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 Trade for Power Forward Derrick Williams

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By Charlie O. Mallonee

If you thought the Sacramento Kings new ownership and management were just going to struggle through the season until the draft, you were wrong. The Kings have sent Luc Mbah a Moute to the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for Power Forward Derrick Williams.

“We’re excited to acquire a player with Derrick’s skillset,” said D’Alessandro. “He will add size, length and serve as a scoring threat in our frontcourt. We also want to thank Luc for his contributions during the short time he was a King. We wish him the best.”

Williams was the second overall draft pick in the 2011 NBA draft. Much had been expected of Williams, but he was never able to settle in at one spot long enough to thrive. The Timberwolves tried him at Small Forward, but that did not pan out. He was moved back to Power Forward, but that put Williams up against Kevin Love for playing time.

Williams did show he can be a force at the four spot when Love was out due to injury. His point production and rebound totals went up exponentially with his increased playing time. Williams wanted out of Minnesota in order to go to a team that would up his time on the floor.

Williams is 6-8, 240 pound forward. He is averaging 4.9 points (35.2 FG%, 13.3 3PT%, 87.5 FT%), 2.4 rebounds and 14.7 minutes of playing time per game. His playing time should increase rapidly as the Kings look for answers at the Power Forward position.

Mbah a Moute was a real key in executing this trade. The Timberwolves are looking for a greater defensive presence on the floor. Mbah a Moute is capable of defending the small forward and the guards. He was making an impact on defense for the Kings, but Sacramento needs additional scoring up front to take some of the pressure off of DeMarcus Cousins.

Kings fans should get their first look at Williams on Friday night when the LA Clippers come to Sleep Train Arena.

Lakers cruise past the Kings 100-86

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By Charlie O. Mallonee

No one likes to play the LA Lakers at Staples Center. The crowd, the stars and “show time” make for major distractions. If you have to play the Lakers at home, an opposing team would like LA to have a losing record and be without Kobe Bryant (Achilles) and Steve Nash (nerve irritation). That was the scenario for the Sacramento Kings to take advantage of on Sunday night in SoCal.

In order to have good showing versus the Lakers, the Kings needed to break the cycle of falling 15 to 20 points behind in the first quarter then fighting their way back into the game. This would be even more important against a Lakers team that loves to run.

The tempo was fast and furious in the first period as the teams traded scoring. The Kings were led by Greivis Vasquez with 13 points and DeMarcus Cousins who scored eight points as the team put up 24 points. Sacramento shot 45.5% (10/22) in the quarter. After one period of play, the Lakers led the Kings 29-24 as Sacramento showed much improved play in the first quarter.

The second quarter started off with the Lakers being on fire. They were running and gunning as they hit 3-pointer after 3-pointer in transition and quickly took a 13 point lead. The Kings rather than lying down and blaming their play on it being the second game of a back-to-back fought their way back into contention trailing by just seven – 55-48 – at halftime.

The Kings shot 50.0% (21/42) for the half. Most those points came inside the arc as they shot just 25.0% (3/7) from 3-point land. Vazquez led all Kings scorers with 15 points.

The Lakers shot 46.7% (21/45) from the field. They shot just 31.2% (5/16) from beyond the 3-point line. The Lakers have averaged 41.0% for 3-pointers on the season. Pau Gasol led the Lakers with 14 points in the half.

The third quarter was not a picture of perfection. Both teams struggled early. The Kings closed the Laker lead to two points but could contain LA. The Kings did not hit the outside shots and scored just 13 points in the quarter. The Lakers scored just 18 points. After three quarters, the Lakers led 73-61.

The Kings came out in fourth quarter looking like a young team that was playing the second game of back-to-back road games. The defense just went away and the shooting percentage kept falling. Couple that with the Lakers improved 3-point shooting and it was a recipe for disaster. The Lakers went on to win the game 100-86.

Greivis Vasquez led the Kings in scoring with 20 points. He added seven assists. DeMarcus Cousins finished with 17 points and eight rebounds. Ben McLemore posted 15 points for the game. McLemore tried to provide a spark for the Kings with his play in the fourth quarter. You can see the potential for the young rookie to become a game changer as he gains more experience.

The Kings shot 41.7% (35/84) from the field and 33.3% (8/24) for 3-pointers. The most glaring stat was the pitiful 53.3% (8/15) from the free throw line.

Pau Gasol finished with a double-double – 20 points and 10 rebounds. The Lakers shot 46.0% from the field and 30.8% from beyond the 3-point line.

COMING UP: The Kings will be able to get some rest this week as they will not play again until the Friday after Thanksgiving. The Kings will play the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday night. You know the Kings will up for that game after the stinging 103-102 loss on Saturday to the Clippers. Then on Sunday, the Kings Northern California brethren the Golden State Warriors pay a call on Sleep Train Arena. It will be quite the way to cap off a Thanksgiving Weekend.

Kings get clipped in LA 103-102

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By Charlie O. Mallonee

The fourth quarter of the Kings-Clippers game was more like the 15th round of a heavyweight fight. It was physical, emotional and exciting. The game was literally won in the final seconds of the game. When the final buzzer sounded, the Clippers had defeated the Kings 103-102.

In the first-half of the game, no one in the stands or watching at home would have guessed that the game would come down to the last second. The Clippers led the Kings 26-19 after the first period of play. By the 9:51 mark in the second quarter, LA led Sacramento by 20 points. It appeared the Kings were about to take a beating by the number two team in Los Angeles.

What happened? Chuck Hayes made a layup with 8:55 to go in the half and ignited the Kings offense. Sacramento would go on to outscore the Clippers 35-28 in the second quarter. At the half, Los Angeles led the Kings 57-48.

In the third period, the battle continued. DeMarcus Cousins decided to put the team on his back and led the charge. Patrick Patterson came alive after having a miserable first-half, and Luc Mbah a Moute provided the defense under the basket that disrupted the Chris Paul-Blake Griffin connection. The Kings won the quarter 21-18 and trailed the Clippers 75-69 after three quarters.

The Clippers may be an offensive machine, but their defense is still lacking. That lack of defense allowed the Kings to scratch and claw their way back into the game. The Kings were led by Patterson, Isaiah Thomas and DeMarcus Cousins on offense. On defense, Mbah a Moute played tough down low.

The lead see-sawed back and forth until the Kings built a five point lead with 3:19 left to play in the game. The Clippers were not about to surrender. Chris Paul made a 3-pointer and the game was tied at 98-98 with 1:29 left in the game.

LA went back into the lead at 1:04 when Chris Paul made a driving layup. Even more devastating was the foul that was called on Mbah a Moute – his sixth. Watching the replay, the foul should have been charged to Cousins which would have been his sixth. The referees conferred but held firm on their call. Paul missed the free throw, but the loss of Mbah a Moute would lead to the Clippers win.

With the game tied at 100-100, Paul and Griffin pulled off the perfect pick and roll play with no Mbah a Moute to provide the underneath defense.

The game was tied at 102-102 with 0:02 to play. Patterson fouled Chris Paul who hit one of two free throws. Cousins grabbed the rebound and the Kings called a timeout. With 1.9-seconds to go, the Kings got the ball to Cousins who took a desperation shot that missed as time ran out. The Clippers won the game 103-102.

The Kings shot just 42.0% (37-88) from the field just below their season average of 42.6%. They hit just five of 17 shots (29.4%) from beyond the 3-point arc. Sacramento out rebounded the Clippers 46-39. The Kings committed just 10 turnovers.

DeMarcus Cousins led all scorers with 23 points. He also had 19 rebounds and seven assists. Isaiah Thomas added 22 points and five assists. Patrick Patterson scored 21 points in 31 minutes of playing time. Expect to see more of Patterson on Sunday versus the Lakers.

The Clippers finished with their five starters all in double figures. Chris Paul was the leading scorer with 22 points and nine assists. That ended Paul’s streak of the 13 straight games posting a double-double.

The Kings will have no time to recover from their “battle royal” with the Clippers. They have an appointment Sunday night with the Lakers back at the Staples Center.

Notes: The Kings D-League entry – the Reno Bighorns – dropped both games of their season opening back-to-back series in Sioux Falls. Ray McCallum who just joined the Bighorns from the Kings scored 28 points on Friday night and 16 points in Saturday’s game.

 

A’s add Alcantara to 40-man roster

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By Charlie O. Mallonee

The Oakland A’s have added RHP Raul Alcantara to the 40-man roster. This move will protect Alcantara from being taken in the Rule 5 Draft at the Winter Meetings in December.

Alcantara came to Oakland from Boston along with Josh Reddick and Miles Head in the Andrew Bailey – Ryan Sweeney trade. He was signed by the Red Sox in 2009.

Alcantara split the 2013 season between Beloit and Stockton – both Single-A affilates. He posted a combined record of 12-6 with a 3.11 ERA. That win-loss record tied him for second best in the A’s farm system. Alcantara was third in ERA, fourth in innings and fifth in strikeouts.

Alcantara walked just 24 batters (1.38 per nine innings), and gave up just 11 home runs last season.

At just 20 years old and with stats like he has recorded, one can understand why the Athletics want to protect this developing talent.

Kings send McCallum to Reno Bighorns

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By Charlie O. Mallonee

The Sacramento Kings made a roster move on Thursday. Rookie guard Ray McCallum has been assigned to the Reno Bighorns of the NBA Development League. Reno is the Kings exclusive entry in the D-League and is dedicated to developing young talent for Sacramento.

McCallum was the Kings’ second round pick (36th overall) in the 2013 NBA Draft. He had not seen any playing time in the Kings’ 11 games this season. In the preseason, McCallum averaged 3.8 points, 1.0 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.2 steals and 12.2 minutes of playing time in five games. He did not start in any of those games.

Kings color analyst Jerry Reynolds said on Wednesday’s broadcast from Phoenix that McCallum needed to be playing not sitting on the bench. He will get playing time in Reno.

In Reno, McCallum will be reunited with former Kings training camp players Brandon Heath, DeQuan Jones and Trent Lockett.

The Bighorns open the season on the road in Sioux Falls with back-to-back games this Friday and Saturday.

Kings Lose Again

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By Charlie O. Mallonee

The Sacramento Kings suffered their fifth consecutive loss on Saturday night to the Portland Trail Blazers 96-85. The Kings trailed by as many as 20 points but made a comeback late in the fourth quarter. It was too little and too late.

In his post-game comments, Coach Michael Malone said his team needs to be more physical on defense. His team allowed the Blazers to pull down 19 offensive rebounds which created second and third chance opportunities for Portland to score.

Malone made no bones about what is going to happen before the Kings next game versus Brooklyn. He said, “… there will be changes.” He stated after six games he had seen enough to know that changes have to be made.

Malone also said that the Kings comeback attempts are coming too late in the game to give the team a chance to win. He knows his team has a great deal of work to do on both ends of the floor.

The Kings were outscored in three of the four quarters on Saturday night. They did manage to outscore the Blazers 31-27 in the final period.

On Friday night, the Kings were undone by the combination of LaMarcus Aldridge and Damian Lillard. Lillard scored just four points on Saturday in 36:45 minutes of playing time.

It was the combination of Aldridge and Wesley Matthews who inflected the pain on Saturday. Aldridge shot 10 for 19 from the floor scoring a team leading 22 points. Matthews was 8 for 11 from the field putting up 21 points for the game.

Coach Malone felt the play of Matthews was one the keys to Portland’s victory. He felt Matthews just scored at will.

Four of the five Portland starters scored in double figures. As a team, the Blazers shot 43.9% (36-82) from the field. That was well below their 48.8% of Friday night, but things became sloppy for the Blazers in the fourth quarter.

The Trail Blazers out rebounded the Kings 52-33. They also kept the Kings out of the paint in the first half forcing them take low percentage outside shots.

After the game Portland Head Coach Terry Stotts said,”It’s good to get a win. Back-to-back wins against the same team is not easy to do. The Kings are a good home team here. They’ve come back on everybody that they’ve played. It’s good to get out of here with a win. We played three good quarters of very good defense; they just made a strong run at the end.”

DeMarcus Cousins scored 30 plus points for the second consecutive game. Cousins finished with 33 points and 12 rebounds. He scored 15 of his 33 points in the fourth quarter. Cousins led all scorers in the game.

Isaiah Thomas added 12 points but only two of those points came in the second half. Thomas played just 17:20 minutes in the game. Greivis Vasquez played 32:19 at the point and scored six points plus he had five assists.

The play of Ben McLemore was one of the highlights for the Kings on Saturday night. The rookie played 27:30 minutes scoring 13 points. He was three for three from 3-point land and shot 50.0% (4-8) from the field. McLemore pulled down three rebounds along with one steal and one assist.

12 of the 13 Kings players saw playing time versus the Blazers. Only Ray McCallum did not enter the game for Sacramento.

The Kings shot 46.2% (36-78) for the game. Sacramento shot an abysmal 25.0% (3-12) from beyond the 3-point line.

The Kings coaching staff must search for answers between now and Wednesday when the Brooklyn Nets come to Sleep Train Arena.

That search for answers has already begun. As I walked to my car after the game, I observed Coach Malone and two of his assistants standing in the parking lot talking about what they should do to change things.

 

 

 

 

Kings Drop Fourth Straight Game

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By Charlie O. Mallonee

The Sacramento Kings suffered their fourth consecutive loss on Friday night in Portland losing to the Trail Blazers 104-91. It was the first game of home and away back-to-back series that will be continued on Saturday night in Sacramento.

The Kings once again allowed their opponent to be too successful shooting from the field. The Trail Blazers shot 48.8% (39-80) overall and 43.5% (10-23) from 3-point territory. Portland was averaging 44.9% shooting and 40.4% for 3-Pointers for the season.

The Kings defense has been very generous to the opposition over the four game losing streak. Coach Michael Malone has repeatedly said that the opponents are not feeling the Kings. He sees the need for his team to be more physical. Versus Portland, they faced a team that could also shoot from beyond the arc. It proved to be a lethal combination for Sacramento.

The Kings were out rebounded 47-31. They committed 24 fouls to Portland’s 18.

Sacramento did manage to break the 40.0% shooting mark. The Kings shot 41.9% (36-86) from the floor. They shot a miserable 27.3% (6-22) from 3-point land. Those are not the kind of shooting numbers that translate into victories.

DeMarcus Cousins tried to put his team on his back and carry them past the Blazers. Cousins scored 35 points in 37 minutes of playing time. He also pulled down nine rebounds.

Isaiah Thomas had a sub-par night. Thomas scored just 13 points in his 29 minutes on the floor. Greivis Vasquez added 12 points while Patrick Patterson and Travis Outlaw each scored 10 points each.

Portland’s starting five all scored in double digits. Damian Lillard was the leading scorer with 22 points. He also had eight rebounds and seven assists. Power Forward LaMarcus Aldridge added 20 points and seven rebounds. Two guard Wesley Matthews put up 18 points for the Blazers.

The series continues on Saturday night in Sacramento with the Kings searching for a way to make it back into the win column.

 

 

Kings fall hard at Golden State

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By Charlie O. Mallonee

Every NBA fan knows that there is nothing harder for a team to do than win game two of a back-to-back schedule. The Kings traveled to Golden State and proved how hard it can be as they lost to the Warriors 98-87 after losing to the Clippers on Friday night. Do not let that score fool you. The game was much uglier than the final score would suggest.

In his post-game comments, Kings Head Coach Michael Malone summed up the game by saying his team did not shoot well and they did not defend well. He went on to say that his team’s effort was less than acceptable.

The game was essentially over after the first half. The Kings shot just 31.7% (13-41) from the field and were outscored by 10-points in the first and second quarters. The Warrior shot 53.7% (22-41) from the field and 46.7% (7/15) from behind the 3-point line. At half-time, the Warriors led the Kings 56-36.

The Kings came out hot in the third quarter by going on an opening 8-0 run to start the period. As the Kings attempted to fight their way back into the game, Golden State kept finding ways to score and keep the Kings at bay. At the 2:28 mark, Klay Thompson hit a 3-pointer followed by a Kings turnover that set up another Thompson 3-pointer. Sacramento never recovered from that sequence.

In the final quarter, both coaches went deep into their rotations to finish up the game. For the Kings, there was the first Jimmer Fredette sighting of the season. The Kings closed up the score but still lost 98-87

The Kings finished the game with a 34.5% (30-87) field goal shooting percentage. No matter what else you do, a team cannot win shooting 34.5%.

On defense, the Kings allowed the Warriors to shoot 51.3% (39-76). Sacramento allowed the Clippers to shoot 50% from the field on Friday night. The Kings cannot allow opponents to shoot that well and expected to win.

The one highlight of the game for the Kings was the play of rookie Ben McLemore. McLemore scored 19-points in 30 minutes of playing time. He also pulled down four rebounds, blocked two shots and added one assist. McLemore may have earned more playing time for himself with his performance against the Warriors.

The Kings will take Sunday off and return to practice on Monday. Their next game will on Tuesday when they host the “new look” Atlanta Hawks at Sleep Train Arena.

Kings Fall to Clippers 110-101

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By Charlie O. Mallonee

The LA Clippers came to call on the Sacramento Kings Friday night. It would have seemed to be perfect timing as the Clippers had a home game on Thursday and then had to face a road game the next night. The timing did not work out for the Kings as the Clippers came out shooting at 50.0% from the field and won the game 110-101.

The Clippers came out in the first period looking like a team that was coming off a day of rest rather than playing game two of a back-to-back. The Clippers outscored the Kings 24-22. The Kings shooting left something to be desired as they shot just 38.1% from the field. Isaiah Thomas came off the bench to spark the Kings and keep the game close.

The Clippers started off the second quarter with a 9-0 run over the Kings. Just when it looked like the Clips would run away with the period, Isaiah Thomas brought the Kings back to life, but the Kings poor shooting allowed the Clippers to open up a 10 point lead. The Kings brought the game back into the paint and cut the LA lead to three with 4:26 remaining in the quarter. The Clippers used an improved shooting percentage (47.5%) to open up a 54-45 halftime lead.

The Kings shot just 38.1% (16-42) from the field in the first half. Isaiah Thomas led the Kings with 12 points.

The Clippers started off the second half much as they did the first half. Chris Paul put LAC on the board with back-to-back jumpers and strong shooting from the field (51.1%) kept the Clippers on top opening up a lead of 13 at the 7:41 mark. Following a three point play by DeMarcus Cousins, the Kings came back to life cutting the Clippers lead to 68-60 at 5:38. Isaiah Thomas came off the bench at 4:35 and sparked a charge that cut the LA lead to two with 1:25 to play in the quarter. A Travis Outlaw put back of a Cousins shot at the buzzer made it LAC 79 – Kings 77 after three periods.

A Jason Thompson field goal opened the final period tying the game at 79-79. The quarter quickly became a game of outside shooting and free throws. The Clippers would threaten to pull away and then the Kings would find an answer to keep the game close. Sacramento tied the game at 90 with a circus shot from Isaiah Thomas. The Kings took the lead at 6:43 on a Jason Thompson lay-up, but the hot LA shooting kept putting the Clippers back into the lead. DeMarcus Cousins picked up a technical foul at the 2:48 mark and gave LA a three point lead.  The game remained close, but in the end the Kings could not overcome the Clippers 50.0% shooting from the field. The LA Clippers won the game 110—101.

The Kings fell to 1-1 on the young season. They now face their first road contest of the year in Oakland versus the Warriors on Saturday night.

Isaiah Thomas led all scorers with 29 points. DeMarcus Cousins added 24 and Marcus Thornton put up 17 for Sacramento. Chris Paul led the Clippers with 26 points. Blake Griffin posted 20 along with Jamal Crawford’s 18.

The key to the Clippers win was their shooting percentage. When a team shoots 50.0% (35-70) from the field and shoots 50.0% (12-24) from 3 point range, it becomes almost impossible to defeat them. The Clippers could not be defeated on Friday night.

Notes: The Kings on Thursday declined to pick their option on Jimmer Fredette for the 2014-15 season. The move will make the former first-round draft pick an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year. Fredette will be free to negotiate with any NBA team including the Kings for next season. The move may also mean that Fredette will not finish the season in Sacramento as his now expiring contract becomes a desirable piece in possible trades with teams looking to free up salary cap room. Fredette did not play in the season opener versus Denver… The Kings had two additional players that were eligible for deals on Thursday, Greivis Vasquez and Patrick Patterson. The team declined to offer either player an extension, but Kings can make both players restricted free agents at the end of the season … The Kings travel to the Bay Area on Saturday night to play the Golden State Warriors for the first time in the regular season. The Warriors will make their first appearance in Sacramento on Sunday 12/1 … The Kings won the season series versus the Warriors in 2012-13 3-1 … Because of the many connections between Sacramento and Golden State, the Kings are anxious to eliminate the references to “golden state light” that some have made about the team.

Reddick Surgery a Success

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Josh-ReddickBy Charlie O. Mallonee

Oakland Athletics’ outfielder Josh Reddick has undergone successful surgery on his injured right wrist that plagued him throughout the 2013 season.

The surgery was performed at the Newton Wellesley Hospital in Newton, Massachusetts by Dr. Mark Belsky. Dr. Belsky performed a TFCC debridement of Reddick’s right wrist. Reddick is expected to be fully recovered by the start of Spring Training in February.

The injury forced Reddick to disabled list twice during the 2013 season. He first went on the DL from May 7 to 30 after batting just .152 to begin the season. Reddick hit .287 after returning from the DL but the nagging injury continued to bother him – especially at the plate where he was hitting .213 overall. The second stint on the DL ran from August 26 to September 10. Reddick hit .304 in his final 17 games.

The A’s are hoping that the surgery will allow Reddick to come out of the gate 100% healthy to begin the 2014 season.