Category: NBA

Warriors Win First Road Game Against Young Rocket Team 127-120

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Warriors Win First Road Game Against Young Rocket Team 127-120

Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson led the way with ten threes and 41 points in the Warriors first road win of 2022-23 in Houston on Sun Nov 20, 2022 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

Sunday the Golden State Warriors (8-9) took on the Houston Rockets (3-14) finally picked up their first road win of the season. The Rockets are a young team that the Warriors handled in Houston. Houston with the exception of Eric Gordon is an extremely young bunch of players that just do not have the experience and depth that the Warriors have. Golden State came away with a 127-120 win in this game.

The Warriors came out on a blistering pace leading after the opening quarter 40-28. The Warriors led 11-0 in the first quarter before the Rockets even scored. Golden State led by as much as 18 points in the first 12 minutes.

The second quarter was a tale of two quarters. The Rockets turned this game around and erased the Warriors lead and led at the half 65-61. Houston is not a great offensive team and the Warriors were not taking advantage of that. Golden State’s defensive effort was lacking and they were sending the Rockets to the line far too often.

On the bright side, Klay Thompson was great with 25 points in the first half. After the great start that the Warriors had this game had turned into a real shocker. Golden State would need to turn things around in the second half.

The Warriors got back on track and the Rockets youth and inexperience started to weight on Houston. They got sloppy and started missing shots partially due to the Warriors defensive effort. Golden State led after three quarters 97-94 and were twelve minutes away from their first road win.

The youngsters started the fourth quarter while Stephen Curry and Thompson sat out. The Rockets tied up the game at 104 with 6:59 left in the game. The Warriors had been really good from distance in this game and they also starting forcing a lot of Houston turnovers.

It was nice to see some Rocket turnovers since the Warriors had been having a heap of turnovers themselves in this game. With 2:35 left in the game the Warriors were clinging to a three point lead. Golden State hung on and the Warriors had their first road win 127-120. The drought had come to an end.

It was a banner night for Thompson who had his first thirty plus game of the season finishing with 41 points. He was 10 of 13 from downtown. Curry had 33 and Andrew Wiggins finished with 22. The young Rockets sure gave the Warriors a run for their money but came up short.

Monday night the Warriors will take on the New Orleans Pelicans in the Big Easy at Smoothie King Center. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:00 PM.

Warriors get back in the win column down Knicks 111-101

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Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) completes the three pointer and runs up the court with teammate Klay Thompson (30) at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Fri Nov 18, 2022 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Warriors hosted the New York Knicks at the Chase Center Friday night. The Knicks came into town with a record of 8-7. New York beat the Utah Jazz and the Denver Nuggets on the road in their last two games. Despite a 50-point performance by Warrior guard Stephen Curry in Phoenix, the Warriors found themselves with a record of 6-9.

The Warriors have yet to win a game on the road. They play well at home but are 0-8 away from the Chase Center. The Warriors’ head coach wanted his team to return to what the Warriors have been doing for the past eight years.

Sure, Curry carried the load in the loss to Phoenix. However, the Warriors have succeeded when all the players are involved in the scoring. The Warrior players know that it doesn’t matter who scores the most points. The team loves to spread the ball around and find the open man when things are going well.

In past seasons, the Warriors have had one of the top defenses in the NBA. This year, the defense has not been good. The Warriors, as a team, have been committing too many fouls. Coach Kerr wanted his team to make adjustments to improve in those three areas.

The Warriors listened, spread the ball, played defense, and beat the Knicks 111-101. What they could have done better was stop fouling. The only reason the score was that close was that the Knicks went to the charity stripe 34 times and made 32. The Warriors made eleven free throws in 20 tries. The 21-point difference allowed New York to stay close.

In the first quarter, Klay Thompson found his shot and knocked down eleven to pace the Warriors to 35-19 first quarter. Curry made two threes in the quarter, and Jordan Poole had five. The Warriors showed they still knew how to play defense as they held the Knicks to 19 points.

The Warriors extended the lead to twenty-two points in the second quarter, 51-33. Andrew Wiggins and JaMychal Green paced the Warriors offense. The Knicks found their offense late in the quarter. With the score 58-36, New York went on a 14-3 run the finish the first half trailing by 11, 61-50. The Knicks went into the locker room with the feeling they could somehow get a win on the Warriors home court.

The Warriors did not run away from the Knicks in the third quarter. Curry, who scored eight points in the first half, tallied ten points in the quarter. The Knicks didn’t wilt. They fought back. The Warriors won the quarter 26-24 to extend the lead to 13, 87-74. New York would have to find a way to stop the Warriors in the final 12 minutes to pull off an upset victory.

The Knicks, trailing 92-74, went on an 8-0 run to close within eight points of tying the game. Thompson, who went cold in the second and third periods, found his stroke and tallied seven points in the fourth. Curry hit a three to put the Warriors up 100-93. Coach Kerr inserted his second unit to finish the game. The Knicks cut the deficit to ten. New York ran out of time.

Game Notes and Stats: With the win, the Warriors are 7-9. Golden State is 7-1 at home and 0-8 on the road. The Knicks are 8-8.

The Warriors held the knicks to 34% from the floor. New York was nine -for thirty-floor from three-point range. The Warriors did the job on defense. The big takeaway from the game was the number of fouls they committed. It seemed like the Warriors fouled a Knick player on a drive to the basket every time. Yes, the team played with intensity, but they cannot give an opponent 34 free throws if they hope to win a game.

The Warriors had six players in double figures. Draymond Green had ten points, nine rebounds, and seven assists. It was a good night for Green. Wiggins and Thompson each scored 20 points. Wiggins had three threes, while Klay showed his All-Star form as he knocked down five threes.

Curry finished with 24 points, six rebounds, and ten assists. Curry had five threes, too. Poole’s line was 13 points, three rebounds, and four assists. Poole recorded three threes. The last player in double figures was JaMychal Green. The Warriors moved Draymond from a forward position to be the backup center to Kevon Looney. JaMycal Seemed to be in the right position at the right time as he tallied 12 points for his team.

The Warriors shot 45% from the floor. They made 18 threes in 50 tries. The Warriors recorded 32 assists on 41 buckets. The assists indicated the team was moving the ball and finding an open player to take the shot. 

The Knicks’ leading scorer was Julius Randle. Randle had 20 points. R.J.Barrett had 18, and Cam Reddish had 11, and Jalen Brunson 13. Coming off the bench, Jericho Sims had a double-double with ten points and ten rebounds.

The Warriors go on the road to face the Houston Rockets Sunday night. They play the New Orleans Pelicans Monday night. 

Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson: Kings pick up fifth straight win; Sac had commanding lead on Spurs

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Sacramento Kings forward Trey Lyles (41) and San Antonio Spurs guard Devin Vassell (24) chase the ball during the first quarter at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Thu Nov 17, 2022 (AP News photo)

Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson:

#1 The Sacramento Kings (8-6) have been going for the gusto of late they have won five straight games defeating the San Antonio Spurs (6-10) 130-112 at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento Thursday night.

#2 De’Aaron Fox led the way for the Kings with 28 points and had his usual huge influence on the outcome of the game and on the offense.

#3 It seems like head coach Mike Brown has this team running on all cylinders he’s certainly taken a page out of his old Golden State days when he was an assistant coach when they won several championships. He has the Kings playing with that same kind of confidence.

#4 The Spurs did put on some defense in the second and third quarters but it was the fourth quarter when Kings pulled away scoring 41 points to wind up with a 18 point win.

#5 The Kings have a very good shot at getting their sixth straight win at Golden 1 on Sunday a 3:00pm tip against the visiting Detroit Pistons. The Pistons have now lost five straight games.

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

It’s Five In A Row For Sacramento Beating Spurs 130-112

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San Antonio Spurs guard Josh Richardson (7) and Sacramento Kings guard Malik Monk (0) chase the ball during the first quarter at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Thu Nov 17, 2022 (AP News photo)

It’s Five In A Row For Sacramento Beating Spurs 130-112

By Barbara Mason

Thursday night the red-hot Sacramento Kings (8-6) took on the San Antonio Spurs (6-10) looking for their fifth win in a row. The Kings have one of the high powered offenses in the NBA right now. Their ball movement is on fire and they are taking high percentage shots and not forcing anything. This team is not leaning too heavily on one player, but rather they are trusting each other. The Huerter Sabonis connection has been insane and so much fun to watch.

This was true test for the Kings playing against a Gregg Popovich led team. The Spurs played hard and pushed Sacramento to the limits. The Kings played without Keegan Murray who sat out the game with a back issue. His injury is not considered to be a long-term issue and that is good news for the Kings. The Kings picked up their fifth straight win over the Spurs 130-112 at Golden One Center in Sacramento.

The Kings won the first quarter 37-28 leading at one time by sixteen points. The Spurs made a push getting to within four points but the Kings pushed back and held a 63-56 lead going into halftime. De’Aaron Fox had scored 12 points in the first half and off the bench Malik Monk also had twelve points.

The Spurs refused to go away and this game was tied a number of times in the third quarter. With 2:09 left in the quarter the scored was tied 80-80. At 1:18 the score was again tied at 82 and the Kings would have to go the distance and pull out all the stops in this one. After three quarters the Kings led 89-82.

The Kings would extend that lead down the stretch in the fourth quarter. Fox and Monk were shooting lights out. Monk was shooting 50% from downtown and Fox was 10 of 13 and 24 points with 7:32 left in the game. With a little over two minutes left on the clock, Sacramento was in the driver’s seat. With 1:37 the Kings had a 128-110 lead and their fifth win in a row was in sight.

All five of the starters for the Spurs shot in double digits with Devin Vassell the high with 29 points. The Spurs just could not handle the offensive excellence of Sacramento. De’Aaron Fox finished with 28 points and Malik Monk had 26 off the bench.

This was an all-around effort by the Kings. Harrison Barnes and Domantas Sabonis both had 16 and off the bench Trey Lyles had 14 points and Chimezie Metu with 10. This was just another solid offensive and defensive game for Sacramento. They fought throughout the game holding onto the lead through four quarters.

Next up for the Kings will be on Sunday when they take on the Detroit Pistons. They will be gunning for their sixth win in a row. Tipoff is scheduled for 3:00 PM.

Golden State Warriors podcast with Jerry Feitelberg: Kerr admits team is getting long in the tooth

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Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr (right) talks strategy on Nov 14, 2022 at the Chase Center in San Francisco with guard Stephen Curry (left). Kerr said in an interview this week said that this team won’t be together forever and this might be their last year. (AP News photo)

On the Warriors podcast with Jerry F:

#1 In an interview this week with NBC Sports Bay Area Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said he to come to the conclusion that yes his star players are getting a little older and that might have been part of the reason why they had run into that five game losing streak.

#2 The Fearsome Foursome of Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, Klay Thompson, and Andre Iguodala won’t be together forever said Kerr saying this could be the last year they will be together.

#3 It’s too early to tell but the Warriors after losing those five in a row have now won three of their last five games so if they can get to the finals with this team could they come back next season?

#4 Green’s future with Golden State is doubtful and after the famous punch he threw in practice at Jordan Poole other NBA team sought his services in case the Warriors let him go, Curry’s contract runs for three more years, and Thompson’s contract expires at the end of this season.

#5 Warrior and Knicks battle at the Chase Center on Friday night the Warriors are looking for their four win in five games and the Knicks are playing .500 ball winning four of their last eight games.

Join Jerry for the Warriors podcast at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Warriors Lose Eighth Road Game To Phoenix 130-119

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Warriors Lose Eighth Road Game To Phoenix 130-119

The Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (right) is guarded by the Phoenix Suns Damian Lee (left) in first half action at the Footprint Center in Phoenix on Wed Nov 16, 2022 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

Wednesday evening the Golden State Warriors (6-9) traveled to the Valley of the Sun taking on the Phoenix Suns (9-5). Back on the road again the Warriors attempted to win their first road game of the season but stay winless on the road with a loss to the Suns 130-119. Golden State has lost eight games this season, seven of them on the road. They are solid at home but on the road it is a quandary.

The Warriors took an early lead in the first quarter of this game. Mid-way through the quarter the tables turned in favor of the Suns and the Warriors would not see another lead for the remainder of the quarter. The Suns led 36-33 after the first twelve minutes.

The second quarter was more of the same for the Warriors. They could not regain the lead. They needed to slow down the Suns and it just wasn’t happening. Second chance points for the Suns were hurting the Warriors despite guard Stephen Curry coming out on fire. Curry was keeping his team in the game but so far it wasn’t enough to get on top of Phoenix. The Suns kept the pressure on and led at the half 72-65.

Curry was phenomenal shooting 31 points in the first half. Kevon Looney had ten points but they would need Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins and Jordan Poole to step up in the second half. Defensively the Warriors fell short in the first half. 14 second chance shots for the Suns had been the downfall for Golden State in the first half. The rebounding for the Warriors was a glaring insufficiency and had to turn around in the second half if their first road win of the season was in their future.

The Suns wasted no time in creating a double digit lead less than three minutes into the third quarter 78-65. The Warriors continued to hang around and the good news for Golden State; Wiggins and Thompson were heating up climbing into double digits. With 3:44 left in the third Curry committed a technical and two Phoenix free throws followed. The Suns held onto the double digit lead going into the fourth quarter 103-89 their largest lead of the game.

Despite Curry finishing with 50 points the Suns were just the better team winning 130-119. So the search for the elusive road win continues. Thompson and Wiggins both shot for 14 points. Poole struggled playing for 26 minutes and coming up with two rebounds and two points.

All five starters for Phoenix shot in double digits with Cameron Payne the leader with 29 points. Devon Booker finished with 27.

The Warriors will travel home to take on the Knicks Friday night. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 PM.

Kings upend Nets 153-121;Davis leads Sac with 31 pts

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Sacramento Kings guard Terence Davis (3) shoots between Brooklyn Nets guard Edmond Sumner, left, and forward Nic Claxton in second half action at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento (AP News photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings were back in action on Tuesday night. The Kings are riding high after defeating the defending champion Golden State Warriors on Sunday night. The Kings beat the champs at home 122-115.

The Kings have been playing excellent basketball lately and should have a better record than 6-6. However, the Kings aren’t living in the past and are looking forward in the season to improve their record. The Kings welcomed the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday at 7 PM PST. On Tuesday, the Kings defeated the Nets 153-121 in blowout fashion.

In the first quarter, the Nets got off to a slow start offensively. The Nets couldn’t buy a basket in the first half of the quarter. The Kings took advantage of that and built up a lead. After that, however, the Nets would start scoring and returning to balance the quarter.

The Kings outscored the Nets in the first quarter 36-30 to open up an early lead in Sacramento on TNT. Kevin Durant did every day Kevin Durant things leading scorers with 12 points.

In the second quarter, the momentum shifted a bit early on in the quarter. The Kings struggled to hit shots, and the Nets picked it up on the offensive end. Yet, the Kings started to get out ahead in the last minutes of the half.

The Kings managed to outscore the Nets 37-24 in the second quarter to grow a 73-54 lead heading into halftime. Kevin Huerter led the Kings in the first half with 14 points. Kevin Durant was the only bright spot for the Nets in the first half, scoring 18 points. Could the Kings make it two halves against Kevin Durant?

In the third quarter, the Kings just took over the game. The King’s offense was firing on all cylinders as the Nets struggled without Kyrie Irving. The Kings outscored the Nets 42-28 in the third quarter. It was a full-on blowout at this point. The Kings could do no wrong on Tuesday night.

In the fourth quarter, the King sealed the deal. The Kings were outscored by the Nets 39-38 in the fourth quarter. It was an impressive game for the Kings, who have been playing well lately. It was a real show of force that the Kings mean business this year if they can maintain the defensive end of the floor.

Terence Davis led the way with an incredible performance for the Kings, dropping 28 points. Kevin Huerter was the runner-up for the Kings scoring 19 points in the game. Kevin Durant led the way for the Nets, scoring 27 points in the game. The Kings are flying high and deservedly after a great season start. The Kings would empty the bench in the game and defeat the Nets 153-121. The Kings are now 7-6 on the season.

Up Next: The Kings stay home to take on the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday at 7 PM PST.

Warriors rout Spurs 132-95; Golden State makes that 3 wins out of last four

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Golden State Warriors guard Jordan Poole scores against the San Antonio Spurs at the Chase Center on Mon Nov 14, 2022 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors welcomed the San Antonio Spurs to the Chase Center Monday night. The Spurs, in rebuild mode, came to town with a record of six wins and seven losses. Most of the players on the Spurs’ team are not well known. Head coach Greg Popovich is in the process of remaking his team so they can get back into the playoffs.

The Warriors, smarting from a loss last night to the Sacramento Kings, needed to win at home. The Warriors have had problems on defense this year. They have also committed too many fouls and too many turnovers. The team would rest Klay Thompson, too. Steve Kerr inserted Jordan Poole into the starting lineup, and the move paid off. The Warriors broke the game open in the second quarter and cruised to an easy 132-95 win.

The Warriors got a hot start for the second game in a row. For the second time, they fell behind 20-19 when San Antonio went on a 16-5 run. It would be the only time in the game that San Antonio had the lead. The Warriors, behind Poole, Andrew Wiggins, Jonathan Kuminga, and Moses Moody, paced the Warriors offense to give them a 33-26 advantage after the first 12 minutes. Poole knocked down 14 points in the quarter.

The Warriors won the second quarter 28-19 to finish the first half leading 61-45. Stephen Curry, Poole, Kuminga, Wiggins, and Moody led the way. Curry finished the half with ten points. Poole had 19, Wiggins eight, Kuminga seven, and Moody six. None of the Spurs’ starters were in double figures.

The Warriors put the game out of reach in the third quarter. The Warriors outscored the Spurs 38-23 to end the quarter leading, 99-68. The Warriors were playing their most complete game of the year. The offense was clicking. The Warriors did not foul. They did not turn the ball over, and their defense was excellent. Kerr replaced his starters, and the second unit played the entire fourth quarter. The reserves still outscored the Spurs 33-27 to win 132-95.

Game Notes: With the win, the Warriors are 6-8 and have won three of the last four games. The Spurs are now 6-8, too.

Poole had his best game of the year. In 27 minutes of action, Poole scored 36 points and connected on five threes. Anthony Lamb was second on the team, with 17 points. Lamb made five threes. Curry had 16, Kuninga 15, Moody 11, and Wiggins ten. 

The Warriors shot 53% from the floor. They made 23 threes in 45 tries. The team recorded 35 assists. 

San Antonio’s leading scorer was Kelden Johnson, with 15 points. Jeremy Sochan and Keita Bates-Diop each had 12, and Josh Richardson, coming off the bench, had ten. The Spurs shot 36% from the floor and were ten-for-40 from three-point range. The Spurs outrebounded the Warriors 64-48.

The Warriors travel to Phoenix to face the Suns Wednesday night. The Warriors hope to get their first win on the road this year. The game starts at 7 pm.

Golden State Warriors podcast with Barbara Mason: Warriors continue to struggle on the road remain winless

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Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) drives to the basket past Sacramento Kings guard Davion Mitchell (15) at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Sun Nov 13, 2022 (AP News photo)

On the Warriors podcast with Barbara:

#1 Barbara, Golden State Warriors (5-8) still without a road win they took another road loss last night at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento against an improved Sacramento Kings (6-6) team losing by seven points 122-115.

#2 Even key stars of the Warriors guard Stephen Curry and forward Draymond Green had a tough time defending Kings star player Domantas Sobonis who ended up with a triple double in the contest.

#3 The Warriors played well enough to win they got scoring production from Curry 27 points, Andrew Wiggins 26 and Jordan Poole with 18 points despite the effort it’s just got to be frustrating working hard but going empty handed.

#4 The Warriors had a tough time defending Sobonis who wound up on the top of the leaderboard with 26 and De’Aaron Fox who finished second in scoring with 22 points.

#5 The Warriors will return home to the Chase Center for a battle with the San Antonio Spurs Monday night at 7:00pm. The Spurs had lost five straight games before winning their last game against the mighty Milwaukee Bucks Friday 111-93 in San Antonio. Barbara tell us how you see the Spurs and Warriors matching up tonight?

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

Sacramento Kings game wrap: Sabonis leads in scoring as Kings shut down Golden State 122-115 at Golden 1

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Sacramento Kings Domantas Sabonis (center) can’t be stopped by the Golden State Warriors top star players forward Draymond Green (left) and guard Stephen Curry at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Sun Nov 13, 2022 (AP News photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings were back in action on Sunday night as they welcomed in the Golden State Warriors. The Warriors last played on Friday night as they defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers at home. The Kings also last played on Friday in Los Angeles when they beat the Lakers.

On Sunday, it looked to be a fun matchup. The World Champion Warriors were taking on the upstart Sacramento Kings in Golden One Center at 6 PM PST. Game result was a 122-115 win for the Kings. The Warriors remain with a winless road record.

In the first quarter, the Kings didn’t look great. They didn’t play any defense, and the offense couldn’t pick up the difference. In a dismal first quarter, the Kings gave up 39 points to the Warriors, who started the night with a hot shooting hand. The Kings only scored 26 points in the first quarter. Warriors guard Stephen Curry continued his shooting terror, starting the game by scoring 13 in the first.

In the second quarter, the Kings played much better. It was almost a complete role reversal for the Kings. The Kings played solid defense and held the Warriors to only 23 points in the second quarter. On the other hand, the Kings offense came alive and scored 38 on the Warriors in the second.

The Kings were led in the first half by Keegan Murray and Malik Monk, who had 13 and 12, respectively. Andrew Wiggins led the Warriors in the first half, scoring 18 points. The Kings would lead the Warriors heading into halftime 64-62. The Kings would look to close out the Warriors in the second half but could Curry light a fire under the Warriors and lead them back?

In the third quarter, both teams fought tooth and nail. Neither team could seem to figure out the defensive end of the floor. The offense seemed to be getting to most of the spots they wanted. The Kings managed to outscore the Warriors for the second quarter in a row, 34-29 in the third. The Kings showed poise and avoided the third-quarter meltdown. Could the Kings close out the defending champs? The Kings entered the final quarter of action leading 98-91.

In the fourth quarter, the Kings started to lose control of the game. The Kings had played well in the second half until they started to get sloppy with the ball and commit mental mistakes. The Kings committed a series of bad offensive fouls that seemed to turn the tide in the game.

However, De’Aaron Fox was able to lead the Kings to victory in the second half. The Kings managed to defeat the Warriors in a seven point victory. It was an excellent show from the Kings against the defending champs to not give in after halftime and close out the win. The Kings were led by an incredible performance from Domantas Sabonis, who had 26-22-8 for his line. Fox finished the game with 22 points leading the Kings back into momentum in the final quarter.

Up Next: The Kings stay home at Golden 1 to take on the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday at 7 PM PST