Author: swhelch

Journalist trying to document my life, my interests and those I'm lucky enough to have in it.

Sacramento Kings Snaps Two Game Skid Against Minnesota Timberwolves

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By Shawn Whelchel

The Sacramento Kings snapped their two-game road skid on Thursday night using an opportune matchup against the cellar dwelling Minnesota Timberwolves, battling their way to a 110-107 victory.

After dropping consecutive games to Brooklyn and Boston, the Kings used a balanced scoring attack that saw all five starters in double digits to down the Timberwolves, who are currently tied for the second worst record in league with just 5 wins on the season.

Rudy Gay and Darren Collison led the team with 21 points a piece, while DeMarcus Cousins followed closely behind with another strong showing, posting 19 points and seven rebounds in the winning effort.

But despite the scoring outbursts from the Kings’ starting five, another weak night from Sacramento’s bench allowed Minnesota to make it an interesting game down the stretch. Sacramento had lost both of their key starters in Gay and Cousins with the score tied at 99, with just a little over 4 minutes left to play.

But Collison came up clutch for the Kings down the stretch, sinking two key free throws that forced Minnesota into a last second three pointer that missed its mark, securing the win for Sacramento in the tight contest.

Rookie standout Andrew Wiggins had an impressive showing for Minnesota, posting 27 points and nine rebounds while keeping the Timberwolves within striking range.

After dropping the first two games of the roadtrip,  Sacramento can now finish the four game series with a 2-2 showing, as they look to keep their win streak alive against the Detroit Pistons on Sunday.

 

Kings Can’t Contain Plumlee, Drop To Brooklyn

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By Shawn Whelchel.

The Sacramento Kings dropped the first game of their four game roadtrip to the Brooklyn Nets on Monday night, after sloppy play and a lack of bench scoring neutralized a big night from DeMarcus Cousins and Rudy Gay.

Gay led all scorers in the game with 25 points on 9-of-21 shooting, while Cousins continued his strong play, following closely behind with 24 points on an efficient 9-of-12 shooting from the field, accounting for 49 of the Kings 99 total points.

But while four out of five starters finished Monday’s contest in double digits for the Kings, the bench failed to provide the necessary support during their minutes on the court, adding just 19 points while contributing to the losing effort.

Nets center Mason Plumlee continues to shine in place of Brook Lopez, who has been reserved to a bench role as of late, as he dumped in 6-of-7 attempts good for a team high 22 points on the night.

The Kings continue to hurt themselves with sloppy play, as a total of 21 turnovers on the night led to 25 points for the Nets at home. Brooklyn’s bench also outscored the Kings by 19 points.

Despite the lack of bench play, the Kings pulled to within 5 points with just over five minutes to go in the fourth quarter. But the defense couldn’t hold off the Nets, who used a pair of runs to solidify their victory over the visiting Kings for their 14th win of the season.

The Kings will take on the Celtics on Wednesday, December 31 at 10 a.m.

Warriors Stay Dominate, Kings Continue To Slide.

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By Shawn Whelchel

The Golden State Warriors dominated the Sacramento Kings in Monday night’s Bay Area battle, cruising their way to a 128-108 victory.

On the second night of a back-to-back, the Kings were outplayed in nearly every facet of the game by the Warriors, who currently own the NBA’s best record at 23-3 on the season.

The lone bright spot for Sacramento was C DeMarcus Cousins, who excelled in Andrew Bogut’s absence, leading the team with 22 points on the night. Darren Collison followed the big man with 17 of his own.

The Warriors were led by Klay Thompson, whose 25 points led all scorers for the contest. Steph Curry was limited to just 12 points, but tallied 11 assists on the night. In place of Bogut, Festus Ezeli notched a career high 15 points while adding six rebounds.

After losing the lead early in the first quarter following a 25-9 run for Golden State, the Kings were unable to fight their way back into contention, as the Warriors maintained a comfortable lead throughout the game.

The Warriors received a big boost from their bench, who outscored Sacramento’s bench 62-39 on the night.

The loss now drops Sacramento to a 12-16 record, good for fourth in the Pacific Division. The Kings continue their season skid, losing 11 of their last 14 games.

Kobe Leads Comeback Downs The Kings At Staples Center

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AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

By Shawn Whelchel

A late surge from Kobe Bryant helped the Los Angeles Lakers complete their second-half comeback attempt against a struggling Sacramento Kings squad for a 98-95 victory at Staples Center Tuesday night.

Even after 19-years in the league, the 36-year old Bryant showed why he is still considered one of the best closers in the game by adding 9 of his 32-points on the night within the waning minutes of the 4th quarter.

While the Lakers began to surge, the Kings went cold, shooting just 5-for-17 during a crucial fourth quarter, including two three-point attempts from Rudy Gay and Nik Stauskas within the final seconds of the game that could have potentially salvaged the disastrous effort.

The Kings were led by Darren Collison’s 26-point, 6 assist effort. Collison was closely followed by Gay, who added 23 points and five assists for Sacramento as well. The Kings continue to miss DeMarcus Cousins as they were outscored 36-28 in the paint as well.

The Kings led by as many as 12-points in the third quarter. but could not contain Bryant and the Lakers, who were aided by the 27-total points off the bench from Carlos Boozer and Nick Young.

On top of going stagnant late in the game, the Kings continue to have turnover issues, as they committed 16 turnovers for 21-points on the night. After losing the last 6-of-8 games, Sacramento will look to stay above .500 as they take on the Houston Rockets at home Thursday night.

 

Houston Stave Off Kings Comeback, Win 102-89

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By Shawn Whelchel

The Sacramento Kings tried to fight through tired legs on their second game of a back-to-back matchup on Wednesday, but ran out of steam as the Houston Rockets earned a 102-89 victory.

Sacramento dug themselves an early hole, as a lack of scoring and easy offense by Houston gave them as large as a 22-point lead in the first half of play. The Kings continued to find their rhythm on offense while pulling to within striking range of the James Harden lead Rockets, but ultimately stalled short of amassing a comeback as a 16-point fourth quarter sealed their fate.

With center Dwight Howard sitting out tonight’s contest with a knee injury, shooting guard James Harden was able to let loose, heaving 31-shots for 26-points on the night to lead his team in scoring. Without their down-low presence, the Rockets lived behind the arc, connecting on 12-of-25 attempts with guard Isaiah Canaan earning 18 of his 24 points from three point range.

On the other side of the court, big man DeMarcus Cousins kept the Kings in the game with 29-points on 9-of-18 shooting while Sacramento was forced to play without starters Rudy Gay and Darren Collison for the second straight game, as they continue to be plagued by injuries.

While the Kings managed to scrap their way to just a one-point deficit in the third quarter, their sloppy play proved too much to overcome, as Houston benefited from 21 Sacramento turnovers on the night, which they converted into 32 points to back their winning effort.

After jumping out to a hot start, the loss drops the now 9-6 Kings to fourth place in the Pacific division, ahead only of the bottom-dwelling Los Angeles Lakers who sit with a 3-12 record on the season. The Kings will look to bounce back on Friday, as they hit the road to take on the San Antonio Spurs

Nowitzki’s Historic Night Leads Comeback From Dallas Mavericks.

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By Shawn Whelchel

It was a tale of two halves for the Kings as Sacramento jumped out to a commanding first half lead, but couldn’t keep their foot on the gas as the offense sputtered late, leaving the door open for the Dallas Mavericks to mount an impressive comeback to steal a 106-98 victory at home.

The Kings offense came out firing on all cylinders to start the game, jumping out to a 24-point lead in the second quarter while picking apart the Dallas defense. But half time cooled the hot shooting Kings, as Dallas began finding a rhythm of their own, outscoring Sacramento 58-41 through the final two frames to secure a come-from-behind victory.

Rudy Gay led the charge for Sacramento, scoring 26 points on the night while nearly notching a triple-double with 8 rebounds and 8 assists to boot. Ramon Sessions followed Gay with 18 points and 3 rebounds.

Dirk Nowitzki led all Dallas scorers with 23 points of his own on a historic night where the German born star passed Hakeem Olajuwon for most points by an international player in NBA history while also moving into 9th place on the all-time scoring list.

Nowitzki came into the game needing just 17 points to secure his place in history, but after a scoreless first quarter it looked as if the feat would be questionable. However, Nowitzki would not be denied his claim as the second quarter saw a turnaround from both he and the rest of the team as their 34-point outburst brought them right back into the game.

The Kings competitive first half was nowhere to be found as they came out of the locker room, posting just 15 points on 26 percent shooting to allow Dallas to take their first lead of the game in the third quarter, which Dallas would not relinquish the rest of the game, bumping the Kings to a 5-3 record in the pacific division.

The Kings continue their tough road trip against the Memphis Grizzlies on Thursday where Sacramento will look to snap their two-game skid before returning home to take on the champion San Antonio Spurs.

Game Notes:

PG Darren Collison was absent from Tuesday night’s contest with left shoulder stiffness. It remains to be seen if the guard will play Thursday night against the Grizzlies.

 

Kings Down The Nuggets, Take Their Third Straight.

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DENVER, CO - NOVEMBER 3: Rudy Gay #8 of the Sacramento Kings drives to the basket against Wilson Chandler #21 of the Denver Nuggets during the game on November 3, 2014 at Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2014 NBAE (Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images)
DENVER, CO – NOVEMBER 3: Rudy Gay #8 of the Sacramento Kings drives to the basket against Wilson Chandler #21 of the Denver Nuggets during the game on November 3, 2014 at Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2014 NBAE (Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images)

By Shawn Whelchel

The Sacramento Kings continued their dominant play against Western division opponents as they fought to a 110-105 victory over the Denver Nuggets Monday night.

In a tightly contested and physical matchup, the Kings came up with clutch baskets late in the fourth quarter to sink the Nuggets for their second straight road victory in as many day. Darren Collison led the attack for Sacramento, scoring 21 points while adding four rebounds and six assists to his line. Collison was sent to the line twice in the final minutes of the fourth quarter, sinking three of four to prevent any late comeback by Denver.

Sacramento worked through poor shooting in the first quarter to finish the game shooting a respectable 42-percent from the field on the night. The Kings were also aided by the sloppy play of Denver, who committed 35 fouls while giving up 40-points to Sacramento from the line.

Despite the freebies, the game remained tied with just 3:18 left in regulation. But a driving layup by Ray McCallum gave Sacramento the advantage, and they wouldn’t relinquish their position.  The Nuggets refused to go quietly however, pulling to within just two points of Sacramento with 25-seconds left on the clock, but clutch free throws from Rudy Gay and Collison played spoiler to any comeback plans from Denver.

The win secured the Kings third straight victory over a tough Western division opponent, advancing their record to 3-1 on the year, their best start to a regular season since the 2010-11 season. While their record is impressive, so is the quality of opponent that they have downed over their three-game span, defeating heavyweights such as the Portland Trailblazers and Los Angeles Clippers in the process.

The Nuggets will get a chance to exact their revenge on Wednesday though, as the teams square off for their second straight game in Sacramento, with tip off at 7:00 p.m.

Spurs Bounce Back to Top Kings

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By Shawn Whelchel

A dominant night from C DeMarcus Cousins wasn’t enough to hold the reigning NBA champions down for long, as the San Antonio Spurs mounted a third quarter comeback to steal a 106-99 victory away from the Sacramento Kings .

With star Tim Duncan sitting out for the game, DeMarcus Cousin was turned loose in the post, scoring 32 points on 12 of 14 shooting from the field, while adding four assists. But Cousins influence was felt on both ends of the court as the dynamic center also hauled in 11 rebounds, 2 steals and a block, turning in a solid defensive effort to match his scoring outburst.

The Kings solid first half of play gave them an 11 point advantage coming out of halftime. But the Spurs would come out of the locker room hungry, forcing nine turnovers in the third quarter of play that saw San Antonio pull to within one point heading into the final frame.

The Kings kept San Antonio at bay throughout the fourth before giving up a dunk to SG Kyle Anderson that would give the Spurs their first lead of the half. It would be a back and forth affair through the middle of the quarter before another Anderson bucket with 2:36 left looked to lock the game up for the Spurs.

Rudy Gay and Darren Collison put in a good effort behind big man DeMarcus Cousins, with Gay adding 18-points on 4-of-12 shooting, and Collison following him with 14 of his own on 6-of-10 shooting.  The Kings bench was quiet throughout out the game with the exception of PF Carl Landry, who provided a solid 15-points off the bench.

Spurs SG Kyle Anderson led all starters for San Antonio with 14-points, while G Tony Parker followed him with 13 points of his own. The Spurs scoring surge was largely supported by their bench, which featured four players in double figures including Jeff Ayres, JaMychal Green, Austin Daye and Marco Belinelli, who added a combined 56 points to the winning effort.

While the Kings were able to batter San Antonio down low for points, they were anything but threatening from beyond the arc, shooting just 12 percent on 3-point field goals while converting just 1-of-8 attempts.

Game Notes:

The Sacramento Kings announced that they will pick up the 2015-16 option on guard Ben McLemore’s contract, as confirmed by Kings General Manager Pete D’Alessandro. Per club policy, the terms of the contract were not released.

Now in his second NBA campaign, the 6-foot 5 guard averaged 8.8 points, 2.9 rebounds, 1.0 assist and 26.7 minutes per contest as a rookie last season.

Kings Swept By Nets In China.

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The first leg of the Sacramento Kings international trip ended in disappointment as the Brooklyn Nets secured a 129-117 victory in overtime on Wednesday morning, sweeping the two game series between the teams in China.

After starting the game slowly on offense, the Nets were able to carry a strong second half outburst into overtime, where they outscored the Kings 17-5 to earn their second straight victory over Sacramento.

SG Ben McLemore led all Kings scorers with 22 points, with Rudy Gay following close behind, adding 21 points of his own in the contest. The Kings bench provided some additional firepower as well, with guard Darren Collison and forward Omri Casspi combining for 34 points in the losing effort.

With Kevin Garnett sitting out for the Nets, it was Mirza Teletovic who went to work down low for Brooklyn, leading the team with 22 points on the night. Teletovic was aided by his partner in the post Mason Plumlee, whose strong overtime play contributed to his 18 point total while capping off the comeback effort.

With DeMarcus Cousins taking the game off, the Kings relied heavily on plays from the guard and small forward position with 98 of their 117 points stemming from the two positions. While the team couldn’t get much going in the post with Cousins out, they took advantage of their outside opportunities, shooting 42 percent from beyond the arc while putting in 13 three pointers.

After falling to a 1-3 record, the Kings will make one more stop on their international itinerary, taking on the Isreali basketball club, Maccaba Haifa on Saturday.