Category: NBA

Sacramento surprise: Short-handed Kings end Celtics’ seven-game win streak

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By Morris Phillips

SACRAMENTO–Talk about avoiding embarassment.  Kings’ GM Vlade Divac reiterated on Monday that the team will not trade leading scorer DeMarcus Cousins prior to the upcoming trade deadline.  Then coach Dave Joerger explained that the team is working through Cousins’ issues regarding technical fouls that left him unavailable on Wednesday after picking up an NBA-leading 16th technical in Monday’s sleepy loss to the Bulls. The Kings however turned things around wining their second game in three games beating the Boston Celtics Wednesday night at Golden One Arena 108-92.

Without Cousins, Rudy Gay, Omri Casspi and Garrett Temple–the latter trio all injured–the Kings undertook the task of taking down the red-hot Celtics and returning prince Isaiah Thomas, the former King who was deemed a poor fit offensively along side Cousins and Gay.  That belief prompted the team to trade Thomas in the fall of 2014, only to see the vest pocket guard return on Wednesday as an All-Star averaging a gaudy 29.9 points per game.

For an organization known for dysfunction, impetious decisions and losing seasons, this wasn’t the ideal setup for a critical win to breathe life into the Kings’ diminishing playoff aspirations.  But win they did, pulling away from the Celtics in the second half despite having just seven available players.

 

The Sacramento Kings snap the Celtics 7-game winning streak

Published on by rxsluggerLeave a comment

Sacramento Kings forward Matt Barnes, left, battles Boston Celtics center Al Horford, center, and Boston Celtics forward Amir Johnson for the ball during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2017, in Sacramento, Calif. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

by Jerry Feitelberg

The Sacramento Kings, currently in 10th place in the Western Conference, snapped the Boston Celtics 7-game winning streak Wednesday night at Golden 1 Arena by a score of 108-92. The Kings depleted by injuries to Rudy Gay, Garrett Temple, Omri Cousins, and Ty Lawson, who left the game in the second quarter due to a strained left hamstring, were able to defeat the Atlantic Division leaders. They were down to just seven players, but they got production for all of them in recording the win. Also, All-Star center, DeMarcus Cousins, sat out the game as he was given a one-game suspension for recording his 16th technical foul of the season in Sacramento’s last game against Chicago.

The Kings, under head coach Dave Joerger, have,  in two of their last three games, beaten the NBA’s best team, the Golden State Warriors and the Atlantic Division leader, the Boston Celtics. Without any doubt, the confidence level of the club has to be sky high as they are just 2 1/2 games out of a playoff spot. Former Warrior, Matt Barnes had this to say about the Kings confidence level ““We’ll see next game, you know what I mean?” forward Matt Barnes said. “We had a great game against the Warriors and then came out flat the next night. That’s one thing that I preached after the game, let’s keep taking steps forward. We may not win all the games, but we want to continue to improve as a team. We’re too far into the season to take steps back.”

Darren Collison led the Kings with 25 points. Ben McLemore had 17, Matt Barnes knocked down 14 to go with 11 rebounds. Willie Cauley-Stein had 14, and Anthony Tolliver added 11. Isiah Thomas scored 26 for Boston. Amir Johnson had 14, and Al Horford and Marcus Stein each had 10.
The Kings play the Atlanta Hawks Friday night at the Golden 1 Center. Game time will be at 7:30 pm.

The Warriors rebound from the loss in Sacramento, defeat the Chicago Bulls

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by Jerry Feitelberg

Oakland – The Golden State Warriors, still smarting from a loss to the Sacramento Kings last Saturday, returned to Oracle Arena and defeated the Chicago Bulls 123-92. The Bulls, coached by Fred Hoiberg, were missing two big guns, Jimmy Butler and Dwayne Wade. Butler is dealing with a heel issue, and Wade was not feeling well. The Warriors’ Zaza Pachulia and David West were not available. West has a fractured thumb, and Pachulia injured his rotator cuff diving for a loose ball.

The Warriors led, for the most part, wire to wire. The Bulls tied the game twice early in the first quarter. With the score tied at 11, the Dubs finished the first quarter on a 19-6 run to lead 30-17. JaVale McGee led the Dubs with 8 points in the period. The Bulls played well in the second and third quarters. The Dubs outscored Chicago by just one point in the second quarter and finished the half leading 55-41. The Dubs scored 31 in the third but Chicago was able to stay close as they scored 29 and trailed 86-70 after three, The Warriors blew the game open in the fourth quarter. Klay Thompson got hot, and the Dubs were able to cruise to a 31-point win.

Game Notes and Stats. With the win, the Dubs are now 44-8 for the season. Chicago falls to 26-27. Kevin Durant returned to form Wednesday night. Durant had a double-double with 22 points, 10 rebounds, 7 assists, and one block. Klay Thompson had a big night, too. Thompson put in 28 points, 3 assists, and 6 rebounds. Draymond Green made 5 3-point shots and finished the night with 19 points. 6 assists, 8 rebounds. Steph Curry and JaVale McGee kicked in with 13 apiece. Kevon Looney, coming off the bench had 10. Briante Weber, making his NBA debut, scored a bucket late in the fourth quarter for his first two points as a Dub. Robin Lopez led the Bulls with 17. Taj Gibson (15), Jerian Grant (12), Rajon Rondo (12) and Nikola Mirotic (10) were in double figures for Chicago.

JaVale McGee, who has really improved, suffered a scary injury midway through the third quarter. McGee, attempting to block a Robin Lopez shot, Somehow was lifted over Lopez’ back and was slammed to the court landing on his backside. McGee appeared to be in a tremendous amount of pain when he went to the locker room. He returned to the bench after the start of the fourth quarter but did not play. After the game, head coach Steve Kerr remarked that JaVale “landed on his rear end and both cheeks hurt.”

“I liked the way the game ended.” Kerr was pleased that the team was able to blow out the Bulls after a very close game for 3 periods. “We had the upper hand with their 2 main guys out.” He was also pleased the Dubs “took care of the ball pretty well” as the team committed just 12 turnovers. The Dubs shot 55.2% from the floor. They were 15 for 30 in 3-point shots. They had 37 assists in the game. They were strong on defense as they outrebounded the Bulls 45-44. They had 9 steals and 5 blocks. The Bulls, not a team that shoots threes well made just 4 and they shot just 17.4% in that department.

The Warriors play the next three games on the road. They face the Memphis Grizzlies Friday night in Memphis. The Grizzlies are the only team in the NBA that has defeated the Dubs twice. The Warriors travel to Oklahoma City to face the Thunder Saturday night. The game will mark the return of Kevin Durant to the city where he starred for 9 years. On Monday, The Warriors will be in Denver before returning home next Wednesday to face the Sacramento Kings at Oracle. The Dubs will be seeking to avenge the loss in Sacramento last Saturday night.

Golden State Warriors podcast with David Zizmor: Trying to analyze Warriors loss to the Kings last Saturday

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Some still can’t believe Golden State lost last Saturday’s game to the Sacramento Kings and there are going to be some nights like that as this team comes into the second half of the season just after the All Star break two weeks ago. They won’t be able to win them all. Keep in mind that game went into overtime. Stephen Curry didn’t get a lot of open layups. That Warrior team was playing a little funky they weren’t getting their shots. It was a game when even head coach for the Warriors Steve Kerr got so frustrated that he got his first ejection as a head coach.

Was it the new arena they were playing in Golden One?, maybe they just couldn’t get adjusted. They weren’t shooting well Draymond Green was suffering from a knee injury before the game, maybe Green wasn’t quite on the ball. This was a game where the Warriors didn’t get too comfortable with themselves because when things don’t go right they don’t execute on the floor.

David Zizmor does the Golden State Warriors podcasts at http://www.sportsradioservice.com take a listen below

Kings can’t build on highlight win

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Sacramento Kings forward Matt Barnes squats after his inbound pass to teammate DeMarcus Cousins was stolen by Chicago Bulls guard Dwyane Wade who went for a breakaway stuff during the closing moments of an NBA basketball game Monday, Feb. 6, 2017, in Sacramento, Calif. The Bulls won 112-107. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

By Jeremy Harness

SACRAMENTO – What a difference two nights makes.

The Kings followed up their biggest victory of the year – which came Saturday night against the Warriors in this building – with a major letdown of a 112-107 loss to the Chicago Bulls inside of the Golden 1 Center Monday night.

After being down by as many as 27 points in the second half, the Kings inched their way back into the game, eventually tying the game with less than a minute remaining before succumbing to the shooting prowess of Dwyane Wade.

Wade doesn’t have the hops that he used to, but he tortured the Kings on Monday with a midrange fade-away from the post-up position that has become his weapon of choice these days. He sliced Sacramento up with 31 points on 12-of-18 shooting to go along with six rebounds and three assists.

DeMarcus Cousins, on the other hand, endured a horrid night from the field, making only five of his 16 shots for 18 points. He shook it off, however, just in time to nail a 3-pointer with less than a minute left to cut the Bulls’ seemingly-insurmountable lead to only two.

After the Kings got a stop on the ensuing Chicago possession, Cousins then tied the game at 107-107 with a layup and fouled Taj Gibson, the Bulls’ best interior defender, out of the game in the process.

He missed the free throw, and Wade then made the Kings pay when he dribbled down slowly against Matt Barnes before sticking a silky-smooth jumper in his face to give Chicago a two-point lead with 13 seconds remaining. He then stole the inbounds pass, and his breakaway dunk with 11 seconds left sank the Kings for good.

Cousins’ frustration ultimately boiled over in the final seconds, drawing a second technical after complaining about a no-call on a desperation 3-point attempt that was not close to going in.

The excitement of beating a team like the Warriors clearly was not there at the start. As a result, the Bulls blitzed the Kings right out of the gate, taking a 27-9 lead with 30 seconds left in the first quarter.

Chicago led by as many as 18 points in the first half, but the Kings began to creep their way back into the game, as a baby hook by Kosta Koufos cut the Bulls’ lead to eight with 4:33 left in the second quarter.

Sacramento, which appeared to be out of sync on offense as well as defensively for much of the night, had its steam run out, and the Bulls took advantage by slowly fattening their lead as the first half drew to a close.

Chicago then bolstered its lead to 27 in the second half, before the Kings crawled their way back into the contest, as they trailed 85-69 at the end of the third quarter.

That’s when Gibson drew a technical from the officials. At that point, Cousins, Barnes and Rajon Rondo, all got into the, well, spirited discussion that resulted in technicals for Cousins as well as Barnes. That seemed to light a fire under the Kings, and Sacramento gained ground more quickly.

However, the Kings were never able to take the lead, and Wade made sure of that.

NOTES: Rondo, who spent last season with the Kings, got a not-so-warm welcome from the Sacramento crowd when he entered the game for the first time late in the first quarter, getting a healthy portion of boos.

He finished the game with five points on 2-of-6 shooting with six assists and a pair of rebounds.

Sacramento Kings Saturday game wrap: What a difference a day makes – Kings beat the Warriors 109-106 in OT

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment
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Darren Collison drives past Klay Thompson Photo NBAE

by Charlie O. Mallonee

SACRAMENTO–There is an old song that Dinah Washington made famous (that’s for all of my readers who have lived a little) titled “What a Diff’rence a Day Makes”. That would be a fitting title for the Sacramento Kings 109-106 overtime win over the Golden State Warriors on Saturday night at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento.

On Friday night, the Kings dropped a last second decision to the Phoenix Suns when Devin Booker banked in a jump shot at the final buzzer to hand Sacramento a painful 105-103 loss.

The way the Kings responded to that loss and the effort they would put forth versus the team with the best record in “the Association” was really critical for how this team would play for the rest off the season. They also had to face a Golden State franchise that had won the last 13 consecutive meetings between the two teams. All in all, the odds looked stacked against Sacramento.

The Kings did exactly what they needed to do by coming out and starting the game strong. Cousins scored 12 points in the opening 12 minutes and the Kings needed those points as Warriors superstar Steph Curry posted 14 points of his own in the opening quarter. Sacramento took a 31-27 lead after the first period.

The second quarter brought new stars to the floor as the second units came into the game. Kings reserve center Willie Cauley-Stein scored 12 points hitting on 6-of-8 shooting in 11-minutes of playing time. Klay Thompson took over the offense for the “Dubs” scoring 11 points for his squad.

At the end of 24 minutes, the game was tied at 56-all.

The third period brought more of the same high-pace scoring action that had been seen in the first half. The Warriors scored 26 points behind outstanding 3-point shooting (6-for-12, 50-percent). It was the traditional “Splash Brothers” tandem of Thompson (11) and Curry (9) that led the attack for the Warriors.

Sacramento also posted 26 points in the third quarter shooting 50-percent from the field (9-for-18) and going a perfect 7-for-7 from the free throw line. Cousins (9), Collison (8) and McLemore (6) handled most of the scoring for the Kings.

At the end of three periods, the score was Golden State 82-Sacramento 82.

There was one other important incident in the third quarter. Warriors coach Steve Kerr was ejected from the game with 3:34 remaining in the period for arguing a foul call with the officials. Kerr was issued the first technical foul and that enraged him enough that he ran unto the floor after the referee. Needless to say, the second “tech-foul” was issued immediately.

“I was mad about a lot of things, but I got what I deserved. I deserved to be ejected, so I had no complaints. I was really angry about some calls and like I said, I got mad and I deserved to get kicked out”.

On to the fourth quarter which if you had to give it a title would be known as the “Ugly Quarter”. Both teams had difficulty executing. Golden State shot 28.6-percent (6-for-21) and went 1-for-8 from 3-point range in the period. The Warriors scored just 16 points.

The Kings shot 33.3-percent (7-for-21) and hit 2-of-4 shots from beyond the 3-point arc. Sacramento did not go to the free throw line one time in the period. The Kings put 16 points in the book.

At the end of regulation, the Warriors and Kings were tied at 98-98.

The Kings roared into overtime like they owned it by going on a 7-0 run. The Warriors first point in OT came off a made free throw by Draymond Green with 2:39 to go in the extra period.

The Warriors cut the Kings lead to one point when Green scored on a fast break dunk with 41.1 left on the clock. Cousins missed a 15-foot jump shot and the Curry missed a layup opportunity off the Warriors rebound.

Following a Golden State timeout, Curry missed a jump shot that Collison rebounded and who was fouled immediately. Curry fouled Darren Collison on the inbounds play with 2.5 to play. Collison converted both free throws and sealed the win for the Kings 109-106.

The OT win ends some very negative streaks for the Kings (20-31)

  1. The win ended a 13-game losing streak to the Golden State Warriors. The last time the Kings had defeated the Warriors was on March 27, 2013.
  2. The overtime victory also ended a four-game home losing streak. The Kings have yet to establish a true homecourt advantage in their new Golden 1 Center home. This win could be a foundational victory that helps establish a “not in my house” attitude.
  3. This big win also stopped a three-game losing streak that carried over from the Kings “eight-game road trip from hell” with losses in Philly and Houston.

The loss ended a very positive streak for the “Dubs” (43-8)

  1. The Warriors had won five games in a row prior to the overtime loss to the Kings on Saturday night.
  2. The loss also ends a steak of incredible of domination over another professional franchise

Who did what in the game

Kings

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Cousins takes to the rack Photo NBAE
  • DeMarcus Cousins scored a team-high 32 points to with 12 rebounds to record a double-double. He was one assist – nine – shy of a triple-double. He also had two steals and one blocked shot. “Big win. It shows this team has a lot of character, a lot of fight, especially coming off the loss we had last night. Complete team effort – I think this was our most complete game of the season.”
  • Darren Collison recorded 18 points and three assists. He shot 8-for-13 from the field.
  • Willie Cauley-Stein put 14 points in the book in just 17-minutes on the floor. He also had four rebounds and two steals.
  • Ben McLemore had another good night as a starter scoring 10 points in 29-minutes of playing time.
  • The Kings bench scored 45 points compared to just 16 points for the GSW bench.
  • Sacramento shot 44.9-percent from the field (43-for-88) and hit 7-of-23 from 3-point land in the game. They converted 16-of-19 free throws (84.2-percent).
  • The Kings outscored the Warriors 56-34 in the paint.

 

Warriors

  • Steph Curry scored a game-high 35 points and added nine assists in the game. He hit on 8-of-14 attempts from behind the 3-point line.
  • Klay Thompson made “the Splash Brothers” effect present by adding 25 points against the Kings. He hit on 10-of-25 shots from the floor including sinking four 3-pointers.
  • Draymond Green put up 16 points in the contest. He also had eight rebounds and six assists
  • Kevin Durant had what has to called a “quiet” night. KD put just 10 points in the book and grabbed nine rebounds.
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Cauley-Stein goes sky high versus the Warriors Photo NBAE

Coaches analysis of the game

Kings head coach Dave Joerger

  • That’s a good win – heck of a basketball game.
  • Second night of a back to back for us and guys competing and staying together and being rewarded for staying together and battling through.
  • It is a happy locker room and they should feel really good.

Warriors head man Steve Kerr

  • It was one of the worst games we’ve played all season.
  • We had no purpose.
  • The ball didn’t move.
  • I didn’t recognize our team out there tonight.

Up next on the schedule

  • The Warriors are off until Wednesday, February 8th when they will host the Bulls in a nationally televised game on ESPN.
  • The Kings host the Bulls on Monday night at the Golden 1 Center.

 

 

 

Golden State Warriors Saturday game wrap: The Sacramento Kings beat the Warriors in overtime 109-106

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Sacramento Kings forward DeMarcus Cousins, left, and Golden State Warriors forward Andre Iguodala scramble after the ball during the second half of an NBA basketball game Saturday, Feb. 4, 2017, in Sacramento, Calif. The Kings won in overtime 109-106. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

By Jerry Feitelberg

Sacramento-As the song says “it was just one of those nights.” The Sacramento Kings beat the Dubs 109-106 in overtime. The Kings snapped a 13-game losing streak against the Warriors with the win. The Dubs had not lost to the Kings in the last four years. The Kings, led by DeMarcus Cousins, shut down the vaunted Warrior offense. Kevin Durant, who was terrific on defense, was not able to get his game going and was held to just 10 points in the game. The Kings double-teamed him all night, and he could not buy a bucket. He missed from three-point range, he missed from mid-range, and when he was able to drive the lane, he was fouled. Steph Curry had a good night until late in the overtime period.With the score 107-106, Steph missed a layup.The Kings scored to lead 109-106. Steph missed a three-point shot that would have tied the game. The Dubs were cooked, and they fell to Sacramento.

The game was a thriller from start to finish. The Warriors led 31-27 at the end of the first quarter. The Kings came back, and the lead changed several times. The Warriors led 56-53 near the end of the second quarter, but the Kings were able to tie at the buzzer. The score was 56 all after 2 periods of play. The Warriors’ Draymond Green, who missed a game with a shoulder contusion, left the game late in the second quarter. Draymond landed awkwardly on the court, grasping his knee. He was helped off the court and went to the locker room.The fear was that Draymond might have had a serious knee injury and could be lost to the team. Those fears were not realized as Draymond returned early in the third quarter.

The Kings started the third quarter on an 8-0 run. The Dubs responded with a 7-0 run to get back in the game. The Kings were leading 74-73 when the Warriors were hit with a double technical. The Warriors’ head coach Steve Kerr went ballistic when KD was mugged by three Sacramento players, and no foul was called. Draymond picked a technical for objecting, and Kerr was ejected for his extremely salty language aimed at the referees. Assistant coach Mike Brown took over the coaching reins. The teams ended the third quarter tied at 82. In the fourth quarter, both teams played excellent defense. The Dubs scored just 16 points, and they held the Kings to 16, and the game ended tied at 98. Steph missed a three with 15.8 seconds left and the game went to overtime. In the overtime period, the Kings scored the first 7 points of the period. The Dubs clawed their way back were not able to either tie the game or take the lead. Steph missed the layup and Draymond missed a three three as time expired.

Game Notes and stats- The Warriors record drops to 43-8 while Sacramento improves to 20-31. Steph led the Dubs with 30, and Klay added 26. Draymond Green scored 13 with 6 assists, 8 rebounds, and one block. KD had 10, but he had 8 rebounds and 5 blocks. Shaun Livingston, returning after missing 2 games with a back strain, led the bench with 8 points. DeMarcus Cousins was a force for the Kings with 28 points,9 assists, 12 rebounds and a block. Former Warrior. Matt Barnes scored 11, and he had 3 blocks. Willy Cauley-Stein had a big night for the Kings with 14 points and 4 boards. Anthony Tolliver added 11, Darren Collison 16, and Ben McLemore 10.

The Dubs shot just 41.4% from the floor while the Kings shot 49% The Kings outrebounded the Warriors 46-40. The Warriors had 10 steals and 10 blocks in the game.

The Warriors return home to face the Chicago Bulls Wednesday at Oracle Arena. Game time is at 7:30 pm.

Buzzer beating bank shot gives the Suns a 105-103 win over the Kings

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment
Phoenix Suns v Sacramento Kings
Booker shoots the game winner versus the Kings on Friday night Photo: NBAE

by Charlie O. Mallonee

NBA fans used to live for the final two minutes of a game. They were rough, tumble and full of exciting action. Now with all of the stoppages for replay reviews, the excitement of the final 120 seconds has been all but lost.

On Friday night at the Golden 1 Center, the sellout crowd (17,608) were treated to an “old fashion” nail biting two minute finish in the game between the Phoenix Suns and the Sacramento Kings.

The excitement began with 2:32 remaining in the game when DeMarcus Cousins broke a 98-all tie with a step-back 3-point basket from the right corner off an assist from Matt Barnes. The Suns missed a jump on their possession. The Kings grabbed the rebound and called a timeout with 2:09 to go.

Cousins missed a jumper coming out of the timeout that was rebounded by Bledsoe of the Suns. T.J. Warren sank a jump shot at the 1:34 mark to bring Phoenix within one point of the lead at 101-100.

Each team missed a field goal opportunity then Cousins missed a layup that Lawson rebounded and then he was fouled by the Suns Tyson Chandler. The Kings maintained possession and Cousins attempted a 3-point shot that missed and Chandler rebounded.

The Suns Warren hit a 3-pointer (assist Booker) with 21.6-seconds on the clock to give his team a 103-101 lead. The Kings immediately called a timeout.

The Kings ran their play out of the timeout and with 8.2-seconds to go Darren Collison sank a 15-foot jump shot (assist Cousins) to tie the game at 103-103. It was the Suns turn to call a timeout.

Phoenix inbounded the ball at midcourt and to no one’s surprise the ball wound up in the hands of second-year guard Devin Booker. Booker put up a 20-foot fade away bank shot that  went in the hoop as the final buzzer sounded. The Suns had won the game 105-103 to the stunned amazement of the big crowd.

Who did what in the game

Kings (19-31)

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Cousins hits two of his 22 versus the Suns Photo: NBAE

 

  • DeMarcus Cousins led the Kings scoring attack with a triple-double: 22 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists(sixth career triple-double). Cousins got into foul trouble and picked up his fifth personal foul with 9:22 to go in the 4th quarter and he did not return until there was just 3:18 left in the game. How much of a difference could the big man have made in that six minutes is now a question to be pondered over beers at the local pub.
  • Darren Collison scored 19 points for the Kings as he shot 8-for-16 from the floor and hit 3-of-4 3-point attempts. Joerger was very happy with Collison’s play after the game.
  • There was a Ben McLemore sighting on Friday night. McLemore made a rare start as the team made adjustments with Temple out due to injury and Arron Afflalo did not dress due to illness. McLemore played 35-minutes and scored 18 points.
  • Ty Lawson made an impact in the game off the bench again for Sacramento on Friday night. The speedy guard put up 18 points hitting on 7-of-10 attempts from the field and went a perfect 4-for-4 from the free throw line.
  • Matt Barnes did not have a big scoring night (6-points) but hauled in 10 rebounds and dished out 4 assists for the Kings.
  • Willie Cauley-Stein played only 14-minutes in the contest but came up big especially in the six-minutes that Cousins was sitting on the bench in the fourth quarter with the five fouls. He also scored four points and had four rebounds.
  • As a team the Kings outrebounded the Suns 43-39. They outscored Phoenix in the paint 36-20. Sacramento even scored more fast break points (14-9) than the Suns. The Kings had 23 assists versus 13 turnovers which resulted in 22 Phoenix points.

Suns (16-34)

  • 20-year old guard Devin Booker scored a game-high 33 points for PHX. He scored just seven points in the first half. Booker went 11-for-24 shooting and hit 4-0f-8 from beyond the 3-point line. He also went 7-for-10 from the free throw line.
  • T.J. Warren was the offense for the Suns in the first half. While much of the team seemed less than present, Warren was active and ready for action. He finished with 21 points including going a perfect 6-for-6 from the free throw line.
  • Eric Bledsoe had a 20 point game for the Suns in 33-minutes on the floor. He was just 4-of-12 from the floor but was 3-for-6 from 3-point land.
  • Maybe the disappointment of the night for the crowd was the play of local product Marquese Chriss. Chriss who played his high school basketball in Elk Grove and was drafted by the Kings and then traded to Phoenix played just 15-minutes and scored only two points. Chriss picked up two quick fouls in the first quarter which really limited his playing time. It may well have the combination of playing before a large contingent of family and friends while trying to defend DeMarcus Cousins that keep the young rookie from having a better game.

Joerger’s postgame thoughts

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Collison had a big second half for the Kings Photo: NBAE
  • Heck of a basketball game
  • Both teams started kind of slow (it was 49-49 at the half)
  • I’m really proud of out guys. We held a fast break team to nine-points on the fast break and basically won every statistical category there is.
  • I thought Darren (Collison) really stepped up his game in the second half.
  • It was tremendous that we had great point guard play with Ty (Lawson) and Darren at times playing together.
  • It was great to see Ben McLemore get going a little bit and heck of a basketball game.
  • Very proud of out team

Focusing on 8th place in the Western Conference

The battle for the eighth and final playoff slot in the Western Conference continued on Friday night:

  • Denver now has sole possession of 8th place as they beat the Bucks 121-117
  • Portland is in 9th place 1.5 games back after losing to Dallas 108-104
  • Dallas has jumped into 10th place 2.5 games back of Denver with their win over Portland
  • The Kings are now in 11th place 3.5 games behind Denver after Friday’s loss to Phoenix

Up next on the schedule

The Kings have no time sit and ponder their loss to the Suns. The Golden State Warriors make a return visit to the Golden 1 Center on Saturday night. It is never easy to face “the Splash Brothers” but to have to play them on second night of a back-to-back set is really unfair.

Phoenix returns home on Saturday night to host the Milwaukee Bucks who lost in Denver on Friday.

The Warriors, minus four key players, still beat the LA Clippers 133-120

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by Jerry Feitelberg

Los Angeles- The Warriors beat the Clippers for the ninth straight time Thursday night by a score of 133-120 at the Staples Center. The Dubs were without Draymond Green(shoulder contusion), Zaza Pachulia(strained rotator cuff), Shaun Livingston(back strain), nd David West(fractured thumb). The Warriors JaVale McGeee at center in place of Pachulia and Patrick McCaw started at guard. Klay Thompson moved into Green’s forward position. The Warriors got off to a good start and never trailed in the game. The Warriors moved the ball well and recorded 38 assists on 52 field goals. Steve Kerr used his bench quite a bit, and they came through in a big way. They had 7 players in double figures.

The Warriors, behind Kevin Durant, Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, JaVale McGee, and Patrick McCaw finished the first quarter leading 33-25. The Warriors continued to play well. The Clippers could not catch the Dubs. Blake Griffin played well and was a force as he kept the Clippers close. However, the Dubs responded to every challenge and finished the half leading by 10 points 65-55. KD Led the Dubs with 17. Steph had 12, Klay 10, McCaw 8, McGee 6, and James Michael McAdoo had 6, too. Griffin had 16, JJ Redick kicked in with 13, Jamal Crawford added 8 and DeAndre Jordan had 9 for LA.

The third quarter belonged to the Warriors. As they have done so many times this year, the Warriors outscored the Clippers 39-32 in the quarter. They led 104-87 heading into the fourth and final period. Curry performed his magic once more. He made a three-pointer and another 3 point play when he made a layup and converted a free-throw after being fouled on the play. He also made two-point shots, too. JaVale McGee, Andre Iguodala, and James Michael McAdoo all made key buckets.  Andre made a big 3-point shot as well as a bucket as the buzzer sounded to end the third quarter. The Warriors increased the lead to twenty-one 122-103 late in the quarter. The Clippers rallied as they forced the Dubs to commit three turnovers in a row and came within seven points of tying the game. Durant drained a three, and that was followed by a Thompson 3-pointer that iced the victory. The Clippers were toast. The Dubs win 133-120.

Game Notes and stats- The Clippers last beat the Warriors on Christmas Day, 20014. Since that time the Dubs have won nine straight. The Warriors have won 12 of the last 13 games. The Warriors improve to 43-7 while the Clippers drop to 31-19. The Clippers were without guard Chris Paul. Paul has an injured thumb and will be out for about another six weeks.

The game was televised on TNT and former NBA star, Charles Barkley, now a commentator, not only predicted but “guaranteed” the Clippers would win. Wrong again, Chuck.

Now for the stats. The Dubs took 19 more shots in the game than the Clippers. Golden State made 52 field goals on 99 attempts. The Clippers attempted 80 and made 40. What kept the Clippers in the game was free throws.The Clippers made 30 of 39 free throws. The Dubs had 18 freebies and made 15. The Warriors outrebounded the Clippers 46-37. They had 10 steals and two blocked shots. Steph Curry had a double-double with 29 points and 11 assists. KD also had a double-double. Durant’s line was 26 points,10 assists, and 8 rebounds. Klay Thompson finished with 21. JaVale McGee knocked down 11, and 8 boards and one blocked. Andre Iguodala had 13 points,4 assists, and 4 rebounds. Ian Clark, getting some playing time, added 11 and McAdoo had 10 points and 9 rebounds. The Clippers’ Blake Griffin was a beast on offense. He scored 31 and had 8 rebounds. Austin Rivers had 18, Redick 17 and Jamal Crawford scored 21. Former Warrior, Mo Speights, scored 8 and he had 3 assists and 6 boards.

The Warriors travel to Sacramento to face the Kings Saturday night at the Golden 1 Arena. Game time is at 7:30 pm.

Sacramento Kings podcast with Charlie O: Long road trip over Kings pull within two games behind last playoff spot

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Sacramento Kings forward DeMarcus Cousins (15) tries to shoot against Houston Rockets forward Ryan Anderson (3) during the second half of an NBA basketball game Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2017, in Houston. (AP Photo/George Bridges)

The Sacramento Kings who just came off a eight game road trip this was suppose to be an seven game road trip which was long enough it became a eight game trip because they had to slide a make up game that was canceled earlier in the season due to water that seeped onto the hardwood surface in Philadelphia when the hockey ice below melted. It also became the eight game roadie with three back to backs on the schedule. That was tough enough and they had found out they had to do the road trip without Rudy Gay of the Kings because Gay went down with a ruptured Achillies tendon in his left foot.

That right there was enough to depress any team in the NBA. One of the things that distinguishes teams that are in the bottom tier from teams that are in the top tier if you look at the Golden State Warriors that’s a great example for all of our listeners and Kings fans are very familiar with the Warriors because it’s Northern California were fortunate to have two teams up here. We understand for a lot of teams the guys that are playing second unit for the Warriors would be first unit players in other situations.

Charlie O does the Sacramento Kings podcast each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com