Category: NBA

Sacramento Kings game wrap: Kings Monk leads with 23 pts in 116-113 win over Jazz; Sac picks up first pre season win

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Sacramento Kings small forward Kessler Edwards (17) throws down against the Utah Jazz at Golden One Center in Sacramento on Thu Oct 19, 2023 (@SacramentoKings photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings were back in action for their final preseason tune-up on Thursday night in Sacramento. The Kings preseason hadn’t gone so smoothly as of Thursday. The Kings entered the matchup having gone 0-4 in the preseason after facing the Raptors, Lakers, and the Warriors twice.

On Thursday, the Kings welcomed in the Utah Jazz at Golden One Center for the 7 PM PST matchup. It’s worth noting that the Kings will face the Jazz in their first regular season game next week. In the final preseason game of 2023 the Kings defeated the Jazz 116-113.

In the first quarter, the game was unwatchably sloppy. The Kings were throwing the ball around, missing cuts, losing defensive assignments, and playing careless basketball. The Kings scored 27 points in the quarter, partly thanks to Malik Monk scoring seven points. The Jazz scored 26 points in the first quarter, with Collin Sexton scoring seven. The Kings would look to clean things up before halftime. 

In the second quarter, the Kings played much better. The pace and urgency on offense were much better for the Kings. The Kings held onto the ball and made better decisions on passing front. The Kings scored 27 points in the second quarter, the same as in the first.

Conversely, the Jazz scored 23 points in the second quarter. The Kings would go into halftime with the lead 54-49. The leading scorer for the Kings in the first half was JaVale McGee, who scored 12 points. The Jazz’s leading scorer in the first half was Collin Sexton, who had 14 points. 

In the third quarter, the Kings really struggled. The offense for the Kings couldn’t find much of any rhythm, on top of that the Kings reverted to their sloppy ways as in the first quarter. However, the Kings did show some late life in the quarter. Overall, the Kings scored 25 points in the quarter. The caveat is that the Jazz put up 36 points in the quarter to build an 85-79 lead going into the final quarter.  

In the fourth quarter, the Kings returned to take the lead, but it would be short-lived. The game would come down to trading buckets down the stretch. However, the Kings would manage to score 37 points in the quarter compared to only 28 for the Jazz.

The Kings would win the game 116-113. It was the first win for the Kings in preseason and it had to feel good for the team. While preseason is mostly just for getting back into rhythm and playing with new teammates, you like to get a few wins under your belt going into the season.

The Kings were led in scoring by Monk who had 23 points in the game. The Jazz’s best performance came from Talen Horten-Tucker who had 26 points.  

Up Next: The Kings will travel to Utah to open the season against the Jazz on October 25th at 6 PM PST. 

Golden State Warriors podcast with Jerry Feitelberg: Green out for remaining pre season game; Questionable for opener

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Golden State Warriors guard Draymond Green seen here at a playoff presser on Sat Apr 22, 2023. Green will be out with an ankle injury until at least opening night on Tue Oct 24, 2023 against the Phoenix Suns at the Chase Center in San Francisco according to Warriors head coach Steve Kerr (AP file photo)

On the Golden State Warriors podcast with Jerry Feitelberg:

#1 Golden State Warriors guard Draymond Green will be out for the rest of the pre season as he tries to recover from a lateral ankle sprain. Jerry knowing you’ve had patients who you’ve seen with this injury during your pharmacy days how long does an injury like this take to recover from?

#2 Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said that Green may not even make it for opening night Tue Oct 24th vs. the Phoenix Suns.

#3 For this week Green has been given the okay by the Warriors medical team to begin light workouts, shooting drills, the Warriors say that Green will not be able to scrimmage and practice with the team yet.

#4 How much does Green’s injury play into his age at 33 and his recovery. Green like all players in the NBA eventually age and there comes a time when it could be the end of the road. In your opinion has Green reached that stage of his career.

#5 Kerr said using caution will not put Green in a five on five situation until he evaluates Green from his light workouts and shooting drills and see how the ankle does in those practices.

Jerry Fetielberg is a Golden State Warriors beat writer for http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Golden State Warriors report: Warriors rally steal win from Kings 116-115 at Chase Center

Published on by rxsluggerLeave a comment

Golden State Warrior forward Dario Saric (20) goes for the layup against the Sacramento Kings at Chase Center in San Francisco on Wed Oct 18, 2023 (@warriors photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors hosted the Sacramento Kings at the Chase Center Wednesday night. For the Warriors, it was their third pre-season game and the third for the Kings. The Warriors won both previous games, while Sacramento had been winless.

It doesn’t matter who wins or loses the games in the pre-season. The coaches are trying to prepare the players for the regular season, which starts on October 24th when the Warriors welcome the Phoenix Suns to the Chase Center.

The Suns have perennial All-Star Kevin Durant added to their lineup. Star guard Bradley Beal came to Phoneix in a trade with the Washington Wizards. Devin Booker will have a lot of support as the Suns will be gunning to get their goal of an NBA Championship.

Wednesday night’s game appeared to be a rather non-descript event. Sure, both coaches, Sacramento’s Mike Brown and the Warriors Steve Kerr, wanted to win, but losing the game was no big deal as long as the players performed well.

As it turned out, it was a terrific game, as the Warriors came back from an 18-point deficit to win 116-115. The star of the game for Golden State was none other than guard Stephen Curry. Who would have thought that?

Everyone at the Chase Center erupted when Curry nailed a three-pointer with five seconds left to play. The Warriors had to play defense, and they stopped Sacramento’s De’Aaron Fox’s attempt for a two-point bucket that would have given the win to the Kings. 

The Kings’ coach, Mike Brown, wanted his guys to get the win. He played his starters Keegan Murray, Damontis Sabonis, Kevin Huerter, Harrison Barnes, and Fox for at least 30 minutes each. The Kings led for most of the game. Sacramento won the first half 56-49.

The Warriors led by one 16-15 in the first quarter. It was their only lead in the first half. Keegan Murray paced the Kings’ attack with 19 points. Davion Mitchell was second with 14 points. The Warriors turned the ball over 12 times and were making sloppy passes.

They seemed to be out of sync. But this is why they play the pre-season games. Kerr wants his players to work out the kinks before the season starts next week. The W’s did not have Kevon Looney in the lineup Wednesday Night.

Kerr started the six-foot-eight center Trayce Jackson-Davis at the center position. The rookie from Indiana played well. Backup center Dario Saric contributed 12 points and pulled five rebounds in the first half. Forward Jonathan Kumunga also played well. Andrew Wiggins had ten points, Curry six, and Klay Thompson two. Kerr was not worried as his big three did not put a lot of points on the board at this point in the game.

Sacramento increased the lead to 13 at the end of the third quarter. The Warriors were nearly tying the game until the Kings went on an 18-3 run. It looked like the game belonged to Coach Brown and his players.

Things changed in the fourth quarter. The Warriors had a 14-3 run to close within six, 97-91. The Kings did not fold. Yet, the Warriors kept creeping closer. Curry knocked down a three to make a four-point game, 110-106.

The Kings made a deuce to get the lead back to six. Two Warrior buckets, one by Curry, made it 112-110. The Kings answered to go 114-110 with 41 seconds left to play. The greatest shooter in the NBA’s history responded with two three-point shots to give the Warriors a one-point lead, 116-115 with five seconds left. The Warriors defense held on to secure the win.

Game Notes:  Curry led the Warriors with 30 points. Coach Kerr had to be pleased with Kuninga’s performance. Kuninga tallied 18 points, six rebounds, and two assists. Jackson-Davis had a double-double with 13 points and ten boards. Dario Saric had 14 points, six rebounds, and three assists. Chris Paul finished with 13 points, six rebounds, and nine assists. 

The Warriors play the final pre-season game Friday night against the San Antonio Spurs. Everyone will have their eyes on the Spurs’ prize rookie, Victor Wembanyama, who is expected to be sensational. 

The game will be played at the Chase Center. The game will start at 7 p.m.

Sacramento Kings report: Kings lose to Warriors 116-115 in preseason thriller

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Photo credit: @SacramentoKings

By Mary Anne

The Sacramento Kings took on the Golden Warriors in the second game of the home-and-home preseason series. The Kings lost to the Warriors 116-115 at Chase Center on Wednesday night. Sacramento fell to 0-4, while Golden State improved to 4-0 and remained undefeated.

De’Aaron Fox led all scorers with 25 points and seven rebounds. Keegan Murray scored 24 points and eight rebounds. Davion Mitchell added 14 points.

The Kings’ starting lineup featured De’Andre Fox, Kevin Huerter, Harrison Barnes, Keegan Murray, and Domantas Sabonis. Murray hit a fast three-pointer to help the Kings get on the board first, and Murray led all scorers early on, shooting 3-5 from the field, in the first quarter. The Kings merely led 23-22 at the end of the first.

The Kings continued to pour in the points in the second quarter, but the Warriors hit quite a few three-pointers, such as Andrew Wiggins’ three-pointer, to avoid falling behind by double-digits. The Kings carried a 56-49 lead to the locker room at the end of the first half.

The Warriors initially trailed by more than a dozen, but they picked up the pace and made it a four-point game, 68-64, with 6:08 left in the third quarter before a TV timeout. The Kings, however, made it rain with three-pointers, including Keegan Murray’s three-pointer. The Kings led 91-76 after three quarters.

Kings rookies Malik Monk and Colby Jones showed some range in the fourth quarter. Warriors veteran point guard Chris Paul hit a three-pointer late in the fourth. The game went down to the wire. Warriors star Stephen Curry hit a late three-pointer to make it a two-point game, 115-113, but Warriors power forward Dario Šarić missed a pair of free throws. The Kings’ challenge was tossed out, and the Warriors had the ball for the remaining 10.7 seconds. The Warriors sealed the scoring with a three-pointer for a 116-115 win.

Notes
Kings shooting guard Chris Duarte was out with a left knee injury.

Kings rookie Malik Monk recently talked about his fashion choices in a new episode of the show “NBA Style” on the NBA App. Watch Monk’s recent appearance here.

The Kings will hold their NBA 2K24 3v3 Tournament at Fan Fest on Saturday, October 21. Sign up here.

Up Next
The Kings will return home to host the Utah Jazz on Thursday night at 7:00 p.m. Pacific.

Golden State Warriors podcast with Barbara Mason: Warriors get double digits from starters in win over Kings

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

The Golden State Warriors Klay Thompson (11) dribbles against the Sacramento Kings at Golden One Center in Sacramento on Sun Oct 15, 2023 (@warriors photo)

On the Warriors podcast with Barbara:

#1 The Golden State Warriors ran their pre-season record to a perfect 3-0 beating the Sacramento Kings at Golden One Center 121-115. The Kings are still looking for their first win of the pre-season. 

#2 The Kings had a quick start in the first quarter of the game leading after the first 12 minutes 38-25. Both team’s benches got to see some action in the first half as well. 

#3 It was a much closer second quarter with the Kings just edging the Warriors at the half 59-56. The Warriors did win the second quarter 31-21.

#4 The Warriors had a slew of players in double digits with Kuminga scoring 26 points. Wiggins had 20 points and Thompson finished with 12.

#5 The Warriors will take on the Kings for a second time at Chase Center next Wednesday October 18th. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 PM. There will be two more pre-season games for Golden State before the season begins on October 24th.

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

Sacramento Kings report: Kings drop third straight pre season game; Coach Brown wants to take a look at his bench and free agents

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Sacramento Kings center Domantas Sabonis (10) is non too thrilled about another pre season loss this time to the Golden State Warriors at Golden One Arena in Sacramento on Sun Oct 15, 2023 (@SacramentoKings photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings were back in action for one of the last preseason tune-ups of the year. Golden State traveled to Sacramento Sunday evening to take on the Kings at Golden One Center. The two teams squared off for the first time since game 7 of the 2023 playoffs.

That series was the first round of the playoffs, where the Kings and Warriors went head-to-head. Only to lose on Sunday, the Warriors and Kings game started at 6:30 PM PST. The Kings lost in overtime 121-115.

In the first quarter, the Kings came out looking strong. The Kings offense scored an impressive 38 points in the first quarter as the offense was producing right where they left off last season. On the defensive end, the Kings held the Warriors to 25 points in the quarter. The Warriors were struggling to gain a rhythm on offense. Granted, they played this game without Steph Curry, Draymond Green, and Chris Paul.

In the second quarter, the Kings offense slowed as the shots were not falling. The Kings lacked rhythm on the offensive end, scoring 21 points in the quarter. The Warriors offense scored 31 points in the second quarter. The Kings offense looked solid most of the first half, even if some shots weren’t falling. De’Aaron Fox and Domas Sabonis were firing in the offense Kings fans have come to love. The Kings and Warriors went into halftime, with the Kings leading 59-56.

The Kings and Warriors played a pretty even quarter in the third quarter. The Kings managed to score 24 points as the Warriors put up 27. The Kings and Warriors would be tied at 83 going into the fourth quarter.

In the final quarter, the Kings almost exclusively played second and third-string players. It showed in the box score. However, it was good to see some of the talent the Kings have that won’t get much playing time in essential minutes this season. Keon Ellis and Colby Jones both played well in the minutes they got. The end of the fourth quarter would not be the end of the game on Sunday night as the game was tied at 111.

However, in overtime the Warriors would seal the deal. The Kings only scored four points in the overtime period as the Warriors put up ten points.

The best performance from the Kings came from Sabonis who had 19 points, 11 rebounds, and five assists to lead the Kings. The Warriors best performance came from Kuminga who had 28 points to go along with six rebounds.

One matchup to watch as the preseason continues is between Chris Duarte and Kevin Huerter. Kevin has been inconsistent going back to the end of last season and will be fighting for the starting role with the addition of Duarte.

Up Next: The Kings will travel to San Francisco on Wednesday to take on the Warriors at 7 PM PST at the Chase Center.

Golden State Warriors report: Warriors Go 3-0 Beating Kings In Overtime 121-115

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Golden State Warriors Jonathan Kuminga (00) gets airborne over the Sacramento Kings Chris Duarte (3) at Golden One Center in Sacramento on Sun Oct 15, 2023 (@BleacherReport photo)

By Barbara Mason

The Golden State Warriors ran their pre-season record to a perfect 3-0 beating the Sacramento Kings at Golden One Center 121-115. The Kings are still looking for their first win of the pre-season. Golden State’s Jonathan Kuminga was again a standout with 28 points and six rebounds.

Sunday evening the Golden State Warriors (3-0) traveled up to our state capital to take on the Sacramento Kings (0-3) at Golden 1 Center in the third pre-season game of 2023-24. Stephen Curry and Chris Paul sat this one out as Klay Thompson, Kevon Looney, Andrew Wiggins, Jonathan Kuminga and Brandin Podziemski started. Both teams have something in common and that is to get back into the playoffs this season. The Kings also have a solid starting roster with De’Aaron Fox, Domantas Sabonis, Harrison Barnes, Keegan Murray and Chris Duarte.

Warriors game wrap: The Kings had a quick start in the first quarter of the game leading after the first 12 minutes 38-25. Both team’s benches got to see some action in the first half as well. The Kings led by as much as 15 points in the opening quarter.

It was a much closer second quarter with the Kings just edging the Warriors at the half 59-56. The Warriors did win the second quarter 31-21. Both teams’ starting rosters played a little over two quarters and their benches got some extended time on the court in the second quarter.

The third quarter was a close one with the Warriors taking the quarter 27-24 and the score all knotted up at 83 with 36 minutes in the books. The two teams traded the lead throughout the fourth quarter and the game was tied numerous times.

There had been 19 lead changes in this game and most of those lead changes happened in the second half. With 1.7 seconds left in the game it was all tied up at 111. This game would go into overtime and there would be five more minutes of basketball.

The high score for the Kings in regulation was Sabonis with 19 points in 25 minutes of play. Fox had 17 points in 26 minutes. The Warriors had a slew of players in double digits with Kuminga scoring 26 points. Wiggins had 20 points and Thompson finished with 12. Bench players Moses Moody had 13 points and Lester Quinones was impressive with 16.

The two teams continued to trade leads until the final two minutes of overtime when Golden State began to pull away 119-115. The Warriors now have a perfect 3-0 pre-season record and the Kings are still looking for their first pre-season win.

The Warriors will take on the Kings for a second time at Chase Center next Wednesday October 18th. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 PM. There will be two more pre-season games for Golden State before the season begins on October 24th.

Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson: Comanche and Burton demoted to G League Stockton; plus a look inside the Kings

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

The Sacramento Kings Chris Duarte (3) drives on the Los Angeles Kings at the Honda Center in Anaheim on Wed Oct 11, 2023 (USA Today photo)

On the Kings podcast with Jeremiah:

#1 The Sacramento Kings waved Chance Comanche and Deonte Burton. Once they clear wavers they will head to the G League Stockton Kings. After waving Comanche and Burton the Kings roster is cut to 18 players.

#2 Burton played for Iowa State in college he is a three year NBA player averaging 12 points, four rebounds and three assists and played just two games with the Kings last season. It was originally announced that Burton was released but has a chance to stay with the organization if he goes to the G League Stockton Kings.

#3 Keegan Murray and Davion Mitchell were key players in last season’s success for the Kings how do you see them as returning players and how much help will they contribute this season?

#4 Chris Duarte had to get warmed up just a bit during pre season games against the Los Angeles Lakers and Toronto Raptors. Once he did he performed well while playing with the starters.

#5  Sasha Vezenkov has been a good shooter, and works the ball getting in the paint and working on defense. Head coach Mike Brown is trying to see what role Vezenkov will play as Trey Lyles is strong on defense.

Join Jeremiah does the Kings podcast each Friday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Golden State Warriors podcast with Jerry Feitelberg: Bjelica call it quits, 8 yr career ends, too many injuries led to decision

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Golden State Warriors youth campers Will McCloskey, left, and Amari Chiefelk, right, present former Warriors players Nemanja Bjelica and Chris Chiozza, second from left, with their 2022 NBA championship rings in a special ceremony, Wednesday, July 19, 2023, in Oakland, Calif. Typically, the Warriors present former players with their rings in a pregame on-court ceremony when they come through town with an opposing organization, but these two were playing overseas. Bjelica announced he was retiring on Oct ( (Janie McCauley AP News photo)

On the Warriors podcast with Jerry F:

#1 Jerry talk about the retirement of former Golden State Warrior Nemanja Bjelica and what he meant to the 2022 NBA Championship team.

#2 Bjelica’s last NBA season was that 2022 campaign where he played in 71 regular season games and 15 post season games.

#3 Bjelica played eight seasons in the NBA, he was considered a secondary player and was a contributor, Jerry a player like that can help out and create plays as a back up player.

#4 Bjelica is now 35 years old and is retiring from the game due to multiple injuries. He was considering playing overseas but his injuries have been too much to sustain continuing his career.

#5 The Warriors play the Los Angeles Lakers for the second time in pre season. The last time the two teams met were at Chase Center on Sat Oct 7th where the Warriors Jonathan Kuminga led in scoring with 24. The Lakers didn’t play LeBron James. The Warriors won last Saturday’s game 125-108.

Join Jerry F for the Warriors podcasts each Thursday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Kings lose to Lakers 109-101 in second preseason game

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Photo credit: @LakersNation

By Mary Anne

The Sacramento Kings faced the Los Angeles Lakers for their preseason game No. 2, the battle of NorCal vs. SoCal, on Wednesday night. The Kings lost to the Lakers 109-101 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. Sacramento fell to 0-2, while Los Angeles improved to 2-1.

De’Aaron Fox led the Kings in scoring with 18 points, six assists, and three rebounds. Domantas Sabonis added ten points, 15 rebounds, and five assists.

The Kings’ starting lineup featured De’Aaron Fox, Kevin Huerter, Harrison Barnes, Sasha Vezenkov, and Domantas Sabonis. Vezenkov’s pregame buckets were spectacular, to say the least.

The Kings trailed the Lakers 30-28 at the end of the first quarter. As a result, Sacramento had some work to do, despite their money plays, such as De’Aaron Fox’s mid-range floater, Trey Lyles’ triple, etc.

The Kings took a 51-50 lead at the end of the first half. The highlight of the second quarter was the Kings’ eight three-pointers — the eighth scored by Kevin Huerter late in the quarter.

The Kings picked up where they left off, but the Lakers’ offense sizzled and star point guard D’Angelo Russell was on fire. Harrison Barnes scored another triple to open the second half and Domantas Sabonis recorded a double-double with ten points and 15 rebounds, but the Kings fell behind and trailed the Lakers 90-79 at the end of three quarters.

The Kings made it rain with triples in the fourth quarter. The Lakers’ bench, however, was excited for Alex Fudge’s hustle Wednesday night. Fudge, a small forward and power forward, is a two-way player for the Los Angeles Lakers and the South Bay Lakers. Despite last-minute efforts, the Kings ultimately lost 109-101 to the Lakers.

Notes
When asked about the Kings’ upcoming game against the Lakers, shooting guard Malik Monk told the media: “We got to keep building the chemistry in the second unit, and…keep encouraging each other.”

When talking to the media, head coach Mike Brown said: “What you guys are watching isn’t necessarily how it’s going to play out in the regular season.”

Up Next
The Kings will host the Golden State Warriors at the Golden 1 Center on Sunday at 6:00 p.m. Pacific.