Sacramento Kings – Page 129 – Sports Radio Service

The Sacramento Kings snap the Celtics 7-game winning streak

Published on February 9, 2017February 9, 2017 by rxsluggerLeave a comment

Sacramento Kings forward Matt Barnes, left, battles Boston Celtics center Al Horford, center, and Boston Celtics forward Amir Johnson for the ball during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2017, in Sacramento, Calif. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

by Jerry Feitelberg

The Sacramento Kings, currently in 10th place in the Western Conference, snapped the Boston Celtics 7-game winning streak Wednesday night at Golden 1 Arena by a score of 108-92. The Kings depleted by injuries to Rudy Gay, Garrett Temple, Omri Cousins, and Ty Lawson, who left the game in the second quarter due to a strained left hamstring, were able to defeat the Atlantic Division leaders. They were down to just seven players, but they got production for all of them in recording the win. Also, All-Star center, DeMarcus Cousins, sat out the game as he was given a one-game suspension for recording his 16th technical foul of the season in Sacramento’s last game against Chicago.

The Kings, under head coach Dave Joerger, have, in two of their last three games, beaten the NBA’s best team, the Golden State Warriors and the Atlantic Division leader, the Boston Celtics. Without any doubt, the confidence level of the club has to be sky high as they are just 2 1/2 games out of a playoff spot. Former Warrior, Matt Barnes had this to say about the Kings confidence level ““We’ll see next game, you know what I mean?” forward Matt Barnes said. “We had a great game against the Warriors and then came out flat the next night. That’s one thing that I preached after the game, let’s keep taking steps forward. We may not win all the games, but we want to continue to improve as a team. We’re too far into the season to take steps back.”

Darren Collison led the Kings with 25 points. Ben McLemore had 17, Matt Barnes knocked down 14 to go with 11 rebounds. Willie Cauley-Stein had 14, and Anthony Tolliver added 11. Isiah Thomas scored 26 for Boston. Amir Johnson had 14, and Al Horford and Marcus Stein each had 10.

The Kings play the Atlanta Hawks Friday night at the Golden 1 Center. Game time will be at 7:30 pm.

Kings can’t build on highlight win

Published on February 6, 2017February 7, 2017 by jeremy2878Leave a comment

Sacramento Kings forward Matt Barnes squats after his inbound pass to teammate DeMarcus Cousins was stolen by Chicago Bulls guard Dwyane Wade who went for a breakaway stuff during the closing moments of an NBA basketball game Monday, Feb. 6, 2017, in Sacramento, Calif. The Bulls won 112-107. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

By Jeremy Harness

SACRAMENTO – What a difference two nights makes.

The Kings followed up their biggest victory of the year – which came Saturday night against the Warriors in this building – with a major letdown of a 112-107 loss to the Chicago Bulls inside of the Golden 1 Center Monday night.

After being down by as many as 27 points in the second half, the Kings inched their way back into the game, eventually tying the game with less than a minute remaining before succumbing to the shooting prowess of Dwyane Wade.

Wade doesn’t have the hops that he used to, but he tortured the Kings on Monday with a midrange fade-away from the post-up position that has become his weapon of choice these days. He sliced Sacramento up with 31 points on 12-of-18 shooting to go along with six rebounds and three assists.

DeMarcus Cousins, on the other hand, endured a horrid night from the field, making only five of his 16 shots for 18 points. He shook it off, however, just in time to nail a 3-pointer with less than a minute left to cut the Bulls’ seemingly-insurmountable lead to only two.

After the Kings got a stop on the ensuing Chicago possession, Cousins then tied the game at 107-107 with a layup and fouled Taj Gibson, the Bulls’ best interior defender, out of the game in the process.

He missed the free throw, and Wade then made the Kings pay when he dribbled down slowly against Matt Barnes before sticking a silky-smooth jumper in his face to give Chicago a two-point lead with 13 seconds remaining. He then stole the inbounds pass, and his breakaway dunk with 11 seconds left sank the Kings for good.

Cousins’ frustration ultimately boiled over in the final seconds, drawing a second technical after complaining about a no-call on a desperation 3-point attempt that was not close to going in.

The excitement of beating a team like the Warriors clearly was not there at the start. As a result, the Bulls blitzed the Kings right out of the gate, taking a 27-9 lead with 30 seconds left in the first quarter.

Chicago led by as many as 18 points in the first half, but the Kings began to creep their way back into the game, as a baby hook by Kosta Koufos cut the Bulls’ lead to eight with 4:33 left in the second quarter.

Sacramento, which appeared to be out of sync on offense as well as defensively for much of the night, had its steam run out, and the Bulls took advantage by slowly fattening their lead as the first half drew to a close.

Chicago then bolstered its lead to 27 in the second half, before the Kings crawled their way back into the contest, as they trailed 85-69 at the end of the third quarter.

That’s when Gibson drew a technical from the officials. At that point, Cousins, Barnes and Rajon Rondo, all got into the, well, spirited discussion that resulted in technicals for Cousins as well as Barnes. That seemed to light a fire under the Kings, and Sacramento gained ground more quickly.

However, the Kings were never able to take the lead, and Wade made sure of that.

NOTES: Rondo, who spent last season with the Kings, got a not-so-warm welcome from the Sacramento crowd when he entered the game for the first time late in the first quarter, getting a healthy portion of boos.

He finished the game with five points on 2-of-6 shooting with six assists and a pair of rebounds.

Sacramento Kings Saturday game wrap: What a difference a day makes – Kings beat the Warriors 109-106 in OT

Published on February 5, 2017February 5, 2017 by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment

gsw-collison — Darren Collison drives past Klay Thompson Photo NBAE

by Charlie O. Mallonee

SACRAMENTO–There is an old song that Dinah Washington made famous (that’s for all of my readers who have lived a little) titled “What a Diff’rence a Day Makes”. That would be a fitting title for the Sacramento Kings 109-106 overtime win over the Golden State Warriors on Saturday night at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento.

On Friday night, the Kings dropped a last second decision to the Phoenix Suns when Devin Booker banked in a jump shot at the final buzzer to hand Sacramento a painful 105-103 loss.

The way the Kings responded to that loss and the effort they would put forth versus the team with the best record in “the Association” was really critical for how this team would play for the rest off the season. They also had to face a Golden State franchise that had won the last 13 consecutive meetings between the two teams. All in all, the odds looked stacked against Sacramento.

The Kings did exactly what they needed to do by coming out and starting the game strong. Cousins scored 12 points in the opening 12 minutes and the Kings needed those points as Warriors superstar Steph Curry posted 14 points of his own in the opening quarter. Sacramento took a 31-27 lead after the first period.

The second quarter brought new stars to the floor as the second units came into the game. Kings reserve center Willie Cauley-Stein scored 12 points hitting on 6-of-8 shooting in 11-minutes of playing time. Klay Thompson took over the offense for the “Dubs” scoring 11 points for his squad.

At the end of 24 minutes, the game was tied at 56-all.

The third period brought more of the same high-pace scoring action that had been seen in the first half. The Warriors scored 26 points behind outstanding 3-point shooting (6-for-12, 50-percent). It was the traditional “Splash Brothers” tandem of Thompson (11) and Curry (9) that led the attack for the Warriors.

Sacramento also posted 26 points in the third quarter shooting 50-percent from the field (9-for-18) and going a perfect 7-for-7 from the free throw line. Cousins (9), Collison (8) and McLemore (6) handled most of the scoring for the Kings.

At the end of three periods, the score was Golden State 82-Sacramento 82.

There was one other important incident in the third quarter. Warriors coach Steve Kerr was ejected from the game with 3:34 remaining in the period for arguing a foul call with the officials. Kerr was issued the first technical foul and that enraged him enough that he ran unto the floor after the referee. Needless to say, the second “tech-foul” was issued immediately.

“I was mad about a lot of things, but I got what I deserved. I deserved to be ejected, so I had no complaints. I was really angry about some calls and like I said, I got mad and I deserved to get kicked out”.

On to the fourth quarter which if you had to give it a title would be known as the “Ugly Quarter”. Both teams had difficulty executing. Golden State shot 28.6-percent (6-for-21) and went 1-for-8 from 3-point range in the period. The Warriors scored just 16 points.

The Kings shot 33.3-percent (7-for-21) and hit 2-of-4 shots from beyond the 3-point arc. Sacramento did not go to the free throw line one time in the period. The Kings put 16 points in the book.

At the end of regulation, the Warriors and Kings were tied at 98-98.

The Kings roared into overtime like they owned it by going on a 7-0 run. The Warriors first point in OT came off a made free throw by Draymond Green with 2:39 to go in the extra period.

The Warriors cut the Kings lead to one point when Green scored on a fast break dunk with 41.1 left on the clock. Cousins missed a 15-foot jump shot and the Curry missed a layup opportunity off the Warriors rebound.

Following a Golden State timeout, Curry missed a jump shot that Collison rebounded and who was fouled immediately. Curry fouled Darren Collison on the inbounds play with 2.5 to play. Collison converted both free throws and sealed the win for the Kings 109-106.

The OT win ends some very negative streaks for the Kings (20-31)

The win ended a 13-game losing streak to the Golden State Warriors. The last time the Kings had defeated the Warriors was on March 27, 2013.
The overtime victory also ended a four-game home losing streak. The Kings have yet to establish a true homecourt advantage in their new Golden 1 Center home. This win could be a foundational victory that helps establish a “not in my house” attitude.
This big win also stopped a three-game losing streak that carried over from the Kings “eight-game road trip from hell” with losses in Philly and Houston.

The loss ended a very positive streak for the “Dubs” (43-8)

The Warriors had won five games in a row prior to the overtime loss to the Kings on Saturday night.
The loss also ends a steak of incredible of domination over another professional franchise

Who did what in the game

Kings

gsw-dmc — Cousins takes to the rack Photo NBAE

DeMarcus Cousins scored a team-high 32 points to with 12 rebounds to record a double-double. He was one assist – nine – shy of a triple-double. He also had two steals and one blocked shot. “Big win. It shows this team has a lot of character, a lot of fight, especially coming off the loss we had last night. Complete team effort – I think this was our most complete game of the season.”
Darren Collison recorded 18 points and three assists. He shot 8-for-13 from the field.
Willie Cauley-Stein put 14 points in the book in just 17-minutes on the floor. He also had four rebounds and two steals.
Ben McLemore had another good night as a starter scoring 10 points in 29-minutes of playing time.
The Kings bench scored 45 points compared to just 16 points for the GSW bench.
Sacramento shot 44.9-percent from the field (43-for-88) and hit 7-of-23 from 3-point land in the game. They converted 16-of-19 free throws (84.2-percent).
The Kings outscored the Warriors 56-34 in the paint.

Warriors

Steph Curry scored a game-high 35 points and added nine assists in the game. He hit on 8-of-14 attempts from behind the 3-point line.
Klay Thompson made “the Splash Brothers” effect present by adding 25 points against the Kings. He hit on 10-of-25 shots from the floor including sinking four 3-pointers.
Draymond Green put up 16 points in the contest. He also had eight rebounds and six assists
Kevin Durant had what has to called a “quiet” night. KD put just 10 points in the book and grabbed nine rebounds.

gsw-wcs-sky-high — Cauley-Stein goes sky high versus the Warriors Photo NBAE

Coaches analysis of the game

Kings head coach Dave Joerger

That’s a good win – heck of a basketball game.
Second night of a back to back for us and guys competing and staying together and being rewarded for staying together and battling through.
It is a happy locker room and they should feel really good.

Warriors head man Steve Kerr

It was one of the worst games we’ve played all season.
We had no purpose.
The ball didn’t move.
I didn’t recognize our team out there tonight.

Up next on the schedule

The Warriors are off until Wednesday, February 8th when they will host the Bulls in a nationally televised game on ESPN.
The Kings host the Bulls on Monday night at the Golden 1 Center.

Buzzer beating bank shot gives the Suns a 105-103 win over the Kings

Published on February 4, 2017February 4, 2017 by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment

Phoenix Suns v Sacramento Kings — Booker shoots the game winner versus the Kings on Friday night Photo: NBAE

by Charlie O. Mallonee

NBA fans used to live for the final two minutes of a game. They were rough, tumble and full of exciting action. Now with all of the stoppages for replay reviews, the excitement of the final 120 seconds has been all but lost.

On Friday night at the Golden 1 Center, the sellout crowd (17,608) were treated to an “old fashion” nail biting two minute finish in the game between the Phoenix Suns and the Sacramento Kings.

The excitement began with 2:32 remaining in the game when DeMarcus Cousins broke a 98-all tie with a step-back 3-point basket from the right corner off an assist from Matt Barnes. The Suns missed a jump on their possession. The Kings grabbed the rebound and called a timeout with 2:09 to go.

Cousins missed a jumper coming out of the timeout that was rebounded by Bledsoe of the Suns. T.J. Warren sank a jump shot at the 1:34 mark to bring Phoenix within one point of the lead at 101-100.

Each team missed a field goal opportunity then Cousins missed a layup that Lawson rebounded and then he was fouled by the Suns Tyson Chandler. The Kings maintained possession and Cousins attempted a 3-point shot that missed and Chandler rebounded.

The Suns Warren hit a 3-pointer (assist Booker) with 21.6-seconds on the clock to give his team a 103-101 lead. The Kings immediately called a timeout.

The Kings ran their play out of the timeout and with 8.2-seconds to go Darren Collison sank a 15-foot jump shot (assist Cousins) to tie the game at 103-103. It was the Suns turn to call a timeout.

Phoenix inbounded the ball at midcourt and to no one’s surprise the ball wound up in the hands of second-year guard Devin Booker. Booker put up a 20-foot fade away bank shot that went in the hoop as the final buzzer sounded. The Suns had won the game 105-103 to the stunned amazement of the big crowd.

Who did what in the game

Kings (19-31)

suns-cuz — Cousins hits two of his 22 versus the Suns Photo: NBAE

DeMarcus Cousins led the Kings scoring attack with a triple-double: 22 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists(sixth career triple-double). Cousins got into foul trouble and picked up his fifth personal foul with 9:22 to go in the 4th quarter and he did not return until there was just 3:18 left in the game. How much of a difference could the big man have made in that six minutes is now a question to be pondered over beers at the local pub.
Darren Collison scored 19 points for the Kings as he shot 8-for-16 from the floor and hit 3-of-4 3-point attempts. Joerger was very happy with Collison’s play after the game.
There was a Ben McLemore sighting on Friday night. McLemore made a rare start as the team made adjustments with Temple out due to injury and Arron Afflalo did not dress due to illness. McLemore played 35-minutes and scored 18 points.
Ty Lawson made an impact in the game off the bench again for Sacramento on Friday night. The speedy guard put up 18 points hitting on 7-of-10 attempts from the field and went a perfect 4-for-4 from the free throw line.
Matt Barnes did not have a big scoring night (6-points) but hauled in 10 rebounds and dished out 4 assists for the Kings.
Willie Cauley-Stein played only 14-minutes in the contest but came up big especially in the six-minutes that Cousins was sitting on the bench in the fourth quarter with the five fouls. He also scored four points and had four rebounds.
As a team the Kings outrebounded the Suns 43-39. They outscored Phoenix in the paint 36-20. Sacramento even scored more fast break points (14-9) than the Suns. The Kings had 23 assists versus 13 turnovers which resulted in 22 Phoenix points.

Suns (16-34)

20-year old guard Devin Booker scored a game-high 33 points for PHX. He scored just seven points in the first half. Booker went 11-for-24 shooting and hit 4-0f-8 from beyond the 3-point line. He also went 7-for-10 from the free throw line.
T.J. Warren was the offense for the Suns in the first half. While much of the team seemed less than present, Warren was active and ready for action. He finished with 21 points including going a perfect 6-for-6 from the free throw line.
Eric Bledsoe had a 20 point game for the Suns in 33-minutes on the floor. He was just 4-of-12 from the floor but was 3-for-6 from 3-point land.
Maybe the disappointment of the night for the crowd was the play of local product Marquese Chriss. Chriss who played his high school basketball in Elk Grove and was drafted by the Kings and then traded to Phoenix played just 15-minutes and scored only two points. Chriss picked up two quick fouls in the first quarter which really limited his playing time. It may well have the combination of playing before a large contingent of family and friends while trying to defend DeMarcus Cousins that keep the young rookie from having a better game.

Joerger’s postgame thoughts

suns-collison — Collison had a big second half for the Kings Photo: NBAE

Heck of a basketball game
Both teams started kind of slow (it was 49-49 at the half)
I’m really proud of out guys. We held a fast break team to nine-points on the fast break and basically won every statistical category there is.
I thought Darren (Collison) really stepped up his game in the second half.
It was tremendous that we had great point guard play with Ty (Lawson) and Darren at times playing together.
It was great to see Ben McLemore get going a little bit and heck of a basketball game.
Very proud of out team

Focusing on 8th place in the Western Conference

The battle for the eighth and final playoff slot in the Western Conference continued on Friday night:

Denver now has sole possession of 8th place as they beat the Bucks 121-117
Portland is in 9th place 1.5 games back after losing to Dallas 108-104
Dallas has jumped into 10th place 2.5 games back of Denver with their win over Portland
The Kings are now in 11th place 3.5 games behind Denver after Friday’s loss to Phoenix

Up next on the schedule

The Kings have no time sit and ponder their loss to the Suns. The Golden State Warriors make a return visit to the Golden 1 Center on Saturday night. It is never easy to face “the Splash Brothers” but to have to play them on second night of a back-to-back set is really unfair.

Phoenix returns home on Saturday night to host the Milwaukee Bucks who lost in Denver on Friday.

Sacramento Kings podcast with Charlie O: Long road trip over Kings pull within two games behind last playoff spot

Published on February 2, 2017February 2, 2017 by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Sacramento Kings forward DeMarcus Cousins (15) tries to shoot against Houston Rockets forward Ryan Anderson (3) during the second half of an NBA basketball game Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2017, in Houston. (AP Photo/George Bridges)

The Sacramento Kings who just came off a eight game road trip this was suppose to be an seven game road trip which was long enough it became a eight game trip because they had to slide a make up game that was canceled earlier in the season due to water that seeped onto the hardwood surface in Philadelphia when the hockey ice below melted. It also became the eight game roadie with three back to backs on the schedule. That was tough enough and they had found out they had to do the road trip without Rudy Gay of the Kings because Gay went down with a ruptured Achillies tendon in his left foot.

That right there was enough to depress any team in the NBA. One of the things that distinguishes teams that are in the bottom tier from teams that are in the top tier if you look at the Golden State Warriors that’s a great example for all of our listeners and Kings fans are very familiar with the Warriors because it’s Northern California were fortunate to have two teams up here. We understand for a lot of teams the guys that are playing second unit for the Warriors would be first unit players in other situations.

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

Kings blown out by Rockets in Houston

Published on February 1, 2017February 1, 2017 by Eric HeLeave a comment

By: Eric He

A poor first half felled the Sacramento Kings in Houston, as they were defeated 105-83 by the Rockets on Tuesday night.

Despite James Harden finishing with just 10 points, the Kings could not stop Ryan Anderson, who led all scorers with 25 points and 11 rebounds, including six 3-pointers. Eric Gordon added 17 points on 7-of-15 shooting.

The Kings could not get anything going offensively, held to just 83 points on 34.9 percent shooting. DeMarcus Cousins had just 16 points and five made field goals.

The second quarter was a particular struggle, when Sacramento scored just 11 points and gave up 25 to Houston. The Rockets led 54-35 at halftime and kept on the gas pedal throughout the second half.

The Kings have now lost three of four games, and consecutive losses to wrap up their eight-game road trip in Philadelphia and Houston.

“We ran out of gas there in the last game against (Philadelphia), but I thought we really ran out of legs tonight,” head coach Dave Joerger said. “We didn’t shoot it well; they are obviously very offensively potent.”

The Kings won five of eight games on the road trip, and will return home to face the Suns on Friday that will kick off a five-game home stand.

Kings drop a close one in Philly 122-119

Published on January 31, 2017 by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment

philly-cuz — DeMarcus Cousins scores two of his 46 points Photo NBAE

by Charlie O. Mallonee

“The road trip from hell” continued in Philadelphia on Monday when the Kings played the 76ers. This was the makeup game for the contest that was postponed on November 30 due to the wet floor from the ice below the hardwood. This game turned a seven-game road trip into the longest road trip of the year – eight games – with three back-to-back sets.

The Kings entered the game with a surprising 3-3 record on the road trip so far. Expectations were high as Philadelphia is also a “Tier 3” team which means they have comparable levels of personnel. Also, big man Joel Embiid who has been playing some great basketball for the Sixers was not available to play on Monday due to a knee contusion.

Even with solid momentum and player personnel advantages it was still an NBA game on the road which automatically favors the home team. The home court advantage played in Philly’s favor Monday night as they squeaked past the Kings 122-119.

The Sixers took advantage of a huge break when DeMarcus Cousins fouled out of the game with 58.5-seconds left in the contest. Cousins has scored 46 points up to that point and was leading the charge to take the lead in the game for Sacramento.

Even with their superstar on the bench, the Kings managed to remain in the fight and had a chance to tie the game with literally one-second to go in the game. With score 122-119 in favor of Philadelphia, the Kings somehow broke Arron Afflalo into the open in the right corner for an open three-point shot that would have tied the game. Unfortunately for the Kings and their fans, the shot hit the rim and did not go in and the win went to Philly (18-29).

Who did what in the game

Kings (19-29)

DeMarcus Cousins scored a game-high 46 points to go with 15 rebounds for his 13th consecutive double-double. Cousins – who was double-teamed the entire game – shot an incredible 20-for-22 from the free throw line
Willie Cauley-Stein had another big game coming off the bench for the Kings. He put up 17 points in 20-minutes on the floor. He shot a very impressive 8-for-10 from the field
Matt Barnes was a major factor on offense for Sacramento on Monday night. Barnes added 16 points hitting 6-of-12 from the floor including four 3-point baskets
Ty Lawson may have to change his name to “the distributor”. Lawson dished out 11 assists working the point for the Kings
Team numbers: 55.4 Field Goal Percentage; 44.8-percent 3-pt Field Goal Shooting (13-of-29); 24-for-29 Field Throws

76ers

The Sixers had seven players score in double-figures against the Kings
Robert Covington led Philly in scoring with 23 points and made it a double-double with 10 rebounds
Dario Saric was a key force off the bench for the Sixers as he scored 17 points, dished out six assists and grabbed five rebounds while shooting 8-for-11 from the floor
Former King Nik Stauskas enjoyed a good night versus his former team. The guard hit 6-of-10 field goal attempts including four 3-pointers for a total of 16 points in the game
As a team: Field Goals 54.2-percent; 11-for-31 (35.5-percent) 3-point shooting; 80.8-percent Free Throw Shooting (21-for-26); 32 assists against just 16 turnovers ( the perfect 2-1 ratio)

Up next on the schedule

For the Kings, this nightmare road trip comes an end on Tuesday night in Houston against the Rockets. Houston sports 36-16 record and currently holds down the number three spot in the Western Conference. James Harden and company love to shoot the three, so expect the Rockets to “make it rain” in Houston on Tuesday.

The 76ers head out on the road as they will face the Mavericks in Dallas on Wednesday night.

Kings work as team and earn a big 109-106 win in Charlotte

Published on January 29, 2017 by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment

hornets-cuz-2 — Cousins drives to the hoop in Charlotte Photo NBAE

by Charlie O. Mallonee

The Sacramento Kings could have easily rolled into Charlotte with their heads hung low after losing a tough game in overtime in Indiana on Friday night. After all, it was the second game of a back-to-back set on the road and no road team wins those games anyway, but that is not what happened on Saturday night.

The Kings came out from the opening tip-off looking like a team that had just finished two days of rest. They ran the court, made crisp passes, looked for the extra pass, sank 3-point baskets and played defense. Literally, the Kings had shaken off the disappointment of losing to the Pacers and were focusing on beating the Hornets.

The Kings did exactly that. They beat the Charlotte Hornets 109-106 on the road. The Hornets came into the game having lost three consecutive games. They desperately were looking for the magic of the home court advantage to work for them and it almost did. What the Hornets did not count on was the new found togetherness that Kings have developed on this road trip that has them playing as a team and not individuals. That makes Sacramento (19-28) a very dangerous opponent.

The Kings have learned how to start games fast and strong. On Saturday, the Kings shot 50-percent from the floor while going 6-for-15 (40-percent) from beyond the 3-point line putting up 52 points on the board in the first half. Sacramento also played tough defense holding the Hornets to 44 points on 42.9-percent shooting. Charlotte hit just 3-of-18 attempts from beyond the 3-point arc which is normally a strong point for them. Their All-Star guard Kemba Walker was limited to six points.

In the third period, the Hornets (23-25) came alive to no one’s surprise. It was Kemba Walker who led the charge scoring 20 of the Hornets 33 points in the quarter. Charlotte shot 66.7-percent from the floor and for 3-pointers. The Charlotte crowd came alive as their team was working their way back into the game. It is also important to note the Kings shot 54.5-percent in the quarter while Cousins and Collison scored 11 points each. Each team scored 33 points in the third period. At the end of 36-minutes, the Kings held an 85-77 lead.

The game took a sudden change of momentum early in the fourth quarter as the Hornets cut the Kings lead to just three points in under just two minutes behind the 3-point shooting of Nicolas Batum and Frank Kaminsky. Sacramento pushed it back to an eight-point lead but then things went downhill.

The Hornets hit five 3-point baskets in the fourth quarter and took the lead in the game with 2:19 remaining on a 3-point field goal by Marvin Williams. The Kings tied the game at 106 each and gained control of the ball with 31-seconds to go in the contest.

Following a Sacramento timeout, the Kings put the ball in the hands of DeMarcus Cousins who drove on the basket from the right wing to make the layup and give his team a two-point lead. With 14-seconds left, the Hornets hopes fell to a 3-point shot by Kaminsky which came up short and was rebounded by Cousins who was fouled. Cousins hit 1-of-2 free throws to give his team the 109-106 victory.

Sacramento Kings v Charlotte Hornets — Darren Collison scored 17 points against the Hornets Photo NBAE

Cousins on the win

We’re understanding better – we can win by playing together
(we’re playing) team oriented defense
The “iso” style is out of play
The only way we win game is playing together

Who did what in the game

Kings

DeMarcus Cousins scored a game-high 35 points and pulled down 18 rebounds to record his 12th consecutive double-double game. Cousins also had four assists and seven of his rebounds came on offense which extended possessions
Anthony Tolliver scored 14 points hitting on 4-of-8 shots from long range. Those 3-point baskets seemed crush the Hornets momentum each time. He also grabbed seven rebounds
Willie Cauley-Stein played 14-minutes of impressive basketball against the Hornets. He shot 6-for-7 from the floor for 13 points and made his presence known on the floor
Other key contributors: Darren Collison 17 points, Arron Afflalo 13 points and 4 assists
Team numbers: 51.9-percent Field Goals, 11-for-27 (40.7-percent) 3-pt Field Goals, 27 assists and just 10 turnovers that resulted in just nine Hornet points

Hornets

Kemba Walker led the Hornets scoring with 26 points (20 in the third quarter). He did not score any points in the fourth quarter. Seven assists
Nicolas Batum put up 19 points that included hitting 3-of-6 for 3-pointers. He also had seven assists
Former Sacramento King Spencer Hawes scored 12 points off the bench and grabbed seven rebounds. He also tried to get DeMarcus Cousins ejected from the game (see below)
Team numbers: 48-percent Field Goals, 32.4-percent 3-pt FGs, 22-for-24 (91.7-percent) from the free throw line

Dave Joerger’s postgame analysis

Good NBA game – both teams played hard
We’ve been playing much better lately and we showed some resiliency tonight coming back on the second night of a back-to-back
Kemba Walker was fantastic especially in the third quarter
We’re getting better at the little things-taking care of the ball
We had (only) three turnovers in the second half which has been a problem for us. We executed there

Oh no – Tech foul number 13

DeMarcus Cousins and Spencer Hawes were both assessed a technical foul with three minutes to go in the first half of the game. Cousins had just made a layup and was fouled by Hawes. After the foul, there were a few words and very (VERY) minor pushes with one hand from each player. It was really a nothing moment that happens in virtually every NBA game nightly.

Neither player ( and believe me when I say that I am no fan of Hawes ) deserved to be hit with a tech foul. A verbal warning from the referee would have been more than sufficient.

Being the agitator that he is – Hawes kept trying to get under Cousins skin in the second half because a second technical would have meant an automatic ejection. To Cousins credit, he just ignored Hawes.

For Cousins, this is his 13th technical foul of the season. When he reaches 16, it is an automatic one-game suspension with another one-game suspension for each two tech fouls after that. The Kings cannot afford to be without Cousins for one quarter let alone for an entire game.

I would not be surprised to see this technical reversed because it was really too much – too soon for what was happening between the players.

Up next on the schedule

The Kings travel to Philadelphia on Sunday where they will play the Sixers on Monday to make up the game that was postponed on November 30 due to a wet court. The 76ers play the Bulls in Chicago on Sunday. Joel Embiid will not travel to Chicago so there is anticipation he will be available to play against the Kings on Monday. It will be a 4 p.m. tipoff on the West Coast.

The Hornets will head out on the road to play Portland on Tuesday.

Sources: Barnes to turn himself into NYPD to face the music for club fracas

Published on January 28, 2017 by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment

by Charlie O. Mallonee

According to multiple sources, Matt Barnes will be surrendering himself to the New York City Police Department in relationship to misdemeanor assault charges stemming from a December altercation at the Avenue Night Club in the city. The melee which also involved Kings center DeMarcus Cousins plus at least two additional acquaintances has been under investigation for almost two months and rumors that Barnes was wanted on misdemeanor charges have been swirling for a while.

The alleged incident took place in the early morning hours of December 5 of last year after the Kings had played (and lost to) the Knicks the night before. Supposedly, Barnes became embroiled in an argument with a woman who was his table in the VIP lounge. At some point, the reports are that Barnes began to choke the woman.

According to their accounts of the events, that is when Iasmine Besiso and Myrone Powell – who were seated at the next table – decided it was time to leave. As they were leaving Barnes is supposed to have grabbed Besiso and began to choke her.

Powell stated that when he tried to intervene on Besiso’s behalf, DeMarcus Cousins stepped in and reportedly punched Powell. Besiso and Powell are both claiming to have severe neck damage from the fight. Besiso also claims a head injury and while Powell says he suffered two black eyes in the fight. Both alleged victims are also claiming they have trouble sleeping from nerve damage in their necks.

barnes-cousins-vic — Alleged victim Myrone Powell Photo taken by his attorney Michael Lamonsoff

Michael Lamonsoff -attorney for Besiso and Powell – says the investigation has taken too long and that his clients have not been kept informed by the authorities about what has been happening with the case.

Barnes is expected to surrender to police sometime early next week. The Kings will travel to Philadelphia on Sunday after playing a game in Charlotte on Saturday night. The team plays the Sixers on Monday night and the Rockets in Houston on Tuesday evening then has the following two days off.

This story was first reported by Rocco Parascandola of the New York Daily News on January 27.

Kings go to overtime again in Indiana but lose to Pacers 115-111

Published on January 27, 2017January 28, 2017 by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment

pacers-cousins — All-Star DeMarcus Cousins attacks the basket Photo NBAE

by Charlie O. Mallonee

The Sacramento Kings had to play overtime for the second consecutive game in three days in Indiana on Friday night against the Pacers. Unfortunately for the Kings, they came up on the short end of the game this time as they lost 115-111.

Sacramento (18-28) is now 1-4 in overtime games this season. Indiana (24-22) is 4-1 when have to play an extra session. Four of their 24 wins have come in overtime. That is not only impressive but it may vital to their seeding come playoff time.

The Kings started the game strong – something they have had trouble doing all season long. Sacramento shot 61.8% in the first half and hit 11-of-16 3-point attempts to take a 64-55 lead into the locker room at halftime.

The second half was not as kind to the Kings. Being on the road came back to haunt Sacramento. They shot just 39.3% in the second half and hit just 1-of-8 3-point shots. The Kings also gave up a 16 lead to the Pacers who came back to tie the game at the end of regulation to force the overtime.

Indiana changed their tactics and began to play very physical in the second half. The Kings did not respond very well to the physical play and were taken out of their game by the Pacers. Paul George also came to life and took over the game for his team scoring 16 points – 14 of those points from the free throw line.

George scored six of the Pacers 11 points in overtime. When needed, the superstars of “the association” always do their best to step up to lead their teams.

The Kings played well for 40 of the 48 minutes in regulation. If they could have added another three to four minutes to that total, they might have been able to avoid overtime and notched another victory.

Joerger’s analysis of the game

Heck of an NBA game
Proud of guys (Joerger is consistent in trying to build his players up)
Ran into a team that has our number right now
Shot just 37.5% in second half
They were on the foul line 28 times in the second half
We got to go on and play the next night in Charlotte tomorrow

pacers-lawson — Ty Lawson had another big game for the Kings Photo NBAE

Who did what in the game

Kings

Cousins – 26th double-double game 26 points, 13 rebounds five assists
Darren Collison – 26 points, 4-for-6 3’s, five assists, three steals
Ty Lawson – 16 points, 8-of-8 from free throw line, six assists,two 3’s
Arron Afflalo – 15 points, 6-for-9 field goals, three 3-pointers
Team 49.3 FG%, 50% 3-pointers, 77.8 Free Throw %
The stat they would change 19 turnovers that resulted in 25 Pacer points

Pacers

Paul George – game-high 33 points, 16-for-17 at the free throw line
CJ Miles – 18 points, 6-for-9 from 3-point land, all attempts were 3’s
Jeff Teague – 17 points, eight rebounds, eight assists, 5-for-11 shooting
Team – 48.7 FG%, 35.7% 3-point shooting, 87.9 Free Throw%

Up next on the schedule

For the Kings, the incredible four games in five days schedule continues. They are off to Charlotte for the back end of a back-to-back road set. Charlotte is in seventh-place in the Eastern Conference with a record of 23-24.

Indiana will return to action on Sunday when they will host the Houston Rockets.