerger was very proud of the effort his team gave against the talented Rockets
Ben DuBose of Sports Talk 790 Houston and Locked on Rockets Podcast previews the Houston Rockets for Kings fans.
CP3 moves past Curry Photo: USA Today
How are James Harden and Chris Paul working out as a backcourt team so far in the preseason?
With Harden and CP3 on the floor together does that change the pace of play for the Rockets?
How does local favorite Ryan Anderson look so far in the preseason?
Now that the roster is set – are there any surprises?
Is there any worry about a let down on Wednesday in Sacramento after the hype and energy that will be expended in the Bay Area versus the Golden State Warriors?
Get the insiders view of the Kings first opponent of the 2017-18 season in just 20 minutes of fast paced questions and answers. Be ready for opening night by knowing more about the Rockets and what to watch for as they play the Kings.
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