Category: Sacramento Kings

45 wins? The Kings didn’t get any closer to that magic number in 112-105 loss to the Wolves

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By Morris Phillips

Sacramento Kings reporter Sean Cunningham has unearthed a significant number in the Kings’ quest to end the NBA’s longest playoff drought. It’s a number that bares watching given the team’s positioning directly in the middle of the Western Conference postseason hunt.

45, 45 wins. For the Kings, it’s going to be tantalizingly close. But they didn’t get any closer in Minneapolis on Monday.

The Kings were defenseless in the second quarter, relinquishing a double-digit lead, then trailing for the entirety of the second half in a 112-105 loss to the Timberwolves. William Bagley’s 3-pointer with 3:05 remaining got the Kings within 108-104, but they got no closer.

The Kings fell to 31-29, blowing an opportunity to assume the eighth spot by percentage points with the Spurs losing to the Nets, their seventh loss in their last eight games. Now, the Kings need a 14-8 finish–which would be the hottest stretch of their season–to reach the magical 45 wins.

“We’re growing, and it’s the level of experience that is required,” Kings coach Dave Joerger said of losing to the Wolves, a team that qualified for the 2018 playoffs on the regular season’s final day. “They’ve got a lot of older guys that have been through it.”

Based on Sacramento’s ability to beat losing teams, and inability to get past winning teams, the Kings will need a couple of surprise victories in the final 22 games to win 14 more times. Twelve of their final 22 opponents have winning records, and their schedule is more difficult than the Spurs and Clippers, the two teams closest to them in the standings.

But the Spurs are in free fall, and the Kings have already captured the tie breaker against San Antonio. While few other tie breakers figure to go Sacramento’s way, beating out the Spurs could be a realistic goal. Given that, the Kings could have used a win on Monday.

Karl-Anthony Towns led the Timberwolves with 34 points and 21 rebounds in his return from injury following a car crash last week. Towns had appeared in all 302 games in his career prior to missing the previous two.

“You don’t get a chance to realize how much you appreciate being out there,” Towns said of his return. “I’ve always wanted to be available for my teammates. But, when you sit out, you’re realizing little things you may have taken for granted.’’

Bagley did his part to neutralize the production of Towns with 25 points and 11 rebounds in just his second-ever NBA starting assignment, but the pivotal, second quarter belonged to Towns and the Wolves.

Towns scored 18 of the Wolves’ 44 points in the frame as the Kings squandered their 30-19 lead after the first quarter.

Joerger elected to bench leading scorer Buddy Hield down the stretch as his club rallied. Hield had a rough night with five turnovers while missing nine of his 16 shot attempts.

“He couldn’t hold onto the basketball and he struggled in different areas, and sometimes you have those nights,” Joerger said of Hield. “Corey Brewer was playing with some energy and it’s just one of those things.”

The Kings return to Golden 1 Center on Wednesday to face the Eastern Conference-leading Bucks at 7 pm.

Kings steal one on the road downing the Thunder 119-116

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment
KINGS 223 score
Graphic: @NBCS

by Charlie O. Mallonee

The Sacramento Kings entered the homestretch of the NBA season knowing that they needed to really improve their record versus Western Conference teams. As they began the game in Oklahoma City on Saturday night, Sacramento was 16-22 on the season versus Western Conference foes and just 5-12 playing those teams on the road.

After losing a heartbreaker to the Golden State Warriors on Thursday night, the Kings had to travel to OKC to face the Thunder who feature Russell Westbrook – “the King of the triple-double” – and the potential 2018-19 MVP Paul George who own the third spot in the Western Conference.

OKC was coming off a tough Friday night

The Thunder hosted the Utah Jazz on Friday night and had to really battle to come away with a victory. That game went into two overtimes before the Thunder finally put the Jazz away 148-147.

Paul George had to play 50-minutes. Russell Westbrook spent almost 43 minutes on the floor before fouling out in the first overtime.

The Kings needed to take advantage of the Thunder playing in the second game of a back-to-back set, especially when the first game went into double overtime.

First half perfection

Kings 223 hield
Photo: @SacramentoKings

The Kings did exactly what they needed to do in the first 24-minutes of the game. Sacramento shot 50-percent (25/50) from the floor. They struggled a bit from downtown hitting just 3-of-12 (33.3%) from long range. They dished out 16 assists while turning the ball over just six times. Those six turnovers resulted in eight Thunder points.

Buddy Hield led the SAC scoring attack with 18 points in the half. He went 8-for-12 shooting including two 3-pointers. Bogdan Bogdanovic added 12 points by going 4-for-6 from the floor. Marvin Bagley III came off the bench to score 11 points and grab six rebounds.

To no one’s surprise, Russell Westbrook led the charge for Oklahoma City who looked tired and out of sync right from the opening tip-off. Westbrook put 18 points in the book while Paul George was the next leading scorer with seven points.

The Thunder shot just 35.8-percent (19/53) from the field. The had just eight assists and turned the ball over eight times which resulted in 12 Sacramento points.

At the end of the first half, the Kings held a 63-49 lead over the Thunder.

The second half had to mean a Thunder comeback

Even if they are tired, a visiting team cannot expect to keep a talented team like the Thunder from making big runs in order to get back into the game.

The Thunder went on an 18-6 run to begin the third quarter and cut the Kings lead to just two points with 7:29 to go in the period. The Kings woke up and began to play their game. Sacramento went back up by 14 points with 2:24 remaining in the quarter.

With 36-minutes in the book, the Kings still held a 94-83 lead, but everyone had a feeling that the Thunder were not ready to give up.

The final 12:00

OKC used a combination of strong play from Dennis Schroder, Paul George, Markieff Morris and of course, Russell Westbrook to fight their way back into the game one more time. By the 6:26 mark, the Thunder had cut the Kings lead to three points.

Russell Westbrook would go on to score 15 of the 33 points the Thunder would score in the quarter. The lead changed four times in the period. OKC outscored SAC 33-25 in the final 12-minutes which is what made it such a close game.

When the final buzzer sounded, the Kings free throw shooting down the stretch allowed them to hang on and win the game 119-116.

Kings by the numbers

The win raised the Kings record to 31-28 on the season which allows them to remain in sole possession of ninth place in the Western Conference. The Clippers beat the Grizzlies so they are 1.5 games ahead in eighth place. The Lakers lost to the Pelicans (even with Anthony Davis held out of the game) which means they are now two games back of the Kings in 10th place.

Top performers:

Kings 223 MBIII
Bagley scores two of his 19 points Photo: @SacramentoKings
  • Buddy Hield led the SAC scoring attack with 34 points. “Buddy Buckets” hit 12-of-22 shots overall and went 3-for-5 from beyond the 3-point line. He also was very effective from the free throw line converting 7-of-9 opportunities.
  • Marvin Bagley III recorded a double-double by scoring 19 points and hauling 10 rebounds. MB35 also added three assists, three blocked shots, and two steals.
  • De’Aaron Fox also scored 19 points in the game. He also dished out nine assists, blocked three shots and added a steal.

Team performance:

  • The Kings outscored the Thunder 48-46 in the Paint
  • The Thunder won the battle of 2nd Chance Points 16-7
  • Even though they were tired, OKC scored more Fast Break Points than the Kings 25-19
  • SAC shot 45.8-percent (44/96) for the game
  • They hit 7-of-19 (36.8%) from long range
  • The Kings converted 24-of-34 (70.6%) from the free throw line. The key was the number of opportunities.
  • The team was out-rebounded 59-46 and still managed to win the game
  • Protecting the ball has become a key trait for Sacramento. They turned the ball over just nine times which resulted in 15 OKC points.
  • The Kings recorded 24 assists which denotes excellent ball movement

Checking the book for OKC

Key individuals performances:

  • Russell Westbrook was the game’s high scorer with 41 points. Westbrook connected on 15-of-30 field goal attempts and made 5-of-12 3-point shots. He also had a good night at the charity stripe converting 6-of-8 opportunities. Westbrook made it a double-double game by adding 10 rebounds.
  • Dennis Schroder came off the bench to score 14 points. The German transplant went 5-for-12 shooting.
  • Paul George also scored 14 points but he was 4-for-19 shooting for the contest. That 50-plus minutes of playing time on Friday obviously took its toll.
  • Markieff Morris put 10 points playing some key minutes late in the game for George.

Team numbers

  • The key number you need to know is the field goal shooting percentage. The Thunder shot just 38.1-percent (40/105) for the game. A team almost never wins a game in the NBA when they shoot under 40-percent. Yet, OKC came within four points of putting this game in the win column.

Up next

The Kings wrap up this 3-game road trip on Monday in Minnesota versus the Timberwolves.

The Thunder will return to action on Tuesday on the road in Denver against the Nuggets.

NBA podcast with Jerry Feitelberg: Cousins always up for a battle when his old team, the Kings, come to Oakland

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Photo credit: @NBCSWarriors

On the NBA podcast with Jerry:

#1 Talking about the Golden State Warriors’ DeMarcus Cousins, what is it like each time he goes out and plays the Sacramento Kings, a team he was with for very long?

#2 What kind of player is Cousins today as opposed to the player he was with Sacramento?

#3 There was so much pressure on Cousins when he was a Sacramento King to do it all. Did that pressure fuel some of his anger at the media at times?

#4 One things fans in Sacramento reminisce about on Cousins is how community-oriented he was.

#5 Getting Jerry’s impressions on the Kings and Warriors meetings and how he sums up those matches when the two teams get together.

Jerry Feitelberg does the NBA podcasts each Friday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

The Kings come up just short, losing to the Warriors 125-123 on Thursday night

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment

GSW 2-21 5

by Charlie O. Mallonee

The Sacramento Kings began their final stretch of 25 regular season games on Thursday night in Oakland versus the defending NBA Champion Golden State Warriors. The Kings entered the game in ninth place in the Western Conference with a record of 30-27. They trailed the LA Clippers by one game for the eighth and final playoff berth in the conference.

This game also represented the first time the Kings would have the opportunity to face DeMarcus Cousins in a Warriors uniform. Word leaked out early that Cousins was going to play without any minute restrictions in this contest. In other words, “Boogie” was going to have plenty of time to make his former team pay for trading him away.

First Quarter

Cousins did indeed get the start at center for the Warriors in the contest to the surprise of no one. The Kings did make a change to their starting five. Bogdan Bogdanovic made the start at small forward in place of Nemanja Bjelica. The decision appeared to be based on trying to set up the best matchups to start the game.

The Kings came out and were ready to push the pace against the World Champions. They served notice that they were ready to go toe-to-toe with the Warriors and that is exactly what they did the quarter.

Sacramento won the war in the paint 18-16. Golden State scored all of the 2nd Chance Points (4). The Warriors outscored the Kings on the fast break 12-8.

The Kings shot 54.5-percent (12/22) in the quarter but went just 1-for-7 (14.3%) from downtown. They had nine rebounds, four steals and committed five turnovers (4 GSW points).

Golden State shot 48.3-percent (14/29) in the opening period. The difference was they hit 3-of-12 from 3-point land (33.3%). The Dubs had 13 rebounds, five steals, and two blocked shots.

Buddy Hield led the Kings scoring with eight points hitting 4-of-5 shots from the field. Kevin Durant was the Warriors leading scorer with 13 points.

After 12-minutes, Golden State held a 35-30 over Sacramento.

Second Quarter

Two major things happened in the second period. Marvin Bagley III came alive for the Kings and Kevin Durant went the bench for an extended rest for the Warriors. Both events had a profound effect on the contest.

“Marvelous” Marvin Bagley played eight and one-half minutes for Sacramento and was a “monster of the midway”. The rookie scored 13 points going 5-for-10 from the floor and hitting 3-of-4 from the free throw line. He also grabbed four rebounds – three off the offensive glass.

Sacramento took the lead with just over nine minutes to go in the half and built that lead to as many as 11 points. That situation began to change very quickly when “KD” returned to the floor. Golden State went on a run which you expect them to do and the game tightened up quickly.

The Kings did not panic but continued to play their game. When the buzzer sounded to signal the end of the first half, Sacramento held a 62-60 lead over Golden State.

Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson were the Warriors leading scorers with six points each.

The Kings won the battle in the paint 14-8. Sacramento outscored the Golden State 3-0 on 2nd Chance Points. The Kings scored 11 Fast Break Points to the Warriors 3 in the period.

Third Quarter

As the third period began, the Kings tried to take advantage of Boogie Cousins being on the floor. Cousins who is still trying to get into shape after having been out due to the Achilles tear is unable to run at high speed. The Kings decided to make him run and he could not do that.

The Kings were able to take advantage of Cousins and opened up a nine-point lead. Sacramento was trying to put a separation between themselves and the Warriors as they could before Golden State went on one of their patented runs.

Marvin Bagley III did not let up in the quarter as he added five points converting 3-of-4 opportunities from the free throw line plus hitting a field goal. Bagley also grabbed five rebounds.

Durant played the entire period for Golden State and scored nine points. He shot just 3-for-9 from the field.

Steph Curry put eight points in the book going 2-for-4 from behind the 3-point arc.

At the end of the 12-minutes, both teams had scored 29 points. The Kings held a 91-89 lead over the Warriors.

Fourth Quarter

The Warriors turned it on in the final period becoming who everyone knew they would become in the game. Golden State started sinking 3-pointers and going to the free throw line which usually means defeat for their opponents but it did not eliminate the Kings who refused to go away.

Sacramento who had been terrible from 3-point land in the game found their shots in the final 12-minutes. The Kings made 6-of-9 3-point attempts in the fourth quarter which kept them in the game. The problem for SAC was Golden State hit 6-of-11 from downtown which allowed them to establish a lead.

The Kings also made a fine effort from the free throw line converting 8-of-9 from the charity stripe. The Warriors were just a little bit better hitting 10-of-14 chances from the line.

When the period ended, Golden State had outscored Sacramento 36-32 in the period which allowed them to win the game 125-123.

GSW sweeps the series

The Kings lost all four games they played versus the Warriors by a total of 12 points.

Stars of the Game

Kings

  • Marvin Bagley III was the Kings leading scorer with 28 and then made it a double-double by grabbing 14 rebounds
  • Buddy Hield put up 19 points
  • De’Aaron Fox scored 18 points and had eight assists
  • Corey Brewer played his first game for the Kings and scored 11 points

Warriors

  • Steph Curry was the Warriors leading scorer with 36 points
  • Kevin Durant added 28 points (why would he want to go to the Knicks?)
  • Klay Thompson recorded 18 points

Playoff chase

The Kings are now 1.5-games behind the Clippers for the final playoff spot. The Lakers beat the Rockets and trail the Kings by just one game in the standings.

Up next

The Kings will be back in action on Saturday in Oklahoma City when they will take on the Thunder.

Headline Sports with Tony Renteria: Will Machado signing open doors for Harper and Keuchel?; Raiders-Coliseum to get a deal done; Kings at Golden State tonight; plus more

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bleacherreport.com file photo: Bryce Harper’s negotiations with the Washington Nationals is not the same offer that the San Diego Padres Manny Machado received as Harper remains a free agent

On Headline Sports with Tony:

#1 The recent signing of Manny Machado to the a ten year $300 million deal with the San Diego Padres could that mean more big signings to come with Dallas Keuchel and Bryce Harper.

#2 The Raiders are at the bargaining table with the Oakland Alameda County Coliseum Authority to get a deal on the table to get the Raiders back at the Coliseum for home games the Raiders might even sign a two year deal if the stadium in Vegas is not ready by the 2020 season.

#3 The Sacramento Kings are coming off a tough two point loss to the Denver Nuggets on Feb 14th they’re in Oakland tonight to face the Warriors.

#4 The Oakland A’s president David Kaval finally solved the A’s radio flagship station issues getting KTRB 860 in San Francisco and now the biggest task at hand trying to solve the toxic waste clean up at the A’s future new home at Jack London Square

#5 The Giants biggest story is the retirement announcement of manager Bruce Bochy who will finish his career this season

Tony does Headline Sports each Thursday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Sacramento Kings podcast with Charlie O: Kings prepare for Warriors on Thursday night; Trying for W at tough venue in Oakland

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Photo credit: @TheCrossover

On the Sacramento Kings podcast with Charlie O:

#1 The Sacramento Kings had no answer for the Denver Nuggets Isaiah Thomas. Thomas worked the game without head coach Mike Malone who ejected and also the Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic helped out on offense for the 120-118 win.

#2 The much improved Kings, despite Wednesday’s loss, played a tight ball game against the Nuggets at the Pepsi Center.

#3 Knowing Malone’s coaching style, was there any advantage for the Kings or did Malone know the Kings’ style of play and knew how to play the Nuggets?

#4 The Kings are looking to get back in the win column. They play at Golden State on Thursday night. What are some of the things they need to do to win in Oakland?

Charlie O does the Kings podcasts each Tuesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Kings For a Half: Nuggets pick it up after the break in 120-118 win over Sacramento

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By Morris Phillips

The Sacramento Kings may have run wild in the first half on Wednesday night, but the third quarter belonged to the Denver Nuggets–with Isaiah Thomas in his debut, without Coach Mike Malone who was ejected, and MVP candidate Nikola Jokic reaching into his bag of tricks.

The Nuggets overcame an 11-point halftime deficit in the first six minutes of the third quarter and held on for a 120-118 win over the Kings.

Both teams concluded play prior to the All-Star Break, with the Nuggets moving within two games of the conference-leading Warriors, and the Kings temporarily falling out of the eighth and final playoff spot by losing while the Clippers blew past the Suns, 134-107 at Staples Center in Los Angeles.

The Kings started the evening four games over .500 for the first time this season, and they hardly looked satisfied, shooting a high percentage from the start on their way to an 11-point lead after a quarter. Buddy Hield put up 11 of his team-high 25 points in the opening frame that end with Sacramento leading 41-30.

The Kings continued to roll into the second quarter, and with their lead holding at eight prior to the half, Malone was at his boiling point. When Malik Beasley took a physical path to the basket without a foul call, Malone went from coaching to observing instaneously. Two technicals sent the defensive-minded coach to the showers.

“I think our players know me, they know who I am,” Malone said of his ejection. “I am a fighter, I am a competitor. I didn’t like some of the calls that were not being called and I am going to stick up for my players.”

Denver’s third quarter response was an example of why and how quickly they’ve vaulted to the top of the Western standings this season. With Jokic the primary ballhandler, the Denver offense turned poetic, a parade of driving, cutting and passing with the 6’11” center as the hub. Jokic’s consecutive assists on baskets by Torrey Craig and Malik Beasley brought the Nuggets within 85-83 with 3:09 left in the third.

Isaiah Thomas got into the act later in the third with eight, quick points in the final two minutes plus that allowed the Nuggets to open the fourth period with a 93-91 lead. Thomas, seeing his first action in Denver uniform, missed the first 56 games of the season rehabbing his hip.

When asked what type of impact Thomas will have on the Nuggets and their post-season aspirations, Monte Morris, a player who likely will lose minutes to Thomas, was quick to chime in.

“13 minutes out there (and score) eight points quick.” Morris said. “That just shows you right there what type of player he is.”

Jokic tipped in the game winner with 0.8 seconds remaining, which allowed enough time for a desperation shot from the Kings. Hield got a shot off that would have counted, but it merely grazed the front of the rim.

The Kings open the post All-Star break portion of the schedule in Oakland a week from Thursday against the Warriors.

Sacramento Kings podcast with Charlie O: Kings take advantage of Heat’s bad shooting; Bagley buries Suns with scoring

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Photo credit: @SacramentoKings

On the Sacramento Kings podcast with Charlie:

#1 Two players in the rotation and two players trade on the Kings.

#2 Kings head coach Dave Joerger said the win over the Miami Heat 102-96 in a word “discombobulated.”

#3 To show you how good the Kings are going, they scored their final six points to seal the victory at game’s end.

#4 Miami and Phoenix is having a tough time with their shooting was that an added advantage for the Kings?

#5 The Kings defeated the Phoenix Suns on Sunday 117-104. Marvin Bagley III led the way with scoring with 32 points in the win.

#6 The Kings are off to Denver this Wednesday night for a 6:00pm tip at the Pepsi Center

Charlie O does the Sacramento Kings podcasts each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Kings close out homestand with wire-to-wire win over Suns 117-104

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Photo credit: @SacramentoKings

By: Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO — The last time the Phoenix Suns and Sacramento Kings faced off it was not a pretty ending for the Kings. The Kings went from having a double-digit lead to losing the game to the worst team in the NBA this season. The Kings who were playing a rare day game in Sacramento were looking to flip the script from last time.

In the first quarter, the Kings were off to a good start offensively putting up 33 points in the first. Leading the Kings were Nemanja Bjelica with 8 points, Marvin Bagley with 8 points, and De’Aaron Fox with 5 points. The Suns, on the other hand, managed to score 23 points in the first. Leading the Suns in scoring at this point was Devin Booker with 8 points. The new Kings also were able to get time in the game in the first. Harrison Barnes played just over 9 minutes and Alec Burks played almost 3 minutes. After the first, the Kings led the Suns 33-23.

In the second quarter, the Kings continued the scoring narrative that put them up in the first. By the end of the second, the Kings would have three players in double-digit scoring. Buddy Hield and De’Aaron Fox had 10 points while Marvin Bagley led the Kings with 12 first-half points. The Suns’ leading scorer was Devin Booker who had 15 first-half points. Along with the Kings’ double-digit lead, they had a pair of flashy plays in the first half. De’Aaron Fox drove down the lane and slammed it home in the second quarter. Not to mention Marvin Bagley’s impressive alley-oop that he put down with authority. Going into the second half, the Kings were beating the Suns 63-44.

In the third quarter, the Kings didn’t seem to be firing on all cylinders. They were outscored by the Suns while putting up 24 points in the third. The Suns managed to put up 28 points in the third to inch closer to the Kings. In the third, the game began developing the feeling of slight deja vu from the game earlier this year against the Suns. We all remembered what happened in that game when the Kings blew a huge lead and lost. So going into the fourth with the Kings leading 72-87 they looked to stop that narrative.

In the fourth quarter, they stopped that narrative emphatically. They Kings scored 30 points in the fourth to secure their 30th victory of the season. For the Kings, the leading scorers were Marvin Bagley who scored 32 points, Buddy Hield with 18 points, and De’Aaron Fox with 17 points.

The Suns’ leading scorer was Devin Booker, who managed to drop 27 points in defeat. The final in the game was the Kings’ 117 and the Suns’ 104.

The Kings head to the Mile High City Wednesday to take on the Denver Nuggets. Tipoff set for 6:00 pm PT.

The Kings pull one out of the fire as they beat the Heat 102-96 on Friday night

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment
Heat Jersey exchange
DWade’s last game in Sac included a jersey exchange Photo: @SacramentoKings

by Charlie O. Mallonee

Kings head coach Dave Joerger summarized the game on Friday night with one word — discombobulated! With two new players in the rotation and two key players traded to other teams, getting into sync was difficult for the Kings on Friday night.

Sacramento took their first lead of the contest with 1:21 to go in the game. Buddy Hield converted the second of two free throw opportunities to give his team a 97-96 lead. The Kings scored the final six points of the game to make the final score 102-96 to give them their 29th victory of the season.

Both teams had shooting and turnover problems

The Kings struggled early in the with their shooting. In the first period, they shot just 24.0-percent (6/25) overall and hit just 2-of-7 (28.6%) of their 3-point field goals. Sacramento also turned the ball over five times.

The Kings’ shooting percentage improved from there. Although it never was spectacular– 41.1–percent for the game. They cut down on the turnovers, finishing with 14 that resulted in 11 Miami points.

Miami’s poorest shooting streak came in the fourth quarter. The Heat shot just 25-percent (6/24) from the floor and hit just 1-of-9 (11.1%) from downtown. They turned the ball over six times in the final period that became nine Sacramento points.

The Heat shot 43.2-percent for the game and recorded 20 turnovers (22 SAC points). Those turnovers led to their demise.

Dave Joerger was happy to come away with a win

Harrison Barnes who just joined the Kings made his first start on Friday night

Barnes who was traded to the Kings from the Dallas Mavericks started in his first game in a Sacramento uniform. The veteran forward scored 12 points, grabbed seven rebounds, and dished out two assists in just over 36 minutes of playing time. Barnes went 2-for-4 from 3-point distance and was a perfect 4-for-4 at the free throw line.

Buddy Hield had an important night on the floor and in the huddles

Buddy Hield posted a game-high 23 points in the Kings winning effort. He hit 8-of-16 shots overall and went 4-for-9 from behind the 3-point arc. Hield converted 3-of-4 opportunities at the free throw line.

Other Kings contributors

Heat huddle
Kings celebrate the win over the Heat Photo: @SacramentoKings
  • Bogdan Bogdanovic scored 16 points, hauled in five rebounds, made four assists and added two assists.
  • De’Aaron Fox added 12 points, four steals, and three assists.
  • Harry Giles III was very productive in his 16-plus minutes of playing time. He booked 10 points, three rebounds, and one steal.
  • Coach Joerger was quick to point out that Willie Cauley-Stein had a very strong game on defense to go with his seven points, seven rebounds, and three blocked shots.
  • Newcomer Alec Burks recorded nine points in just over 14-minutes on the floor. He also had four rebounds, one assist, and one steal.

More Sacramento Team Stats

Heat final score

  • The Kings had a good night at the charity stripe as they hit 19-of-25 (76%) opportunities. Both the number of attempts and conversion percentage showed improvement.
  • The Kings were outrebounded 49-46.
  • SAC distributed 18 assists and turned the ball over 14 times.
  • The team had a total of 11 steals and five blocked shots.
  • The Heat outscored the Kings 50-48 in the paint.
  • The Kings won the battle of 2nd Chance Points 17-6.
  • Sacramento also won with speed scoring 19 Fast Break Points to 8 for Miami.

The best performances by the Heat

  • Josh Richardson scored a team-high 21 points to go with four assists and three blocked shots.
  • Hassan Whiteside was especially productive scoring in the first half and scored 17 points to with 19 rebounds in the game.
  • Dwyane Wade overcame a nasty fall in the first quarter to go on and score 15 points and dish out four assists in his final appearance in Sacramento.

Up next

The Kings (29-26) will have Saturday off – no practice. They will return to action on Sunday afternoon when the Phoenix “Tankers” — I mean Suns — come to Sacramento to wrap up the longest homestand of the season.

The Heat (25-28) have a date with Golden State Warriors on Sunday.