Category: NBA

Kings Blowup In Third Quarter Hanging On To Beat Miami Heat 111-110

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The Sacramento Kings forward Domantas Sabonis (11) defends against the Miami Heat Bam Adebayo (13) in the first half at Miami on Mon Nov 4, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

The Sacramento Kings (4-3) trailed after the first quarter, they trailed at the half in their game with the Miami Heat (3-3). They caught fire in the third quarter outscoring the Heat 37-17 and hung on to win the game 111-110.

De’Aaron Fox led the charge in the third quarter scoring 16 points. Domantas Sabonis had another double double in this amazing win. They have now improved to 4-3 on the season winning three games on this four game road trip.

Game recap: After the first 12 minutes of play, the Kings were trailing by a single basket 22-25. It had been a competitive quarter. The second quarter was not a great one for the Kings and at the half, the Heat had taken a 61-48 lead.

Miami had closed the first half with a 13 to 1 flurry. They outscored the Kings by ten points in the second quarter 36-26. It was a lackluster first half for Sacramento. The Kings were 3 of 14 from downtown while the Heat were 11-20.

They seemed at times that they were having trouble communicating defensively. They did protect the ball well with six turnovers in the half. The huge problem for Sacramento was the 21% accuracy from beyond the arc.

The Heat on the other hand were shooting 55% from downtown. The Kings had hit 3 three’s and the Heat scored 11 of 20. Sacramento had numerous open shots but just couldn’t hit them. The Kings had a bit of an uphill challenge in front of them but they tend to rise to the occasion when they are behind the eight ball.

They needed to play with urgency in the second half but without fouling. The Kings needed someone to get hot in the third quarter and it would not be long before we found out who that someone was.

The Kings came off the critical list at 8:58 going on a 9-0 run and pulling to within six points 57-63. It took nearly three quarters but at 3:09 Sacramento took the lead 77-76. The Kings continued to dominate the quarter going on a 12-0 run taking an 85-77 lead with 24 ticks left on the clock.

Sacramento had outscored the Heat 37-17 in an incredible turnaround. Fox was responsible for this huge third quarter comeback scoring 16 points. They took a 85-78 lead into the fourth quarter. Sabonis kept it clean in the third quarter with the three fouls drawn in the first half as did Malik Monk who had four fouls in the opening half.

The Heat began to creep back into the game cutting the Kings lead to three points 85-82 at 11:26. The game had a wild ending. When it looks as though the Heat would pull this one out, DeMar DeRozan hit a three plus a foul and it was a one point game, the Kings trailing 107-108 with less than a minute left in the game. Sabonis made a 9-foot two point shot with 0.7 giving the Kings the lead 111-110. After this physical brutal game, Sacramento was able to pull this one out.

When the dust had settled on this game four of the Kings starters had four personals along with bench player Monk who also had four but each of them was able to hold on and continue to play a physical game.

The high for the Kings was Fox with 28 points and six rebounds who spurred the Kings climbing back into this game after the first half. DeRozan finished with 26 points. Sabonis had a double double with 16 rebounds and 16 points.

Keegan Murray had 14 points and six rebounds. Monk finished with 14 points and the Kings had a 3-1 record on this road trip. Three road wins on any road trip is no small feat. After being down significantly these guys did not give up, they found a way to win. Everyone on the team had a hand in this game.

Game notes: Monday night the Kings took on the Heat. The Kings had a tough three-point loss in overtime to the Toronto Raptors Saturday night 131-128. Despite some impressive stats, the Kings were off. The turnovers were troublesome with 18 and second and third chance balls would not fall.

A lot of credit goes to the Raptors who did play a very impressive game with RJ Barrett going off for 31 points. The Kings did not get a lot of stops which hurt them throughout the game. The Raptors dictated play from the get go and it was not the case in Monday night’s game.

The Heat have a deep starting roster with Bam Adebayo, Jimmy Butler, Tyler Herro, Terry Rozier and Nikola Jovic. Saturday night Bam Adebayo was the top guy scoring 32 points, last Wednesday it was Tyler Herro with 34 points and last Monday it was Jimmy Butler who had the high score for the team with 23 points.

The Kings have now won three of their last four games. Unfortunately Kevin Huerter missed his second game of the season for the Kings due to a non-covid related illness. The Kings arrived in Miami three hours late Sunday due to various issues on the tarmac but they did get Sunday off and were rested and won Monday night.

The Kings will now return home getting another crack at the Toronto Raptors looking for a little payback on Wednesday night. That game will take place at Golden 1 Center with tipoff scheduled for Wednesday at 7:00 PM.

Sacramento Kings podcast with Barbara Mason: Kings tip off against Heat tonight in Miami

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The Sacramento Kings Domantas Sabonis scored his 60th career triple double against the Toronto Raptors on Mon Nov 4, 2024 at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto (Sacramento Kings X photo)

Sacramento Kings podcast with Barbara Mason:

#1 The Toronto Raptors RJ Barrett was the top scorer with 31 points as the Sacramento Kings were defeated 131-128. The Kings just couldn’t keep Barrett down he was just hitting his shot on Saturday night.

#2 Barrett’s teammates were also able to connect with the bucket Ochai Agbaji scored a season high of 22 points and teammate Grady Dick had 22 points as well and it was challenging for the Kings who kept up with the Raptors.

#3 In spite of the loss the Kings Domantas Sabonis chalked up his 60th triple double had 17 points, 20 rebounds, and ten assists but the Kings fell short and ended their three game win streak.

#4 Former Raptor DeMar DeRozan missed two three pointers in the last minute of the game but scored 33 points.

#5 The Kings take on the Miami Heat on Monday night in Miami with a 5:15pm PST. The Heat have won three of their last four games including their last game Monday night defeating the Washington Wizards 118-98. Talk about how you see the Kings and Heat match tonight?

Barbara Mason does the Sacramento Kings podcasts each Monday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Kings Lose Thriller In Overtime to Raptors 131-128; Sac ends 3 game win streak

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Toronto Raptors guard Ochai Agbaji (30) drives on the Sacramento Kings forward DeMar DeRozan (10) in first half action at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto on Sat Nov 2, 2024. (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

The Sacramento Kings (3-3) had a slow start as they took on the Toronto Raptors (2-5) losing in overtime 131-128. The Raptors led for most of the game but Sacramento was able to tie up the game in the fourth quarter as the clock ran out.

They had so many opportunities throughout this game as well as in the overtime but just couldn’t cash in. DeMar DeRozan had a season high of 33 points. Domantas Sabonis had a triple double and Keegan Murray finished with a double double before fouling out in the fourth quarter.

Game recap: It was a most entertaining first quarter with a multitude of lead changes. This game could not have been closer and the game was tied with 2:28 at 24. The Raptors were having some success off the bench with ten points scored.

As the first 12 minutes expired Toronto had dictated the pace of the game and had taken a 37-29 lead. The Raptors bench player Chris Boucher was the only player on the court with double digits .

He had hit most of the final 17 points scored by the Raptors in the quarter finishing with 12 points. Sacramento had poor ball protection in the quarter with five turnovers. Trailing by eight points, the Kings had some work to do.

The Raptors continued to extend their lead going into the second quarter. Injuries to the versatile wing Scottie Barnes and multi-faceted Kelly Olynyk had not hurt the Raptors so far in the game.

The Kings continued to bring up the rear trailing 59-49 with 4:50 left in the first half of play. Sacramento needed some sort of rally in the worst way and they did close a 12 point deficit significantly, cutting the Raptor lead to three points trailing at the half 63-66.

Sacramento had gone on an eight point run. Keegan Murray and De’Aaron Fox had begun to heat up and Malik Monk off the bench was the high score for the team with 15 points.

There was a special event on the floor at halftime. Vince Carter was honored for a remarkable career as he became the first Raptor to have his number 15 jersey retired. The entire arena celebrated this legend, this icon with thunderous applause. An emotional Carter fought back tears as he was introduced in this milestone moment in Raptor history. Canada finally had their very own Superstar when Carter came on the scene.

After the ceremony the third quarter got underway. The start of the quarter was a see-saw until the Raptors went on a run taking a ten-point lead to finish the quarter leading 96-86. They continued to control the pace going into the fourth quarter. Sacramento did pull to within two points but the Raptors went on yet another run and trailing by ten points, the Kings were unable to get over the top in this game.

The Raptors were out-rebounding the Kings, killing them from outside and also barely winning the battle from the field. This young Toronto team was giving the Kings all kinds of trouble and their record hardly indicates the talent that this team has.

They had been very impressive through three quarters. With 2:58 left in the game, the score was 111-110 in favor of the Raptors. The Kings had made their run and needed to sustain their effort and finally take the lead.

Toronto refused to back down taking their lead back to 113-110. Sacramento pushed back trailing by a single point 112-113. When it all was looking good for the Kings, Toronto hit another three, their 16th of the game.

This game was going down to the wire with Sacramento continuing to play catchup as Toronto hit their 17th three. With 28 ticks left on the clock it was a one-point game. Domantas Sabonis made a tip shot to tie up this game at 120 when the clock ran out. The game went into overtime and unfortunately, Keegan Murray had fouled out of the game at the end of the fourth quarter.

The Raptors got a solid start in overtime scoring a couple of buckets taking a 124-120 lead. With nine seconds left on the clock, Toronto’s RJ Barrett missed two free throws and the door was open for the Kings to tie up this game trailing 128-131. De’Aaron Fox closed the door missing a 27-foot jumper and the final score was 131-128 in favor of the Raptors.

This was a tough loss for the Kings. They had 18 turnovers and at times disappointing rebounding coupled with missed shots. DeMar DeRozan bettered his season high of 27 last night finishing with 33 points in this game. De’Aaron Fox scored 24 points and unfortunately missed the shot that counted the most in the final seconds. Malik Monk had 21 points off the bench

Game notes: Scotiabank Arena in Toronto Friday night the Kings hung on for their third win in a row beating the Atlanta Hawks 123-115 and couldn’t win their their fourth win in a row. They took to the court without Kevin Huerter who will be replaced by Doug McDermott in the starting lineup.

Huerter is out of the lineup missing his first game of the season with a non-covid illness. DeMar DeRozan received huge applause from fans in attendance welcoming him back on his former home court. He was a member of the Raptors from 2009-2018.

He had a special moment with former Toronto superstar Vince Carter who played for the Raptors from 1998-2004 and was the first Raptor to have his number retired. That jersey retirement ceremony took place at halftime. As far as the Raptor injury list, Scottie Barnes and Kelly Olynyk did not take the court. Bruce Brown and defender Immanuel Quickley rounded out the list for Toronto.

Monday night, the Kings will be in Miami taking on the Heat. Tipoff for this game is scheduled for 5:15 PM.

Kings Win Third In a Row Beating the Hawks 123-115

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Sacramento Kings guard De’Aaron Fox (5) battles for the basketball with the Atlanta Hawks center Clint Capela (15) State Farm Arena in Atlanta on Fri Oct 25, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

The Sacramento Kings (3-2) led throughout the first three quarters in their game with the Atlanta Hawks (2-4). They led by double digits through much of those three quarters. Atlanta’s Trae Young got a major slow start but caught fire in the second half and finished with 25 points.

Game recap: The Hawks tied up the game 109 apiece with six minutes left in the game but De’Aaron Fox more than matched Young shot for shot scoring 11 points. He finished the game with 31 points and DeMar DeRozan had 27 points. Domantas Sabonis had a double double with 14 rebounds and 15 points. Sacramento stubbornly hung on to win this hard fought game.

The Kings got a fast start in the opening quarter leading by as much as 14 points but the Hawks hung around as the quarter ran out. Atlanta cut the Kings lead in half after the first 12 minutes as Sacramento hung onto a 33-26 lead.

Shots from the field were fairly even with the Kings shooting around 45% while the Hawks shot at almost 42% in a close matchup. The Kings hit five three’s in the first quarter with only three turnovers. This was a great start for the team although they would be aiming to push their lead back out.

In the opening minutes of the second quarter, Sacramento did indeed push their lead back out taking a 45-28 lead at 9:15. Both De’Aaron Fox and bench player Keon Ellis had ten points apiece in the first quarter and would be looking for more as the first half of play went deeper.

Atlanta continued to challenge pushing back getting some solid play from their bench but unable to keep pace with the Kings. Again the Hawks erased the Kings double digit lead although Sacramento pushed it back out to double digits at the half 69-59. Sacramento had barely outscored the Hawks in the second quarter 36-33.

Sacramento led after three quarters 102-90 but the fourth quarter got very interesting. After trailing by as much as 18 points in this game, the Hawks made a huge push tying up this game at 5:51, 109 apiece. The Kings took a 118-112 lead with under three minutes left in the game and Sacramento would have to fight for this game.

Kevin Huerter had missed far too many buckets under the basket, too many easy layups. With under a minute left in the game, the Kings were hanging onto a 122-115 lead. The Hawks kept threatening answering the Kings basket for basket as this game went down to the wire. With 26 ticks left on the clock the Kings had a 123-115 lead which would be the final score.

Every Sacramento starter had double digits along with bench player Keon Ellis who finished with 12 points. The Kings had 11 three’s but the Hawks had a great second half hitting 19 shots from downtown.

Garrison Matthews hit 7 of 13 and Keaton Wallace was 50% from downtown going 4 of 8. They had a great second half of basketball but the Kings set the pace early in the game and hung on for the win.

Game notes: Friday evening, the Kings took on the Hawks at State Farm Arena. After a bit of a slow start on the season, the Kings won their last two games against the Trail Blazers last Monday 111-98 followed by a win over the Utah Jazz Tuesday 113-96 to even their season record at 2-2.

Friday night the Kings extended their game winning streak to three games. Although being favored in this contest, the Kings went into this game with determination and purpose, not taking any team lightly. The good news for Sacramento was that there were no injured players on their injury report.

Saturday night the Kings continue their road trip taking on the Toronto Raptors. Tipoff for this game is scheduled for 4:30pm PT. Scottie Banks is the threat for Toronto averaging 19 points per game. Sacramento will be hungry for their fourth straight win.

Kings Clock First Road Win At the Expense of the Jazz 113-96

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Utah Jazz guard Patty Mills (8) reaches for the basketball with the Sacramento Kings forward DeMar DeRozan (10) and forward Trey Lyles (41) defending, and the Jazz forward John Collins (20) in foreground at Golden One Center in Sacramento on Tue Oct 29, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

The Sacramento Kings got going early and they continued to compete at a high level for the entire game. They outscored the Jazz in the first three quarters with the final score 113-96.

The bench got to play the final four minutes of the game with the exception of Malik Monk, Keon Ellis and Trey Lyles who played extended minutes. Domantas Sabonis turned in another double double with 28 points and 11 rebounds. This was the Kings first road win and the win leveled their season to 2-2.

Game recap: The Kings got a jump start on the Jazz in the first quarter of play leading 34-22 after the opening 12 minutes. Utah challenged the Kings in the second quarter of play outscoring Sacramento 30-27. The Kings took a 61-52 lead into the locker room at the half.

Sacramento came into the second half extending their lead 75-60 mid-way through the quarter. The Kings had their entire starting roster already at double digits with 1 1/2 quarters left in the game.

Domantas Sabonis was leading the way through 2 1/2 quarters with another double double, 22 points and ten rebounds. With under one minute left in the third quarter Sacramento had taken a 24 point lead.

The Kings kept the pressure on Utah the entire quarter outscoring the Jazz in the quarter 29-14 shooting at 52% from the field to the Jazz’s 34% and leading going into the fourth quarter 90-66. Through three quarters the Kings had protected the ball well with only ten turnovers.

Sacramento really poured it on in the fourth quarter taking as much as a 27 point lead. The last few minutes saw the Kings bench take the court to finish off Utah. Sacramento had 24 second chance points to the Jazz’s 12.

The Jazz did win the final quarter 30-23 but the Kings had such a huge lead it made little difference. The game final was 113-96 as Sacramento picked up their first road win and leveled their season record to 2-2.

Sacramento was shooting lights out in this game. Domantas Sabonis shot the high for the Kings with a double double, 28 points and 11 rebounds. DeMar DeRozan finished with 20 points closely followed by De’Aaron Fox with 19 points.

Every starter finished with double digits in a well-played game . The Kings dominated the entire night against a young Utah team. After such a rough pre-season and losing the first two games of the regular season, the wins Tuesday night and last night were signs of the turnaround this team is experiencing. This was not unexpected; it was just a matter of time.

The high for the Jazz was Jordan Clarkson who scored 21 points. The Jazz lost ace Lauri Markkanen who had to leave the floor at halftime with lower back spasms, a crushing blow for Utah when he was unable to return in the second half. Utah is still looking for their first win of the season after losing their first four starts.

Game notes: Tuesday night the Kings defeated the Jazz in Utah after winning their first game of the season Monday night beating the Portland Trail Blazers 111-98. De’Aaron Fox and DeMar DeRozan both had productive games as DeRozan seems to be settling into the starting lineup very nicely. The Jazz dropped their third game in a row losing to the Dallas Mavericks 110-102 Monday night. Sacramento handed Utah their fifth loss in a row Monday night.

Sacramento will have a few days off before returning to the court on Friday night taking on the Hawks in Atlanta. Tipoff is scheduled for 4:30 PM.

Kings Dominate Trail Blazers in first win of season, Flexing Their Potential 111-98

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Photo: Kings Forward #10 DeMar SeRozan taking a shot over Trail Blazer Guard #1 Anfernee Simons (by Mauricio Segura Golden Bay Times/Sports Radio Service)

By Mauricio Segura

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings kicked off their first season win with flair, cruising to a commanding 111-98 win over the Portland Trail Blazers at the Golden 1 Center on Monday night.

From tip-off to the final buzzer, the Kings ran the show, never trailing and making an early statement that they’re a team to keep on your radar this season. With a mix of seasoned veterans and rising stars, Sacramento gave fans a preview of the exciting potential that lies ahead.

The Kings came out strong in the first quarter, outpacing Portland 25-20. Domantas Sabonis set the tone early, dominating the boards and orchestrating the offense. Sabonis flirted with a triple-double, finishing with 16 points, 13 rebounds, and 7 assists. New addition DeMar DeRozan, picked up in the offseason, looked right at home in Sacramento’s system. He led all scorers with 23 points, drawing fouls at will and sinking 9 of 10 free throws.

The third quarter proved to be the turning point. Sacramento exploded with a 21-4 run, transforming a close game into a one-sided affair. Sabonis ran the show from the high post, while Keegan Murray knocked down timely buckets to stretch the lead to 24 points. Portland had no answers, getting outscored 38-28 in the third as the Kings locked in and put the game out of reach.

Portland’s rookie guard Scoot Henderson flashed his potential with 18 points, five assists, and four rebounds, but he lacked the consistent support needed to mount a serious challenge. Deandre Ayton made his presence felt with 20 points and 11 rebounds, but their efforts weren’t enough to stop Sacramento’s well-balanced attack.

Kings head coach Mike Brown praised his team’s all-around effort, saying, “The way we shared the ball and played for each other tonight is exactly the kind of energy we need.”

On the other side, Blazers coach Chauncey Billups acknowledged the growing pains with his revamped squad. “Sacramento had us on our heels all night. That run they made was the difference; we’ve got to learn how to respond better,” Billups said.

With their first win in the books, the Kings aim to carry this momentum into tougher games ahead, signaling they’re ready to build on last season’s playoff success. As for the Blazers, they’ll head back to Portland looking to regroup and smooth out the wrinkles in their lineup as their new-look squad takes shape.

Sacramento Kings podcast with Barbara Mason: Kings looking for that first win host Blazers tonight at Golden One

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Los Angeles Lakers forward Anthony Davis (3) attempts a lay up against the Sacramento Kings forward Domantas Sabonis (11) and Kevin Huerter (right) at Golden One Center Sacramento on Sun Oct 27, 2024 (AP News photo)

Sacramento Kings podcast with Barbara Mason:

#1 The Sacramento Kings (0-2) lost another close contest to the Los Angeles Lakers (3-0) 131-127. They trailed for almost all of the second half but had an amazing third quarter. 

#2 The Lakers scored 14 unanswered points in the first two minutes of the final quarter. Sacramento has really shown some positive signs however in the early going of the season and really look to be turning the corner. 

#3 After the first 12 minutes of play the Lakers had a slim 28-26 lead. The second quarter was a rough one for the Kings as the Lakers scored 12 unanswered points taking a 40-26 lead.

#4 With under a minute it was a two point game 125-123. The Lakers Anthony Davis hit a three to push the lead to 128-123. The Kings fought hard but again came up short, the final score 131-127.

#5 Monday the Kings will head back home for a date with the Portland Trailblazers looking for their first win of the season. Tipoff for this game is scheduled for 7:00 PM.

Barbara Mason does the Sacramento Kings podcasts Mondays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Kings Come Close Again But Lose To Lakers 131-127; King James triple doubles on Kings

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Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) led with 32 points over the Sacramento Kings at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Sat Oct 26, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

The Sacramento Kings (0-2) lost another close contest to the Los Angeles Lakers (3-0) 131-127. They trailed for almost all of the second half but had an amazing third quarter. They won the third quarter 34-23 but really struggled in the early minutes of the fourth quarter.

The Lakers scored 14 unanswered points in the first two minutes of the final quarter. Sacramento has really shown some positive signs however in the early going of the season and really look to be turning the corner. The have some things to work out but seem to be on course as they return home for a game with the Minnesota Timberwolves Monday.

Game recap: After the first 12 minutes of play the Lakers had a slim 28-26 lead. The second quarter was a rough one for the Kings as the Lakers scored 12 unanswered points taking a 40-26 lead.

Sacramento was digging a hole that preempted another timeout. The Kings had to stop the bleeding trailing 27-42 at 8:36. The Lakers were dominating from the field, from downtown and defensively really taking it to the Kings in the opening minutes of the second quarter.

Sacramento was falling flat offensively as well. Sacramento cut into the Lakers 15-point lead at the six-minute mark 46-36 but still had a lot of ground to make up. At 3:49 the Laker lead had been more than cut in half 53-47 as the Kings mounted a rally.

With three minutes left in the half, the Kings trailed by two points 53-51 forcing a Los Angeles timeout. The Kings kept fighting and with 30 seconds left in the first half trialed by a single point 58-59.

The Lakers pushed their lead back out to four points 64-60 but Sacramento had turned this game around in the second quarter after trailing by as much as 15 points. The Kings went on a 10-0 run late in the half gaining a bit of momentum.

The Kings would need a whole lot more production from De’Aaron Fox, DeMar DeRozan and Keegan Murray in the second half although all three began to heat up in the closing minutes of the half.

At 9:55 the Kings took their first lead since the early minutes of the first quarter 67-66. Sacramento continued to push the lead and at the seven minute mark in the third quarter had taken a 74-69 lead.

After a couple of easy Laker hoops the Kings took a timeout at 4:55 hanging onto a 78-74 lead. After three quarters of play the Kings had a 94-87 lead. The fast pace of the game was working well for the Kings.

It all turned sideways for Sacramento as the Lakers went on a scoring frenzy to start the fourth quarter. In two minutes time Los Angeles scored 14 unanswered points taking a 101-94 lead. The Lakers continued to push their lead and Sacramento couldn’t buy a bucket missing seven shots in a row.

The Lakers continued to score and the Kings remained stagnant. Sacramento finally scored at 7:38 their first points of the fourth quarter trailing 97-108. When it looked like the Kings had control of the game in the third quarter, it all fell apart.

The culprit in this crazy turnabout for the Lakers was LeBron James who had scored 32 points with nearly seven minutes left in the game. He was unstoppable. With under four minutes left in the game the Kings did their best to fight back but the Lakers were relentless as the two teams traded buckets.

With just under two minutes left in the game the Lakers had a five point lead 123-118. Every time the Kings got close, the Lakers pushed the lead back leaving a frustrated Sacramento team in their wake. With under a minute it was a two point game 123-125. The Lakers Anthony Davis hit a three to push the lead to 128-123. The Kings fought hard but again came up short, the final score 131-127.

The Kings high score for this game was Domantas Sabonis with 29 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists for a triple double. De’Aaron Fox finished with 28 points and DeMar DeRozan hit 23 points.

LeBron James had the game high with 32 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists for a triple double.

Game notes: Saturday night the Kings traveled to Los Angeles for a game with the Lakers . The Kings struggled through the pre-season as they continue to work through some of the changes on their roster this season. They lost a heat-breaker to the Minnesota Timberwolves Thursday night 117-115.

The Kings saw some great work from Domantas Sabonis, DeMar DeRozan and Keegan Murray but Sacramento came up just short. They played well enough to win the game but needed a little more from De’Aaron Fox but it is still so early in the season and the Kings has really begun to pull it together. Saturday night they were looking for their first win of the regular season against LeBron James and the Lakers. The Kings came close but couldn’t seal the deal losing by 4 points.

Monday the Kings will head back home for a date with the Portland Trailblazers looking for their first win of the season. Tipoff for this game is scheduled for 7:00 PM.

Timberwolves Randall and Edwards spoil Kings opener 117-115 at Golden One

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Sacramento Kings forward DeMar DeRozan (10) takes a jump shot against the Minnesota Timberwolves guard Donte Divincezo (0) during first half action at Golden One Center in Sacramento on Sat Oct 24, 2024 (AP News photo)

Saturday, Oct. 24, 2024

Golden 1 Center, Sacramento, California

Minnesota Timberwolves 117 (1-1)

Sacramento Kings 115 (0-1)

Attendance: 18,049

By Stephen Ruderman

SACRAMENTO–The Kings held the lead for most of the game on opening night, but each time they seemed poised to pull away, the Timberwolves came right back, and they ended up winning a 117-115 thriller to give the Kings a brutal loss to open the 2024-2025 season.

The Kings opened their 40th season in Sacramento in front of a sold-out crowd at Golden 1 Center. The Timberwolves were playing their second game of the season after they dropped their season opener Tuesday night in Los Angeles to the Lakers 110-103.

The crowd was into it from the getgo. The Kings felt that energy, and jumped out to an early 5-0 lead. Domantas Sabonis was fouled and hit one of two from the line, and DeMar DeRozan hit a layup. Sabonis was then fouled again, and this time, hit both from the line.

The Timberwolves then scored eight unanswered points, thanks to threes by Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle. Minnesota’s eight unanswered points also set the theme of this game in motion

The Kings scored nine unanswered points of their own to take a 14-8 lead. After Keegan Murray’s fadeaway jumper gave the Kings the lead with 8:47 remaining in the first of the quarter, they would hold that lead the rest of the quarter. Minnesota made it close a couple of times, but the Kings led 32-29 at the end of one.

Malil Monk, and De’Aaron Fox, the Kings’ points leader in each of the last four seasons, each scored nine.

DeRozan hit a jumper in the first minute of the second quarter, and Murray was fouled and hit both from the line over a minute later to give Kings a 36-29 lead. After Sabonis hit the first of two from the line with 6:35 to go, the Kings’ lead was 48-40.

However, the Timberwolves went on an 11-2 run over the next four minutes to take a 51-50 lead. The Kings outscored Minnesota 9-4 over the remainder of the quarter, and they went into the half with a 59-55 lead.

The Kings came out of the gate strong in the third quarter, as they extended their lead to 81-69 with 6:22 to go. However, just like their eight-point lead in the second quarter, their 12-point lead was completely erased, and the Timberwolves retook the lead. Minnesota went on a 20-7 run to go into the fourth quarter up 89-88.

In the fourth quarter, the Kings started off with a 9-2 run to take a 97-91 lead with 8:57 to go. The run was capped off by a three by Murray, who after only scoring two points in the first quarter, really came alive later in the game.

Unfortunately, the Kings could not escape the overall theme of this game, as the Timberwolves went on a 14-2 run in just under three minutes to take a 105-99 lead, their biggest of the night.

This time, the Kings were the ones looking to come back, and they certainly made a game of it late. DeRozan was fouled and hit both shots from the line, and Sabonis slammed one down to make it 105-103 with 5:34 to go.

Naz Reid hit a hook shot, and Donte DiVincenzo hit a three ball to extend Minnesota’s lead back to five at 110-105, but the Kings kept coming. Sabonis hit a three with 4:15 left to make it 110-108, and the crowd at Golden 1 Center erupted.

Monk was fouled and hit the second of two free throws to tie the game at 112-112 with 2:20 left. Edwards made a jumper to put Minnesota back ahead with 1:28 to go, but Monk tied it on a layup with 53 seconds left. Monk was fouled on the play, and he hit his shot from the line to put the Kings back ahead.

Rudy Gobert was fouled with 38 seconds left, and he hit one of two to tie it at 115-115. The Kings then caught a bad break with 26 seconds to go. The ball went out of play, and from the replays, the Sacramento faithful seemed to think that it would be the Kings’ ball, but after review, the referees determined that the ball would go to Minnesota.

Chants of “REFS YOU SUCK!!!!!” rang throughout Golden 1 Center, and it’s all the fans could really do at that point. The Timberwolves ran down the clock, and when Edwards went in for a layup with two seconds to go, he was fouled.

Edwards hit both from the line to put the Timberwolves back ahead 117-115, and the Kings called timeout, so they could inbound the ball closer to the bucket. Keegan Murray got the ball and took an off-balance shot from beyond the arc, but it fell short, and the Timberwolves won 117-115.

Really, three guys carried the Timberwolves to victory Thursday night. Julius Randle scored 33 points; Anthony Edwards scored 32; and Naz Reid scored 19.

Despite scoring nine points in the first quarter, Fox only scored six more the rest of the way for a total of 15. DeRozan led the Kings Thursday night with 26 points, and he was followed up by Sabonis and Murray, who scored 24 and 23 respectively. Monk didn’t start, but he ended up scoring 17.

The Kings start off 0-1, and they will head down to Los Angeles to play the Lakers Saturday night. Tipoff from Crypto.com Arena will be at 7:30 p.m.

Sacramento Kings podcast with Barbara Mason: Kings sign Shaquille O’Neal’s son; Sac opens season Thursday night against Minnesota

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Team Luka center Shareef O’Neal (8) looks on against Team Scoot during the second half at the Jon M. Huntsman Center. O’Neal joined the Sacramento Kings minor league affiliate the Stockton Kings concluding the Kings pre season on Fri Oct 18, 2024. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Creveling-Imagn Images / Christopher Creveling-Imagn Images

Sacramento Kings podcast with Barbara Mason:

#1 The Sacramento Kings have singed the son of former Orlando Magic and Los Angeles Laker star Shaquille O’Neil, Shareef O’Neal. The Kings made the signing after their loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Fri Oct 18.

#2 Shareef’s mother Shaunie Henderson wrote on instagram that she’s proud of Shareef’s signing with the Kings and proud of him for never giving up.

#3 Shareef will be joining the Kings G League team the Stockton Kings with new Kings signees Antione Davis and Drew Timme. The Kings are hoping to develop these new players who at some point could join the big club in Sacramento.

#4 Barbara, for Shareef he put in lots of work to get the G League there’s very little doubt he got some tips and help from his father Shaquille to help on basketball skills him to get to the Sacramento Kings organization.

#5 The Sacramento Kings open the season against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday. The Kings are coming off a 0-5 pre season but that might not necessarily tell the whole story of the Kings going into the regular season. The Kings head coach Mike Brown may not be showing all his cards as opening night approaches.

Join Barbara Mason for the Sacramento Kings podcasts Mondays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com