sacbee.com photo: Kings guard Buddy Hield, defended by Robert Covington (33) of the Timberwolves, scored 16 of Sacramento’s first 17 points Monday night, Dec. 17, 2018, Hield’s 25th birthday. But the Kings were routed by Minnesota 132-105
By Tony Renteria
It was just too much Minnesota Timberwolves for the Sacramento Kings as the Kings fell in their second game of this two-game road trip. This time, a135-105 loss to the Wolves at Target Center. The Kings appeared to be gaining on the Wolves in the second quarter.
Kings head coach Dave Joerger used all 13 of his players, including the bench in this battle. For a number of Kings players, it’s been a long while since they played and it showed as the Wolves ran away with a 30-point win. For Skal Labissiere, it was only the ninth time that he has seen game action.
Labissiere entered the game with less than three minutes left in the second quarter. Labissiere had not played in the last nine Kings games, but did appear for eight minutes when used. Labissiere has the lowest point totals on the team with just 5.1 points on average during his eight minutes.
What was so surprisingly was Henry Giles III averaged 9.7 minutes, on Monday had 13 points in 21 minutes. Ben McLemore, who had been used sparingly, worked 17 minutes had 7 points and the appearance marked his 11 minutes was more than his average of 11 minutes.
After halftime, the Kings came back to the floor with Yogi Ferrell, Troy Williams, Justin Jackson, Labissiere and Kosta Koufos. The Kings only used under seven minutes Willie Cauley Stein 7 minutes and 1 point, De’Aaron Fox 6 minutes and 0 points, and Nemanja Bjelica 5 minutes and 0 points.
The Kings will give it another go this time against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Golden 1 Center. Morris Phillips has your Kings coverage at http://www.sportsradioservice.com
The Golden State Warriors needed a game in which the bench played a significant role. That is what the team got Monday night at Oracle Arena as they led all the way to defeat the Memphis Grizzlies 110-93.
The Warriors’ bench players: Jonas Jerebko, Andre Iguodala, Jordan Bell, and Alfonzo McKinnie–all helped as their efforts took the pressure of the Big Three scorers. Those three tallied 95 points in the 130-125 win over Sacramento Friday night. The NBA defenses were keying on those three and forcing the Warriors to use their bench.
The Warriors won the first quarter 30-22. The Warriors led 13-12 before going on a 17-10 run to finish period leading by eight. Kevon Looney knocked down 7, and Jonas Jerebko made two 3-pointers. The Grizzlies tried to slow the game down and use its half-court offense to stay to close. Their strategy didn’t work as the Warriors’ offense clicked in the second quarter as they scored 31 points and the defense held the Grizzlies to just 16 points. The Warriors finished the first half leading 61-38. Thompson, Curry, and Durant each had 10 points. Jerebko made another three and finished with 9 for the half. Andre Iguodala made two 3s and he finished with 7.
The Grizzlies came to life in the third quarter. They outscored the Warriors 29-23 in the period and trailed 84-67 after 36 minutes of action. The Grizzlies could not close the gap in the fourth quarter. Omri Casspi, who played for Golden State last season, was on fire for Memphis. He scored 16 of his game-high 20 points in the final stanza. Each team scored 26 points in the quarter, and the Warriors won 110-93.
Game Notes and Stats: The Warriors’ Kevin Durant passed Larry Bird on the all-time scoring list, and Steph Curry passed the 15,000 point plateau in the game.
The Warriors improved to 21-10, and the Grizzlies fell to 16-14.
Durant led the Warriors with 23. Curry had 20 and Klay Thompson finished with 16, Jonas Jerebko was in double figures with 16, and Andre Iguodala 10. The Warriors mad 12 3-point shots and when they make more than 10 in a game, they are 20-3.
Casspi led the Grizzlies with 20. Marc Gasol had 15, Kyle Anderson 14, and Garrett Temple 13.
The Grizzlies shot 36% from the floor in the first half, but ended the night shooting 45.9%. The Warriors finished the game shooting 43.% The Warriors, on defense, made 9 steals and blocked 5 shots. They forced the Grizzlies into making 15 turnovers, and the Warriors committed 10.
Up Next: The Warriors travel to Salt Lake City to play the Utah Jazz Wednesday night at 6 pm PST.
The road can be a harsh mistress in the National Basketball Association. Road teams — even strong, veteran squads — suffer humiliating upsets as the visitors in NBA arenas every season.
Sacramento experienced a heartbreaking loss on Friday night as the Golden State Warriors went on a late 17-2 run to defeat the Kings 130-125 on their home court. The Sactown team would have no time to pout about the loss as they had to head out on the road for a tough back-to-back set in Dallas and Minnesota.
First meeting with Dallas of the season
Graphic @DallasMavs
The game on Sunday was the first of three games between the Mavs and Kings in 2018-19. The next game will be played March 21 in Sacramento and the final game will take place on March 26 in the DFW Metroplex.
It was the first time the Kings would face the rookie they passed on to draft Marvin Bagley III — Luka Doncic. Early on, draft experts were convinced that Doncic was going to a King because of his European pedigree. They were wrong.
Even now, NBA reporters are criticizing the Kings for not selecting Doncic. The fact that he is averaging 17.8 points per game along with 6.8 rpg and 4.5 apg may have something to do with that criticism. His 13 20-plus point games may also contribute to that chatter.
The Kings had to play shorthanded
Marvin Bagley III was injured in the Warriors game on Friday night. The Kings rookie star suffered a deep bruise on his left knee and is out for an indefinite period of time. The last word on his condition has him being re-evaluated in 10-14 days.
Iman Shumpert injured his hip in that same game on Friday night and his availability versus the Mavericks was considered a game-time decision. The decision was Shumpert would not be available to play in Dallas.
The first half was a draw
Photo@SacramentoKings
As the teams hit the locker rooms at halftime, the Kings held a 61-58 lead over the Mavericks. The half featured seven lead changes and the game was tied six times. The Kings biggest was nine points while the Mavs’ largest lead was seven points.
Dallas won the battle in the paint 30-28. Sacramento outscored the Mavericks 19-9 on Fast Break Points.
The Kings shot 46.9% (23/49) in the half while Dallas hit 22-of-52 (42.3%) of their shots. Each team connected on four 3-point baskets in first 24-minutes.
Buddy Hield paced the Kings scoring with 17 points while De’Aaron Fox added 14 on his own.
The Mavericks scoring attack was led by Luka Doncic who put up 13 points. Dirk Nowitzki added three points. The significance of those points is they came in his first appearance before the fans in Dallas this season.
SAC increases its lead in the third period
The Kings outscored the Mavericks 32-25 in the third quarter. Sacramento shot 13-for-24 (54.2%) from the field in the third while Dallas hit 8-of-22 (36.4%) from the floor. Buddy Hield was the Kings leading scorer with nine points while Luka Doncic led the Mavs with six points.
With 36 minutes in the book, Sacramento held a 93-83 lead over the team from DFW.
The Mavs kept it close in the fourth
Doncic scored nine points and Jalen Brunson added eight as the Mavericks outscored the Kings 30-27 in the final period. De’Aaron Fox scored eight points for the Kings who added 27 to their total in the last quarter.
When the final the buzzer sounded, the Kings had won the game 120-113.
The Sactown backcourt duo combined for 56 points
Photo@SacramentoKings
Kings guards Buddy Hield and De’Aaron Fox each scored 28 points in the game (season-high for Hield). Hield shot 12-for-23 for the game while going 3-for-9 from long distance. He also grabbed four rebounds and added two assists.
Fox went hit 11-of-19 attempts while going 0-for-3 from behind the 3-point line. He hit 6-for-6 from the free throw line. Fox dished out five assists and made three steals.
Bogdan Bogdanovic and Nemanja Bjelica each posted 15 points for the Kings. “Byelly” made it “double-double” by hauling in 10 rebounds.
Mavs scoring
Luka Doncic (remember that name) was the Mavericks leading scorer with 28 points. He also had nine assists. Former Warrior Harrison Barnes recorded 15 points.
The “Monster of the Boards” DeAndre Jordan hauled in 23 rebounds (10 on offense) and scored eight points. The 23 rebounds is a season-high for Jordan.
The standings
The Kings (16-13) are now tied for sixth place in the Western Conference with Memphis and Portland.
Dallas (15-13) is in sole possession of ninth place in the West.
Up next
The Kings will be back in action on Monday night in Minnesota versus a team that just lost four games in a row on the road. The T-Wolves are going to be hungry to get back into the win column so they will be a very dangerous opponent for Sacramento.
The Mavericks will head out on the road and will face the Nuggets in Denver on Tuesday night.
SACRAMENTO — The Golden 1 Center was hopping on Friday night as the Warriors traveled in to Sacramento looking to bounce back after a 20-point loss at the hands of Kawhi Leonard and the Raptors. Entering play, less than 20 days from the New Year, and the Sacramento Kings are over .500, currently in the eighth spot in the Western Conference. The Kings haven’t been this well placed to contend for a playoff spot since Ron Artest was on the team in 2006. The Kings looked to keep the Cinderella Story alive and keep the Warriors in the loss column.
The Warriors only had Dubs on their mind as they jumped out to 9-4 lead early. The lightning fast Kings are second in the league in pace, but had trouble hitting on all cylinders in the opening quarter. Kevin Durant led the charge for Golden State with 11 points, and the Baby-Faced Assassin Steph Curry was right behind him as he poured in 9 points. The Kings we able to keep it close. They were able get the Warriors in foul trouble early, scoring 10 from the line. Nemanja Bjelica led all Kings early with 10 in the first, and the Warriors would have a 4-point advantage, 42-38 going into the second.
It was much of the same in the second and the Warriors would take a 12-point lead into halftime. But things began to heat up in the third quarter, as the Kings starts started to gain some momentum. Fox had 11 points in the third quarter, and Hield Bjelica both dropped in 8 in the quarter as well. This is when the Kings started to play their brand of basketball, but they were not help out at all by the refs. There were several atrocious calls against the Kings, which slowed their progress. In the stand’s fans roared with fury watching the replays. It’s a sight that’s become all too familiar in Sacramento. Even still the Kings would close the gap to 6, 103-97, going into the final quarter.
The Kings came out in the fourth with a purpose. Finding their stride, they came out with a 15-2 run to start the fourth and playing solid defense. They would begin to hit on all cylinders and they would take the lead. With 5 minutes to go in the game they would have 10-point lead. However when you have 4 All-Stars on your team, as the Warriors do, magic just seems to happen. The Warriors would steal this game from the Kings on a 17-2 run to end the game.
The Golden State Warriors traveled to Sacramento to face the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center on Friday night. The Kings, who had been at the bottom of the league for years, are now becoming a much tougher opponent. They are built around guard De’Aaron Fox and Buddy Hield. Willy Cauley-Stein is playing the best basketball of his career and Nemanja Bjelica helps out from the forward position.
The Kings’ coach is Dave Joerger, who used a slow-paced offense when he was at Memphis. He now has guys who can run, and the Kings play a fast tempo type of game. The Warriors also like to run, and they did just that as they started out strong, but had to come back from a 10-point deficit with 3:03 left in the game to beat the Kings 130-125.
Both teams played offense in the first half. The defense was nowhere to be found as the Warriors scored 76 points in the first half and led the Kings 76-64 after the first 24 minutes of action.
The Kings won the third period as they outscored the Warriors 33-27 to finish the period trailing 103-97. The Warriors’ offense ground to a halt in the fourth quarter as the Kings kept the pressure on and led 123-113 with 3:03 left. The Warriors’ big three of Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Kevin Durant went on a 10-0 run to tie the game at 123. Fox made a bucket to give the Kings the lead 125-123. The Warriors scored the last 7 points of the game to stun the Kings, and the Kings fans went home shaking their heads in disbelief as the Warriors snatched victory from the jaws of defeat once again.
Game Notes and Stats: The Warriors had four starters in double figures. Steph Curry led the team with 35, Kevin Durant had 33, Klay Thompson 27 and Kevon Looney added 10. Draymond Green was a monster on defense with 14 rebounds and 10 assists for another double-double. The Warriors’ bench tallied 23 points. Jerebko was the leader with 8.
The Kings’ Buddy Hield led his club with 27. De’Aaron Fox had 25, Willie Cauley-Stein 22, and Nemanja Bjelica added 18.
The team stats were almost identical. The Warriors were 44-for-96 from the floor, while the Kings came in at 45-for 96. Each team made 15 3s. The Warriors made 7 more free throws than the Kings, which turned out to be the difference in the game. The Warriors outrebounded the Kings 60-42. The Warriors committed 18 turnovers
The Warriors improved to 20-10, and the Kings are now 15-13.
Up Next: The Warriors return home to face the Memphis Grizzlies Monday night at Oracle Arena. Game time is at 7:30 pm PST.
The Warriors are such a good team who are doing nothing but winning. So maybe they are bored with their success, and when that happens, and you are on top of the world like the 1970s A’s and Raiders, 1980s 49ers and 2000s Giants, this is bound to happen. A player will say something outrageous that will make news outside the sports world. Actually after winning three NBA titles, the Warriors’ only goal might be to conquer the Moon.
Stephen Curry said recently that man has never been to the Moon. Since then, Curry clarified his comments saying it was “a joke.” Nonetheless, NASA is offering Curry and the Warriors a tour of their facilities next time they visit the Houston Rockets. NASA offers to school Curry on moon landing, to show him some rocks that the astronauts brought from the Moon. Obviously, since NASA can’t offer Curry any advice of how to improve his game. Earlier this year, NBA star Kyrie Irving said flat Earth claims were an experiment and he was just having a little entertainment.
It is all fun, but in today’s social media world–every statement,every word is dissected, especially by famous people like Curry. I have no doubt if you take a poll across this country you will find a percentage of people that believe we never went to the Moon, that it was done inside a Warner Brothers studio, that 9/11 was an inside job by the US government to send us to war, and that Elvis still alive.
Recently, Virgin Galactic–Richard Branson’s outlet–flies its first astronauts to the end of space, taking one step further to space tourism and taking the lead over Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos. Today is the private world, entrepreneurs (not NASA and the government) that is taking the lead in space. In the future, Curry might be able (he sure can afford it) to actually take a trip to the Moon and tell his grandkids someday.
It is going to happen like Frank Sinatra’s huge hit in 1964: “Fly Me To the Moon.”
The Toronto Raptors shackled the Warriors offense at Oracle Arena on Wednesday night as they routed them by a score of 113-93. The Raptors were without the services of Kawhi Leonard, but that did not stop them as they outplayed the Warriors in all facets of the game.
The Warriors, who lost in overtime in Toronto 131-128, were back at full strength with Steph Curry and Draymond Green back in the lineup. The Raptors moved the ball well, made the baskets, and forced the Warriors into committing 19 turnovers, and the Warriors usually lose if the team makes more than 15 in a game.
The Raptors outrebounded the Warriors, and Golden State did not have anyone to counter the Raptors’ big men Serge Ibaka and Jonas Valanciunas. Valanciunas left the game with a dislocated finger, but he was a force in the middle and on the boards for Toronto. Toronto swept the season series from the Warriors and won at Oracle for the first time since 2004.
The Raptors snapped the Warriors’ four-game winning streak. The Raptors appear to be an elite team that will contend for the NBA title. The Warriors have to be concerned that the NBA might have caught up to them and they will have to figure out how to get back on track as they seek their third NBA title in a row and fourth in the last five seasons.
Game Notes and Stats: Kevin Durant led the Warriors with 30 points. Klay Thompson had 14 and Curry recorded 10. The only other Warrior in double figures was Quinn Cook with 13. No other sub had more than seven for Golden State. All five Toronto starters were in double figures.
Kyle Lowry led the Raptors with 23 points and Serge Ibaka added 20. If these teams are to meet in the NBA Finals, the Warriors are going to need DeMarcus Cousins to be back in the lineup and playing at his All-Star best.
The Warriors’ record now stands at 19-10 and the Raptors improved to 23-7, which is the best record in the NBA.
Up Next: The Warriors play the Sacramento Kings Friday night at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento. Game time will be at 7:00 pm PST.
SACRAMENTO — I said in late October that if the Kings remained at or near a split record through November, I would be excited about this season. Well, the Kings have not disappointed! Monday night’s win over the Chicago Bulls improved the Kings’ record to 14-12 this season. I had an idea this was possible, but didn’t truly believe it would happen. The Kings aren’t the best team in the Western Conference. The Kings aren’t even the best team in their respective division. However, the Kings are much better than last year and dramatically more entertaining. The Kings and their fans headed into Wednesday night’s game looking to build off of their 3-1 road trip. The tip-off was set for 7 PM PST against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Golden 1 Center.
The Kings started the game out the game on a high note. After about 2 minutes of play, the Kings led the Timberwolves 8-4. Through the first quarter, the Kings would be in control the majority of the time. The Kings finished the first with De’Aaron Fox leading the way with 9 points. Andrew Higgins led the T-wolves with 12 in the first quarter of play. After one, the Kings led the T-wolves 35-31.
The second quarter was more of the same. Sacramento wasn’t playing around when they decided to score 28 more points and hold the T-wolves to 19. The Kings clearly had momentum on their side going into halftime. Nemenja Bjelica led the Kings in scoring going into the half with 12 points. Andrew Wiggins led the T-wolves with 14 first-half points. Notably, the Kings shot at a 57.1% FG clip while the T-wolves shot 50% FG.
Going into the third, the Kings came out of the locker room with a 13-point lead. That came into jeopardy when the T-wolves scored 11 unanswered points to bring the game to a score of 63-61. For the rest of the quarter, the game stayed relatively the same. Both teams traded back to back baskets. When the third was all said and done… The Kings led 96-92 going into the fourth.
In the fourth, the Kings would go on a terror early on. That run would ultimately propel the Kings to victory by the score of 141-130. Nemenja Bjelica led the Kings with 25 points. Amongst others, Buddy Hield, and Bogdan Bogdanovic had notable performances with 20 points apiece.
Up Next: The Kings stay home to face the Golden State Warriors on Friday night at 7 PM PST.
photo from sacbee.com Kings guard Iman Shumpert (9) loses the ball as he’s defended by Bulls forward Wendell Carter Jr. (34) in the first half, but Sacramento roared back in the second half to beat Chicago 108-89 on Monday, Dec. 10, 2018, and finish their trip with a 3-1 record. Shumpert says the Kings are now “a professional ball club.”
On the Sacramento Kings podcast with Charlie O:
#1 The Kings got a lot of key help at the United Center on Monday night De’Aarron Fox led Kings scorers with 25 points Charlie talks about Fox’s offense and how he worked his inside game to help keep ahead of Chicago.
#2 Fox told the media post game that if he makes the first three he know he’s going to have a good game and it’s something that he even told Kings head coach Dave Joerger.
#3 It’s been said by the Kings players that their more than just a team their a brotherhood. The Kings have won four of their last five games including their win over the Bulls Monday 108-89
#4 Willie Cauley-Stein has been big on assists pulling down rebounds on Monday he led the team 16 rebounds.
#5 The Kings tip off against the Minnesota Timerbwolves this Wednesday night at Golden One Center a 7:00pm start.
It’s not the simplicity of fantasy sports, but the Kings’ real-life, off-season roster moves turned out like those of a random dude seizing control of his fantasy basketball league solely based on a brilliant draft pick.
GM Vlade Divac and the Kings wanted the Bulls’ Zach LaVine, and convinced the super athletic, shooting guard with a significant injury in his recent past to sign an offer sheet worth $78 million over four years.
The Bulls, who traded Jimmy Butler to Minnesota for a trio of younger players, highlighted by LaVine, weren’t ready to live without the former Slam Dunk champion after seeing him in a Chicago uniform for only 24 games following his return from surgery to repair his ACL. So 48 hours after the Kings offered, the Bulls matched, keeping LaVine in Chicago.
And the Kings were forced–or satisfied–to turn back to Buddy Hield, their key acquisition in the DeMarcus Cousins deal, a credible shooting guard without the eye-popping athleticism or size of LaVine.
Fast foward to a cold, blustery Monday night in the Windy City, and the Kings couldn’t be happier with Hield, while not yearning for LaVine.
The Kings slept walked through the first half, trailing 53-45 at the break only to outscore the woeful Bulls by 30 in the second half of their 108-89 victory. A microcosm of both teams seasons in a ballgame, the Bulls soared early, then self-destructed while the Kings stayed patient until their moment to seize control materialized, and they pounced on the Eastern Conference’s worst team.
“I thought their energy went up and our energy went down as the game went on,” said new Bulls coach Jim Boylen. “That’s something we talked in there as a team, and that’s something we need to fix.”
Of course, the ebbs and flows of the ballgame closely mirrored the contributions of LaVine and Hield, as the Bulls struck first, behind LaVine’s 19 points, including a crowd-pleasing dunk in the first quarter. But LaVine’s night in the scoring column would end with 5:45 remaining in the third when his 3-pointer put Chicago up, 66-57.
That’s when Hield, De’Aaron Fox and the Kings took over.
Sacramento would end the third quarter on a 24-8 run that would give them the lead, and of their 51 points in the game’s final 18 minutes, Fox would contribute 22, and Hield 11.
“After those two steals, the whole momentum of the game just changed,” Fox said of his momentum-changing plays that came 90 seconds apart in the third. “After that, we never looked back.”
LaVine has proven his worth by averaging 23.8 points per game on 45 percent shooting over 35 minutes of floor time per game. But Hield has averaged 18.6 points on 47 percent shooting across 31 minutes a game. The biggest difference between the two? Hield is clearly a better shooter from distance converting 42 percent of his attempts while LaVine has struggled, shooting 31 percent.
And of course, the Kings have a future in their present, sitting ninth in the Western Conference, currently a game behind eight-place Portland. The Bulls won’t arrive anytime prior to 2019-2020 after losing 22 of 28.
The Kings (13-11) finished 3-1 on their four-game road trip to Phoenix, Cleveland, Indianapolis and Chicago. They open a stretch of 13 of 18 at home with the Timberwolves on Wednesday at Golden 1 Center.
Sports Radio Service 