Monk leads Kings with 28 pts in overtime victory beat Grizzlies at Golden 1, 121-111

The Sacramento Kings shooting guard Malik Monk led with 28 points against the Memphis Grizzlies on Mon Mar 18, 2025 at the Golden 1 Center (Sacramento Kings photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings (39-28) were back in action on Monday night at Golden One Center. The Kings last played on Saturday as they took on the New York Knicks at home. The Kings dropped that game to the Knicks 98-91. The Kings would have the day off on Sunday before welcoming in their fellow Western Conference foe, the Memphis Grizzlies (23-46).

Memphis has been plagued by injuries all year as star Ja Morant is gone for the season. The Grizzlies wanted to play spoiler on the Kings as the race in the Western Conference tightens. The Kings came away with a home victory over the Grizzlies 121-111.

In the first quarter, the Kings came out slow on offense. The Kings looked out of joint and not in rhythm on the offensive end early. In the opening few plays of the game, Kevin Huerter would also leave with an elbow injury.

The Kings were outscored by the Grizzlies 28-35 in the first quarter to go down early. It was a game that the Kings certainly shouldn’t lose. So, the fans would wait for a bounce-back quarter in the second.

In the second quarter, the Kings bounced back with a statement. The Kings scored 29 points in the second quarter to keep the offense on track. However, the quarter’s story would be holding the Grizzlies to just 15 points in the second.

The Kings would enter halftime with a 57-47 lead over the Memphis Grizzlies. Domantas Sabonis led the Kings in scoring in the first half with 13 points. GG Jackson was the Grizzlies first-half leading scorer with 13 points.

In the third quarter, the Kings couldn’t extend the lead. The Kings and Grizzlies battled in the third and largely just traded shots most of the quarter. De’Aaron Fox had some late-quarter heroics, hitting three straight three-pointers to help the Kings score 27 points in the quarter. The Grizzlies would score 29 points in the quarter to get a few points back in the game. The Kings would go into the fourth quarter leading 84-76.

In the fourth quarter, the Kings would falter and give up the lead. The Kings, leading by eight going into the quarter, would lose the lead, and it would be a tie game at 99 apiece with 2:58 minutes to play. Defensive complacency and made shots would erase the Kings lead against the Grizzlies. The Grizzlies would take the lead with 33 seconds remaining.

The Kings would be down 105-103 with Coach Brown calling a timeout to draw up a play. The Kings would score, and the Grizzlies would send the game to overtime at 105-105. The Grizzlies outscored the Kings 29-21 in the fourth quarter.

In overtime, it was all Malik Monk and the Kings. Malik took over the overtime period and put the Kings on his back. The Kings would defeat the Grizzlies 121-111. The Kings outscored the Grizzlies 16-6 in the overtime period. The Kings leading scorer in the game was Malik Monk, who scored 28 points. Jaren Jackson Jr. led the way for the Grizzlies in defeat with 25 points.

Up Next: The Kings will travel to Toronto to take on the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday at 4:30 PM PST.

Golden State Warriors podcast with Barbara Mason: Can Warriors get better than a play in game?

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) reaches in on Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves (left) in the first half at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Sat Mar 16, 2024 (AP News photo)

1.The Warriors are in battle for position in the standings as the season begins to wind down.  Right now a play-in game seems the only possibility but stranger things have happened.

2.The Warriors welcomed back Stephen Curry and Draymond Green to the lineup which they desperately needed with only about 16 games left on the season.

3.The Warriors got some great help all around from not only Curry but also Klay Thompson and Jonathan Kuminga.

4.The Warriors had to try and contain LeBron James but things went south for the Lakers when Anthony Davis went down in the first quarter and did not return for the rest of the game.

5.Monday night the Warriors take on the New York Knicks in another challenging game but as of late they are meeting every challenge head on.

Join Barbara Mason for the Warriors podcasts each Monday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Brunson’s 42 points puts Knicks past Kings 98-91

New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson who scored 42 points takes a shot against the Sacramento Kings forward Harrison Barnes (40) at Golden 1 Arena in Sacramento on Sat Mar 16, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings were back in action on Saturday night in Sacramento. The Kings were coming off a win in their last game on Wednesday night. The Kings defeated the Lakers on Wednesday, sweeping the season series between the teams.

The Kings had two days off and were ready for their next opponent. The New York Knicks came to town on Saturday to take on the Kings. The Knicks were 39-27 coming into the matchup, and the Kings were 38-27. Tip-off on Saturday was set for 7 PM PST inside Golden One Center. The Kings would lose 98-91 to the New York Knicks.

In the first quarter, defense was the name of the game. The Knicks and the Kings played solid defense to limit the offense in the first quarter. The Kings scored 22 points in the first quarter to take an early lead against the Knicks. The Knicks only managed 21 points against the Kings in the first quarter. Domantas Sabonis started the game hot, scoring 13 points in the first quarter and five assists.

In the second quarter, offense remained at a premium. However, the Kings had minimal answer for Jalen Brunson on defense. Brunson scored 21 points in the first half to lead the Knicks to a halftime lead over the Kings. The Knicks outscored the Kings 32-26 in the second quarter to take a 53-48 lead going into halftime. Domas Sabonis was the Kings’ leading scorer in the first half, scoring 18 points.

In the third quarter, both teams would trade baskets. Brunson continued to torch the Kings even as they played solid defense. Brunson couldn’t miss. Brunson scored 33 points through the first three-quarters of action. The Knicks outscored the Kings 26-22 in the third quarter. The Knicks would take a 75-74 going into the fourth quarter.

In the fourth quarter, It was a dogfight until the end. Brunson and his magnificent performance was the story of the game, but could the Kings overcome him? Unfortunately for Kings fans, the Knicks defeated the Kings 98-91.

The story of the game was Brunson. Jalen scored 42 points against the Kings on 28 attempts. The Knicks outscored the Kings 17-23 in the fourth quarter to take the win. The Kings leading scorer was Domantas Sabonis, who scored 21 points in the game.

The secondary story of the game was the awful officiating. One play late that was particularly egregious was when Sabonis was trapped in the paint. He would then be hacked, and a no-call would follow, leading to a double-dribble. It was a microcosm in the game of terrible officiating.

Up Next: The Kings stay home to take on the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday at 7 PM PST. Memphis will be without Ja Morant as he has been out and will be the rest of the season.

Curry Leads Warriors to Win Over Lakers 128-121

By Barbara Mason

In a crazy game Saturday night the Golden State Warriors (35-31) beat the Los Angeles Lakers (36-32)128-121. Golden State welcomed the return of Stephen Curry and Draymond Green. Curry did not disappoint shooting for 31 points after a slow first quarter.

Game recap: While we did not get clarity in the opening quarter, Curry set the record straight shooting for 11 points in the second quarter. He was just getting warmed up in the first quarter and really began to heat up in the second.

The Lakers suffered a blow when Anthony Davis headed to the locker room in the first quarter. There was an apparent eye injury to Davis and when he did not return a more severe injury was suspected. The Lakers led after the first twelve minutes 36-30. Golden State answered back winning the second quarter 37-30. At halftime the Warriors were clinging to a 67-66 lead.

The Warriors continued to dominate winning the third quarter 35-27 leading 102-93 with one more quarter of basketball to be played. The absence of Davis had certainly cramped the Lakers style with most of the pressure on the shoulders of LeBron James.

The Warriors were doing a great job of protecting the ball with only six turnovers in the first half and mid-way through the fourth quarter not a single turnover in the second half for Golden State.

The Warriors had as much as a 12 point in the final quarter but the Lakers pulled too within four points with 5:26 left in the game. The Warriors had scored 50 points in the paint since the first quarter of this game with four minutes left on the clock.

With less than two minutes left in the game a barrage of reviews took center stage and this turned into the game that refused to end. 18 minutes elapsed with only 15 seconds coming off the clock.

Head Coach Steve Kerr could only shake his head in disbelief. At first some of the players were amused with the stoppages but it quickly turned into frustration with 20 minutes now elapsed with the shot clock malfunctioning. Curry, Klay Thompson and Jonathan Kuminga spearheaded the

Curry led the team with 31 points. Thompson was solid with 26 points off the bench and Kuminga continued his stellar play with 23 points. After the first quarter warm-up, Curry did not miss a beat. The Warriors are now tied for ninth place in the Western Conference.

Game notes: Saturday night the Golden State traveled down to Los Angeles taking on the Lakers. The two teams battled it out for the last play-in spots with the Warriors currently sitting in tenth place and the Lakers in ninth place in the Western Conference.

Both teams are in fact looking to move out of play-in position but with the season rapidly winding down there is not a whole lot of time to finish where they would ultimately like to finish. Golden State welcomed Stephen Curry and Draymond Green back into the lineup.

Green missed only their last game whereas Curry missed a couple of games. The Warriors lost to the Mavericks and beat the Spurs in Curry’s absence. After being sidelined for a couple of weeks how would Curry come back in this game? He did come back with a vengeance scoring 31 points. It looked like he never missed a game.

Monday night the Warriors will take on the New York Knicks at Chase Center. With only 16 games left on the season the Warriors have a fight ahead of them if they want to move up in the standings. Tipoff for this game is scheduled for 7:00 PM.

Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson: Kings host Knicks Saturday; Sac can win their 3rd straight game

Sacramento Kings guard Molik Monk (0) asks “whose the man?” in second half action against the New York Knicks at Golden 1 Arena in Sacramento on Thu Mar 14, 2024 (AP News photo)

On the Kings podcast with Jeremiah:

#1 The Sacramento Kings (38-27) Domantas Sabonis got a triple double with 17 points, 19 rebounds, and ten assists that helped defeat the Los Angeles Lakers (36-31) 120-107 at Golden 1 Arena in Sacramento on Wednesday night.

#2 The Kings have had success against the Lakers having won seven of the last eight games against Los Angeles and also swept the Lakers in all four games this season.

#3 The Kings Harrison Barnes scored seven 3 pointers and had 23 points. De’Aaron Fox had 21 points and Keegan Murray had 19 points.

#4 Sabonis keeps adding up those triple doubles picking up his 23rd of the season which leads the NBA.

#5 The Kings host the New York Knicks (39-27) at Golden 1 Saturday night at 7:00pm PDT. The Knicks are fourth in the Eastern Conference. The Knicks have won five of their last ten games and have won two straight coming into Saturday night’s game.

Join Jeremiah for the Sacramento Kings podcasts Fridays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Kings top Lakers 129-94; Sabonis get triple double; Sac sweeps four game season from LA

The Sacramento Kings forward Domantas Sabonis (10) drives on the Los Angeles Lakers forward Anthony Davis (3) in the second half at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Wed Mar 13, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–The Kings were back in action on Wednesday night in Sacramento. They were set to take on the LA Lakers on Wednesday, the second night of a back-to-back. The Kings were coming off a win against the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday night by the final score of 129-94.

The Lakers last played on Sunday when they defeated the Timberwolves 120-109. The Kings and Lakers were set for tip-off at 7 PM PST on Wednesday. The Kings defeated the Lakers 120-107 on Wednesday night.

In the first quarter, both teams came out playing well. The Kings and Lakers got off to quick starts as they traded baskets. Both teams scored 29 points in the first quarter. Austin Reaves was red-hot in the first quarter, scoring 13 points. Domantas Sabonis led the Kings with six points, and every player who stepped on the court for the Kings scored.

In the second quarter, the battle continued. Neither team went on a dominating run in the first half, as the game stayed close. The Kings offense scored 31 points in the first quarter on 19 shots. The Lakers scored 27 points in the second quarter on 24 shots to fall behind the Kings. The game would go into halftime with the Kings leading 60-56. The Kings were led by Keon Ellis, Domantas Sabonis, and Keegan Murray, all in double figures in the first half. The Lakers Austin Reaves led them with 19 first-half points.

In the third quarter, the Kings dominated and took a big lead. The Kings outscored the Lakers 28-17 and played great defense against them. Granted, the shots weren’t falling for the purple and gold. The Kings took an 88-73 lead going into the fourth quarter. De’Aaron Fox scored six points in the third as Keegan Murray added five.

In the final quarter of action, the Kings took it to the Lakers. The Lakers couldn’t really get any momentum going in the final quarter as they were defeated by the Kings. The Kings beat the Lakers 120-107 in regulation. The Kings were led by Harrison Barnes, who scored 23 points in the game. Domas Sabonis added another triple-double. The Lakers best performance came from Austin Reaves with 28 points.

Up Next: The Kings will stay home to take on the New York Knicks on Saturday.

Mavericks grind out 109-99 win over Warriors

Golden State Warriors Jonathan Kuminga (00) takes a shot against the Dallas Mavericks Dereck Lively II (2) at American Airlines Arena in Dallas on Wed Mar 13, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors (34-31) had to play the Dallas Mavericks (38-28) Wednesday night without two starters. Stephen Curry was held out from playing as he recovered from a sprained right ankle.

The Warriors head coach, Steve Kerr, gave Draymond Green the night off. The Warriors knew they had to find a way to stop the Mavs’ superstar Luka Doncic. Doncic had seven consecutive triple-doubles before Wednesday’s game.

Doncic is averaging 34.6 points per game, 9.9 rebounds, and 9.1 assists. The Warriors’ defense held Doncic to 21 points, three rebounds, and nine assists. The Warrior defense held the Mavericks to 109 points. Normally, the Warriors would win the game when that happens. Not so on Wednesday. The Dallas defense held the Warriors to 15 points in the second quarter.

The Warriors trailed Dallas by six at the half, 48-42. The Warriors never gained the lead. The Warriors played catch-up the entire second half. The Mavericks won 109-99.

The game between the Warriors and the Mavericks was a thrilling display of competitive basketball. The first quarter saw both teams locked in a tight battle, with neither side able to gain a significant advantage. The score was tied at 27-27 after the first 12 minutes of action, setting the stage for an exciting game.

In the second quarter, the Dallas defense kept the Warriors from scoring. Dallas went on a 13-2 run to lead 40-29. The Warriors woke up and started scoring. The Mavs won the quarter 21-16 to gain a 48-42 lead.

As the game progressed into the third quarter, the Warriors knew they had to step up their game. They scored 28 points, matching the Mavs’ score for the period. However, this was not enough to close the gap, and the Mavs maintained their lead at 76-70 as the teams moved into the fourth quarter. Despite the six-point deficit, the fans knew that an NBA team could come back, adding to the anticipation of the final quarter. 

Klay Thompson knocked a deuce to bring the Warriors within four points of the lead. The Warriors didn’t know then, but they would not get any closer. The Mavericks went on an 18-2 run. Dallas led 92-74. Dallas could not be caught. The Mavericks won 109-99.

Game Notes: The Warriors are 34-31 for the year. They have 17 games left to play. They are in 10th place in the Western Conference. The Mavs improved to 38-28. 

Jonathan Kuminga led the Warriors with 27 points, four rebounds, and two assists. He also connected on two threes from downtown. Kuninga has scored 20 points or more in seven of his last nine games. Andrew Wiggins had 17 points and five boards. Trayce Jackson-Davis tallied 10 points and nine rebounds. Brandin Podzienski had 11 points, five rebounds, and six assists.

Podzienski knocked down two three. Chris Paul had nine, and Klay Thompson ended with eight. The Dallas defense made sure Thompson had to work to get his shots. With Curry out, Dallas kept the clamps on Thompson.

The Warriors shot 40% from the floor and made nine threes in 28 attempts. They outrebounded the taller Maverick team 53-47. The Mavs blocked 13 shots to deter the Warriors’ attack.

The other key performers for Dallas were Kyrie Irving, PJ Washington, Daniel Gafford, Dereck Lively, and Josh Green. All were in double figures. 

The Warriors finish the three-game road trip on Saturday when they play the Los Angeles Lakers. The game will start at 5:30 pm.

Golden State Warriors podcast with David Zizmor: Warriors tip off against Mavericks tonight in Dallas

Golden State Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski (2) goes for the basket against the San Antonio Spurs forward Zach Collins (left) in the second half at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio (AP News photo)

On Golden State Warriors Podcast with David:

#1 Dave, the Golden State Warriors (34-30) and San Antonio Spurs (14-51) completed a home at home with the Warriors losing the first game at Golden State 126-113 and taking the second game in San Antonio 112-102 on Monday night. Was this the tale of two different Warriors teams or it just boils down to Stephen Curry being out of the line up.

#2 Top scorers for the Warriors on Monday Jonathan Kuminga with 22 points and Klay Thompson with 21. Talk about Kuminga’s role and coming off the bench seems to be much better for Thompson.

#3 Up next for Golden State the Dallas Mavericks (37-28) who are in eighth place in the Western Conference. The Mavericks have won five of their last ten and are on a three game win streak. How do you see this one playing out tonight at 5:30 pm PDT?

Join David Zizmor for exclusive coverage on the Golden State Warriors podcasts each Wednesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

After 8 years of waiting Kings finally defeat Bucks 129-94; Sacramento win ends 15 game skid against Milwaukee

Sacramento Kings forward Domantas Sabonis (10) scores on the Milwaukee Bucks center Brook Lopez (11) in the first half at Golden 1 in Sacramento on Tue Mar 12, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–The story heading into Tuesday night’s Kings game was the same as usual this year. The Kings were coming off a tough loss at home in their previous game—the Kings loss to the Rockets at Golden One Center on Sunday afternoon.

On Tuesday, the Kings desperately needed to get back on track to maintain pace in the play-in tournament standings. The Kings also wanted to climb in the standings to reach the sixth seed in the regular NBA playoffs. The Kings welcomed Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks with a 7 PM PST tip-off on Tuesday. The Kings De’Aaron Fox scored 29 points to lead the Kings in the 129-94 win.

GAME RESULT: In the first quarter, the Kings started with good intensity on the defensive end of the floor. The Kings defense was leading to good shots on the offensive side. The Kings outscored the Bucks in the first quarter 38-30 to take the quick lead. Harrison Barnes started the game hot, leading the Kings with nine points. The Kings would look to keep up the intensity in the second quarter.

In the second quarter, the Kings continued to press the gas. They outscored the Bucks 37-26 and extended their lead over them going into halftime to 75-56. The Kings were led in the first half by their defensive pressure on the Bucks.

Making the Bucks make tough shots and getting open looks on the other end is always a good recipe. The Kings leading scorer at halftime was Malik Monk, who had 17 points. Antetokounmpo led the Bucks in the first half with 22 points.

In the third quarter, the Kings gave up a bit of ground but held firm against the Bucks. The Bucks attempted to make a couple of runs on Kings, but they didn’t make up ground. The Bucks outscored the Kings 22-20 in the fourth quarter to inch closer. The Kings would lead the game 95-78 going into the final quarter of action. Vegas favored the Kings by 1.5 points to start the game. It appears that was a generous line for the Bucks.

In the fourth quarter, the Kings finished off the Bucks in a blowout fashion, emptying the bench as the quarter came to a close. The Kings would defeat the Bucks. The Kings outscored the Bucks in the fourth quarter 34-16.

It was really never a game on Tuesday, as the Kings got up early and never let up. It was a big win for the Kings on the first night of a back-to-back. The Kings would look to keep the momentum going as the Lakers come to town on Wednesday. The Kings were led by Fox, who scored 29 points in the game. Giannis led the Bucks with 30 points in defeat.

Note: Domantas Sabonis recorded another double-double during the game on Tuesday night. It was his Sacramento Kings record-breaking 47th straight double-double.

Up Next: The Kings stay home for a second night of a back-to-back on Wednesday at Golden One Center. The LA Lakers will travel for a 7 PM PST tip-off.

Sacramento Kings podcast with Tony Renteria: It doesn’t get easier Kings host Bucks tonight

Houston Rockets guard Aaron Holiday (0) drives on the Sacramento Kings guard De’Aaron Fox (5) and center Alex Len (25) in first half action at Golden 1 in Sacramento on Sun Mar 10, 2024 (AP News photo)

On the Kings podcast with Tony R:

#1 The Houston Rockets in the Sacramento King’s last game had Fred VanVleet who led in scoring with 22 points and it helped get a 112-104 win for the Rockets at Golden 1 in Sacramento.

#2 Despite the win the Rockets lost their leading scorer Alperen Sengun who left with a right knee and ankle injury.

#3 Sengun had a bad landing while defending the Kings Domantas Sabonis with a minute left in the game. Sengun was in immediate pain after landing and had to leave the floor in wheelchair.

#4 On defense the Kings had a hard time stopping the Rockets as seven Rocket players finished in double figures. The Kings remain in seventh place in the Western Conference they have won six of their last ten games. Do you look at the game against the Rockets as just one bad game or they’re starting struggle at this juncture.

#5 The Kings host the Milwaukee Bucks tonight at Golden 1. The Bucks are second in the Eastern Conference at 42-43 they’ve won seven of their last ten games. No doubt Milwaukee can be a handful how do you see tonight’s contest?

Tony Renteria does the Sacramento Kings podcasts each Tuesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com