Category: NBA

You Can’t Run With Us: Kings’ fast pace cools the Heat in 123-113 road win

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By Morris Phillips

Apparently, you don’t want to get into a track meet with the run-and-gun Sacramento Kings.

The Kings needed a quarter (they trailed 28-17 after the first) to get completely revved up, but once they reached warp speed, the Heat, playing in front of their sparse crowd at American Airlines Arena, were made to capitulate.

Sacramento put up 106 points over the final three quarters–making 12 3-pointers in the game along with a slew of fastbreaks–and raced past the Heat, 123-113. The Kings outscored Miami by 22 points in the second and third quarters alone. They led 82-65 after Marvin Bagley III buried a 3-pointer with 4:17 remaining in the third quarter and coasted from there.

“It’s fun to play like this–playing fast, everyone getting the touches, everybody sharing the energy,” said Willie Cauley-Stein, who had 26 points and 13 rebounds. “It’s just fun to play.”

“We like to play at pace, but it has to be on our terms. That was fully on their terms,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra admitted.

The Kings have won three straight, and four of five. Picked 30th–out of 30–by most NBA prognosticators, and thought to be too young and inexperienced to challenge for a playoff spot, the Kings are the surprise team so far in the Western conference.

Putting the ball in the hands of De’Aaron Fox and watching him go, was a major component in Monday’s gameplan. That and having Fox accept the challenge posed by Goran Dragic, a similar point guard in style and demeanor.

On both counts, advantage Fox.

The second-year Sacramento point guard had 20 points, eight assists, four rebounds and two steals in 34 minutes on the floor. Fox is averaging 18 points, seven assists through seven games as the unquestioned ringleader of the Kings’ fast-paced attack.

The Kings head to Orlando, Fla. to take on the Magic on Tuesday at 4:00 pm PT.

Klay Thompson drops 52 to lead the Warriors to a 149-124 blowout of the Bulls

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Photo credit: @NBCSWarriors

By Jerry Feitelberg

Klay Thompson, who was mired in a shooting slump at the start of the season, had quite a performance as the Golden State Warriors routed the Chicago Bulls 149-124 at the United Center on Monday night.

Thompson scored 22 points in the first quarter and 36 total ion the first half as he tied an NBA record, making 10 3-point shots. The Warriors scored 92 points in the first half as Thompson, Thompson’s Splash Brother Steph Curry, Kevin Durant led the onslaught. The 92 points scored in the half was the second-most in NBA history. The Phoenix Suns own the record when they put 107 points on the board in a game in 1990.

The Warriors led 44-28 after the first period, and they outscored the shorthanded Bulls 48-22 in the second period to finish the first half leading 92-50.

Thompson played in the third quarter, and he made four more 3-pointers to set a new NBA record. The old record for 3-pointers in a game was 13, and that was held by Curry. Thompson put 16 more points on the board and was done for the night with five minutes left in the third period. Thompson’s totals for the night was 52 points, 14 3-pointers in just 27 minutes of action. That was quite a performance for Thompson. The Warriors’ head coach, Steve Kerr, inserted his bench players to finish the game and the Big Four watched the game from the bench.

The Bulls made the score a bit more respectable as they won the second half 73-57, but the game was over after the first 24 minutes.

Game Notes: Steph Curry tallied 23. Kevin Durant had 14 points and 8 assists. Alfonzo McKinnie had a double-double for Golden State. He put 19 points on the board and pulled down 10 rebounds. Backup Guard Quinn Cook had 16, and Jonas Jerebko added 10.

Klay Thompson suffered a cut to his forehead that required a couple of stitches. Thompson did not suffer a concussion.

The Bulls were led by Zach LaVine and Antonio Blakely, both of whom tallied 21. 19-year-old Wendell Carter, Jr recorded 18 points in a losing effort. The Bulls were without the services of Lauri Markkanen, Kris Dunn, Bobby Portis, and Denzel Valentine.

The way the Warriors were playing, their presence would probably not made a difference in the outcome.

Up Next: The Warriors are now 7-1 for the year and return home to face the New Orleans Pelicans at Oracle Arena on Wednesday night at 7:30 pm PT.

Warriors hold off late rally to beat the Nets 120-114

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Photo credit: @warriors

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Warriors were able to hold off a late rally by the Brooklyn Nets in the fourth quarter to win 120-114 and improve to 6-1 Sunday evening at Barclays Center. As with previous games, the Warriors owed their win to the talents and high-scoring of Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant.

Golden State led by as many as 19 points in the second quarter and third quarter, but allowed Brooklyn to come within two points with 1:55 remaining in the game when D’Angelo Russell made a driving layup. But the defending champions stepped it up too Stephen Curry, who scored a team-leading 35 points along with seven rebounds and three assists, said the Warriors played well overall.

“We knew we had to come out and get to a great start. The way that they shoot three’s and try to space the floor and play fast, you can’t give them confidence early,” Curry said in postgame interviews. “We knew it was going to be a full 48-minute game.” The Warriors lacked rhythm at the start of the game but gained it faster than they did in their Friday night victory against the New York Knicks. Kerr called a timeout after Caris LeVert made a triple that put the Nets up 14-0. Then Curry and Kevin Durant were fouled at the three-point line and went 3-of-3 and 2-of-3 respectively, to tie the Nets at 26.

Durant said the Warriors had some good spurts.

“Obviously we wanted to play a great game, but we know that we are still learning and getting better,” Durant told reporters.

Golden State had a 63-49 lead at the half and a 93-77 lead at the end of the third. Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson said his team made it a point to fight harder after falling behind in the first half.

“I thought that the guys really made a second push,” Atkinson said. “I thought it was a good effort in the second half.”

Curry hit a new NBA record in the first half—at least five triples for the seventh straight game. He broke George McCloud’s record of at least five three-pointers in six consecutive games from the 1995-96 season, according to Warriors PR.

Russell said players can’t guard Curry by the rules.

“Whatever the game plan is or whatever you’re deciding to do at the point of a screen or anything, all bets are off,” Russell said. “He’s one of those players in the league that is unguardable at times.”

Durant had 34 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists, Klay Thompson had 18 points, and Warrior reserve Alfonzo McKinnie had 9 points. The Warriors face the Chicago Bulls (2-4) at 5 p.m. Monday to end their three-game road trip.

Kings have won two in a row after beating the Wizards 116-112 Friday night

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Wizards 2

By: Charlie O. Mallonee

The Kings won their second consecutive game at home downing the Washington Wizards 116-112 on Friday night. It was a wild and crazy game. Charlie O has the wrap-up and interviews for you.

Dave Joerger is always a little tougher on his team after a win.

Marvin Bagley III was happy about the team’s win and his performance

Bjelica is humble and quiet after a great performance in the victory.

Here’s Charlie O’s 2:19 wrap of the Kings’ win

Durant dominates in the Warriors’ 128-100 rout of the Knicks in NYC

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Photo credit: nba.com/warriors

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors put on a show at Madison Square Garden on Friday night, trailing at times but rallying in the fourth to obliterate the New York Knicks 128-100.

When asked what happened in the final quarter, Knicks head coach David Fizdale replied: “Kevin Durant.”

“I saw our young guys, I just saw that look of, ‘We’ve done enough tonight. We played them hard enough.’ We played three and a half really good quarters,” Fizdale said his postgame interview. “With a champion, that’s not enough. That’s not even enough if you’re an established team against a champion so you’ve got to keep your focus and maintain your discipline all the way to the end. We just haven’t been able to sustain that.”

Durant scored 25 of his 41 points in the fourth quarter. He also contributed throughout the game. He made a dunk on a Warriors fast break early in the first to tie the game at 10 points. The Warriors regained a lead, but Trey Burke made a running layup tie the game again at the end of the quarter at 25.

The teams were tied at the half, too, at 53.

New York played a solid game until the Warriors decided to dominate late in the third. Golden State trailed 10 points with less than two minutes left in the quarter, and whittled the Knicks’ lead to 3 points.

“I think that group that we had in the end of the third kind of changed the mindset,” Draymond Green told reporters after the game. “They were battling, and they got us a little momentum going into the fourth and we picked it up from there.”

Durant was on fire in the fourth, making layups, jump shots, a fadeaway shot and a free throw.

“We’ve seen KD do it like he did tonight,” Stephen Curry said postgame. “To do it in the garden is a different buzz as well. Low-key we become fans on the court watching greatness.”

Durant, whose future could be with the Knicks in light of his free agency, had 9 rebounds and 5 assists. Curry scored 29 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists.

Warriors head coach Steve Kerr had a hard time remembering exactly when the team had consecutive games with such “spectacular” performances from the two stars. Curry scored 51 points on Wednesday night at Oracle Arena.

“They generally both play well every night so it’s hard to assess that kind of stuff. In back-to-back games they have both been phenomenal,” Kerr said. “Obviously, we are tough to beat when they both play like that.”

The Warriors (5-1) continue their three-game road trip on Sunday against the Brooklyn Nets (2-3) at Barclays Center. Tip-off is at 2 p.m.

Steph Being Steph: Curry turns into a bucket factory in 144-122 blowout of the Wizards

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By Morris Phillips

Stephen Curry making trick shots in warmups. Steph piling up buckets during the game. Demoralized opponents trudging back down the floor, heads bowed. Teammates and fans roaring their approval and/or shaking their heads in disbelief.

That stuff’s nothing new. But, based on various observers at Oracle on Wednesday, it never gets old.

“He’s a special player, special scorer, special shooter and he’s taking 35-foot shots.” Wizards coach Scott Brooks. “It’s hard to double-team a guy that far out and he makes them. He’s make them like they are layups.”

The Warriors leaped to a 80-71 lead in a defense-optional first half prompted by Washington being without injured centers Dwight Howard and Ian Mahimi, and opting to go small, run and shoot.

With Curry cooking from the start, the Wizards approach played right into Golden State’s hands.

Curry scored 23 of his 51 points in the first quarter without a 3-point miss. He would go on to make 11 from distance in the game, the tenth time he’s made at least 10 threes in a game.

The 23-point opening quarter? That’s the 20th time Curry accomplished that feat in his career.

“Some of the shooting was just mind-boggling,” coach Steve Kerr said. “Nobody’s ever done what he’s doing, pulling up from I don’t know, 32s.”

The teams combined for 151 points in the first with the Wizards gaining traction with Curry on the bench to start the second quarter. Led by Bradley Beal (23 points) and Kelly Oubre Jr. (17 points) Washington matched buckets for stretches. But the fast pace and rapid scoring simply meant this for the Wizards: they would suffer the oddity of placing six players in double figures only to lose by 22.

Another curious juxtaposition of the numbers saw Kevin Durant (30 points, eight rebounds, seven assists) and Klay Thompson combine for 49 points on 21 of 35 shooting, but be rendered footnotes. How’s that? Durant and Thompson managed just one, crowd-pleasing, made three each.

The Warriors improved to 4-1 while the Wizards fell to 1-3. Curry has scored at least 30 in four of the five contests, and doing so on Monday and Wednesday in only the first three quarters, as he sat through both fourth quarters with the outcome no longer in doubt. Curry, averaging 34.6 ppg, trails only Detroit’s Blake Griffin (36.4) for the NBA scoring lead.

“It’s just one of those nights you just have so much fun playing the game,” Curry said.

51 POINTS AT THE COLISEUM ARENA, I’VE SEEN THIS BEFORE: The 1975 World Champion Warriors were honored before the game, including the team’s singular star, Rick Barry.

On October, 29, 1977, at the old Coliseum Arena, Barry outdid the star-studded 76ers, scoring 51 points in a game that required everything Barry had.

The Warriors slipped past Philadelphia 113-110 as Barry hit 22 field goals–mostly mid-range jumpers–and 7 of 8 from the line. With no three-pointer and the game so close, Barry’s feat was a measure of his skill, stamina and fearlessness in tight spots. Guarded by Dr. J, Doug Collins and primarily George Mcginnis, Barry heard the crowd roar louder and louder as he approached the mid-century mark.

The Warriors head to Madison Square Garden to take on the Knicks on Friday at 4:30 pm PT.

Kings Press Row Podcast for NBA Week 2

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press row podcast

hosts Jordan “Chape” Chapin & Charlie O

  • What has happened to Buddy Hield?

  • Is De’Aaron Fox continuing to be a star for the Kings?

  • Is Willie Cauley-Stein playing for more than a big check?

  • What is Bjelica bringing to the table?

  • Is Harry Giles III ready for Prime Time?

  • Is MBIIIV living up to the hype?

  • Who is more important to the team: Kosta or Z-Bo?

  • Where does Skal fit in with the team at this point?

  • When will Bogie be ready to play?

The answers to these questions and more on this edition of the Kings Press Row Podcast.

De’Aaron Fox, Kings defeat Grizzlies 97-92

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Photo credit: @NBANewsNow247

By: Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — It was game number five for the Sacramento Kings. In the previous four they won one game. Tonight they were looking to build off a strong showing against the Denver Nuggets. However, there was one thing in particular, the Kings had to improve their defense. The Kings’ offense has been putting together good displays, but the defense must improve in order to win games. The Kings and Memphis Grizzlies went at it at 7 pm local time inside the Golden 1 Center on Wednesday night.

The game would go back and forth in the opening minutes. Having played all but four minutes in the first the game was tied at 17 apiece. The Kings’ top scorers at the time were Willie Cauley-Stein, Buddy Hield, and De’Aaron Fox–all of which had 8 points. Turnovers would be the story in the final minutes of the first. Harry Giles would turn the ball over in back to back possessions as the Grizzlies added onto the lead. By the end of the first, the score would be 28-19 with the Grizzlies on top.

The second quarter started exactly how the first ended. The Kings turned over the ball multiple times with the Grizzlies taking advantage of their turnovers. With 4 minutes to go in the first half, the game’s score was 48-36 with the Grizzlies on top. At this point, the Kings had allowed 10 turnovers, leading to 14 points. The Kings made a run in the next few minutes, cutting the deficit to 44-52 leading into halftime.

The Kings decided to change the narrative of the game in the third quarter. What could have turned into a blowout loss turned into a comeback. Having not led in the game since the first quarter, the Kings took the lead with 5:20 left in the third quarter. De’Aaron Fox finished a layup to give the Kings the lead, 61-60. Both teams matched basket for basket, bringing the game to a screeching halt after the third tied at 71 apiece.

It was clear going into the fourth that the Kings had momentum on their side. The only question was if they could harness that and sink baskets. The Kings would score followed directly by a Grizzlies’ basket. This until Fox went to the rim with an authoritative dunk–coming from beyond three-point range. he slammed it home one-handed. This was followed by a Buddy Hield dunk after a Memphis time out. The score was 87-80 Kings with 6:30 to play. Fox and Marc Gasol got tangled up on the next play leading to a time out. Gasol was lifted and taken out of the game with an apparent collarbone injury. With 3:44 to play in the game, the Kings were up 89-82. The Kings continued to put the pressure on the Grizzlies and that led to a 95-86 lead with 18 seconds to go. The game ended 97-92 in favor of the Kings for their second win of the year.

Up next: The Kings will stay home to host the Washington Wizards on Friday at 7 pm PST.

Sacramento Kings’ Tuesday report: Pooped out Kings drop third game of roadie to Nuggets 126-112

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photo from the sacbee.com: Kings forward Marvin Bagley III, right, works against Denver Nuggets forward Trey Lyles on Tuesday at Pepsi Center. Bagley scored 20 points in the Kings’ 126-112 loss

quotes from the sacbee.com

By London Marq

The Sacramento Kings were exhausted after completing their three game road trip in Denver to the tune of 126-112 loss to the Denver Nuggets. The Nuggets are undefeated use the Pepsi Center to their advantage as teams come up to the Mile High City and sometimes struggle with the altitude such as the Kings’ Justin Jackson was referring to as the team got a little tired in the second half of the game, “It’s always hard to come to Denver and play,” Jackson said. “The altitude is pretty nuts out here. Did we get fatigued a little bit? We might have, and it’s pretty understandable. … It’s Denver. The altitude is — you can push for so long, (but) eventually you’re going to get a little tired.”

The Kings’ Marvin Bagley III enjoyed hitting a Kings’ mark for a rookie not achieved since 1995 with 20 points, nine rebounds, five blocked shots. The last time a Kings player did that was Brian Grant in 1995. Bagley became the third NBA rookie player to hit those totals joining former Detroit Piston John Salley (1987) and Stanley Roberts (1992).

“I’ve got to give it my all every time I step out on the floor no matter what the score is,” Bagley said. “I love playing this game and I think I’d be cheating myself if I didn’t go as hard as I possibly could and still be a great teammate no matter what the circumstances may be.”

The Kings return back to Sacramento for a Wednesday night contest with the Memphis Grizzlies at Golden 1 Center. Jeremiah Salmonson has your game coverage.

London Marq is a Sacramento Kings beat writer at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Splash-back: Warriors take on familiar, dominating look in 123-103 rout of the Suns

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By Morris Phillips

You know, the Warriors are a pretty good 3-point shooting team.

Seems obvious, but after three regular season games, the Warriors had missed 50 of 74 attempts from distance and ranked 24th in the NBA in 3-point field goal percentage. Even worse–and much to the consternation of coach Steve Kerr–all the fouling and turnovers (the Warriors ranked 28th out of 30 in both categories) were very un-Warrior like as well.

Then the not-up and still-coming Phoenix Suns walked into Oracle Arena on Monday, and the back-to-back champs got back to business.

In a 123-103 rout of the Suns, Golden State shot 51 percent from the field, 38 percent from three, and led by as many as 28 points, numbers that also caught Kerr’s discerning eye.

“That looked like our team, just the purpose of each possession, driving and kicking and trying to get guys better shots,” Kerr said.

The Warriors won by double-digits for the first time this season while Curry took flight, scoring 15 of his 29 points in the third quarter. Five other Warriors finished in doyble digits scoring led by Kevin Durant with 22. In all, 13 Golden State players saw action, including the NBA debut of first round pick Jacob Evans.

“We’ve got a lot of weapons out there, so they’ve got to play defense,” Jonas Jerebko said. “And it’s tough to play defense when the ball is moving.”

After playing more than 400 ballgames in the four, previous seasons and on the back-end of the new season’s first back-to-back, the Warriors struck fast and quickly fell into self-preservation mode.

The win was Golden State’s 14th consecutive over the Suns in Oakland, and their 16th overall. Both streaks are the longest in franchise history over one opponent.

Klay Thompson suffered an ankle injury and did not return. After the game, Thompson said he considers the injury to be of little concern, and said he could have returned to finish the game if necessary.

Shaun Livingston was scratched due to a knee sprain.

The Suns were led by Devin Booker with 28 points. TJ Warren contributed 27 in a reserve role, and first overall pick in the 2018 draft, Deandre Ayton had 20.

The Warriors continue their homestand against the Washington Wizards on Wednesday at 7:30 pm PT.