Category: Sacramento Kings

Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson: Barnes, Fox, and Halliburton lead Kings to third straight win

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The Sacramento Kings center Harrison Barnes (center) does a no look attempt at scoring against the Denver Nuggets Nikola Jokic (left) and Michael Porter Jr (right) at Golden One Center in Sacramento on Sat Feb 6, 2021 (AP News photo)

On Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah:

#1 After losing three straight the Sacramento Kings have now won three straight games after the three game loss there was talk about Kings head coach Luke Walton being on the hot seat that seat has since cooled.

#2 Kings were at home Saturday afternoon got a big win over the Denver Nuggets 119-111 what was one of the key things about this game that gave them the win?

#3 Jeremiah this was a close game throughout and the Kings pulled away in the fourth quarter to pick up the five point win how much do you lend the credit to the defense for holding the Nuggets back.

#4 The Kings had four scorers in double figures and the top three came through big with Harrison Barnes 28 pts, De’Aaron Fox 24 pts, and Tyrese Halliburton 23 pts.

#5 The Kings face the 17-7 Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday at 12pm and just enough time to end the game leading into the Super Bowl. Can the Kings give the Clippers a game with Kawhi Leonard and company?

Jeremiah Salmonson does the Kings podcasts each Saturday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson Sat Feb 6, 2021 by Sports Radio Service | Free Listening on SoundCloud

Sacramento Kings game wrap: Kings hang on beat Celtics by five 116-111

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The Sacramento Kings guard De’Aaron Fox (5) drives underneath the basket against the Boston Celtics center Daniel Theis (27) at Golden One Center in Sacramento on Wed Feb 3, 2021 (AP News photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

The Sacramento Kings were back in action on Wednesday night after an off day on Tuesday. The Kings are coming off an encouraging road trip that saw them go 3-1 through four cities in the east. They came back to Golden One Center to narrowly defeat the visiting Boston Celtics by five points 116-111.

Flashback Monday: The latest game the Kings played was on Monday against the New Orleans Pelicans which they won 118-109 in the Big Easy. The Kings had one of their better comebacks of the season. They were down going into the final quarter but were able to claw back and win.

On Wednesday, the Kings returned home to take on the Boston Celtics. This was set to be a worthwhile matchup for the Kings to prove they had turned a corner in their development. Tip-off was set for 7 PM PST.

In the first half, it was a back and fourth contest. The Kings were outscored by the Celtics 26-22 to open the game. The Kings weren’t able to get an offensive rhythm so far in the game. In the second quarter, the Kings bounced back and outscored the Celtics 30-25.

The Kings managed to keep the Celtics to 51 points while scoring 52 points themselves. The Kings would take a lead into halftime looking to start the home stand on the right foot.

In the second half, it was a back and fourth battle. The third quarter proved competitive on the offensive end. Neither team was really able to do much on the defensive end. The Celtics outscored the Kings 31-29 as the Kings lost the lead heading into the final quarter.

In the fourth, the Kings proved victorious outscoring the Celtics 35-29.  De’Aaron Fox led the Kings in victory with 26 points while Jayson Tatum had 27 points for the Celtics in defeat. This game was a great sign for the Kings who are looking to prove that they can compete for a playoff spot. The Kings now have won four of their last six games.

Up Next: The Kings stay home to face the Denver Nuggets on Saturday at 2 PM PST.

Join Jeremiah each Saturday night for the Sacramento Kings podcasts at http://www.sportsadioservice.com

 

 

Sacramento Kings game wrap: Kings Fox pushes offense in 4th quarter for 118-109 win in New Orleans

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Despite the New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson’s (1) ability to reach over Sacramento Kings guard De’Aaron Fox (5) Fox led in scoring with 38 points in the Kings victory at Smoothie King Arena in New Orleans on Mon Feb 1, 2021 (AP News photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

The Sacramento Kings were set to play the final game of their road trip. However, before we talk about the Kings latest contest let’s talk about how they fared last.

The Kings lost their most recent game on Saturday night. The Kings took on the Miami heat in Miami but weren’t able to secure the win. Neither team scored a lot of points in the contest and it proved costly for the Kings. So, the Kings set their sights on the New Orleans Pelicans to finish off the road trip at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans.

The Pelicans came into Monday nights game with a record of 7-11. The Kings had a record slightly better at 8-11. The game was set to be a contest of two teams rally searching for their identities. Neither team has really been able to gauge what they are the rest of the season so far. The contest was set for 5 PM PST in New Orleans. The Kings would hold off the Pelicans for a nine point victory 118-109.

In the first half, the Kings played well but were outplayed by the Pelicans. The Kings were out scored by the Pelicans 33-30 in the first quarter as neither team was playing much defense. In the second quarter, the Kings were outscored again 30-29. The Kings defense was struggling as the Pelicans were on pace for over 120 points. It was going to be imperative for the Kings to limit the Pelicans on the offensive end. The Kings went into halftime trailing 62-60.

In the second half, the Kings didn’t start out very strong. The Kings were out scored 32-27 in the third quarter to further out themselves in a deficit they would need to overcome. Heading into the final quarter, the Kings trailed 94-87. In the final 12 minutes, the Kings played some great basketball.

The Kings managed to score 31 points while holding the Pelicans to 15 points. They erased the seven point deficit and won the game by nine points. De’Aaron Fox continued what seems to be the new normal with him by scoring 38 points in the game. Brandon Ingram led the Pelicans in defeat with 20 points. This was a great win for the Kings coming from behind in the final quarter. The Kings will look to build on this in their next game.

Up Next: The Kings travel home to face the Boston Celtics on Wednesday at 7 PM PST.

 

 

Too much Jimmy Butler and too many free throws give the Heat a 105-104 win over the Kings

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Photo credit: nbaanalysis.net

By Charlie O. Mallonee

Jimmy Butler returned to the Miami Heat lineup after missing 12 games due to “health and safety concerns”, and he made an immediate impact on a team that been floundering without him. Butler played 33-minutes and 36-seconds in his return and was his team’s scoring leader with 30 points. It was a typical shooting night for Butler as his went 8-for-19 from the floor, but he did his real damage from the free throw line. Butler converted 14 of 16 opportunities from foul line in the contest. He also added eight assists.

Sacramento started strong

The Kings – who were playing the second game of a back-to-back set – came out of gate very strong and showed no sign of fatigue after the battle they had with the Toronto Raptors on Friday night in Tampa.

Sacramento outscored Miami 35-24 in the first quarter behind some excellent shooting. Buddy Hield went 3-for-3 from beyond the arc to lead all scorers in the period with nine points. The Kings shot 60.9-percent (14/23) in the quarter. The only warning sign was the Kings did not go to the free throw line one time in first 12 minutes.

Second quarter writes a new story

Playing the second game of a back-to-back set caught up with the Kings in the second period. Their shooting percentage fell, they could not create a fast break, and they starting fouling the Heat.

Miami put up 33 points to just 24 for the Kings in the second quarter. Sacramento’s shooting percentage fell to 42.1-percent (8/19), but three of those eight buckets were 3-point baskets.

The Heat went 11-for-20 (55%) from the field and hit 2 of 5 from downtown. They also converted 9 of 9 100%) free throw opportunities in the second quarter.

At the half, the Kings were clinging to a 59-57 lead.

The third quarter: aka “the valley of fatigue”

Evidently, someone took all the energy drinks out of the refrigerator in the Kings locker room because they came out after halftime like a team that had not been on a break. They looked tired and out of sorts.

Sacramento shot just 38-percent from the field, hit just two 3-point shots, and missed both of their free throw chances. They did commit seven fouls, five turnovers (which became 11 points) and ended the period trailing the Heat 84-77.

Things looked very dim for the Kings as they headed to the final quarter.

Fox caught fire in the fourth quarter

De’Aaron Fox has been under some criticism for not being more of a leader since he signed his “max contract” in the off-season. On Saturday night, the Kings start point guard did everything he could do to get his team a win.

Fox scored 17 points by shooting 7-for-13 in the final period. He went 2-for-6 from 3-point range and converted 1 of 2 free throw tries. Fox dished out two dimes, grabbed three rebounds and made one steal while trying to lead his team to a fourth consecutive victory.

Ironically, it was a Jimmy Butler 3-foot turnaround bank shot with 42-seconds left in the game that gave the Heat a 105-104 lead that Kings would not be able to overcome in the remaining time.

Fox put his team on his back and tried to will his way to a road win. In the end, a grizzled veteran just off the “health and safety” list blew a hole six feet wide in the Kings hopes and dreams.

It’s always in the numbers

On Saturday night, it was all about free throws. The Kings put the Heat on the free throw line 26 times in the contest. Miami scored on 22 of those free throw opportunities. On the other hand, the Kings went to the stripe just 11 times which is totally unacceptable. An NBA team has to be going to the free throw line a minimum of 20 times per game just to stay competitive. Sacramento scored just five points off free throws. The Kings lost the game at the charity stripe.

The Kings recorded 22 assists and made 17 turnovers. The goal is a 2-to-1 ratio, so they fell far short in that category as well. Miami scored 27 points off of the Kings 17 turnovers.

De’Aaron Fox was the Kings scoring leader with 30 points.

Jimmy Butler led the Heat with 30 points.

Up next

The Kings will play in New Orleans on Monday.

The Heat will host the Hornets on Monday.

Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson: Luke Walton’s hot seat cools off a bit after Kings win third straight game

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Sacramento Kings lead scorer forward Harrison Barnes (40) drives the ball against the Toronto Raptors guard Terence Davis (0) during Fri Jan 29, 2021’s game in Tampa Bay (AP News photo)

On the Kings podcast with Jeremiah:

#1 Jeremiah, The Kings struggled with an array of teams before they got on this current three game win streak, how important is this win streak for Kings head coach Luke Walton where it was said in the press that Walton was on the hot seat?

#2 The Kings got by with a two point 126-124 win against the Toronto Raptors on Friday night. The Kings stayed with the Raptors for most of the game and it came right down to the wire for the Kings to come away with their second straight road win.

#3 The Kings certainly a team that has improved offensively they had six scorers that finished in double figures Friday night against the Raptors.

#4 Jeremiah, talk about the three leading high scorers for the Kings from Friday Harrison Barnes 26 points, De’Aaron Fox 24 points and Buddy Hield with 22 points they had to be the difference makers to win a close game against Toronto.

#5 The Kings play the third of this four game road trip tonight facing the Miami Heat. The Heat are a struggling bunch they have lost five straight games. The Kings had been that team before but now are on a three game win streak how do you like their chances in putting a fourth win together tonight in Miami?

Join Jeremiah Salmonson each Saturday for the Sacramento Kings podcast at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

Sacramento Kings game wrap: Kings Barnes leads with 26 in 126-124 win over Toronto; Kings win third straight game

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The Sacramento Kings guard Buddy Hield (24) who finsished with 22 points drives against the Toronto Raptors forward Yuta Wantanabe (18) during Fri Jan 29, 2021 game in Tampa Bay (AP News photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

The Sacramento Kings have been putting their losing ways behind them. The Kings, after losing five straight and getting two games postponed, have won their last two games. The Kings most recently defeated the Orlando Magic in Florida by a final of 121-107. The Kings are looking to turn the tide on the season. They still have time as the NBA season is long.

In Friday’s game, the Kings faced the Toronto Raptors and got a two point 126-124 win for their third straight win. The last time these two teams faced off it was ugly. The Raptors ended up getting the victory but neither team played any defense and at the time Toronto was 2-6 on the season. On Friday, the Raptors come in at a 7-11 record looking to improve on a rough opening month. The tip off was set for 4:30 PM PST in Toronto.

In the first half, the Kings played well! They managed to jump out to an early double digit lead outscoring the Raptors 36-24 in the first quarter. In the second quarter, the Kings regressed a little bit. They were outscored 34-32 in the second quarter as the defense took a step back.

It was a worrying trend after what seems to be a daily occurrence of second half meltdowns for the Kings. However, the Kings still lead 68-58 heading into halftime feeling good about their chances. Up until this point Harrison Barnes had 15 points and Pascal Siakam had 17.

In the second half, the third quarter went according to the Kings plans. They could have performed better in the other defensive end but nonetheless outscored the Raptors 36-33. In the fourth, the Kings didn’t play well. They were outscored by the Raptors 33-22 in the final quarter.

However, the Kings managed to hold on and beat the Raptors despite having faltered in the final minutes. The defense didn’t it hold together, and they didn’t score at the clip they had earlier in the game. However, in the end they won and that’s something they can build on. The Kings were led by Harrison Barnes who scored 26 points in victory. In defeat, the Raptors were led by Pascal Siakam who had 32 points.

Up Next: The Kings make the flight to Miami to take on the Heat at 5 PM PST on Saturday evening. Charlie O will have coverage for us at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

 

Hield scores season-best 29, Kings beat Magic 121-107 for solid road win

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Photo credit: @NBA

By Jeremiah Salmonson

The Sacramento Kings’ last two games had been postponed, but not on Wednesday night. The Kings defeated the Orlando Magic 121-107 at Golden 1 Center.

The Kings’ last game before Wednesday was against the New York Knicks last Friday at home. The Kings managed to take down the Knicks 103-94 to snap their four-game losing streak. The next two scheduled games were supposed to be played against the Memphis Grizzlies. 

However, due to COVID-19 protocols, the two games were postponed on Sunday and Monday. The Kings were not the source of the delay, but nonetheless, I’m sure they appreciated the extra time off. The Kings were set to be back in action on Wednesday taking on the Orlando Magic at the Amway Center.

In the first half, the Kings played well. The Kings outscored the Magic 32-23 getting back into the swing of things. In the second quarter, it was more for the same from the Kings. They managed to outscore the Magic 33-27 and build a 65-50 lead going into halftime. What was important for the Kings was to finish off the Magic. It has become a theme with this team the last few years to not finish off opponents.

In the second half, the Kings would look to do just that. The Kings started off strong. They outscored the Magic 31-27 in the third and looked poised to seal the deal and win their second game in a row. In the fourth quarter, they didn’t play as well, but still held onto the lead and managed to win the game. The Magic out scored the Kings 30-25 in the last quarter, but the Kings still managed to win the game 121-107.

Leading the way for the Kings (7-10) in victory was Buddy Hield, who had 29 points.

In contrast, the Magic (8-11) were led by Nikola Vucevic, who had 26 points. The Kings are now on a two-game winning streak and look to carry that momentum into their next contest. 

Up Next: The Kings will travel to Toronto and take on the Raptors on Friday night at 4:30 PM PST. 

Sacramento Kings podcast with Tony Renteria: Kings coming off win against Knicks face Magic in Orlando tonight

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The Sacramento Kings Glen Robinson III (left) fouls the New York Knicks Julius Randall (right) in the first quarter of Fri Jan 22, 2021’s game at Golden One Center in Sacramento (AP News photo)

On the Kings podcast with Tony R:

#1 Tony, the Kings (6-10) got a big win in their last game against the New York Knicks 103-94 after losing four straight games. How much of a morale booster is that for them starting out on the road trip tonight?

#2 The Knicks are not a slouch team by any means. They came into Sacramento last Friday with a four-game win streak, but the Kings wanted it more.

#3 The Kings Friday got offensive help from De’Aaron Fox, who led with 22 points and Harrison Barnes with 21.

#4 There’s been criticism regarding Kings head coach Luke Walton being one of the worse coaches in the NBA and that Walton has simply been out-coached this year. Is Walton’s job on shaky ground?

#5 The Kings had their game against the Memphis Grizzlies (7-6) postponed last Saturday due to the Grizzlies have COVID-19 protocol issues. The Kings are in Orlando tonight against the Magic. The Magic has lost eight of their last ten games and won in their last game defeating the Charlotte Hornets 117-108. How do you see the two teams tonight?

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

Sacramento Kings podcast with Tony Renteria Wed Jan 27, 2021 by Sports Radio Service | Free Listening on SoundCloud

Kings-Grizzlies game postponed due to Coronavirus protocols

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The Sacramento Kings and Memphis Grizzlies game was announced postpone on Friday as the two clubs were scheduled to meet Sun Jan 24, 2021 at the empty Fed Ex Arena in Memphis (pinterest.com file photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

The Sacramento Kings have had many different turns to this season so far. Ups and downs have been common this year. The Kings last game was a glimmer of hope.

The Kings took on the New York Knicks on Friday night and were able to snap a five game losing streak as they defeated the Knicks 103-94. For the Kings is was important because they were able to hold a team below 100 points. The Kings defense has been atrocious and it will be the key going forward if they want any chance at making the playoffs.

The Kings will have to wait until Wednesday night for the next chance to take the court. Due to issues surrounding the Memphis Grizzlies and COVID 19 protocols the next two games for the Kings have been postponed. No make up dates have been set yet.

On Wednesday, the Kings will travel to Orlando to take on the Magic at 4 PM PST.

Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson: Kings big surprise with win over Knicks; Now face struggling Magic in Orlando Wed

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The Orlando Magic’s guard Evan Fournier (left) tries to defend the Indiana Pacers Malcolm Brogdon (right) during Fri Jan 22, 2021’s game in Indianapolis. The Magic will host the Sacramento Kings on Wed Jan 27, 2021 in Orlando (AP News photo)

On the Kings podcast with Jeremiah:

#1 Jeremiah after four long games the Kings snap their long four game win streak beating the New York Knicks on Friday night 103-94.

#2 Just from the team morale standpoint what does this do for the Kings in getting a win over a Knicks team who came in with a four game win streak in their own right.

#3 In the third quarter the Kings held the Knicks to just 18 points which was major in holding the lead how much does that speak to their defense on Friday night.

#4 It was all hands on deck for the Kings six players finished in double figures and the Kings got scoring help from D’Aaron Fox 22 points and Harrison Barnes 21 in the Kings nine point win.

#5 Next up for the Kings they head to Orlando for a Wed Jan 27th tip off with the Magic (7-9). The Magic who have lost seven of their last eight games host the Kings who have just snapped their four game losing streak on Friday night how do you see this match up?

Join Jeremiah each Saturday for the Kings podcast at http://www.sportsradioservice.com