Category: Sacramento Kings

Richaun Holmes of the Sacramento Kings shown here against the Denver Nuggets earlier in the season, played 18 minutes of scrimmage against the Los Angeles Clippers this week  is looking for some minutes against the Orlando Magic Sunday night in Orlando in the second of eight regular season games (sactownroyalty.com file photo)

On the Kings podcast with Jeremiah:

#1 The restart season tips off tonight in the bubble at ESPN Wide World of Sports Arena in Orlando at 5pm Pacific on Sunday with the Sacramento Kings back in action to face the Orlando Magic.

#2 The Kings are well rested are favored to win this contest talk about some of the key players who will be participating in these last final eight games, De’Aaron Fox leads the team in points per game with 20, Nemanja Bjelica rebounds with 6.4, Fox also led the team in assists and steal and Bjelica led with blocks.

#3 What makes the oddsmakers like the Kings in this one was it the way the Kings finished before the shutdown or who they have on their roster and how head coach Luke Walton has been able to have success with the ball distribution and set the defense.

#4 One of the important community projects that is very important to the Kings during Black Lives Matters is the Kings All Star Dream Award as Kings Chief Operating Officer Martina Kolokotronis said that has “tremendous impact on our community fighting for increased access to education and resources, equity and social justice,” honoring young people and families in the Sacramento community.

#5 Jeremiah some are asking if the Kings Richaun Holmes will be getting some minutes he got 18 minutes in scrimmage against the Los Angeles Clippers do you see him getting maybe 25 minutes plus on Sunday night? He is coming off a ten day quarantine in his hotel room after leaving the bubble during the team’s stay in Orlando earlier.

Join Jeremiah every other Saturday for Kings basketball and other great podcasts at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

 

(@NBCSKings photo) The Sacramento Kings De’Aaron Fox (5) who lays one in had 29 points for Friday night but it wasn’t enough as the San Antonio Spurs took the first game of the eight game re-start season at ESPN World Wide of Sports Arena in Orlando

By Barbara Mason

As the NBA at long last opened their 2019-2020 season we saw something that is making history and we are all here to witness it. Against all odds there is a change brewing across this nation and across the world. Watching entire teams, coaches, trainers all kneeling during the national anthem is a sight that few of us will ever forget.

The fight for equality is alive and we are all causing “good trouble” to quote the late Congressman, activist and American hero John Lewis. This is such a powerful image as each of these teams open their seasons and it will continue to impact throughout the regular season and into the playoffs.

The Sacramento Kings took on the San Antonio Spurs in a must win game. Every game is crucial for the Kings as they vie for the eighth playoff spot. The only lead that the Kings had in the first quarter was a three point lead while the Spurs at one time held a 16 point lead. At the end of the first quarter San Antonio led 43-30. The Kings De’Aaron Fox led the scoring in the opening quarter with 11 points.

The Kings would pull closer in the second quarter. Fox had remained silent and at 8:26 into the quarter the Kings trailed by seven points 49-42. Harrison Barnes had seven points through 1 1/2 quarters. The bench had turned in ten points as the Kings continued to nip at the heels of the Spurs pulling closer as the quarter wore on.

Fox would finish the first half with an impressive 20 points. The Kings had taken the slimmest of leads 65-64 erasing the 13 point deficit in the first quarter. Both teams had two players in double digits in the first half; Fox and Nemanja Bjelica for the Kings and Derrick White and Dejounte Murray for the Spurs. A nice performance off the bench for 11 points was the Spurs small forward Rudy Gay. The Kings would have every opportunity to extend their lead going into the third quarter.

The third quarter could not have been closer. Both teams would trade leads by a single point in the final minutes of the quarter. The Spurs had pulled ahead as the teams headed into the fourth quarter leading 96-92. Fox finished the quarter with 30 points with four Kings in double digits and Bazemore leading with seven rebounds. The Spurs had five players in double digits and impressive defense.

The fourth quarter was another tug of war much like the third. In the later minutes of this game the two teams were tied much of the time. With under four minutes left in the game the two teams were tied at 112.

The final score was 129-120 with the Kings falling to the Spurs. Despite Fox having a 39 point game the Kings were unable to get past the San Antonio. With the Grizzlies losing to Portland, Sacramento had a great opportunity to make up some ground but it just wasn’t to be. In an eight game season losing is not an option. Sunday the Kings will take on the Magic: tipoff at 3:00 pm.

Golden One Center home of the Sacramento Kings; security camera still: Video from cameras at Golden One Center in Sacramento show Mario Matthews pinned to the floor by six police and security officers on the morning of July 2, 2019. One of the security officers put a knee on Matthews killing him which triggered a lawsuit by the Matthews family

By Charlie O

SACRAMENTO–Three Sacramento Police officers and three security guards at Golden One Center home of the Sacramento Kings pinned down a man who entered into the arena around 3 AM on the morning of July 2, 2019 in a lawsuit saying that the six officers unreasonably restrained Mario Matthews and killed him.

Matthews entered a propped door and actually got onto the floor of Golden One and started dancing and moving erratically and had to be escorted out to a hallway area where officers restrained and detained Matthews. It was at that point where Matthews was slammed to the floor in the Golden One hallway where one of the private guards put a knee on Matthews cutting off his breathing.

Matthews family filed a lawsuit saying that while during the restraint the guard put his knee on Matthews and were using unnecessary forced and he became unresponsive. Matthews was rushed to the hospital where he never regained consciousness. The amount of the lawsuit was not disclosed and what law firm is representing the Matthews family.

The lawsuit stated the Matthews family is holding the security officers and their company responsible, Golden One Center, Sacramento Police and the City of Sacramento. The lawsuit goes onto say Matthews, “needlessly died because he was unreasonably restrained by the combined efforts of three private security guards and three Sacramento Police Department officers.”

The Sacramento City Attorney’s office said they have received the lawsuit and are looking into the matter. The entire detainment of Matthews from handcuffing to his handling to putting a knee on his neck was video taped by in house security cameras at Golden One Center.

Charlie O is a beat writer for Sacramento Kings basketball and does Headline Sports at http://www.sportsradioservice.com