Category: Sacramento Kings

Kings Dismantled By Rockets 107-89; Sacramento and Houston match up for game 2 Monday night at the Toyota Center

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The Houston Rockets forward Dillon Brooks (left) drives on the Sacramento Kings guard Davion Mitchell (right) at the Toyota Center in Houston in game 1 of the two game series on Sat Nov 4, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

The Sacramento Kings had an opportunity in the second and third quarters of Saturday nights game despite the absence of De’Aaron Fox still out with an ankle injury. In fact they were down by three points mid-way through the fourth quarter. They were unable to contain the Rockets Dillon Brooks, in the later minutes of the final quarter, who sailed through the fourth quarter scoring 12 points beating the Kings 107-89.

Saturday night the Sacramento Kings (2-3) took on the Houston Rockets (2-3) at Toyota Center. The Kings played without their star Fox who was ruled out for a second game in a row with a moderate right ankle sprain. The injury occurred in the overtime win last Sunday against the Los Angeles Lakers. It doesn’t stop there, the Kings is also without Trey Lyles. Lyles has not yet made his regular season debut after suffering a left calf strain in the preseason.

Playing without Fox made it difficult and the starting lineup had to step up in his absence. They certainly did exactly that in their last game against the Golden State Warriors losing in the final 0.2 seconds of the game by a single point 102-101.

Game recap: The Rockets smothered the Kings in the first 12 minutes of play 33-19. Sacramento did win the second quarter but still trailed at the half 59-53. The Kings did cut their deficit but still had some ground to make up.

Sacramento continued their bid in the third quarter winning it 15-12 and only trailed by three points going into the fourth quarter 71-68. The Rockets Dillon Brooks had an amazing fourth quarter as Houston beat the Kings badly in the final quarter 36-21 winning the game 107-89.

This was a real disappointment for Sacramento. They have had a very lukewarm start this season. They had a lot of trouble containing Brooks in this game who finished with 26 points, 12 of them coming in the fourth quarter. The Kings did pull to within three points with 8 1/2 minutes remaining when Malik Monk hit a shot from downtown. It was at this point that the Rockets went on a 10-2 run and they never looked back.

Monk finished with the high for the team with 18 points off the bench. The only starters who had double digits were Domantas Sabonis who had a double double with 11 points and 15 rebounds and Harrison Barnes who finished with 13 points. Keegan Murray, Davion Mitchell and Kevin Huerter had a very quiet night.

The Kings will get another shot at the Rockets hoping to even the score on Monday night with tipoff scheduled for 5:00 PM PST at the Toyota Center in Houston. This will be game 2 of this two game series.

Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson: Kings and Warriors have seen each other 11 times out of their last 17 games

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Sacramento Kings guard Colby Jones (right) drives on Golden State Warriors forward Dario Saric (left) and forward Jonathan Kuminga (00) at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Thu Nov 3 2023 (AP News photo)

On the Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson:

#1 The Golden State Warriors and the Sacramento Kings have met 11 times including pre season games in their last 17 meetings. That gives them enough time to know each other.

#2 Jeremiah Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said that amount of meetings has to be an NBA record. It gave each team familiarity resulting in a one point win for Golden State on Wednesday night at Chase Center 102-101.

#3 Golden State’s Klay Thompson hit a 17 foot shot with less than a second remaining to win the game. Jeremiah talk about that shot by Thompson it was a tough loss for the Kings as they played their hearts out as described by Kings head coach Mike Brown.

#4 Jeremiah, with the lose the Kings drop to 2-2 getting great offensive production from Domantas Sobonis who led Sacramento with 23 points. Sobonis has been a difference for the Kings in crucial games.

#5 Kings will go back to the drawing board and face the Houston Rockets at the Toyota Center in Houston on Sat Nov 4 which will be the first of a two game series the other game on Mon Nov 6. The Rockets won their last game defeating the Charlotte Hornets 128-119.

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

Sacramento Kings game wrap: Golden State Slips Past Sacramento in Thriller 102-101

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Sacramento Kings forward Keegan Murray right tries to protect the basketball while Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry tries to reach up for the ball at Chase Center San Francisco on Wed Nov 1, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

In the closest game the Sacramento Kings have seen this season the Golden State Warriors battled past the Kings 102-101 at the Chase Center in San Francisco. This game was tight from start to finish and in the end it was Klay Thompson with the ultimate clutch shot that won it for the Warriors. Both teams had better offensive and defensive effort in the second half but when push came to shove it was Golden State that prevailed. With less than a second left on the clock Thompson hit pay dirt.

Wednesday night the Golden State Warriors (4-1) were back home at Chase taking on the Sacramento Kings (2-2). The Warriors beat the Kings up in Sacramento less than a week ago 122-114. Both of these teams were in last year’s post-season and will likely repeat in the 2023-24 season. This will be yet another battle between these two northern California teams.

The Kings led after the first quarter 31-28. The Warriors took charge in the second quarter winning it 28-24 and taking a 56-55 lead into the locker room at the half. The defensive pressure from Golden State was lacking in the first half but the Warriors have always been a second half team. They would be looking to tighten up their defense going into the third quarter.

The Kings continued to take charge in the third quarter at one time leading by 11 points 69-58. The slow start the Warriors had in the quarter came to end when they went on a 13-3 run. At one point the Kings had outscored them 14-4 but as the quarter came to an end the Kings continued to lead 79-74 but Golden State had whittled down their lead.

There had been no true separation in this game simply because of how well these two teams know each other and how well these two coaches know each other as well.

The fourth quarter began to reveal a lot of King’s mistakes with missed shots and turnovers coupled with some terrific defense by Golden State. Golden State guard Curry started to hit some of those shots from downtown as we see so often in the second half of games.

The Warriors took the lead in the early minutes of the final quarter but this game remained tight. With seven minutes left in the game head coach Steve Kerr put Curry and Draymond Green, their elite closers, on the court.

At 6:46 left in the game it was all tied up at 83. This game would go back and forth still tied with five minutes left on the clock. Sacramento double teamed Curry for the remainder of the quarter, not unexpected, and something that Curry sees in most every game.

Despite that Curry has an uncanny way of working around opponents defense and scoring anyway. Kevon Looney made some great clean up shots giving the Warriors a one shot lead 92-89 with 3:33 left to play. At 2:53 it was anybody’s game with the Kings up one 93-92. Everyone of the Sacramento’s starters were in double digits.

This game could not have been tighter with the two teams trading the lead throughout. With forty seconds left in the game the Warriors could not make a single mistake trailing 99-98. This had been the closest game either of these two teams had played so far this season.

This time it was not Curry to the rescue it was Thompson who shot over Davion Mitchell to take a 102-101 lead with 0.2 on the clock and that would be the final. Golden State had improved to 4-1 as they head back out on the road to take on the Thunder.

The bench had come into this game giving the Warriors some good minutes but it was Klay Thompson who had a great shooting night in the second half. He finished with 14 points but it was the last shot that he took that made all the difference in this game.

Curry had the team high 21 points. The Warriors continue to struggle with turnovers committing 18 in the game. It may not have been a pretty game but the final score was a beauty.

The Kings played a terrific offensive and defensive game and they might have found a way to win if they had not been without their superstar De’Aaron Fox. Every starter had double digits for Sacramento as they will now head to Houston for a game with the Rockets.

Sacramento Kings game wrap: Fox leads Kings with 41 points in 132-127 win over Lakers

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The Sacramento Kings center JaVale McGee (00) slam dunks on the Los Angeles Lakers forward LaBron James (23) at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Sun Oct 29, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings were back in action on Sunday night in Sacramento. The Kings last played on Friday night in the home opener against Golden State Warriors. The Warriors came into Golden One Center and spoiled the home opener for the Kings. The Warriors beat the Kings 122-114. On Sunday, the Kings welcomed the LA Lakers to Golden One Center. The Kings (1-1) were set to take on the Lakers (1-1) at 7 PM PST in Sacramento. Sacramento bested the Lakers on Sunday 132-127.

In the first quarter, the Kings got off to a hot start. The Kings played really well in the first quarter en route to building a sizeable 13-point lead by the quarter’s conclusion. The Kings offense, led by De’Aaron Fox, scored 41 points in the first quarter of the game. Fox scored ten points in the quarter as Domas Sobonis added seven points. The Lakers scored 28 points in the quarter. The Kings would look to keep up the intensity in the second quarter.

In the second quarter, the Kings lead slowly evaporated. The Kings shots were not falling at the same rate as the first quarter. The Kings 13 point lead going into the quarter was cut down to five points. However, the Kings were able to build the lead back up to 11 by the end of the quarter thanks to a Fox three-pointer.

You could see as the quarter progressed that Mike Brown was visibly getting more frustrated on the sideline. I’m sure he had words with the team and the inconsistency in the second quarter at halftime. The Kings led at halftime 66-55.

In the third quarter, the Kings again lost their cushion early in the quarter. The Lakers stormed back to come within a point of the lead. How did the Kings respond?

The Kings battled but could not build the lead back up by the end of the quarter. The Kings were outscored by the Lakers 28-21 in the third quarter to cut the lead going into the final 12 minutes to 87-83. The game would come down to the final quarter and if the Kings could bear down on defense.

In the final quarter, the Kings continued to falter. The Lakers kept the pressure on the Kings. The Lakers had built themselves a five-point lead just a few minutes in the fourth quarter. Fox had a scare on a no-call foul while driving to the basket.

Fox was taken to the locker room for a quick evaluation of the ankle and later returned to a standing ovation. The Kings would battle and the game would come down to a last few shots. Unfortunately for the Kings, Keegan Murray missed a game winning three to send the game to overtime at 115-115.

In overtime, the Kings were down Sobonis who fouled out and Fox was playing but hobbling. However, Fox would come out after just a couple plays into overtime. The Kings would come out victorious in overtime winning the game.

The scored 17 points in the period compared to the Lakers 12. Kevin Huerter and Malik Monk both hit big shots down the stretch to seal the deal. Fox finished the game leading the Kings with 37 points. Anthony Davis led the way for the Lakers with 30.

Up Next: The Kings will travel to San Francisco to take on the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday at 7 PM PST.

Sacramento Kings report: Kings can’t shut down Curry’s 41 points in 130-114 loss at Golden 1

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Sacramento Kings guard De’Aaron Fox (5) takes a shot against the Golden State Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins (22) at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Fri Oct 27, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

The Sacramento Kings were back in action on Friday for the teams home opener in Sacramento. The Kings opened the season officially on Wednesday as they took on the Utah Jazz in Utah. The Kings won the opening game of the season handily by the final of 130-114.

It was a strong way for the Kings to open the season on the road. However on Friday, the Kings welcomed the Golden State Warriors into town. The game was set to tip off at 7 PM PST in Sacramento.

GAME RESULT: In the first quarter, the Kings started off strong. The offense for the Kings managed 29 points to set the tone early in the game. On the defensive end, the Kings showed solid effort only allowing the Warriors to score 24 points in the quarter. The Kings would look to keep up the defensive intensity in the second quarter.

In the second quarter, the Warriors offensive output improved. The Warriors managed to score 36 points in the quarter, which was a marked improvement from the first. On the offensive end for the Kings they only managed 28 points trying to keep pace with the Warriors. In the grand scheme of things it wasn’t bad, but not good enough to maintain the lead going into halftime. The Kings trailed 60-57 going into the third.

In the third quarter, the Warriors began to expand the lead. It was the worst quarter for the Kings defense in the game as they allowed 39 points to the Warriors in the quarter. On the other hand, the Kings were only able to score 27 points. The Kings would trail 99-84 going into the final quarter of action. The Kings needed an intense offensive output in the fourth quarter to come back against the Warriors.

In the fourth quarter, the Kings put up a fight but ultimately succumbed to the injuries sustained in the third quarter. The Kings lost by the final of 122-114. In the final quarter the Kings outscored the Warriors 30-23. Yet, the Kings were unable to complete the comeback needed to secure the win. De’Aaron Fox did everything he could in the game scoring 39 points.

Fox led the Kings in scoring in a tremendous individual performance. The Warriors were led by a classic 41 point game from Curry. Kings fans in the building no doubt suffered some deja vu as the last time Curry was in the building he put up a similar performance in the final Kings game of last season. Kings fans hope it was a good learning experience in which they can bear down and keep powerful offensive teams at bay in key moments.

Up Next: The Kings stay home for o take on the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday at 7PM PST in Sacramento

Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson: Kings host Warriors Friday night in home opener at Golden 1

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Sacramento Kings forward Harrison Barnes (40) takes a jump shot over the Utah Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson (00) in first half action at Delta Center in Salt Lake Center on Wed Oct 25, 2023 (AP News photo)

On the Kings podcast with Jeremiah:

#1 The Sacramento Kings Harrison Barnes impressed on opening night in Salt Lake City with a leading 33 points to help defeat the Utah Jazz on Wednesday evening.

#2 The game wasn’t even close as the Kings crushed the Jazz 130-114. The Kings got scoring help from Domantas Sabonis with 22 points and 12 rebounds and De’Aaron Fox scored 12 points.

#3 The Kings Malik Monk was impressive coming off the bench with seven assists. The Kings were firing on all pistons hitting amazing 46% on three pointers going 19-51.

#4 The Kings Keegan Murray said that the team did a close study on the Jazz and game preparation was key in the win. Murray hit four three pointers and and had 15 points for his offensive contribution.

#5 The Kings now face the Golden State Warriors Friday night at the Golden 1 Center for the Kings home opener. The Warrior are coming off a 108-104 loss to the Phoenix Suns last Wednesday night. How do you see this match up?

Join Jeremiah Salmonson for the Sacramento Kings Fridays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Kings defeat Jazz 130-114 in Salt Lake City

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Photo credit: @SacramentoKings

By Mary Anne

The Sacramento Kings took on the Utah Jazz on Wednesday night. The Kings defeated the Jazz 130-114 at Delta Center. Sacramento improved to 1-0, while Utah fell to 1-0 to open the 2023-24 NBA season.

Harrison Barnes led the Kings with 33 points and four rebounds and was 11-for-16 from the field goal line. Domantas Sabonis recorded 22 points and 12 rebounds. De’Aaron Fox scored 18 points and six assists. Mailk Monk added ten points and seven assists.

The Kings’ starting lineup featured De’Aaron Fox, Kevin Huerter, Harrison Barnes, Keegan Murray, and Domantas Sabonis. Fox got his first bucket of the season early in the first quarter. In addition, Sabonis capitalized on a three-pointer opportunity in the first. The Kings ended the first on a 12-4 run and led 32-24 over the Jazz.

The Kings continued to succeed in the second quarter. Chris Duarte made his first regular season bucket, Harrison Barnes poured in the points, and Sacramento went back-to-back from three-point land.

The Kings led the Jazz 72-58 at the end of the first half. Harrison Barnes had 27 points and four rebounds and 10-for-11 from the field goal line and 5-for-5 from the three-point line — the most points in a first half in the opening game of the season by a Kings player since the 1996-97 NBA season, passing Kevin Martin, who had 24 at the Oklahoma City Thunder on October 28, 2009.

The Kings reached the 100-point plateau in the third quarter. Malik Monk’s noteworthy dunk helped the Kings to a 20-point lead, 102-82, with 40 seconds left in the third. The Kings led the Jazz 105-87 after three quarters.

The Kings maintained composure in the fourth quarter. Domantas Sabonis waited patiently around three Jazz defenders to shoot his shot, which hit the rim, late in the fourth. The Kings beat the Jazz 130-114.

Notes
Kings’ injury update
Chris Duarte (left knee) is available, while Trey Lyles (left calf strain) and Jalen Slawson (illness) are out.

Up Next
The Kings will return home to host the Golden State Warriors on Friday night at 7:00 p.m. Pacific.

Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson: Kings open season in Utah Wednesday night against Jazz

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Sacramento Kings rookie Colby Jones (20) scored 19 against the Utah Jazz at the Golden One Center in Sacramento on Thu Oct 18, 2023 (@SacramentoKings photo)

On the Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson:

#1 Jeremiah, in last night’s final pre season game against the Utah Jazz the Sacramento Kings had a sloppy first quarter. They were missing pivots, the defense wasn’t effective, and they were grateful to Malik Monk who scored seven points in the quarter.

#2 In the second quarter of the game the Kings held onto the ball and made better decisions on passing the ball. The Kings picked up 27 points to the Jazz’ 23. The Kings JaVale McGee led with 12 points to the Jazz’ Colin Sexton who had 14 points.

#3 The Kings in the third quarter went back to playing sloppy basketball, they got out of sink and regrouped later in the quarter by scoring 25 points but let down on defense as the Jazz came away with 36 points.

#4 The Kings in the fourth quarter had to make a comeback and later traded baskets to keep pace with the Jazz. If it weren’t for Monk leading with 23 points total for the game and the Kings scoring 37 points for the fourth quarter. it would have been difficult to stay ahead of the Jazz. The Kings win the final exhibition game 116-113.

#5 Kings face the Jazz again, this time in Utah for opening night Wed Oct 25th for a 6:00pm PT tip. How ready to do you see the Kings going into opening night?

Join Jeremiah Salmonson for Kings podcasts Fridays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Sacramento Kings game wrap: Kings Monk leads with 23 pts in 116-113 win over Jazz; Sac picks up first pre season win

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Sacramento Kings small forward Kessler Edwards (17) throws down against the Utah Jazz at Golden One Center in Sacramento on Thu Oct 19, 2023 (@SacramentoKings photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings were back in action for their final preseason tune-up on Thursday night in Sacramento. The Kings preseason hadn’t gone so smoothly as of Thursday. The Kings entered the matchup having gone 0-4 in the preseason after facing the Raptors, Lakers, and the Warriors twice.

On Thursday, the Kings welcomed in the Utah Jazz at Golden One Center for the 7 PM PST matchup. It’s worth noting that the Kings will face the Jazz in their first regular season game next week. In the final preseason game of 2023 the Kings defeated the Jazz 116-113.

In the first quarter, the game was unwatchably sloppy. The Kings were throwing the ball around, missing cuts, losing defensive assignments, and playing careless basketball. The Kings scored 27 points in the quarter, partly thanks to Malik Monk scoring seven points. The Jazz scored 26 points in the first quarter, with Collin Sexton scoring seven. The Kings would look to clean things up before halftime. 

In the second quarter, the Kings played much better. The pace and urgency on offense were much better for the Kings. The Kings held onto the ball and made better decisions on passing front. The Kings scored 27 points in the second quarter, the same as in the first.

Conversely, the Jazz scored 23 points in the second quarter. The Kings would go into halftime with the lead 54-49. The leading scorer for the Kings in the first half was JaVale McGee, who scored 12 points. The Jazz’s leading scorer in the first half was Collin Sexton, who had 14 points. 

In the third quarter, the Kings really struggled. The offense for the Kings couldn’t find much of any rhythm, on top of that the Kings reverted to their sloppy ways as in the first quarter. However, the Kings did show some late life in the quarter. Overall, the Kings scored 25 points in the quarter. The caveat is that the Jazz put up 36 points in the quarter to build an 85-79 lead going into the final quarter.  

In the fourth quarter, the Kings returned to take the lead, but it would be short-lived. The game would come down to trading buckets down the stretch. However, the Kings would manage to score 37 points in the quarter compared to only 28 for the Jazz.

The Kings would win the game 116-113. It was the first win for the Kings in preseason and it had to feel good for the team. While preseason is mostly just for getting back into rhythm and playing with new teammates, you like to get a few wins under your belt going into the season.

The Kings were led in scoring by Monk who had 23 points in the game. The Jazz’s best performance came from Talen Horten-Tucker who had 26 points.  

Up Next: The Kings will travel to Utah to open the season against the Jazz on October 25th at 6 PM PST. 

Sacramento Kings report: Kings lose to Warriors 116-115 in preseason thriller

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Photo credit: @SacramentoKings

By Mary Anne

The Sacramento Kings took on the Golden Warriors in the second game of the home-and-home preseason series. The Kings lost to the Warriors 116-115 at Chase Center on Wednesday night. Sacramento fell to 0-4, while Golden State improved to 4-0 and remained undefeated.

De’Aaron Fox led all scorers with 25 points and seven rebounds. Keegan Murray scored 24 points and eight rebounds. Davion Mitchell added 14 points.

The Kings’ starting lineup featured De’Andre Fox, Kevin Huerter, Harrison Barnes, Keegan Murray, and Domantas Sabonis. Murray hit a fast three-pointer to help the Kings get on the board first, and Murray led all scorers early on, shooting 3-5 from the field, in the first quarter. The Kings merely led 23-22 at the end of the first.

The Kings continued to pour in the points in the second quarter, but the Warriors hit quite a few three-pointers, such as Andrew Wiggins’ three-pointer, to avoid falling behind by double-digits. The Kings carried a 56-49 lead to the locker room at the end of the first half.

The Warriors initially trailed by more than a dozen, but they picked up the pace and made it a four-point game, 68-64, with 6:08 left in the third quarter before a TV timeout. The Kings, however, made it rain with three-pointers, including Keegan Murray’s three-pointer. The Kings led 91-76 after three quarters.

Kings rookies Malik Monk and Colby Jones showed some range in the fourth quarter. Warriors veteran point guard Chris Paul hit a three-pointer late in the fourth. The game went down to the wire. Warriors star Stephen Curry hit a late three-pointer to make it a two-point game, 115-113, but Warriors power forward Dario Šarić missed a pair of free throws. The Kings’ challenge was tossed out, and the Warriors had the ball for the remaining 10.7 seconds. The Warriors sealed the scoring with a three-pointer for a 116-115 win.

Notes
Kings shooting guard Chris Duarte was out with a left knee injury.

Kings rookie Malik Monk recently talked about his fashion choices in a new episode of the show “NBA Style” on the NBA App. Watch Monk’s recent appearance here.

The Kings will hold their NBA 2K24 3v3 Tournament at Fan Fest on Saturday, October 21. Sign up here.

Up Next
The Kings will return home to host the Utah Jazz on Thursday night at 7:00 p.m. Pacific.