Category: Sacramento Kings

Sacramento Kings podcast with Tony Renteria: Kings open second half of season against Spurs Thursday at Golden 1

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The Denver Nuggets forward Justin Holiday (9) holds the ball above his head and away from the Sacramento Kings guard Kevin Huerter (9) in the second half at Ball Arena on Wed Feb 14, 2024 (AP News photo)

On the Sacramento Kings podcast with Tony Renteria:

#1 When the Sacramento Kings made their visit to Denver last Wednesday Feb 14th the Denver Nuggets were three short in their line up with guards Jamal Murray (tibia inflammation) and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (hamstring tendinosis). That gave the Kings a leg up going into that game.

#2 With Jamal Murray who is the Nuggets second leading scorer the Kings De’Aaron Fox had free reign leading the Kings with 30 points and eight rebounds. Domantas Sabonis’ contribution was valuable as well scoring 20 points with 13 rebounds.

#3 It wasn’t all smooth sailing for the Kings in that game they had to come back to win it down 16 points in the second half and doing it against the Nuggets is none too easy but the Kings came away with a 102-98 win.

#4 The win by the Kings was their second against the Nuggets in five days they defeated the Nuggets at Golden 1 on Fri Feb 9th 135-106.

#5 The San Antonio Spurs are up next for the Kings on Thursday night at Golden 1 Center. The Spurs are dead last in the Western Conference 15th place. They have lost eight of their last ten games. It’s been a long season for their head coach Gregg Poppovich. Who to his credit has been very patient with his players and the media in post game interviews.

Join Tony Renteria for the Sacramento Kings podcasts each Tuesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Sacramento Kings podcast with Tony Renteria: Kings playing .500 ball look to moving up in second half of season

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The Sacramento Kings forward Trey Lyles (top) and the Denver Nuggets forward Peyton Watson (bottom) are both not giving up the basketball that easy in the second half Wed Feb 14, 2024 at Ball Arena in Denver (AP News photo)

On the Sacramento Kings podcast with Tony Renteria:

#1 The Sacramento Kings (31-23) had a tough task going into Ball Arena in Denver on Wednesday night and they came away winners in surprising fashion after losing five of their last six games before the game against the Denver Nuggets (36-19) they opened up the offense on the Nuggets.

#2 Talking about the offense for the Kings in the third quarter they outscored Denver 30-21 it was an impact quarter that helped the outcome of the game.

#3 The Kings guard De’Aaron Fox led with 30 points and Harrison Baines and Domantas Sabonis both finished second in scoring with 20 points.

#4 One of the key players that the Kings kept his numbers was center Nikola Jokic who scored 15 points and the Kings defended him well and sometimes double teaming him.

#5 The Kings return home next Thu Feb 22nd at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento they’ll face the San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs have suffered under head coach Gregg Poppovich this season. The Spurs are in dead last (15th place) in the NBA Western Conference and have lost eight of the last ten games. In spite of this do you see this being a battle or a landslide for the Kings.

Tony Renteria filled in Jeremiah Salmonson for the Kings podcasts heard Fridays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Kevin and Devin show has Kings fall to Suns 130-125; Durant 28 pts, Booker 25 pts offense gets Phoenix win

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The Phoenix Suns Kevin Durant (35) is stoked after after hitting a three point first half shot against the Sacramento Kings at Footprint Arena in Phoenix on Tue Feb 13, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

PHOENIX–The Sacramento Kings were back in action on Tuesday night in Phoenix, Arizona. The Kings last played on Sunday when they took on Oklahoma City Thunder. The Kings, who had played the Thunder well so far into the season, had high hopes for that game.

Unfortunately, the Kings lost a relatively uncompetitive game by the final of 127-113 on Sunday. The Kings have been a woefully inconsistent team in the 2023-2024 season. They are desperately looking for consistency on the defensive side of the ball and from the urgency department. The Kings would take on the Suns on Tuesday at 8 PM MST. The Kings fell to the Suns 130-125.

In the first quarter, the offense was the name of the game. The Kings and the Suns started hot from the scoring end of the floor. The Kings outscored the Suns 39-38 in the first quarter of action. Domantas Sobonis and De’Aaron Fox got going early, with 13 and 12 points, respectively. It seemed the entire Suns team got in on the scoring in the first quarter, as seven players had scored for them. Obviously, both these teams are offensively gifted. Could either team tighten things up on the defensive side of the ball?

In the second quarter, the intensity level from both teams went to max. The Kings and Suns were caught in a heavy-weight battle in the Valley. As both teams increased the intensity, the offensive output took a dip. The Kings outscored the Suns again in the second quarter by two points, 28-26. It was a thriller of a first half on TNT as both teams were looking to move to the sixth seed in the Western Conference. It would also be the deciding game for the season head-to-head record for the two teams. The Kings would be leading heading into halftime, 67-64.

In the third quarter, the Suns finally broke through and would take the lead on the Kings. Granted, the lead would only be two points as the Suns led 94-92 heading into the fourth quarter. The Kings were outscored by the Suns 30-25 in the third. Fox had 27 points, and Sabonis 25 through three quarters. Eric Gordon was leading the way for the Suns with 20 points. You could feel the energy building as the Suns fans were gearing up for a fourth-quarter run.

In the fourth quarter, the Suns couldn’t miss early. The Suns went on a 9-2 run to open the quarter and force Mike Brown to take a timeout with 10:13 left in the game. An animated Brown, Kevin Huerter, and Harrison Barnes could be seen on the sidelines, obviously frustrated with defensive miscues.

After the timeout, the Kings did their best to withstand the Suns onslaught. The Suns were shooting out of their minds. The Kings would be down 108-100 with 7:00 to go in the game. Could the Kings make a run to win the game? The Kings went on a run to bring the game within a shot.

The game would go back and forth up until the final whistle, but the Kings would fall to the Suns 130-25. The Kings best performance in the loss was from Sabonis, who had 35 points, 18 rebounds, and 12 assists. Fox recorded a 40-piece in the loss. Kevin Durant led the Suns to victory with a 28-point and 10-rebound game.

Sabonis is the first player since Larry Bird to have at least 30 points, 15 rebounds, 12 assists, and five blocks in a game.

Up Next: The Kings travel to Denver to take on the Nuggets on Wednesday.

Sacramento Kings podcast with Tony Renteria: Kings battle Suns Kevin and Devin tonight at the Footprint Center

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The Oklahoma City Thunder’s guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) takes a shot over the Sacramento Kings guard De’Aaron Fox (5) in the second half at Paycom Arena in Oklahoma City on Sun Feb 11, 2024 (AP News photo)

On the Sacramento Kings podcast with Tony Renteria:

#1 The Kings took a tough loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder as the Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led with 38 points. Alexander made 15 of 26 points and had 17 assists against the Kings.

#2 Following up Alexander in scoring for the Thunder was Jalen Williams with 32, Tony when you look at both Alexander and Williams the Kings defense just couldn’t keep up with the Thunder who wound up winning by 14 points 127-113 at Paycom Arena in Oklahoma City.

#3 Kings head coach Mike Brown said after the game that Alexander played like an MVP candidate, Brown said the Kings defense threw the kitchen sink at Alexander and he still came up with 38 points.

#4 The Kings high scorers were Malik Monk with 26 points and Domantas Sabonis with 21 points, through their efforts the Kings have now lost three of their last four games.

#5 The Kings face the Phoenix Suns at Footprint Arena in downtown Phoenix. The Suns are loaded with Kevin Durant and Devin Booker. The Suns are sixth in the Western Conference and have won six of their last ten games. How do you see this match up for tonight?

Join Tony Renteria for the Sacramento Kings podcasts each Tuesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Kings Fall to Thunder In An Offensive Letdown 127-113; Alexander leads with 38 pts for OKC

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The Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) drives on the Sacramento Kings forward Keegan Murray (left) in the second half at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City on Sun Feb 11, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

The Sacramento Kings (30-22) fell to the Oklahoma City Thunder (36-17) Sunday afternoon. The Kings did not show up offensively or defensively. The Thunder could not be contained and scored at will winning this game 127-113.

First it was the Denver Nuggets taking on the Sacramento Kings Friday night and then Sunday Sacramento had their hands more than full in Oklahoma playing the red-hot Thunder at Paycom Center. The Kings had nicely taken care of the Nuggets Friday night winning that game 135-106. 

Two nights earlier, Sacramento lost to the worst team in basketball the Pistons, and then turned around and beat one of the best two night’s later. It was a crazy turn of events. It could well have been fatigue after the lengthy road trip they had just come off of. They may have taken this game too lightly looking ahead to the Nugget matchup. It just defies logic.  

The Thunder improve to third place in the Western Conference after their win over the Kings. The Kings drop to seventh place in the conference. The Thunder battle tested the Kings to a greater extent for the 14 point win then the Nuggets did.

Game recap: Sacramento hung tight in the opening quarter of the game trailing after the first twelve minutes 29-27. OKC got going in the second quarter leading at the half 69-57. The Kings were having a lot of trouble protecting the ball with 11 turnovers. 

Sacramento was also having trouble keeping up with the face pace that the Thunder had set.  It was a quiet half for Kevin Huerter and De’Aaron Fox. Domantas Sabonis was on the edge of yet another triple double with eight rebounds, nine assists and 12 points.

It all seemed to fall apart in the third quarter for Sacramento. They had a nice start with a shot from downtown and then suffered nine empty possessions. The Thunder could not be stopped scoring at will and taking the largest lead of the game 88-66 with 5:38 left in the quarter. 

The Sacramento offense had left the building and the Kings were desperate for stops which were not coming easily. There were glimpses of some nice offense from Sacramento but nothing on a consistent basis. 

OKC was sporting a 100-83 lead going into the fourth quarter. Without offense it would be a very long quarter of basketball for Sacramento. A 17 point lead with an entire quarter left in the game in most cases is surmountable but your offense has to join the party. 

The Kings went on a nice run erasing the Thunder’s 17 point lead to start the fourth quarter. Sacramento trailed by eight points with eight minutes left in the game. The Kings could not get anything going after the opening quarter.  

One bright spot in this game for Sacramento was the triple double from Sabonis. He He had 11 rebounds, 14 assists and 21 points. Malik Monk was the high for the game with 21 points. He had a terrific game off the bench.   

Tuesday night the Kings travel to Phoenix to take on the Suns in the Valley of the Sun. Tip off for this game is scheduled for 7:00 PM in yet another tough matchup.    

Kings Blow Out Nuggets 135-106 Sabonis passes Jokic for NBA lead in triple doubles with 16

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Sacramento Kings forward Domantas Sabonis (10) forward tries to defend the Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) in first half action at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Fri Feb 9, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

The Sacramento Kings were back in action on Friday night at Golden One Center in Sacramento. The Kings had last played on Wednesday night when they took on the Detroit Pistons. The Kings would fall to the Pistons and give them just their seventh win of the season, 133-120.

On Friday, the Kings looked for a different outcome against one of the best teams in the NBA as they welcomed the Denver Nuggets. Denver was on the second night of a back-to-back as tip-off was set for 7 PM PST. The Kings defeated the Thunder 135-106 on Friday night.

The Kings and Nuggets got off to a quick start in the first quarter. Offense was in good shape, as the two teams both started hot. The Nuggets outscored the Kings 35-32 in the first quarter. However, Nikola Jokic would hurt himself and return to the locker room. The Kings would look to tighten up the defense in the second quarter.

Jokic returned from his brief injury in the second quarter and is healthy. The Kings offense exploded in the second quarter as they scored 35 points. On the other hand, the Kings defense was also much better in the second quarter, as they held the Nuggets to only 22 points.

The Kings led the Nuggets 67-57 heading into halftime. It was the battle of the two bigs as Sabonis and Jokic each led their teams with 13 and 14 first-half points, respectively.

The Kings offense kept firing on all cylinders in the third quarter, carrying over from the first half. The Kings scored 39 points in the third quarter to build on the first-half lead. The Nuggets looked tired on the second night of a back-to-back and scored 29 points in the third. Ultimately, the Kings were just playing better all-around basketball. The Kings would go into the final quarter up 106-86.

In the fourth quarter, the Kings largely subbed out the starters, and it was garbage time for the bench. The Kings bench unit still put up big numbers as the Kings outscored the Nuggets 29-20 in the fourth. The Kings would win the game 135-106. Malik Monk led The Kings in victory, scoring 23 points. Jokic led the Nuggets with a 23-point game of his own.

Up Next: The Kings remain home to take on the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday at noon PST.

Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson: Kings face tough NBA Champs Nuggets tonight at Golden 1 Center

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Detroit Pistons guard Killian Hayes (7) drives on the Sacramento Kings forward Domantas Sabonis (10) and forward Keegan Murray (13) in the first half at Little Caesar’s Arena in Detroit on Wed Feb 7, 2024 (AP News photo)

Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson:

#1 Jeremiah, the Detroit Pistons Jaden Ivey was hitting his shot leading with a career high of 37 points as the Pistons defeated the Sacramento Kings by 13 points 133-120 at Little Caesars Pizza Arena in Detroit on Wednesday night.

#2 Ivey scored 19 of his 37 points in the fourth quarter and the Kings just had a rough time shutting down his offensive game.

#3 The Kings leading scorer Domantas Sabonis had 30 but Sabonis couldn’t do it all in trying to carry the Kings over the finish line.

#4 The Kings have now lost two straight, they’ve lost six of their last ten, and they are seventh in the Western Conference how much concern does head coach Mike Brown have that this team could slip even further if they don’t start stringing some wins together?

#5 The Kings are in Denver tonight taking on the NBA Champions Denver Nuggets at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento. The Nuggets are third in the Western Conference and have won two straight and won seven of their last ten games. The Kings could have their hands full tonight.

Jeremiah Salmonson does the Kings podcasts Fridays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Kings bow to Pistons NBA’s worst team 136-110 at Golden 1 Center; Detroit’s Ivey leads with 37 points

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The Detroit Pistons guard Jaden Ivey (23) gets a fade away shot over the Sacramento Kings guard Malik Monk (0) in second half action at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Wed Feb 7, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings were back in action on Wednesday night in Sacramento. The Kings were coming off a seven-game road trip that saw them go 5-2. It was a solid trip for the Kings that exceeded expectations.

However, the Kings didn’t finish the trip strong as the red-hot Cleveland Cavs blew them out on Monday 136-110. On Wednesday, the Kings welcomed the worst team in the NBA, the Detroit Pistons. The tip-off was set for 7 PM PST at Golden One Center. The Kings fell to the worst team in the NBA, 133-120, on Wednesday night.

In the first quarter, the Kings played no defense as usual. Yet, the offense was firing on all cylinders. The Kings scored 36 points in the first quarter compared to the Pistons, who scored 31. The Kings were aided in the first quarter with great three-point shooting from Kevin Huerter, who hit 3-4.

In the second quarter, the Kings melted down. The Kings had zero effort on the defensive end, and the Kings shots stopped falling. That combo led to the Kings giving up the lead and giving the Pistons the lead going into halftime.

The Pistons outscored the Kings 39-27 in the second quarter to take the lead going into halftime. The Kings would trail the Pistons 70-63 at halftime. It was an embarrassing showing from the Kings as the boos reigned down from Golden One. Could the Kings turn it around in the third?

Yes! The Kings turned things around drastically in the third quarter as they stormed back to take the lead. The Kings outscored the Pistons in the third quarter 36-27. It was a welcome sight for Kings fans who were unhappy with how the first half ended. The Kings would go into the fourth quarter leading 99-97 after a buzzer-beating three from Domas Sabonis.

In the fourth quarter, the Kings lost the plot. The Kings were run off the court on Wednesday night as the Pistons fired in the final quarter to beat the Kings 133-120.

The Kings were outscored by the Pistons 36-21 in the fourth quarter, which led to their demise. The Kings best performance came from Domas Sabonis, who had 30 points and 12 rebounds. Jaden Ivey led the Pistons to victory with 37 points.

Up Next: The Kings stay home to take on the Denver Nuggets in Sacramento at 7 PM PST on Friday.

Kings Wrap Up Road Trip With a Lose to the Cavaliers 136-110

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Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donavon Mitchell (left) tries to reach in on the Sacramento Kings forward Domantas Sabonis (right) at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland on Mon Feb 5, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

The Cleveland Cavaliers (32-16) beat the Sacramento Kings (29-20) Monday night 136-110. Donovan Mitchell led the Cavaliers with 29 points. The Kings had a lot of trouble containing the Cleveland long game. The Cavs had 23 triples. 

The long seven game road trip had taken it’s toll on the Kings. Domantas Sabonis had yet another triple double with 19 rebounds, 15 assists and 12 points. Sacramento will be thrilled to be back at Golden 1 Center on Wednesday night.

Game recap: The Kings got a nice start in the opening quarter of the game but trailed after the first 12 minutes of play 39-34. Keegan Murray, who has struggled the past few games had a much improved first half scoring ten points. 

Sabonis had eight points in the half but more impressive were his 11 rebounds and ten assists. He was a basket away from another triple double. Harrison Barnes had the team high in the first half with 13 points. De’Aaron Fox was on the verge of double digits as was Sabonis. 

Despite some nice play in the first quarter the Kings had cooled off in the second quarter getting stomped 35-25. At the half the Cavs had a 74-59 lead. Cleveland was red-hot from beyond the arc with 13 triples and the Kings needed to shut that down in the second half. Sacramento had to lock in defensively getting some stops.

Cleveland continued to shoot more triples in the third quarter and mid-way through the quarter had 17 and the Kings needed more stops and a whole lot more offense. Sacramento got some offense going as well as some stops cutting a 19 point deficit to 13 with 6:01 left in the quarter. 

Sabonis clocked another triple double in the third. As the quarter began to wind down, the Kings were being outplayed on both sides of the ball. The Cavs Mitchell was unstoppable with 27 points to his credit through three quarters. Cleveland led going into the fourth quarter 106-92.

The Kings had some ground to make up with the most important task containing Mitchell in the fourth quarter. Both teams were shooting around 55% from the field but it was those Cleveland triples that were making a huge difference for the Cavaliers. 

The 21 point Cleveland lead had been cut to ten 106-96 with ten minutes left in the game but the relentless Cavs pushed their lead back to fifteen 111-96. With a 126-105 Cavalier lead the two teams began to trade baskets.

 Even open looks were failing for the Kings and they were totally being outplayed offensively and defensively. This lengthy road trip was physically catching up with the Kings and it really showed as this game played on.

After a grueling seven game road trip the Kings now head back home. This was a disappointing game for the team, struggling most of the way. Every starter finished with double digits as did bench player Malik Monk but despite that, the Cavs dominated in every way. 

Harrison Barnes had the team high with 22 points. The Kings just could not contain the 23 shots from beyond the arc that the Cavs hit. 69 points from downtown did a real number on Sacramento.

Post game notes: After winning a game in Chicago against the Bulls 123-115 Saturday night, the Kings capped off a seven-game road trip playing the Cavaliers Monday night. Cleveland improved to a 31-16 record are coming off a win over the Spurs 117-101 Saturday night. The Kings finished off this road trip (their longest this season) with a loss in a 24 point loss to the Cavaliers.

Wednesday night the Kings will be back home at Golden 1 Center taking on the Detroit Pistons. Despite having the worst record in all of basketball, the Kings will not take this team lightly. Tipoff for this game is scheduled for 7:00 PM.

Sacramento Kings Outlast Chicago Bulls in Fourth Quarter 123-115

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The Sacramento Kings forward Keegan Murray (left) dunks on the Chicago Bulls forward Juian Phillips (15) in first half action at the United Center in Chicago on Sat Feb 3, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

The Sacramento Kings (29-19) had a healthy lead mid-way through the fourth quarter against the Chicago Bulls (23-27) and let the Bulls back into the game. They had actually led by as much as 30 points in the third quarter. 

The Kings scoring leader was De’Aaron Fox who had an above average night with 41 points, Malik Monk contributed with 22 points and Domantas Sabonis led with 14 rebounds and ten assists which helped defeat the Bulls at the United Center in Chicago 123-115.

Game recap:The Kings got off to a nice start leading after the first 12 minutes 32-25. Sacramento would really extend their lead going into the half leading 71-52. Sacramento had a nice lead after two quarters but we have seen them drop large leads lately and having to fight their way to wins. This was a 19 point lead but the Kings have been there before only to let their opponents back into the game.

The Bulls cut the Kings 18 point lead in half winning the third quarter 29-20 and Sacramento was against letting their opponent back into the game. The Kings had led by as much as 30 points in the third but the Bulls came roaring back. 

Chicago went on to win the fourth quarter 34-32 but it was too little too late. The Kings held off the Bulls improving their road trip to 5-1 with one more game left on their seven-game road trip. This road trip has been a huge success as the team improved to 29-19 on the season. 

The struggles of King’s bench player Monk appear to be over after a 23 point night Friday and tonight hitting 22. He lit up when his team so badly needed him. Fox was brilliant with 41 points and Sabonis had yet another triple double with 13 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists. 

This was his 31st consecutive game with at least a double double making a concrete argument as to why Fox and Sabonis were not included in the All-Star game. Keegan Murray continues to struggle scoring but did have six rebounds in this game. He has only scored five points in each of his last two games. 

The Bulls did put up quite a fight considering the injuries they are going through. The Bulls Zach LaVine was handed quite a blow facing right foot surgery next week forcing him to miss the rest of the season. It will not be an easy path for Chicago going forward.

Post game notes: Saturday night the Kings took on the Bulls at United Center. The Kings are coming off a win over the Indiana Pacers Firday night 133-122. The Bulls took care of the Charlotte Hornets 117-110 on Wednesday night. The Kings win extends their winning streak to two games.

The Kings will finish up this seven game road trip in Cleveland taking on the Cavaliers Monday night. A win in this final road game would be amazing against a very strong Cavalier team. Tipoff for this game is scheduled for 4:00 PM.