Category: Sacramento Kings

No Cousins, no Rondo, no problem! Kings beat Denver 115-106

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment
NBA: Sacramento Kings at Denver Nuggets
Photo Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

by Charlie O. Mallonee

The Kings plan for Saturday night in Denver was simple and straight forward. Leave Cousins and Rondo at home to rest, give the younger players some much needed playing time and put on a good show in the “Mile High City”.

No there was no mention of winning the game. Wins are secondary for Sacramento at this point in the season. In fact, the Kings need to finish in the bottom 10 of the NBA overall standings to avoid losing their 2016 first-round draft pick (listen to this week’s Kings podcast for the details). It is not that the Kings do not want to win but winning might not be that helpful at this moment.

Something strange can happen when you give the second unit a chance to play more minutes. Those second unit guys want to step up and show the world they got game. That is what happened on Saturday in Denver.

The Kings allowed the Nuggets to set the pace in the first half. Denver scored 62 points in the first half and appeared to ready to run the Kings off the court in the second half, but someone from the Nuggets forgot to tell Seth Curry to go along the plan.

Curry carried the Kings on his back in the first half scoring 17 points while connecting on 7-of-8 shots from the floor. The Kings would go on to score 55 first-half points and trailed the Nuggets by just seven points at the half.

The teams played an even third quarter with the Kings outscoring the Nuggets 29-26 in the period. The Nuggets still had an 88-84 after three quarters.

The Kings caught fire in the fourth quarter outscoring the Nuggets 31-18 in final 12 minutes. Darren Collison led the charge for Sacramento scoring 10 of his 14 points in last quarter. Collison shot 2-for-4 from the floor and converted 6-of-7 opportunities from the free throw line. He also dished out four assists. Ben McLemore scored eight points and Rudy Gay added five points in the period.

At the final buzzer, the Kings had beaten the Nuggets 115-106 to record their 31st win of the season.

Kings

Rudy Gay led the Kings scoring attack on Saturday with 25 points. Gay also grabbed nine rebounds and had three assists. He shot 7-for-18 from the floor and an impressive 10-for-13 from the charity stripe.

Willie Cauley-Stein, Ben McLemore and Darren Collison scored 14 points each.

Kosta Koufos and James Anderson added 13 points each.

The most impressive stat of the night for the Kings was their assists to turnover ratio of 4-to-1. Sacramento had 27 assists and turned the ball over just seven times. Not bad for a team that has been averaging 16 turnovers per game.

Sacramento was also strong at the free throw line hitting on 25-of-31 attempts for a 80.6- free throw shooting percentage. For the season, the Kings have shot just 72.7-percent from the free throw line.

This was also just third time the Kings have won when DeMarcus Cousins did not play in the game. They have lost 11 games when Cousins was not available.

Nuggets

Gary Harris led the Nuggets in scoring with 19 points. Harris had four rebounds and two assists to go with those 19 points.

Rookie Emmanuel Mudiay had a strong game scoring 15 points and dishing out six assists. Mudiay did foul out of the game.

Joffrey Lauvergne played a strong 24 minutes off the bench for Denver. He scored 15 points, grabbed six rebounds and had two assists in those minutes on the floor.

Alex Toupane scored a career-high 14 points off the bench for the Nuggets.

Up next

The Kings have just three games left to play in Sleep Train (Arco) Arena. Portland visits Sacramento on Tuesday and Minnesota comes calling on Thursday night. The Kings final game ever in the arena they have called home for 28 years will take place next Saturday night when they host Oklahoma City Thunder. This reporter will be filing the story live from the arena that night.

Sacramento Kings Friday night game wrap: Kings second half come back falls short

Published on by Michael MartinezLeave a comment

by Michael Martinez

picture credit USA Today

SACRAMENTO- The Kings had a horrendous defensive first half, giving up 39 first quarter points and 66 in the half. 66 points for the Heat in the first half was their season high and Sacramento looked doomed. The game looked very out of reach for the Kings when they were down by 24 points a little over halfway through the third quarter.

But the Kings found their stride and played tough defense in the second half. The Kings turned things on, especially in the fourth quarter with big offensive production from Darren Collison who had 11 fourth quarter points. Seth Curry was big as well with nine points in the quarter.

Sacramento was able to cut the lead to one with a minute and a half remaining as the crowd got louder. A surprising turn of events made a blow out into an incredible come back. As the Kings played tough defense and worked on double teaming and trapping Heat players, they left Luol Deng wide open for a corner three. Deng sunk the three with 45 second left to go and put the Heat up by six. Ultimately, the three would be the dagger as the Kings were unable to complete their valiant effort of trying to win their third straight at home.

Once again, the Kings lose a game with DeMarcus Cousins not playing in the game as he was suspended by the NBA for his 16 technical of the season. The Kings first half mishap cost them the game as they gave up 20 first half points to Gerald Green who started in place of Dwayne Wade. Green finished the game with a game high 30 points.

Collison scored 26 points for the Kings as he played while Rajon Rondo sat out for most of the second half. Curry matched his career high with 21 points as he continues to play well for Sacramento. The Kings defense forced ten second half turnovers, but the Heat’s first half was too much.

The Kings will head to the Mile High City to take on the Denver Nuggets tomorrow. Sacramento will be without Cousins in tomorrow night’s game as he will not play in road games for the rest of the season. Tip off is set for 6 p.m.

Kings to face Heat without Cousins

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment
allstar cuz
sbnation.com

by Charlie O. Mallonee

With just six seconds to play in the Kings victory over the Washington Wizards on Wednesday, DeMarcus Cousins was issued a technical foul. It was the 16th technical foul of the season assessed to Cousins and 16 in a season means a one-game suspension for the player.

The Kings had hoped that the NBA would review the call and overturn the technical foul. On Thursday, the association issued its ruling and it did not go Cousins’ way. Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Kiki VanDeWeghe announced that Cousins will be suspended for one game without pay. The suspension will be served tonight when the Kings host the Miami Heat.

This is the third time this season that Cousins has been suspended without pay. He lost a game and pay in November for an elbow/forearm that was thrown at a player’s head. His second suspension came in March after an on the bench tirade directed at George Karl. That suspension was leveled by the Kings.

But wait, there’s more. For every two additional technical fouls called on Cousins, he would face another one-game suspension without pay. The Kings have six games remaining after tonight, and it is fair to say that Cousins has a target on his back.

In a season that has been full of disappointments and bizarre occurrences, you can add this suspension to the list of forgettable moments.

Sacramento Kings Wednesday game wrap: Kings Place Spell on Wizrads 120-111; Cousins suspended again

Published on by tonyrenteriaLeave a comment

By Tony Renteria

photo credit: USA Today–Sacramento Kings DeMarcus Cousins was hit with a technical after clapping in the face of NBA official Marc Davis at Sleep Train Arena Wednesday night

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings (29-45) used a strong second quarter to pull ahead of the visiting Washington Wizards (36-38)  then played good enough to hold on for a 120-111 win.

The Kings who season has been a soap opera at least look to add a few more wins before they close down the season and Sleep Train Arena on April 9th 2016.

The Kings were paced by All Star DeMarcus Cousins who had 29 nine game high points, Cousins who might be gone by via trade after soon after the season also added in ten rebounds.

Seth Curry also got a rare start and played over 17 minutes and added in five points.

Bradley Beal led the Wizards with 24 points on 10-21 shooting.  Marcin Gordat did grab a game high 12 rebounds in the losing effort.

The Wizards head to Phoenix on Friday to take on the Suns while the Kings host the Miami Heat on the same day.

Game notes: DeMarcus Cousins and the Kings Rajon Rondo both clapped at official Marc Davis in his face earning them each a technical foul and Cousins was suspended for clapping. Cousins was clapping after Davis called made a foul call. Davis immediately hit both players with a technical each. Rondo was ejected for arguing the first technical and left the game. Cousins who picked up his 16th technical of the season will be suspended for the Kings next game.

 

 

Striving for stability Kings sign Divac to multi-year deal

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment

Vlade-Divac

by Charlie O. Mallonee

The Sacramento Kings desperately need to create a stable organization for the team, fans and investors. The organization took a major step toward stability by signing Vice President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Vlade Divac to a multi-year contract today.

Divac was named to his current post on August 31, 2015. Prior to being placed in charge of basketball operations, he was Vice President of Basketball and Franchise Operations.

“My commitment to the Sacramento Kings goes back to my days as a player and I’m grateful to continue playing my part in creating a winning future for the Sacramento Kings,” said Divac. “I know that we have what it takes to be a successful franchise and I look forward to continuing to improve and build on the progress that we’ve made.”

Hopefully, this move is the first step in stabilizing the basket operations. With Divac firmly in charge, the Kings should be able to hire a coach that is philosophically compatible with team’s direction and personnel. The installation of a coach who will be around longer than a single season will also help the team meet a goal of becoming stable and successful on the court.

The Kings have not officially parted ways with current head coach George Karl, but it is hard to visualize Karl being retained after the end of this very disappointing season. Divac would be free to hire a head coach that could gain the confidence of the team.

The other major move Divac needs to make is to remove the title of general manager from his business card and hire an experienced G.M. who can handle the nuts and bolts of the salary cap plus trades and free agent signings. This would let Divac run things from the 10,000-foot level and deal with the overall direction of the team, league business, scouting and oversight of the D-league team in Reno.

Vivek Ranadive and the other owners are hoping that they can look back on this day as the one changed the Kings from an “also-ran organization” into real competitor in the National Bassketball Association.

Some of the information in this report was provided by the Sacramento Kings Media Department

Sacramento Kings podcast with Charlie O: Kings rest key players might protect more rest of the season

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

by Charlie O Mallonee

photo credit: mtv.fi–Sacramento Kings vice president Vlade Divac along with Kings management has decided to rest key players since the Kings will not be in post season

SACRAMENTO–The Kings benched four of their key players and this appears to be a planned strategy that’s coming from team vice president Vlade Divac the other folks in the front office with head coach George Karl. Saying “we know what were up against we are not going to the playoffs and we got a situation at this point wins aren’t important” that’s very odd to say in the world of sports.

The Kings are in a situation where if they finish outside the bottom ten in the standings their first round draft pick goes to the Chicago Bulls. This is a very complicated transaction that started off when they went to Cleveland and Cleveland and later to Chicago. It’s been sitting out there for quite awhile frankly it had to as the Kings have fallen into the bottom ten in the NBA draft standings.

Charlie O has a lot more on the Kings and who continues to sit and also the Kings chances in the NBA Lottery listen right here at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Seth Curry has career night in loss

Published on by Michael MartinezLeave a comment

by Michael Martinez

picture credit NBAE

SACRAMENTO- The Kings rested their three best players. Rajon Rondo, Rudy Gay and DeMarcus Cousins all sat out Monday night in Portland. With that being said, there probably was not a ton of hope to get a win over the Trail Blazers who are battling for a playoff spot. The Kings lost to the Blazers 105-93.

Surprisingly though, the Kings stayed in the game for the first quarter. Sacramento played well, except Portland could not miss a shot even if they tried.

The Blazers broke it open in the second quarter going up by as many as 16 and shooting slightly over 55% from the field. But the third quarter is where things fell apart for the Kings.

While Portland only scored 23 points, the Kings shot a dismal 25% in the third quarter and scored a measly 11 points. The Kings turned the ball over seven times and could not buy a bucket. The Blazers led Sacramento by as many as 28 points and the Kings never really had a chance.

The fourth was the Kings chance to try and come back but the deficit was just too much, even though Portland shot under 30% in the quarter. Seth Curry scored 12 points in the quarter and finished for a career high of 21. Curry was really the only bright spot as the Kings perimeter defense wasn’t very tough. Portland almost shot 50% from beyond the arc, knocking down 14 shots from the perimeter.

Portland’s Allen Crabbe elicited exactly what the Blazers did tonight. He tied Curry for the game high with 21 points on 8-10 shooting, 3-4 from behind the three point line. The most difficult part of this loss is the fact that Damian Lillard only scored 13 points and the Kings still never had a chance.

Nonetheless, when the team’s three best players are resting, nabbing a victory is going to be pretty difficult. Yet again, the Kings’ defensive woes hurt them as Portland shot lights out.

Omri Casspi had a pretty good game with 18 points. Willie Cauley-Stein added 13 points and grabbed 14 boards as the rookie continues to play well. As the season winds down, this game shows just how important Gay, Rondo and Cousins are to the team. The Kings will take on the Washington Wizards at home this Wednesday at 7 p.m. Hopefully the Kings’ big three comes back and helps them get another win at home.

 

 

 

Kings will go with a short bench tonight in Portland

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment

cuz at rest

by Charlie O. Mallonee

The Sacramento Kings have announced that four of their players will be held out of the game tonight in Portland versus the Trail Blazers. Rajon Rondo, DeMarcus Cousins and Rudy Gay will not play as they will be “rested” by the team. Marco Belinelli who has a sore right foot will miss his second consecutive game.

With the team no longer in the playoff hunt, the Kings are trying to be smart about how they use their stars down the final stretch. The team has already started to limit the starters playing time in order to give younger players some much needed playing experience.

Rondo has been among the “walking wounded” for weeks. He has been suffering from a right first metatarsal-phalangeal joint sprain, better known as “turf toe”. Rondo has also been dealing with a right thumb sprain and right shoulder contusion.

DeMarcus Cousins has been suffering from a bruised right knee, ankle sprains and  tendinitis  in both feet. It has been reported that Cousins in planning to have a platelet rich plasma procedure after the season ends to deal with the condition. Cousins is planning to compete for a roster spot to play on Team USA in the Olympics.

A loss in Portland or in any of the nine remaining games actually benefits the Kings. If the Kings finish outside the bottom 10 teams in the NBA, their first-round draft pick would to go to the Chicago Bulls. The loss of a number one draft selection would be devastating to the rebuilding plans for the team.

No one is using the “tank” word, but there is not a sense of urgency to win all nine of the remaining games.

Who are these guys? Kings tame the Mavs 133-111

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NBA: Dallas Mavericks at Sacramento Kings
Photo Credit: John Hefti-USA TODAY

by Charlie O. Mallonee

The Dallas Mavericks (35-38) came to Sleep Train Arena on Sunday as a team that needed a win to stay alive in the playoff hunt. The Mavs began the contest as the number nine team in the Western Conference. When the game was over, Dallas was still in ninth place one-half  game behind the Rockets for final spot in the playoffs.

The Sacramento Kings (29-44) really have nothing left to play for except for professional pride. The Kings made themselves proud on Sunday as they ran the Dallas Mavericks out of the building and won the game 133-111. It was the Kings second consecutive win on their home court in three days.

The Kings scored 30-plus points in three of the four quarters. Sacramento never trailed the Mavs in the game. The Kings put up a game-high 39 points in the third quarter.

That third quarter production is key because the Kings have been in many games this season where they played well in the first half only to fall apart in the third quarter. They did not suffer that kind of humiliation in this game.

This was a team victory. The Kings had eight players score in double figures and posted a season high 72 points off the bench. They shot 62.2-percent (51-for-82) from the floor for the game which is a season high. Sacramento shot 45.0-percent (9-for-20) from beyond the 3-point line.

The Kings had 32 assists and turned the ball over just 11 times for an outstanding 3-to-1 ratio. They recorded 11 steals and three blocked shots versus Dallas. Sacramento outscored the Mavs 68-46 in the paint.

This was a dominant performance against a team that is fighting for their playoff lives. If the Kings could have put together five to six games like this earlier in the season, they would fighting for a playoff berth.

Kings

The Kings leading scorer was – no it was not Cousins. Rookie Willie Cauley-Stein put up 21 points to lead the Kings in scoring. Cauley-Stein added seven rebounds and two assists to his line score. The Kings youngest big man also played some very tough defense in his 28-minutes of playing time.

DeMarcus Cousins did have another double-double game putting up 20 points and grabbing 12 rebounds to go with five assists and two steals. Cousins recorded those numbers in just 28 minutes on the floor.

Rajon Rondo had another double-double game scoring 11 points and dishing out 11 assists. Rondo turned the ball over just two times.

Darren Collison led the Kings scoring off the bench with 17 points. Collison shot 7-for-11 from the floor and added four assists plus one steal.

Seth Curry got his second consecutive start for Sacramento. The other Curry scored 14 points and added three assists and one steal. He scored all 14 of those points in the third quarter. Curry shot 4-for-4 from the floor, 2-for-2 from 3-point land and 4-for-4 from the free throw line.

Ben McLemore returned to the line up after having been out due to a finger tip injury. The shooting guard added 14 points hitting on 5-of-9 shots.

Casspi and Koufos scored 10 points each. Rudy Gay scored nine while Quincy Acy added seven points.

Mavericks

Dirk Nowitzki failed to dominate the game for Dallas. He scored 14 points but shot just 6-for-15 from the field. Nowitzki never seemed to get into the flow of the game on Sunday.

Guard Raymond Felton led the scoring for the Mavs with his 15 points. Felton also had five assists and two steals.

J.J. Barea put up 14 points. Former Warrior David Lee scored 12 points off the bench.

The Mavericks shot a respectable 47.7-percent (42-for-88) for the game. Dallas went 8-for-24 from behind the 3-point arc.

Up next

The Kings have to play the second game of a back-to-back on Monday night in Portland versus the playoff bound Trail Blazers. Sacramento is 3-14 in the second games of back-to-backs this season.

The Mavericks also have a back-to-back scheduled as they play the Nuggets on Monday night in Denver.

Kings down the Suns, end seven-game home skid

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Suns-Kings
Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker, right, drives to the basket against Sacramento Kings guard Seth Curry during the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, March 25, 2016, in Sacramento, Calif. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

By Morris Phillips

SACRAMENTO–Could rookie lottery pick Willie Cauley-Stein and D-League product Seth Curry be cornerstones for the Kings’ future in Golden One Arena?

If so, the possibility took flight in the Kings’ 114-98 rout of the Suns that ended the team’s seven-game skid at Sleep Train Arena on Friday night. Cauley-Stein came off the bench to score a career-best 26 points, and Curry contributed 12 in his first NBA starting assignment.

Cauley-Stein, labeled a plus defender with little offensive skill, took advantage of the Suns’ depleted frontcourt with clever footwork and jump shot that extended to the three-point arc. The rookie from Kentucky hit 11 of his first 17 shots. With his teammates howling encouragement, and the Kings comfortably ahead in the final minutes, Cauley-Stein missed his final two attempts from beyond the arc.

“When your teammates are telling you to score, shoot threes when you ain’t shot a three in your whole life, that’s cool,” Cauley-Stein said. “I’m really thankful for them.”

While Cauley-Stein concluded his stint Friday with a world of confidence, Curry started the evening looking to find his bearings. Steph’s younger brother missed his first four shots before canning four of his final six, finishing with 12 points.

“I had my rhythm, I just wasn’t making shots,” Curry said.

The Kings took control in the second quarter with a 33-point outburst that gave them a 58-48 lead at the half. They hadn’t won at home since February 19, a 116-110 decision over Denver.

DeMarcus Cousins led the Kings with 29 points, 11 rebounds in just 28 minutes of floor time. Rajon Rondo added 12 assists, setting the club record for assists in a season with his 789th. Marco Belinelli was felled by a foot injury during the game, and missed the entire second half.

While the Kings showed glimpses of their future, the Suns find themselves in full rebuild mode with rookie Devin Booker ranking as their leading scorer at almost 13 points a game. Booker led Phoenix with 26 points on Friday, but committed nine turnovers and picked up a technical foul in the second quarter when he got tangled up with Cousins.

The Suns shot just 37 percent from the field for the game, the 21st time this season they’ve made fewer than 40 percent of their shots as a team. Phoenix was without point guard Eric Bledsoe and frontcourt scorer T.J. Warren. Center Tyson Chandler and Brandon Knight were also late scratches paving the way for the Kings to break their long home losing skid.

The Kings continue their home stand on Sunday when the Dallas Mavericks make their final visit to Sleep Train Arena.