Category: Sacramento Kings

Headline Sports podcast with Tony Renteria: Will this second meeting with Harper mean he’ll become a Giant?; Johnny Football is out of football again; Will Green and Durant leave Warriors after this season?; plus more

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Photo credit: @NBCSGiants

On Headline Sports with Tony Renteria:

#1 The San Francisco Giants had a second meeting with free agent superstar Bryce Harper. Does that look like an indication that Harper likes what the Giants organization is all about and what they have to offer?

#2 Former Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel was released by the CFL’s Montreal Alouettes for violations of his contract. The Alouettes further informed the other eight teams in the CFL of Manziel’s release. The Alouettes did not give a reason why he was being released. But sources say Manziel violated his confidentiality agreement. It was reported that the CFL ordered his release.

#3 The Golden State Warriors have lost three of their last four games and have showed signs of tiring. They trailed the Miami Heat in Wednesday night’s game and talk has it that besides Kevin Durant who could go shopping after this season Draymond Green could announce for free agency after next season as well.

#4 The Sacramento Kings are coming off a tough loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night and hosted the Milwaukee Bucks Wednesday night and lost 141-140. The Kings–even when they lose–still make it interesting right until the end of the game.

#5 How concerned should the Oakland A’s be about their starting rotation now that pitchers Jharel Cotton and A.J. Puk are returning from surgery from last season? Can the A’s rotation stay healthy this season?

Join Tony each Thursday for Headline Sports at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Fun Without Winning One: Kings compete in overtime loss to the league-leading Bucks

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By Morris Phillips

SACRAMENTO–When you compete this hard–for 48 minutes and overtime–it’s the last thing you want to hear.

But there was Eric Bledsoe, basking in the glow of hand delivering the road win for Eastern Conference-leading Bucks, and wanting to say something conciliatory towards the Kings after one of the best, and most competitive games in the NBA this season.

Again, it was the last thing the disappointed Kings wanted to hear.

“Even if they don’t make it this year–even if they do–they’ve got a bright future,” Bledsoe said of the promising Kings.

Yeah, that’s nice, Eric, but what the Kings really would have appreciated was a season-transforming win. After a stretch of five games against the some of the league’s best teams, the Kings have just one win, hardly the qualifications for ending the NBA’s lengthiest, playoff drought dating back to 2006.

“That’s what happens when you’re trying to make the playoffs, you go through some bumps and bruises, but we have to keep fighting and keep grinding,” said Buddy Hield, who led Sacramento with 32 points.

On the night the Clippers lost at Utah, and the Lakers got past the Pelicans at home, the Kings may have played the best basketball, but fell two games out of the coveted, eighth spot in the Western Conference.

The Kings didn’t shoot well, or shut down a Bucks’ attack that improved at the trade deadline with the addition of Nikola Mirotic, but they did protect the ball, hit the offensive glass and put up a whopping 118 shots. That effort paid off in the fourth quarter when the Kings wiped out a 13-point deficit and propelled themselves into overtime.

“They made several runs at us. … Just really impressed with their young players and with the job coach Dave is doing. They have a hell of a future ahead of them,” said Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer.

But the Kings reached overtime at a disadvantage without rookie standout Marvin Bagley, who was injured running into a hard screen in the middle of the floor that left him with a knee contusion. Bagley will have an MRI examination today to determine the severity of the injury.

The Bucks also reached overtime without their biggest star, Giannis Antetokounmpo, who was limited to 24 minutes due to a sore knee that forced him to miss Milwaukee’s previous game. But Bledsoe and Malcom Brogdon both hit big shots in the extra session to secure the win for the Bucks.

The Kings have an estimated 12 percent shot to make the playoffs, and overcome their most likely outcome of 41-41. Eleven of the Kings’ 22 remaining opponents currently have winning records, and their schedule is measurably tougher than the Clippers and the Spurs schedules.

Winning 45 games is still the goal, as that’s where the Clippers project as the most likely eighth-seeded team in the West. The Kings would need to win 14 of 22–which would be their hottest stretch of the season–to reach 45 wins.

Sacramento Kings podcast with Charlie O: Is there trouble in paradise between Joeger and Hield?; Hield benched in last five minutes in Minnesota

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Photo credit: @NBANewsNow247

On the Kings podcast with Charlie O:

#1 Charlie O talks about why the Kings didn’t use Buddy Hield in the last five minutes of Monday night’s game in Minnesota. He didn’t want to talk about Hield and why he was benched at the end of the game. The question came up at the beginning of the press conference.

#2 Kings head coach Dave Joeger doesn’t like being questioned about his coaching and why he makes some of the moves that he did. Hield and Joeger got into a jawing match when they were playing Golden State.

#3 The Kings have struggled against Western Conference opponents with a 17-23 road record, but you would have never known that after watching the Kings play the Oklahoma City Thunder for a 119-116 win.

#4 Coming off the game in Minnesota and knowing Joeger’s reaction to the Hield question, will Joeger and the Kings shake the T-Wolves game off and turn the page?

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

 

45 wins? The Kings didn’t get any closer to that magic number in 112-105 loss to the Wolves

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By Morris Phillips

Sacramento Kings reporter Sean Cunningham has unearthed a significant number in the Kings’ quest to end the NBA’s longest playoff drought. It’s a number that bares watching given the team’s positioning directly in the middle of the Western Conference postseason hunt.

45, 45 wins. For the Kings, it’s going to be tantalizingly close. But they didn’t get any closer in Minneapolis on Monday.

The Kings were defenseless in the second quarter, relinquishing a double-digit lead, then trailing for the entirety of the second half in a 112-105 loss to the Timberwolves. William Bagley’s 3-pointer with 3:05 remaining got the Kings within 108-104, but they got no closer.

The Kings fell to 31-29, blowing an opportunity to assume the eighth spot by percentage points with the Spurs losing to the Nets, their seventh loss in their last eight games. Now, the Kings need a 14-8 finish–which would be the hottest stretch of their season–to reach the magical 45 wins.

“We’re growing, and it’s the level of experience that is required,” Kings coach Dave Joerger said of losing to the Wolves, a team that qualified for the 2018 playoffs on the regular season’s final day. “They’ve got a lot of older guys that have been through it.”

Based on Sacramento’s ability to beat losing teams, and inability to get past winning teams, the Kings will need a couple of surprise victories in the final 22 games to win 14 more times. Twelve of their final 22 opponents have winning records, and their schedule is more difficult than the Spurs and Clippers, the two teams closest to them in the standings.

But the Spurs are in free fall, and the Kings have already captured the tie breaker against San Antonio. While few other tie breakers figure to go Sacramento’s way, beating out the Spurs could be a realistic goal. Given that, the Kings could have used a win on Monday.

Karl-Anthony Towns led the Timberwolves with 34 points and 21 rebounds in his return from injury following a car crash last week. Towns had appeared in all 302 games in his career prior to missing the previous two.

“You don’t get a chance to realize how much you appreciate being out there,” Towns said of his return. “I’ve always wanted to be available for my teammates. But, when you sit out, you’re realizing little things you may have taken for granted.’’

Bagley did his part to neutralize the production of Towns with 25 points and 11 rebounds in just his second-ever NBA starting assignment, but the pivotal, second quarter belonged to Towns and the Wolves.

Towns scored 18 of the Wolves’ 44 points in the frame as the Kings squandered their 30-19 lead after the first quarter.

Joerger elected to bench leading scorer Buddy Hield down the stretch as his club rallied. Hield had a rough night with five turnovers while missing nine of his 16 shot attempts.

“He couldn’t hold onto the basketball and he struggled in different areas, and sometimes you have those nights,” Joerger said of Hield. “Corey Brewer was playing with some energy and it’s just one of those things.”

The Kings return to Golden 1 Center on Wednesday to face the Eastern Conference-leading Bucks at 7 pm.

Kings steal one on the road downing the Thunder 119-116

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment
KINGS 223 score
Graphic: @NBCS

by Charlie O. Mallonee

The Sacramento Kings entered the homestretch of the NBA season knowing that they needed to really improve their record versus Western Conference teams. As they began the game in Oklahoma City on Saturday night, Sacramento was 16-22 on the season versus Western Conference foes and just 5-12 playing those teams on the road.

After losing a heartbreaker to the Golden State Warriors on Thursday night, the Kings had to travel to OKC to face the Thunder who feature Russell Westbrook – “the King of the triple-double” – and the potential 2018-19 MVP Paul George who own the third spot in the Western Conference.

OKC was coming off a tough Friday night

The Thunder hosted the Utah Jazz on Friday night and had to really battle to come away with a victory. That game went into two overtimes before the Thunder finally put the Jazz away 148-147.

Paul George had to play 50-minutes. Russell Westbrook spent almost 43 minutes on the floor before fouling out in the first overtime.

The Kings needed to take advantage of the Thunder playing in the second game of a back-to-back set, especially when the first game went into double overtime.

First half perfection

Kings 223 hield
Photo: @SacramentoKings

The Kings did exactly what they needed to do in the first 24-minutes of the game. Sacramento shot 50-percent (25/50) from the floor. They struggled a bit from downtown hitting just 3-of-12 (33.3%) from long range. They dished out 16 assists while turning the ball over just six times. Those six turnovers resulted in eight Thunder points.

Buddy Hield led the SAC scoring attack with 18 points in the half. He went 8-for-12 shooting including two 3-pointers. Bogdan Bogdanovic added 12 points by going 4-for-6 from the floor. Marvin Bagley III came off the bench to score 11 points and grab six rebounds.

To no one’s surprise, Russell Westbrook led the charge for Oklahoma City who looked tired and out of sync right from the opening tip-off. Westbrook put 18 points in the book while Paul George was the next leading scorer with seven points.

The Thunder shot just 35.8-percent (19/53) from the field. The had just eight assists and turned the ball over eight times which resulted in 12 Sacramento points.

At the end of the first half, the Kings held a 63-49 lead over the Thunder.

The second half had to mean a Thunder comeback

Even if they are tired, a visiting team cannot expect to keep a talented team like the Thunder from making big runs in order to get back into the game.

The Thunder went on an 18-6 run to begin the third quarter and cut the Kings lead to just two points with 7:29 to go in the period. The Kings woke up and began to play their game. Sacramento went back up by 14 points with 2:24 remaining in the quarter.

With 36-minutes in the book, the Kings still held a 94-83 lead, but everyone had a feeling that the Thunder were not ready to give up.

The final 12:00

OKC used a combination of strong play from Dennis Schroder, Paul George, Markieff Morris and of course, Russell Westbrook to fight their way back into the game one more time. By the 6:26 mark, the Thunder had cut the Kings lead to three points.

Russell Westbrook would go on to score 15 of the 33 points the Thunder would score in the quarter. The lead changed four times in the period. OKC outscored SAC 33-25 in the final 12-minutes which is what made it such a close game.

When the final buzzer sounded, the Kings free throw shooting down the stretch allowed them to hang on and win the game 119-116.

Kings by the numbers

The win raised the Kings record to 31-28 on the season which allows them to remain in sole possession of ninth place in the Western Conference. The Clippers beat the Grizzlies so they are 1.5 games ahead in eighth place. The Lakers lost to the Pelicans (even with Anthony Davis held out of the game) which means they are now two games back of the Kings in 10th place.

Top performers:

Kings 223 MBIII
Bagley scores two of his 19 points Photo: @SacramentoKings
  • Buddy Hield led the SAC scoring attack with 34 points. “Buddy Buckets” hit 12-of-22 shots overall and went 3-for-5 from beyond the 3-point line. He also was very effective from the free throw line converting 7-of-9 opportunities.
  • Marvin Bagley III recorded a double-double by scoring 19 points and hauling 10 rebounds. MB35 also added three assists, three blocked shots, and two steals.
  • De’Aaron Fox also scored 19 points in the game. He also dished out nine assists, blocked three shots and added a steal.

Team performance:

  • The Kings outscored the Thunder 48-46 in the Paint
  • The Thunder won the battle of 2nd Chance Points 16-7
  • Even though they were tired, OKC scored more Fast Break Points than the Kings 25-19
  • SAC shot 45.8-percent (44/96) for the game
  • They hit 7-of-19 (36.8%) from long range
  • The Kings converted 24-of-34 (70.6%) from the free throw line. The key was the number of opportunities.
  • The team was out-rebounded 59-46 and still managed to win the game
  • Protecting the ball has become a key trait for Sacramento. They turned the ball over just nine times which resulted in 15 OKC points.
  • The Kings recorded 24 assists which denotes excellent ball movement

Checking the book for OKC

Key individuals performances:

  • Russell Westbrook was the game’s high scorer with 41 points. Westbrook connected on 15-of-30 field goal attempts and made 5-of-12 3-point shots. He also had a good night at the charity stripe converting 6-of-8 opportunities. Westbrook made it a double-double game by adding 10 rebounds.
  • Dennis Schroder came off the bench to score 14 points. The German transplant went 5-for-12 shooting.
  • Paul George also scored 14 points but he was 4-for-19 shooting for the contest. That 50-plus minutes of playing time on Friday obviously took its toll.
  • Markieff Morris put 10 points playing some key minutes late in the game for George.

Team numbers

  • The key number you need to know is the field goal shooting percentage. The Thunder shot just 38.1-percent (40/105) for the game. A team almost never wins a game in the NBA when they shoot under 40-percent. Yet, OKC came within four points of putting this game in the win column.

Up next

The Kings wrap up this 3-game road trip on Monday in Minnesota versus the Timberwolves.

The Thunder will return to action on Tuesday on the road in Denver against the Nuggets.

NBA podcast with Jerry Feitelberg: Cousins always up for a battle when his old team, the Kings, come to Oakland

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Photo credit: @NBCSWarriors

On the NBA podcast with Jerry:

#1 Talking about the Golden State Warriors’ DeMarcus Cousins, what is it like each time he goes out and plays the Sacramento Kings, a team he was with for very long?

#2 What kind of player is Cousins today as opposed to the player he was with Sacramento?

#3 There was so much pressure on Cousins when he was a Sacramento King to do it all. Did that pressure fuel some of his anger at the media at times?

#4 One things fans in Sacramento reminisce about on Cousins is how community-oriented he was.

#5 Getting Jerry’s impressions on the Kings and Warriors meetings and how he sums up those matches when the two teams get together.

Jerry Feitelberg does the NBA podcasts each Friday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

The Kings come up just short, losing to the Warriors 125-123 on Thursday night

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment

GSW 2-21 5

by Charlie O. Mallonee

The Sacramento Kings began their final stretch of 25 regular season games on Thursday night in Oakland versus the defending NBA Champion Golden State Warriors. The Kings entered the game in ninth place in the Western Conference with a record of 30-27. They trailed the LA Clippers by one game for the eighth and final playoff berth in the conference.

This game also represented the first time the Kings would have the opportunity to face DeMarcus Cousins in a Warriors uniform. Word leaked out early that Cousins was going to play without any minute restrictions in this contest. In other words, “Boogie” was going to have plenty of time to make his former team pay for trading him away.

First Quarter

Cousins did indeed get the start at center for the Warriors in the contest to the surprise of no one. The Kings did make a change to their starting five. Bogdan Bogdanovic made the start at small forward in place of Nemanja Bjelica. The decision appeared to be based on trying to set up the best matchups to start the game.

The Kings came out and were ready to push the pace against the World Champions. They served notice that they were ready to go toe-to-toe with the Warriors and that is exactly what they did the quarter.

Sacramento won the war in the paint 18-16. Golden State scored all of the 2nd Chance Points (4). The Warriors outscored the Kings on the fast break 12-8.

The Kings shot 54.5-percent (12/22) in the quarter but went just 1-for-7 (14.3%) from downtown. They had nine rebounds, four steals and committed five turnovers (4 GSW points).

Golden State shot 48.3-percent (14/29) in the opening period. The difference was they hit 3-of-12 from 3-point land (33.3%). The Dubs had 13 rebounds, five steals, and two blocked shots.

Buddy Hield led the Kings scoring with eight points hitting 4-of-5 shots from the field. Kevin Durant was the Warriors leading scorer with 13 points.

After 12-minutes, Golden State held a 35-30 over Sacramento.

Second Quarter

Two major things happened in the second period. Marvin Bagley III came alive for the Kings and Kevin Durant went the bench for an extended rest for the Warriors. Both events had a profound effect on the contest.

“Marvelous” Marvin Bagley played eight and one-half minutes for Sacramento and was a “monster of the midway”. The rookie scored 13 points going 5-for-10 from the floor and hitting 3-of-4 from the free throw line. He also grabbed four rebounds – three off the offensive glass.

Sacramento took the lead with just over nine minutes to go in the half and built that lead to as many as 11 points. That situation began to change very quickly when “KD” returned to the floor. Golden State went on a run which you expect them to do and the game tightened up quickly.

The Kings did not panic but continued to play their game. When the buzzer sounded to signal the end of the first half, Sacramento held a 62-60 lead over Golden State.

Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson were the Warriors leading scorers with six points each.

The Kings won the battle in the paint 14-8. Sacramento outscored the Golden State 3-0 on 2nd Chance Points. The Kings scored 11 Fast Break Points to the Warriors 3 in the period.

Third Quarter

As the third period began, the Kings tried to take advantage of Boogie Cousins being on the floor. Cousins who is still trying to get into shape after having been out due to the Achilles tear is unable to run at high speed. The Kings decided to make him run and he could not do that.

The Kings were able to take advantage of Cousins and opened up a nine-point lead. Sacramento was trying to put a separation between themselves and the Warriors as they could before Golden State went on one of their patented runs.

Marvin Bagley III did not let up in the quarter as he added five points converting 3-of-4 opportunities from the free throw line plus hitting a field goal. Bagley also grabbed five rebounds.

Durant played the entire period for Golden State and scored nine points. He shot just 3-for-9 from the field.

Steph Curry put eight points in the book going 2-for-4 from behind the 3-point arc.

At the end of the 12-minutes, both teams had scored 29 points. The Kings held a 91-89 lead over the Warriors.

Fourth Quarter

The Warriors turned it on in the final period becoming who everyone knew they would become in the game. Golden State started sinking 3-pointers and going to the free throw line which usually means defeat for their opponents but it did not eliminate the Kings who refused to go away.

Sacramento who had been terrible from 3-point land in the game found their shots in the final 12-minutes. The Kings made 6-of-9 3-point attempts in the fourth quarter which kept them in the game. The problem for SAC was Golden State hit 6-of-11 from downtown which allowed them to establish a lead.

The Kings also made a fine effort from the free throw line converting 8-of-9 from the charity stripe. The Warriors were just a little bit better hitting 10-of-14 chances from the line.

When the period ended, Golden State had outscored Sacramento 36-32 in the period which allowed them to win the game 125-123.

GSW sweeps the series

The Kings lost all four games they played versus the Warriors by a total of 12 points.

Stars of the Game

Kings

  • Marvin Bagley III was the Kings leading scorer with 28 and then made it a double-double by grabbing 14 rebounds
  • Buddy Hield put up 19 points
  • De’Aaron Fox scored 18 points and had eight assists
  • Corey Brewer played his first game for the Kings and scored 11 points

Warriors

  • Steph Curry was the Warriors leading scorer with 36 points
  • Kevin Durant added 28 points (why would he want to go to the Knicks?)
  • Klay Thompson recorded 18 points

Playoff chase

The Kings are now 1.5-games behind the Clippers for the final playoff spot. The Lakers beat the Rockets and trail the Kings by just one game in the standings.

Up next

The Kings will be back in action on Saturday in Oklahoma City when they will take on the Thunder.

Headline Sports with Tony Renteria: Will Machado signing open doors for Harper and Keuchel?; Raiders-Coliseum to get a deal done; Kings at Golden State tonight; plus more

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bleacherreport.com file photo: Bryce Harper’s negotiations with the Washington Nationals is not the same offer that the San Diego Padres Manny Machado received as Harper remains a free agent

On Headline Sports with Tony:

#1 The recent signing of Manny Machado to the a ten year $300 million deal with the San Diego Padres could that mean more big signings to come with Dallas Keuchel and Bryce Harper.

#2 The Raiders are at the bargaining table with the Oakland Alameda County Coliseum Authority to get a deal on the table to get the Raiders back at the Coliseum for home games the Raiders might even sign a two year deal if the stadium in Vegas is not ready by the 2020 season.

#3 The Sacramento Kings are coming off a tough two point loss to the Denver Nuggets on Feb 14th they’re in Oakland tonight to face the Warriors.

#4 The Oakland A’s president David Kaval finally solved the A’s radio flagship station issues getting KTRB 860 in San Francisco and now the biggest task at hand trying to solve the toxic waste clean up at the A’s future new home at Jack London Square

#5 The Giants biggest story is the retirement announcement of manager Bruce Bochy who will finish his career this season

Tony does Headline Sports each Thursday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Sacramento Kings podcast with Charlie O: Kings prepare for Warriors on Thursday night; Trying for W at tough venue in Oakland

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Photo credit: @TheCrossover

On the Sacramento Kings podcast with Charlie O:

#1 The Sacramento Kings had no answer for the Denver Nuggets Isaiah Thomas. Thomas worked the game without head coach Mike Malone who ejected and also the Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic helped out on offense for the 120-118 win.

#2 The much improved Kings, despite Wednesday’s loss, played a tight ball game against the Nuggets at the Pepsi Center.

#3 Knowing Malone’s coaching style, was there any advantage for the Kings or did Malone know the Kings’ style of play and knew how to play the Nuggets?

#4 The Kings are looking to get back in the win column. They play at Golden State on Thursday night. What are some of the things they need to do to win in Oakland?

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

Kings For a Half: Nuggets pick it up after the break in 120-118 win over Sacramento

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By Morris Phillips

The Sacramento Kings may have run wild in the first half on Wednesday night, but the third quarter belonged to the Denver Nuggets–with Isaiah Thomas in his debut, without Coach Mike Malone who was ejected, and MVP candidate Nikola Jokic reaching into his bag of tricks.

The Nuggets overcame an 11-point halftime deficit in the first six minutes of the third quarter and held on for a 120-118 win over the Kings.

Both teams concluded play prior to the All-Star Break, with the Nuggets moving within two games of the conference-leading Warriors, and the Kings temporarily falling out of the eighth and final playoff spot by losing while the Clippers blew past the Suns, 134-107 at Staples Center in Los Angeles.

The Kings started the evening four games over .500 for the first time this season, and they hardly looked satisfied, shooting a high percentage from the start on their way to an 11-point lead after a quarter. Buddy Hield put up 11 of his team-high 25 points in the opening frame that end with Sacramento leading 41-30.

The Kings continued to roll into the second quarter, and with their lead holding at eight prior to the half, Malone was at his boiling point. When Malik Beasley took a physical path to the basket without a foul call, Malone went from coaching to observing instaneously. Two technicals sent the defensive-minded coach to the showers.

“I think our players know me, they know who I am,” Malone said of his ejection. “I am a fighter, I am a competitor. I didn’t like some of the calls that were not being called and I am going to stick up for my players.”

Denver’s third quarter response was an example of why and how quickly they’ve vaulted to the top of the Western standings this season. With Jokic the primary ballhandler, the Denver offense turned poetic, a parade of driving, cutting and passing with the 6’11” center as the hub. Jokic’s consecutive assists on baskets by Torrey Craig and Malik Beasley brought the Nuggets within 85-83 with 3:09 left in the third.

Isaiah Thomas got into the act later in the third with eight, quick points in the final two minutes plus that allowed the Nuggets to open the fourth period with a 93-91 lead. Thomas, seeing his first action in Denver uniform, missed the first 56 games of the season rehabbing his hip.

When asked what type of impact Thomas will have on the Nuggets and their post-season aspirations, Monte Morris, a player who likely will lose minutes to Thomas, was quick to chime in.

“13 minutes out there (and score) eight points quick.” Morris said. “That just shows you right there what type of player he is.”

Jokic tipped in the game winner with 0.8 seconds remaining, which allowed enough time for a desperation shot from the Kings. Hield got a shot off that would have counted, but it merely grazed the front of the rim.

The Kings open the post All-Star break portion of the schedule in Oakland a week from Thursday against the Warriors.