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 Jazz in Overtime

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Photo credit: Melissa Majchrak

By Charlie O. Mallonee

The Sacramento Kings defeated the Utah Jazz on Saturday night in overtime 112-102. It was not only a big road win, but it was a win in a close game that Kings needed very badly.

The Kings had lost the proverbial heartbreaker to the Los Angeles Lakers at home on Friday night. The team, the coaching staff and the fans were beginning to wonder if the team would ever be able to win a close game this season.

Saturday did not start off the way the Kings would have liked. DeMarcus Cousins picked up two personal fouls in the first minute of the game. With Cousins on the bench, the Kings had their work cut out for them to just keep the game close until their star center could return.

The Jazz led the game 50-47 at the half.

In the third quarter, the Kings began to open up the game. The Jazz had no answer for Cousins down low in the paint. Isaiah Thomas was breaking down the Utah defense driving the lane and distributing the ball at will. The Kings led 74-70 after three quarters, and it felt like the Kings could run away with the game if they could continue playing the way they did in the third.

Early in the fourth quarter the Kings shooting went cold. At one point, the Kings were shooting just 29% while the Jazz were shooting 54% from the field. It began to look like the Lakers, Golden State and Oklahoma City games all over again.

After the game, head coach Michael Malone said he kept calling timeouts not to set plays or the defense, but to try and instill confidence in his team that they could win a close game.

With 11.9 seconds to go in the game, the Kings trailed the Jazz 97-94. Isaiah Thomas took the ball and started to drive the lane when looked to his right and saw Ben McLemore. He swung the ball to McLemore who shot a 25 footer that was good for three points tying the game at 97-97. The Jazz were unable to score, and it was off to overtime for the second time this season for both teams.

DeMarcus Cousins scored the first points in the extra period on a layup with an assist from John Salmons. That basket set the tone for the Kings who would go on to outscore the Jazz 15-5 in overtime. Sacramento closed out the period on a 10-0 run to win the game 112-102.

Cousins led all scorers with 28 points. He added seven rebounds, three assists, two steals and three blocked shots. Isaiah Thomas tallied 26 points, eight assists and four steals. Ben McLemore posted 15 points, nine rebounds and two steals in his 38 minutes of playing time.

Gordon Hayward led the Jazz with 22 points, four rebounds, three assists and two blocked shots.

Sacramento’s record improves to 5-13 on the season. Utah falls to 4-18 for the year.

The Kings flew home after the game and will now prepare for a Monday night contest with the Dallas Mavericks at Sleep Train Arena.

Kings Fold in the Fourth; Lose to Lakers 106-100

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Photo Credit: Rocky Widner/NBAE/Getty Images

By Charlie O. Mallonee

The Kings lost at home on Friday night to the Los Angeles Lakers 106-100. It was game they did not have to lose. It was a game the Kings should have won.

After the game, Kings Head Coach Michael Malone said one word was on his mind, “discipline. And, we had none in this game tonight.”

Turnovers and lack of defense in the fourth quarter led to the Kings defeat. The Kings turned to ball over five times in the final period. The Lakers outscored the Kings 25-13 in fourth. That lack of discipline cost Sacramento the 87-81 lead they had after three periods of play.

The game started slow for the Kings. It looked like they might fall back into their habit of falling seriously behind and then having to play catch up later in the game. With 3:19 to play in the first, Isaiah Thomas came into the game for Vasquez and the Kings’ tempo changed dramatically. They went from trailing the Lakers by seven to leading the game by two points (30-28) by the end of the quarter. The crowd knew their team could win the game if they continued to play at that level.

In the second quarter, Thomas continued to lead the way. He played the entire 12 minutes, scored 10 points and dished out three assists. The problem for the Kings became their shot selection and shooting percentage. Sacramento’s field goal shooting dropped to 36.0% (9/25) while the Lakers shot 50.0%. The Kings managed to outscore the Lakers 25-24 in the quarter and took a 55-52 lead with them to locker room at the half.

The Kings came out in the third quarter ready to do battle. They established an eight point lead (68-60) by the 7:39 mark in the period. Then with 6:39 to play, DeMarcus Cousins picked up his fourth personal foul which would ultimately have a dramatic impact on the game as he had to sit on the bench. The rest of the Kings went to work picking up the slack. When Ben McLemore hit back-to-back 3-pointers, it looked like the Kings were poised to beat the Lakers. When the quarter ended, the score was the Kings 87 and the Lakers 81.

Then came the disastrous fourth quarter and the Kings shot just 23.5% (4/17). Isaiah Thomas was 0/4, Cousins was 0/4 and Williams 0/1 from the field. Sacramento turned the ball over five times. They allowed the Lakers to steal the ball five times in the period. The Lakers outscored the Kings 25-13. The Kings ran out of gas, things got ugly and they lost the game 106-100.

“Obviously this isn’t what we worked on, diagrammed or hoped for,” said Michael Malone. “It’s obvious that we have to do a lot more. I thought we had great late-game execution against Golden State. We got whatever we wanted, we scored, and we executed. Tonight, down the stretch, we turned the ball over on almost every possession. It was very disappointing, obviously. We’ll have another chance tomorrow in Utah and we need to regroup to find a way to get a road win.”

DeMarcus Cousins and Ben McLemore led all scorers in the game with 20 points each. Isaiah Thomas tallied 14 points before going cold in the fourth quarter. John Salmons added 13 points; Williams and Thompson had nine points each.

Cousins made it a double-double game with his 20 points and 11 rebounds.

Pau Gasol and Jodie Meeks led the Lakers in scoring with 19 points each. Nick Young scored 14, Wesley Johnson and Steve Blake 13 each and Robert Sacre added 11 points.  Blake posted a double-double by adding 10 assists.

The Kings boarded a plane for Salt Lake City after the game. They will play the Utah Jazz on Saturday night. The Jazz were destroyed by the Trail Blazers on Friday night 130-97. On paper, the Kings should have real chance to defeat the Jazz, but that’s on paper. The reality is the game is on road versus a team that is just as hungry for a win as are the Kings.

Beane Named Baseball Executive of the Year

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Photo credit: oaklandathletics.com

By Charlie O. Mallonee

Oakland Athletics vice president and general manager Billy Beane has been named MLB Executive of the Year for 2013 by Baseball America. He won the Baseball America award in 2002 as well.

Beane engineered a major overhaul of the A’s roster after a 74-88 season in 2011.He traded away three All-Star pitchers (Gio Gonzalez, Trevor Cahill and Andrew Bailey) to stock his club with young talent who have played major roles in the club’s return to prominence.

Beane also made a major trade in 2013 with the Houston Astros that brought Jed Lowrie to Oakland in exchange for Chris Carter and Max Stassi. The veteran shortstop had a major impact on the A’s batting .290 with 175 hits, 45 doubles and 15 home runs. That acquisition helped the A’s finish with a 96-66 record and to win the Western Division Pennant.

Beane has been deemed the master of working a small payroll, incorporating Sabremetrics to select players and building strong clubs without utilizing long-term contracts. The Tampa Bay Rays are just one team that has emulated Beane’s philosophy to build a successful ball club.

Beane has been busy already this winter making three trades to shore up the relief pitching and adding a productive reserve outfielder.

Kings McLemore Named Western Conference Rookie of the Month

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Photo credit: NBA.com

By Charlie O. Mallonee

Guard Ben McLemore of the Sacramento Kings has been named Western Conference Rookie of the Month for November.

In November, McLemore averaged 9.1 points (.378 FG%, .350 3-PT%, .810 FT%), 2.9 rebounds, 0.9 assists and 22.8 minutes in 14 games. In six of those games, he scored in double figures. McLemore scored a career high 19 points at Golden State on November 2.  Of all rookies in the NBA, he is ranked third in scoring, second in 3-Point field goal percentage, third in free throw percentage and fourth in minutes per game.

McLemore is the fifth Kings player to win the monthly rookie award. Isaiah Thomas was the last Sacramento player to earn the rookie of the month honor in March of 2012.

McLemore has been moved into the starting line-up by Head Coach Michael Malone. He scored 14 points, pulled down 3 rebounds and had one steal in 28 minutes of playing time against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday night.

A’s Make More Changes Via Trades

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Photo Credit: Getty Images

By Charlie O. Mallonee

The Oakland Athletics are being very active in the “hot stove” market. Not all the names involved are household names, but they are the pieces that Billy Beane and staff are putting together to make up the 2014 version of the Oakland A’s.

On Tuesday, the A’s announced a trade that brings right-handed relief pitcher Luke Gregerson from the San Diego Padres to Oakland. In exchange, the A’s sent outfielder Seth Smith to the Padres.

Gregerson was 6-8 with four saves and a 2.71 ERA in 73 relief appearances for the Padres in 2013. He held opposing hitters to a .203 batting average and right-hand hitters to just a .192 mark.

Gregerson made his Major League debut with San Diego in 2009 and has appeared in at least 60 games in each of his five seasons with the Padres. He has a career 2.88 ERA in 363 relief appearances.

Gregerson is the second major change to the relief staff that A’s have made over the last two days. Oakland also traded for  Orioles closer Jim Johnson.

Seth Smith batted .253 with eight home runs and 40 RBI in 117 games for Oakland in 2013. The left-handed hitter made 84 of his 97 starts versus right-handed pitching. Smith is a .265 career hitter.

Also on Tuesday, the A’s  acquired outfielder Craig Gentry and right-handed pitcher Josh Lindblom from the Texas Rangers in exchange for outfielder Michael Choice and minor league infielder Chris Bostick.

Gentry hit .280 with two home runs and 22 RBI in 106 games for the Rangers last season. He was 24 for 27 (88.9%) in stolen bases which was the third best percentage in the American League. The right-handed hitting Gentry started 49 games in center field and 20 games in left field for Texas in 2013.

Lindblom was 1-3 with a 5.46 ERA in eight games (five starts) in three call ups to the Rangers last season. He also went 8-4 with a 3.08 ERA in 20 games (18 starts) with Triple-A Round Rock.

Choice made his Major League debut with the A’s in the September call-up last year. He hit .278 with a double and a walk in nine games. Choice was the A’s first round draft pick in 2010.

Bostick spent the entire 2013 season with Single-A Beloit. He batted .282 with 14 home runs and 89 RBI in 129 games.

A’s Trade for Closer Jim Johnson

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By Charlie O. Mallonee

The Oakland Athletics have addressed their need for a closer by acquiring Jim Johnson from the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for infielder Jemile Weeks and a player to be named later.

The 6-6, 240 pound right-handed Johnson has saved a Major League leading 101 games over the past two seasons. In 2013, he was 3-8 with 50 saves in 59 appearances and a 2.94 ERA. It was nine blown saves in the second half of the 2013 season and the fact that Johnson is arbitration eligible that made him available on the trading block.

In 2012, Johnson posted a record of 2-1 with 51 saves in 54 opportunities and a 2.49 ERA for Baltimore. He was an All-Star selection and the AL Rolaids Relief Man of the Year.

Johnson pitched parts of six seasons in Baltimore compiling a record of 18-26 with a 3.11 ERA. He recorded 122 saves in 150 save situations.

The acquisition of Johnson likely means the A’s will abandon their attempts to bring back Grant Balfour.

Jemile Weeks, a former first round draft pick in 2008, batted .271 with 19 doubles, 10 triples, four home runs, 40 RBI and 17 stolen bases in 130 games for Triple-A Sacramento in 2013. During the season, Weeks was used as an infielder and outfielder. He was a September call-up in 2013. Weeks hit .111 in eight games for Oakland.

A’s Come to Terms with Fernando Rodriguez

The Athletics have signed RHP Fernando Rodriguez to a one year contract for the 2014 season. Rodriguez was arbitration eligible.

Rodriguez was acquired by the A’s from Houston in the Jed Lowrie trade. He recorded a 10.13 ERA in four spring training appearances before going on the disabled list March 23 with a sprained right elbow. Rodriguez underwent successful ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) or “Tommy John” surgery.

Rodriguez has posted a career record of 4-13 with a 4.89 ERA in 119 relief appearances for the Angels and Houston.

 

A’s Reportedly Sign LHP Kazmir

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Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

By Charlie O. Mallonee

According to reports from the San Francisco Chronicle and MLB.com, the Oakland Athletics are in the final stages of signing LHP Scott Kazmir to a two-year, $22 million contract. A physical must be completed before the deal is finalized.

Kazmir pitched for the Cleveland Indians in 2013. He posted a record of 10-9 with a 4.04 ERA in 29 starts. Kazmir averaged 9.2 strikeouts and 2.7 walks per nine innings pitched. He recorded a WHIP of 1.323.

Kazmir was released by the Los Angeles Angels in 2011 after he struggled with his control. He spent the 2012 season playing independent ball in an attempt to make it back to the Major Leagues. Cleveland signed him to a minor league contract in 2013 before promoting him to majors in May.

The reports also indicated that the signing of Kazmir ends the pursuit of free agent Bartolo Colon.

Kings Lose Heartbreaker to Warriors 115-113

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By Charlie O. Mallonee

No matter who won the game, the opening paragraph was going to be the same. For one team it would be a well-deserved, hard fought victory and for the other team it would be a heartbreaking loss.

It was a well-deserved, hard fought 115-113 victory for the Golden State Warriors and a heartbreaking loss for the Sacramento Kings. The game literally came down to the final second on Sunday in Sacramento.

The fact that the game came down to last moment was a testament to the Sacramento Kings bench who did everything they were asked to do and more. With 2:08 left to play in the third quarter, the Kings trailed Golden State 88-72. Kings Head Coach Michael Malone said his team could have lost by 30 or fought back in attempt to win the game. The Kings fought back and Malone seemed very proud of his players.

The fourth quarter began with the Kings down by 10 points (GSW 90-SAC 80). Malone went with Patterson, Salmons, Thomas, Thornton and Hayes to start the period. That group closed the gap to six points. Green hit a 3-Pointer for the Warriors to make it a nine point lead as time was called with 8:13 to go in the game.

Coming out of the timeout, Cousins entered the game for Hayes. Cousins had an immediate impact with an assist and driving dunk that cut the Warrior lead to six.

Following an Isaiah Thomas steal and a Marcus Thornton 25 foot jump shot, the Warrior lead was down to one.

The Kings took the lead on a Thomas 3-Pointer off an assist from Cousins 104-102.

The game continued to see-saw back and forth. With 47.8 seconds to play, the game was tied at 111-111. Draymond Green put the Warriors back on top with a put-back of a Curry missed jumper.

After a 20 second timeout, Cousins hit a five foot jump hook to re-tie the game at 113-113. Salmons fouled Curry who hit both of his free throws to put the Warriors back in front 115-113.

Isaiah Thomas missed a lay-up with 1.8 seconds left to play. Bogut grabbed the rebound and the game was over. Golden State had defeated the Kings 115-113.

After the game Head Coach Michael Malone said, “Our guys have a ‘no quit’ attitude. I challenge them a lot. I never want them to be a team that just rolls over. What I like about our guys is that it could’ve been a 16 point deficit that turned into 30 but it turned into a two point lead and giving ourselves a chance. We were only one defensive rebound away from winning that game. The challenge that we have as a team is to stay together and find ways to close things out. Yes, we play the toughest schedule in the NBA but the reality is that we have another team coming in Tuesday night that’s not going to feel sorry for us. We have to do a better job at taking care of the ball and defending at a much higher level.”

The Kings came into the needing to shoot better on offense and to do a better job of defending the other team especially from beyond the 3-Point line. They accomplished one of those two goals on Sunday.

The Kings took advantage of a Warriors team that does not play great defense. Sacramento shot 52.6% (40/76) from the field and shot an impressive 47.4% (9/19) for 3-Pointers. As a team, they shot 85.7% (24/28) from the Free Throw Line. On offense, the Kings did a great job.

Their defense however let them down. The Kings allowed Golden State to shoot 51.2% (42/82) overall and an incredible 60.0% (15/25) from 3-Point land. Stephen Curry scored 38 points with 15 of those points coming from beyond the arc. Klay Thompson scored 28 points and 24 of his points came off of eight 3-Point goals.

DeMarcus Cousins led all Sacramento scorers with 24 points. Marcus Thornton scored 21 coming off the bench including five 3-Point goals. Patrick Patterson shot 100.0% (8/8) scoring 18 points in his off the bench role. Isaiah Thomas scored 19 points. The Kings bench scored 65 points on Sunday night against the Warriors.

POST GAME NOTES:

The Kings fall to 4-11 overall and 3-7 at home. It was the fourth consecutive loss for the Kings.

DeMarcus Cousins 24 point game was his ninth 20 point plus game of the season.

The Warriors are now 10-6 overall and 5-6 on the road.

Golden State has won both games with the Kings this season.

The Warriors and Kings will play again on Wednesday 2/19/14 in Sacramento.

 

Kings Lose to Clippers 104-98 in OT

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By Charlie O. Mallonee

Round three of the 4-game season series between the Clippers and the Kings was just as exciting as last Saturday’s 103-102 Los Angeles win. This time it took overtime to decide who the victors would be in Sacramento. When the final buzzer sounded, the Clippers had won the game 104-98 to take a commanding 3-0 lead in series.

The Clippers have not lost a game this season in which they have scored at least 100 points. On Friday, they started a new streak of winning a game with Chris Paul on the bench for the entire contest. The league’s best point guard could not play on Friday due to the strained hamstring that he experienced against the Knicks on Wednesday.

Darren Collison started at the point for LA and handled the team very well. He had 15-points, 2 assists and 1 steal in his 40 minutes of playing time. Collison quietly kept the ball moving into the hands of his teammates who did the most with their opportunities.

Jamal Crawford came off the bench for the Clippers and showed us that it is his world and we are just allowed to live in it. Crawford poured in 31-points (12/22 FG, 3/7 3-pt, 4/4 FT) with 11 assists and seven rebounds in 37 minutes of playing time. No matter where you looked, it seemed like Crawford was there. His 31-points led all scorers in the game.

DeMarcus Cousins played tough and at times moved Griffin and Jordan around underneath the basket at will. Cousins played 41 minutes posting 25-points, nine rebounds, six assists and three blocked shots. He played with fire and determination which was required especially against DeAndre Jordan who played a take no prisoners’ type of game all night.

The Kings may have had their best first quarter of basketball of the season. They played a high energy type of game on both offense and defense. The Kings were 11/20 (55.0%) from the field and held the Clippers to just a 38.1 (8/21) field goal percentage. The Kings led 24-23 after one quarter.

The game settled down in the second quarter and Jamal Crawford began his domination of the game. Crawford scored nine-points and had five assists in period. The pace of the game was also affected by the referees calling offensive and loose ball fouls. It was like the league office called and ordered them to call more of those type of fouls. That did not continue in the second half. The Clippers outscored the Kings 27-21 in the quarter and led at half-time 50-45.

The third quarter saw a change in the style of play. Rather than running the fast break or taking outside shots, both teams began playing tough under the basket and looking for high percentage shots which was reflected in the shooting stats. The Clippers shot 7/12 (58.3%) while the Kings shot 11/21 (52.4%) from the field. The Kings outscored LA 27-23 and trailed the Clippers 73-72 at the end of three quarters.

The fourth quarter was tough and gritty. Points came hard for both teams. The crowd became more involved as the teams battled for supremacy. The Kings won the quarter 22-21 and after 48 minutes of play the game was tied at 94-all.

In the overtime period, the depth of the Clippers came to bear on the Kings. The Clippers outscored the Kings 10-4 in the extra five minutes. Jamal Crawford and Blake Griffin led LA with four-points each. Patrick Patterson scored all four of the Kings overtime points. When the buzzer sounded, the final score was Los Angeles 104 – Sacramento 98.

After the game, Kings Head Coach Michael Malone said, “It was another tough loss against a team that we’ve played against three times already. We can’t get over the hump. I loved how hard our guys played tonight and there were a lot of great things that came out of the game. We don’t play them again until the last week of the season and maybe by then we’ll figure out a way to get a win against them.”

One of the major stories of the night for the Kings was the play of their newest acquisition Derrick Williams. Williams was traded to the Kings from Minnesota earlier in the week. He played 32 minutes, scored 12-points, had four assists and pulled down 6 rebounds.

Per Coach Malone, “I thought he was terrific. Right away I said that he’s a guy that brings great athleticism and versatility. We had great plays and transitions, we got out and ran. We had some plays at the rim and he was a big part of that. He’s only going to get better as he gets his feet set and gets more comfortable.”

UP NEXT: The Golden State Warriors will be the next opponents for the Sacramento Kings on Sunday at 3:00 PM in Sleep Train Arena. It will be the second meeting of the season between the two teams. GSW won the first game on November 2 in Oakland 98-87. The game will be the second contest in a four-game home stand that includes the OKC Thunder next Tuesday and the LA Lakers on Friday December 6. Per Kobe Bryant, Friday could be his first game of the 2013-14 season.

GAME NOTES: The Kings and Clippers next and last meeting of the season will be on April 12, 2014 at the Staples Center. It will be game 80 of the season for the Kings. The schedule was designed to create some early excitement for the new season, but four months between games in the division is bit much. There must be a better way to make divisional play more exciting spread out over the entire season.

Kings vs Clippers Preview

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By Charlie O. Mallonee

The Sacramento Kings have not played a game since their loss last Sunday to the LA Lakers 100-86. The team looked tired in the second half of the Lakers game after losing a heartbreaker to the Cippers 103-102 on Saturday night.

The Clippers defeated the Knicks 93-80 on Wednesday night even with Chris Paul having to leave the game with a strained hamstring.

After the Knicks game, the Clippers seemed very pleased with their defense that held NYK to just 80 points. The Clippers have primarily been defeating teams with their offense. They have not lost a game this season when the team has scored 100 points or more in the contest.

The Kings will need to concentrate on controlling the defensive boards tonight. Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan can dominate the rebounding situation and kill a team with easy put back shots off the rebound. The Kings will need more than just Cousins to battle under the bucket to keep the Clippers from having multiple opportunities on offense.

The Kings must also play better defense on Friday. The Clippers are shooting 47.9% as a team. The Kings need to bring that percentage down into the low 40’s in order to post a victory.

The Kings will also need to show improved shooting versus the Clippers. Sacramento is averaging just 42.7% shooting from the field. That shooting percentage will not get it done against the Clippers.

The Clippers must contain DeMarcus Cousins if they are to win. Cousins scored 23 points and pulled down 19 rebounds versus LAC last Saturday. Cousins may have some help on the front line tonight with Derrick Williams starting at small forward. This will be Williams’ first game as a King.

The Clippers have two players with health issues coming into the game. Paul’s hamstring is questionable, but he has said he will be ready to play Friday night. Blake Griffin is nursing a tender elbow that had to have fluid drained off it earlier this week.

Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 PST. The game can be seen on CSNCA and heard on the Kings Radio Network.

 Ray McCallum Returns from Reno

 The Kings have recalled rookie guard Ray McCallum from the Reno Bighorns of the NBA D-League. McCallum joined the Bighorns on November 21.

McCallum averaged a team high 22 points (45.5 FG%, 30.8 3pt%, 66.7 FT%), 5.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.33 steals and a team high 38.0 minutes of playing time in three games with Reno.

McCallum should probably buy some tire chains as he may well be making the trip between Sacramento and Reno several times this season. The Kings want him to get playing time. If the PT does not come in Sacramento, he will be sent to Reno to get some game experience.