Category: Sacramento Kings

Headline Sports podcast with London Marq: Kings staying with Walton until evidence proves otherwise; Do you believe in miracles? Could Sharks pull off a second round win?

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Photo credit: @NBCSKings

On the Headline Sports podcast with London:

#1 Kelli Tennant says that she is not seeking jail time or a certain amount of money from the lawsuit she filed against Sacramento Kings head coach Luke Walton, but wanted to share what had been weighing on her mind since she said that Walton sexually assaulted her in April 2015 when he was an assistant coach for the Golden State Warriors.

#2 Tennant spoke to the media in a press conference on Tuesday to tell her side of the story that Walton had invited her to his hotel room to read over some material from the book “The Transition: Every Athlete’s Guide to Life After Sports”. It was in his room she said she was sexually assaulted. In the press conference and after listening to what Tennant said about the assault, will this change the way people view Luke Walton now?

#3 The San Jose Sharks, who were down 3-1 in their last series with the Vegas Golden Knights, found a way to get off the mat and win three straight to advance to the second round.

#4 The Sharks had to come back with four goals in the third goal just to tie the game up, which they did 4-4, but they also had to skate an extra overtime stanza to score a winning goal to win the game so that’s virtually four unanswered goals to come back and win Game 7.

#5 Coming off a dramatic win like the first round the Sharks now open up the second round against the Colorado Avalanche, do you see them coming in with a lot momentum and having a great chance to even win the next round?

London Marq does Headline Sports each Wednesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

Sexual assault allegations of Luke Walton puts Kings in damage control

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Photo credit: tmz.com

By: Ana Kieu

TMZ Sports first reported female sports reporter Kelli Tennant’s lawsuit against current Sacramento Kings head coach Luke Walton on Monday night. Sure, it may seem like just another headline among the tabloids, but sexual assault isn’t a joke, it’s a serious issue that has to be addressed in the general public. Some accusations may not be true, but about this accusation, we’ll have to wait and see if it turns out to be true.

Walton was hired by the Kings on April 14th. That, my friends, was only eight days ago. Before joining the Kings, Walton served as the Los Angeles Lakers head coach from 2016-19, Golden State Warriors assistant coach from 2014-16, Los Angeles D-Fenders player development coach from 2013-14 and Memphis Tigers assistant coach in 2011. Walton played in the NBA from 2003-13 after being a second-round draft pick at the 2003 NBA Draft. Walton played NCAA basketball at Arizona from 1999-2003.

Kelli Tennant is a host for the Ceremony Wellness podcast and a sports reporter who has worked for ESPN, PAC12, E! News, Fox Sports, Spectrum Sportsnet, and SportsNet LA. Tennant is a Temecula, Calif. native whose alma mater is the University of Southern California. Tennant played NCAA volleyball at USC for two seasons.

According to TMZ, Kelli Tennant claimed that before Walton became the Lakers head coach, he asked her to meet him at his Santa Monica hotel to discuss a book she was writing. She says they had a business relationship for several years and she wanted him to write a foreword.

In the suit, Tennant said when she arrived at Walton’s hotel, he convinced her to come up to his room so they could discuss the book. She claims when they got up to his room, Walton suddenly pinned her to the bed, placing his hips and legs over her body.

In the docs, Tennant claimed Walton began forcing kisses on her neck, face and chest. She claimed she screamed for him to stop and tried to free herself, but he held her down, groped her breasts and groin, and rubbed his erection on her leg.

Tennant says he eventually relented and let her get up from the bed, but as she was walking towards the door to leave, he grabbed her from behind and forced his body up against hers.

Tennant claimed when Walton finally released his grasp, she opened the door and left, but could hear him say, “Good to see you.”

Tennant claimed she did not initially report Walton’s conduct, but was forced to continually interact with him because of her job. She saied each time she saw him, he’d impose himself on her with a big hug or a kiss, even though she thought she made it clear his advances were unwanted.

In the suit, Tennant claimed on one occasion, Walton greeted her by uttering, “vulgar, guttural sounds at her” and said, “Mmmm…you’re killing me in that dress.” She says he then forced an aggressive hug on her and rubbed his body against hers.

While it’s unclear what exactly promoted Tennant to come forward, I can reassure you that the Kings are in damage control mode right now. Walton hasn’t released a statement, and it’s unclear if he’ll comment on anything. The Kings haven’t commented on the matter either. Sam Amick of The Athletic tweeted, “The Kings have issued a statement regarding sexual assault allegations against their new coach, Luke Walton, as reported by TMZ. We are aware of the report and are gathering additional information. We have no further comment at this time.”

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary podcast with Barbara Mason: Tiger’s Masters win is confidence-building, could he win another one?; How Walton will fit in in Sacramento; plus more

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Photo credit: @Neo_Ungasabi

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary podcast with Barbara Mason:

#1 On Sunday, Tiger Woods made a comeback and won the Masters for the first time in 11 years. What made this day so unbelievable?

#2 How do you see Luke Walton fitting in at the Sacramento Kings organization as head coach?

#3 It was a true battle between the Warriors and Clippers on Monday night as the Clips erased a 31 point deficit for a 135-131 win.

#4 After the San Francisco Giants got nearly no hit by the Colorado Rockies pitcher German Marquez, is this alarm that offense has to do something and very soon?

#5 The Oakland A’s got clobbered by the Houston Astros on Tuesday night and the A’s struggled with the Astros on the road trip earlier this month.

Barbara Mason is a freelance sports reporter for Area Grande Spanish Newspapers and is filling in for Amaury Pi-Gonzalez for News and Commentary.

Sportstalk podcast at Diplomat Steakhouse in downtown Sacramento — Monday, April 15, 2019

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Photo credit: diplomat.com

Cast: Michael Duca (mlb.com and host), Jeremy Kahn (SF Giants reporter), Jeremy Harness (SF Giants and PGA reporter), London Marq (Sacramento Kings and SJ Earthquakes reporter), Jeremiah Salmonson (Sacramento Kings reporter), Charlie O (Oakland A’s and Sacramento Kings reporter), Lee Leonard (producer). Sportstalk is proud to podcast at The Diplomat Steakhouse at 1117 11th Street in downtown Sacramento. Our thanks to our hosts: Owner Ramesh Prasad,  Pa Vang Executive Vice President, Brianna Blaschke Event Concierge and Executive Chef Chris Manning.

On the podcast, discussions of the recent Sacramento Kings season and their new head coach for the 2019-20 season, progress reports on the Oakland A’s and San Francisco Giants along with the San Jose Sharks and Golden State Warriors in the playoff hunt.

The Diplomat’s statement is as follows: Being diplomatic is our brand’s core binding. We are intuitive when in conducting your dining experience, and can achieve peaceful resolutions to any quandary while facilitating intriguing discussion with anyone on the map. We broadened the scope and magnified the habitual steakhouse fare. We resolve differences by implementing international fusion cuisine to please any and all palates. We strive to achieve a peaceful atmosphere, and our ingenuity gives us the edge to connect to any guest.

Restaurateur, Ramesh Prasad, has dined worldwide in the vast-ever occurring steakhouse and knows the ins and outs of traditional fine dining concepts. Complacent with their predictability, he manifested his vision into reality. Sacramento is in the prime of revitalization, and developing a signature steakhouse is pioneering the industries’ cravings.

Reports: Kings hire Luke Walton to be their next coach

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luke walton - le bron

by Charlie O. Mallonee

To no one’s surprise, Sam Amick of theathletic.com reported earlier today that the Sacramento Kings had reached an agreement in principle with Luke Walton to become the next head coach of the team replacing Dave Joerger. Most reporters and analysts were speculating that Vlade Divac wanted Walton even before he parted ways with the Lakers.

There is no reason to doubt Amick’s reports. He has covered the Kings for years and has the respect of the front office. Amick is not a reporter who bites on the first shiny object in the water. If he did not feel there was real credence to the information he received, Amick would not have reported it.

The move also makes sense because the Kings reportedly tried to lure Walton to become their head coach before they hired Dave Joerger. Walton did not become a candidate for the Sacramento job at that time because the Lakers were pursuing him at the same time.

Walton will have Vlade’s trust

Walton and Divac were Lakers teammates in 2004-05 which was Divac’s final year as a player. They know each other well which is important to Divac who seems to very comfortable having an inner circle that is very familiar to him.

That can also be a detriment. One of the roles Walton may be able to play is to urge Divac to open up and expand the Kings front office to bring in more experienced executives to assist him in running the operation.

Because Walton will have an instant credibility factor with Divac, he will probably be included in making personnel decisions where Joerger was never included in that part of the operation. We know that because Joerger made no secret about his lack of involvement in personnel decisions.

Walton also is from the Steve Kerr coaching tree

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Walton is known for the incredible job he did filling in Steve Kerr when he was out due to medical issues. Walton led Golden State to a 39-4 record until Kerr was able to return to the bench.

Walton got off to a solid start with the Lakers in his first year as head coach, but ran into a firestorm when LeBron James joined the team in his second season the head man. LeBron not only cost Walton his job, but convinced Magic Johnson to bail out as President of Basketball Pperations. James manages to suck the air out of any team that he is a part of as a player, de facto coach, and de facto general manager.

Walton has his work cut out for himself

Walton has some strong returning players in De’Aaron Fox, Buddy Hield, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Marvin Bagley III, and Harry Giles III. Will Harrison Barnes invoke his $25-million option? Should the Kings resign or match offers for Willie Cauley-Stein? Who should the team pursue in free agency?

Sacramento finished nine games out the playoffs this season. It will be no easy task to break into the playoff tournament next season, but Walton will have four years to make this team a success.

Walton will be a different personality

luke

Where Joerger was an introverted, close to the vest personality, Walton will an open, upfront star in front of the cameras. He will be a PR star for the Kings. That will be of help on an on-going basis. It will be something they haven’t had in long. long time. The fans and media will love it.

Help Wanted: Head Coach for Sacramento Kings – experience preferred

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment
SAC vlade
Vlade Divac Photo: @NBCS

by Charlie O. Mallonee

On Thursday morning, the Sacramento Kings announced that the contract of General Manager Vlade Divac had been extended through the 2022-23 season. That certainly appeared to be good news as it means there will stability in the upper management of the Kings organization for the next four seasons.

Divac made some big moves quickly

First, he fired assistant general manager Brandon Williams. Williams had been the focus of controversy since last December when coach Dave Joerger threw him out of the Kings practice facility. Joerger believed that Williams was trying to have him fired for not using Marvin Bagley III and Harry Giles III properly in games.

The unresolved tension between Joerger and Williams hung in the background of the basketball operation all season long. No one really talked about the problem, but everyone knew it existed and was unresolved. That changed Thursday morning.

One down – one to go

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Ex-Sacramento head coach Dave Joerger Photo: @NBCS

After Divac sent Williams packing, there was some thought that Dave Joerger may have won the battle over Williams. Then the word came down, Joerger had been summoned to Divac’s office and the rumor leaked that Joerger was going to get a pink slip.

It did not take long for the news to be confirmed. Joerger had indeed been fired, and the Kings were in the market for a new head coach following their most successful season in a decade.

Divac tried to explain things in a press conference

Here are the highlights of his comments:

  • Divac thanked Joerger for being a “good teammate” and for a job well done over his three years as head coach.
  • Divac also expressed that he had been evaluating the team since the All-Star Break and how they could rise to the next level.
  • The Kings GM also expressed that he thought the team could have (reporters emphasis: should have) made the playoffs this season.
  • He was very clear that taking things to the next level meant going into the playoffs.
  • Divac made it very clear that the decision to fire Joerger was his and his alone. He did indicate that he had informed ownership of his decision.
  • The GM feels the Kings timing is good because they have plenty of time before the draft and free agency begins to get a new coach in place.
  • Divac – to no one’s surprise did not name any potential candidates for head coach. Most reporters and analyst believe that Luke Walton is the number one target on Kings’ list even though he is still employed by the Lakers as of today.
  • Divac also stated that Williams will not be replaced. His duties will be absorbed by Peja Stojakovic and Ken Catanella.
SAC Walton
Next head coach of the Kings? Photo: @NBCS

Joerger did not do much to save his job

In this reporter’s opinion, Dave Joerger did not make a full court press to keep his job as head coach of the Sacramento Kings. His team went a pitiful 3-7 in their final 10 games in their effort to finish 41-41. When he should have been angry and ready to tear someone’s head off, Joerger remained stoic and apologetic for his team.

I think Joerger knew he was “a dead man walking” and had moved into a role of caretaker until the end of the season. It really is a sad ending to what was three years of hard work by Joerger and his coaching staff.

What’s next

The search and interviews begin. The Kings hope that they will be able to wrap up their coaching search quickly and with positive results.

Kings miss 40 wins by just five points!

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TB2
Photo/graphic: @NBCS

by Charlie O. Mallonee

The Sacramento Kings went to Portland on Wednesday night with the opportunity win their 40th game of the 2018-19 season which would have been the first time a Kings team had recorded 40 wins since 2005-06. Much to the chagrin of the multitude of Kings fans, the 40th win did not happen.

Portland decided to rest all of their starters and most of their key second team players. That gave the Kings a significant advantage in their quest to reach 40 wins.

A Record-Setting First Half

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Buddy Hield hits his 600th 3-pointer in 3 seasons @ NBCS

The Kings started the game on fire. They scored a franchise record 87 points in the first half falling just three points short of tying the NBA record for the most points scored in the opening 24 minutes of an NBA game. They shot an incredible 66.7-percent (32/48) from the field. They hit 13-of-20 (65%) of their 3-point shots.

De’Aaron Fox scored 17 points. Rookie Marvin Bagley III scored 16 points in just over 14-minutes on the floor. Harrison Barnes, Nemanja Bjelica and Bogdan Bogdanovic all scored 10 points each in the first half.

The Kings went to the locker room at halftime with an 87-62 lead. It appeared that everything was going Sacramento’s way and that win number 40 was only 24 minutes away.

Coach Joerger’s Big Decision

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Maybe that wasn’t a good idea Photo: @NBCS

Head coach Dave Joerger decided that all of his starters would not play in the second half of the game on Wednesday night. That in part may have been a tribute to the job well done by the starters and giving a well-deserved opportunity to the second team and reserves. The problem is the plan did not work.

The Trail Blazers outscored the Kings 36-26 in the third quarter and cut the Kings lead to 15 points. As the Kings went to the fourth period, you might have expected Joerger to have reinserted Hield and Fox to reenergize his team’s scoring attack. He did not do that.

Joerger chose to stay with his reserves and that decision did not go well for the team.

The Final Quarter

Portland scored 38 points in the fourth quarter while the Kings only managed to put 18 points in the book. Anfernee Simons led the Trail Blazers scoring attack with 12 points. Frank Mason scored 10 for the Kings.

When the final buzzer sounded, the Trail Blazers had defeated the Kings 136-131.

Top Performers

Portland

  • Anfernee Simons led all scorers with 37 points.
  • Former Kings player Skal Labissiere put up 27 points against his old mates. Skal made it a double-double by grabbing 15 rebounds.
  • Jake Layman, Meyers Leonard, and Gary Trent, Jr. all scored 19 points each in the contest.

Kings

  • The Kings leading scorer was Marvin Bagley III with 20 points and nine rebounds. The rookie has had an incredible season.
  • De’Aaron Fox and Yogi Ferrell scored 17 points each.
  • Bogdan Bogdanovic and Frank Mason III both scored 15 points in the game.

One Big Question to Ask

In his exit interview, this reporter thinks that head coach Dave Joerger needs to be asked why he did not do more to get win number 40 on Wednesday night. The psychological lift for the team and fans of crossing over into the 40 win plateau would have been huge. Joerger needs to be held accountable for letting that opportunity get away.

In the meantime, the NBA Draft is 72 days away.

Sacramento Kings podcast with Charlie O: Will Joerger return to Kings next season?; Kings have improved over last season

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Photo credit: @James_HamNBCS

On the Kings podcast with Charlie O:

#1 Charlie, what’s your biggest takeaway from this season as the Kings finish below .500 (39-42)?

#2 The Kings head coach Dave Joerger had been the subject of discussion. There had been talk that he will be back next season and also talk that the Minnesota Timberwolves are interested in his handy work as well. After Sunday’s game, Joerger said that while he’s a Minnesota kid, his focus is with the Kings.

#3 There is that great feel the Kings had taking 12 more wins than what they finished with from last season. Although the playoffs alluded them, they are a couple players away from the postseason next year.

#4  The Kings owner Vivek Ranadive and team general manager Vlade Divak are noted friends with Los Angeles Lakers coach Luke Walton would he be a possibility.

#5 The Kings De’Aaron Fox finished Sunday’s game with 24 points, six rebounds and 11 assists. Charlie talks about the kind of season that Fox had.

Charlie O did the Kings podcasts each week throughout the 2018-19 season join for the Oakland A’s podcasts each Tuesday starting next week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Kings fall to Pelicans 133-129

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Photo credit: @SacramentoKings

By: London Marq

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — It has been a unique season this year for the Sacramento Kings. For the first time in a long time, there is the sense that the Kings have taken a major step forward. Going into the last home game of the season, the Kings have 12 more wins than last year and a great group of young developing talent. Although the playoffs elude the team, again, there is confidence that the Kings will get back to the postseason.

Th Kings had the New Orleans Pelicans on tap for the final game of the season. Opening the game, the Kings came out with a strong first quarter that ended with the Kings leading 39-32. De’Aaron Fox made a impact early, including an impact steal for the breakaway score, Fox would end the game with a hearty 24 points, 6 rebounds and 11 assists.

The second quarter was where the Kings had some defensive woes. The Pelicans were able to capitalize and outscore the Kings 34-29 in the second, but the Kings still held a 2-point advantage going into halftime.

Unfortunately for the Kings, the defense failed to improve and they would be outscored in the both second half quarters as well. Pelicans guard Ian Clark led all scorers with 31 points. Harrison Barnes was the Kings’ leading scorer with 29 points.

The Kings wrapped up the final home game with a 4-point 133-129 loss, which was indicative of their competitive season that came up just short of the playoffs.

The Kings are looking forward to the future. They missed the playoffs this year, but next season, we will hopefully see the franchise end their playoff drought and bring the Kings back to relevance.

Final: New Orleans defeated Sacramento 133-129.

Up Next: Sacramento wraps up the 2019 season at Portland on Wednesday, April 10. Game time set for 7:30 pm PT.

Kings never trail in their 117-104 win over the Cavaliers on Thursday night

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment
Cle-4
Buddy Hield shoots a 3-point basket Photo: Charlie O. Mallonee

By Charlie O. Mallonee

SACRAMENTO — The Sacramento Kings won their 39th game of the 2018-19 season on Thursday night as they defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 117-104. It was not an easy win. The Kings had to earn this victory. The Cavs are not a great team, but they are professional basketball players who belong on an NBA court.

The Cavs may have never held the lead in the game, but they did cut the Kings’ lead to just one point with 4:40 to go in the third quarter. Sacramento was able to make a surge in order to take a nine-point lead into the final period.

The Cavs reduced the Kings lead to just six points at the 8:03 mark in the fourth quarter, but Sacramento with the help of Marvin Bagley III and Bogdan Bogdanovic opened up a lead that would never put them in danger of losing the game again.

With the win, the Kings sweep the season series from the Cavaliers who drop to 19-60 for the campaign.

SAC is one game away from winning 40

Some fans have asked — is winning 40 a big deal? Yes, it is. The Kings won 27 games last season. Most analysts projected them win between  30-35 games this season (this reporter projected them to win 32). To improve their win-loss record by 13 wins and climb into the 40-wins stratosphere is psychologically a big deal for a young team.

As a Western Conference team, the Kings will have to win 45-47 games next season just to make it into the playoffs. If they can win 40 games, they will know what it takes to get where they need to be in order to reach the next level.

This team has already has recorded the best win total for a Kings deal team since the 2005-06 season. Winning game number 40 would make them the first Sacramento team to win at least 40 games since that 2005-06 team won 44 games.

Dave Joerger postgame thoughts

  • Thought it was a good win
  • Getting to 40 wins is a big deal
  • Tonight, it didn’t feel like we made a lot of shots; they did make a lot of shots
  • Out defensive activity was good — steals, deflections forced 22 turnovers
  • We took care of the ball — seven turnovers that resulted in just eight points
  • We scored points in the paint which was huge for us (SAC 62 CLE 54)
  • When we moved the ball and we got in the paint, we were more successful

Top Performances

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Fox takes it to the hoop Photo: Charlie O. Mallonee

Kings

  • Buddy Hield was the game’s leading scorer with 23 points shooting 9-for-16 from the field. He hit 5-of-11 from downtown. Hield needs just six 3-point baskets to beat Damian Lillard’s record of 599 three-pointers in the first three seasons of a players career.
  • Bogdan Bogdanovic had a strong game coming off the bench to score 18 points in just over 27 minutes of playing time. “Bogi” shot 7-for-13 from the floor including four 3-point baskets. He also dished out five assists. Bogdanovic seemed to play with more energy than he has in some time.
  • De’Aaron Fox bounced back nicely after having a disappointing game versus the Rockets. Fox recorded a double-double scoring 16 points and distributing 10 dimes.
  • Marvin Bagley III played only 20 minutes, but he made the most of his time on the floor. MB35 put up 15 points and grabbed eight rebounds. His play was very important to the Kings opening up their lead in the fourth quarter.
  • Odd facts: the Kings were outrebounded by the Cavs 50-36 in this game. The Kings made 12 steals while the Cavaliers managed only three steals. Sacramento only turned the ball over seven times while Cleveland turned over 22 times.

Cleveland

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Larry Nance, Jr, jams home Photo: Charlie O. Mallonee
  • Jordan Clarkson was the Cavs leading scorer with 22 points. Clarkson came off the bench to play just over 31 minutes and shoot 9-for-13 from the field.
  • Point guard Colin Sexton was very impressive in almost 38 minutes on the floor. For a player who is not supposed to shoot well, he was very impressive as a shooter. Sexton hit 8-of-14 shots overall and 3-of-5 from 3-point land.
  • Second-year player Cedi Osman recorded 17 points and three assists. He was key to the Cavs first half performance.
  • Cleveland shot 54.3-percent (44/81) for the game and hit 11-of-25 (44%) 3-point attempts.

Up Next

The Kings left immediately after the game for Salt Lake City where they will play the Jazz on Friday night.

The Cavaliers boarded their buses and headed for the Bay Area where they will face the Golden State Warriors tomorrow night.