Category: Sacramento Kings

DeRozan breaks record set by Wilt, Bulls hold off Kings 125-118

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Chicago Bulls’ Javonte Green (24) throws down against the Sacramento Kings’ Harrison Barnes (right) at the United Center in Chicago on Wed Feb 16, 2022 (AP News photo)

By Daniel Dullum
Wednesday, February 16, 2022

DeMar DeRozan, Coby White and Nikola Vucevic combined for 80 points Wednesday, as the Chicago Bulls defeated the visiting Sacramento Kings 125-118 in front of 19,166 at United Center.

DeRozan scored a game-high 38 points, White – starting in place of Zach LaVine – had 31 points, including six 3-pointers, and Vucevic was next with 21 points and 10 rebounds for his 34th double-double of the season.

Javonte Green and Ayo Dosunmu added 15 and 12 points, respectively, for the Bulls. Dosunmu also had six rebounds, six assists and two steals.

DeRozan also broke an obscure NBA record with his seventh straight game of 35 or more points on 50 percent or better shooting. Wilt Chamberlain set the previous mark in 1960-61 and 1962-63 with the Warriors.

Chicago shot 50 percent on field goals for a league-leading 23rd time this season, while committing only eight turnovers. The Kings kept it close by shooting 51 percent, including 12 of 30 from behind the arc.

But DeRozan was up to the task, scoring 12 of his points in the fourth quarter, finishing with a 15-for-27 shooting night for the Bulls (38-21), who are first in the Eastern Conference standings.
DeAaron Fox led the Kings with 33 points, nine assists and six rebounds.

Recently acquired Domantas Sabonis scored 22 points while pulling down 12 rebounds to go with eight assists. Justin Holiday scored 18 points, followed by Harrison Barnes with 17 points, and Chimezie Metu added 11 points off the Kings’ bench.

The Kings return to action after the All-Star break when they host Denver on Feb. 24.

Curry brings up the rear for Nets in 109-85 defeat of Kings

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Sacramento Kings guard De’Aaron Fox (5) is defended by Brooklyn Nets guard Patty Mills at the Barclay Center in Brooklyn on Mon Feb 14, 2022 (AP News photo)

Mon, Feb 14 at 7:52 PM

By Jessica Kwong

BROOKLYN, NY. — The Brooklyn Nets handed the Sacramento Kings a 109-85 Valentine’s Day loss at Barclays Center despite missing three of their stars.

Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and Ben Simmons were absent on Monday but Seth Curry on his first night as a member of the Nets scored 23 points to snap Brooklyn’s 11-game losing streak and end the Kings’ modest two-game winning streak.

De’Aaron Fox had a game-high 26 points, Davion Mitchell scored 13 points and Donte DiVincenzo contributed 12 points. But the Kings as a team shot just 34.4% from the field.

The Kings never led and the Nets had 19-point leads in the first, third and final quarters.

Domantas Sabonis, who recently joined the Kings after a six-player trade with the Indiana Pacers, failed to impress as he did in his first two games wearing purple. Sabronis scored just 9 points on four-of-11 shooting in 26 minutes.

Still, Kings interim coach Alvin Gentry thinks Sabonis — who went into Monday’s game averaging 18.9 points, 12.1 rebounds and 5.1 assists in 46 games — has boosted the team.

“We have played a lot of our offense through him,” Gentry said. “I think our guys have really enjoyed playing with him on the floor. I think our cuts have been much better because I think they anticipate getting the ball on the scoring cuts that they make. He’s just been a real stabilizer for us, really.”

After beating the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Washington Wizards to improve to 4-2 in the six games before Brooklyn, Gentry had high hopes for the matchup against the short-handed Nets.

“These were games that we were losing early on and all the way up until this week really,” Gentry said. “I hope this is a sign of good things to come.”

It didn’t turn out that way on Monday. The Kings were limited to 25.7% (9-for-35) from the three-point line. Meanwhile, the Nets shot 51.2% from the field and 34.6% from 3.

The Kings (22-37) are 13th in the western conference. They continue their road trip on Wednesday against the Chicago Bulls in the last game of the first half of the season. Tipoff is at 5 p.m.

Kings big second half overtake Wizards 123-110

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Washington Wizards forward Corey Kispert (24) drives to the net against Sacramento Kings guard Donte DiVincenzo (0) at the Capital One Arena in Washington on Sat Feb 12, 2022 (AP News photo)

by Marko Ukalovic

WASHINGTON, DC. — Two games after their big blockbuster trade, Cap City is looking to have the last laugh.

The Sacramento Kings outscored the Washington Wizards 64-45 in the second half to cruise to a 123-110 victory on Saturday evening at Capital One Arena.

Sacramento has won two out of its last three games and sit one and a half games back of 10th place in the Western Conference, the final spot for the play in game. Washington has lost three out of its past four games.

De’Aaron Fox opened up the game with six straight points. Newly acquired Domantas Sabonis also had three easy dunks in the first quarter for the Kings.

Washington (25-30) went on a six-zero run to end the first quarter as the led 29-24 at the end of the opening 12 minutes.

Kyle Kuzma scored 11 of his 17 first half points in the second quarter as Washington jumped out to their biggest lead of the half 50-37 on an 8-0 run with 5:32 remaining in the second quarter.

The Wizards had 17 points off of nine Kings turnovers in the first half.

Sacramento (22-36) closed out the quarter on a 21-15 run to close the gap to 65-59 at halftime. Maurice Harkless led the charge for the Kings with 15 first half points, including three for three from three-point range.

It was all Kings in the third quarter as they dominated the Wizards as they outscored them by 10, 33-23 to erase a six-point deficit. Sparked by a 16-4 run in just under five minutes late in the quarter, Sacramento had its biggest lead at 90-84 with two minutes remaining when Chimezie Metu hit a three pointer. Harrison Barnes paced the Kings with 11 points in the quarter.

Sacramento opened up the fourth quarter on 15-8 run in the first three minutes as they extended to its biggest lead at 11 points at 107-96. Fox took charge as he scored seven points in a row for the Kings.

The Kings closed out the game on 17-12 in the final four minutes.

Fox led all scorers with 26 points to go along with four assists and two rebounds. Barnes finished with 21 and Sabonis with 16 points respectively. Harkless also had 17 points as all five starters finished in double digits.

Kuzma led the Wizards in scoring with 22 points to go along with his eight rebounds and seven assists. Corey Kispert chipped in with 20 points.

GAME NOTES: Sacramento finished 12-for-28 from beyond the arc. Washington was 13-for-38.

UP NEXT: Sacramento continues its three-game road trip on Monday 2/14 as they take on the Brooklyn Nets at 4:30pm at Barclay’s Center.

Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson: Kings in Washington Saturday looking for second straight win

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Sacramento Kings players Domantas Sabonis, right, and Jeremy Lamb, left go over plays with Kings assistant coach Lindsey Harding before the game on Thu Feb 10, 2022 at Golden One in Sacramento (AP News photo)

On the Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah:

#1 The Sacramento Kings (20-35) have won three of their last five games and picked up a win over the Oklahoma City Thunder (17-35) 113-110 on Wednesday.

#2 The Kings Harrison Barnes played a big role in the win leading the Kings with 30 points.

#3 The Kings were in that terrible ten game losing streak and worked hard and figured a way out how much of that was head coach Alvin Gentry?

#4 De’Aaron Fox finished second in scoring with 27 points how important has Fox been in the role of contributing on offense for the Kings.

#5 The Kings are in Washington to take on the Wizards (24-29) the Wizards got a big win over the Brooklyn Nets 113-112 on Thursday night in Washington. Tell us how you see the Kings chances in Washington on Saturday.

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

Not Tyrese!: Haliburton trade shocks Sacramento, Wolves clock the Kings, 134-114

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By Morris Phillips

SACRAMENTO–Kings’ fans already knew they have to patient and resilient, but they certainly didn’t know bidding adieu to their brightest, young star was the harsh addition to that reality.

Their message to the Kings’ organization:

It’s a lot (more) to ask.

Tyrese Haliburton was dealt on Tuesday to Indiana along with Buddy Hield and Tristan Thompson for Domantas Sabonis, Justin Holiday, Jeremy Lamb and a second-round pick in 2023.

Throughout the league, the reaction was the same, why move Haliburton, a fan favorite that was a steal as the 12th pick in the 2020 Draft, who had posted career bests in points (38) and assists (17) in separate games in the last two weeks?

Well, the faltering Kings had to move someone, and no other Sacramento player possessed Haliburton’s trade value, reference the fact the move fetched an All-Star in Sabonis, and two quality, veteran additions to the team’s backcourt, which was desperate for a defensive upgrade, which they got.

In addition, Hield’s declining numbers didn’t match his sizeable contract, which has two years remaining, and the 25-year old Sabonis has a far friendlier deal that has him also signed for two more seasons.

But Haliburton is viewed as the most promising player in the deal, and that tilts it towards the Pacers.

The Kings took the floor Tuesday without the three traded players, but also without Richaun Holmes due to personal reasons, and Marvin Bagley, who has a sprained ankle. That left the hosts without much of defensive presence, and the Wolves pounced with 73 first half points, and 22 made threes in the game. The Kings trailed by 11 at the half, and showed life early in the third when they cut the deficit to four, but the Wolves seized control for good at that juncture.

Karl-Anthony Towns led Minnesota with 24 points, and Malik Beasley was spectacular off the bench with 21, consisting of seven made threes. Naz Reid added 12, and Jordan McLaughlin added 11, as did Taurean Prince.

Ironically, Beasley has also been the subject of trade speculation with the trade deadline approaching on Thursday at 12:00pm. His play and his words afterwards displayed his focus.

“This is my sixth year in the league, and I’ve been traded before,” he said. “The only thing you can do is control what you can control. … I’d rather be here, but it’s a business, so you can never know what can happen.”

The Kings got 29 from De’Aaron Fox and 21 from Harrison Barnes. Rebounding (49-38 for the Wolves) hurt the Kings, as did their 19 turnovers.

The Kings have dropped 14 of 18 and sit in 13th place in the Western Conference.

The clubs get a quick turnaround and face each other again on Wednesday at the Golden 1 Center.

Kings pick up second win in eight games; Defeat Thunder 113-103

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Sacramento Kings forward Harrison Barnes (40) guards Oklahoma City Thunder forward Darius Bazley (7) at the Golden One Center in Sacramento on Sat Feb 5, 2022 (AP News photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings (20-35) were back in action on Saturday after a day off on Friday. The Kings last played on Friday when they took on the Golden State Warriors. The Kings lost that game by the final of 126-114 as they struggled to contain the Warriors.

On Saturday, the Kings welcomed to Sacramento the Oklahoma City Thunder (17-35). Tip-off was set for 7 PM PST at Golden One Center. The Kings defeated the Thunder 113-103 at home.

In the first quarter, the Kings offense came out shooting. On the other hand, the defense didn’t look great. The Kings allowed the Thunder to score 30 points in the first quarter.

The Kings offense did enough work on the other hand though to take a first-quarter lead. The Kings outscored the Thunder 36-30 in the first to take the early lead. The Kings would look to build on that in the second quarter.

In the second quarter, the Kings played a solid quarter. They weren’t able to expand the lead much but they didn’t lose it either. The Kings outscored the Thunder 29-27 in the second quarter as the lead going into half expanded by one point.

The Kings went into the locker room up 64-57. Moe Harkless scored 16 points in the first half as did Harrison Barnes. Josh Giddey led the way for the Thunder scoring 11 points. The Kings would look to seal the deal in the second half.

In the third quarter, the Kings continued to be just a little bit better than the opposition. The Kings outscored the Thunder 25-22 in the third quarter. The Kings hadn’t really pulled away in the game but you could sense they were right on the brink of pulling away. Could the Kings pull away in the fourth quarter and seal the win? They led heading to the final 12 minutes 89-79.

In the final quarter, the Kings and Thunder played a very even quarter. The Kings and Thunder both scored 24 points in the fourth quarter. The Kings took advantage in the early minutes as the Thunder battled back in the later minutes. Ultimately the Kings would win the game 113-103. It was the Kings second win in a row at home.

The Kings were led by Harrison Barnes who scored 24 points. Josh Giddey for the Thunder scored 24 points in defeat as they fell to 17-35 on the season. The Kings record improved to 20-35 as they continue to push for a playoff spot.

Up Next: The Kings welcome in the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday at 7 PM PST.

Sacramento Kings podcast with Jerry Feitelberg: Kings have lost seven of last eight games; Tip off with Thunder Friday night at Golden One

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Sacramento Kings guard Tyrese Haliburton dribbles the ball during the first quarter against the Golden State Warriors on Thu Feb 3, 2022 at Chase Center in San Francisco (AP News photo)

On the Kings podcast with Jerry F:

#1 The Sacramento Kings (19-32) Davion Mitchell replaced De’Aaron Fox in the lineup, and the rookie responded with a career-high 26 points Thursday night. 

#2 The Kings made the first bucket of the game to lead 2-0. It was the last time they would have the advantage.

#3 The Kings offense woke up and started to put points on the board at the half. Three players paced the Sacramento offense. Two of them were former Warriors, Harrison Barnes and Damion Jones. Davian Mitchell was hot, scoring ten points in the early going.

#4 Sacramento beat the Warriors 29-21 to get within 11 points of the lead. The Kings knew that they had a chance to pull off an upset as they started the third quarter.

#5 The Kings play the Oklahoma City Thunder who have lost three of their ten games head to Golden One Center in Sacramento on Sat Feb 5, 2022.

Jerry Feitelberg filled in for podcaster Jeremiah Salmonson for Kings podcasts each Friday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Kings shock Nets 121-101; Barnes leads with 19 points in victory; Win snaps Sac’s seven game losing streak

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Sacramento Kings guard Davion Mitchell (15) defends against Brooklyn Nets guard James Harden at Golden One Center in Sacramento on Wed Feb 2, 2022 (AP News photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings (19-34) were back in action on Wednesday night at Golden One Center. The Kings had last played on Monday in New York to face the Knicks. The Kings hadn’t won a game since January 14th against the Houston Rockets.

The Kings had lost seven straight games going into Wednesday night. The Kings would hope to change the tide on Wednesday as they welcomed the Brooklyn Nets (29-22) to town. The Kings played an up and down game but ultimately defeated the Nets 112-101.

The Kings were set to take on the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday night at 7 PM PST.

In the first quarter, the Kings did not play very well. They came out sloppy and appeared very lethargic on the defensive end of the floor. The Nets came out in the first and scored 32 points in the first quarter as the offense got off to a quick start.

The Kings only managed to put up 23 points for the Kings as they fell into an early hole in the first quarter. The Kings turned the ball over four times in the first quarter, which would not be a recipe for success the rest of the way.

In the second quarter, the Kings continued not to play very well. The Kings defense didn’t have an answer for the Nets offense. The Nets scored another 30 points in the second to hold onto their lead. The Kings managed to outscore the Nets by scoring 31 points of their own, but it wasn’t enough to mount a comeback.

The Kings would go into halftime down 62-54 and needed to turn the tide in the second half. The Kings were led in the first half by Harrison Barnes, who had 12 points. Nic Claxton scored 17 for the Nets to guide them in the first quarter.

In the third quarter, the Kings mounted a bit of a comeback on the Nets. The Kings entered the quarter down eight points and managed to cut that to three points after the thrid. The Kings scored 29 points in the quarter compared to the Nets 24.

It was the first quarter in the game that the Kings managed to outscore the Nets. The Kings would go into the final quarter of the game trailing the Nets 86-83. Could the Kings finish the comeback in the final 12 minutes?

In the fourth quarter, it was all Kings! The Kings blew out the Nets in the final quarter of the game by outscoring them 29-15. The Kings won the game and beat the mighty Brooklyn Nets 112-101. Granted, the Nets were without star Kevin Durant but they did have a healthy Kyrie Irving and James Harden.

The Kings held James Harden to only four points in 37 minutes of action. Nic Claxton led the way for the Nets in defeat scoring 23 points. The Kings best performance came from Harrison Barnes who had 19 points. The Kings had seven players in double figures. The Kings snapped their seven game losing streak improving to 19-34 on the season.

Up Next: The Kings travel to San Francisco to take on the Warriors on Thursday at 7 PM PST.

Knicks take out Kings 116-96 at MSG for Sac’s 7th straight loss

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The Sacramento Kings forward Louis King (23) and guard Buddy Hield (24) almost looks as if to say what’s the use as the New York Knicks RJ Barrett (9) lays one in at Madison Square Garden on Mon Jan 31, 2022 (AP News photo)

By Jessica Kwong

The Sacramento Kings (18-34) ended their five-game road trip at Madison Square Garden with their seventh straight loss, 116-96 to the New York Knicks (24-27) on Monday night.

Sacramento was without their best player, De’Aaron Fox, due to a sore ankle and trailed most of the game.

New York led for the last 43 minutes of the game and by double digits during the whole second half. Going into the final quarter, the Knicks had an 18-point lead.

The Kings’ leading scorers in the blowout loss were Tyrese Haliburton with 21 points and eight assists, and Davion Mitchell with 18 points.

Fox has been out since January 19 and missed four games. Still, Kings coach Alvin Gentry said the team is not worried about the point guard’s absence in the long term.

“I think that he is feeling much better,” Gentry said. “But until he feels that everything is there and that he can make the cuts laterally, we aren’t going to put him out there right now. But I am not concerned.”

Meanwhile, the Knicks snapped their three-game losing streak. Alec Burks and Evan Fournier scored 21 points each, and Julius Randle contributed 17 points and nine rebounds.

Gentry, who coached Randle with the New Orleans Pelicans, had some words about him

“I think he’s a better player,” Gentry said. “And he was a very good player for us. He was outstanding for us, really. I think he’s slowed himself down a little bit. Now I know he’s struggling a bit right now but it’s never because of effort.

Gentry added that Randle hasn’t shot the ball as well as in the past.

“But the way he attacks the basket, and his ability to handle the ball in the open court and create plays are all things he was starting to do when he was in New Orleans and I think he’s much, much better at it right now,” he said.

The Kings (18-34) return home to host the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday. Tip-off is at 7pm.

—

Embiid leads 76ers in 103-101 comeback win over Kings

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The Philadelphia 76ers Joel Embiid can do it all on his back passes the ball between Sacramento Kings defenders Damian Jones (30) and Buddy Hield (24) at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia as the Kings go down to their sixth straight loss on Sat Jan 29, 2022 (AP News photo)

by Marko Ukalovic

PHILADELPHIA — It was another second half collapse by Cap City.

Joel Embiid scored 23 of his 36 points in the second half as he sparked the Philadelphia 76ers to a 103-101 comeback win over the Sacramento Kings on Saturday evening at the Wells Fargo Center.

Sacramento has lost six games in a row and anchor the basement of the Pacific Division. Philadelpha has caught fire as they have won four games in a row and five of their last six. They have overtaken the Brooklyn Nets for first place in the Atlantic Division with a one-game lead.

Harrison Barnes started out hot with 10 points in the first quarter. Tobias Harris paced the 76ers with nine points as the Kings led 31-27 after the opening quarter.

The Kings took advantage of eight turnovers by the 76ers in the first quarter.

Sacramento (18-33) took control of the second quarter with a 15-3 run. They led 61-46 with 1:38 left in the quarter before the home team closed out the quarter with the final four points as the Kings cruised into halftime up by 11 points.

The Kings had their biggest lead at 70-55 in the third quarter as the outscored the 76ers 15-4 in the first five minutes.

Philadelphia (30-19) slowly chipped away as they outscored Sacramento 26-13 to end the third quarter as they cut the Kings lead to 83-81 to start the fourth quarter.

The 76ers went on a 9-0 run in less than two minutes to grab their first lead of the game when Andre Drummond’s layup gave Philly an 88-87 lead with 8:56 left in the fourth quarter.

Embiid scored seven points in a two-minute stretch to give the 76ers their biggest lead at 103-93 with 2:28 remaining.

Sacramento’s Tyrese Haliburton scored eight of his game high 38 points in the final two minutes to bring the Kings within two points. A five-second violation by Philadelphia with 11.1 second left gave the Kings a final chance to win or send the game into overtime.

However, the 76ers defense stood its ground defensively as they forced Barnes into a desperation three-point attempt at the buzzer that missed way off the mark to seal the Kings fate.

Philadelphia outscored Sacramento 53-40 in the second half.

Barnes finished with 16 points and Donovan Mitchell chipped in 15 points for Sacramento. The Kings bench didn’t help their cause with only 16 points total for the game.

Harris finished with 16 points and Tyrese Maxey chipped in 15.

GAME NOTES: Sacramento finished 12-for-35 from beyond the arc. Philadelphia was 12-for-30.

UP NEXT: Sacramento finishes their five-game road trip on Monday 1/31 against the New York Knicks at 4:30pm at Madison Square Garden.