Category: Sacramento Kings

Headline Sports with London Marq: Improved Kings need wins in Philly and Boston

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photo from nbcsports.com file: The Sacramento Kings and D3’Aaron Fox head to Boston and Philadelphia for games Thursday and Friday nights.

On Headline Sports with London:

#1 The Sacramento Kings dropped a tough game to the Washington Wizards 121-115. The Kings made it close losing by six.

#2 The Kings head to Philadelphia and Boston this Thursday and Friday. Can the Kings pick up some key wins after losing to Washington in their bid to try and make the postseason?

#3 De’Aaron Fox led the Kings in scoring. Talk about what he means for the club this season.

#4 In MLS action, the San Jose Earthquakes are headed to New York to face the NY Red Bulls. The Quakes are coming off two losses to the Montreal Impact and the Minnesota United FC. The later game was rough as they lost in a 3-0 shutout.

#5 After watching the 3-0 shutout, was this reminiscent of last year’s Quakes team or maybe more concerning than last year’s team?

London Marq does the Headline Sports podcast at http://www.sportsradioservice.com each Wednesday

Sacramento Kings podcast with Charlie O: Kings drop first game on road trip; Head to Boston and Philly next

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Photo credit: bulletsforever.com

On the Kings podcast with Charlie O:

#1 The Sacramento Kings (33-33) lost a very close game to the Washington Wizards (28-39) on Monday night 121-115. A six-point loss, the Kings lost the game but they are a never give up team.

#2 For the Kings, De’Aaron Fox led with 23 points the team really relies on his ability to aim and hit the bucket.

#3 After last Thursday’s game against the Boston Celtics, the Kings’ Marvin Bagley III has been ruled day to day. How bad was the sprained knee and do you see him returning to action on this current road trip?

#4 The Kings need to beat teams like the Wizards and the Celtics. Do you see them getting any daylight and getting a shot to get over the Mendoza line and get into the postseason?

#5 The Kings play back to back nights in Boston (41-26) and Philadelphia (42-25) on Thursday and Friday nights. How do you see the Kings stacking up with these two clubs?

Charlie O does the Sacramento Kings podcasts each Tuesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Kings battle, but fall to Wizards 121-115 in DC

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Photo credit: @sbgglobal

By: Jeremiah Salmonson

In the first half, it was a tale of two quarters for the Kings. The Kings appeared to get off to a quick start against the Washington Wizards, scoring the first five points, but that would prove to be just a mirage at the Capital One Arena Monday evening. After that, De’Aaron Fox and company struggled mightily in the first quarter. The Kings were only able to muster 20 points while shooting 29% from the field and making two of three from the stripe.  The Wizards, on the other hand, were able to score 28 points to take control of the game in the first.

In the second quarter, the Kings flipped the script. The Kings put up an impressive 40 points to take the lead in the game 60-59 going into the locker room at the half. At one point, Fox went on a run to score 15 points in just over 3:30. Going into the locker room, the Kings appeared to have some confidence after a very up and down half. Going into the third, it was imperative for the Kings to keep the momentum and add onto the lead they managed to capture in the second.

However, the Kings weren’t able to do that. They came out in the second half much like the performed in the first quarter. They gave up their second 31-point quarter and only managed to score 21 points, a near carbon copy of the first quarter, but the Kings weren’t done yet.

The Kings managed to retake the lead in the fourth with 3:21 remaining on a Willie-Cauley Stein free throw. Unfortunately, they lost steam after an encouraging run. They missed a couple of key shots while the Wizards made some key shots and that proved the difference in the game.

When it was all said and done, the Kings gave up six too many points in the early quarters and fell to the Wizards 121-115. Notable scoring performances were De’Aaron Fox with 23 points for the Kings and Bradley Beal with 27 points for the Wizards. This game ended the way so many Kings games have ended lately. The Kings were close but were unable to finish the game in the final minutes.

Kings head coach Dave Joerger summed it up perfectly in postgame, “This game sucks, this one hurts.” Indeed, this game hurt the Kings’ playoff chances as they fall 4.5 games back of the Clippers and Spurs with 16 games left.

Close but no cigar for the Kings:

FG PCT: Kings 45.1%, Wizards 46.5%
3PT PCT: Kings 33.3%, Wizards 37.8%
REB: Kings 47, Wizards 47
AST: Kings 28, Wizards 29
TO: Kings 16, Wizards 17
BLK: Kings 3, Wizards 1

Scoreboard Watch:

Kings fans will be locked in Monday evening to the Clippers vs. Celtics matchup on NBA TV. The Kings desperately need the Clippers to lose to keep the deficit to four games behind the eight seed in the Western Conference.

Up Next:

The Kings travel to Boston to take on the Boston Celtics on Thursday afternoon at 4:30 PM PST.

Fox leads the Kings to a 102-94 victory over the Knicks at MSG

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Photo credit: @NBA

By Jessica Kwong

The Sacramento Kings rallied in an early game Saturday—starting at 9 a.m. PST—to beat the worst team in the Eastern Conference, the New York Knicks, at Madison Square Garden.

Sacramento beat New York 102-94, led by De’Aaron Fox’s 30 points, 5 rebounds and 8 assists. It was not an easy win, with the Knicks dominating with energy to start and leading by as many as 15 points in the first quarter. The Kings were able to cut the Knicks’ lead to 30-23 by the end of the quarter and kept the home team to 16 points in the second quarter and ended the half up 48-46.

The game was tied at 68 points with three-and-a-half minutes left in the third quarter. Sacramento’s Buddy Hield then scored 5 points and the Kings went on a 12-0 run and took a 80-68 lead at the end of the third.

But in the final period, the Knicks went on a 11-0 run and captured a 89-87 lead halfway through. In the last six minutes, Fox made 12 points, including two triples, to take the victory.

“It was a gritty win for us,” Kings head coach Dave Joerger said. “It wasn’t always pretty, but we’re happy to get out with a win.”

Hield scored 19 points and 4 rebounds, Nemanja Bjelica had 13 points and 10 rebounds and Harrison Barnes had 11 points and 8 rebounds.

The Kings are now 33-32 and ninth in the western conference, behind the San Antonio Spurs, who have a track record of pulling through.

Joerger acknowledged that his team may not make the playoffs, but gave the players props for how far they’ve come and how Sacramento has embraced them.

“It does feel good because we’re not where we’re going to be, we’re not where we want to be, but we sure are having fun,” Joerger said. “We’re developing players and guys are getting along great and it’s just a really good vibe, and the city of Sacramento’s on fire right now and we’re having a great time.”

The Kings continue their four-game road trip on Monday against the Washington Wizards. Tip-off is at 4 p.m. PST.

The Kings playoff dreams take a hit as they lose to the Celtics 111-109

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment
BOS buddy
Photo: @NBSCA

By Charlie O

SACRAMENTO– Wednesday night began with great hope for the Kings as they learned Kyrie Irving would not be playing for the Celtics due to a left thigh contusion. The betting lines immediately changed making the Kings the favorites minus two points.

The other advantage the Kings had going into the game with Boston was it was the second game of a back-to-back set on the road for the Celtics. Statistically, that also gives the home team a higher percentage chance of winning the game.

Things were going the Kings way before the game ever tipped-off. Unfortunately for Sacramento fans when the final buzzer sounded, Boston had defeated the Kings 111-109.

Why did the Kings lose?

There were two key factors that cost Sacramento the game:

  • Too many turnovers – The Kings have done an excellent job of taking care of the ball this season. In fact, it has been one of the keys to their success. On Wednesday night, Los Kings turned the ball over 18 times which resulted in 21 points for Boston. For the season, Sacramento has averaged 13.9 turnovers per game.
  • Not taking advantage of the free throw bonus – The Kings put the Celtics into the penalty in the fourth quarter with 8:25 left to play. That should have created a great advantage for Sacramento to exploit by driving to the basket and picking up a bonus free throw by getting fouled. The Kings were unable to do that. After putting Boston in the penalty, the Kings would not shoot a free throw until there was just 3:36 remaining to play. That five-minute gap without a free throw attempt may well have cost Sacramento the game.

Coach Dave Joerger was proud of his team

Kings Top Performers

  • Harrison Barnes came up big for the Kings again as he put 24 points in the book to go with eight rebounds. Barnes hit 8-of-14 field goal attempts including three 3-point baskets.
  • Buddy Hield added 23 points in the game. It was an odd game for Hield. He scored 14 points in the first half, zero points in the third quarter and nine points in the final period. In hustling Hield fashion, he also hauled in eight rebounds.
  • Willie Cauley-Stein scored 19 points, pulled down seven rebounds and added three assists in a very nice game for the center.
  • De’Aaron Fox had a 16 point game to go with his seven assists.
  • Bogdan Bogdanovic had an active night recording 14 points against the Celtics. “Bogi” shot 5-for-9 from the floor and four of those buckets were 3-pointers.

De’Aaron Fox said it is always hard to lose a game like this one

Boston Head Coach Brad Stevens on the game

“They (the bounces) weren’t going our way. We had plenty of chances late offensively that just didn’t go down too. (Jayson) Tatum made a huge play – getting foul(ed) and a huge shot. But, we had a number of other possessions that you felt pretty good about that just didn’t go down. (Marcus) Morris made big plays and everybody stepped up to get up a huge win.”

Celtics Top Performers

  • Jayson Tatum had a team-high and tied for the game-high scoring 24 points. He shot 8-for-17 from the field and hit 6-of-6 from the free throw line.
  • Al Horford put 21 points up on the board and made it a double-double game by grabbing 11 rebounds. Horford scored 17 of those points in the second half.
  • Marcus Morris added 19 points for Boston in just over 33-minutes on the floor.
  • Terry Rozier scored 16 points. He put up 10 of those points in the first half and was a real key the Celtics success on offense in the first 24-minutes.
  • Gordon Hayward added 12 points coming off the bench and dished out five assists as well.

The game’s effect on the playoff races

The loss dropped the Kings record to 32-32 for the season and keeps them mired in ninth place in the Western Conference. The Spurs and Clippers are now tied with identical 37-29 records and both hold a four-game lead over the Kings in the standings.

The Celtics record improved to 40-26 with the victory. Boston now has sole possession of sixth-place in the East with a very comfortable 6.5 game lead over seventh-place Detroit. The Celtics are 1.5 games behind fifth-place Philadelphia.

Same two teams next week

The Kings and Celtics will have a rematch next Thursday in Boston. The Celtics could well determine the Kings fate when it comes to making the NBA Playoffs.

Up next

Both teams are off until Saturday.

The Kings will play the Knicks at Madison Square Garden with a 9:00 AM Pacific time tip-off. The early start is necessary because the Rangers have a hockey game that night in the Garden.

Boston is off to Atlanta to face the Hawks to wrap up their road trip.

 

Headline Sports with London Marq: More trouble as Giants outfielder arrested for DUI, Will Baer’s situation be a distraction for Giants?; Kings lose two close ones against NBA’s best; plus more

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mug shot photo by Scottsdale Police and sfgate.com: In this Friday, March 1, 2019, photo provided by the Scottsdale Police Department, San Francisco Giants outfielder Cameron Maybin is shown in a booking photo in Scottsdale, Ariz. Police said Tuesday that the 31-year-old was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence.

On Headline Sports with London:

#1 If things couldn’t get worse for the San Francisco Giants, Giants outfielder Cameron Maybin was arrested at 2:30 am on Friday morning for DUI. He was driving in Scottsdale when he was pulled over by an officer who said he smelled of alcohol and had bloodshot eyes. Maybin was arrested and released two hours later. The team said they are monitoring the situation and had no comment.

#2 With San Francisco Giants CEO Larry Baer being in the headlines this week, could this be a distraction for the team in spring training?

#3 How despite losing, the Sacramento Kings played some very close games with the Los Angeles Clippers and the Milwaukee Bucks this past week?

#4 Chaquita Evans became the first woman to be drafted by an NBA team in the NBA 2K league. Does this signal that more women could be playing in the NBA?

#5 The Oakland Raiders and the Oakland Coliseum Authority authorized a two-year deal on Tuesday for the Raiders to stay at the Coliseum for 2019. The team will pay $7.5 million and 2020 is an option year at the cost of $9.5 million. The Raiders are still being sued by the City of Oakland as they’re moving to Las Vegas and will leave the city in a financial lurch as the lawsuit claims.

London Marq does Headline Sports each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Sacramento Kings podcast with Charlie O: Knicks were a no brainer, Celtics will be a tougher task on Wednesday night

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Photo credit: @SacramentoKings

On the Kings podcast with Charlie O:

#1 The Los Angeles Clippers got a seven-point win over the Sacramento Kings (33-31) 116-109 on Saturday night in another game that was a cliff hanger.

#2 On Monday night, the Kings host the New York Knicks and the Kings held a ten-point lead over the Knicks for most of the game. It showed how well they were coached to hold such a lead.

#3 The Knicks are struggling this season at 13-51 for the Kings. It was like taking candy from a baby at Golden One on Monday night.

#4 The free throws made the difference for Sacramento 81.5% and for New York 60.0%

#5 On Wednesday, March 6th, the task doesn’t get easier as the Kings host the Boston Celtics (38-26).

Sacramento Kings podcasts with Charlie O is heard each Tuesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Kings Press Row Podcast: Can they make the playoffs?

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press row podcast

Hosts: Jordan “Chape” Chapin and Charlie O

  • The Kings have been trapped in ninth place in the Western Conference and need to win at least 11 of their final 19 games to make the playoffs
  • SAC made the first step to the playoffs by downing the Knicks 115-108 on Monday night. The Kings may have played down to the NYK level.
  • The boys run down the stats from the win on Monday night – the good, the bad and the ugly!
  • Chape and Charlie O look ahead to Wednesday night and the game with the Celtics
  • The guys also make their predictions on wins and losses for the 19 remaining games. Will the Kings make the playoffs? Chape and Charlie O say it is going to be very, very close!
  • Turn up the volume and let’s talk all things, Kings!

Sac Slamson logo

Kings In No Mood For Losing: Beat Knicks and Stay Above .500

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By Morris Phillips

SACRAMENTO — The Kings are still in the Western Conference playoff race, but nothing states that fact better than a win.The Kings were fortunate enough to survive the pesky New York Knicks on Monday at Golden 1 Center.

Sacramento never trailed after the first quarter, but they never felt comfortable, even the last minutes of the fourth when the Knicks were still in range, and capable of stealing the middle stop of their three-game road trip.

“We didn’t make the shots that we usually make but we were able to get them to turn the ball over,” De’Aaron Fox said. “They usually don’t do that.”

Fox was one of five double-digit scorers for the Kings, who didn’t play a great deal of defense, but kept the pace, and shared the basketball against the team with the NBA’s worst record. 

While the Knicks have been atrocious in losing 22 of 25, the Kings have been downright frustrated, losing 5 of 6, with all the losses by seven points or less. Moreover, their playoff chances have dwindled as a result, but their disdain for falling below .500 at this late date in the season by losing to a beleaguered opponent at home may have been their biggest motivational factor on Monday.

Now their hope is that same motivation carries them in their game against the free-falling Celtics on Wednesday, then again in the rematch with the Knicks in Madison Square Garden on Saturday.

Regardless the Kings face and uphill battle trying to catch the Clippers and Spurs for the coveted, eighth spot. Both teams won Monday, keeping their edge over Sacramento at three games.

Kings fall short, lose 116-109 to Clippers

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Photo credit: @SacramentoKings

By: London Marq

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — With the 7th seeded Los Angeles Clippers headed into town, Sacramento would have a chance to help their own cause, trying to move up from the No. 9 spot in the West. Tension is high. The playoffs are in sight and the young Sacramento Kings are feeling the pressure. Having played and lost 3 games, the Clippers already made this game feel all the more important. A win would bring them closer to the 8th seed and the added confidence of overcoming a challenge.

The Kings had trouble scoring in the beginning of the game. Willie Cauley-Stein, Harrison Barnes, and Bogdan Bogdanovic — all of whom only scored 6 points between them in the first. De’Aaron Fox scored on a lone free throw before picking up two early fouls and being forced to sit. Los Angeles would lead by 10 at one point but as the quarter closed the Kings would make a push. Behind 8 first quarter points from Buddy Hield, the Clippers only held a 3-point advantage going into the second quarter.

Staying hot to start the second, the Kings would regain the lead with 8:43 left in the third. Harry Giles had strong night off the bench, working around the rim for 6 points in the second giving him 10 points at halftime. Giles finished the night with 15 points. Foul trouble continued to plague Sacramento as they committed 6 fouls in the second, allowing LA to keep the game close with free throws. However, Fox made up for his absence in the first with exceptional playmaking. He had some sweet dimes, racking up 6 assists in the second quarter alone. He finished with a 12-point, 12 assist double-double.

The Kings began the second half with a four-point 56-52 lead, but allowed 35 points in the third quarter as LA went on a run to retake the lead. From that point on in the game the Clippers were in control. Leading by as much as 13 points, LA played a tough brand of basketball that Sacramento had trouble coping with. Montrezl Harrell gave Sacramento the trouble he has all season with his high-energy brand of play. Harrell was a beast around the rim and ended the game with 15 points. After the game, Kings coach Dave Joerger described the Clippers as more physical and more experienced. It showed as the Kings were outrebounded 42-38, committed 25 fouls and allowed LA to score 24 points from the line.

The final score was 116-109 as the Kings fell to the LA Clippers. It was a tough blow for the Kings as a team trying to make the playoffs. They still have a chance to obtain the elusive 8-seed and Harry Giles knows it. Stoic after a loss, but staying focused on the schedule ahead of the team, saying, “We need to make sure we win. Win, win, win.”

Coach Joerger said this loss hurt, but when thinking about the big picture, he felt positive about the future. Whether he’s talking about next season or their playoff prospects, he’s right the Kings have a lot of positives ahead of them despite this loss.

The Kings are playing with house money — no one expected them to be in this position at this point in the season. They are playing close, competitive games against tough opponents. The Kings will try to get back on track with some significant and favorable matchups ahead of them, including playing the Knicks twice over the next seven days and road trip to the eastern conference. If the Kings want to make the playoffs, they need to capitalize now. They don’t have time to lose.

FINAL: Clippers defeated the Kings 116-109.

UP NEXT: Kings host the New York Knicks on Monday, March 4th at 7:00 pm PST.