Category: Sacramento Kings

Sacramento snaps out of it defeats Dallas 121-107; Losing streak ends at nine

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Sacramento Kings guard Delon Wright, center, Dallas Mavericks guard Jalen Brunson, left, and forward Tim Hardaway Jr. (11) all struggle for the basketball on Sun Apr 18, 2021 at Dallas (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

The Sacramento Kings have had their share of ups and downs this season. Consistency and defense has been a constant problem for the team and now another kink in their armour; the loss of Richaun Holmes with a confirmed right hamstring strain. He will obviously be out tonight and will not travel to Phoenix and Dallas. His confirmed return to action will be simply when appropriate. Just another blow for the team this season, a very tough one.

There is some good news for Kings fans however and that is that the Golden 1 Center will be welcoming fans back on April 20th. Frontline workers will be honored by being the first fans back in the arena to not only honor but to also thank them for their tireless efforts. Capacity for the first game back will be 1,600 fans.

Sunday night the Kings took on the Mavericks. Dallas has a 30-25 record while Sacramento has a 22-34 record. A win in this game would be a very good thing considering that the Mavericks are currently in 7th place in the Western Conference.

The first quarter was a close one with the Kings outscoring the Mavericks 22-20 but it was the second quarter when the Kings really pulled out into the lead outscoring Dallas 45-30. The score at the half was 67-50. A sizable lead but the Mavericks had a lot to play for and this game was by no means a done deal for the Kings.

After three quarters the Mavericks still trailed but the Kings lead had shrunk from a 17 point lead to a 10 point lead. The score at the end of the third quarter was 87-77 in favor of the Kings. Sacramento had to hang on for one more quarter to seal the win. The King’s needed De’Aaron Fox to really step up the pace along with some defensive stops.

It was a very nervous fourth quarter for the Kings and with under eight minutes left in the game they led by seven points. The Mavericks were not going anywhere and the Kings would have to earn this win. Luka Doncic had gone off in the fourth quarter. Every time the Mavericks got close Sacramento would answer. De’Aaron Fox and Harrison Barnes came up with some huge points and Terence Davis had an amazing 23 points in 28 minutes off the bench.

With one minutes left in the game the Kings led by twelve points and Sacramento had delivered when they needed to. The final score was 121-107. Fox would finish with 30 points and Barnes with 24 in an impressive win for Sacramento.

The Kings will be back in play on Tuesday taking on the last place Timberwolves. Tipoff is at 7:00 PM.

NBA podcast with Joe Hawkes: Warriors pushing for last playoff spot; Kings might have to look towards next season

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Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) defends the Oklahoma City Thunder’s guard Theo Maledon (11) during Wed Apr 14, 2021 game at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City (AP News photo)

#1 The Golden State Warriors (28-29) had won four straight before having played the Boston Celtics (31-26) on Saturday night. The Warriors Stephen Curry left it all out there with 47 points but it wasn’t enough as the Celtics got a 119-114 win to snap the Warriors winning streak.

#2 The Warriors are in ninth place just behind the Memphis Grizzlies for the eighth and final spot for a playoff birth. Knowing how Stephen Curry has been scoring in the 40s and had a 53 point game vs. Denver this month this team could actually push for the last and final eighth spot in the Western Conference.

#3 The Sacramento Kings (22-34) in the middle of a nine game losing streak are in Dallas tonight to face the Mavericks and one of the things they’d like to avoid is continuing this losing streak in double digits.

#4 The Kings have the talent to win ball games but it just seems like they in certain quarters have a let down they’re not a bad team if you look over who they have on the roster but they just are suffering on defense.

#5 Joe talk a little about head coach Luke Walton as you know the Kings organization well if their not happy with the way the team is going the make a coaching change could you see that happening with Walton at the end of the season?

Join J Hawkes each Sunday night for a look at the NBA on the NBA podcast at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson: Kings lost ninth straight game 122-114

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The Phoenix Suns guard Devon Booker (1) drives on the Sacramento Kings De’Aaron Fox (5) on Thu Apr 15, 2021 in Phoenix (AP News photo)

#1 The Sacramento Kings (22-34) have lost their ninth straight game and again the game wasn’t even close as the Kings were handed a 122-114, 22 point loss in Phoenix (40-15).

#2 The Kings had a hard time shutting down the Suns Deandre Ayton led in scoring with 26 points and Devon Booker had 23 as they ran right through the Kings defense.

#3 The De’Aaron Fox led the Kings in scoring with 27 and Buddy Hield finished second with 24, the Kings had a total of six players in double figures and lost the game by eight.

#4 Coach as hard as he may and it’s been like that every night for Luke Walton this has to be his toughest patch of this 2021 season.

#5 The Kings get some rest as they won’t play again until next Sunday against the Dallas Mavericks (30-24). The Mavericks have won five out of their last eight games. Jeremiah size this game up Sunday between the Kings and Mavericks can the Kings snap the losing skid.

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

Sacramento Kings game wrap: Kings struggle with defense again lose by eight,122-114

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The Phoenix Sun center Deanadre Ayton (22) takes a shot while being defended by the Sacramento Kings guard Tyrese Haliburton (22) and De’Aaron Fox (5) on Thu Apr 15, 2021 at Phoenix (AP News photo)

The Sacramento Kings were back in action on Thursday night. The Kings were playing in the second night of a back-to-back that saw them take on the Washington Wizards in Sacramento on Wednesday, and the Pheonix Suns on Thursday. The Sacramento Kings fell on Thursday to the Suns 122-114 in Phoenix. However, before we talk about that game let’s quickly recap Wednesday’s loss.

Flashback Wednesday: In the Kings last game they welcomed into Sacramento the Washington Wizards. The Wizards came into the game as one of the worst teams in the league according to their record, but that didn’t stop them. The Kings didn’t play a very solid defensive game as the Wizards beat the Kings by the final of 123-111. The Kings lost their eighth straight game as the losses continue to mount in the hunt for a play-in spot.

Thursday night recap: The Kings are a much worse team than the Phoenix Suns. That much we knew going into Thursday’s game for the Kings. However, the Kings have been known to win unexpected matchups while failing to take care of the “easy” opponents. The Kings were set to take on the Phoenix Suns on Thursday at 7 PM PST in Phoenix.

In the first half, The Kings kept up well with the Suns. The first quarter saw the Kings get outscored 33-28. The Kings defense was the blind side as the Suns took advantage. In the second quarter, the Kings managed to outscore the Suns 37-34 as the Kings made back some of the ground they lost in the first quarter. The Kings would go into halftime down 67-65. The Kings kept it close with the Suns in the first half and would look for the comeback win on the road.

In the second half, the Kings weren’t able to complete a comeback. In the third quarter, the Kings did outscore the Suns 29-28 too keep the game close going into the final quarter. In the final quarter, the Kings offense evaporated. The Kings only managed to score 20 points in the fourth quarter as the Suns put up 27 to seal the deal in the dessert.

The Suns beat the Kings by a final of 122-114. The Kings were led by the usual person in the form of De’Aaron Fox who scored 27 points. For the Suns, Deandre Ayton led the way with 26 points. The Kings have now lost nine games in a row and will head to take on the Mavericks next.

Up Next: The Kings flew to Dallas after the game on Thursday to take on the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday at 4:30 PM PST.

Sacramento Kings podcast with Tony Renteria: How bad does it have to get Kings drop 8 straight

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The Sacramento Kings center Hassan Whiteside (20) feels the pain after being fouled by the Washington Wizards guard Russell Westbrook (4) at Golden One Center on Wed Apr 14, 2021 (AP News photo)

On the Sacramento Kings podcast with Tony R:

#1 The Sacramento Kings are having a bad go of it dropping their eighth straight game to the Washington Wizards on Wednesday night at Golden One Center in Sacramento and it wasn’t even close 123-111.

#2 Tony, this is a different Kings team that you might remember beat a team like Golden State 141-119 at Golden One back on Mar 25th and the Lakers 123-120 back on Mar 3rd. The Kings have evolved but in the wrong direction.

#3 The Kings last night just couldn’t contain the Wizards top scorer Bradley Beal who finished with 31 points and the Kings defense just couldn’t stop the Wizard offense losing by 12 points.

#4 Once again the Kings De’Aaron Fox did a lot of the heavy lifting leading the Kings scoring with 33 points. The Kings actually need another player with Fox’s caliber to balance out the offense.

#5 The Kings are on back to back nights and play their second game in as many nights tonight against the Phoenix Suns. The Suns are on a three game win streak and defeated the Miami Heat on Tuesday night in Phoenix 106-86. Set the stage for tonight’s game in the Valley of the Sun.

Join Tony R every Thursday for Kings basketball podcasts at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Sacramento Kings game wrap: Kings drop eighth straight game to Wizards 123-111

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It’s one on one as the Sacramento Kings guard De’Aaron Fox (5) defends against the Washington Wizards guard Russell Westbrook (4) on Wed Apr 14, 2021 at the Golden One Center in Sacramento (AP News photo)

The Sacramento Kings were back in action on Wednesday night. The Kings last played on Monday against the New Orleans Pelicans. The Kings had a day off on Tuesday before taking on the Washington Wizards on Wednesday night. The Wizards, one of the worst teams in the NBA came into Sacramento and beat the Kings 123-111.

Flashback Monday: On Monday, the Kings took on the New Orleans Pelicans. The game didn’t go well for the Kings. The Kings weren’t able to keep up with the Pelicans on Monday as they lost by the final 117-110. The story of the Kings which is usually the defense again played a critical role.

Wednesday night recap: The Kings were set to welcome in the Washington Wizards on Wednesday night at 7 PM PST in Sacramento.

In the first half, the Kings defense was atrocious. Unfortunately, Kings fans have become accustomed to my last sentence. The Kings defense has been historically bad this year.

That historical failure was on full display in the first quarter. The Kings allowed the Wizards to score 42 points in the first quarter as the Kings were only able to put up 31 points. In the second quarter, the Kings managed to outscore the Wizards but only 29-28 and would enter halftime down 70-60. The Kings appeared on the same track as many games where they got in an early hole and were unable to dig themselves out of it.

Unfortunately, that was also true in the second half. The Kings and Wizards traded baskets in the second quarter as each team scored 23 points. It was a marked improvement for the Kings on defense but would prove to be too little too late for this team. In the fourth quarter, the Wizards outscored the Kings 30-28 and downed the Kings 123-111 on the road.

It was another disappointing game for the Kings. They have now dropped eight straight games and will need to get up for Thursday for the second of back-to-back games this time in Arizona against the Phoenix Suns. De’Aaron Fox led the way for the Kings scoring 33 points. For the Wizards, Bradley Beal led the way in points with 31 and Russell Westbrook finished with 25 points, 11 Assists, and 15 Rebounds.

Up Next: The Kings fly to Arizona to take on the Pheonix Suns on Thursday at 7 PM PST.

Kings drop fourth straight this time to Jazz 128-112

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There’s no denying Utah Jazz guard Donavon Mitchell driving to the basket against the Sacramento Kings guard Buddy Hield on Sat Apr 10, 2021 in Salt Lake City (AP News photo)

The Sacramento Kings were back in action on Saturday night. The Kings played in Utah against the Jazz in a game that was sure to challenge the Kings. In the Kings previous game, they took on the Detroit Pistons. On Saturday, the Kings weren’t able to pull off the victory losing by the final of 128-112.

Thursday flashback: The Kings welcomed in the Detroit Pistons on Thursday in a game they Kings had circled as an easy win. However, it wouldn’t go as the Kings hoped. The Kings were embarrassingly defeated by the final of 113-101 in one of the lesser teams in the league. The Kings would need to get back on track against the Jazz to stop the bleeding.

Saturday night recap: The Kings were set to take on the Utah Jazz in Utah at 5PM PST.

In the first half, the Kings and Jazz traded buckets for the most part. In the first quarter, the Kings were out scored by the Jazz 34-31 as neither team played any defense. In the second quarter, the script was flipped. The Kings managed to outscore the Jazz 34-25. Going into halftime, the Kings took a 65-59 lead looking to get back into the win column.

In the second half, the Kings melted down. The third quarter saw the Kings be outscored 36-24 as the defense continued to be the Kings greatest weakness. The Kings would need a dramatic comeback in the fourth quarter to get the win. However, they weren’t able to mount a comeback.

The Kings were also out scored 33-23 in the final quarter to lose the game 128-112. The Kings are struggling mightily as of now and need to get back on track as soon as possible. Leading the way for the Kings in defeat was De’Aaron Fox who scored 30 points. In victory, Utah was led by Donovan Mitchell who finished with 42 points.

Up Next: The Kings will take on the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday in New Orleans at 6 PM PST.

Sacramento Kings game wrap: Kings loss streak climbs to five; Joseph leads Pistons with 24 pts in 113-101 win

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The Detroit Pistons guard Corey Joseph drives against the Sacramento Kings guard Buddy Hield on Thu Apr 8, 2021 at Golden One Center in Sacramento (AP News photo)

The Sacramento Kings were back in action on Thursday night after two days off. The Detroit Pistons were in town to take on the Kings who were looking to get back on track. The Kings played their last game on Monday against the Minnesota Timberwolves. On Thursday, the Kings fell to the Detroit Pistons at home by a final of 113-101.

Flashback Monday: The Kings were struggling going into Monday night’s game. Against the Timberwolves on Monday night, the Kings fell 116-106 to one of the worst teams in the league. The Kings defense and offense weren’t up to the task and they didn’t play a particularly competitive game.

Thursday game recap: The Kings were set to take on the Detroit Pistons on Thursday at 7 PM PST in Sacramento.

In the first half, the Kings struggled in a major way. The Kings allowed the Pistons to score 27 points in the first quarter compared to their 24 points. However, that wasn’t the worst of it. In the second quarter, the Kings were blown out with the Pistons scoring 35 points compared to the Kings 21.

It was an embarrassing half for the Kings. It is worth noting that the Kings were also without Jerami Grant and Mason Plumlee. The Kings defense was atrocious as they would need a massive second half to form a comeback. The Kings went into halftime down 62-44.

In the second half, the Kings played better but it wasn’t nearly enough to win the game. The Kings outscored the Pistons 30-27 in the third quarter. The Kings would need a massive fourth quarter to have a prayer in the game. In the fourth quarter, the Kings outscored the Pistons 27-24 as the Kings defense tightened up.

However, the Kings still fell to the Pistons 113-101. It was an embarrassing defeat for the Kings who fell to 22-30 in the standings. The Kings were led by De’Aaron Fox in the loss who scored 23 points. In the win, the Pistons were led by former King Corey Joseph who scored a season-high 24 points. The Kings will look to their next game to get back on track.

Up Next: The Kings will take on the Utah Jazz on Saturday night in Utah at 5 PM PST.

Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson: Fox has been carrying the offensive load for Kings during skid

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The Sacramento Kings center Richaun Holmes throws down as teammate Buddy Hield watches against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Mon Apr 5, 2021 at the Target Center in Minneapolis (AP News photo)

#1 Jeremiah, the Kings are coming off a four game losing streak after a tough loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday 116-106 they certainly are looking forward to some home cooking tonight.

#2 The Kings tried as hard as they may against the Timberwolves just had trouble getting any traction much like their previous loses.

#3 Jeremiah, losing these four games you can see there has been a drop in scoring in key quarters is this a matter of opponents turning up the defense or the Kings are just not getting the shots to fall?

#4 The Kings are pretty much relying on De’Aaron Fox who had 31 points leading the team in scoring in their last game against the Timberwolves what will it take to get another scorer to help Fox out and get the Kings over the hump to win some of these games?

#5 The Detroit Pistons tip off with the Kings tonight the Pistons have won only three in their last ten games the good news is the Kings are back at home at Golden One Center the bad news possibly will they struggle or play down to the level of the Pistons tonight?

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

Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson Thu Apr 8, 2021 by Sports Radio Service | Free Listening on SoundCloud

Sacramento Kings podcast with Tony Renteria: Kings on four game losing streak hope to snap it tonight against Detroit

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The Sacramento Kings Harrison Barnes (right) goes to shoot over the Minnesota Timberwolves forward Juancho Hernangomez (left) on Mon Apr 5, 2021 at the Target Center in Minneapolis (AP News photo)

#1 The Sacramento Kings lost their fourth straight game to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night 116-106 at the Target Center in Minneapolis. It was a game that Kings head coach Luke Walton would liked to have ended their skid.

#2 So far this season the Kings have had three four game win streaks, a nine game losing streak, that was in February and in March they won five straight to get within one game of the Golden State Warriors for a playoff spot but now have lost four straight as they host the Detroit Pistons tonight.

#3 After the recent loss to the Timberwolves on Monday Kings forward Harrison Barnes said “there is no tomorrow” as the Kings battle to get into a playoff spot and are 12th and falling in the Western Conference.

#4 The Kings are behind Golden State by two games and the New Orleans Pelicans by a half game it’s getting late in early April as the Kings have 21 games left in the season to make due.

#5 The Pistons who are dead last for 15th place in the Eastern Conference standings tip off with the Kings tonight have won three of their last ten games. The Pistons in their most recent game were defeated by the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday night 134-119.

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

Sacramento Kings podcast with Tony Renteria Thu Apr 8, 2021 by Sports Radio Service | Free Listening on SoundCloud