Category: Sacramento Kings

Sellout Shootout: Kings rally late for sixth, straight win, 137-129 over the Pistons

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By Morris Phillips

SACRAMENTO–The biggest week of Kings’ basketball in over a decade almost transpired without an essential conclusion: a win over the shorthanded, hapless Pistons.

Losers of all nine of their road contests, and minus three starters, Detroit didn’t get the memo or read the Kings’ storybook. Instead they came out firing, led almost the entire way, and were tenuously in control with 4:16 remaining, up 124-119.

That’s when the 17,866 in attendance turned the volume up, while Kevin Huerter and De’Aaron Fox took control on the hardwood. Fox started the final push with a dunk in transition off Huerter’s steal, then the second of Huerter’s two 3-pointers gave the Kings a 131-127 lead with 1:29 remaining.

Fox dismissed the Pistons on a jumper with 56 seconds to go, and two made free throws with 22 seconds left that sealed it. In all, Sacramento’s starting backcourt combined for 14 of the team’s final 18 points, and Fox led the Kings with 33 points, seven assists.

“He’s playing at an All-Star level. He’s doing it on the offensive end, the defensive end,” said Harrison Barnes of Fox. “It’s a credit to him and the amount of work he put in this summer.”

Huerter added 24 points, and Domantas Sabonis had 15 points, 13 rebounds as all five Kings’ starters scored at least 13 points.

The Pistons got 24 points from rookie Jaden Ivey, who was a headliner in a matchup with fellow, top 5 draft pick Keegan Murray. The Kings’ rookie started on Sunday after missing the previous game against the Spurs and finished with 13 on 4 of 10 shooting.

Marvin Bagley also got a few hits on Twitter, as a reminder that this was his first game back in Sacramento following the trade deadline deal that shipped him to Detroit. The 6’11” Bagley didn’t figure to hold up as the only true frontcourt presence for the visitors in the absence of Saddiq Bey and Isaiah Stewart, but he did. Bagley played 21 minutes and scored 11 of his 15 points after halftime. The former No. 2 overall pick for Sacramento was playing just his fifth game after missing the first 13 games of the season with a knee sprain.

The Kings six-game win streak is their first since January 2005, and the perfect complement to Tuesday’s electrifying, 153-121 win over Brooklyn on national TV that created all the buzz. Thursday’s win over the Spurs kept the party going, and Sunday’s crowd, the biggest in the history of the Golden 1 Center confirmed the fan base has taken notice.

The Kings are three games over .500 for the first time since February 13, 2019 when they were 30-27 in support of the underappreciated coaching of Dave Joerger.

With all the excitement surrounding his team, coach Mike Brown stood alone in his subdued reaction. The Pistons 61 percent shooting before halftime, and their 102 points after three quarters left a sour taste.

“We were not good at all defensively tonight,” Brown said. “We got lucky.”

WHAT HAPPENED TO TD?: Terence Davis, the first player in NBA history to notch at least 30 points, seven rebounds, seven 3-pointers and three steals on 70-percent shooting from the field in a single game barely played on Sunday.

Davis wasn’t hurt, just not needed in the minds of the Kings’ coaching staff. Davis’ record night was Tuesday against the Nets. Then on Thursday he scored five points in 15 minutes against the Spurs. And on Sunday, with Murray back in the starting lineup, Davis sat the entire first half, and played just three minutes in the third quarter. He finished with three points.

Do the Kings have quality depth? Apparently so.

Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson: Kings pick up fifth straight win; Sac had commanding lead on Spurs

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Sacramento Kings forward Trey Lyles (41) and San Antonio Spurs guard Devin Vassell (24) chase the ball during the first quarter at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Thu Nov 17, 2022 (AP News photo)

Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson:

#1 The Sacramento Kings (8-6) have been going for the gusto of late they have won five straight games defeating the San Antonio Spurs (6-10) 130-112 at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento Thursday night.

#2 De’Aaron Fox led the way for the Kings with 28 points and had his usual huge influence on the outcome of the game and on the offense.

#3 It seems like head coach Mike Brown has this team running on all cylinders he’s certainly taken a page out of his old Golden State days when he was an assistant coach when they won several championships. He has the Kings playing with that same kind of confidence.

#4 The Spurs did put on some defense in the second and third quarters but it was the fourth quarter when Kings pulled away scoring 41 points to wind up with a 18 point win.

#5 The Kings have a very good shot at getting their sixth straight win at Golden 1 on Sunday a 3:00pm tip against the visiting Detroit Pistons. The Pistons have now lost five straight games.

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

It’s Five In A Row For Sacramento Beating Spurs 130-112

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San Antonio Spurs guard Josh Richardson (7) and Sacramento Kings guard Malik Monk (0) chase the ball during the first quarter at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Thu Nov 17, 2022 (AP News photo)

It’s Five In A Row For Sacramento Beating Spurs 130-112

By Barbara Mason

Thursday night the red-hot Sacramento Kings (8-6) took on the San Antonio Spurs (6-10) looking for their fifth win in a row. The Kings have one of the high powered offenses in the NBA right now. Their ball movement is on fire and they are taking high percentage shots and not forcing anything. This team is not leaning too heavily on one player, but rather they are trusting each other. The Huerter Sabonis connection has been insane and so much fun to watch.

This was true test for the Kings playing against a Gregg Popovich led team. The Spurs played hard and pushed Sacramento to the limits. The Kings played without Keegan Murray who sat out the game with a back issue. His injury is not considered to be a long-term issue and that is good news for the Kings. The Kings picked up their fifth straight win over the Spurs 130-112 at Golden One Center in Sacramento.

The Kings won the first quarter 37-28 leading at one time by sixteen points. The Spurs made a push getting to within four points but the Kings pushed back and held a 63-56 lead going into halftime. De’Aaron Fox had scored 12 points in the first half and off the bench Malik Monk also had twelve points.

The Spurs refused to go away and this game was tied a number of times in the third quarter. With 2:09 left in the quarter the scored was tied 80-80. At 1:18 the score was again tied at 82 and the Kings would have to go the distance and pull out all the stops in this one. After three quarters the Kings led 89-82.

The Kings would extend that lead down the stretch in the fourth quarter. Fox and Monk were shooting lights out. Monk was shooting 50% from downtown and Fox was 10 of 13 and 24 points with 7:32 left in the game. With a little over two minutes left on the clock, Sacramento was in the driver’s seat. With 1:37 the Kings had a 128-110 lead and their fifth win in a row was in sight.

All five of the starters for the Spurs shot in double digits with Devin Vassell the high with 29 points. The Spurs just could not handle the offensive excellence of Sacramento. De’Aaron Fox finished with 28 points and Malik Monk had 26 off the bench.

This was an all-around effort by the Kings. Harrison Barnes and Domantas Sabonis both had 16 and off the bench Trey Lyles had 14 points and Chimezie Metu with 10. This was just another solid offensive and defensive game for Sacramento. They fought throughout the game holding onto the lead through four quarters.

Next up for the Kings will be on Sunday when they take on the Detroit Pistons. They will be gunning for their sixth win in a row. Tipoff is scheduled for 3:00 PM.

Kings upend Nets 153-121;Davis leads Sac with 31 pts

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Sacramento Kings guard Terence Davis (3) shoots between Brooklyn Nets guard Edmond Sumner, left, and forward Nic Claxton in second half action at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento (AP News photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings were back in action on Tuesday night. The Kings are riding high after defeating the defending champion Golden State Warriors on Sunday night. The Kings beat the champs at home 122-115.

The Kings have been playing excellent basketball lately and should have a better record than 6-6. However, the Kings aren’t living in the past and are looking forward in the season to improve their record. The Kings welcomed the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday at 7 PM PST. On Tuesday, the Kings defeated the Nets 153-121 in blowout fashion.

In the first quarter, the Nets got off to a slow start offensively. The Nets couldn’t buy a basket in the first half of the quarter. The Kings took advantage of that and built up a lead. After that, however, the Nets would start scoring and returning to balance the quarter.

The Kings outscored the Nets in the first quarter 36-30 to open up an early lead in Sacramento on TNT. Kevin Durant did every day Kevin Durant things leading scorers with 12 points.

In the second quarter, the momentum shifted a bit early on in the quarter. The Kings struggled to hit shots, and the Nets picked it up on the offensive end. Yet, the Kings started to get out ahead in the last minutes of the half.

The Kings managed to outscore the Nets 37-24 in the second quarter to grow a 73-54 lead heading into halftime. Kevin Huerter led the Kings in the first half with 14 points. Kevin Durant was the only bright spot for the Nets in the first half, scoring 18 points. Could the Kings make it two halves against Kevin Durant?

In the third quarter, the Kings just took over the game. The King’s offense was firing on all cylinders as the Nets struggled without Kyrie Irving. The Kings outscored the Nets 42-28 in the third quarter. It was a full-on blowout at this point. The Kings could do no wrong on Tuesday night.

In the fourth quarter, the King sealed the deal. The Kings were outscored by the Nets 39-38 in the fourth quarter. It was an impressive game for the Kings, who have been playing well lately. It was a real show of force that the Kings mean business this year if they can maintain the defensive end of the floor.

Terence Davis led the way with an incredible performance for the Kings, dropping 28 points. Kevin Huerter was the runner-up for the Kings scoring 19 points in the game. Kevin Durant led the way for the Nets, scoring 27 points in the game. The Kings are flying high and deservedly after a great season start. The Kings would empty the bench in the game and defeat the Nets 153-121. The Kings are now 7-6 on the season.

Up Next: The Kings stay home to take on the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday at 7 PM PST.

Sacramento Kings game wrap: Sabonis leads in scoring as Kings shut down Golden State 122-115 at Golden 1

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Sacramento Kings Domantas Sabonis (center) can’t be stopped by the Golden State Warriors top star players forward Draymond Green (left) and guard Stephen Curry at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Sun Nov 13, 2022 (AP News photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings were back in action on Sunday night as they welcomed in the Golden State Warriors. The Warriors last played on Friday night as they defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers at home. The Kings also last played on Friday in Los Angeles when they beat the Lakers.

On Sunday, it looked to be a fun matchup. The World Champion Warriors were taking on the upstart Sacramento Kings in Golden One Center at 6 PM PST. Game result was a 122-115 win for the Kings. The Warriors remain with a winless road record.

In the first quarter, the Kings didn’t look great. They didn’t play any defense, and the offense couldn’t pick up the difference. In a dismal first quarter, the Kings gave up 39 points to the Warriors, who started the night with a hot shooting hand. The Kings only scored 26 points in the first quarter. Warriors guard Stephen Curry continued his shooting terror, starting the game by scoring 13 in the first.

In the second quarter, the Kings played much better. It was almost a complete role reversal for the Kings. The Kings played solid defense and held the Warriors to only 23 points in the second quarter. On the other hand, the Kings offense came alive and scored 38 on the Warriors in the second.

The Kings were led in the first half by Keegan Murray and Malik Monk, who had 13 and 12, respectively. Andrew Wiggins led the Warriors in the first half, scoring 18 points. The Kings would lead the Warriors heading into halftime 64-62. The Kings would look to close out the Warriors in the second half but could Curry light a fire under the Warriors and lead them back?

In the third quarter, both teams fought tooth and nail. Neither team could seem to figure out the defensive end of the floor. The offense seemed to be getting to most of the spots they wanted. The Kings managed to outscore the Warriors for the second quarter in a row, 34-29 in the third. The Kings showed poise and avoided the third-quarter meltdown. Could the Kings close out the defending champs? The Kings entered the final quarter of action leading 98-91.

In the fourth quarter, the Kings started to lose control of the game. The Kings had played well in the second half until they started to get sloppy with the ball and commit mental mistakes. The Kings committed a series of bad offensive fouls that seemed to turn the tide in the game.

However, De’Aaron Fox was able to lead the Kings to victory in the second half. The Kings managed to defeat the Warriors in a seven point victory. It was an excellent show from the Kings against the defending champs to not give in after halftime and close out the win. The Kings were led by an incredible performance from Domantas Sabonis, who had 26-22-8 for his line. Fox finished the game with 22 points leading the Kings back into momentum in the final quarter.

Up Next: The Kings stay home at Golden 1 to take on the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday at 7 PM PST

Golden State Warriors game wrap: Warriors remain winless; Lose to Kings 122-115

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Golden State Warriors center Kevon Looney, center, is guarded by Sacramento Kings forward Domantas Sabonis (10) and guard Kevin Huerter (9) during the first quarter at Golden 1 in Sacramento on Sun Nov 13, 2022 (AP News photo)

Warriors Remain Winless On the Road Losing to Kings 122-115

By Barbara Mason

Sunday night the Golden State Warriors (5-8) took on the Sacramento Kings (6-6) hoping to win their first road game of the season. Limiting the turnovers will be key in this game. This has been troublesome all season as well as sending opponents to the line far too often. The Warriors will have to get that first road win for another day as they dropped Sunday’s game to the Kings 122-115 at Golden 1 Arena in Sacramento.

Golden State came out on fire hitting three three’s to start the game and taking a 39-26 lead after the first 12 minutes. Guard Stephen Curry started this game much the same as he finished their last game against the Cavaliers.

The second quarter saw a reverse of fortune for the Kings. They had trailed by fifteen points in the quarter only to take a halftime lead 64-62. The Kings outscored the Warriors in the second quarter 38-23. The Warriors had hit eight three’s and the Kings had nine. The Kings had scored 13 points off Warrior turnovers as Golden State continued to struggle in that department.

This is the third meeting between these two teams this season, all of these games very competitive.

The Warriors got their offense back on track in the third quarter taking back the lead 78-72 at 8:27. Both teams had hit 11 three’s. Just when the Warriors made a nice push, the Kings pushed right back taking the lead 80-78 mid-way through the quarter. One big factor in this game was the 14 rebounds by the Kings Domantas Sabonis as Sacramento continued to challenge the Warriors. After three quarters the Kings led 98-91.

The turnovers for the Kings began to mount and with six minutes left we had a one point game 109-108 in favor of Sacramento. Both teams got a bit sloppy in the closing minutes. Just inside of five minutes the Warriors took back the lead 111-110 in this see-saw of a game.

Golden State needed to close out this game as both teams traded the lead in the final three minutes. Winding down to the two minute mark, the Kings had taken a 119-113 lead. The Warriors just could make shots in the final minutes and came up short losing another road game 122-115.

Curry had the high score with 27 points and Jordan Poole finished with 18. The Kings defense was amazing especially Sabonis with an amazing 22 rebounds and 26 points. The Kings simply were the better team tonight.

The Warriors will be back home at Chase to take on the San Antonio Spurs Monday night. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 PM.

Kings Finish Off Lakers in Final Seconds 120-114

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Los Angeles Lakers guard Lonnie Walker IV, left, dunks as Sacramento Kings guard Kevin Huerter defends at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Fri Nov 11, 2022 (AP News photo)

Kings Finish Off Lakers in Final Seconds 120-114

By Barbara Mason

Friday night the Sacramento Kings (5-6) took on the Los Angeles Lakers (2-10) at crypto.com Arena. The Kings were coming off a 127-120 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers while the struggling Lakers lost to the Clippers 114-101 on Wednesday.

LeBron James had to leave the game against the Clippers with a groin injury and was unable to play Wednesday. The Kings picked up their third win in their last five games defeating the Lakers at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles 120-114. It was the Lakers fifth straight loss.

Game recap: The game was all tied after the first 12 minutes 23-23. The Kings took the lead for much of the first quarter but could never distance themselves from the Lakers.

The second quarter remained close until the five minute mark. The Lakers began to chip away and built a 12 point lead. With three minutes left in the half, the Kings began to make a push and after two quarters Sacramento had rallied and only trailed 60-56.

DeAaron Fox had been quiet through the first quarter and most of the second. The final two minutes of the half saw Fox turn things around heating up and finishing the half with 11 points. The slow start Kevin Huerter had also turned around in the second quarter.

The Kings took the lead mid-way through the third quarter but this game remained close. With 4:56 left the Kings were clinging to a one point lead 75-74. Domantas Sabonis had really stepped up from the start of this game. As the third quarter wound down the teams were trading the lead. The Lakers led after three quarters 88-87.

The early minutes of the fourth quarter were as tight as a game could be between these two teams. With 1:06 left in the game the score was tied 114-114. Sacramento dug in and took a 118-114 lead with 32 seconds on the clock. The high for the Lakers was Anthony Davis with 24 points and Russell Westbrook finished with 21 points off the bench.

This game was a dogfight with the Kings coming out on top. Fox finished with 32 points followed by Sabonis with 21 points. Terence Davis finished with 12 off the bench. Sacramento fought hard from start to finish and it paid off.

Sunday night the Kings will be back home taking on the Golden State Warriors. The Kings got close last Monday losing to the Warriors 116- 113. Tipoff is scheduled for 6:00 PM.

Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson: Kings prepare for LeBron and the Lakers in the Southland tonight

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Cleveland Cavaliers power forward Kevin Love (0) goes airborne to take a shot against the Sacramento Kings power forward Harrison Barnes (40) at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Wed Nov 9, 2022 (@cavs photo)

On the podcast with Jeremiah:

#1 Domantas Sobonis led the Sacramento Kings with 21 points to defeat the Cleveland Cavaliers at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Wednesday night.

#2 The Cavaliers Donavon Mitchell led Cleveland with 38 points and took 16 out of 28 shots. Mitchell’s been big for the Cavs but the Cavaliers fell short to the Kings 127-120.

#3 The Cavaliers have now lost two straight games after winning eight in a row. Mitchell said after the game “Different night’s different things.”

#4 The Kings Harrison Barnes was coming off getting shutout by Golden State Monday night to scoring 20 points the most points for Barnes this season.

#5 Jeremiah, will the Kings have their hands full at Crypto.com in LA against LeBron, Russell Westbrook, Anthony Davis, and Patrick Beverly.

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

Sac’s Sobonis leads with 21 pts in 127-120 win over Cavs; Kings pick up fourth win in last six games

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Cleveland Cavaliers Evan Mobley (4) goes for the score against the Sacramento Kings Harrison Barnes (40) and Domontas Sobonis (10) at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Wed Nov 9, 2022 (@Cavs photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings were back in action on Wednesday night in Sacramento. The Kings last played on Monday in San Francisco when they took on the Golden State Warriors. The Kings played an excellent and hard-fought game! Unfortunately, Stephen Curry exists, and the NBA refs are atrocious.

The Kings lost that game 116-113 in a very upsetting fashion for the Kings.

Game recap: On Wednesday, the Kings welcomed the upstart Cleveland Cavaliers into town at 7 PM PST. The Kings defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 127-120 on Wednesday night.

In the first quarter, the Kings came out swinging. The Kings put up 34 points in the third quarter compared to the Cavs 29 points. The Kings could have finished the quarter up by a more significant margin, but they didn’t finish strong. Domantas Sabonis started the game hot, scoring eight points in the first.

In the second quarter, it was a similar tale. The Kings started the quarter hot and cooled off toward the end. However, Keegan Murray led the Kings in the final minutes to stretch out the lead. The Kings defense struggled to contain the Cavs in the first half, but the offense was producing at a high clip.

The Kings managed to outscore the Cavs 69-58 in the first half, putting them on a good path to victory. The Kings were led in the first half by De’Aaron Fox, who scored 13 points for the Kings. However, the Kings have struggled to come out in the second half with energy; Wednesday night was a good test of that.

In the third quarter, the Kings defense continued to struggle. The Kings offense was the only reason the Kings were still in the game. The Kings allowed the Cavs to score 35 points in the third quarter. No doubt coach Mike Brown was disappointed by the defensive performance so far. However, the Kings still led the Cavs 97-93 heading into the game’s final 12 minutes of action.

In the fourth quarter, it was a back-and-forth battle. It was intense until the end of the game. Both teams played their hearts out, but ultimately, only one could emerge victorious. In the game’s final minutes, the Kings came up clutch to beat the Cavs.

Kevin Huerter came up with a clutch three-pointer as Malik Monk distributed the offense. The Kings outscored the Cavs 30-27 in the final quarter to come away with the win. The defense for the Kings was lacking all game. Yet, when the defense mattered most, the Kings got the job done down the stretch.

The Kings leading scorer was Domantas Sabonis, who dropped 21 points. Donavan Mitchell led the Cavs in defeat, dropping 38 points on the Kings. Nevertheless, it was a big win for the Kings, who improved to 4-6 on the season.

Up Next: The Kings travel to LA to take on the Lakers on Friday at 7 PM PST.

Sacramento Kings game wrap: Warriors End Five Game Losing Streak Beating Kings 116-113

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Golden State Warrior Draymond Green (23) drives and takes a shot against the Sacramento Kings Keegan Murray (13) at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Mon Nov 8, 2022 (AP News photo)

Warriors End Five Game Losing Streak Beating Sacramento 116-113

By Barbara Mason

Monday night the Sacramento Kings (3-6) took on the Golden State Warriors (4-7). The Kings are coming off a Saturday night overtime win against the Magic 126-123. The Warriors had lost five games in a row and the Kings would like nothing more than to make it six for the Warriors. The Warriors got some strong offensive help from guard Stephen Curry with 22 points and Golden State got by Sacramento 116-113 at the Chase Center in San Francisco.

The Kings fell behind in the first quarter trailing by 12 points only to make a push winning the opening quarter 31-29. This season the Kings have played some terrific basketball and have been in every game they have played this year. The Kings had six three’s in the opening quarter with De’Aaron Fox leading the way.

With six and a half left in the second quarter, the Kings took their largest lead of the game 48-37. Sacramento hung onto the lead for most of the quarter and with two minutes left in the half were clinging to a 57-53 lead. The Kings had really cashed in on the 21 free throws that the Warriors had thrown their way making 19 of them.

At the half the Kings had a 67-55 lead. Fox had 18 points and off the bench Malik Monk had 17. Domantas Sabonis already had a double double with 14 points and 11 rebounds. The Kings were looking to build on two terrific quarters going into the second half.

The Kings opened the third quarter with a couple of sloppy turnovers Golden State taking full advantage of the mistakes. The 12 point lead had shrunk to one point with eight minutes left in the quarter. Every push the Warriors made saw the Kings up for the challenge. Sacramento continued to play hard and built their lead back up to 88-79 after three quarters.

With under two minutes left in the game the score was tied at 107. A Curry three gave the Warriors the lead since the first quarter 110-107. The Kings had the Warriors pinned against the wall but they could not contain Curry in the final minutes of the game. It was a tough loss for Sacramento.

Fox finished with 28 and Sabonis had 19 points and 14 rebounds. Off the bench Malik Monk turned in 24 points. The Kings had an offensive let-down in the final minutes of this game which made all the difference.

The Kings will be back home at Golden 1 Center Wednesday night to take on the red-hot Cleveland Cavaliers. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 PM.