Category: Sacramento Kings

In a surprise move Karl will continue to coach the Kings

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment

 

IMG_2244by Charlie O. Mallonee

The Sacramento Kings made a surprise announcement today that George Karl will remain the coach of the team. Multiple sources had been reporting that Karl would be fired between now and the All-Star Break.

Kings general manager Vlade Divac told CSN California,”George is our coach and we’re collectively working through our issues.”

Yahoo Sports is reporting that Vlade Divac and George Karl had a conversation by telephone and the two agreed to work together especially on improving the defense. The Kings have given up an average of 125 points per game to their last three opponents.

The Kings have lost eight of their last 10 games. Even with the recent losing streak the Kings are just five games behind in the battle for the eighth and final playoff berth in the Western Conference.

Why did the Kings choose to stay with Karl? George Karl is the fifth winningest coach in NBA history. He is a sure Hall of Fame coach. Karl did not just get stupid and forget how to coach a team. He also has a great history of taking poor performing franchises and turning them into winners. Karl also has a history of having “prickly” relationships with star players and still being successful.

A second reason the Kings have chosen to keep Karl may be the need to appear to be a stable organization. Sacramento has fired three coaches in two seasons. If they would have fired Karl, the team and its management would have looked to be totally unstable in the eyes of the league, the fans and the press. No free agent or potential coach wants to join an organization that lacks stability.

The third reason may be money. Karl signed a four year $15-million contract and is still owed approximately $10-million. That is a large amount to be paying out as “dead money” while having to pay a new head coach a substantial amount. Even the deep pockets of Vivek Ranadive have their limits.

No matter what the reason – keeping George Karl is the right move for now. Karl deserves the chance to turn the team around and stay in the playoff hunt. If he is unsuccessful in that quest, then the Kings may look elsewhere for head man or woman to lead them into the “promise land” next year.

 

 

 

 

 

Kings fall to Cavaliers amidst turmoil

Published on by Eric HeLeave a comment

By: Eric He

photo credit: Cleveland.com John Kuntz–The Cleveland Cavaliers LeBron James tried to weave the web past the Sacramento Kings DeMarcus Cousins and Willie Cauley Stein

Rumors continued to swirl on Monday surrounding the future of George Karl, and Kings’ performance against the Cavaliers in a 120-100 did little to help his job security.

The Kings fell behind by double-digits early in the second quarter and were dominated by the Cavaliers on the road. Kyrie Irving led all scorers with 32 points to go along with 12 assists, while LeBron James recorded his first triple double of the season: 21 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists.

A three-pointer by J.R. Smith to end the first half sent the Kings into the locker room down by 16 points at 61-45. A 7-0 run early in the third put the Cavaliers up by 20, a lead that the Kings failed to wither down.

Rudy Gay and Omri Casspi both had 16 points to lead the Kings.

Reports indicate that Karl will be fired after the Kings play the 76ers on the road Wednesday, their final game before the All-Star break.

Sacramento is 21-31 and has lost eight of its nine games. Time will tell if playing the lowly 76ers will be the start of a turnaround — or, at the very least, save Karl’s job.

 

Kings lose again; BOS 128 SAC 119

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment
NBA: Sacramento Kings at Boston Celtics
Photo Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports

by Charlie O. Mallonee

It was not a super Sunday for the Sacramento Kings. In fact, it was more like Groundhog Day. The Kings lost to the Boston Celtics 128-119 on Sunday. If that score sounds familiar, it was the same identical final score of the Kings loss in Brooklyn on Friday night.

The Kings have now allowed their last eight opponents to score 100 or more points against them. As it has been noted, the Kings score enough points to win. They cannot get enough stops not to lose.

It was another disastrous first quarter for the Kings versus Boston. Sacramento gave up 46 first quarter points to the Celtics. They trailed Boston 46-37 after the first period.

If giving up 46 first quarter points was not bad enough, Sacramento allowed Boston to score 74 first half points. The Celtics led the game 74-58 at the half.

The Kings have consistently been digging themselves into a hole early in games. The team starts slow and then tries to overcome the bad start in the second half. The problem with that approach is it takes so much energy to get back into the game that there is nothing left in the tank to finish the game. That is what happened again on Sunday.

The Kings played a much better game on offense and defense in the second half. They created turnovers and transition situations. Sacramento outscored the Celtics 61-54 in the second half but it was too little too late.

When asked what the team can do to start games faster, Kings head coach George Karl said the coaching staff is “pulling our hair out” trying to come up with a solution.

Karl also pointed out that there is very little practice time available during this time of the season. Karl said the Kings need to “simplify” things. In other words, the team needs to get back to the basics like playing defense.

Multiple sources reported that George Karl’s job was on the line after the humiliating loss in Brooklyn. If those reports are true, the loss in Boston on Sunday did not help Karl’s cause to keep his job.

If things were not bad enough, the Kings have to play second half of back-to-back road games against Cleveland on Monday night. It is a losing team’s worst nightmare to have to face LeBron James and the Cavs when trying to stop a losing streak.

In this reporter’s opinion, firing George Karl will only add instability to a very unstable basketball organization. That being said, I do not believe George Karl will be the Kings head coach when the campaign continues after the All-Star Break.

Kings

DeMarcus Cousins led the Kings scoring attack on Sunday. Cousins scored 31 points but had to take 25 shots to score those points. He pulled down seven rebounds and dished out six assists. Cousins also picked up another technical foul in the first quarter of the game.

Rajon Rondo recorded another double-double against his old team. Rondo scored 14 points and distributed 15 assists to go with six steals.

Marco Belinelli made another start versus the Celtics. He scored 16 points but it required 17 shots to score those points. Belinelli was just 2-for-8 from 3-point range.

Willie Cauley-Stein had a solid game scoring 15 points while shooting 7-for-9 from the floor in 23-minutes of playing time.

James Anderson started at forward for Rudy Gay who was sidelined with a sprained ankle.

Sacramento had a 49.5 field goal percentage for the game. The Kings posted 32 assists and turned the ball over just 14 times. They were out-rebounded by Boston 49-32.

Celtics

Guard Avery Bradley led the Celtics scoring with 25 points. Bradley shot 6-for-7 from “downtown”.

Former Kings and first time All-Star Isaiah Thomas added 22 points of his own. Thomas also had nine assists.

Boston shot 56.0-percent from the floor (51-for-91) and 54.2-percent (13-for-24) from beyond the 3-point line. The Celtics went 13-for-15 (86.7-percent) from the free throw line.

 

George Karl is still the Kings Head Coach … for now

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment

Karl 1-2-16

by Charlie O. Mallonee

There are numerous reports that Kings owner Vivek Ranadive and vice-president of basketball operations Vlade Divac were furious after Sacramento lost to Brooklyn on Friday night 128-119. The loss dropped the Kings record to 1-6 over the last seven games.

DeMarcus Cousins made reference to a “big issue” that the team needs to deal with in order to move forward. Cousins made it clear it was not just energy and effort. One did not have to stretch the imagination too far to include the coaching staff in the “big issue”.

George Karl has been under fire in since the off-season after it was revealed that he wanted to trade DeMarcus Cousins and reconfigure the team to fit his playing style. Reports surfaced then that Ranadive wanted to fire Karl but cooler heads prevailed and Karl was retained.

Then came the infamous shouting match that followed a Kings loss early in the season when DeMarcus Cousins “unloaded” on Karl. It was reported that Karl wanted to suspend Cousins and he was overruled by Divac and Ranadive. Frankly, that move took away the power of the head coach and gave it to Cousins. To his credit, Karl has tried to work around the problem.

Things were fine when Karl and the Kings won five consecutive games and put themselves in contention for the number eight spot in the playoff race. Now that the team has hit a rough spot and fallen to 10th in the Western Conference standings the talk of a coaching change can be found all over the internet.

The Kings problem is simple. They are not playing defense. Part of the reason the Kings won five straight games was the solid defense they played. Over the last seven games the defensive component has been missing. The Kings can score enough points to win but they cannot stop enough points to keep from losing.

George Karl was not hired to coach defense. Vivek Ranadive wanted his team to play an uptempo offense that scored 100-plus points per game. He did not like the more deliberate defensive style of Michael Malone who he fired for not installing an uptempo game. George Karl has delivered th0se 100-plus games but his team has given up 100-plus points to their opponents.

Vivek Ranadive wants the Kings to make the playoffs. Check that – Ranadive wants the Kings to win the NBA Championship now. The problem is the Kings are not anywhere near a championship level yet. If the Western Conference was not having a down year, the Kings would not be in the playoff race.

It takes time to cultivate a winning organization. In order to turn a team around, it takes five to seven years of solid drafts, player development and organizational stability. Ranadive has owned the team for almost three years and it has not been a stable organization (see the resumes of the three head coaches he has hired). Building a championship team is like developing a fine wine – it takes time.

Ranadive is going to fire George Karl. It may not be on Sunday after the Boston game. It may not be during the All-Star Break. It may not happen until the end of the season but George Karl is a “dead man walking”. He has been since Ranadive wanted to fire him for suggesting the team should trade Cousins during the off-season.

Another coaching change will just add instability to an unstable organization. Changing the coach will not bring the Kings a championship. Only time, solid drafts, good free agent signings and organizational stability will lead the Kings to where they want to be.

In the meantime hang on, it’s going to be a bumpy ride.

 

 

 

No defense equals no win for Sacramento; Kings lose to Nets 128-119

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment
NBA: Sacramento Kings at Brooklyn Nets
Photo Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports

by Charlie O. Mallonee

Opposing teams have figured out how to defeat the Sacramento Kings. First, you have to start fast because the Kings are slow to start playing defense. Second, shoot the 3-ball because the Sacramento perimeter defense is non-existent.

The Brooklyn Nets came out fast in the first quarter on Friday night against the Kings. The Nets put up 33 points in the first period. In fact, the Nets scored at least 30 points in three of the four quarters in the game. This scoring barrage was from a team that averages just 95 points per game.

The Nets also came prepared to shoot from long distance. Brooklyn connected on 18 of 28 (64.3-percent) 3-point attempts versus the Kings. Bojan Bogdanovic hit on 7-0f-9 3-point shots while Joe Johnson went 5-for-7 from downtown. Donald Sloan shot 4-for-5 from long range.

Brooklyn (13-38) – who had lost five consecutive games – shot 55.8-percent (48-for-86) from the field. Sacramento (21-29) never found its defensive footing in the contest.

George Karl described his team as having a “shootout mentality” rather than a defensive mentality. Karl went on to add that things felt “very empty” after the game.

The fact is the Kings can score enough points to win but they cannot stop enough points to keep from losing.

Sacramento has now lost six of their last seven games. This game versus the Nets was supposed to be one of the most winnable contests on this four game road trip that includes games in Boston and Cleveland before the All-Star break.

It is very apparent that something has to change for the Kings and it has to happen quickly.

DeMarcus Cousins was very cryptic after the game saying his team has a “big issue” to deal with internally. He was clear that the issue went beyond energy and effort.

Even with the loss, the Kings are just three games out of the number eight spot in the Western Conference playoff race. The potential of the playoffs may just be an afterthought if the Kings cannot find solutions to whatever is ailing them in the locker room and on the court.

Kings

Darren Collison led the Kings in scoring by putting up 25 points in 25 minutes of playing time off the bench. Collison went 7-for-9 from the floor including two 3-point baskets. He was also an impressive 9-for-9 from the free throw line.

DeMarcus Cousins posted a triple-double against the Nets. Cousins scored 24 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and dished out 10 assists in the game. He was a perfect 4-for-4 from beyond the 3-point arc.

Rajon Rondo had a double-double game as he scored 15 points and distributed 15 assists. Rondo had three steals and turned the ball over just two times.

Willie Cauley-Stein added 16 points, Marco Belinelli 13, Caron Butler 8 and Omri Casspi 7.

Rudy Gay scored just two points in the game. Gay went down early in first quarter with a twisted ankle. Karl had no update on Gay’s condition after the game.

Sacramento shot 50.6-percent (45-for-89) from the floor hitting on 8 of 26 3-point shots. The Kings shot 21-for-22 from the foul line. They had 30 assists and just 11 turnovers.

All of these numbers support the premise that the Kings score enough to win. They just cannot keep the other team from scoring more.

Nets

Joe Johnson scored a season-high 27 points to lead the Nets scoring attack. Johnson shot 11-for-16 from the floor including 5-for-7 from downtown. Johnson did not make one trip to the free throw line in the game.

Center Brook Lopez posted 26 points in the game. Lopez made it a double-double game by hauling in 12 rebounds.

Bojan Bogdanovic scored a season-high 23 points against the Kings. He shot 8-for-10 from the field and 7-for-9 from long range. Bogdanovic also did not make a trip to the charity stripe in the contest.

Donald Sloan had a season-high 17 points versus the Kings. A team cannot allow that many season high scoring performances from the opposition and expect to win.

Up next

The Kings will return to action on Sunday with an early game in Boston. The Celtics (30-22) beat the Cavs 104-103 in Cleveland on Friday evening. The Kings – Celtics game will tip-off at 10:00 AM Pacific Time.

The Nets play the second game of a back-to-back against the Sixers in Philadelphia on Saturday.

 

 

 

 

Kings fall short in loss to Bulls

Published on by Michael MartinezLeave a comment

by Michael Martinez

Photo credit (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

SACRAMENTO- A Chicago Bulls team without All Star Jimmy Butler gives opponents a much better chance at winning, or at least competiting. Butler sat out Wednesday night’s ball game with left knee tendinitis. The Kings did do a good job of sticking around with the Bulls, but allowed E’Twaun Moore to tear up the defense as if he was Butler.

Sacramento once again allowed a player who never really impacts games to get a career high in points. The Kings had a lot of sloppy play and their defense was not consistently strong enough to ever allow them to over come the Bulls. Missed free throws cost the Kings as well especially when it counted. Even with another monster game from DeMarcus Cousins, who was honored as an All Star prior to the game, Sacramento could not overcome the Bulls. The Kings (21-27) lost to the Bulls (27-21), 107-102, in a tightly contested match up in Sacramento at Sleep Train Arena.

The Kings lacked urgency to start the game. Sacramento looked slow and the Bulls took advantage, especially Moore. Moore scored ten of Chicago’s first 13 points causing Sacramento to take a timeout at the 7:02 mark. Moore would finish the quarter with 13 points, a point shy of his career high.

Marco Belinelli’s shot started to look better, scoring six points in the quarter, as he got another start. The Kings were able to hang around in the quarter in big part to DeMarcus Cousins, who scored eight points in a row later in the quarter causing the Bulls to call a timeout with Chicago up by eight. The Kings’ defense caused five turnovers, but could not find a way to stop the Bulls from scoring as Chicago shot 57.1% from the field. The Bulls did an excellent job behind the three-point line, going six for eight.

The Bulls took advantage of the Kings’ four turnovers with nine points off those turnovers. Allowing the Bulls to shoot at a high percentage had the Kings down, 35-24, after one quarter of play. For the fifth straight game, the Kings allowed their opponent to score 30 or more points in the first quarter.

“It’s a nightmare,” said Coach George Karl.  “I’ve never had this many games on your home court come out flat.”

Coming off of a sluggish first quarter, Darren Collison helped pick up the pace for Sacramento. Off the bench, Collison finished the half with 13 points, eight of those from the second quarter. The Kings’ defense did a better job against the Bulls’ offense and found some of their own as well.

With 4:35 left in the second quarter, Omri Casspi and Bobby Portis received a technical foul each after the pair were yapping at one another over a prior play.

Down by four, Sacramento looked to keep the game close but the Bulls went on a 6-0 run to go up by ten as Chicago continued their good ball movement with a little under three minutes to play in the half.

Belinelli scored six more points in the second quarter. Belinelli hit two three-pointers for a total of 12 points in the half. Belinelli’s threes helped keep the Kings within reach with one of those threes coming from a Cousins’ screen and put the score at 60-57. Belinelli’s three would be the last field goal of the half with the Bulls leading the Kings, 60-57 after one half of play.

Omri Casspi and Bobby Portis  received a double technical after the pair were yapping at one another over a prior play.

Moore eclipsed his prior career high of 14 points with 15 in the first half for a halftime high. Cousins scored 14 points for a team high. Chicago had ten second chance points in the first half, as they out rebounded the Kings, 26-18. Chicago crashed the boards much harder than the Kings, but with 28 points in the paint Sacramento kept it close.

The Kings started the third quarter off with a 5-0 run, giving them their first lead since early in the first quarter. But the Bulls followed it up with a 5-0 run of their own. The Kings got to 66 points, which was later changed to 64 as a Rudy Gay field goal was changed to a shot clock violation. After that point, Sacramento turned the ball over on five straight possessions, but luckily the Bulls did not do so well either. Throughout the quarter, Sacramento inched closer and closer, but the eight third quarter turnovers never gave them a chance to regain the lead.

Both teams did very little offensively, with Chicago scoring 20 and Sacramento scoring 18. The Kings did a much better job of rebounding the ball with four offensive boards and 14 total in the quarter. Gay scored six points on 3-6 shooting for a total of ten, looking much better in the third quarter after foul trouble in the first half.

Moore continued to play well out of the break with seven points in the third. Cousins also had a big quarter with eight points, as him and Moore tied for a game high with 22 points. After a lot of careless basketball, the Bulls still maintained their lead, 80-75 through three.

The fourth quarter came down to the wire although the Bulls started out the quarter on a 6-0 run. Again, the Kings were able to stay in the game and went up by as many as ten in the quarter. With a little over three and a half minutes to play, Chicago was up 99-90 over the Kings. But Belinelli’s improved shooting came in clutch for Sacramento as they got the lead down to four, 105-101, after he hit a three pointer while getting fouled.

Belinelli missed the free throw, but Cousins grabbed the board and was fouled. Cousins only made one free throw to cut Chicago’s lead to three with 45 seconds in the game. Sacramento kept getting stops and had possession down three with 17.9 seconds.

Out of a timeout, the Kings drew up a play to get Cousins the ball inside for a quick two, but Boogie could not convert on two separate tries. The Kings fouled Moore with 10.4 seconds left and the game seemed basically over. However, Moore missed both free throws and Sacramento got the rebound with nine seconds remaining. Cousins got fouled and missed the first free throw, letting out great frustration afterwards. Boogie missed the second shot on purpose and got called for a lane violation.

Pau Gasol, who finished with 16 points and 13 boards, made two free throws to close out the game and give the Bulls the victory, 107-102. Rudy Gay fouled out by fouling Gasol.

Derrick Rose had a solid fourth quarter with eight points, totaling 21 points and adding nine assists with six boards. Moore finished with a career high 24 points as he filled the shoes of Butler tonight.

Cousins added another double double on the season, 30 points and 11 rebounds, finishing with a game high. Cousins admitted to being banged up after a very physical game, but is still ready to go. Belinelli scored 18 points for Sacramento, 7-14 from the field.

Off the bench, Collison scored 19 points but did not see much playing time in the second half. Rajon Rondo added nine assists for the Kings, who continue to score well in the paint, but have lacked good starts in games.

The defense got better, but Chicago shot 52.4% from the behind the arc, which was a  big difference maker as well as their 19 fast break points. Both teams finished with 17 turnovers in a very sloppy game.

“Starts. Turnovers hurt us tonight, transition defense hurt us tonight,” Cousins said.

The Kings have now lost five of their last six games and are looking for answers with four games left before the All Star break.

“I would probably say our only pattern is our effort coming out early on in games. We’ve got to find a way to improve that,” Cousins said when asked about characteristics in their losses.

The Kings, now 21-28, will need to practice what they preach heading into the last four games to gain momentum as they near the break. On Friday, Sacramento will take on the Brooklyn Nets on the road as they look to get the roller coaster season back in their favor with some much needed road wins.

“We’ve got to get three, we have to,” Cousins said.

Sacramento Kings podcast with Charlie O: Kings break a loss streak without Cousins big plans to hold things together

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

On the Kings podcast with Charlie O, the Kings break a four game loss streak by defeating the Milwaukee Bucks without their star player DeMarcus Cousins. The victory was key and the Kings who went on that four game slide after winning five straight game. Also thoughts on Rajon Rondo and his future with the Kings and will they keep him.

Trade talks continue regarding the Kings Rudy Gay and will they keep him. Other teams just don’t seem to want him bad enough to sign him. Will he fit in somewhere else or will the Kings keep him. Also what’s coming up for the Kings in the second part of this NBA season.

Charlie O does the Kings podcast each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com take a listen below

Sacramento Kings Monday night post game report: Kings Win After Minor Controversy

Published on by tonyrenteriaLeave a comment

By Tony Renteria

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings (21-27) defeated the visiting Milwaukee Bucks (20-30) at Sleep Train Arena 111-104 after DeMarcus Cousins voiced concerns over a marketing campaign held by the Kings Organization.

One the first day of Black history month the Kings were giving away T-shirts celebrating the Chinese New Year.  The Kings were giving shirts with a monkey until Cousins took exception of the give away and Kings had the ushers take the shirts down before tip off.

Cousins did not play due a a sprained ankle, so Rudy Gay took the team on his back as scored 32 points to lead the Kings.

The Kings used a strong 2nd quarter to take the lead over the visitors and poured it on the fourth quarter for the Win.

The Bucks were led by Greg Monro who took advantage of a King’s team with Cousins to work the paint for 24 points to pace the Bucks in the loss.

The Bucks head up to Portland on Tuesday to face the Trail Blazers and the Kings host the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday.

 

The slide continues as Kings lose in Memphis 121-117

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment
NBA: Sacramento Kings at Memphis Grizzlies
Photo Credit: Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports

by Charlie O. Mallonee

The situation is growing desperate as the Sacramento Kings – who had won five consecutive games – have now lost four straight games after losing to the Grizzlies 121-117 on Saturday night in Memphis.

The game was not close until the fourth quarter when the Kings came alive on offense and defense. Sacramento (20-27) started the game very slow trailing by 14 points after the first 12 minutes were over. At the half, the Kings still trailed the Grizzlies by 14 points.

The Kings lackluster play continued in the third quarter and they found themselves down to Memphis (28-20) by 15 points as the fourth quarter began.

In the fourth quarter, Darren Collison and Rudy Gay led a mad charge on offense that would result in 40 points in the quarter for Sacramento. The Kings cut the lead to just one point off a Collison 3-point bank shot with 16 seconds to go but were unable to score after that basket.

The Kings comeback attempt was hampered when DeMarcus Cousins re-injured his left ankle after Marc Gasol rolled over the ankle with 2:02 left in the game. Cousins missed time in second quarter when he rolled the left ankle while driving to the basket.

Ultimately, the Kings were unable to overcome their slow start and lack of defense which led to their fourth consecutive loss.

Kings

Rudy Gay led the Kings scoring attack putting up 21 points in 38 minutes of playing time. Gay shot 6-for-12 overall, 2-for-3 from 3-point range and was a perfect 7-for-7 from the free throw line.

DeMarcus Cousins posted another double-double game scoring 17 points and grabbing 14 rebounds in just 30 minutes on the floor. Cousins had a horrible shooting night hitting on just 3-of-17 field goal attempts. He was 10-for-14 from the charity stripe.

Rajon Rondo scored 15 points and recorded eight assists but was charged with seven turnovers. Rondo fouled out of the game late in the fourth quarter.

Darren Collison put up 20 points coming off the bench with 14 of those points coming in the final quarter. Collison shot 50-percent from the field connecting on 7-of-14 shots.

Omri Casspi also supplied some punch off the bench. Casspi also shot 50-percent from the field hitting on 6-of-12 attempts.

Sacramento shot just 41.3-percent (38-of-92) from the field. They turned the ball over 19 times and that resulted in 26 Memphis points. The Kings had just 16 assists in the contest.

Grizzlies

Jeff Green led the Memphis scoring attack coming off the bench and putting up 29 points. Green was 11-for-16 from the floor, 3-for-5 from beyond the 3-point arc and a perfect 4-for-4 from the free throw line.

Marc Gasol scored 22 points and dished out five assists in the game. The Kings had no answer for Gasol until the fourth quarter.

Courtney Lee was also a force to be reckoned with as he scored 18 points going a perfect 5-for-5 from the floor (3-for-3 from 3-point range).

The Grizzlies shot 51.9-percent (41-for-79) from the floor and were 8-for-18 (44.4-percent) from long distance.

The Grizzlies exceeded their 96-points per game average by 25 points on Saturday night.

Up next

The Kings returned to Sacramento after the game and will host the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday night at Sleep Train Arena. The Bucks have lost two consecutive games and have a 20-29 record on the season.

The Kings need a win over the Bucks as they will have to face the third best team in Eastern Conference – the Chicago Bulls – on Wednesday night in Sacramento.

Sacramento will then head out on a four-game road trip that will take them to Brooklyn, Boston, Cleveland and Philadelphia before the All-Star break.

 

Kings Can’t Beat Short-Handed Pelicans

Published on by Matthew HarringtonLeave a comment

By Matthew T.F. Harrington

AP photo: Pelicans Ryan Anderson (33) goes up toward basket over the Kings Marco Belinelli (3) on Thursday night

The New Orleans Pelicans were without their two best players in All-star Anthony Davis and Tyreke Evans, but they still managed to defend home court at the Smoothie King Center Thursday night. Ryan Anderson scored a career-high 36 points to beat a George Karl-less Sacramento Kings 114-105.

Anderson scored 30 points in the first half to push New Orleans (17-28) to a 63-53 lead at the half despite a 34-26 second quarter by the Kings. Sacramento would pull within 5 in the 4th, but a Pelican run extinguished all hope for the Kings (20-26).

Rajon Rondo and Western Conference All-star DeMarcus did the usual, each producing a double-double. The Kings point guard picked up 15 assists, matching a franchise record with 14-straight double-digit assist contests, and 17 points. Cousins earned his double on the glass, pulling in 10 boards along with 26 points. Ben McLemore also picked up 26 points.

For the Pelicans, Jrue Holiday pitched in off the bench. He scored 25 points on 8 of 24 shooting. Norris Cole picked up a double-double for the hosts after scoring 17 points while dropping 10 times.

The Kings were without coach Karl, who missed the contest due to illness. Associate coach Chad Iske took over the coaching duties looking to end a two-game losing skid for Sacramento. There is no word who will be behind the bench when the Kings travel to Memphis Saturday.