Category: Sacramento Kings

Sacramento Kings podcast with Morris Phillips: Kings enter 76ers lair in Philadelphia and try to end five game skid

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Los Angeles Lakers’ Anthony Davis, left, tried to get one over against the Philadelphia 76ers’ Joel Embiid, right, at the Wells Fargo Center on Thu Jan 27, 2022. The Sixers will host the Sacramento Kings on Sat Jan 29, 2022 in Philadelphia (AP News photo)

On the Sacramento Kings podcast with Morris Phillips for Jeremiah Salmonson:

#1 It’s been a tough road for the Sacramento Kings (18-32) as they face off with the Philadelphia 76ers (29-19) on Saturday night at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. The Kings have lost five straight games. I know it’s a tough task but Kings head coach Alvin Gentry can only try and motivate the team to try and get this one Saturday to end the streak?

#2 The two last games for the Kings were barnburners for the Boston Celtics and Atlanta Hawks. The Kings lost to the Celtics 125-75 on Tuesday and another loss to the Hawks on Wednesday night 121-104 neither were close games.

#3 On Wednesday night it was announced before the game in Atlanta that Kings guard Terence Davis had injured his right wrist on Tuesday night against the Celtics at TD Garden when he fell hard on the wrist, Davis has been listed as out with the injury indefinitely.

#4 On offense for the Kings on Wednesday night Harrison Barnes had 28 points and Davion Mitchell had 20 points were the two leading scorers but it just wasn’t enough to catch the Hawks.

#5 The Kings now tip off with the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday night. The 76ers no doubt a worthy opponent have won seven of their last ten games and defeated the Lakers last night 105-87. The Sixers Joel Embiid was the top scorer with 26 points do you see the Kings having their hands full on Saturday night?

Morris Phillips was filling in for Jeremiah who took the day off join Jeremiah Fridays for all the Kings podcasts at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Sacramento Kings podcast with Tony Renteria: Davis out with wrist injury for Kings; Kings head to Philadelphia against Sixers Saturday

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Detroit Pistons guard Cory Joseph (18) drives to the basket as Sacramento Kings guard Terence Davis (3) on Wed Jan 19th at the Golden One Center in Sacramento. The Kings announced on Wed Jan 26, 2022 that Davis will be out indefinitely with right wrist injury (AP News photo)

On the Kings podcast with Tony R:

#1 Big loss for the Sacramento Kings (18-32) as they announced after Wednesday night’s game against the Atlanta Hawks that Kings guard Terence Davis will be out indefinitely with a injured right wrist. Kings head coach Alvin Gentry says the Kings medical staff are exploring all kinds of treatments to get Davis back in the line up.

#2 It was in Boston when Davis took a hard fall test revealed that Davis had damaged tendons and they’ll miss Davis out of the line up whose been averaging 10 points for the Kings.

#3 Tony the Kings are on a five game losing streak after loses to such teams as the Houston Rockets, Detroit Pistons, Milwaukee Bucks, Boston Celtics, and Atlanta Hawks, tough teams with nothing else for the Kings to do but to play them and see what the outcome will be.

#4 Former King Bogdan Bogdanovic scored 18 points and came off a knee injury and  Onyeka Okongwu also came off the bench and scored 18 points after the Hawks had a slow start against the Kings on Wednesday night to surpass and get a substantial win.

#5 The Kings face the Philadelphia 76ers (28-19) on Sat Jan 29th at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. The Sixers have won seven out of their last ten games and the Kings are trying to snap a five game losing streak. It’s a tall order for the Kings as they face the 76ers on Saturday.

Join Tony Renteria each Thursday for the Kings podcast at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Kings Drop Fifth In a Row To Atlanta 121-104

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Atlanta Hawks guard Bogdan Bogdanovic (13) drives against Sacramento Kings guard Buddy Hield (24) at State Farm Arena in Atlanta on Wed Jan 26, 2022 (AP News photo)

Kings Drop Fifth In a Row To Atlanta 121-104

By Barbara Mason

Wednesday night the Sacramento Kings (18-32) took on the Hawks (22-25) in Atlanta at State Farm Arena. Lately the Hawks have making some noise winning four games in a row and are just a single game behind the Washington Wizards for the 10th seed in the Eastern Conference.

The Kings come into this game after getting pummeled by the Boston Celtics Tuesday night by the score of 128-75. Losing by 53 points this was the second worst loss in any NBA season by any team.

Between the loss that the Kings just suffered and the high level that the Hawks are playing at especially on defense this could be a huge challenge for the Kings. They need to put the Celtic game behind them and look forward to Wednesday’s game, it was not to be for the Kings who lost again for their fifth straight game this time to the Hawks 121-104.

The Kings had a nice first quarter leading 33-21 but it all came crashing down on them in the second quarter. The twelve point lead they held in the first quarter was gobbled up by the ferocious shooting of the Hawks.

That coupled with shutting down the Kings offense gave the Hawks the lead at half-time 67-50. The Hawks won the second quarter 46-17. The Kings had led by twelve after one quarter and then trailed the Hawks by 29 points in the second quarter. That was a huge point swing and the second half looked especially ominous for Sacramento.

The Kings were still without De”Aaron Fox but despite that, the Kings were being outplayed by Atlanta. Sacramento is going downhill at a rapid clip and there doesn’t really seem to be much they can do about it. They could be headed for their fifth loss in a row tonight.

The Kings got close in the third quarter but with such a steep deficit it was a tall order to try and catch the Hawks. Sacramento trailed 94-74 going into the fourth quarter.

The Kings had a very competitive second half but it is so tough to reside behind the eight ball that was the first half.

Harrison Barnes led the Kings with 28 points. The Hawks leading scorers were Bogdan Bogdanovic and Onyeka Okongwu both with 18 points.

This fifth loss for the Kings continues their downward spiral that seems to have no end. They desperately need De”Aaron Fox back on the court and hopefully his return will be sooner rather than later.

Saturday night the Kings are back at it taking on the 76ers in Philadelphia. Tipoff is scheduled for 4:30 PM.

Shamrock Shakedown: Kings fleeced from the opening tip, lose 128-75 to the Celtics

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By Morris Phillips

Down 60 to the Celtics, the Kings rallied to lose by 53.

It’s a story lead that NBA sportswriters get one opportunity in a career to utilize. Think about it. When’s the last time you saw one of the league’s 30 franchises completely disappear from the scoreboard?

December 2. Okay, that night, the emerging Memphis Grizzlies eviscerated the COVID-decimated Thunder, 152-79, which ranks as the biggest blowout in the 75-year history of the league.

But the Kings’ ragged outing at TD Garden in which coach Alvin Gentry said “we basically got our ass kicked,” now ranks as the 25th most lopsided margin of defeat in NBA history. That’s undeniably distinctive… in a negative sense.

“They made shots, we couldn’t make nothing,” Richaun Holmes conceded. “They didn’t have much resistance from us so it was just an old-fashioned whooping.” 

Jaylen Brown scored 15 of his 30 points for the Celtics in the first quarter, which topped the Kings, who trailed 38-13. The margin grew to 33 at halftime, 42 points after three, and briefly hit 60 in the fourth as the Boston reserves took on the appearance of the Harlem Globetrotters.

The Kings were without De’Aaron Fox and elected not to play center Alex Len, but that left them with their other 13 most significant producers who shot 30 percent from the floor and 18 percent from three. Effort, or lack thereof, played a huge role in the thrashing as the Celtics enjoyed a 67-45 advantage on the glass, and every concession was made to insure the Celtics had access to the best available scoring opportunities. The Kings allowed 56 points in the paint, and 17 offensive rebounds to contribute to that cause.

“We had very little ball movement, very low assists and they were able to force us into some tough shots because we were always on the shot clock,” Gentry said.

Josh Richardson needed far less analysis to explain the Celtics’ abundance of easy baskets, which officially produced just 12 fast break points.

“I mean, first the Kings had a tough shooting night,” Richardson said. “I think that’s part of it.”

Actually a big part.

The win is the Celtics second biggest by point margin in their long, winning history. The Kings have actually had three, worse losses in the Sacramento era. The worst was a 150-91 drubbing by the Run TMC Warriors in 1991. They also lost to the Bucks by 56 in 1985, and by 55 to the Suns in April 1989.

The Kings fell to 18-31 on the season, and they’re as many as three games out of the coveted 10th spot in the Western Conference for the first time this season. They’ve dropped 17 of 24, with a game at Atlanta up next on Wednesday night.

Kings lose third in a row to Bucks 133-127

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Milwaukee Bucks forward Khris Middleton, right, takes a shot against Sacramento Kings center Richaun Holmes at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee on Sat Jan 22, 2022 (AP News photo)

Kings Lose Third In A Row To Bucks 133-127

By Barbara Mason

Flashback Wednesday: After losing a very disappointing game Wednesday against the Detroit Pistons, the Sacramento Kings (18-30) traveled to Milwaukee to take on the Bucks (30-19). The Kings led in the Piston game by nine points with 2:34 left on the clock.

In the NBA two and a half minutes is a lot of time however the Kings did not score a single point for the rest of the game and the Pistons took full advantage. The Kings had two turnovers, three missed shots and a foul in those final two minutes. They needed to finish the game and they were unable too. This has been a problem for the Kings this year, finishing games.

Saturday night in Milwaukee: On Saturday night the Kings face a huge challenge taking on the fourth place Bucks at Fiserv Forum. They will have Tyrese Haliburton back on the court for this game a plus for Sacramento. There is bad news as well because De’Aaron Fox has been ruled out with an ankle injury. This is a tough loss for Sacramento, losing their leading scorer.

The Kings had a nice start winning the first quarter 35-27. Their lead did not last very long and mid-way through the second quarter the Bucks heated up taking the lead. At the half the Bucks led 62-54. Harrison Barnes led the shooting for the Kings with 14 points in the first half. He was the only King in double digits so far in the game.

The Bucks took their second quarter momentum into the third quarter extending their lead by as much as 15 points. The Kings would cut that deficit in half trailing after three quarters 94-86. Milwaukee’s Chris Middleton and Jrue Holiday led the Bucks in scoring, Middleton with 20 and Holiday with 18.

The Kings continued to hang around and got to within three points with under two minutes left in the game. That was as close as Sacramento would get losing their third game in a row 133-127.

The Kings got some great play from their starters. Harrison Barnes finished with 29 point, Tyrese Haliburton with 24, and Terence Davis had 22. All of their starters had double digits.

Tuesday the Kings will be playing the Boston Celtics at TD Garden. Tipoff is scheduled for 4:30 PM PT.

Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson: Kings start five game road trip Saturday in Milwaukee

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Sacramento Kings guard De’Aaron Fox (5) is fouled by Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) at the Golden One Center in Sacramento on Wed Jan 19, 2022 (AP News photo)

On the Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson :

#1 The Sacramento Kings (18-29) just simply melted down in their 133-131 loss to the Detroit Pistons (11-33) on Wednesday night. The Pistons Corey Joseph shot a game winning shot with 25.9 seconds left as the Pistons topped an 11-0 comeback win.

#2 Joseph who formerly played for the Kings at the guard position who dealt to the Pistons at the trade deadline last season scored 19 points and had nine assists on Wednesday night.

#3 Pistons head coach Dwane Casey said the Pistons show resilience saying these are the dog days before the All Star break and the team has be ready to go and that they found a way to defeat the Kings.

#4 The Kings Terrance Davis led Sacramento with 35 against the Pistons and scored 14 of them in the fourth quarter. The Kings De’Aaron Fox followed up with 27 points, eight assists, and six rebounds.

#5 The Kings now face the Milwaukee Bucks (28-19) who have been on a slight struggle losing six of their last nine games. The Kings have lost eight of their last 11 games and start this five game road trip Saturday.

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

Sacramento Kings podcast with Tony Renteria: Kings latest loss close but not good enough to beat Detroit

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Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) drives past Sacramento Kings guard De’Aaron Fox (5) at Golden One Center on Wed Jan 19, 2022 the Kings play the Milwaukee Bucks on Sat Jan 22, 2022 (AP News photo)

On the Kings podcast with Tony R:

#1 Tony, the Sacramento Kings (19-28) played a close game against the Detroit Pistons (10-34) on Wednesday night at Golden One but just couldn’t get past them for the loss 133-131.

#2 The Pistons who have one of the worse offenses in the league had five players in double figures and Saddiq Bey led the way with 30 points.

#3 The Kings were favored to win against the Pistons but lacked just enough depth to finish it. The Kings were certainly missing Tyrese Haliburton who was out of the line up as of three days ago with Covid 19 protocols.

#4 The win for Detroit was their tenth win of the season and they’re just getting into double figures for the win column but were able to off set the Kings and win by just two points.

#5 The Kings take on the mighty Milwaukee Bucks (28-19) on Sat Jan 22 in Milwaukee and if the Kings had a handful against the Pistons the Bucks should win this one by ten or more. Tony what’s your take on this Saturday’s game in Milwaukee.

Join Tony R for the Kings podcasts each Thursday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Kings Unable to Finish off Pistons Losing 133-131

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Detroit Pistons guard Cory Joseph (18) dribbles past Sacramento Kings guard Terence Davis (3) at the Golden One Center in Sacramento on Wed Jan 19, 2022 (AP News photo)

Kings Unable to Finish Off Pistons Losing 133-131

By Barbara Mason

Wednesday night the Sacramento Kings (19-28) took on the Detroit Pistons (10-34) at Golden 1 Center. The Pistons have one of the worst offenses in the league and a loss to Detroit would be a huge disappointment for the Kings.

Sacramento is favored in this game but they would be missing Tyrese Haliburton who is on Covid 19 protocol as of two days ago. Haliburton is now the 12th King player to enter the protocol and he will be missed.

After one quarter the Pistons had grabbed the lead 33-26. Despite fouling all over the place Detroit had managed to outplay the Kings in the quarter.

The Pistons led by as many as nine points in the second quarter. Mid-way through the quarter the Pistons already had 14 fouls giving the Kings 23 free throws scoring on 17 of them. Neither team had played all that well through the first quarter and into the second quarter. Midway through the quarter, the Kings were able to take the lead 43-41. At the half, the Kings held a slim lead 71-66, winning the second quarter convincingly 45-33.

De’Aaron Fox was the high score leader in the half for the Kings with 18 points closely followed by Terence Davis with 17. Saddiq Bey was the only Piston in double digits with 17. In the later minutes of the half, the Kings finally got something going offensively to catch the Pistons and take the lead.

In the third quarter the Kings extended their half time five point lead to a ten point advantage. The Pistons would not go away and they chipped away in the later minutes of the quarter trailing by a single point 95-94 with 2:54 left on the clock. As the third quarter came to an end the Pistons had taken the lead 105-103.

The Kings took back the lead in the fourth quarter after trailing by a couple of points to end the third quarter. Detroit just kept on threatening and the Kings would have to pull out all the stops to win this one. Harrison Barnes and Marvin Bagley III started hitting shots giving Sacramento a 130-120 lead with 2:47 left in the game. This game was going down to the wire.

With a minute and a half left in the game the Kings had a nine point lead that they just could not maintain. Missed shots, turnovers and fouls lost this game for Sacramento in a sloppy finish. The final was 133-131 in favor of the Pistons.

The high score for the Pistons was Saddiq Bey with 30 points. The Kings had six players with double digits, the high from Terence Davis with 35 points.

The Kings will have a major challenge coming up when they play the Milwaukee Bucks Saturday night. Tipoff is scheduled for 4:00 PM.

Rocket Blast Of Reality: Kings start slow, squander opportunity in 118-112 loss to Houston

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By Morris Phillips

SACRAMENTO–The NBA’s done its part, providing a postseason format tailored for the Kings’ shortcomings. Now the suffering ballclub has to fall in line, and provide the needed buckets and hard-earned, defensive stops to gain a spot.

Kings are you ready?

Well, not yet.

Christian Wood and Kevin Porter Jr. each scored 23 points, and the Rockets held on for a 118-112 win over the Kings at Golden 1 Center. The Kings fell 10 games below .500 with the loss and, for now, relinquished the coveted 10th spot in the Western Conference to the Spurs.

Buddy Hield led the Kings with 27 points in 30 minutes off the bench, and five others scored in double figures, but the hosts were doomed by a ridiculously poor start in which they trailed 13-0 and 21-5 six minutes in.

Struggling teams blow leads, that’s what they do, and the youthful Rockets followed suit. Their shooting, which topped 65 percent early, dipped to 48 percent at the half. The Kings got to the hoop and kept visiting to lead 60-55 at the half, and maintained a 88-85 advantage after three. Interim coach Alvin Gentry liked his team’s fight, but couldn’t ignore the residual effects of the lackluster start.

“They kept enough of a lead that it puts a lot of pressure on you to score,” Gentry said. “We created some really good shots. It’s just a matter of us knocking them down.”

The disjointed ballgame played in front of empty seats and fans wearing 49ers’ jerseys didn’t gain intensity until leading scorer De’Aaron Fox was ejected with 8:14 remaining. A video review revealed his Flagrant 2 foul for slappin at the ball as Houston’s Garrison Mathews attempted to cruise in for a layup. While Fox could legitimately claim he made a basketball play, Mathews fell awkwardly, landing on his hip with his legs taken from beneath him. Fox departed with 14 points, four rebounds and the Kings suddenly trailing by five.

Tyrese Haliburton was unavailable after it was announced earlier on Sunday that he entered COVID protocols, but the Kings got Richaun Holmes and Damian Jones back after protocols forced both into isolation and physical inactivity for a week. Marvin Bagley III couldn’t go due to shoulder soreness.

The Rockets remain last in the Western Conference but they’ve won three of their last four away from Houston’s Toyota Center. They opened the season with a win at Minneapolis, then lost 10 straight road games. Coach Steven Silas prefers what he sees now: an emerging team with youth, and time on it’s side.

“We’re not a playoff team yet but when we are this is what it’s going to look like,” Silas said. “We’re trying to learn as many lessons as we can. I was proud of them for that.”

The Kings host the Pistons on Wednesday, giving them three, consecutive home games against two of the NBA’s worst teams, but there’s no sweep to show for their scheduling luck.

Fox leads Kings with 27 points in 126-114 win over Rockets

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Sacramento Kings’ Tyrese Haliburton guards Houston Rockets forward Jae’Sean Tate (8) during first quarter action at the Golden One Center in Sacramento on Fri Jan 14, 2022 (AP News photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings (18-27) were back in action on Friday night. The Kings last played on Wednesday when they took on the Los Angeles Lakers. The Kings downed the Lakers 125-116 at home in a great team win.

On Friday, the Kings welcomed the Houston Rockets (12-32) to town for a two-game set. The Kings would play the Rockets on Friday at 7 PM PST and Sunday at 3 PM PST. On Friday, the Kings downed the Rockets 126-114.

In the first quarter, it wasn’t pretty for either team on defense. The Kings and the Rockets were getting basically anything they wanted at the basket. However, it was worse for the Kings. The Kings allowed the Rockets to score 41 points in the first quarter.

It was one of the worst defensive quarters of the year for the Kings. On the other hand, the Rockets held the Kings to 31 points to take an early game nine-point lead.

In the second quarter, the Kings flipped the script on the Rockets. The Kings offense had a fire lit under them and erupted for 34 points in the second quarter. However, that’s not the whole story. The Kings also dramatically improved on the defensive end.

The Kings held the Rockets to only 20 points in the second quarter as the Kings stormed back to take the lead. In the first half, the Kings were led by an explosive De’Aaron Fox, who had 18 points. The Rockets best first-half performance came from Christian Wood, who scored 15 points. As a result, the Kings took a 65-60 lead into the second half of the game.

In the third quarter, the Kings continued to play as they did in the second quarter. The Kings outscored the Rockets 33-29 in the third quarter to increase their lead. The Kings offense continued their pace for themselves in the third quarter as the defense wasn’t as sharp.

On the other hand, the Rockets picked up the pace on the defensive end but couldn’t contain the Kings offense. The Kings would need to play a clean fourth quarter to come away with a win.

In the final quarter, the Kings managed to hold onto the lead and beat the Rockets 126-114. The Kings outscored the Rockets 28-25 in the fourth quarter. It was the third straight quarter the Kings outscored the Rockets after starting the game terribly in the first quarter.

It was the Kings second win in a row as they improved to 18-27. The Kings were led in victory by De’Aaron Fox, who scored 27 points, followed by Marvin Bagley, who had 26. The Rockets best performance came from Christian Wood, who scored 26 points.

It was an excellent win for the Kings, who so often get complacent against bad teams. It appeared they did again on Friday after a terrible first quarter, but they quickly turned it around in the second.

Up Next: The Kings stay home to take on the Houston Rockets again on Sunday at 3 PM PST.