Category: Sacramento Kings

Same teams, different city with different result: Blazers down Kings 102-90

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment

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by Charlie O. Mallonee

The Sacramento Kings traveled to Portland to play the second game of a home and home, back-to-back set on Saturday night. The Kings hoped to make it two in a row over the Trail Blazers after their big win on Friday night. Those hopes would not be fulfilled.

The Blazers took their revenge on the Kings by winning game two 102-90. Portland combined strong defense with high-percentage shooting to prevent the Kings from ever having a real chance of winning the game.

PORTLAND (9-7)

Portland backcourt comes aliveELY_2788.CR2

 

The Trail Blazers starting guards – Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum – are the focal point of the Portland offense. If the two guards cannot be shutdown, the chances of beating “Rip City” becomes very problematic.

Against the Kings Saturday night, Lillard and McCollum combined to account for 47 of the Blazers 102 points.

McCollum scored a game-high 25 points shooting 9-for-16 overall and 4-for-7 from beyond the 3-point line. He also was a perfect 3-for-3 at the free throw line while dishing out four assists, grabbing four rebounds and making two steals.

Lillard posted 22 points hitting 8-of-18 shots from the field. He did have a rough night from long-range going just 1-for-8 from downtown. Lillard did convert 5-of-6 from the free throw line and recorded six assists.

Nurkic was a different player 

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Jusuf Nurkic was not factor on Friday night in Sacramento. On Saturday, the big man scored 14 points and pulled down seven rebounds. Nurkic was factor under the basket on both ends of the court.

Meyers Leonard was a real pain

A 7-foot-1 center is supposed to be parked down low near the basket – not if you are Meyers Leonard. Leonard is a long-range shooter who really does not have a great deal of skills under the bucket.

Leonard came off the bench to score 11 points for the Blazers. He shot 4-for-8 overall and hit 3-of-5 from beyond the 3-point line. Leonard also hauled in seven rebounds.

Rip City was on fire shooting the ball

Portland shot 54.3-percent (38-for-70) from the floor in the game while hitting 10-of-21 (47.6-percent)  three-point opportunites. The Blazers took advantage of the free throw line converting 16-of-21 opportunities from the stripe.

SACRAMENTO (4-12)

Cauley-Stein leads the way again

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Willie Cauley-Stein came off the bench for the Kings again on Saturday night and for the second game in a row he was the Kings high-scorer. The big man scored 18 points and grabbed nine rebounds against the Blazers.

Cauley-Stein went 1-for-1 from 3-point land. It was the first 3-point basket for Cauley-Stein of his NBA career.

Z-Bo is back

Big Zach Randolph did not score a point and looked tired on Friday night versus Portland. On Saturday night, he looked energized and ready to play. Randolph scored 17 points and pulled down five rebounds in his 21-plus minutes on the floor.

Randolph shot 6-for-11 overall including one 3-point basket. He went an impressive 4-for-5 from the free throw line.

Four guards scored in double figures

Frank Mason is making the most of his playing time. Saturday night he scored 13 points shooting 50-percent (5-for-10) from the field in his 19-minutes of playing time. Mason also added two assists.

George Hill had another strong game shooting 5-for-11 from the field and scoring 12 points. He converted 2-of-3 three-point opportunities.

Bogdan Bogdanovic showed signs that his shot may be coming back as he went 5-for-13 from the floor and hit 2-of-6 from downtown. His form has been looking good but the ball has just not been going through the hoop.

De’Aaron Fox got the start again as Dave Joerger went with the two point guard look once again. Fox scored 11 points in 27-minutes on the floor. Fox hit 5-of-9 from the floor and dished out two assists to go with two steals.

Almost everyone played

The Kings went with a 12-man bench for this game because Buddy Hield rolled his ankle on Friday night. The good news for Kings fans is that Hield was feeling much better on Saturday but was held out as a precaution. He is expected to be available for the game on Monday against Denver.

Only Justin Jackson did enter the game on Saturday night for the Kings. Jackson did not play on Friday versus the Blazers.

UP NEXT

KINGS

The Kings will return to action Monday night when they will host the Denver Nuggets at home. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 pm.

PORTLAND

The Trail Blazers head out on the road and will play in Memphis on Monday night.

 

 

There’s no place like home … Kings beat Portland 86-82 in SAC on Friday night

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment
Portland Kings win
Cauley-Stein and Koufos helped lead the Kings to victory over Portland Photo USA Today Sports

by Charlie O. Mallonee

SACRAMENTO–After the horrific loss suffered by the Kings in Atlanta on Wednesday night, Dave Joerger knew he had to do something to stop the bleeding (losing) immediately or it could become a way of life for his young team. On Friday night, Joerger shook things up and it worked as the Kings beat the Portland Trail Blazers 86-82.

The loss not only shocked the Blazers but it stopped their two their two-game winning streak. Plus, Portland has to face this same Kings team on Saturday night at home. Which Kings team should they prepare for? Not necessarily the same Kings team they saw on Friday night. Sacramento is in experimental mode, so what happens one night may not be an indicator of what is going to happen in the next game.

Critics have been pointing their fingers at Sacramento saying they cannot win games in the NBA if they scoring in the eighties every game. They scored just 86 on Friday night but they played tenacious defense holding Portland to just 82 points. The infamous Rip City Ballers shot just 37-percent (30-for-81) overall and just 28-percent (7-for-25) from behind the 3-point line. Hard nosed defense was the key to the Kings victory.

Kings head coach Dave Joerger called it an emotional, bounce back win

De’Aaron Fox said defense was a point of emphasis going into the game

Willie Cauley-Stein said he had been waiting for the coaching staff to put Koufos and him together on the floor

The odds are against Sacramento on Saturday night

Road teams in the second games of back-to-back sets lose more often than they win. However, this road game has some advantages. It is only a 90-minute flight away. Portland is in the same time zone, and the Kings are coming off an emotional win that they might be able to ride for another 24 hours.

The game in Portland tips-off at 7 p.m.

The Trail Blazers will be back in Sacramento on February 29, 2018.

Kings lose third straight game in 126-80 laugher to Hawks

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Atlanta Hawks forward John Collins (20) has the ball knocked away by Sacramento Kings center Georgios Papagiannis (13) during the second half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2017, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

By: Ana Kieu

ATLANTA — The Sacramento Kings suffered a third straight loss in a 126-80 blowout by the Atlanta Hawks at Phillips Arena on Wednesday night.

The Kings were hoping to snap a two-game losing skid while the Hawks were in an even worse situation, losing four of their last five games. Unfortunately, Sacramento unable to achieve the goal they initially had in mind and Atlanta caught them off guard in a 126-80 blowout win on home court.

The Kings suffered a horrible loss, but at least they were savage from start to finish.

The Kings trailed by eight (24-16 Hawks lead) at the end of the first quarter.

Kosta Koufos’ field goal pulled the Kings within five (26-21 Hawks lead) with 10:50 left in the second quarter. But the Hawks offense came alive and that wasn’t an understatement as they finished the quarter with 40 points.

The Kings trailed the Hawks 64-35 at the end of the first half. But you can’t deny the fact the besieged team had some fun on Twitter during halftime.

The Kings’ misery didn’t stop in the second half as they continued to dig themselves into a hole in a 92-61 deficit to the Hawks at the end of the third quarter.

As expected, the Kings dug themselves in a hole and never got back up in what eventually became a 126-80 blowout loss to the Hawks at the end of regulation. Luckily, Sacramento will return home to host the Trail Blazers before a rematch at the Moda Center.

Notes
Kings’ starting lineup
George Hill
Garrett Temple
Willie Cauley-Stein
Bogdan Bogdanovic
Zach Randolph

Hawks’ starting lineup
Dennis Schroeder
Kent Bazemore
Dewayne Dedmon
Taurean Price
Luke Babbitt

Up Next
Kings return home to host the Trail Blazers on Friday, November 17 at 7 pm PST.

Hawks finish their homestand against the Celtics on Saturday, November 18 at 7:30 pm EST.

Kings Press Row Podcast: Week 5 in the NBA or Hard Times on the Road

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment

press row podcast

with Charlie O and Lee Leonard

  • What’s scheduled to happen in Week 5 for the NBA?

  • What significant milestones will we celebrate this week?

  • What are the best games that we will be able to watch on national TV?

  • How well did the Kings play in New York & D.C.?

  • What do they have to do to win in the ATL?

  • What’s coming up for the Kings as they come home to Sacramento?

These topics and more on this edition of the Kings Press Row Podcast.

Kings drop second straight game in 110-92 loss to Wizards

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Sacramento Kings guard George Hill, right, and Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal reach for the ball during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Monday, Nov. 13, 2017, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

By: Ana Kieu

The final score was a little closer this time, but the Sacramento Kings dropped their second straight game in a 110-92 loss to the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena on Monday night.

The Kings were looking to bounce back after a rough 118-91 loss to the Knicks while the Wizards were searching for their third straight win.

Randolph did Randolph things early in the game. The Kings had a 17-12 with 6:15 left in the first quarter.

George Hill also had an impact as he made a three-pointer with 3:56 left. Hill finished with 13 points and the Kings led the Wizards 32-25 at the end of the first quarter.

The Kings and Wizards had a back-and-forth second quarter. Kelly Oubre Jr. dunked it home to put Washington back on top (36-34) with 9:05 left. Sacramento then regained the lead (41-40) just 2:14 later when De’Aaron Fox threw a pass to Buddy Hield, who put the ball in the basket for a three-pointer.

The Kings trailed the Wizards 57-51 at the half. The Washington offense was on fire as John Wall scored 16 points, Mike Scott scored 10 points and Oubre Jr. had seven points along with seven rebounds.

Here’s a fun fact: The Kings were off to a nice start from beyond the arc, shooting six-for-nine from the three-point range (courtesy of Coors Light).

The Wizards’ offense remained dominant in the second half. Wall led the team with 19 points, Marcin Gortat scored 18 points and Otto Porter Jr. had 15 points along with seven rebounds. The Kings fell into an even deeper hole in an 86-71 deficit after the third quarter.

It was closing time in the nation’s capital as the Wizards put the game out of reach with a 91-71 lead over the Kings at the 10:35 mark of the fourth quarter. Although Fox did beat the shot clock buzzer from deep at one point, Sacramento (3-10) was unable to complete a comeback and Washington (8-5) got what they wanted: a third straight win to cap off a four-game homestand.

Notes
Kings starters
George Hill
Bogdan Bogdanovic
Garrett Temple
Zach Randolph
Willie Cauley-Stein

Up Next
The Kings visit the Hawks on Wednesday, November 15 at 7:30 pm.

The Wizards visit the Heat on Wednesday, November 15 at 7:30 pm.

Kings should start the “young guns” again tonight in D.C.

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment

by Charlie O. Mallonee

wiz beal drives on hield
Bradley Beal drives on Buddy Hield Photo USA Today Sports

The Kings and Wizards met in Sacramento on October 29th. Washington opened the game by going on a 13-0 run and the Wizards never trailed in the game as they went on to win 110-83.

The Kings went with a “youth movement” lineup of Bogdan Bogdanovic, Skal Labissiere, Willie Cauley-Stein, Buddy Hield and De’Aaron Fox. That may well be the starting lineup next season or two years from now, but it might be a bit premature to expect those five to carry the load of being the starting five right now.

In his postgame comments, Dave Joerger talked about his young players giving up 10 to 30 pounds and 5-7 years of experience to the starters for the Wizards. Enthusiasm and talent usually cannot overcome talent, size and experience.

Joerger also explained that his young starting five became “shell shocked”  and a bit disoriented after they fell behind by 13 points in less than five minutes to the Wizards.

What should the Kings do tonight?

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In my opinion, Dave Joerger should run the same starting five he used versus the Wizards in Sacramento out on the floor to open the game on Monday night in Washington. My theory is based on learning to ride a bike. The first few times you attempt to ride you fall down. If you stop, you will never learn to ride. If you keep trying, you learn how to ride the bike with confidence.

Bogdanovic, Labissiere, Cauley-Stein, Hield and Fox need to get back up on “the bike” and face the Wizards from the start of the game to show themselves that they can compete with an experienced team. Even if they only play the opening five minutes, showing they can compete with the Wizards could be a real confidence builder for the young guns.

It’s all about player development

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The Kings as an organization have not made it a secret that this season is all about player development. When you have team full of young players, that has to be your commitment, but that approach can also demoralize your fan base who only understand wins and loses.

I have said before that the Kings need to go the wins at home and play for development on the road. If a game becomes a runaway on the road, the home team’s crowd will go wild as their stars go into “showtime” mode or the second unit has a chance to come out and make big plays. In the meantime, the Kings can work on developing players.

Handling the development in that manner might not thrill the television and radio people, but it would be considerably easier on the fans.

Big key for the Kings versus the Wizards – Start Fast!

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The Kings cannot afford to let Washington go on an opening run like they did in Sacramento. The Wizards simply shoot to well in the paint, from mid-range and beyond the arc to let them grab a quick lead.

It is going to be an uphill battle for the Kings. FiveThirtyEight.com gives Sacramento only a 15-percent chance of beating the Wizards and makes them a 10.5-point underdog for the game. That is not good news for a team that is 1-6 on the road.

This will be the final time the Kings will see the the Wizards this season.

Carmelo who? Prozingis leads NYK past the Kings 118-91 Saturday night in NYC

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by Charlie O. Mallonee

NYK Skal
Labissiere Kings leading scorer

The Sacramento Kings two game winning streak came to a sudden end on Saturday night at Madison Square Garden in New York City when the Knicks – led by power forward Kristaps Porzingis – blew by the men in purple and white 118-91.

Early on, it looked like the Kings might make it a competitive game. By halftime, the Knicks (7-5) held a 64-49 lead. New York put together two big runs in the first half to establish the 15-point halftime lead.

The Knicks did not back off in the third quarter as they held the Kings under 20-points and extended their lead. In fact, NYK became so comfortable about their lead they sat Prozingis down in the third quarter and he never reentered the contest.

The Kings (3-9) and Knicks second units made the fourth quarter interesting but Sacramento was unable to cut into the big New York lead. When the final buzzer sounded, the Knicks continued to impress the professional basketball world by playing so well without Carmelo Anthony on the team.

Prozingis continues to be “the man”

NYK Prozingis
Prozingis drives on Cauley-Stein Photo: Newsday

Second-year player – Kristaps Prozingis scored 34 points in just 26:37 minutes of playing time. He went 11-for-21 from the floor while hitting 4-of-6 from behind the 3-point line. Prozingis converted 8-of-9 opportunities from the free throw line. While accomplishing all of that, he committed zero turnovers.

11 Knicks players contributed to the win over the Kings

Sacramento Kings v New York Knicks
Kanter posts a double-double 17 points 13 rebounds

Courtney Lee put up 20 points hitting 5-of-6 from 3-point land. He also added three assists and two rebounds.

Enes Kanter posted a double-double with 17 points and 13 boards. He shot 8-for-13 from the floor.

Damyean Dotson scored 14 points and Michael Beasley added 10 points.

Highly touted rookie point guard Frank Ntilkina scored just two points while posting five assists.

Sacramento had just two player score in double figures

nyk Prozingis again
Sacramento vs. NYK

Skal Labissiere became a force on offense again for the Kings as he recorded 19-points to lead his team in scoring for the game. The Kentucky product shot 5-for-10 from the field while going just 1-for-9 from behind the 3-point arc. Labissiere converted 9-of-10 free throw opportunities. He also grabbed six rebounds.

Buddy Hield came off the bench to score 17-points in 27-minutes of playing time. He went 6-for-13 shooting overall while hitting 4-of-5 from 3-point land. Hield also hauled in seven rebounds and dished out four assists.

No Sacaramento starter scored in double-figures.

Up next

$Wiz Dark

The Kings will play the second game of their three-game road trip on Monday night in Washington, D.C. The Wizards destroyed the Kings 110-83 in Sacramento on October 29th.

The Knicks will also return to actions on Monday when they will welcome LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers to Madison Square Garden. That game will have Eastern Conference Playoff implications.

A Sweet One Point Win Kings get by Sixers 109-108; Sac Town grabs second straight win

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Sacramento Kings guard De’Aaron Fox, center, shoots the game-winning basket over Philadelphia 76ers forward Robert Covington, right, in the Kings’ 109-108 win in an NBA basketball game, Thursday, Nov. 9, 2017, in Sacramento, Calif. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

By Tony Renteria

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings (2-8) hosted the visiting Philadelphia 76ers (6-4) on the first raining night in Capitol city as the country looked forward to celebrating Veterans day, as the Kings squeak out a one point victory 109-108.

The Kings may be on turning point as they won their second game in a row, while two wins may not seem impressive  but stack that against up against the overall record it may be a boost to the young roster that Kings seem to betting on.

The Kings were lead by Zach Randolph and his 20 points and seven rebounds.  Justin Jackson also chipped in 19 points.  The mixed of veterans and young players seems to be taking root in Sacramento as the youth movement maybe gaining momentum.

The Sixers were paced by forward Robert Covington who put in team high 24 points in slightly over 35 minutes of work.  The Sixers maybe the Houston Astros of the NBA as they have suffered for several seasons to ensure they had the high draft picks to start to assemble a rock star squad.   As the Kings are turning a corner it appears the Sixers are slightly ahead in the rebuild race.

The Kings travel to New York to play the Knicks on Saturday and the Sixers continue this west coast road swing as the take on the Warriors on the same day in Oakland.

 

 

 

Kings Press Row Podcast November 8th 2017

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment

1-skal emoji

host Lee Leonard with Charlie O. Mallonee

  • What is happening in week 4 of the NBA?

  • Skal Labissiere is having an impact on the Kings but has recently seen reduced playing time – what is happening with him?

  • The NBA-G League is underway – what influence will it have on “the Association”?

  • What’s coming up for the Kings?

 

Kings storm back to beat the Thunder for their second win of the season, 94-86

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AP17312214510217
Sacramento Kings forward Zach Randolph, second from left, goes to the basket against Oklahoma City Thunder guard Andre Roberson, left, during the second half of an NBA basketball game Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2017, in Sacramento, Calif. The Kings won 94-86. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

By Morris Phillips

SACRAMENTO–The Kings’ desperately sought second win of the season came Tuesday night– 18 long days after the first–at Golden One Center against Western Conference heavyweight Oklahoma City. That’s the headline. But to be fair, the subtext would have to be how poorly the star-laden Thunder played–and how disinterested they looked after tripling up Sacramento in an impressive, first quarter start.

The Kings would have preferred it be about them, but it wasn’t.  At least it wasn’t after the first 12 minutes. After scoring just 10 points in the opening period–and trailing by as many as 17 points–the Kings responded, gaining the lead before halftime, and maintaining it throughout the second half in a 94-86 win.

“We beat a good team with good players, good coaching and a great front office and everybody had a part in it,” Coach Dave Joerger said. “I’d love to give a bunch of `Atta boys’ out but that was a total team effort.”

Zach Randolph led the Kings with all 18 of his points coming after the half, as Sacramento built on its slim, one point-lead at the break. Randolph’s willingness to play center in a smaller lineup keyed the resurgence as the team’s ball movement improved, and the shots began to drop.

“I’m drawing so much attention from the defense, so somebody’s open,” Randolph said. “There’s always a double team, always a man coming over so I can move the ball and get that open shot for my teammate.”