Category: NBA

The Kings 2017-18 season ends with a 96-83 win over the Houston Rockets

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment
4-11 starting 5
Starting of game 82 Photo: @SacramentoKings

by Charlie O. Mallonee and Jordan “Chape” Chapin

Sacramento – The Sacramento Kings season came to an end on Wednesday night as they defeated the number one seeded playoff team in the NBA Western Conference – the Houston Rockets – 96-83. Now, it is important to know that the Rockets did not allow James Harden and Chris Paul to step on the court for fear that they might sustain an injury that would cause them to miss the playoffs.

Even without the two Houston superstars on the floor, there was some very entertaining basketball played by both teams. The Rockets reserves wanted to impress their coaches that they could contribute if given playing time during the playoffs. The Kings players desperately wanted to send their fans home with a victory to remember until new season tips off next October.

The Kings started fast and finished strong

The Kings won every quarter except the fourth period which they did not need to win because they had the game well in hand by that time. Four of the five Kings starters scored in double figures and seven of the nine players used by Sacramento scored in double digits.

Willie Cauley-Stein finished with a team-high 22 points and he made it a double-double by grabbing 11 rebounds. Buddy Hield scored 14 points, pulled down five rebounds, handed out five assists and made two steals in 27-plus minutes of playing time.

Sacramento shot 47.5-percent (38-for-80) for the game and hit 7-of-26 (26.9-percent) attempts from downtown. The Kings went to the free throw line 20 times but converted only 13 of those opportunities (65.0-percent).

Houston relied on two key players for the entire game

Forward Gerald Green led the way on offense for the Rockets on Wednesday night scoring a game-high 31 points. Green shot 11-for-22 from the field and hit 7-of-17 attempts from 3-point land. RJ Hunter posted 19 points shooting 7-for-16 overall and sinking just 3-of-11 attempts from behind the 3-point line.

Tarik Black played just over 38-minutes against the Kings and recorded a double-double. Black scored 12 points and hauled in 11 rebounds.

The Rockets also played Aaron Jackson who they signed on Wednesday after he had been playing in the Chinese Basketball Association for the Beijing Ducks. Jackson will be eligible to play for Houston in the playoffs. Jackson scored eight points in 34-plus minutes of playing versus the Kings on Wednesday night.

Kings win fewer games in 2017-18

The Kings finish the season with a record of 27-55 for the year. Sacramento finished with a record of 32-50 in 2016-17.

Head Coach Dave Joerger reflects on the game and the season

Vince Carter talks about why there will be another year of Vinsanity

Bogie explains why he is a rookie until next season

Charlie O’s and “Chapes” Kings Player of the Year

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Hield flies high versus Rockets Photo: @SacramentoKings

We did not have to take a moment to contemplate who our choice of would be our choice for this season because our selection for Player of the Year is a no-brainer in our humble opinion. Second-year guard Buddy Hield has been outstanding in his development and execution in 2017-18.

The big knock on Hield as a player was that he was purely a one-dimensional guard. Hield was a shooter who could come into a game and shoot the ball … period. Experts said he could not handle the ball, set up assists, rebound and he most definitely could not play defense.

Then, the Kings finally signed Bogdan Bogdanovic and the Sacramento backcourt became a very crowded place. Early on in the season, it became apparent that Bogdanovic was going to be a starter along with De’Aaron Fox. That meant Hield would be coming off the bench.

Hield adjusted to being the Kings “sixth man” very quickly and never complained about his role. He frequently provided the spark the team needed to get into a  game where they started off slowly.Hield also began to play more minutes per game.

As Hield played more, the turnovers went down as his rebound, assist, and steal numbers went up. Then observers began to notice something else about his game, Buddy Hield was making a real effort to play defense.

As Hield entered game 82 on Wednesday night, he was averaging 13.5 points per game which is the second-best average for the Kings. Hield is the overall points leader for Sacramento with 1065 points.

Hield has averaged 3.8 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1.05 assists in 25.3 minutes per game this season. His season-highs show 35 minutes played, 27 points scored, nine rebounds, seven assists, five steals, and two blocked shots.

Hield shooting numbers have also been impressive. Overall, Hield has shot 44.6-percent from the field while converting a team-high 43.1-percent of his 3-Point attempts. He has also been deadly from the free throw shooting 88.8-percent from the stripe.

2017-18 has been a year of real growth and dynamic production for Buddy Hield.

 

Warriors get Spurs in first round of 2018 NBA playoffs

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Photo credit: Twitter.com

By Joe Hawkes-Beamon
SRS Contributor

OAKLAND — Familiar foes face each other as the San Antonio Spurs will square off against the defending NBA Champion Golden State Warriors in the first round of the 2018 Western Conference playoffs.

The Spurs (47-35) secured the No. 7 seed after losing 122-98 in New Orleans to end the regular season. The second-seeded Warriors (58-24) lost their final regular season game 119-79 at Utah Tuesday night.

As the Spurs are making their 21st consecutive trip to the playoffs, this will be the first time that the team failed to win 50 games in a season since the 1998-99 season.

The Warriors failed to win at least 60 games for the first time in three seasons, which would’ve tied the Showtime Lakers of the 1980s with four-straight 60-win seasons for most in NBA history.

Golden State won three of the four regular season match-ups against San Antonio: winning 112-92 on Nov. 2 at San Antonio, 122-105 on Feb. 10 in Oakland and 111-107 on March 8 in Oakland.

San Antonio took the regular season final meeting, defeating Golden State 89-75, in San Antonio on March 19.

The two teams met last May in the Western Conference Finals, with Golden State completing a four-game sweep over the Spurs in route to their second title in three seasons.

Here’s the Warriors’ schedule for the first round of the 2018 playoffs:

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Warriors end season with 119-79 blowout loss to the Jazz

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Photo credit: @warriors

By: Eric He

If these are the Warriors we see when the playoffs begin in a few days, then they won’t make it very far.

The Golden State Warriors wrapped up the regular season on Tuesday night at the Vivint Smart Home Arena with a 119-79 loss to the Utah Jazz and will head into the postseason looking to rekindle the magic that they had through most of their 58-24 season.

They will do so without Stephen Curry for a bit, and they have missed him these past few games while their offense has looked average and their defense poor. Against the Jazz, the Warriors allowed 33 points in the first quarter and 62 in the first half. They trailed by 17 at the end of one and by 21 at halftime, by which the game had essentially been decided.

The Warriors have no doubled coasted into the postseason, locked into the second seed with no hope of catching the Rockets. But their recent struggles have opened up vulnerabilities as they await their first round opponent, which will be known by the end of Wednesday night.

Meanwhile, the Jazz ended the season on an absolute tear, winning 29 of their final 34 games. Donovan Mitchell finished with 22 points as he looked to put an exclamation mark on his campaign for the Rookie of the Year award.

Perhaps the one saving grace of the blowout loss was that there is no way the Warriors will face the Jazz in the first round. Utah could have slipped to the seventh spot with a loss — but now they will be among the top four. And that is a huge blessing in disguise.

Kings will move G League Team from Reno to Stockton for 2018-19 season

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G League (3)

by Charlie O. Mallonee

The Sacramento Kings announced on Monday their intention to move their G League franchise  – the Reno Bighorns – to Stockton for the 2018-19 season. This move would have their development team just 45 minutes away from Kings offices, coaches, training and medical staff. This also follows the pattern of the majority of teams in the NBA which have relocated their developmental league teams to within an hour driving distance of their organization’s main facilities.

“Our NBA G League team has been an incredible asset to help prepare players for NBA action and bringing the team closer to Sacramento will allow us to continue to build on that success and increase efficiency to this valuable development tool,” said Sacramento Kings General Manager Vlade Divac. “Kings fans in Stockton will now have an opportunity to see the next-generation of NBA players each week.”

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Skal Labissiere

The Kings have taken full advantage using players from the Reno team over the past two seasons. In 2017-18, the team sent several of its rookies to play with the Bighorns to gain some experience which they put to good use at the NBA level. Skal Labissiere and Malachi Richardson (now with the Toronto Raptors) both benefited greatly from their time with the Bighorns.

This season has seen the addition of the “two-way” players who can be on the NBA roster of their parent team and then must spend the remainder of their time playing in the G League. JaKarr Sampson and Jack Cooley have both made substantial contributions to the Kings during the regular season. Sacramento also signed Nigel Hayes from the Westchester Knicks to a two-year contract.

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Kings “two-way” player JaKarr Sampson

The Bighorns sent three players to three other NBA teams this season. David Stockton – who has also played for the Kings – was signed Utah Jazz. Reggie Hearn went to Detroit and Aaron Harrison was signed by the Mavericks.

Stockton is a very interesting choice because of its tremendous growth potential. With Bay Area housing prices soaring, people are willing to endure longer commutes in order to be able to buy a home. Stockton is projected to a desirable locale because of its freeway access and rail service to the Silicon Valley. That means potential fans for the G League team that could be cultivated into Sacramento Kings fans.

Stockton already has a very strong track record of supporting minor league sports teams. The Stockton Ports have played baseball in California League since its beginning in 1941 and are currently an affiliate of the Oakland Athletics. Stockton is also the home of the Heat of the American Hockey League who are affiliated with the Calgary Flames. The Heat and the G League team will share the same arena.

“It is my honor to welcome the Kings organization to Stockton and I look forward to watching NBA G League action at the Stockton Arena,” said Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs. “The Kings have been known for their tremendous impact in the community and we’re excited to have their support as we continue to reinvent Stockton.”

A four-time All-America City winner, with honors as recently as 2017, Stockton is California’s thirteenth largest city. Stockton Arena is located in the heart of the city’s downtown waterfront and entertainment center. The venue opened in 2005 and includes 24 luxury suites, seating for up to 12,000.

The Kings G League basketball operations will be headquartered at Kings former practice facility in Natomas next to the old arena. The business operations for the new team will be housed at the arena in Stockton.

Golden State Warriors podcast with David Zizmor; Kerr pushes defense at a higher level to win championships

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Photo credit: @theScore

On the Warriors podcast with David:

#1 Warriors got a pretty healthy win over the Phoenix Suns on Sunday 117-100. After the game, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said that he expects his team to execute defense at a high level in order to win a championship. But is Kerr really resting some of his key starters and will break them out once the playoffs begin?

#2 The Omri Casspi release was something that Kerr said was necessary to make room on the roster for Quinn Cook. Casspi had missed the last 11 games with a sprained ankle and was venerable when the decision came who the Warriors were going to vote off the island. Kerr said the decision wasn’t that difficult because he had the sprained ankle.

David Zizmor does the Warrior podcasts each Tuesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

Spurs reach NBA playoffs for 21st straight season, beat Kings 98-85

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Photo credit: @a2dradio_com

By Daniel Dullum
Sports Radio Service
Monday, April 9, 2018

An old friend came back to haunt his old team on Monday at AT&T Center in San Antonio.

Former Sacramento forward Rudy Gay scored 18 points – 16 in the second half – leading the playoff-bound Spurs past the Kings 98-85, clinching a Western Conference postseason berth for the 21st consecutive season.

Gay, who added six rebounds off the Spurs’ bench, opted out his contract with the Kings last summer and signed with San Antonio (47-34).

Willie Cauley-Stein paced Sacramento with 25 points and 10 rebounds. De’Aaron Fox contributed 21 points and seven assists and Buddy Hield added 17 points for the Kings (26-55).

40-year-old Manu Ginobili popped in 17 points (on 5-of-11 shooting) to go with six rebounds, a steal and five assists; and LaMarcus Aldridge added 15 points and 14 boards for San Antonio.

Sacramento led most of the way, as the Spurs didn’t take their first lead until the 10:18 mark of the fourth quarter. The Kings, who led by as many as 14 points, still held a 77-75 lead with 6:31 remaining until San Antonio closed the game with a 23-8 run.

Ginobili scored or assisted on 14 of those final 23 Spurs points.

Kings’ rookie Bogdan Bogdanovic struggled against the Spurs, hitting 1 of 8 field goal attempts and finishing with two points. Another key to San Antonio’s win was the free throw line – the Spurs hit 24 of 29 at the stripe, while the Kings were 11 of 17.

Up Next: The Kings conclude the regular season with a home game versus the Houston Rockets Wednesday at 7:30 pm PT.

Warriors, behind the hot shooting of Klay Thompson, drub Suns 117-100

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by Jerry Feitelberg

The Warriors played the penultimate game of the 2017-2018 season Sunday night in Phoenix and they played the game to win even though a win or a loss would not affect their status as the number two seed in the Western Conference. Klay Thompson was on fire in the first quarter. If he were any hotter, the Suns would have had to call in the Phoenix Fire Department to cool him off. Klay missed his first shot but then went on a run that saw him score 19 consecutive points. He finished the game with 34, and the Warriors won 117-100. Steve Kerr had this to say about Klay’s performance. “That was fun to watch,” said Warriors head coach Steve Kerr. “He had the arena pretty excited. Every time he went up for a shot after that first few, you could hear the anticipation of the crowd. Yeah, he had it rolling.” Said Thompson, “It was good to get in a good rhythm, especially with one game left now [in the regular season], and to have some great momentum going into this playoff stretch.” That’s Thompson’s first 30-point performance since Jan. 17 when he scored 38 in Chicago. “I’m shooting a career high in three-point and field-goal percentage, so for me, that’s more valuable than a few big games,” he said.

Klay ended the first quarter with 22 points, and the Warriors finished the period with a four-point lead 33-29. Golden State kept the pressure on as they had the defense working and led by 18 at one point in the second quarter. They cooled off a bit but finished the first half leading 64-50.

The Warriors, as they have done so many times, this won the third quarter 27-22 and led by 19 heading into the fourth quarter. The Suns, missing six players due to injury, were unable to overcome the deficit and fell to the Warriors 117-100.

Game Notes and Stats- The Warriors were led by Klay Thompson’s 34 points. The Warriors beat the Suns for the 15th consecutive time. The Suns own the worst record in the NBA at 20-61. They have one game left to play, and the players probably will be happy to see the season end. The Suns are in the NBA draft lottery, and they will have more chances to get the number one pick.

Four of the five Warrior starters were in double figures. Draymond Green had 14, Kevin Durant 17, Quinn Cook 14, and Klay 34. JaVale McGee scored 11 in just 9 minutes of playing time, and Shaun Livingston pitched in with 10. Steph Curry, Patrick McCaw, and Andre Iguodala were not available due to injury.  The Suns were missing Devin Booker, T.J.Warren, Josh Jackson, Marquese Chriss, and Elfrid Payton. However, five of the Suns finished in double figures. Daniel House had a career-high 22 points, Dragan Bender 14, Alex Len 16, Tyler Ulis 15, and Jared Dudley, coming off the bench, 11.

The Warriors play the Utah Jazz Tuesday night in Salt Lake City. This will be the final game of the season for the Warriors, and they will not know who they will be playing in Round One of the playoffs until Wednesday.

 

Report: Warriors and Quinn Cook agree on multi-year NBA deal

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Photo credit: @AthleticDesires

By Joe Hawkes-Beamon
SRS Contributor

OAKLAND — One night after the Warriors waved veteran forward Omri Casspi, the team has reportedly agreed with two-way point guard Quinn Cook on a multi-year NBA deal, according to multiple reports.

News of the deal was first reported by Shams Charania of The Vertical at Yahoo Sports on Sunday, with Cook expected to sign the deal on Tuesday. Golden State plans to wait until their final regular-season game to sign Cook to a two-year deal.

While not official, the second year of the deal is not guaranteed according to league sources the report added.

Cook was signed before the start of the season and has had added much needed depth to Golden State’s roster, especially with starting point guard Stephan Curry missing the last few weeks with an MCL sprain.

In 31 games this season, Cook has averaged 9.4 points, 2.7 assists and 2.3 rebounds per game while shooting 49.4 percent from the floor, including 44.8 from 3-point range. Cook has made 16 starts this season for Golden State.

With Curry expected to miss at least the first round of the playoffs, Cook will have even more pressure placed upon him (depending on the Warriors’ first-round opponent) to help navigate the defending NBA Champions through the series.

Golden State (57-23) plays at Phoenix (20-60) Sunday after losing 126-120 to the New Orleans Pelicans Saturday night in Golden State’s home finale. The loss cost the Warriors a chance at their fourth consecutive 60-win season, which hasn’t been accomplished in the NBA since the Showtime Los Angeles Lakers of the 1980s, who did it from ’84-’88.

Cook finished with 21 points and seven assists on 8-of-14 shooting from the floor to go along with 5-of-7 from 3-point range against the Pelicans.

The Warriors play the Utah Jazz (47-33) Tuesday in Salt Lake City to close out the regular-season.

The Jazz clinched their second straight postseason trip Sunday with a 112-97 win over the visiting Los Angeles Clippers (42-38) at Vivint Smart Home Arena behind potential Rookie of the Year winner Donovan Mitchell’s near triple-double performance, finishing with 29 points, nine rebounds and eight assists.

Warriors waive Casspi, clearing way for Cook to join postseason roster

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Photo credit: @warriors

By Joe Hawkes-Beamon
SRS Contributor

OAKLAND — In a move that was expected, the Warriors waived veteran forward Omri Casspi Saturday night.

With Casspi’s release, the move creates a roster spot for backup point guard Quinn Cook, who has stepped in nicely for Golden State as the team’s starting point guard while Stephan Curry has been sidelined with a MCL sprain in his left knee.

The Warriors signed Casspi to a one-year deal last July, but has dealt with injuries for most of the season. Casspi has fallen out of the rotation in recent weeks, and has not played since sustaining a sprained right ankle on March 14.

In 53 games this season, with seven starts, Casspi has averaged 5.7 points, 3.8 rebounds in 14 minutes per game coming off the bench.

Earlier Saturday night, Golden State (57-23) lost to the New Orleans Pelicans (46-34) 126-120 at Oracle Arena. The aforementioned Cook finished with 21 points and seven assists on 8-of-14 shooting.

Cook, who is still under contract as a two-way player, is expected to sign a standard NBA contract within 48 hours, after which he becomes eligible for the playoffs.

Warriors play better, but not good enough as they lose to the Pelicans 126-120

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Photo credit: @warriors

By Jerry Feitelberg

OAKLAND — The Golden State Warriors, having been routed by the Indiana Pacers Thursday night, played a very entertaining and thrilling game against the New Orleans Pelicans Saturday night at Oracle Arena.

The Pelicans, fighting to get into the playoffs, came out firing on all cylinders in the first quarter. The Warriors regained their composure and trailed by two at the end of the first half. Kevin Durant took charge in the third quarter, and the Warriors were able to own the lead by four heading into the fourth quarter. The Pelicans refused to be beaten. They outscored the Warriors by 10 in the period and beat the defending NBA champs 126-120.

New Orleans came into the game tied with San Antonio and Oklahoma City for fifth place in the NBA’s Western Conference. Every game is a must-win for New Orleans as they could end up in ninth place behind Minnesota or Denver. They started the game by making the first nine shots they took. They were 10-for-13 in the first six minutes of the game, and they poured in 40 points and held the Warriors to 32. The Pelicans finished the first quarter on a 10-2 run.

The Warriors started to play defense in the second quarter and were able to tie the game at 65 late in the quarter. The Pelicans made a bucket to finish the first half leading 67-65. The Pelicans were led by Anthony Davis, Nikola Mirotec, and the veteran guard Rajon Rondo. Quinn Cook paced the Warrior offense with 15. Kevin Durant had 11, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green each had nine, and Nick Young tallied eight coming off the bench.

In the third quarter, the Pelicans extended the lead to 80-72. It was at this point in the quarter when the Warriors went on a 17-2 run to take the lead for the first time in the game 89-82. The Pelicans regained their composure, but the Warriors finished the third quarter leading 92-88. Kevin Durant led the Warriors, and it looked as if they had the momentum to carry them to a win. However, Anthony Davis, Nikola Mirotec, and the rest of the Pelicans had other thoughts as they came back to take the lead 99-97.

The Pelicans caused the Warriors to turn the ball over eight times in the fourth quarter, and the Pelicans recorded 15 points off those turnovers. The teams were tied at 105 when New Orleans went on a 14-3 run to secure the win. One of the key plays for New Orleans came when Rajon Rondo picked Kevin Durant’s pocket as he stole the ball and that led to a big bucket for the Pelicans.The Pelicans win 126-120.

Game Notes and Stats: With the win, the Pelicans improve to 46-34. San Antonio and Oklahoma City also won, and those three teams are 46-34. The Denver Nuggets also won, and they are 45-35 and tied with the Minnesota Timberwolves, who are 45-35. The last two games of the season will be critical to these teams, and the Warriors probably will not know who they will be playing in the first round of the playoff until Wednesday.

Kevin Durant led the Warrior offense with 41 points, five assists, and 10 rebounds. Durant committed four turnovers Saturday night.

Draymond Green had a double-double with 11 points, nine assists, and 10 rebounds. Green had trouble handling the ball as he was charged with seven turnovers and the team as a whole committed 17 in the loss to the Pelicans. The eight turnovers in the fourth quarter cost them 15 points, and that cost them the game. Quinn Cook finished the night with 21, Klay Thompson had 18, and Kevon Looney, starting at center, pitched in with 10.

The Pelicans’ Anthony Davis, who outplayed Kevin Durant in the fourth quarter, finished with 34 points and 12 boards, Nikola Mirotec had 28, and he made five three-point shots. Jrue Holiday kicked in with 25, Rajon Rondo 12 and he had 17 assists, too. The Pelican defense had 15 steals and six blocked shots. The Warrior defense had no blocked shots and just three steals.

The Warriors drop to 57-23, and they have two games left on the schedule against Phoenix Sunday night in Phoenix and Tuesday night in Salt Lake City against the Utah Jazz. Utah is battling with Portland for the third seed in the Western Conference. The Warriors want to finish the season on a winning note but they know that the Utah game will not be easy.

Up Next: The Warriors take on the Phoenix Suns Sunday night at 6:00 pm PT.