Category: Sacramento Kings

Foxy and Fast: Kings end 14-game losing streak to the Spurs

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sacbee.com photo: Kings guard Bogdan Bogdanovic passes to a teammate as San Antonio Spurs forward Rudy Gay, right, defends Monday at Golden 1 Center. Bogdanovic led the Kings with 22 points in a 104-99 victory

By Morris Phillips

SACRAMENTO — If one element stands out–and all of them were on display Monday–in the Kings’ NBA resurgence, it’s De’Aaron Fox’s ability to shoot the basketball.

Fox’s 3-pointer with 4:38 remaining was the first of consecutive 3-pointers that put the Kings up 98-90, propelling them to a 104-99 win over the Spurs, their first win after 14 consecutive losses to the traditional Western Conference power.

Fox finished with 19 points on 7 of 9 shooting, and again was the pace leader in the Kings’ high-octane attack that kept the San Antonio defense on its heels for the majority of the night. Six of the 10 Kings that saw action scored in double figures led by Bogdan Bogdanovic with 22 points.

The Kings improved to 8-6, winning after a disappointing home loss to the Lakers on Saturday, and for now, kept their name above the line in the conference playoff stack, one-half game ahead of the Jazz, Lakers and Pelicans.

“We have to defend home, you know? We slipped up and missed one last game so this one was a must-win mentality coming in,” Willie Cauley-Stein said.

The Spurs were without Paul Gasol, Lonnie Walker IV and Dejounte Murray, but saw the return of former King Rudy Gay, who had missed the previous three games with a heel injury. The Spurs missed 21 of 31 3-point attempts in a game that was statistically even in most other categories.

“We’ve got to be able to fight through and win on the road,” Dante Cunningham said.”

Fox turned heads nationally with his triple-double on November 1, making him the youngest player in NBA history to record one with 30 points and 15 assists or better. But quietly, his overall consistency shooting the basketball may be a bigger story. After shooting 41 percent from the field, and 30 percent from three last season, Fox has seen those numbers take a significant jump (49 percent, 41 percent from three).

With Fox’s superior speed, the improved shooting makes the second-year point guard a matchup nightmare. Matched up with Bryn Forbes and Patty Mills on Monday, Fox was too much to handle for the Spurs, who fell to 7-5.

Lakers ruin the Kings’ Saturday night, winning game in Sacramento 101-86

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LAL vs SAC

By Charlie O. Mallonee

SACRAMENTO — The Kings lost the second game of a back-to-back set to the Los Angeles Lakers 101-86 on Saturday night. The loss dropped the Kings record to 7-6 for the season. The Lakers improved to 6-6 for the year. The 15-point loss was the largest margin of defeat at home for Sacramento this season.

Charlie O has the wrap up of the game:

 

Kings head coach Dave Joerger was still proud of his team in the loss:

Team leader De’Aaron Fox was very subdued when talking with reporters after the game:

Frank Mason III quietly tried to explain his team’s performance in the game:

Marvin Bagley III had a calm and mature reaction to the loss:

Charlie O has the Lakers’ stats, which were not all that impressive:

Charlie O also has the Kings’ numbers and final thoughts:

Game notes:

  • The Lakers had a season-high 59 rebounds in the contest
  • LakeShow also had a season-high 17 offensive rebounds, which led to 17-second-chance points
  • The Kings are now 4-2 in back-to-back games
  • Willie Cauley-Stein posted his fifth double-double of the season with 12 points and 12 rebounds
  • After the game, the Kings announced that Harry Giles III has been assigned to the Stockton Kings of the G-League and will play with Stockton on Sunday. That really is not a surprise. The Kings have used their G-League team to get rookies playing time in the past when they have not been able to get significant minutes with the big club. This most certainly is a temporary assignment.

Kings bounce back with 121-110 win over the Timberwolves

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Photo credit: @SacramentoKings

By: Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The Sacramento Kings came into Friday night’s game coming off their fifth loss of the year. The Kings were beaten by the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday by a final of 114-105. On Friday, the Kings looked to get back on track and beat the Minnesota Timberwolves. Based on the standings, the Kings are were favored to win the game. Prior to Friday’s game, the Kings were 6-5 and the Timberwolves were 4-8. The tip-off was set for 7 pm PST in smokey California.

The first few minutes of the game did not go as planned for the Kings. The Kings had some open looks in the first few minutes but it proved fruitless. With nearly half of the minutes gone in the first, the Kings had only three points. The Kings were able to slip the script in the final minutes of the first. They were able to put an additional 26 points on the board to bring the game within two points. After the first, the Timberwolves led the Kings 31-29.

The second quarter would prove a little more even-keeled. Other than the fact that Karl-Anthony Towns went off, the quarter was relatively quiet for the Timberwolves. Towns put a monster 29 points on the board in the first half. The Kings, on the other hand, kept pace. Led by Willie Cauley-Stein and Iman Shumpert the Kings were able to make it a 63-61 Kings advantage after two quarters. Willie Cauley-Stein had 17 and Iman Shumpert had 12.

The third quarter was the Kings’ quarter. They have proven that so far this year and they did it again on Friday. Nemenja Bjelica contributed 10 points and led the Kings to a strong third. The Timberwolves managed to score 20 points but the Kings scored 29 to expand the lead. The third quarter finished 92-81 Kings up.

The Kings were 12 minutes away from a 7-5 record. The only question was if they could hold the lead. That was in jeopardy halfway through the fourth quarter. The Timberwolves had cut the lead to eight points and clearly had the momentum. So, with 5:55 remaining in the game, Dave Joerger called a timeout. The timeout didn’t appear to do much good. The Timberwolves scored six unanswered points to make it 106-108.

With the game on the line, the Kings put up a pair of defensive stops and were able to make baskets on the other end. With two minutes to play the Kings were up 115-106. From there, the game was the Timberwolves to lose and the Kings did the opposite. The Kings managed to hold things together and pull out a 121-110 win.

The Kings improved to 7-5 and the Timberwolves fell to 4-9.

Up Next: The LA Lakers come to town for the first time in the LeBron James era. Tip-off is set for Saturday night at 7 pm PST.

Kings Press Row Podcast NBA Week 4: the road trip ends, the homestand begins!

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Bogi's back
Bogi is back Photo: @SacramentoKings

Hosts: Jordan “Chape” Chapin and Charlie O

  • Kings go 3-1 on tough four-game Eastern Conference road trip
  • SAC ends road with a tough loss in Milwaukee as the Tier 1 Bucks dominate
  • Toronto welcomes the Kings back to SAC with a 114-105 loss
  • The Raptors are the real deal – they could be the Eastern Conference Champs
  • The key to the Toronto victory was stopping the Kings runs
Bucks Hield
Buddy Hield scored 24 versus Toronto but shot 9-for-23 Photo: @SacramentoKings
  • The Timberwolves are 0-7 on the road – that makes them very dangerous!
  • LeBron and the Lakers circus is coming to town on Saturday, November 10th
  • You can’t relax on this homestand – the Spurs are in Monday, November 12
  • Still to come in November OKC, HOU, GSW, UTA X2 and LAC
  • This and much more on this week’s edition of the King’s Press Row Podcast

Kings unable to stop Leonard, Raptors in 114-105 loss

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Photo credit: @SacramentoKings

By: London Marq

If the NBA was known for having Cinderella, worst to first type stories, the Sacramento Kings would be the early season candidate. They have played with a breakneck pace through the first 10 games in the season, with a boastful record of 6-4. It’s a marathon, not a sprint. This early in the season it looks as the Sacramento Kings are moving towards no longer being a bottom-feeder in The Association.

In their first game back in the Golden 1 Center after a successful 3-1 road trip, where they defeated Miami, Orlando and Atlanta, Sacramento played host to the Toronto Raptors. The Raptors have been on a tear to start the season, entering play on Wednesday evening at 10-1.

The Kings started strong, behind a hot quarter from De’Aaron Fox, who scored 9, including one from behind the arc. Toronto’s star guard Kyle Lowry kept pace with Fox in the first 12 minutes, scoring 8 of his own. Despite leading by 8 at one point, the Kings found themselves on the short end as the quarter expired, 29-26.

The Kings, who have made it a habit to push the ball up and down the court with speed, found themselves slowed down be the fact that they were being muscled on the boards. Three players for Toronto had double-doubles, all with 10 rebounds or more. The Kings were outscored, in every quarter except the fourth. Kawhi Leonard led Raptors were arguably helped out by some scandalous calls by the referees, seemed liable to take the wind out of the Kings sails with a bad call or two whenever they were gaining momentum.

They Kings were able to hang around, and give themselves a chance, bur would be outmatched in the end as the had been in the beginning. The season is young and promising, and Kings players and fans have a lot be excited about, despite losing to a better Toronto team.

The Raptors defeated the Kings 114-105.

The Kings continue their homestand vs. the Timberwolves on Friday night at 7:00 pm PT.

Sportstalk podcast at Il Fornaio Ristorante in Downtown Sacramento on Monday, November 5, 2018

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photo of front entrance of Il FornaioRistorante in downtown Sacramento located at the Wells Fargo Center at 400 Capital Mall

Cast: Michael Duca (Host), Morris Phillips (Cal Bears reporter), Charlie O (Sacramento Kings reporter), Jeremy Harness (PGA reporter), Jeremiah Salmonson (Kings reporter), London Marq (Kings Sports Headlines analyst) and Lee Leonard (producer). Podcasting from the beautiful Il Fornaio Ristorante in the Bolongna room at 400 Capital Mall at fourth in downtown Sacramento. Our thanks to Il Fornaio’s General Manager Patrick Diegelman, Sous Chef Rommel, Bartender Frank, Shift Supervisor Ashley, Assistant Manager Isaura Rosas, and Manager Ryan Nicholson.

You can cater your next event here at Il Fornaio in downtown Sacramento offering pick up and delivery catering services. Call (916) 446-4100 catering reservations within the next 24 hours. For banquets, Il Fornaio offers elegant and semi-private dining spaces with a wide range of specialized memos and services to match our authentic award winning Italian Cuisine for catering call 916-446-4139.

The topic on the show is the recent success of the Sacramento Kings, who are in second place and headed for first place, coming off their first victory in Atlanta since 2006 and added to their win streak at five straight. The streak ended on Sunday night against the Milwaukee Bucks who snapped their seven game win streak to the Boston Celtics.  The Kings have been getting great help from De’Aaron Fox and Marvin Bagley III. Both have been able to run something the Kings didn’t see anything like this last season. Fox is expected to be the franchise player. Fox was the difference maker when he was at Kentucky. He wasn’t the three-point king, but he can handle the pick and roll just fine.

The Kings’ Willie Cauley-Stein has been great on defense, defending against the shot and getting some good defensive rebounds underneath, Buddy Hield has been the go-to on three-pointers during this successful run. Nemanja Bjelica has been able to get room on the floor to help on offense and great offensive assisting. Harry Giles and Skal Labissiere have not been getting very many minutes. Bogdan Bogdanovic has been recovering just fine from last season’s injury and head coach Dave Joerger has been resetting the plays and now may have found the right combination to move the Kings from their predicted 30th place finish to having a contending season. Although it’s too early to tell, but what a surprising turn around it’s been.

Kings’ winning streak comes to an end in “Brew City”: Bucks beat the Kings 144-109

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Bucks Kings 5

By Charlie O. Mallonee

There are three tiers of teams in the NBA. Tier One is comprised of teams that are shoo-ins for the playoffs and one of those teams will eventually be the NBA Champion. Tier Two is made up teams that will make slots 6-8 in the playoffs and teams that will “just miss the playoffs by a game or two.” Tier Three is populated by teams that will participate in next year’s Draft Lottery without a doubt.

On Sunday in Milwaukee, the Kings faced an Eastern Conference Tier One team in the Bucks. The Kings are trying to become a Western Conference Tier Two team and are off to a good start having won five games in a row.

The Bucks did not take the Kings lightly
The Kings jumped out to an early 14-7 lead, but the Bucks were not going to have it. With 6:03 remaining in the first quarter, Milwaukee took a 17-15 lead and they would never trail again in the contest.

At the end of the first quarter, Milwaukee held a 39-30 lead. The Kings would not win a quarter in the game.

The Kings simply ran into a team with more talent than they have on Sunday. That is going often this season. This edition of the Sacramento Kings (6-4) is more talented than they have been in many seasons. They are fast, enthusiastic and positive. All indications are that this will be a very enjoyable season, but the Kings are still a Tier Three team that is trying to make the jump into Tier Two.

Kings have a surprise leading scorer
Justin Jackson came off the bench to score 22 points in just under 25 minutes of playing time on Sunday. Jackson who has been having trouble shooting from the floor shot 9-for-12 overall for the game. He made 4-of-7 from 3-point land. The Kings have been struggling at small forward and Jackson’s performance versus the Bucks had to make coach Dave Joerger very happy.

 

Top SAC performers

  • Buddy Hield: 19 points, 4 rebounds, 8-for-15 shooting (2/5 3-pointers)
  • De’Aaron Fox: 15 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, 6-for-14 shooting
  • Two-way player Troy Williams: 11 points in 15-plus minutes on the floor
  • Marvin Bagley III: 11 points, 6 rebounds, 1 blocked shot
  • Also seen on the floor for Sacramento: Harry Giles III (4 points) and Skal Labissiere (2 points)

Kings Team Numbers

  • Field Goal Shooting: 44.2% (42/95)
  • 3-pt Shooting: 38.9% (14/36)
  • Free Throw Shooting: 50.0% (11/22)
  • Rebounds: 44 (8 offense)
  • Assists: 24
  • Turnovers: 15 (21 points)
  • Steals: 6
  • Blocked Shots: 4

Key Milwaukee (8-1) Performances

  • “The Greek Freak” Antetokounmpo: Triple-double: 26 pts/15 reb/11 ast
  • Eric Bledsoe: 17 points, 6 rebounds
  • Ersan IIyasova: 15 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists
  • Nine players in double-figures
  • 56 team rebounds
  • 30 assists
  • 7 blocked shots
  • 6 steals

It’s back home for the Kings
The Kings returned to Sacramento after the game and will be off until Wednesday night when they will host the powerful Toronto Raptors (8-1) at the Golden 1 Center. The Kings next four games will be played on their home court.

Kings Press Row Podcast NBA Week 3: The blistering pace continues

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Byelly drives
Photo: @SacramentoKings

Hosts: Jordan “Chape” Chapin and Charlie O

  • This four-game road trip could have been a killer

  • The Magic game could have been a “trap”

  • Sacramento will win more than 25 games this season

  • The Fox-Hield backcourt connection is near perfection

  • Free throw opportunities and conversions are up

  • The Kings are becoming an assist machine

  • Tough schedule ahead with Milwaukee, Toronto, Minnesota and the Lakers on the schedule over the next seven days

Kings beat the Hawks 146-115 for first win in Atlanta since 2006

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Photo credit: @Deadspin

By: Jeremiah Salmonson

Last year, the Sacramento Kings were humiliated by the Atlanta Hawks. The King lost in Atlanta last year by a score of 80-126. Grant Napear was quoted as saying in pregame, “It was a game of men against boys” last season. This year, the Kings were looking to flip the script against Atlanta. The tip was scheduled for 4:30 PM PST on Thursday.

The Kings came ready to play in their first game action since Tuesday evening in Orlando. De’Aaron Fox appeared to put the back issues he has been experiencing behind him early to lead the Kings in the first half. The Kings and Hawks both came out shooting early on. Led by Buddy Hield (9 first-quarter points) and Nemenja Bjelica (10 first-quarter points) the Kings were able to jump out to an early lead in the first. As time winded down in the first, the score was 35-29 Kings on top.

The Kings couldn’t do much separating from the Hawks in the second quarter. Both teams would match each other shot for shot going into halftime. Leading the Kings was Fox, Hield and Nemenja Bjelica.

The third quarter is when the Kings turned it up a notch. Fox would get himself career-highs in points and assists before the end of the third to lead the Kings. Hield was also playing very well for the Kings in the third as they created separation from the Hawks. The Kings, looking for their first win in Atlanta since 2006, finished the third with 46 points and a 115-86 lead.

From this point on the game was Sacramento’s to lose, and they did not do that. Fox put together the first triple-double of his career and led the Kings to a 146-115 win. Fox was asked after the game if the game has slowed down and said, “The game has slowed down immensely.” Fox finished with 31 points, 15 assists, and 10 rebounds. Other notable performances included Hield (27 points), Bjelica (19 points), and Marvin Bagley (18 points).

Up Next: The Kings head to Milwaukee to face the undefeated Bucks at 12:30 PM PST on Sunday.

Kings fly high with fourth win in a row, 107-99, over the Magic

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Photo credit: @NBA

By: Jeremiah Salmonson

The Sacramento Kings are flying high for the first time since February 2017. The Kings were looking for a four-game win streak in Tuesday’s game against the Orlando Magic. They would have to do so with a less than 100% De’Aaron Fox. The Kings are calling it a minor back strain. Nonetheless, Fox was in the starting lineup against the Magic.

The Kings were hoping that Fox and his troublesome back would not be a problem. However, Fox showed a little discomfort a few minutes into the game. He played about half of the first leaving with roughly six minutes left. As for the game, it was a sloppy start for the Kings. Bad passes and miscues would be the story of the first. That led to the Kings trailing 31-26.

The Kings would prove to put things together though in the second quarter. The Kings, who were led by Nemanja Bejelica and Buddy Hield, pushed the Kings back into the lead. After scoring 26 in the 1st the Kings were able to up that to 33 in the second carrying a three-point lead into intermission. The score was 59-56.

In the third quarter, the Kings would continue to push the pace and score points. While both the first and second quarters were relatively stagnant, the third would be decidedly more paced and in the Kings favor. The Kings outscored the Magic 26-16 in the third to begin to pull away. Both teams entered the last quarter with the Kings leading the Magic 85-72.

The Kings could have coasted to victory, but missed opportunities and good shots from the Magic made it close. The Magic had cut the deficit to 91-94 with roughly five minutes to go. From there, the Kings were able to reel it in and push the lead to 107-99 to win the game.

When asked after the game, on how this type of up and down game could be a teachable moment for the young Kings, head coach Dave Joerger said, “We battled the whole game and stayed fast.”

The Kings (5-3) head to Atlanta to face Trey Young and the Atlanta Hawks (2-5) on Thursday at 4:30 PM PST.