Category: Sacramento Kings

Kings Beat No.1 Team in NBA 116-109; Positive result to end 2021-22 Sacramento season

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Sacramento Kings forward Justin Holiday throws down in front of Phoenix Suns forward Cameron Johnson (23) in first half action at the Footprint Center in Phoenix on Sun Apr 10, 2022

Kings Beat No.1 Team in NBA 116-109; Positive result to end 2021-22 Sacramento season

By Barbara Mason

It has been a long long season for the Sacramento Kings (30-52). They have fought through the loss of a Head Coach (Luke Walton) and injury and lots of frustration. With all that they have endured throughout the season, they have to finish it playing the best team in the NBA the Phoenix Suns (64-18).

It was a bit of a surprise to see the Kings leading after the first quarter 33-24. What was even more surprising was the fact that they extended their lead to 67-51 at the half. Of course the Suns were not playing Devon Booker, Chris Paul and Deandre Ayton not risking injury to their starters and keeping them fresh for their post-season run.

On the other hand the Kings De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis were out with injury so missing their top scorer Fox and newest acquisition Sabonis.

A win for the Suns makes no difference in the standings. A win for Sacramento would give them their 30th win of the season and a little something to hang their hat on after the disappointment they have gone through all year. The Kings shocked picking up a win at Footprint Center in Phoenix over the first place Kings 116-109.

The Suns made up a little ground in the third quarter but the Kings stubbornly held on with some great play from Justin Holiday and Davion Mitchell. They continued to hold a double digit lead mid-way through the third.

The Kings saw their 16 point lead start to shrink as the quarter came to an end. After three quarters Sacramento held a 86-77 lead. They would have to dig deep to finished the season with a win.

The Kings maintained a double digit lead until the final three minutes of this game. With 2:38 left on the clock the Suns were trailing by eight points. The Suns would make if really interesting trailing by three points with 8.6 left on the clock. The Kings refused to go down in this game and finished off the Suns.

Sacramento had some great work from Damian Jones, Mitchell and Donte Divincenzo all with 19 points. So now we bid a brief farewell to the Kings as they head into the off-season. With a healthy De’Aaron Fox, Sabonis, Damian Jones, Mitchell Divincenzo and Harrison Barnes there is some optimism going forward for the Kings.

Our thanks to our Sacramento Kings beat writer staff for the 2021-22 season, Jeremiah Salmonson, Charlie O, Morris Phillips, Barbara Mason, Jessica Kwong, Daniel Dullum and Marko Ukalovic

George, Clippers roll past Kings 117-98

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Los Angeles Clippers guard Paul George (13) battles his way to the hoop as Sacramento Kings forward Harrison Barnes (40) puts the stop on George in first half action at the Crypto Arena in Los Angeles on Sat Apr 9, 2022 (AP News photo)

By Daniel Dullum
Saturday, April 9, 2022

Paul George scored 23 points, dished out 12 assists, and pulled down eight rebounds for the Los Angeles Clippers Saturday night, leading the Clips past Sacramento 117-98.

It was the Clippers’ fourth straight win. Los Angeles will face the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday in the NBA’s play-in tournament. If the Clippers win, they will reach the playoffs for the fourth straight year and meet the No 2-seed Memphis Grizzlies in the first round.

A loss to Minnesota would send the Clippers into a game against either New Orleans or San Antonio on Friday. The winner would face the overall top-seed Phoenix Suns.

George missed 43 games due to an elbow injury. Since his return, George is averaging 22.6 points, 5.6 rebounds and 6.8 assists while the Clippers are 5-1 in that stretch.

The Clippers led from start to finish, as Norman Powell scored 20 points off the bench and Ivica Zubac added 15 points and 12 boards for LA.

Davion Mitchell led the Kings with 22 points, followed by Trey Lyules with 15. Damian Jones scored 12 points to go with four steals, and Neemias Queta added 10 points off the Sacramento bench.

The Clippers led by as many as 20 points in the first half before Sacramento used a run to pull within 59-45 at halftime. The Kings scored the first seven points of the third quarter to cut its deficit in half.

That was as close as Sacramento would get, as Los Angeles used a 19-5 run over the last five minutes of the third quarter to take a 92-71 lead going into the fourth quarter.
The Kings travel to Phoenix on Sunday.

Pelicans control Kings wire to wire in Sac’s last home game 123-109

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The New Orleans guard CJ McCollum (3) drives to the bucket against the Sacramento Kings at the Golden One Center in Sacramento on Tue Apr 5, 2022 (AP News photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings (29-51) were back in action on Tuesday night for their last home game. The Kings were set to welcome the New Orleans Pelicans (35-44) on Tuesday at 7 PM PST in Sacramento. The Kings last played on Sunday evening against the Golden State Warriors as they lost that game 109-90.

On Tuesday, the Kings lost to the New Orleans Pelicans by the final of 123-109 in the Kings last home game of the season.

In the first quarter, both teams started slow. The Kings fell behind early in the first quarter only to pull closer as the quarter came to a close. Overall, the Kings scored 25 points in the first quarter compared to the Pelicans 27. The Kings offense was down several players on Tuesday, but most notably, it was De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis.

In the second quarter, It wasn’t any better for the Kings. The Kings offense played well in the second quarter as they began to pick up the pace. However, the increase on offense also led to worse play on the defensive end.

The Kings scored 32 points in the second quarter but allowed the Pelicans to score 33 points and further their lead. Damian Jones led the way for the Kings in the first half as he scored 15 points. Jaxson Hayes led the way for the Pelicans on offense as he scored 12 points in the first half.

The Kings would need to control the Pelicans on offense if they wished to secure a win in their final home game of the season. The Kings went into halftime down 60-57.

In the third quarter, the story only got worse for the Kings. The Pelicans offense remained in high gear as the Kings struggled to mount any sort of gameplan on the defensive end of the floor.

The Pelicans continued the offensive onslaught as they scored 35 points on the Kings in the third quarter. On the other hand, the Kings only scored 27 points in the third as the deficit grew in Sacramento. It would tackle a miracle for the Kings to come back in the fourth quarter as they were down 95-84.

In the fourth quarter, the Kings didn’t show much fight. The trend of being outscored in every quarter of the game continued as the Pelicans outscored the Kings 28-25 in the final quarter. It was a disappointing end to a disappointing season for the Kings.

The Kings fell to the Pelicans by the final of 123-109. The Kings were led in the defeat by Damian Jones, who had 22 points. The Pelicans leading scorers were Jaxson Hayes and CJ McCollum, who each had 23 points. This game would conclude the 41 home games the Kings played at Golden One Center for the season.

Up Next: The Kings go on the road to take on the LA Clippers on Saturday in LA time of the game TBD.

Golden State Warriors podcast with David Zizmor: Warriors look to pick up third win in row against slumping LeBron and Lakers

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The Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) makes for a fast break on the Sacramento Kings Justin Holiday (9) at the Golden One Center in Sacramento on Sun Apr 3, 2022 (AP News photo)

#1 Dave, after losing four straight games the Golden State Warriors (50-29) got key wins against the Utah Jazz and the Sacramento Kings (29-50). How much of a relief did this have to be for the club considering they had lost those three games and were without Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson.

#2 Despite not having Curry and Thompson the Warriors got some offense from forward Andrew Wiggins who led with 25 points and guard Jordan Poole who finished behind Wiggins with 22 points.

#3 The Warriors host the Los Angeles Lakers (31-47) on Thursday night at Chase Center. The Lakers are having troubles of their own with seven loses of their last eight games. The Lakers are on a eight game loss streak losing their last game to the Denver Nuggets (47-32) 129-118 at Crypto Arena on Sunday night.

Join David Zizmor throughout the NBA postseason for the Golden State Warriors podcasts each Wednesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Sacramento Kings podcast with Morris Phillips: Shooting that killed six, injured 12 take precedence before Sunday’s game

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Fans and players of the Golden State Warriors and Sacramento Kings prior to the game stand in a moment of silence to remember those who were killed or injured on Sun Apr 3, 2022’s shooting in downtown Sacramento just blocks away from the Golden One Center in downtown Sacramento. (photo by the Sacramento Bee)

On the Sacramento Kings podcast with Morris:

#1 Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr addressed the media before Sunday’s game at the Golden One Center in Sacramento. Kerr’s whose father was gunned down in Beirut in 1984 talked about the shooting that took place before Sunday’s game in Sacramento where six were killed and 12 were injured saying that everyone is crushed before the start of the game about what took place.

#2 Morris you and I have taken to those same streets near the Golden One Center many times, for example on Ninth between K Street and J Streets in downtown Sacramento and the neighborhood is rough after dark the Kings have one more home game left but it certainly puts fear into those who travel to downtown for business or pleasure.

#3 To the game on Sunday night the Sacramento Kings (29-50) who had won four of their last five game previous to Sunday’s game were totally broadsided by Golden State (50-29) in a 19 point loss. The Kings were defeated by a Warrior team that played without stars Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson.

#4 Morris the Kings had a tough time defending the Warriors Andrew Wiggins with a team leading 25 points, followed by Jordan Poole 22 points, and former King Nemanja Bjelica with 19 points.

#5 Morris, the Kings will face the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday night, the Pelicans have won four of their last six games. They took a tough loss to the Los Angeles Clippers in their last game 119-100. How do you see the Pelicans and Kings matching up on Tuesday?

This is Morris’ last Kings podcast for the 2021-22 season and he will be doing the San Francisco Giants podcasts starting next Monday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Sacramento Kings game wrap: Kings brief two game win streak comes to an end in 109-90 loss to Golden State

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Sacramento Kings guard Davion Mitchell (15) takes a shot against the Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) in the second quarter at the Golden One Center in Sacramento on Sun Apr 3, 2022 (AP News photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings (29-50) were back in action on Sunday evening. The Kings had last played on Friday as they took in the Houston Rockets for the second time in as many games.

The Kings wrapped up the five-game road trip with a win on Houston on Friday 122-117. On Sunday, the Kings welcomed the Golden State Warriors (50-29) to Golden One Center with tip-off set for 6 PM PST. The Warriors beat the Kings at home 109-90 on Sunday night…

In the first quarter, it was a plodding start for the Kings. The Kings only scored 14 points on the Warriors in the first quarter. However, that wasn’t the only bad news for the Kings.

The Warriors offense got off to a quick start when they put up 28 points on the Kings in the first quarter. The Kings would need to act fast in the second quarter if they wanted to keep the game close.

In the second quarter, It didn’t get much better for the Kings. The Warriors offense was still firing on all cylinders, and the Kings defense couldn’t contain them. The Kings offense did pick up the pace scoring 28 points in the second quarter.

Unfortunately, the Warriors dropped 34 points on the Kings in the second quarter. The Kings would dig themselves into a 62-42 deficit going into halftime to a Warriors team without Stephen Curry or Klay Thompson. In the first half, Andrew Wiggins led the Warriors in scoring with 15, while Damian Jones scored eight points for the Kings.

In the third quarter, the Kings played their best quarter so far. The Kings outscored the Warriors in the third quarter, 29-19, as they got a little momentum heading into the final quarter.

Throughout the game, the difference had been the Kings three-point shooting compared to the Warriors. The Warriors made almost half of their three-pointers while the Kings were lucky to make 1-10. As a result, the Kings went into the fourth quarter trailing 67-81.

In the fourth, the Kings would show heart but ultimately lose the game 109-90. The Kings did get within seven points of the Warriors down the stretch in the fourth quarter. However, after a bad pass from Damian Jones, the Kings lost their momentum, and the Warriors took the game over to seal the deal.

The difference in the game was three-point shooting as the Warriors made 16-34 attempts. On the other hand, the Kings only made 7-33. The Warriors were led in victory by Andrew Wiggins, who scored 25 points, as Harrison Barnes had 18 points to lead the Kings.

Up Next: The Kings take on the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday at 7 PM PST to wrap up the home schedule for the Kings this season.

Kings win fourth in five games defeat Rockets 122-117

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The Sacramento Kings Harrison Barnes (40) goes high above the Houston Rockets Kevin Porter Jr (3) but is grabbed by Porter on the arm for a foul in first half action at the Toyota Center in Houston on Fri Apr 1, 2022 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Sacramento Kings (29-49) continue to roll with their second straight win over the Houston Rockets (20-58) completing the two game series at the Toyota Center on Friday night 122-117. The Kings also defeated the Rockets on Wednesday night by four points 121-118. The loss on Friday was the Rockets third straight defeat and the Kings have now won four of their last five games.

Onto Friday, the Kings Harrison Barnes led with 25 points. It’s rare to have on the schedule but the two teams met for the second time in three days in Houston. The Kings Damion Jones had himself a good game with 17 points, 17 rebounds, and six blocks, Donte DiVincenzo played 30 minutes got 19 points, nine assists and nine rebounds.

The Kings  Chimezie Metu scored 18 in 27 minutes, but it was Barnes who had the hot hand with ten out of 16 shooting from the field and hitting four three pointers. All around Kings head coach Alvin Gentry was satisfied with the Kings play, “I thought everybody contributed, and when we needed a stop or a basket, different guys did it for us,” Gentry said. “We had guys stepping up, and I think that’s the main thing. It was a really good team win.”

The Kings will try to keep it going at the Golden One Center in Sacramento when they return to play the Golden State Warriors (48-29) on Sunday for a 6:00 pm PDT tip. Like the Miami Heat who were in a slump when the Kings came into Miami the Kings got trounced 123-100 on Mon Mar 28th.

The Warriors are not in the best of moods and have lost four straight games before defeating the Utah Jazz on Saturday night. The Warriors had lost to the powerful Phoenix Suns 107-103 last Wednesday. The Suns Mikal Bridges and Devon Booker both led with 22 points. The Warriors also have lost their star player Stephen Curry for the next five games meaning the rest of the regular season and have shown they’ve been badly handicapped by his absence.

Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremaiah Salmonson: Kings and Rockets close out two game set tonight at Toyota Center

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Sacramento Kings guard Davion Mitchell (15) throws down on Houston Rockets forwards Usman Garuba, left, and Kenyon Martin Jr., right, at the Toyota Center in Houston on Wed Mar 30, 2022 (AP News photo)

On the Kings podcast with Jeremiah:

#1 Jeremiah, the Sacramento Kings (28-49) have won three out of their last four games beating such teams as the Indiana Pacers, Orlando Magic, and the Houston Rockets. The Kings also gave the Phoenix Suns fits March 20th only to lose to them by three points.

#2 On Wednesday night the Kings last game against the Houston Rockets (20-57) in Houston Davion Mitchell, Damian Jones and Trey Lyles each scored 24 points and that’s the kind of offense the Kings need to win games.

#3 The Rockets gave the Kings a run for their money with each team trading off double digit lead and narrowing it down in the fourth quarter in the four point 121-118 win for the Kings.

#4 Mitchell in his rookie year said he hopes the Kings can keep this kind of momentum up and be competitive next season. See what head coach Alvin Gentry has done over this last month how impressed are you by what he’s done with the team?

#5 Jeremiah, the Kings visit the Rockets one more time to close out this two game series in Houston. The Kings and Rockets went back and forth on Wednesday night do you see them pretty much doing the same for tonight’s game in Houston?

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

Kings Squeeze Past the Rockets 121-118

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Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green, right, gets the basketball around Sacramento Kings forward Justin Holiday (9) at the Toyota Center in Houston Wed Mar 30, 2022 (AP News photo)

Kings Squeeze Past the Rockets 121-118

By Barbara Mason

Wednesday night the Sacramento Kings (27-49) took on the last place Houston Rockets (20-56). This is a game that the Kings should be able to handle despite the fact that De’Aaron Fox has been ruled out with a hand injury.

Fox has been having a great season although once again the Kings will miss the playoffs. Sacramento has not seen a postseason since 2006. This is the longest drought of any team in the NBA. The Kings carried on without Fox tonight picking up their third win in their last four games at the Toyota Center in Houston 121-118 in a nail biter.

It has been another disappointing season for the Kings. Sacramento was active in February at the trade deadline. They added the two-time All-Star Domantas Sabonis. We may not see Fox or Sabonis reach their potential this season.

Head Coach Alvin Gentry all but confirmed that these guys are finished for the season. So between the hand injury for Fox and a bruised left knee for Sabonis it only makes sense for these guys to look ahead to next season. These two players could provide a lethal partnership but it looks as if that will be put on hold until 2022-23.

It was a great start for the Houston Rockets leading after the first quarter 39-28.

The Kings trailed by as much as thirteen points in the second quarter. The Rockets seemed to have the momentum until something within the Kings began to click. Sacramento turned the momentum completely around taking the lead 72-66 at halftime.

With three minutes left in the half they had tied the game at 57. The Rockets began missing and the Kings began hitting shots, blocking shots and forcing turnovers. Damian Jones had 17 points and both Davion Mitchell and Trey Lyles had 16. Harrison Barnes had a quiet half and the team would need him in the third and fourth quarters.

The Kings made a move in the third quarter leading by 11 but squandered it all away leading by a slim margin 104-103 as time elapsed in the quarter. Fouls and turnovers had turned the tide in favor of the Rockets. The Kings had some work to do to close out this game.

The fourth quarter was a tough one for both teams. In the first six minutes only four points were scored between both teams combined. With 5:30 left in the game the score was tied at 108. The score remained tied for the next two minutes.

With 1:11 left in the game the Kings took a 117-113 lead. This game would go down to the wire. With 10.4 left on the clock the Kings had a 119-118 lead. Two free throws from Trey Lyles and the Kings survived the challenge from the Rockets.

The Kings starters had a great game with Lyles, Jones and Mitchell each turning in 24 points and Harrison Barnes had a much improved second half with 13 points.

Next up for the Kings as they march toward the end of the season will be another matchup with Houston on Friday. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:00 PM.

Kings Can’t Stand The Heat: Miami cruises, snaps Sacramento’s modest win streak

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By Morris Phillips

Once the Heat established themselves on Monday, little space remained for the Kings to be who they are, or who they want to be for that matter.

How’s that?

“We got back to being who we are,” Miami’s Jimmy Butler said after he led the Heat to a 123-100 win over the Kings with his 27 points and seven assists. The Heat snapped a four-game slide with the win, and looked like the Eastern Conference leaders they’ve been in the latter stages of this season in the process.

Bam Adebayo also had a big night for Miami with 22 points, 15 rebounds and Tyler Herro added 20 in 29 minutes off the bench.

“Felt amazing to get back in the winning column,” Herro said.

The Kings (27-49) had their moment early, leading 6-0 briefly before the host’s grueling style wore down the visitors and their thinned rotation. Miami scored the next nine points and never looked back. Sacramento managed just 19 points in the first quarter, and they trailed by 12. The deficit grew to 16 at the half, and 25 points after three quarters. Most notably, the Kings improved defensive play took the night off as they surrendered 101 points with eight minutes left in the game.

Davion Mitchell play was once again an eye-opener for the Kings as he led them with 21 points and nine assists in 41 minutes on the floor. Drafted for his high-level, defensive intensity, the rookie continues to show polish in all facets of his performance.

“(It’s hard) playing him 40 minutes every night and guarding the best player,” coach Alvin Gentry said. “But he accepts that and goes out and does the very best he can. I think you can see the improvement, the improvement in his decision-making. The effort has always been there defensively, so we just have to continue to get better.”

Harrison Barnes added 17 points as the Kings played without the quartet of Domantas Sabonis, De’Aaron Fox, Terence Davis and Richaun Holmes for the fourth straight game. The Kings squandered an opportunity to win a third, consecutive road game and have lost 13 of 18.

The Kings conclude a five-game road swing with games at Houston on Wednesday and Friday. According to the Sacramento Bee’s Jason Anderson, an improbable 6-0 finish to the season–all against Western Conference opponents–could net the Kings the needed tie breakers to nab the 10th spot in the Western Conference. Possible, but highly unlikely as the Kings have yet to win four in a row this season.

The visit concluded Sacramento’s schedule against Eastern Conference teams. They finished 10-20 against the East, a major reason they likely will miss the playoffs for a 16th straight season.