Category: Sacramento Kings

Kings lose to Hornets 111-104; Rozier leads Charlotte with 34 pts at Golden 1

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The Charlotte Hornets guard Terry Rozier right drives the lane on the Sacramento Kings guard De’Aaron Fox (5) in first quarter action at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Tue Jan 2, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings were back in action on Tuesday night in Sacramento. The Kings lost a tough one to Charlotte Hornets on Tuesday after returning from a quick road trip. The Kings last played on Sunday in Memphis.

The Kings defeated the Grizzlies to finish the road trip 2-1. On Tuesday, the Hornets came into Golden One Center ready for tip-off at 7 PM PST. The Kings would fall to the Hornets 111-104 in shocking fashion on Tuesday night.

In the first quarter, the Kings played terribly. The Kings offense was off from the jump, and they were really never able to get it going. On the other hand, the Hornets were able to get a bit going towards the end of the quarter as they scored 25 points. The Kings scored 21 points in the quarter.

In the second quarter, the offense came alive a bit, but it still wasn’t up to par. The Kings got their first contributions from De’Aaron Fox in the second quarter, as he scored nine points. The Kings would outscore the Hornets 29-20 in the second quarter to take the lead into the break.

The Kings would lead 50-45 going into halftime. The leading scorer for the Kings was Domantas Sabonis, who had 13 points. Leading scorer for the Hornets in the first half was Terry Rozier, who scored 15 points.

In the third quarter, neither team differentiated themselves much. The Kings and Hornets traded baskets in the third as the Hornets were able to cut the deficit by two points. The Hornets outscored the Kings 30-28. The game would go into the fourth quarter with the Kings leading 78-75.

In the fourth quarter of action, the Kings meltdown materialized in defeat. The Hornets outscored the Kings in the fourth quarter 36-26 to seal the deal and snap their 11 game losing streak. The Kings fans in attendance were stunned in defeat as Las Vegas had the Kings as 15.5 point favorites going into the game.

The Kings could never get a rhythm on the offensive side of the ball all game. The Kings were led in defeat by Fox who scored 30 points in the game. The Hornets snapped their losing streak behind a 34 point performance from Rozier.

Up Next: The Kings will stay home to take on the Orlando Magic on the second night of a back-to-back on Wednesday at 7 PM PST.

Sacramento Kings Demolish Grizzlies In Memphis 123-92

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The Sacramento Kings guard Malik Monk (0) dribbles on the Memphis Grizzlies guard Vince Williams Jr (5) in the second half at FedEx Forum in Memphis on Sun Dec 31, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

The Sacramento Kings (19-12) traveled to Memphis and dismantled the Memphis Grizzlies (10-22) 123-92 in as near a perfect game as you could get. They led from the start of the game to the finish. Off the bench, Malik Monk went off the rails shooting for 27 points which was the team high. De’Aaron Fox finished with 24 points and Domantas Sabonis had 21 rebounds.

Game recap: Sacramento got a nice start and the opening quarter was a real see-saw between the two teams trading leads. The Kings were looking to keep Memphis out of the paint which could prove to be one of the keys to this game. Sacramento won the opening quarter leading after one 34-29.

The Kings began to pour it on in the second quarter taking as much as a fourteen point lead. At the half Sacramento led 70-58. Monk, the Kings incredibly reliable bench player, finished the half with 17 points. 

Both Fox and Sabonis were shooting in double digits. Ja Morant, Marcus Smart and Desmond Bane all shot in double digits for Memphis in this highly competitive, fast paced game. Both teams had great ball protection each with only four turnovers. 

The Kings outshot the Grizzlies 59% to 45%. They also won the rebound battle with 28 to Memphis’ 18. Sacramento would have to pull out all the stops to keep the momentum on their side in the second half. With Morant back in the lineup this team is nothing to dismiss and the Kings were looking to control the rhythm and pace of the game in the second half.

The Kings kept the pressure on in the third quarter and after three quarters held a 101-79 lead. They were beating the Grizzlies at every turn offensively and defensively in an unrelenting effort. 

They were beating them from the field, from downtown and rebounding. The Kings had more turnovers in the game but it did not factor because of the dominant offensive effort from Sacramento.

The Kings were looking for an early Happy New Year. Sacramento was doing a great job on the glass and Monk continued his onslaught into the fourth quarter. With under three minutes left in the game this was a done deal. 

The Kings had led by 20 plus points throughout the final quarter and at 2:04 led this game 123-92 and that would be the final. Sacramento had won their 19th season game and the Kings had made a real statement loud and clear.

Post game notes: After fighting and clawing their way to a win in Atlanta Friday night, the Kings traveled to Memphis for a matchup with the Grizzlies. The Kings more than proved themselves in Atlanta trailing through 3 1/2 quarters before they even took a lead. 

They won with patience and perseverance in the 117-110 win. Saturday night they faced a far different Grizzlies team than the Memphis team that started the season. The Grizzlies have their ace Morant back on board, tried as hard as he can the Kings held Morant off with just 17 points and three other Grizzlies were in double figures as well but fell well short of catching the Kings.

It will be a happy new year for the Sacramento Kings after this game. They played a near perfect game. Not enough can be said for the game Monk put out taking some of the pressure off Fox. It will be a happy homecoming as Sacramento heads home to take on the Charlotte Hornets Tuesday night with tipoff scheduled for 7:00 PM.

After Trailing Most of the Game Kings Pull Out Win Over Hawks 117-110

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The Sacramento Kings (forward) Domantas Sabonis (10) drives on the Atlanta Hawks forward Omekya Okungwu (17) in the first half at State Farm Arena in Atlanta on Fri Dec 29, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

The Sacramento Kings (18-12) trailed for most of their game against the Atlanta Hawks (12-19) and did not take the lead until the final 3:27 of the game. They trailed big in the first half, by as much as 20 points. Harrison Barnes, Keegan Murray and Kevin Huerter had very quiet games but Murray hit a huge shot in the closing minutes of the game. Trey Lyles and Malik Monk had an exceptional game off the bench in the win 117-110. 

Friday night the Kings traveled to Atlanta to take on the Hawks at State Farm Arena. They came into this game after a lackluster performance against the Portland Trail Blazers losing 130-113 Tuesday night. 

Prior to that they lost one to the Minnesota Timberwolves 110-98. The Kings did beat the Suns pretty convincingly 120-105 last Friday night. They have had some significant losses this time they bounced back Friday night so after two losses in a row and turned things around with the win over the Hawks. The Hawks lost Tuesday night to the Chicago Bulls 118-113 and once again couldn’t pick up the win Friday against the Kings.

Game recap: The Kings had a terrible start dropping the first quarter 36-23. The Hawks had outshot them from the field by a landslide. They did not hit a single three in the opening quarter. 

They only had two turnovers in the first quarter, they just could not hit a basket to save their lives. They had a more successful second quarter in fact, at 6:28 in the second they had pulled to within five points 48-43 after trailing by as much as 20 points in the first quarter. They let it all slide away losing the second quarter 35-30 and trailing at the half 71-53. 

Sacramento pulled to within seven points with six minutes left in the third quarter but again let it start to slip away.   After trailing by ten points, the Kings made a run pulling to within five points 91-86 as the third quarter came to an end. 

They won the third quarter 33-20 and this game hung on the fourth quarter. Sacramento had taken over the pace of the game but desperately needed Murray who had played 29 minutes and come away with only seven points. Barnes played minimal minutes with minimal success.

The Hawks extended their lead in the fourth quarter and the Kings couldn’t put a stop to their offense. The Kings had outshot them from the field, but the Hawks topped them from downtown and had 43 rebounds to Sacramento’s 31. 

With less than six minutes left in the game the Kings took their first lead 106-105. With 4:20 left in the game it was all tied up at 110 in a real nail-biter. Murray did not have a great night of shooting but he made a critical shot when it counted most with 49.1 left on the clock . The final was 117-110 in favor of the Kings.

On New Year’s Eve, the Kings will travel to Memphis to take on the Grizzlies at FedExForum. Tipoff for this game is scheduled for 5:00 PM.  

Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson: Kings looking to rebound off their two game loss streak face Hawks tonight

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The Sacramento Kings forward Domantas Sabonis (10) tries to get in range to take a shot against the Portland Trail Blazers center Moses Brown (10) at the Moda Center in Portland on Tue Dec 26, 2023 (AP News)

On the Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah:

#1 The Sacramento Kings are coming off a two game loss streak after taking a convincingly 130-113 loss on Tuesday to the Portland Trail Blazers.

#2 The Trail Blazers Anfernee Simons led with 29 points, the Kings just were having troubles trying to defend Simons and he had his way with both his inside and outside game.

#3 Duop Reath followed up Simons in scoring with a career 25 points and nine rebounds, doing it off the bench for the Trail Blazers.

#4 Try as hard as they can the Kings De’Aaron Fox led the Kings with 43 points and Domantas Sabonis followed up with 34 points but it wasn’t enough as the Kings lost by 17 points at the Moda Center in Portland.

#5 The Atlanta Hawks will host the Kings tonight at State Farm Arena in Atlanta. The Hawks have had their share of struggles losing three in a row and seven of their last ten games. This maybe the Kings best chance to get back in the win column.

Join Jeremiah for the Kings podcasts each Friday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Kings Lose Despite 43 Points From Fox- Portland Bench Dominates in 130-113 win

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Sacramento Kings guard De’Aaron Fox (5) goes shoeless while trying to recover and defend the Portland Trail Blazers guard Scott Henderson (00) at the Moda Center in Portland on Tue Dec 26, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

It was a dismal game for the Sacramento Kings (17-12) Tuesday night losing to the Portland Trail Blazers (80-21). Portland’s bench turned in 60 points to the Kings 15 off the bench. DeAaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis had amazing games but got little support from teammates losing 130-113. Fox tied a season-high in this game. No other Sacramento player scored in double digits.

Tuesday night the Kings took on the Trail Blazers at Moda Center. Back in early November the Kings beat the Trail Blazers in overtime 121-118. Despite their record, the Trail Blazers gave the Kings all they could handle. Sacramento needed to start fast and set the pace and tone of the game. 

The Kings are coming off a loss to the Timberwolves Saturday night 110-98 and the Trail Blazers lost as well on Saturday to the Golden State Warriors 126-106. 

The Kings Malik Monk was still struggling with a right foot irritation missing the game on Saturday. He had been trying to play through the injury and did take the floor in this game. The Kings really needed his shooting and playmaking abilities. 

They leaned heavily on De’Aaron Fox, Domantas Sabonis and Keegan Murray in this game. Both Deandre Ayton and Shaedon Sharpe missed the game for Portland. Ayton is dealing with right knee tendinitis and Sharpe were out with a right adductor strain.

Game reacap: The first half was not the start that the Kings were looking for. While they did win the opening quarter, it was far too close for comfort 33-32. The Trail Blazers got the upper hand in the second quarter leading at the half 67-60. 

Portland won the second quarter 35-27. Keegan Murray played for 15 minutes in the first half coming away empty. Both Fox and Sabonis had good first halves but really needed the support of Keegan Murray and Kevin Huerter. Portland was outshooting the Kings from the floor, and from downtown keeping their turnovers to a minimum with only five.

The Trail Blazers continued to extend their lead in the third quarter. Portland had led by seven points at the half and after three quarters led by nine points 104-95. At one time in the quarter the Kings got to within three points only to let it slip away. 

Sacramento had trailed by as much as 13 points but were able to cut the deficit at times. They were unfortunately unable to take the lead. Fox and Sabonis were having monster games. Going into the fourth quarter Fox had 38 points and Sabonis with 30. 

They were getting little support from Murray or Huerter who had eight points between them.  Monk had seven points but he was more than likely hampered by the irritation in his right foot. 

Early in the fourth quarter, the Kings trailed by 15 points 115-100 in a game that they had the talent to win. The Trail Blazers was getting some great play from their bench with a combined 60 points to the Kings anemic 15 points. 

With eight minutes left in the game, Sacramento was running out of time. Rather than cutting the deficit, the Kings continued to fall further behind trailing 122-105 with under six minutes left on the clock. 

With under five minutes Portland was winning the fourth quarter 23-12 after having won the third 37-35. The Trail Blazers had this game well in hand with 3:36 left in the game leading 127-111. 

Fox played his heart out finishing with 43 points and Sabonis came away with 34 points and 12 rebounds. They got little help from the rest of the starting lineup. Harrison Barnes scored nine points with five rebounds and next to nothing from Murray and Huerter. 

The bench was not much help with a total of 17 points when the Trail Blazer bench finished with 60 points. Portland’s starters finished with 65 points and the Kings starters produced 96 points. The Trail Blazers bench put this game away.

The Kings will now travel to Atlanta for a match-up next Friday taking on the Hawks. The challenge that Sacramento will face will come from Trae Young as the Kings try to turn things around on Friday. The Hawks also have a great bench player in Bogdan Bogdanovic who also presents a threat. Tipoff is scheduled for 4:30 PM.  

   

 

Edwards leads Timberwolves with 34 pts in 110-98 win over Kings; Sac goes 4-2 to finish homestand

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The Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) goes for a layup against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Sat Dec 23, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings were back in action on Saturday night in Sacramento! The Kings played host to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday after defeating the Phoenix Suns on Friday. The Kings were set to take on the Timberwolves at 7 PM PST on Saturday night. The Kings would fall to the Wolves 110-98.

In the first half, the Kings got started in the wrong foot. The Wolves started the game hot and jumped out to a lead. The Wolves would score 59 in the first half compared to only 47 from the Kings. The kings would need to turn up the intensity in the second half if they wanted to stay in the game.

In the second half, the Kings reigned in the game but it wasn’t enough to contain the Timberwolves. The Timberwolves, led by Anthony Edwards and his 34 points in the night the Wolves were able to hold onto their first half lead. The Timberwolves defeated the Kings 110-98.

The Kings got an impressive performance from De’Aaron Fox in the loss. De’Aaron scored 27 points. The King outscored the Wolves by one point in the third quarter but then had a one point deficit in the fourth to seal the deal.

Up Next: The Kings will travel to Portland to take on the TrailBlazers on the 26th at 7 PM PST.

De’Aaron Fox breaks Kings’ assists record in 120-105 win over Suns

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The Phoenix Suns guard Seben Lee (38) blocks a Sacramento Kings De’Aaron Fox (5) shot in the first quarter at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento (AP News photo)

Friday, Dec. 22, 2023

Golden 1 Center, Sacramento, California

Phoenix Suns 105 (14-14)

Sacramento Kings 120 (17-10)

By Stephen Ruderman

SACRAMENTO–De’Aaron Fox scored 23 points, and broke the Kings’ all-time assist record, as he led the way in Sacramento’s 120-105 win over the Phoenix Suns.

Coming off a loss Wednesday night to the Boston Celtics, the Kings were looking to bounce back against the Suns in the fifth game of their six-game homestand. It was a lively Friday night crowd at the Golden 1 Center, as the fans cheered on the Kings, and loudly booed the Suns, as they took the court.

The Suns won the opening tip, and got on the board right away, as Devin Booker alley-ooped to Drew Eubanks, who dunked it in to put Phoenix up 2-0. Domantas Sabonis responded with a pair of dunks to put the Kings up 4-2.

Grayson Allen hit a three-ball for the Suns to put Phoenix up 5-5, but that would prove to be their final lead of the night. The Kings maintained a steady lead throughout the remainder of the first quarter, but never led by more than nine points. The Kings would start to pull away a bit, but each time, the Suns would get back in it

Towards the end of the first quarter, the officials contacted the Replay Command Center, and even though the clock said there was a minute and 14 seconds remaining, it was determined that there were only 21 seconds remaining. The quarter, which was sarcastically described by Kings Public Address Announcer Scott Moak as the “longest quarter in NBA History,” ended with the Kings up 35-30.

The second quarter went mostly the same as the first. Sasha Vezenkov started the quarter with a three, and Fox followed it up with a jumper to put the Kings ahead 40-30. The Kings’ lead never fell below seven for the first half of the second quarter, but there was plenty of drama.

Following a dunk by Adoka Azubuike of the Suns with 6:47 remaining to make the score 47-40, Kevin Durant was called for a technical foul, and Booker was hit with a tech of his own as he argued Durant’s foul. Harrison Barnes shot both free throws from Sacramento, and hit them both.

Durant laid one in with 4:25 remaining to cut the Kings’ lead to 51-46, but from there, the Kings began to pull away, as they closed out the second quarter with a 14-8 run.

Suns Head Coach Frank Vogel was hit with the Suns’ third technical foul of the quarter after Durant was called for a backcourt violation with 18 seconds remaining. Durant was arguing as well, and had to be pulled away to prevent his second technical foul, which would have resulted in his ejection.

The Kings went into the half up 65-54, and then they hit the ground running in the third quarter, as they went on a 31-13 run to take a 96-67 lead with 5:54 remaining. During that run, Fox recorded his 1,581st-career assist to become the Kings’ all-time assists leader.

However, the Suns didn’t go down quietly, as they went on a 17-4 run to close the gap to 100-84. Barnes hit a fadeaway jumper, and hit a free throw after he was fouled on the play, and the Kings went into the fourth quarter up 103-84.

Despite the brief reprieve, the Suns kept their momentum going into the fourth quarter. Saben Lee laid one in, and Booker hit a jumper to cut the score to 103-88.

The Kings then regained control, as the teams traded points throughout the fourth quarter, and the Kings easily won by a final of 120-105.

Despite Fox’s strong performance and historic night, Domantas Sabonis led the Kings tonight with 28 points. Keegan Murray scored 21 points.

The Kings improve to 17-10, and they will welcome in the Minnesota Timberwolves to close out the homestand for a 7:00 tip Saturday night.

Celtics Come to Town and Dethrone the Kings 144-119

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Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) goes for the the thrown down against the Sacramento Kings forward Keegan Murray at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento (AP News photo)

By Tony Renteria 12/20/2023 

SACRAMENTO–The hometown Sacramento Kings (16-9) hosted the Visiting first place Boston Celtics (20-6) on a cold December night in Capital City. The Kings started out strong with a high scoring first quarter but that seemed to be the only high scoring quarter for the Kings as the Celtics left Sacramento with a decisive victory with a score of  144-119.

The First Quarter started out with a three pointer by Keegan Murray and the Kings seemed to all follow suit as the Team was 11/21 from beyond the arch. The Celtics kept up with the Kings as they also hit three points shots going eight for 12 to pace as they were only down by three points as the Kings led 41 to 38. De’Aaron Fox was a superlative five for six from three-point land as he led the Kings with 17 first quarter points. 

The Second Quarter seemed to be all the Celtics as they roared back behind the shooting and play of guard Derrick White. White led all Celtics with 19 first half points. Fox seemed to cool off and in doing so let the Celtics go into the half with 74-to-66-point lead. Fox did score nine points in the quarter to add to his total of 26 points. 

The Third Quarter seemed to a continuation of the second as the Celtics came out firing and shooting lights out. At a little more than the seven-minute mark the Celtics had increased their lead to a near commanding 96-72 margin. 

As the Celtics continued to expand their lead in the quarter the sound of cowbells seemed to be drowned out by the cheers of Celtics who seem occupy almost half of the northern lower deck. The Celtics outscored the Kings 39 -24 in the quarter to take a 113- 90 lead into the final period. 

The Fourth Quarter just seemed to get worse for the Kings as the Celtics had a 25-point lead with nine minutes to go. The Celtics keep pace with scoring from Forward Jaylen Brown and Center Kristaps Porzingas. Around the six-minute mark it appeared as Head Coach Mike Brown had thrown in the towel for the games not a single starter was in the game. 

Celtics all-star Jayson Tatum (26.8 points and 8.7 Rebounds) was inactive due to a left ankle sprain. Starting Center Al Horford, the 17-year veteran and his (7.7 points and 7.1 rebounds) were inactive as well due to load management.  

Kings have been led by De’Aaron Fox (30.1 points and 6.4 assists) 

Kings Continue To Roll Beating Washington Wizards 143-131; Sabonis gets another triple double for Sac

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The Washington Wizards center Mike Muscala (35) guards the Sacramento Kings forward Sasha Vezenkov (7) in the first quarter at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Mon Dec 18, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

Monday night the Sacramento Kings (16-9) continued to rock and roll beating the Washington Wizards (4-22) at Golden 1 Center 143-131. De’Aaron Fox was back on the court and finished with 30 points. Domantas Sabonis had his 35th triple double with 28 points, 13 rebounds and 12 assists. Keegan Murray had another great game with 25 points. Sacramento came away with seven turnovers and this game could not have gone better for Sacramento.

Game recap: The Wizards took the lead after one quarter of basketball 31-27 but the Kings were just getting warmed up. Sacramento powered through the second quarter winning it 39-25. The Kings led at the half 66-56.

Sacramento continued to push in the third quarter extending their lead to 112-91. They won the quarter 46-35. The Kings cooled off in the fourth quarter missing a lot of shots and ended up losing the quarter. The Wizards won the fourth quarter 40-31. Sacramento had a 21 point lead at the end of the third giving up nine points in the fourth quarter but winning the game 143-131.

The Kings now sit in fourth place in the Western Conference. They have won four of their last five games. Fox finished with 30 points and Murray had another terrific game scoring 25 points. Six Kings had scored in double digits in this game. Sabonis had his 35th triple-double with 28 points, 13 rebounds and 12 assists. 

The triple-double was his 17th in a King uniform, the most in the franchise’s Sacramento era. The Kings protected the ball well throughout the entire game with only seven turnovers. It was an outstanding evening for the Sacramento Kings.

The Wizard’s Jordan Poole matched his career high with eight 3 pointers scoring 28 points in total. Kyle Kuzma added 27 points. Washington is really struggling right now having lost 17 of their last 19 games. They did tie up this game in the second quarter 40 apiece but that was as close as they would get for the rest of the game.

Post game notes: Monday night the Kings took on the Wizards at Golden 1 Center. Fox was back on the court after missing the last game against the Utah Jazz. The Kings were still basking in the glow of the amazing game that Murray had last Saturday. Watching Murray hit 12 three’s and finishing with a career-high 47 points is a memory that will go down in the 2023-24 season. He is really coming into his own. The Kings were able to contain Jordan Poole (28 pts) who always poses a threat and Kyle Kuzma (27 pts) always makes an impact. The Kings are on a roll right now and have continued down that path in this game.

Wednesday night, the Sacramento Kings take on the Boston Celtics at Golden 1 Center. The Celtics are in first place in the Eastern Conference. This will be a great matchup for Sacramento. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 PM.

Murray’s 47 & franchise record 12 3s was string music for the Kings,while Jazz was out of Tune,126-104

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Sacramento Kings forward Keegan Murray (13) scores over the Utah Jazz guard Ochai Agbaji in the second half at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Sat Dec 16, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Michael Roberson

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The Sacramento Kings (15-9) performed Royal Music in the California State capital, by defeating the Utah Jazz (9-17) Saturday Night 126-104, without their sly Fox.

Sacramento entered the game without the best player, De’Aaron Fox. He was out with a right shoulder injury from their previous game versus the Oklahoma City Thunder. Keegan Murray more than made up the slack of his absence.

Kings’ center Damontasa Sabonis went on a personal 4-0 run to start off the contest. That initial lead lasted the remaining 37 minutes of regulation.. The home team sat comfortably on their throne the whole evening.

Sabonis ended the first 12 minutes with 10 points and four rebounds. After one, the Kings had a 12-point lead, 35-23. Collin Sexton and Simone Fontecchio both tallied 7 points for the visitors.

Quarter number two, the aforementioned Murray started to heat up immensely from beyond the arc. He added three more to the two he hit in the first quarter, and scored 13 points during the second 12 minutes.

By intermission, Murray had 19 points and shot a sizzling 5-6 from 3=point land. Sabonis chipped in 14 points and seven rebounds, while Harrison Barnes gave the team 12 points. The Kings had the same advantage (12) as they did after onew, because both teams scored 27 points in the second period. 62-50, Kings at recess.

In the third quarter, Murray was En Fuego! He hit a franchise record 7 threes in the stanza, breaking the previous record (6) shared by two players. His 26 points during the third 12 eclipsed Mitch Richmond’s record (25).

During the 36 minutes of gameplay Murray made an NBA record 11 consecutive 3s, shot 15-19 & 12-13 from three and had 45 points. The team outscored the Jazz by 18, and took their largest lead of 30, 106-76 at the 3/4 mark of the game.

The fourth quarter was just a formality, as the Kings essentially led from wire to wire after Sabonas scored the first two points of the game. The only drama was would Murray get 50?

Keegan ended up 1-4 from the field and 0-2 from behind the 3-point line in the final segment, finishing with a career-high 47 points. There was a bit of controversy when Coach Mike Brown pulled him from the game, to the dismay of the packed Golden1 Center.

When I queried them both about that moment, they both were ok with the decision. Coach Brown said that he gave him a chance to get 50, but he missed both three attempts. Murray was content with his career high and multiple records.

At the final horn/whistle, the Kings win their second in a row and crown the Jazz by 21, 125-104.

The Kings are next in action on Monday, December 18, as they host the Washington Wizards at 7 PM PST. The Jazz head back to Salt Lake City on the same date to host the Brooklyn Nets at 6 PM MST