Category: Sacramento Kings

Raptors cool off Kings 113-95

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The Sacramento Kings Domantas Sabonis (10) has possession of the ball against the Toronto Raptors at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Wed Jan 25, 2023 (USA Today photo)

By Daniel Dullum
Wednesday. January 25, 2023

The visiting Toronto Raptors used a big night from Pascal Siakam to upend the NBA Pacific-leading Sacramento Kings 113-95 Wednesday at Golden 1 Center.

Siakam scored 26 points and pulled down 11 rebounds to lead the Raptors. Precious Achiuwa was next with 19 points off the bench, Fred VanVleet scored 17 and reserve Chris Boucher had 16 points. O.G. Anunoby added 11 points for Toronto (22-27), which had lost four of their last six games prior to Wednesday.

Kevin Huerter led Sacramento (27-20) with 21 points. Keegan Murray made four 3-poiners and wound up with 16 points, as did De’Aaron Fox, who also had eight assists. Harrison Barnes added 10 points, and Trey Lyles contributed five assists.

Domantas Sabonis had nine points and eight rebounds, snapping his streak of 22 consecutive double-double games.

The Kings had won seven of their last eight games.

After taking a one-point lead in the first quarter, the Raptors outscored Sacramento 60-44 over the second and third quarters. The Kings pulled to within 12 in the fourth quarter before the Raptors pulled away.

Toronto outrebounded the Kings 41-34.

The Kings have a back-to-back series with the Timberwolves in Minnesota, starting with Saturday’s game. The two teams meet again in Minneapolis on Monday.

Lyles lead Kings with 24 pts in 133-100 win over Memphis

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Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr., left, and Desmond Bane, second from left, guard against Sacramento Kings guard De’Aaron Fox, second from right, during the first quarter at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Mon Jan 23, 2023 (AP News phot)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings were back in action on Monday night. The Kings last played Saturday in Golden 1 Center as they competed against the Philadelphia 76ers. The Kings finished disappointingly on Saturday, losing to the undermanned 76ers by two points. On Monday, the Kings welcomed the Memphis Grizzlies to town.

The Grizzlies had been hot as of late until losing their last two games. On Monday, stars Ja Morant and Steven Adams were out of the ballgame. The Kings defeated the Grizzlies 133-100 at Golden 1 Center.

In the first quarter, the Kings put on a show! The Kings opened the game red hot from behind the arc. Harrison Barnes and Keegan Murray both started the hot shooting starting 5/5 and 3/3, respectively, from three-point land.

The Kings, all in all, would score a massive 47 points to take the commanding lead early. The Grizzlies were able to score 33 points in the first. The Kings took a 47-33 lead into the second quarter.

Both teams fought in the second quarter, and the score drew closer. However, the Kings would retain the lead. Granted, with a smaller margin. The Kings would only score 19 points in the second quarter as the offense went dormant. On the other hand, the Grizzlies scored 28 in the quarter to pull within five points of the Kings.

The score going into halftime was 66-61, with the Kings in the lead. Harrison Barnes led the way for the Kings scoring 15 points. Tyus Jones led the way for the Grizzlies with 10 points.

In the third quarter, the Kings expanded the lead a bit. The Kings offense got back on track and were able to score 34 points in the quarter. On the other end of the floor, the Grizzlies were able to score 29 points.

The Kings were able to open back up the lead to double digits as they took the 100-90 lead into the final quarter. The Kings had been mistake-prone all night, and it would be paramount to limit the turnovers and rebound in the final quarter.

In the fourth quarter, the Kings roared back! On the Golden 1 Center before the game, a large “Roar with us” sign illuminated the stadium; roaring is exactly what Kings fans did in the final quarter. The Kings dominated in the fourth quarter outscoring Memphis 33-10.

It was an incredible performance from the Kings on both ends of the floor. The Kings did what they needed to do against a Memphis team missing Ja Morrant and Steven Adams. Six Kings players finished the game in double figures as Trey Lyles led the way with 24 points. The Grizzlies were led by Desmond Bane, who scored 21 points. The Kings improved to 27-19 on the season.

Up Next: The Kings stay home to take on the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday at 7 PM PST.

Sixers edge Kings 129-127 ends Sac’s six game win streak

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Philadelphia 76ers forward Tobias Harris (12) shoots over Sacramento Kings forward Domantas Sabonis (10) during the first quarter at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Sat Jan 21, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings were back in action on Saturday night in Sacramento. The Kings were on the second night of a back-to-back Saturday night after playing the night before. The Kings faced the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday night in Sacramento. The Kings managed to put the Thunder down to the final score of 118-113. The Kings welcomed the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday at 7 PM PST. The Kings fell to the 76ers 129-127 in a tough loss.

In the first quarter, the Kings started the game playing well. The Kings, immediately after tip-off, started to put pressure on the 76ers. The Kings offense started hot with 35 points in the first quarter. Kevin Huerter had seven points in the first quarter to get the Kings going. On the defensive end, the Kings played well. The Kings held the 76ers to 27 points in the first quarter to jump to the early 35-27 lead.

In the second quarter, The Kings continued to play well. Harrison Barnes was on fire from the perimeter in the first half, scoring 17 points. The Kings built a dominant lead early in the second quarter but then lost some of it heading into halftime. The Kings would end the half leading 74-64 after outscoring the 76ers 39-37 in the second quarter. The Kings looked in control of the game but would need to limit mistakes in the second half not to give away the lead.

In the third quarter, the Kings play was atrocious. The Kings fell apart in the third quarter to a 76ers team that was down James Harden and Joel Embiid. The Kings only managed to score 22 points in the third quarter. However, the Kings offensive woes were nothing compared to the defense.

The Kings allowed the 76ers to score 38 points in the third quarter as they rallied back and took the lead going into the final quarter of the game. The Kings and 76ers would go into the fourth quarter with the 76ers leading 102-96. It was a meltdown of historic proportions for the Kings who would look to get back on track in the last quarter of play.

In the fourth quarter, the Kings fought hard but could not come away with a win. The Kings outscored the 76ers 31-27 in the final quarter. However, the 76ers pulled out the 129-127 short-handed victory. It was a tough blow for the Kings who had a commanding lead in the first half just to see it evaporate.

The Kings biggest struggle was on the glass as they were outrebounded almost 2-1. Leading the way for the Kings in defeat was De’Aaron Fox who had 31 points.The 76ers best performance came from Tyrese Maxey who dropped 32 points in the game. The Kings would look to turn the page as they will face a tough opponent on Monday.

Up Next: The Kings welcome the red hot Memphis Grizzlies into Golden 1 Center on Monday at 7 PM PST.

Kings Extend Winning Streak Beating OKC 118-113

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Sacramento Kings forward Chimezie Metu, left, and Oklahoma City Thunder guard Luguentz Dort collide under the basket during the first half at Golden 1 in Sacramento on Fri Jan 20, 2023 (AP News photo)

Kings Extend Winning Streak Beating OKC 118-113

By Barbara Mason

Friday night the Sacramento Kings (26-18) took on the OKC Thunder (22-24) at Golden 1 Center. The Thunder have been rolling winning their last four games most recently against the Pacers 126-106. The Kings are coming off a win over the Los Angeles Lakers Wednesday night 116- 111. The Kings picked up their sixth straight win against the Thunder 118-113.

The Kings got a slow start in the first quarter unable to score in the first three minutes. The Thunder had led by as much as nine points in the opening quarter but the Kings fought back and won the first 12 minutes by the slimmest of margins 33-32.

The Thunder finished the first half leading 66-59 after winning the second quarter 34-26. Domantas Sabonis, Keegan Murray, Kevin Huerter and De’Aaron Fox all had double digits with Fox leading the starters with 13 points. Harrison Barnes had a slow start with only two points and would need to heat up in the second half.

The Kings only had seven turnovers and were shooting at 50% from the field and 54% from downtown. The Thunder were struggling from beyond the arc shooting 21% and the Kings needed to force OKC to shoot long balls.

The Kings came out in the third quarter erasing the deficit to tie up the game at 76 with 5:05 left and led after three quarters 91-88.

Sacramento continued to maintain a minimal lead through the first half of the fourth quarter. With 2:37 left in the game the Kings extended their lead and the entire starting roster had shot in double digits. They had a ten point lead 112-102 with two minutes left in the game. Sacramento held on to finish the game winning it.

Murray finished with the high score 29 points followed by team leader Fox with 23 points. Sacramento had a great defensive effort: Murray had 14 rebounds and Sabonis finished with 13. After the slow start in this game, the Kings kept the pressure on for the remainder of the game.

Sacramento (26-18) will host the Philadelphia 76ers (29-16) on Saturday night in another home game. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 PM.

Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson: Kings host Thunder Friday night at Golden 1; Sac coming off win in LA

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Sacramento Kings center Richaun Holmes (22) dunks against Los Angeles Lakers center Thomas Bryant (31) and LeBron James (6) left during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Los Angeles

On the Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah:

#1 Jeremiah, the Sacramento Kings (25-18) got a big road win over the Los Angeles Lakers (20-25) on Wednesday night at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles 116-111 and they pulled it off without Domantas Sabonis in the line up.

#2 Kings head coach Mike Brown had been talking about the Kings depth and drive all season long and they really showed it keeping the Lakers contained towards the final minutes of Wednesday’s contest to come away with a five point win.

#3 Brown commented that the Kings have guys to step up if someone like Sabonis is out of the line up and DeAaron Fox was that guy leading with 32 points.

#4 LeBron scored 32 points but the Kings held off much of the Lakers offense and the Kings had five starters finish the game in double figures. The Kings Richaun Harris scored 16 points subbing for Sabonis and that made a difference for Sacramento.

#5 The Kings return to Sacramento take on the Oklahoma City Thunder (22-23) Friday night. The Thunder are coming off a 126-106 win over the Indiana Pacers (23-23) in OKC. The Thunder take a four game win steak into Sacramento. Jeremiah let me know your thoughts on how you see this contest.

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

Sweet Revenge for Kings Beat Lakers 116-111

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Sacramento Kings forward Trey Lyles (41) dunks against Los Angeles Lakers forward Wenyen Gabriel (35) and guard Russell Westbrook (0) during the second half at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Wed Jan 18, 2023 (AP News photo)

Sweet Revenge for Kings Beat Lakers 116-111

By Barbara Mason

Wednesday night LeBron James and the Lakers (19-25) hosted the Sacramento Kings (25-18) in a Western Conference matchup. The Kings in fourth in the conference and the Lakers sit in 13th place. The Kings came in on a three game win streak.

The last time they lost was at the hands of the Lakers in a two point game 136-134. Sacramento got a little revenge with a 116-111 win to extend their winning streak to four Wednesday night at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. The Lakers won their last game against the last place Rockets.

The Lakers got off to a quick start leading at one time by 14 points winning the first 12 minutes 39-28. The Kings bounced back in the second quarter winning it 33-21 and leading at halftime 61-60. De’Aaron Fox had 20 points in the first half, the only King in double digits.

Sacramento continued to extend the slim one point lead they had at the half finishing the third quarter leading 90-82. The entire Kings starting roster finished the third quarter in double digits.

The Lakers began to challenge the Kings lead cutting the deficit to four points trailing 90-86 in the early minutes of the fourth quarter. With 7:30 left in the game, the Kings held a one point lead 98-97. The lead that Sacramento had in the third quarter had vanished and the Lakers had taken the lead 101-100 with 6:45 left on the clock.

The two teams began to trade baskets and this would be a close one to the finish. The game was tied with 4:11 left on the clock at 103. With 30 ticks left on the clock the Kings had a 111-108 lead and possession. Sacramento was able to hold on for the win.

Fox finished the game with 31 points the team high and Harrison Barnes had 20 points. LeBron James had 32 points for the Lakers and Los Angeles had some nice work from their bench scoring 59 total points. Friday night, the Kings will take on the Thunder at Golden 1 Center. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 PM.

Sacramento upends Spurs 132-119 for fourth straight win

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Sacramento Kings’ Harrison Barnes (40) drives against San Antonio Spurs’ Josh Richardson, right, at the AT&T Center in San Antonio on Sun Jan 15, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Daniel Dullum
Sunday, January 15, 2023

Harrison Barnes scored 29 points, Domantas Sabonis came within a couple of assists of reaching a triple-double, and the Sacramento Kings defeated the San Antonio Spurs 132-119 Sunday at AT&T Center.

It was the fourth consecutive win for the Kings (24-15). It was the second straight double-digit loss for the Spurs (13-31) after falling to Golden State Friday in a game played before 68,323 at the Alamodome to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Spurs moving to San Antonio from Dallas in their ABA days. It was the largest regular season crowd in NBA history.

Following Barnes was De’Aaron Fox with 23 points, and Sabonis with 18 points, 18 rebounds and eight assists. Davion Mitchell and Trey Lyles scored 19 and 12 points, respectively, off the Kings’ bench, and Keegan Murray added 12 points.

Jakob Poeltl was the top scorer for San Antonio with 23 points, followed by Josh Richardson with 21 and 20 from Keldon Johnson. Tre Jones scored 16 points to go with eight assists and seven rebounds, and Jeremy Sochan added 15 points and eight boards for the Spurs.

Sacramento shot 55 percent from the field as they maintain their lead in the NBA Pacific Division after winning seven of its last 10 games. The Spurs, who are 8-28 since opening the season 5-2, are in fourth place in the Southwest Division.

San Antonio lost despite scoring 44 points in the paint in the first half.

The Kings travel to Los Angeles to face the Lakers on Wednesday before returning home on Friday to host Oklahoma City,

Kings send Rockets into orbit sweep two game set 139-114 at Golden 1

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Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green knocks the ball away from Sacramento Kings guard Terence Davis (3) during the first quarter at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Fri Jan 13, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings (23-18) were back in action on Friday night in Sacramento. The Kings last played Wednesday night in Sacramento against the Houston Rockets (10-32) as the Kings handled the Rockets by the final 135-115. However, the Rockets didn’t leave town. The Rockets stayed in Sacramento with an off day on Thursday. The Rockets and Kings were set to play again on Friday at 7 PM PST, the second of a two-game series. The Kings handled the Rockets on Friday night 139-114.

In the first quarter, neither team shined. The Rockets and Kings were trading baskets all quarter, with neither of the teams going on much of a run. However, Malik Monk hit three consecutive three-pointers near the end of the quarter to propel the Kings into the lead. The Kings outscored the Rockets in the first quarter 36-32. Malik Monk led the way in the first quarter with nine points. The Kings would look to have a more consistent quarter in the second to build the lead. 

In the second quarter, the game stayed tight. The Kings and Rockets played little defense as the offenses had their way. When it was all said and done, the Rockets would outscore the Kings in the second quarter 34-31. The Kings defense continued to struggle to put up stops.

It is no secret the Kings weakness is getting stops and that was on full display on Friday night. Leading the way for the Kings in the first half was Malik Monk, who had 15 points. Jalen Green was doing the damage early for the Rockets with a 25-point first half. The Kings led at halftime 69-66.

In the third quarter, the Kings went off. The Kings offense led to defense as they held the Rockets to only 26 points in the third quarter. On the other hand, the Kings offense exploded for 43 points to break the game wide open. The Kings offense was firing on all cylinders.

The outburst would lead the Kings to a 112-92 advantage heading into the final quarter. Also worth noting was an altercation between Malik Monk and Garrison Mathews. Matthews and Monk were both ejected along with two other players for escalation. 

In the fourth quarter, the minutes were purely procedure. The Kings continued to play well until the bench was emptied for the end of the game minutes.  Leading the way for the Kings in the game was Harrison Barnes, who scored 27 points.

However, not to be overshadowed by Domantas Sabonis, who had a 19-point, 16 rebounds, and 16-assist game. Domas was incredible. Jalen Green led the way for the Rockets, scoring 27 points in the game. The Kings outscored the Rockets 27-22 in the final quarter; the Kings won the game.

Up Next: The Kings go on the road and travel to Texas as they take on the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday at 4 PM PST.

Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson: Kings go for the sweep concluding two game set with Rockets tonight in Sac

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Sacramento Kings forward Harrison Barnes is defended by Houston Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. (1) during the second half at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Wed Jan 11, 2023 (AP News photo)

On the Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah:

#1The Kings would turn up the heat on the Rockets and score 31 points in the first quarter. Granted, that was only good for a four-point lead as the Rockets scored 27 themselves.

#2 The Kings built on the lead early in the second quarter and then lost it. The Kings scored 36 points in the second quarter. That was a good number, but the defense suffered. The Kings Kryptonite all year has been defense.

#3 Wednesday was no exception to this rule. The Rockets scored 35 points in the second quarter to keep pace with the Kings. However, the Kings would take a five-point 67-62 lead into halftime.

#4 De’Aaron Fox led the way in the first half with 12 points, as Jalen Green led the way for the Rockets with 18.

#5 The Kings stay home to take on the Houston Rockets in the second game of the series on Friday at 7 PM PST at Golden 1 Center in downtown Sacramento.

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

Kings take out Rockets in 20 point win in first of two game series

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By Jeremiah Salmonson

Houston Rockets forward Tari Eason, center, and forward Bruno Fernando (20) defend against Sacramento Kings guard Malik Monk during the first half at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Wed Jan 11, 2023 (AP News photo)

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings (22-18) were back in action on Wednesday at home. The Kings last game was Monday, where they took on the Orlando Magic. The Kings were able to handle the Magic with ease in the blowout win 136-111.

On Wednesday, the Kings welcomed the Houston Rockets (18-31) to Sacramento. The Rockets were in town for a two-game series with games to be played on Wednesday and Friday nights. The Rockets came in 10-30 on the season, as the Kings were 21-18. The tip-off was set for 7 PM PST in Sacramento. GAME RESULT The Kings took the first of the two game set with a 20 point win 135-115 at Golden 1 Center.

In the first quarter, the Rockets started strong. They scored the first eight points of the game to put the Kings on notice. However, that would be short-lived. The Kings would turn up the heat on the Rockets and score 31 points in the first quarter. Granted, that was only good for a four-point lead as the Rockets scored 27 themselves. The Kings would have a first-quarter lead and look to expand that in the second quarter.

The Kings built on the lead early in the second quarter and then lost it. The Kings scored 36 points in the second quarter. That was a good number, but the defense suffered. The Kings Kryptonite all year has been defense; Wednesday was no exception to this rule. The Rockets scored 35 points in the second quarter to keep pace with the Kings. However, the Kings would take a five-point 67-62 lead into halftime. De’Aaron Fox led the way in the first half with 12 points, as Jalen Green led the way for the Rockets with 18.

In the third quarter, the Kings did not play well. Not only did the Kings defense not show up the offense wasn’t able to pick them up. The Rockets outscored the Kings 33-27 in the third quarter to come back and take the lead from the Kings. The Rockets would head into the final quarter with a one-point lead over the Kings. The Kings would need someone to step up in the fourth quarter if they wanted to win the game.

In the fourth quarter, the Kings do what good teams do against a poor opponent; the Kings took over. The Kings offense and defense simultaneously exploded in the fourth quarter as the Kings outscored the Rockets 41-20. It was a massive quarter for the Kings and a welcome sight, given so many close games late this season.

Trey Lyles was the hero of the quarter, scoring 15 of his 20 points in the fourth to lead the Kings to a 20 point win over the Rockets. Leading the way for the Kings was Domantas Sabonis, who was an assist shy of a triple-double. The Rockets best performance came from Alperen Sengun, who had a 10, 10, and 10 triple-double in the loss. The Kings improved to 22-18 as the Rockets fell to 10-31.

Up Next: The Kings stay home to take on the Houston Rockets in the second game of the series on Friday at 7 PM PST.