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 beat the T-Wolves 106-103

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Photo credit: Rocky Widner
Photo credit: Rocky Widner

By Charlie O. Mallonee

The Sacramento Kings and the Minnesota Timberwolves met in Sacramento on Sunday night in a game that meant nothing in the standings. Both clubs are out of the playoff picture. The only thing that was on the line was pride. The Kings and T-Wolves brought plenty of pride to the game and put on a hard-fought show for the big crowd which went home happy because the Kings won the game 106-103.

The Kings were led by the outstanding play of DeMarcus Cousins who scored 35 points, grabbed 15 rebounds and handed out six assists. It was Cousins’ 53rd double-double of the season. He shot 13 of 21 from the field and was 9 of 13 from the free throw line.

Cousins’ brilliant play was not the biggest story of the night for the Kings’ center. With one-minute and 13-seconds left in the game, Cousins picked up his 16th technical foul of the season which means he will be suspended for the Kings’ final game of the season versus Phoenix. Cousins had played with the 15 technical fouls hanging over his head since February 25th.

The Kings can and will appeal to the league office who can overturn the call. Head Coach Michael Malone said, “I feel for him. (We will) try to get it rescinded.

Rookie Ben McLemore played with abandon on offense and defense. McLemore scored 19 points and shot 3 for 6 from beyond the 3-point arc. On defense, McLemore held Kevin Martin and Robbie Hummel to just five points combined.

To the delight of the fans, Isaiah Thomas returned to the floor after missing 10 consecutive games with a right quad contusion. Thomas was very productive in his 30-minutes of playing time. He scored 14 points and dished out four assist.

The Timberwolves were led by Kevin Love’s 43 points and 11 rebounds. Love was 15 of 17 from the free throw line. Love had a relatively quiet first-half scoring just 13 points. He really came alive in the second-half and was the leader on the floor for Minnesota.

Rookie Center Gorgui Dieng had a spectacular game through three quarters. He picked up his fourth foul and was quiet after that. Dieng scored 21 points, pulled down 14 rebounds and had four assists.

After the game Kings Head Coach Michael Malone said, “(It was a) hell of an effort for our guys. (We) played better in the second half. Happy to get this win after losing five in a row.”

The Kings will play their final game of the season on Wednesday night in Sacramento against the Phoenix Suns who battling for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

Clippers run away from the Kings 117-101

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Photo credit: NBAE/Getty Images

By Charlie O. Mallonee

The Los Angeles Clippers scored 54 points in the paint, 25 points off fast breaks and added 27 points plus nine assists from Blake Griffin to defeat the Sacramento Kings 117-101 on Saturday afternoon in LA. It was a franchise tying 56th win of the season for the Clippers who won 56 games in the 2012-13 season.

The game was much more entertaining that the final score would indicate. The Kings scored 32 points in the third quarter and closed the Clippers’ lead to just two points in the fourth quarter before Los Angeles started hitting 3-pointers to open up the lead and score 32 points in the final quarter.

The Kings were led by DeMarcus Cousins’ 32 points. Cousins added 12 rebounds and five assists to post his franchise record 52nd double-double of the season. Rudy Gay scored 16 points but had a rough game as it took him 18 shots to score those points.

Ben McLemore was held scoreless in the first half but scored 14 points in the third quarter to help the Kings to have a chance to win the game. Unfortunately, McLemore was ejected from the game early in the fourth quarter for putting his hand in the face of J.J. Redick. The loss of McLemore put a major crimp in the Kings run to steal a win in LA.

Reggie Evans had another outstanding game for the Kings. Evans posted a double-double with 14 points and 14 rebounds. Ray McCallum played 40 minutes on the point scoring eight points, dishing out eight assists and blocking two shots. Isaiah Thomas was in street clothes on the Sacramento bench again for this game.

DeAndre Jordan scored 21 points for Los Angeles despite going a dismal three for 17 from the free throw line. Chris Paul put up 17 points from the point plus 10 assists for the double-double for the Clippers. J.J. Redick scored 13 points and Matt Barnes added 12 points for LAC.

The Kings shot under their season average as they were just 42.7-percent (35-82) from the field. They had one of their better days from 3-point territory as the team went four for nine (44.4-percent) from beyond the arc. Sacramento was 27 for 33 (81.8-percent) from the free throw line.

One stat that will make Coach Michael Malone happy was the Kings’ 21 assists versus just 10 turnovers. That marks a vast improvement for Sacramento. Los Angeles did out-rebound the Kings 43-38.

After the game, the Kings headed home for their game on Sunday night with the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Kings come up short versus Dallas 93-91

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Photo credit: Garrett Ellwood

By Charlie O. Mallonee

Heading into Sunday’s game with the Dallas Mavericks, the Kings had to answer two big questions. First, how would they bounce back after being humiliated by the Warriors 102-69 on Friday night? Second, how would play versus Dallas – a team in a three-way fight for the final two spots in the Western Conference Playoff race?

The Kings did bounce back from Friday night in a big way. Sacramento took Dallas down to the wire but ultimately came up short losing to the Mavericks 93-91.

After the game, Kings Head Coach Michael said, “It’s real simple. We’ve been in a lot of close games this year and we have to find a way to stop beating ourselves.” Malone was frustrated with his team’s rebounding and lack of second-chance points.

The Kings defense held Dallas to just 40.4-percent (36 for 89) shooting for the game but allowed the Mavs to shoot 41.9-percent (13 for 31) from beyond the 3-point line. Dallas hit five of those 3-pointers coming down the stretch in the fourth quarter which propelled them to the win.

The Kings were much improved on the ball handling side. They committed just 13 turnovers and recorded 21 assists. The problem for Sacramento was the 13 turnovers resulted in 21 points for the Mavericks. Dallas scored more than one-half of their points on turnovers and 3-point conversions.

The Kings were led by Rudy Gay and DeMarcus Cousins. Gay was the leading scorer in the game with 32 points, and he added eight assists. Cousins recorded his 49th double-double putting up 28 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. Gay and Cousins put the team on their backs and tried to carry them to victory.

Ray McCallum led the Kings on the point for the seventh straight game as Isaiah Thomas was still unavailable on Sunday. McCallum played all but 19-seconds of the game. He scored eight points and added nine assists. McCallum also had four rebounds, three steals and one blocked shot. He turned the ball over just three times.

Travis Outlaw was active all game and hit two key 3-point baskets in the final period to keep the Kings in contention for the win.

As a team the Kings shot 47.4-percent (36 for 76) from the field. They shot just 27.8-percent for 3-pointers. Sacramento shot 70.0-percent (14 for 20) from the free throw line. It was a game where literally one 3-point basket or three additional free throw conversions wins the game for the Kings.

The Mavericks were led by former Warrior Monta Ellis. Ellis scored 23 points off 19 shots, hit two 3-pointers, grabbed four rebounds and recorded four assists. Vince Carter had a productive game scoring 17 points in just 24-minutes of play. Carter was four of nine from 3-point land. Dirk Nowitzki put up 15 points on 17 shots in the game. Jose Calderon added 14 points that included four 3-pointers.

The Mavericks turned the ball over 10 times and allowed just eight points off those turnovers. Dallas out-rebounded the Kings 45-40.

The Mavericks record improves to 47-31 with the victory and has them in seventh place in Western Conference Playoff standings. Dallas now has a two game lead over eighth place Phoenix.

Dallas Head Coach Rick Carlisle said after the game,” We knew it was going to be a dog fight but the good thing is that we stayed together.  Dirk Nowitzki came in and made some big free throws at the end, but they came down and got a returned shot at one point. We’re happy with the win but we need to do much better.”

The Kings have five games remaining in the 2013-14 season and three of them are home games. Up next for the Kings is the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday in Sacramento. The Kings will be trying to avoid the season series sweep as the Thunder have won the previous three meetings. Sacramento will then go on the road to take on the Trail Blazers in Portland on Thursday. The Kings are 1-2 on the season versus the Blazers. Sacramento will then head to Los Angeles to face the Clippers on Saturday before heading home to host the Minnesota Timberwolves next Sunday.

Peja Stojakovic was in the house on Sunday afternoon as the Kings continue to reconnect with the star players from the past.

Warriors crush Kings 102-69

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Photo credit: Rocky Widner

By Charlie O. Mallonee

Sacramento and Golden State played a basketball in Oakland on Friday night. Unfortunately for Kings’ fans, their team spent most of the night in the “Twilight Zone”. The Warriors beat up on the Kings 102-69.

The Kings knew they were in trouble early in the game. DeMarcus Cousins picked up two personal fouls in less 1:30 played in game. For Sacramento to have any chance to compete in the game, they needed a strong effort from Cousins. With their star center on the bench, things went downhill quickly for the Kings.

Klay Thompson led the Warrior attack by being aggressive in taking the ball to the hoop. Golden State scored 18 points in the paint in the first quarter. The Kings were not going to the basket and were cold shooting from the perimeter. Sacramento shot just 18.0-percent in the quarter while Golden State shot just 36.0-percent from the field. The Kings turned the ball over a season high nine times in the quarter.

After one quarter, the Warriors led the Kings 25-14.

Golden State went on a 7-0 run to begin the second quarter. The Kings had virtually no ball movement and opened the quarter by going 0 for 7 shooting. Just as the Kings looked like they might be ready to wake up and challenge the Warriors, Golden State went on an 11-0 run.

By the time the halftime buzzer sounded, Golden State was leading the Kings 59-27.

The Kings shot 17.9-percent (7 for 39) for field goals. Sacramento turned the ball over 12 times and had just four assists. The Warriors shot 48.0-percent (24 for 50) from the field and 46.2-percent from beyond the 3-point line. Golden State had 16 assists and just five turnovers.

The Warriors came out in the third quarter still on fire and went on an 11-2 run. DeMarcus Cousins tried to pick up his team by scoring 14 points in the third, but it was too little, too late. After three, the Warriors led 84-50.

The teams played the fourth quarter because they were required to play it, but the outcome of the game was already known to all. Golden State emptied their bench and rested their starters. Sacramento did the same with about six minutes left to play in the final quarter. The Kings did outscore the Warriors 19-18 in the fourth.

The final score was Golden State 102 Sacramento 69.

The Kings shot just 32.1-percent for the game and just 10.0-percent from beyond the 3-point arc. The young Sacramento backcourt played very young versus the Warriors.

Cousins led the Kings with a double-double of 19 points and 11 rebounds. Rudy Gay and Jason Thompson scored 10 points each.

Klay Thompson led the scoring for Golden State with 21 points. The Warriors had seven players score in double-figures.

After the game, Kings Head Coach Michael Malone spoke about it being a disappointing night with a disappointing effort. He noted that his team could not respond to the Warriors dominate effort in the paint and on the glass. Malone expressed concern over how his team would respond on Sunday versus Dallas.

The Kings will face a tough Dallas Mavericks team on Sunday afternoon in Sacramento. The Mavericks are in a three team race for the final two playoff spots in the Western Conference.

A’s Report: How many more Opening Nights will there be in Oakland?

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By Charlie O. Mallonee

The Oakland Athletics need a champion not a championship (although that would not hurt their cause). The Athletics need an individual who is ready to lay their reputation on the line and pull out all the stops to build a new stadium for the team.

The A’s are the last team in Major League Baseball to be housed in a multipurpose stadium. The 48-year old O.co Coliseum (formerly the Oakland – Alameda County Coliseum) is a hole. The building is old and has no charm since the addition of “Mt. Davis” in center field. The sewage system does not work properly, and the stadium lacks all the amenities of newer facilities. The facility no longer works for the A’s or for the Raiders as a place to play professional sports.

The City of Oakland and Alameda County have a major dilemma on their hands. The Athletics need a new stadium or they will be playing somewhere else. The Raiders want a new facility or they will probably be back in Southern California. The Warriors will ultimately wind up in San Francisco. That means Oakland is on the verge of having no professional teams within its borders.

The Athletics want to move to San Jose. San Jose wants the A’s. A marriage made in heaven except that the San Francisco Giants are doing everything within their power to stop it with their claims of territorial rights. The Giants do not want the Athletics in Silicon Valley. In reality, the Giants do not want the A’s in the Bay Area or Northern California. The Giants would be perfectly happy to be the lone team in the nation’s sixth largest television market.

Major League Baseball led by Commissioner Bud Selig has chosen the Giants as their favorite and has made the Athletics the ugly stepchild. MLB’s view is it’s Oakland or somewhere else in the East Bay or the highway for the A’s. Baseball has backed the Athletics into a corner where the only choices may be for Lew Wolff and his partners to sell or move the team out of Northern California.

Major League Baseball would probably be very happy if the Athletics were to move. New Orleans, Nashville and Charlotte are all in the market for a major league team. After the overwhelming response to an exhibition game in Montreal this weekend, the people of Quebec may be back in the market for a major league team. There are cities that would want the Athletics and would give them what they want – a world class baseball facility.

What will it take for the Athletics to get something done in the East Bay? It may take a new ownership group. Lew Wolff and his partners may just be too fed up to fight for the A’s. Wolff is a major force in Major League Soccer. The Earthquakes have their new stadium in San Jose and are ready to become one of the top draws in the MLS. Wolff was shut out in Fremont and San Jose. It may be time for a new group to take up the fight.

In Sacramento when the Kings were on the brink of having the moving vans whisk them away in the middle of the night, Mayor Kevin Johnson stood up and said no way! Johnson put his entire mayoral legacy on line to keep the Kings in Sacramento. He not only pushed to build a new arena but also helped to put together a new ownership group to run the NBA franchise. Vivek Ranadive and partners have brought a renewed spirit to the Kings and fans believe the franchise is on its way to the next level.

Will Oakland Mayor Jean Quan or Alameda County Board of Supervisors President Keith Carson be the politician that stands up and leads the way? Will it be another collation between the city and the county? Will leaders in Dublin, Pleasanton or Livermore become the leaders who take on saving the A’s for Northern California? It will take one politician who will stand up and lay it all on the line to save the Athletics and reap the benefits of doing so.

The clock is ticking. There may be opening nights in Oakland next year and the year to follow but make no mistake, time is running out on the A’s, Oakland and Alameda County and the Bay Area.

Mavs squeak past Kings 103-100

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Photo credit: NBAE/Getty Images

By Charlie O. Mallonee

After having been beaten by the Thunder on Friday, the Sacramento Kings had the unenviable task of playing the second half of a back-to-back Saturday night in Dallas against Dirk Nowitzki and the Mavericks. The Mavs are battling for the final spot in the playoffs in the Western Conference and winning was crucial if they were to stay in the hunt. Dallas did win 103-100, but the Mavs cannot be happy that the game was so close.

The Kings came into the game with just eleven active players and one of those players – Isaiah Thomas – could not play due a thigh contusion. Undermanned and on the road, the Kings should have been easy prey, but it would not turn out that way for Dallas.

Dallas was led by Nowitzki’s 19 points. He shot 50.0-percent from the field and added seven rebounds plus seven assists. Nowitzki was nine of 10 from the free throw line. Monte Ellis put up 17 points and dished out six assists. Samuel Dalembert scored 15 points going seven for eight from the field. Shawn Marion added 14 points.

The Mavs shot 48.6-percent (34 for 70) from the field. They shot just 30.4-percent (7 for 23) from 3-point range. Dallas really helped themselves from the charity stripe as they hit 28 of 35 (80.0-percent) from the free throw line.

The Mavericks also took advantage of the Kings’ turnovers. Dallas scored 25 points off Sacramento’s 18 turnovers.

The Kings field goal percentage was 51.9 (42 for 81) against Dallas. Sacramento shot just 30.0-percent (3 for 10) from beyond the 3-point line. They out-rebounded the Mavericks 47-35. The Kings outscored Dallas 60-38 in the paint.

Rudy Gay led the Kings in scoring with 30 points in 42 minutes on the floor. DeMarcus Cousins put up 17 points but was limited to just 29 minutes of playing time due to foul trouble.

With Isaiah Thomas on the bench, rookie Ray McCallum ran the team from the point for the second consecutive game. McCallum played the entire 48 minutes of the game. He scored 16 points and handed out eight assists. McCallum also had two steals and one blocked shot in the game.

Reggie Evans continues to impress with his 18 rebounds in the contest. He put up six points and had two steals.

The Kings will get a much needed day of rest on Sunday before taking on the Pelicans in New Orleans on Monday. Kings’ head coach Michael Malone indicated that Isaiah Thomas might be available versus the Pelicans.

Kings lose in OKC 94-81

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By Charlie O. Mallonee

The Sacramento Kings kicked off a three-game road trip in Oklahoma City versus the Thunder on Friday night. The outcome was no surprise as the Thunder defeated the Kings 94-81. The win improved Oklahoma City’s home record to improve to 30-7. Sacramento’s road record dropped to 10-26. The Thunder have won seven of their last 10 games. The Kings have lost seven of their last 10 games.

The Thunder were led by Kevin Durant who scored 29 points in just 29 minutes on the floor. Durant was nine for 11 from the field, a perfect eight for eight from the free throw line while recording six assists, two steals and two block shots. Russell Westbrook put up 18 points and Jeremy Lamb added 13 points.  

The Kings leading scorer was Ben McLemore with 18 points. McLemore hit on five of 16 shots from the field, hit three 3-pointers, distributed three assists and recorded two steals. Ray McCallum started at point guard with Isaiah Thomas out for the second straight game. McCallum put up 13 points while dishing out five assists. Both McLemore and McCallum recorded 45 minutes of playing time in the game.

Travis Outlaw had another big night. Outlaw posted 17 points hitting on five of six 3-point shots. Rudy Gay added just seven points in a limited outing of just 21 minutes of playing time. DeMarcus Cousins battled foul trouble and put just four points in 17 minutes on the floor.

The reduced playing time for Gay and Cousins may have also been pre-planned by Kings Coach Michael Malone. This was not a game that the Kings were expected to win. Sacramento plays Dallas on Saturday and the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday. A rested Gay and Cousins could help the Kings pick up a victory in one of those two games.

The Kings shot just 36.5-percent (31 for 85) from the field but shot 50.0-percent (9 for 18) from 3-point range. The Kings shot below average from the free throw line at just 62.5-percent (10 for 16). Sacramento out-rebounded the Thunder 49-38. The Kings recorded 17 assists but turned the ball over 16 times.

The Kings left after the game for Dallas where they will play the Mavericks on Saturday night. The Mavs are 43-30 on the season and are currently in ninth-place in the Western Conference. Dallas is one game behind the Phoenix Suns for the eighth and final playoff spot.

Kings beat up on Bucks 124-107

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By Charlie O. Mallonee

The Sacramento Kings had the unenviable task of going from playing the best team in “the Association”- the Spurs – to having to face the worst team in the league – the Milwaukee Bucks – on Sunday at home. The Kings could have easily come out flat, but they came out ready to play looking for a victory. Sacramento beat Milwaukee 124-107.

The Kings were led by DeMarcus Cousins who posted a double-double scoring 32 points and grabbing 12 rebounds while playing just 29 minutes in the game. Cousins spent the entire fourth quarter on the bench. Isaiah Thomas scored 30 points on just 15 shots that included going three for four from “3-point land”. Thomas also dished out eight assists. Rudy Gay put up 24 points while pulling down eight rebounds and serving up four assists. Ben McLemore scored 15 points including three 3-pointers.

Sacramento shot 51.2-percent from the field and shot 35.0-percent (7 for 20) from beyond the 3-point line. As a team, the Kings recorded 19 assists against just 12 turnovers. The Kings outrebounded the Bucks 44-40.

With a big win and numbers like they posted, you would think Kings Head Coach Michael Malone would have been very happy after the game. You would only be partially right. Coach stated that he is happy with any win in the NBA, but he was unhappy with the 63 points his team gave up in the second half. Up by 40 at one point, Malone was not pleased that he had to consider putting Cousins back in the game if things had continued to get out of hand.

The Kings came out in the first half ready to dominate the lowly Milwaukee Bucks. The Kings took a 70-44 lead into the locker room after 24-minutes of play. DeMarcus Cousins put up 21 points; Rudy Gay added 17 while Ben McLemore posted 11 going four for eight from the field.

The Kings were able to dominate due to their play in the paint. Sacramento scored 28 points down low while allowing the Bucks just 16 in the paint. The Kings also ruled the boards outrebounding Milwaukee 27-20.

The Kings were looking to run the fastbreak in the first half. They added nine points off the break while the Sacramento defense gave up no fastbreak points to the Bucks. The Kings defense held the Bucks to just 34.9-percent (15 for 42) shooting. Sacramento shot 58.1-percent (24 for 43) from the field. The Kings shot 40.0-percent (4 for 10) from beyond the 3-point arc.

Coach Malone was also able to give some extended rest to Cousins, Gay and Thomas. That also meant valuable playing time for Ray McCallum and Travis Outlaw.

The first half also featured two flagrant fouls committed by the Bucks.

Milwaukee started off the third quarter with an 8-0 run. That caused Malone to take a quick timeout. The Bucks started working the paint and scoring on the Kings. The Kings appeared to be flat and distracted. Cousins then scored on a coast to coast bucket and Thomas hit two 3-pointers allowing the Kings to maintain the lead. The Kings hit the century mark with 2:17 left to play in the third quarter. The quarter ended with the Kings leading the Bucks 104-70.

The fourth quarter should have been pure garbage time for the Kings. Instead the Bucks were able to begin to make Malone and the crowd a bit nervous. Sacramento suffered a series of defensive breakdowns that caused Malone to call timeouts to preach defense to his team.

The Kings allowed Milwaukee to shoot 75.0-percent (15 for 20) from the field in the fourth quarter. The Bucks scored 14 of those points in the paint and 10 points on fastbreaks. Milwaukee outscored the Kings 37-20 in the final period. Garbage time or not, that cannot happen when you start the quarter with a 34-point lead. It is part of the process of having to learn how to handle a large lead.

The Kings are off until Wednesday when they will host the New York Knicks in the final game of the four-game home-stand. Sacramento will then head out on a three-game road trip to Oklahoma City, Dallas and New Orleans.

Kings fall to Spurs 99-79

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By Charlie O. Mallonee

The San Antonio Spurs won their 12th consecutive game on Friday night as they beat the Sacramento Kings 99-79. It was a game that featured ferocious defense, very physical play and at times just plain ugly basketball.

Kings head coach Michael Malone was happy with his teams’ effort in the game. He also had praise for the play of San Antonio. Malone made it known he was happy to be done with the Spurs for the 2013-14 season.

The Kings were led by Isaiah Thomas’ 18 points. DeMarcus Cousins recorded a double-double with 15 points and 13 rebounds. Rudy Gay scored 14 points while playing through a stomach virus. Travis Outlaw had a strong night scoring 13 for the Kings.

The Kings big three – Cousins, Gay and Thomas – scored just 47 total points on a night when they needed to score 65-70 points combined to win the game. The Spurs played really tough defense against the Kings on Friday.

The Spurs had six players in double figures led by Marco Belinelli’s 17 points. Kawhi Leonard put up 15 points. Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili scored 14 points each. Tim Duncan was held to just 10 points.

The Kings came out slow in the first quarter and the Spurs quickly doubled up the score 16-8. The Sacramento shooting improved and the Kings closed the scoring gap in short order. The Kings shot 47.8-percent for the quarter while the Spurs shot just 36.4-percent from the field. Cousins put up eight points while Thomas added six to go with five points from Ben McLemore and Rudy Gay’s four. The Spurs were led by Kawhi Leonard and Tiago Splitter with seven points each.

The Kings managed to put up just 14 points in the second quarter as their shooting fell off to 28.6-percent. The second unit led by Ray McCallum was unable to put together a run. Things went from bad to worse as Ben McLemore picked up two personals in under 30-seconds and had to go to the bench with four fouls. While the Kings could not score, the Spurs kept the ball moving and took any shot that became available. San Antonio scored 23 points in the period by keeping the ball moving and going to the basket. The Spurs scored 18 points in the paint to just two points in the paint for the Kings. The Spurs were just 1 for 13 from beyond the 3-point line in the first half. At halftime, the Spurs led the Kings 47-37.

The Kings came out in the third quarter with burst of energy and quickly cut the Spurs lead to just five points. Rudy Gay looked like his was going to take charge of the game despite being under the weather. The rally was short lived as the Spurs scored five quick points and increased the lead back to 10 points. Tim Duncan picked up a technical foul for protesting the calls of the referees in the midst of some very physical play. Kings Coach Michael Malone also was assessed a technical for protesting the calls of the officials. The Kings committed six personal fouls and turned the ball over seven times. At the end of three quarters San Antonio led Sacramento 69-57.

The Spurs started off the fourth quarter with two quick baskets which forced the Kings to call an early timeout. San Antonio started hitting their outside shots and began to take full control of the game. Sacramento had several defensive breakdowns that allowed the Spurs to score easy baskets. The Spurs were paced by guard Marco Belinelli who scored 13 points in the final quarter. Rudy Gay was able to play just three minutes due to illness. San Antonio scored 30 points in the fourth while Sacramento put up just 22 points. The Spurs won the game 99-79.

The Kings will go from playing the best to playing the worst in NBA as the Milwaukee Bucks come to Sacramento on Sunday afternoon. Sacramento will need to guard against letting down against a team they should beat.

Kings lose a heartbreaker to T-wolves 104-102

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By Charlie O. Mallonee

Kevin Martin scored 31 points and Kevin Love hit for 26 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and distributed five assists as the Minnesota Timberwolves defeated the Sacramento Kings 104-102 on Sunday night in Minneapolis.

Isaiah Thomas led the Kings with 27 points and Derrick Williams put up 26 points off the bench to take the game down to the wire with Timberwolves. Rudy Gay added 14 points, but it would not be enough to get a win in the seventh and final game of the 13-day road trip.

The Kings started the game with a major disadvantage having to play without DeMarcus Cousins in the lineup. Cousins was suffering from knee tenderness. Cousins is almost a guaranteed double-double in every game he starts which means a significant  of number of points and rebounds must be covered by the other starters and the bench.

Nikola Pekovic was unable to go for the Timberwolves due to an ankle problem.

The Timberwolves jumped out to an early 13-6 lead as the Kings looked out of sync on both offense and defense which forced an early timeout call. The Kings looked better for short period after the timeout but then began to give up fastbreaks and easy points to Minnesota.

Derrick Williams – the former Timberwolf – came in with the second unit for the Kings and immediately provided a spark by scoring 10 points on just three shots. The Kings were able to close the gap and trailed the Timberwolves by just three points – 32-29 – after one quarter of play.

The Kings did not start the second quarter well as it took them 2:29 to put up their first points which was another bucket by Derrick Williams. The Kings closed the Minnesota lead to just two and took the lead 39-38 on a Derrick Williams three-point play. After a timeout, Rick Adelman put his first unit back on the floor to face the Kings. Michael Malone chose to keep his second unit out versus the Timberwolves’ first unit.

The Kings and Wolves then began trading baskets and fouls staying within three points of the other team. The game also switched to a half-court offensive contest. The Kings’ defense prevented the Timberwolves from setting up for the fastbreak. The Kings using some inspired play from Rudy Gay and Williams were able to go to the locker room with a 54-53 lead.

Derrick Williams scored 16 points in just 11 minutes of play for the Kings in the first-half. Reggie Evans scored eight points and Rudy Gay added seven points. Isaiah Thomas put up five points and dished out six assists. The Kings had 12 assists versus seven turnovers. The Sacramento bench outscored the Minnesota bench 30-4.

 The third quarter began with Kevin Martin and Kevin Love shooting the ball well and allowing the Timberwolves to retake the lead. Gorgui Dieng was very active on defense plugging up the middle and swatting away shots. The Kings then turned it on with Isaiah Thomas tying the game at 69 all.

Isaiah Thomas really turned up the effort scoring 13 points in the third, but the Love, Martin and Dieng combination was very strong allowing the Timberwolves to take the lead 77-74 after three quarters.

The Kings came out in the final period with Williams and McCallum hitting buckets and giving the Kings the lead 78-77. When the Timberwolves had not scored after two minutes, Rick Adelman took a timeout.

The teams proceeded to trade buckets and the game remained tied or within two points of the other team for the next few minutes. Derrick Williams showed the Minnesota fans what they gave up when he was traded to Sacramento by scoring nine quick points.

Kevin Love scored four quick points to give the Wolves the lead, but Thomas and Williams kept the Kings in the game and within one point with 1:26 left to play. The Kings took the lead on two free throw shots by Williams. Love gave Minnesota the lead back with a 3-point shot. Ricky Rubio opened up a three point – 98-95 – lead for the Wolves hitting one of two free throws with 41 seconds left to play. The Kings missed on three opportunities and Minnesota went to the free throw line with 16 seconds left to go. Kevin Martin hit the two free throws and it was 100-95 with 16 seconds to play. Isaiah Thomas hit a 3-point shot to bring the Kings within two points of the lead. Kevin Martin was fouled and hit two free throws. Thomas hit another 3-pointer to make it 102-101 Timberwolves. Martin hit two more free throws and Thomas hit from the charity stripe to make it 104-102 Minnesota. Dieng was fouled and missed both shots with 1 second to go. Rudy Gay took a full court shot that missed and the Timberwolves won the game 104-102.

The long and arduous road trip is finally over. The Kings headed back to Sacramento and will host the Washington Wizards on Tuesday night.