Tag: basketball

DMC and Gay lead Kings to victory, 103-101, over Jazz

Published on by Michael MartinezLeave a comment

by Michael Martinez

Photo by Melissa Majchrzak/NBAE via Getty Image

SACRAMENTO- Heading into Thursday night’s game the Sacramento Kings were 2 games back behind their opponent, the Utah Jazz. Sacramento, 5-12 on the road, looked to come back from a bad loss the night before against the Pelicans. The Kings found a way to hold their opponent to a low shooting percentage, at least for three quarters, with tough perimeter defense while getting the ball inside to DeMarcus Cousins who had a tremendous game. The Kings shot the ball well and were able to just hold on to pick up the win against the Jazz, 103-101, at Vivint Smart Home Arena.

As the game got underway the Kings looked like the better team all the way. The team’s defense was tremendous and Utah could not make any shots. Willie Cauley-Stein got off to a great start putting up six quick points while playing tremendous defense. Cauley-Stein’s quickness as a big man has benefitted the Kings and his hustle does not go unnoticed.

Cousins did not do a ton of scoring in the first quarter, six points, but did a good job of moving the ball around for his teammates while picking up eight early rebounds. The Kings shot the ball well, while holding the Jazz to a 16.7% shooting percentage. The Kings did a great job of continuing their run as Utah went about eight minutes without a field goal. Gordon Hayward bricked a lot of shots and found a couple buckets at the charity stripe. Sacramento held the Jazz to 12 points, the lowest of any Kings’ opponent this season, giving them a 1st quarter lead 26-12.

The Jazz looked to have a better second quarter, but the Kings held them in check again. In full, Utah went nine minutes and 19 seconds without a field goal before Trevor Booker got a put back dunk for a field goal. After struggling all season with perimeter defense, the Kings were much improved in the first half, although there were a lot of fouls, 17 in the first two quarters for the Kings. The quarter consisted of a lot of free throws, 12-18 for Sacramento, and 9-13 for the Jazz.

Boogie came out stronger in the second quarter, totaling 18 points and 13 rebounds in the half, his sixth consecutive double-double. With DMC’s scoring ability the Kings were able to hang on to the lead although the Jazz outscored them 33-30 after shooting the ball much better. Trey Lyles and Raul Neto totaled 10 points for a team high as the Kings held the lead 56-45 heading into the locker room on 54.3% shooting. Utah shot 1/16 from 3 point range, much improved for Sacramento’s perimeter defense. The Kings scored a field goal with 1.6 seconds on the clock as Rajon Rondo passed the ball all the way up court to Darren Collison who missed the lay-up but Boogie cleaned it up with a dunk as the red lights lit up the backboard.

After the half time break, Hayward finally made a field goal after going 0-9. Cousins answered right back with his tremendous scoring ability. Rondo kept showing off his vision and passing ability with a pass on a very tight window to Rudy Gay for an alley-oop. Cousins continued his scoring ability with his first three pointer in the ball game in the third quarter. And Rondo once again got Gay the ball for another alley-oop later in the quarter. Both teams shot well and both Gay and Cousins showed off their scoring abilities. Gay scored eight in the quarter while Cousins scored 10, both shooting 3-5 from the field. The Kings got to the line 10 times and converted eight free throws. Hayward had a much better quarter, scoring nine points on 3-6 shooting.

Cousins produced the game high in three quarters with 28 points and Gay had 16 for the second highest point total. The Kings shot the ball well once again with a 54% percentage through three quarters, which is something they have done well all season. Through three quarters the Kings totaled 42 points in the paint and got the ball inside to Boogie a lot. Boogie has scored 15.7 points in the paint per game in the month of January as the Kings continue to dominate their opponents close to the rim. Their dominance allowed them to hang on to the lead although Hayward hit a buzzer beater heading into the fourth. Sacramento led the Jazz 82-71 with 12 minutes remaining.

To open up the final quarter, Omri Casspi knocked down a three pointer, something he has done well all season. Down 85-71 the Jazz found a rhythm and went on a 9-0 run in a minute and 50 seconds. The run consisted of a Casspi foul and technical, which gave Utah three easy points as Trey Burke connected on the free throw. Cauley-Stein stopped the bleeding with a put back dunk, but Utah kept hanging around. Gay struggled from three but Cousins was able to hit a big 3 pointer of his own to put the Kings back up by 10. Utah maintained a way to stick around with the Kings who could not find a way to put the Jazz out.

With two minutes and 55 seconds left the Kings held a six point lead over the Jazz and Cauley-Stein helped maintain that lead with a big rejection, showing off his athletic ability. But Gay fouled Rodney Hood behind the arc, which led to three shots from the charity stripe. Hood connected on all three cutting the lead to five. The Kings started to struggle and went three minutes and 16 seconds without a make but Cousins then proceeded to score. Rondo fouled Burke, which set up a three point play as the Jazz kept scrapping.

As time wound down, Hood hit a second chance three pointer to cut the lead to five one again. With 33 seconds left, Gay got to the foul line and made one of the two free throws. In just under four seconds, Hayward took the ball down the court, got fouled and made a circus shot to get the and one. Hayward made the bucket and forced the Kings to called a timeout, up 101-98 with 29.2 seconds remaining.

Out of the time out, Rondo took the shot and missed it, as the Jazz gained possession with 8.5 seconds remaining. Utah’s Joe Ingles took the three point shot and made it to tie the game at 101. Sacramento took a 20 second time out with 4.8 seconds remaining and drew up a play for Gay who scored well all night. Gay got the ball and hit a mid-range jumped that was good with 0.6 seconds left. Utah heaved up a miracle shot that had no chance and the Kings picked up a rare victory on back to back games especially on the road. The final score, 103-101, as the Kings just barely pulled out a W.

Amongst rumors of a proposed trade for Pelican’s forward, Ryan Anderson, Gay played an awesome game. Number eight finished the night with 24 points, 9-17 from the field, adding nine rebounds and three steals while knocking down the game winner.

DMC was once again unstoppable, finished with 36 points, 10-21 shooting, and adding 14 free throws on 21 attempts. Boogie also added 17 boards. Cousins has led the NBA in points in the month of January with 32.3 points per game. Cousins showed off his scoring ability once again with his inside dominance as Utah had no big man to cover him with Derrick Favors out. And Rondo continued to dish the ball out adding 13 assists, while adding 6 points and 6 rebounds.

Overall, Sacramento got careless with the ball, 16 turnovers but still shot well. Their defense looked good for three quarters but really let up towards the end although they were much improved. The team also dominated the rebounding category, 54-38. Cauley-Stein was a great spark for the Kings who looked better tonight as they continued to chase the Jazz for the eight seed.

On Saturday, the Kings will take on the Clippers in Los Angeles and will need Cousins to continue his hot start in the new year. The whole Kings crew is going to have to come together as the team is finally healthy and looks to beat a team in their conference and division. The Kings have struggled against really good teams so Saturday night will be a big test.

Kings looking for answers after loss, 110-105, to NBA’s worst team

Published on by Michael MartinezLeave a comment

by Michael Martinez

Picture credit Michael Tipton, Flickr

SACRAMENTO- The Kings have put themselves in an tough position as they find themselves on a 3 game losing streak after tonight’s loss. To add insult to injury, the Kings lost to the NBA’s worst team, the Philadelphia 76ers, who are now 3-31 on the season. The Kings played painfully careless with the ball as everyone watched them turn the ball over 22 times. The team also forgot how to box out their opponents, allowing the Sixers to grab 16 offensive boards. Marco Belinelli was the only bright spot for the Kings tonight as he started to find his stroke, but missed free throws and missed opportunities cost the team. The Sixers out hustled and out played the Kings leading to another Sacramento loss, 110-105, at Sleep Train Arena.

The Kings set the tone for the game in the 1st quarter on their first possession with a turnover, 6 in the quarter. Their defense also looked pretty poor as they started the game, but DeMarcus Cousins scored 8 points early on and 11 in the quarter, shooting 4/6 from the field. Belinelli checked in and scored 4 quick points. Marco finished the quarter with 8 points, going 4/5 from the field. His shot looked good early and the Kings were setting good off ball screens to get him open. Rajon Rondo did a good job of dropping dimes with 7 assists in the quarter. The Kings shot 60% for the quarter, but allowed the Sixers to grab 7 offensive boards. With the 1st quarter in the books, the Kings held a one point lead over Philly, 31-30.

In the 2nd quarter, the Kings showed much of the same. The Sixers looked like they wanted to be out there, while the Kings did a bad job of getting back in transition on the defensive end. The Kings continued to forget how to box out their opponent as the Sixers grabbed 4 more offensive rebounds in the 2nd. Belinelli was still the only bright spot, scoring 8 points in the 2nd on 3-5 shooting, 2-3 from behind the arc. Belinelli finished the half with 16 points. No other Kings player scored more than 5 points in the 2nd and even though they shot the ball well again, the turnovers caught up to them. The team turned the ball over 6 more times in the 2nd. Nerlens Noel had a solid quarter for the Sixers with 8 points in the quarter and 14 for the half. Although the team shot 55%, the Kings gave up 36 points in the paint and let Philly have way too many easy buckets. The Kings only totaled 22 points in the paint, where they usually thrive. With the first half finished, the Kings and Sixers were tied up at 57.

As the Kings headed out to start the 2nd half, the team needed more intensity, but there was none. The Sixers came out on an 8-2 run and Sacramento continued to turn the ball over, 7 turnovers in the 3rd. Both teams shot at 40%, but the Sixers found their 3 point shot. Philadelphia went 5-10 from downtown. The Kings were able to find a couple 3’s of their own and found some offense. The team cut the Philly lead to 75-71 with 6:30 remaining in the quarter, but the Sixers found a way to keep up their offense. The Kings had terrible shot selection and seemed to forget to get the ball down low to Cousins. Jerami Grant put up 9 points for the Sixers in the quarter, 2-2 from behind the 3 point line, 3/4 from the charity stripe. As the 3rd quarter ended, the Kings found themselves down, 85-81, to a team that has lost as many games as the Kings have played.

The 4th quarter got started with a fast break pass up court from Darren Collison to Belinelli who got fouled but could not convert the 3 point play. Luckily, the Kings only turned the ball over 3 times in the quarter, but they could not find much offense. Belinelli once again found his stroke, 4-7 from the field, adding 12 points for a total of 28. The Kings free throw shooting caught up to them again, going 8-15 from the line in the 4th. The Kings went 25/41 from the line, an atrocious 61%. The Kings smaller line up really hurt them throughout, giving up 4 more offensive rebounds in the 4th. The Kings had little ball movement and a lot of players were trying to play through themselves. Noel had an easy alley-oop as the Sixers constantly found easy shots at the basket and around the perimeter. The holes in the Kings defense hurt them all night who allowed Philly to score 110 points while their season average is 92 points per game. The frustration of the team showed and Cousins eventually fouled out on a poor call by the refs. Cousins frustrations showed all night as he got pretty banged up, but he kept his composure to an extent.

George Karl said “My feeling is we have too many offensive players and not too many defensive players.”

The team needs to start playing with more togetherness, especially on transition defense. The Kings took a bad loss, 110-105, as boos showered the arena and fans took off early.

Tonight’s loss to the Sixers is a big blow for the Kings. After the win against Indiana, the Kings looked to be in the drivers seat, only a game out of the 8th seed. While the playoff seeding is not important at this time, the idea is a boost of confidence for a team looking to please its fans. But the Kings dropped another one at home to Portland and then lost to a Golden State team who can suck the life right out of you. The Kings looked not to take the young Sixers team seriously and were completely outplayed. Coach Karl’s frustration showed and the Kings need some sort of change. Belinelli was a great spark off the bench, scoring a season high of 28, but the team needs to play more together. A lot of players are looking to play through themselves and the lack of team chemistry is alarming. With 3 straight losses, 2 at home, the Kings might need to look to switch things up. The loss of Willie Cauley-Stein is catching up to the team who plays little defense and cannot get defensive boards.

Karl preached the importance of defense again when he said “We play best when we play defense.”

The Kings are 2 game out of the 8th seed, which just goes to show how open the last couple of seeds are. But the Kings need to worry less about the playoffs and focus on winning now. The Kings (12-19)  will take on the Phoenix Suns (12-22) this Saturday at Sleep Train Arena. Ironically, the Suns also added a victory to the Sixers record. Saturday will show if this team has the heart to move past this loss and get back to winning.

Santa comes early: Kings hold on to defeat Pacers, 108-106.

Published on by Michael MartinezLeave a comment

by Michael Martinez

picture credit Google Images

After breaking down in the 4th quarter against the Washington Wizards this past Monday, the Kings looked to go .500 on their 4 game road trip. The Kings looked solid in the first half, but a dismal 3rd quarter performance by the team pushed momentum into the Indiana Pacers favor. The 4th quarter turned out to be a doozy and the Kings were able to close out the game, proving they are slowly figuring out how to finish albeit in ugly fashion. Although the Kings were a bit careless with the ball, the Kings picked up the win over the Pacers, 108-106. The Kings passed the ball well, out rebounded the Pacers and scored in the paint at will to pick up the victory.

With the 1st quarter underway, The Kings started the scoring with Rajon Rondo getting the ball inside to DeMarcus Cousins for a nice catch and finish. The team was a bit sloppy early on and that led to the Pacers going on a 10-4 run to start the game. The Kings regained the momentum, coming out of the time out and Rondo had a terrific quarter passing the ball. Rondo totaled 8 assists in the quarter and scored 9 points on 4-6 shooting. Rondo highlighted the quarter as he through a smooth bounce pass between 3 Pacers defenders to Ben McLemore for a lay up.  There was a scary moment in the quarter when Cousins fell on top of McLemore on the defensive end after contesting a shot, but both players continued to play. Rondo also had a sweet assist to Collison on a fast break opportunity. Rondo was the high scorer for the team who went 14-25 from the field, shooting 56%. The high percentage came off of 28 points in the paint to the Pacers 6. The Pacers stayed in the game thanks to George Hill who shot 4-6 from the field, 3-4 from 3 point range and totaled 11 points for the quarter high. The Kings did outscored the Pacers, 30-27, in the first quarter with Rondo filling up the stat sheet early on.

The 2nd quarter got underway with Marco Belinelli hitting a jumper. Darren Collison followed it up with a jumper of his own and Omri Casspi nailed a 3 pointer as the Kings went up by 8 early in the quarter. The Kings started doing a much better job on the defensive end by holding the Pacers to a shooting percentage of 34.8% and Collison had a terrific quarter off the bench. The Kings guard put up 13 points on 6-7 shooting. The guard finished the half with 15 points, 7-9 from the field, adding 2 assists. The Kings continued crashing the boards hard, with 18 rebounds in the quarter and 31 in the half. Big Cous attacked the hoop hard and went 5-6 from the charity strip, 3-6 from the field and had 11 points in the 2nd, 18 for the half with 12 rebounds. Rondo also had a double-double at the half, 11 points and 10 assists. After Cousins was called for a blocking foul which appeared to be a charge, Coach George Karl was visibly frustrated. Karl did not blow his top off until he saw Rudy Gay get sandwiched between two Pacers and not get a foul call. Karl picked up a technical foul but the tech was justifiable. The officiating was poor in the quarter and for most of the game. With great passing and ball movement, 16 assists in the half, the Kings were able to score with ease on the offensive end. With the first half over, the Kings led the Pacers by 15, 64-49.

After an awesome 2nd quarter and good first half, the Kings wanted to keep their offense flowing; however the Pacers seemed to find the Kings juju. The Kings played very poorly and only scored 20 points in the quarter. The Pacers got off to a 7-0 run to start the quarter. The Kings played very sloppy, turning the ball over 7 times and the Pacers took advantage. The Pacers scored 14 points off those turnovers. The team defense was being broken down and the Pacers got plenty of good looks leading to a 16-5 run in less than 4 minutes of play. After scoring in the paint with ease, the Kings lost control of the ball and only scored 12 points in the paint. Their defense suffered from their poor offense and the 3rd was incredibly forgettable for the team, although they shot 50%. The Pacers scored 33 in the quarter on 13-22 shooting. Rudy Gay had a team high in the quarter with 7 points, 15 in all 3. Rondo added 4 assists in the quarter, 13 points and 14 assists in the first 3 quarters but also 7 turnovers. Cousins had 23 points with 14 rebounds and Collison totaled 19. Luckily for the Kings, they out rebounded the Pacers, 40-29, and that helped them hold a 2 point lead to end the quarter. Monte Ellis and Hill helped cut the score in the quarter, with 17 and 18 points respectively through the 3 quarters. After 36 minutes the Kings stayed up, 84-82, over the Pacers after leading by 15 at the half.

After letting the Pacers get back into a game that the Kings thought they could easily win, the 4th quarter would be extremely important. Seth Curry started the quarter for Rondo and he gave a great defensive spark. On one defensive possession, Curry knocked the ball loose but came up short and swiped it away the second time. The steal led to Casspi picking it up, tossing it to Collison up ahead who got it back to Casspi for an alley-oop after Casspi filled the middle lane really well. The Kings started to get a little sloppy with the ball again and their turnovers helped the Pacers keep it close. CJ Miles hit a 3 in the quarter to cut the lead to 1, but Collison answered with a 3 of his own. The Kings left a lot of Pacers players open on defensive possessions including Ellis who hit a 3 pointer to give the Pacers their first lead since the 1st quarter. The Pacers went up by 2 but Gay came down the floor to hit a jumper of his own. Cousins then got to the line to give the Kings a 2 point lead with a minute left. The game really came down to the wire, but Paul George’s struggles helped the Kings close it out. George missed a shot that gave the Kings a chance to go up by 2 possessions, however the team could not capitalize. With 8 seconds left to play, the Pacers drew up a play to get the ball in George’s hands. George got a decent look, contested by Gay, that did not fall. The Kings prevailed over the Pacers, 108-106.  Casspi had a good 4th with 9 points in the quarter and the Kings shot well once again, 55.6%, 10-18 from the field. The team continued assisting the ball and finding a way to crash the boards as well to pull out a much needed victory.

The Kings 3 point shooting was non-existent in the game, 4-23 behind the arc, but the team found a way to win in big part to their passing and attacking of the rim. The team finished with 64 points in the paint, 49 rebounds and 28 assists. Collision was a huge boost off the bench with 24 points and 5 assists as he used his explosiveness to get good looks. Cousins had a tremendous game, 25 points and 16 rebounds as he helped the Kings on the glass. Gay finished with 17 points and Casspi added a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds. Rondo did not score in the 4th, finishing with 13 points but totaled 16 assists. Cousins and Rondo’s double-doubles were both their 14th of the season. The Kings finished with a 51.7% shooting percentage which is pretty impressive given they missed 19 three point attempts. The team closed out a game that should not have been close but the turnovers kept the Pacers in it.

As the night concluded, Rondo was the fastest player in the Sacramento era to reach 300 assists. Cousins is looking more like his early season self as he keeps his season scoring around 24-25 points per game. Big Cous has been dominant in the paint and the Kings are doing a great job of exploiting that on other teams. The Kings have dominated the paint against their opponents all season and Rondo’s elite passing ability has made them a huge offensive threat. The Kings need to take care of the ball more and close out on defenders as they have continuously given wide open shots to their opponents. The Kings gave fans an early Christmas present with the victory, even though they also almost gave everyone a heart attack as well. The Kings are now 12-17 and will take on the 11-20 Portland Trailblazers at home. For Christmas, all Kings fans want is for the team to continue winning and find their way into a playoff spot. Happy Holidays!

 

 

3 C’s help Kings pick up win, 107-97, over Rockets

Published on by Michael MartinezLeave a comment

by Michael Martinez

picture credit Google Images

SACRAMENTO- The Kings came in to the night knowing they would be  missing Rajon Rondo. Rondo was suspended for Tuesday night’s game after saying a derogatory term toward referee Bill Kennedy. Coming into the game, the Kings knew they were going to be missing offensive help and ball movement. Without Rondo, point guard Darren Collison got the start and he showed up big time. Along with DeMarcus Cousins who has been solid as of late and Omri Casspi who has stepped up big since Willie Cauley-Stein’s injury. Rudy Gay helped  the Kings on the offensive end as well and the Kings did a better job on defense while continuing to move the ball and score in the paint. The Kings (9-15) defeated the Houston Rockets (12-13), 107-97, for their third straight win at Sleep Train Arena.

As the game got underway, the Kings got out to an early lead after an 11-2 run. Collision showed off his passing ability with 4 assists in that short period of time. After the quick start the Kings slowed down a bit and the Rockets got ahead of the Kings. Cousins picked up a technical in the quarter and it was a back and forth shootout. The score at the end of the first was a 31-31 tie. Cousins put up 12 points on 3/7 from the field with 2 threes and added 4 rebounds. Cousins also picked up a technical. Gay added 7 points on 3/4 shooting. The team shot 50% from the field and scored 16 points in the paint.

The scoring in the 2nd quarter started with Casspi hitting a 3 pointer. Early on George Karl picked up a technical. The Kings did a good job of passing and pushing the ball. Collision hit Casspi on an alley-oop on a fast break. Collision had 9 assists in 11 minutes. Both teams were a little carless with the ball as they had 8 turnovers each in the 2nd and 14 for the Rockets and 13 turnovers for the Kings. Casspi came around scoring 8 points on 3/3 shooting. Collision put up 7 in the 2nd quarter, the only points he scored in the half. Cousins had a game high, 17 points on 4/10 shooting. James Harden had a team high 10 points. The Kings shot 48.8% for the half and scoring 30 points for the half in the paint. Dwight Howard picked up a technical with 2 minutes left in the quarter. With they better defense and good passing ability the Kings took the lead heading into the locker room, 57-50.

As the teams head out of the locker room, the Kings were doing a good job of finding the open man. Collison got a wide open 3 pointer at 9:48 the Rockets were forced to take a timeout. Collison and Casspi had another fast break dunk. And Rudy Gay helped on another fast break opportunity with Ben McLemore slamming a huge dunk on another fast break. The Kings issue was turning the ball over, 11 times, in the 3rd quarter. Luckily, the shot the ball at 60% and out rebounded the Rockets, 33-27. Harden tried to keep his team in it with 14 points the 3rd quarter, and 24 points by the end of the quarter. Cousins notched 23 points with 9/12 from the free throw line. Collision had 14 points through 3 quarters. 6-8 shooting, and 11 assists. Casspi scored 17 points. The Kings kept their lead over the Rockets, 82-74 to end the 3rd quarter and at one point had their biggest lead of 16 points in the quarter.

Heading into the last quarter, the Kings were looking to finish minus one of their star players. Marco Belinelli, who struggled all game, got 2 three pointers off to gain some confidence in his shot. He added another 3 pointer, for 9 points in the quarter. Rudy Gay posterized Patrick Beverly with a huge tomahawk slam. He added 5 in the quarter and 17 points for the game with 13 rebounds. He shot well, 6/11 from the field and the Kings shot 50.7% from the field. The Kings held a 15 point lead in the 4th quarter and finished the game, 107-97, to beat the Kings. The team finished with 50 point sin the paint, 47 rebounds and 25 assists. The only down fall was their 29 turnovers.

The 3 C’s helped lead the Kings (10-15) to a well deserved victory against the Rockets (12-14). Collision finished with his first double double of the season scoring 14 points and totaling 13 assists, in place of Rondo who is the league’s leading assists man. Collision finished with a season high in assists as well as rebounds totaling 7. Cousins had  a double double as well with 26 points and 12 rebounds. Casspi scored 19 points on 8/11 shooting from the field with 6 assists. The team did a good job of moving the ball around and getting good shots near the hoop. Harden did finish with 33 points, 10/18 from the field but the Kings put out a better defensive effort.

The Kings will take on the Minnesota Timberwolves on the road this  Friday and will seek revenge after losing to the T-Wolves earlier in the season. With a 3 game winning streak under their belt, the Kings will get back Rondo and look to continue their winning ways.

Kings defeat Jazz, 114-106, to end 3 game losing streak

Published on by Michael MartinezLeave a comment

by Michael Martinez

picture credits Google Images

SACRAMENTO- Tonight’s game was interesting to say the least. The Kings offense was tremendous, they did many things well and their big man DeMarcus Cousins redeemed himself after criticizing his recent play. The Kings should have blown the Jazz out of the water, but the team allowed Utah to get way too many second chances points and stay in the game. The Kings lucked out that the Jazz struggled to hit the broad side of a barn for a while and Rajon Rondo’s passing ability plus lights out shooting from the team led them to an odd victory. The Kings defeated the Jazz, 114-106, at Sleep Train Arena backed by a supportive and loud home crowd.

As the game got underway, the Kings caused a bit of worry by turning the ball over in sloppy fashion and letting Jazz point guard Raul Neto drive to the hoop right past the whole team. The worry faded instantly as Ben McLemore hit a 3 pointer and started to capitalize on fast break chances. The team scored 9 fast break points, 4/4 from the field due to a solid defensive effort. The King started the quarter with a 12-2 run. Many of the Kings players did a good job attacking the hoop and the team totaled 20 points in the paint. With a good defensive effort, the Jazz seemed rattled and could not hit any shots. McLemore had a good 1st quarter, totaling 7 points on 3/3 shooting. Rudy Gay had a quarter high with 9 points on 4/5 shooting. The Kings shot 66.7% from the field and the 1st quarter was really good until the very end as the defense got a little relaxed. The Kings had the lead at the end of the 1st, 33-22, with 10 team rebounds and 9 assists and a little bit of help from the Jazz poor shooting, 36.4%.

The 2nd quarter began and the Kings seemed to let off the gas on the defensive end again. The end of the 1st spilled into the 2nd with the Kings giving the Jazz way too many open looks. If it weren’t for the Jazz atrocious shooting, the Kings could have easily been down. At the half, the Jazz were shooting only 37% from the field but 12 of the Jazz 26 points came off of second chance points. The Jazz totaled 8 offensive rebounds in the quarter as the Kings could not find a way to box them out. The Kings shot at 47.4% in the 2nd and finished the half shooting 57.4%. The first quarter really helped keep the Kings ahead as their tough time on defense led to poor offense. The Kings had 0 fast break points for the quarter and they did little to try and attack the hoop. By the end of the half, the Kings still led, 54-48, with Gay and Alec Burks having the halftime high in points with 11. Omri Casspi and DeMarcus Cousins each had 10 points, while Rondo finished the half with 6 points and 8 assists.

Coming out of the break, the Kings looked for some answers with their rebounding. The Jazz came out and struck quickly, only down by 1 early in the 3rd. However, the Kings found some life leading to a 7-0 run. But once again, the Kings let themselves get out rebounded and the Jazz were able to scratch and claw their way back into the game. The Jazz continued to jack up 3’s and their shooting of 50% for the 3rd helped keep them alive. Rondo had a highlight play when he faked a behind the back pass into a dribble to then pass to Gay who finished the fast break with a huge slam, which turned into a 3 point play. The Kings savior was their excellent shooting, 64.7% on the quarter and 59.6% in the game. At this point in the game, the Kings were outrebounded 36-25 and they turned the ball over 6 times in the quarter. The Kings only had 5 turnovers in the first half. The Kings got the ball back in the paint and by putting up 16 points in the paint, they were able to hold the lead, 86-80. Every Kings started was in double figures by the end of the 3rd quarter, with Casspi leading the way with 19 points, 7-12 from the field. Gay had 18, Cousins had 15 with 8 rebounds and Rondo had a double double totaling 13 points and 12 assists.

The 4th quarter started and the Jazz came out firing yet again. With the score 86-84, George Karl called a quick timeout to settle his team down. Marco Belinelli hit a 3 pointer out of the timeout and the Kings began to gain some momentum. A little over halfway through the 4th, the Kings found themselves up by 12 with Gay hitting a triple. Utah, however, kept finding a way to stay in the game by collapsing the Kings defense. Once the Kings defense collapsed in the paint, the Jazz found a wide open man on the perimeter. Luckily for the Kings, Cousins showed up big for the team in the fourth. He cleaned up the offensive end by getting much-needed offensive rebounds. The Kings snagged 7 offensive boards in the quarter and 15 total rebounds to Utah’s total of 8. Boogie put up 8 points in the quarter, 2-4 shootng and 4-6 from the charity stripe. The Kings held the lead and the Jazz fouled Rondo out of desperation, but Rondo went 4-4 on his free throws in consecutive possesions. As time began to tick down, the Jazz started getting second chances again and this caused Cousins to foul out. The Kings were once again sloppy towards the end but by shooting 55.8% for the game, they squeaked out a W. The final score, 114-106, with the Kings ending a 3 game skid.

5 Kings player finished the game in double figures, including Casspi, Gay, Cousins, McLemore, Rondo and Belinelli. Casspi, Cousins and Rondo all had double doubles. Casspi 19 points and 10 rebounds, 7-16 on field goals. Cousins 23 points and 12 rebounds, 8-14 shooting, adding 6 assists. Rondo finished with 17 points and 13 assists. Gay tied Cousins with a game high as he finished with 23 points. McLemore and Belinelli both finished with 10 points. The Kings passed the ball well, finishing with 29 assists and their lights out shooting helped them overcome not being able to rebound the ball. Thankfully, the Jazz did not shoot very well all game. The Kings finished the game with 58 points in the paint, which has been their MO this year.

The Kings have won 5 out of their last 6 home games.

“Consistency and enjoying play fast and you know, to play fast like we do, there’s probably more confidence at home,” said Karl.

The Kings will take on the the New York Knicks at home this upcoming Thursday on TNT as they get their first look at Kristaps Porzingis. The Kings will need to do a better job of rebounding the ball, or Porzingis might be some of the Kings players on a poster. The Kings will look to continue their hot shooting and offense from tonight’s game and they will need to close out on the perimeter to help them get a win on national television. Kings fans will be needed to be loud and proud.

 

 

Kings defeat Mavs, 112-98, thanks to Big 3

Published on by Michael MartinezLeave a comment

by Michael Martinez

picture credit Google Images

SACRAMENTO- DeMarcus Cousins was listed as probable for the Kings heading into tonight’s ball game and as he started to warm up with the team, everyone seemed relieved. Averaging 27.9 points per game with 11.2 rebounds, Cousins presence was felt especially when the Kings needed him most. Rudy Gay also played well, as he did a good job of scoring the ball while Rajon Rondo seemed to get his redemption. After a fall out with the Mavs, Rondo looked to continue his tremendous play against his former team. The Kings (6-12) ball movement, defense and clutch shooting at the end of the game helped get them the 112-98 victory over the Mavericks at Sleep Train Arena.

When coach Rick Carlise was asked about Rondo he said “Rondo is having a great year like I expected. Anybody that knows him expected that.”

As the Kings started off the 1st quarter, DeMarcus Cousins got off to a bit of a slow start as he tried to shake off a little rust. Big Cous finished the quarter with 7 points on 3-7 shooting. The Kings first field goal came from Rajon Rondo who hit a 3 pointer. In the 1st, the Kings took 10 shots from behind the arc while only making 3 of those. For the quarter they shot 40%, 10-25 shooting. Rondo’s jumper looked solid, he went 3-6 from the field including a couple of 3 pointers to total 8 points. The Mavericks whole team did a good job of scoring with Chandler Parsons scoring a team high 7 points in the quarter, 2-4 from the field. Deron Williams was very impressive distributing the ball and getting good looks for his team. The Mavs shot very well, 61.1% from the field. The Mavs also got to the line 8 times, making 6 shots from the charity stripe while the Kings only got to the line once. As the Kings kept the game close, 25-23 late in the 1st, the Mavs finished the quarter on a 7-0 run which was capped off with Parsons making a 3 pointer with seconds left in the quarter. The Mavs led the Kings 32-23 at the end of the 1st.

With the 2nd quarter underway, the Mavs continued their run, 11-0 until Darren Collison got to the free throw line. Collison started attacking the hoop and getting to the line where he went 4-4 to stop the Mavs run. After a slow 1st quarter start, Rudy Gay found his rhythm in the Kings offense. Gay was able to score 8 points in the quarter for a total of 10 in the half. In the 2nd, Gay went 4-5 from the field, 5-8 for the half, adding a couple rebounds. Seth Curry checked in for the Kings early in the quarter and it paid dividends. Curry went 2-2 from 3 point range and added a pair of free throws, totaling 8 points for the quarter and the half. The Kings shooting was much improved, 58.8% in the quarter and 47.6% in two quarters of play. Rondo wound up with 10 points in the quarter and Hack-a-Rondo was in full effect, which paid off for the Mavs. Rondo went 2-6 in the quarter. The Kings defense slowed down the Mavs a bit as they shot 43.5%. Zaza Pachulia and DeMarcus Cousins were the top scorers of the half with 11 points. The Kings 3 point shot still struggled, 3-9 in the second alone and 6-19 for the half. The Kings also got a little careless with the ball totaling 10 turnovers to the Mavs 8. The Mavs were able to take the lead heading into the locker room, 58-54, however the Kings scored 18 points in the paint and played better defense to help boost their confidence.

When asked about the opportunity he was given, Curry said “It’s kind of what I’ve been waiting on – an opportunity to play some meaningful minutes, try to give us a little energy boost.”

Curry did just that for the Kings.

Down by 4 heading into the 3rd quarter, the Kings looked to keep their momentum going. Gay scored the first field goal for the Kings, hitting a 3 pointer. Cousins tried to do a bit too much on the offensive end and he went 0-3 from 3 point range, 1-7 in 3 quarters from 3 and 0-5 from the field in the 3rd. His 4 points for the quarter came from the foul line and both teams really had no offense whatsoever. After getting off to a hot start, the Mavs completely cooled down. Both teams shot atrociously and the Kings did do a much better job on the defensive end, but nonetheless neither team could buy a bucket. With that being said, the Kings caused the Mavs to turn the ball over 7 times. The Kings shot just 25%, 5-20 from the field, on the quarter and the Mavs shot 22.7%, 5-22. The Kings did a tremendous job of getting to the line, as 11 points came from the line on 18 attempts. The Mavs reverted to Hack-a-Rondo yet again, who went 2-4 from the line and totaled 6 points.. With the Kings doing a better job defensively, the Mavs scored a measly 13 points to the Kings 22. Dirk Nowitzki was the Mavs leading scorer in the quarter, with 6 points. With the third quarter in the books, the Kings took the lead 76-71.

Going into the 4th quarter with a lead, the Kings knew they had to pull out all the stops to finish the game strong. Cousins proved why he is an All Star center and so important to the Kings on both ends of the court. In the 4th, Cousins put up 16 points, 5-9 shooting, and made his presence felt in the paint. Cousins was able to go 6-6 from the free throw line and the Kings had 16 points in the paint, totaling 38 points in the paint on the night. Darren Collison also had a good 4th, adding 7 points in the quarter for a total of 15 on the night. Collison gave the Kings some great hustle and energy as he played the whole fourth quarter. The Kings took a 10-point lead with about 7 minutes remaining and never looked back. The defense was not quite there for the Kings, but the offense clicked and with a shooting percentage of 64.7%, the Mavs had no chance. As the Mavs used Hack-a-Rondo for a 3rd time, the strategy was halted when Rondo went 3-4 from the foul line. The Kings biggest lead of the game came in the fourth, when the Kings went up by 16, and finished the game up by 14. The final score, 112-98, led to a much needed Kings victory.

“Cousins is super skilled, he’s got basketball skills all over the place,” said  Coach George Karl when asked about Cousins and his 3 day lay off.

The Kings finished the night shooting 45.6% from the field while shooting 29% from 3 point range. The long ball was not there for the Kings, but the team went back to scoring in the paint, something they have done well all season. The big 3 stepped up tremendously as Cousins finished with 31 points, 10-24 from the field, 9 rebounds and 6 assists. Cousins did go just 1-8 from 3 point range, which makes his shooting look a little worse than it really was. Gay finished the game with 20 points, 7-12 on field goals, while adding 7 rebounds. Rondo, not known for his scoring, added 21 points with 5 assists and 3 rebounds. Collision scored 15, Omri Casspi scored 10 and Curry finished with his 8 points from the 1st half. The Kings turned the ball over just 13 times and their 4th quarter play really put them over the top. This win should give the Kings a lot of momentum, beating a Dallas team who has struggled but came in as the 4th best team in the West.

The Kings will be heading to Mexico City to take on the Boston Celtics on Thursday, December 3rd, and all the momentum from this game will hopefully carry over with Isaiah Thomas getting ready to take on his former team.

No Boogie, No Problem as Kings defeat Bucks,129-118

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by Michael Martinez

photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images

SACRAMENTO- For the 6th time this season, the Kings had to play without their All Star big man, Demarcus Cousins, who sat out with a lower back strain. Prior to tonight’s game, the Kings were 0-5 with Cousins and 11-39 in the 50 games Cousins has not suited up. Nonetheless, the Kings were able to put together an offensive showcase with smart, quick ball movement while shooting at a high percentage. Although all the Kings starters played well, namely Rudy Gay and Rajon Rondo, the bench made a large impact. The Kings (5-10) win over the Bucks (6-8), 129-118, was an overall team win and a huge boost of confidence to pick up the victory without one of their team leaders in Milwaukee at the Bradley Center.

The 1st quarter was an offensive flurry for both teams and Gay started off the game hot, which would continue for most of the game. Gay made the Kings first 6 points and finished the quarter with 14 points, going 6-7 from the field and adding 2 boards. The Kings started getting the ball moving early on and pushing the ball towards the hoop. The team had 26 points in the paint in the 1st quarter and Rondo’s 7 assists in the quarter helped the Kings on the offensive end and he totaled 6 points as well. The whole team did a good job of getting it inside especially to Kosta Koufos who had 8 points in the 1st. The Kings shot the ball at an incredible 77.3% in the first although their defense was not the best especially their transition defense. The 1st was very back and forth with little turnovers, but the Kings closed the quarter on a 14-7 run to take the leader, 40-33, heading into the 2nd quarter.

The Kings offense and lights out shooting slowed down  in the 2nd quarter, however the bench started to step up big. Omri Casspi shot the ball well and attacked the hoop. He was able to get to the line on 2 occasions, going 3-4 from the charity stripe, while shooting 2-3 from the field. Marco Belinelli put up 7 points in the quarter and although his 3 point shot was not quite there, he was able to still find some offensive rhythm. While Rondo got some well deserved rest throughout the 2nd, Darren Collison kept the ball moving with 3 assists in the 2nd and totaling 6 points on 2-3 shooting. The Bucks bench also did a good job of scoring and making the Kings defense work. The Bucks outscored the Kings, 33-29, and had a slightly higher shooting percentage, 52.4%-50%. George Karl picked up a technical foul in the quarter, but the Bucks missed the free shot. To end the quarter, Gay drove to the hoop and made a nice lay up, which was answered by Jarryd Bayless with a buzzer beating 3 pointer. The Kings still led heading into the locker room, 69-66, even after being out rebounded 22-17 especially on the offensive end, which allowed the Bucks to get 2nd chance opportunities.

Coming into the 2nd half, both teams picked up where they left off. The action was once again back and forth with Gay making it look easy. The 3rd quarter for the Kings was a huge team effort as they did a good job of finding the open man throughout the 3rd and the entire game. None of the Kings players put up double digits in the quarter, but everyone who played in the quarter scored. Gay continued his hot shooting, 3-6 in the quarter, with 6 points. The 3rd ended and Gay had 26 points, while Casspi and Belinelli had 14 points each. Casspi and Belinelli’s bench play helped the Kings stay ahead throughout and Rondo kept pushing the ball up court, adding 4 more assists. Giannis Antetokounmpo showed up in the 3rd quarter where he scored 10 points, 3-5 from the field. Khris Middleton did a good job of scoring, with 8 in the quarter and 15 at the end of the 3rd. Luckily for the Kings, Middleton got into early foul trouble in the quarter and the Bucks slowed down a little bit. As the clock was winding down, Belinelli was able to hit a buzzer beater from behind the arc to give the Kings the 96-92 lead at the end of the 3rd.

The Kings did a better job on the defensive end against the Bucks, while Gay’s stroke was still smooth as butter. Gay was able to get to the line and was flagrantly fouled early on, by John Henson as he attacked the hoop. Gay put up 10 points in the 4th quarter, which was matched by Darren Collison. Collision continued the theme of solid bench play in the 4th quarter with his hustle and dribbling ability helping him get to the basket. The Kings started to pull away from the Bucks towards the end of the 4th as they did a good job with their help defense and getting stops on that end of the court. The Kings held their biggest lead of the game, 12, in the quarter. Frustration poured over for the Bucks as Michael Carter-Williams picked  up a technical. That would not be the only tech, as the Bucks head coach Jason Kidd got furious over not getting foul calls. Kidd approached referee Zach Zarba, giving him an earful and swiped the ball out of Zarba’s hand. Kidd was immediately ejected from the game and had to be held back, leaving the court to a standing ovation from Bucks’ fans. The Kings’ offense was just too much for the Bucks and the Kings were able to get just enough stops to pull out the win, 129-118.

Without Cousins, who is averaging 27.9 points a game according to ESPN.com, the Kings needed players to step up on the offensive end. Overall, the Kings did just that with the whole team playing well. Although their defense is not quite where it needs to be, their 57.1 shooting percentage, 42 rebounds and 23 assists was just enough. Gay had a game high 36 points, 13-21, while Rondo was one rebound shy of yet another triple double. Rondo finished with 10 points, 9 rebounds, 13 assists as he continues to pass the ball on an incredible level. Rondo’s vision and patience allow him to see the play he wants to make ahead of time. Koufos benefitted from Rondo’s passing ability, totaling 14 points. Casspi scored 19 points and grabbed 7 boards, 6-9 on field goals. Belinelli posted 18 points, 5-10 from the field, 3-7 from downtown. Collision put up 18 points as well and finished with 3 assists. Those 3 were the only Kings bench players, but helped the bench total 55 points.

After a great team win, the Kings are now 6-10 and will take on the Minnesota Timberwolves at home. Picking up their 2nd road win on the season, the Kings look to continue their hot shooting and hopefully can start causing more disturbance on defense as last year’s Rookie of the Year, Andrew Wiggins, and rookie Karl Anthony-Towns head to Sacramento.

Kings’ defense leads to loss, 116-109, in offensive shootout against Heat

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by: Michael Martinez

picture credit Google Images

SACRAMENTO-  Coming off a tough loss against the Hawks the night before, the Sacramento Kings (4-8) looked to continue their solid play against the Miami Heat (6-4). After notching another triple-double against the Hawks, his 4th of the season, Rajon Rondo looked to carry the Kings who were without Demarcus Cousins due to a 1 game after a hitting Al Horford in the face with a forearm. Rondo did all he could to lead the Kings and was one rebound shy of another triple-double, but the Kings lack of defensive effort and carelessness with the ball on the offensive end (18 turnovers) cost them the game. The Kings lost to the Heat, 116-109, in Miami at American Airlines Arena.

As the game got underway, the Heat got off to a slow start, while the Kings began to score points in the paint, per usual. As the quarter progressed, Heat big man Hassan Whiteside picked up 2 fouls within 4 minutes, forcing Amar’e Stoudemire to come in. The Kings had no answer for Stoudemire, who put up 10 points in the 1st quarter, shooting 4-5 from the field. The 1st quarter had little offense, but the Heat went on an 8-3 run and a 9-2 run later in the quarter, which gave them the lead. The Kings best offensive player was Rudy Gay who scored 7 points, 3-6, while adding 3 rebounds. Rondo did a good job of pushing the ball into the paint with 4 assists and kicking the ball out to Marco Belinelli who scored 6 points, 2-3 from behind the arc. The Kings collectively shot 52.9%, 9-17, with 10 points in the paint, however with the Heat ending the quarter on a run, they led 25-21 to end the 1st quarter.

Starting off the 2nd quarter, the Heat continued their run from the 1st quarter, making it a 14-2 run. Willie Cauley-Stein had a big block on the Heat rookie Justise Winslow and Belinelli stopped the run after he was fouled behind the 3 point line, sinking all 3 shots from the charity stripe. The Kings were able to flip the script and go on a 8-2 run, however their defense looked slow and lackluster. The Kings allowed the Heat to get into the paint much too often, 20 points in the paint in the 2nd quarter alone and 30 points for the half. Cousins’ presence as a big body in the paint was definitely missed throughout the night. On the offensive end, the Kings scored a little more, however their shooting percentage lowered. Ben McLemore put up 5 points on 2-4 shooting, with a field goal from behind the arc, finishing the game with 17 points on 7-12 shooting. Dwayne Wade was also an issue for the Kings by putting up 9 points in the 2nd quarter alone, 6-12 FG and 13 points for the half. Gay finished with 11 points to end the first half, 5-10 shooting, adding 8 rebounds. With the Heat’s offense getting easy buckets, they continued to hold their lead 56-46 going into the locker room.

The Kings looked to come out of the locker room with a vengeance as they went on a 15-4 scoring run, including the end of the 2nd quarter. After the Heat had seen enough, they wound up going on a run of their own. Whiteside brought unmatched energy and his blocking ability was unreal throughout the 3rd. Dwayne Wade started right where he left off and his shot looked really good. Rondo looked to help the Kings as he distributed the ball extremely well in the paint, especially to Cauley-Stein. Even though the Kings began to falter, Rondo’s play was keeping them in the game as he scored his first points of the quarter in the 3rd. Rondo only scored 4 points in the quarter, but notched 8 assists in the quarter alone. McLemore and Cauley-Stein benefitted from this, both scoring 7 points in the 3rd. The Kings were able to stick around by shooting 61.9% from the field, 66.7% from behind the arc in the 3rd alone, and shooting over 50% for the game. The Heat kept their lead, however, up 82-76 heading in the final 12 minutes of play.

The 4th quarter for the Kings was a lot of clawing and scratching, although at first the Kings let the Heat go up by 16 at one point. The defense was doing a terrible job of keeping defenders in front of them and keeping a hand in shooters’ faces at all times. The momentary lapses on defense crushed the Kings even though they started to come back. Rondo was a huge part of this by adding 10 points in the 4th, with 4 rebounds and 4 assists. Rondo’s vision allowed him to get open looks for Belinelli who put up 10 in the 4th as well. Belinelli finished the game with a team high 23 points, shooting 5-11 from the field, 5-10 from 3 point range. Although the Kings tried to fight their way back into the game, Chris Bosh had himself a solid 4th. Bosh put up 13 points in the 4th, 23 for the game on 8-12 shooting and 11 rebounds to give himself a double-double. Wade finished with a game high 24 points. The Kings and Heat had a back and forth shootout, where both sides kept making three pointers. The Kings comeback attempt was hindered when Gay left early with a left shoulder strain. Rondo’s overall play, 14 points, the NBA’s season best 18 assists, and 9 rebounds was just not enough to get the victory. The absence of defensive stops gave the Heat the win over the Kings, 116-109.

After dropping their 2nd straight game in back to back night’s, the Kings are now 4-9 on the season. Minus Cousins and losing Gay in a close game hurt the Kings chances of defeating Miami. The loss is not one to dwell on completely as Rondo continues to play at an extremely high level and the Kings’ shooting percentage was 51.2% for the game, in part to Belinelli and McLemore’s shooting. With a slow start to the season. McLemore’s confidence looks much higher than it once was. The Kings will take on the Orlando Magic this Saturday and to get their first road win, they will have to take care of the ball and play much better defense.

 

 

Cal Advances Into NIT Quarterfinals For First Time Since 2000 With 75-64 Win Over Arkansas

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Photo Courtesy Cal Bears
Photo Courtesy Cal Bears

By Kahlil Najar

In a battle between a two and three seed, the California Golden Bears held off the feisty Arkansas Razorbacks 75 -64. Ca was led by Jabari Bird who scored 19 points and David Kravish who tossed in 13 points and snagged eight rebounds . Tyrone Wallace poure in 16 points and Senior Justin Cobbs scored 9 in his final game at Haas Pavilion. The Bears now face top-seeded SMU this Wednesday in Dallas.

The Razorbacks didn’t start strong today but came back late in the second half when they went on a 20-7 run but was ultimately stopped by the Bears. Arkansas’ Rashad Madden was the start of the night for the Razobacks as he has 15 points and five rebounds. Freshman phenom Bobby Portis started off by scoring the Razorback’s first eight points and ended with 12 points and 10 rebounds.

Cal started off fast thanks to Cobbs who was controlling the tempo early and had half of Cal’s points five minutes in the game. The Razorbacks made it tight when the brought the lead down to five but then the Bears went on a 16-0 run and were up 31-8 with under five minutes left in the first half.

In the second half, the Bears were ahead by 21 points with 15 minutes left to play but then the Razorbacks got their own hot streak when they went on a 20-7 run and brought the lead all way down to eight but Cal’s  Wallace was able to make four free throws and Cobbs got a well timed basket and gave the Bears their first visit to the NIT quarterfinals in 14 years.

 

TEAM NOTES

· With tonight’s 75-64 victory over Arkansas, the Bears have reached the NIT quarterfinals for the fourth time in school history. Cal is now 14-6 all-time in the NIT.

· Cal’s 15-point halftime lead tonight was its largest at the break since it led Furman 43-25 at halftime on Dec. 28

· The Bears shot .55.3 percent from the field, their highest clip since Jan. 18 against Washington State.

PLAYER NOTES

Senior Guard Justin Cobbs

· With six assists, moved into a tie with Jerome Randle for second place on Cal’s all-time list with 524 in his career

· With nine points Monday, now has 1,451 in his career. Cobbs is in 11th place on Cal’s all-time scoring list

Freshman Guard Jabari Bird

· Scored 19 points, the second-highest total of his career and most since scoring a career-high 24 vs. Oakland on Nov. 15

· Set a career-high with eight rebounds

Junior forward David Kravish

· With three blocks, now has 72 blocks this season, building on his own single-season record For his career, Kravish has 176 blocks, which ranks second in school annals.

Freshman guard Sam Singer

· Dished out a career-high five assists

 

Stanford blows away Washington St

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By Jeremy Harness

 

STANFORD – The tail end of Wednesday night’s game proved one critical fact that in big-time college basketball, you don’t have a chance of winning when only two players score almost all of your points.

 

Washington State found this out the hard way against a much more balanced Stanford team that was coming off a big win at No. 13 Oregon on Sunday. After a pitched battle in the first half, the Cardinal raced away and never looked back in a 80-48 win at Maples Pavilion.

 

Stanford (11-5, 2-2 Pac-12) pretty much got whatever they wanted on offense, shooting 58 percent from the floor, which included 40 percent from 3-point range. Washington State, on the other hand, shot just 37 percent after going 44 percent in the first half.

 

Anthony Brown and Josh Huestis, who recently trimmed his trademark mini-Afro and sported the look for the first time Wednesday, each led the Cardinal with 15 points while two others, Dwight Powell and Marcus Allen, also scored in double figures.

 

Meanwhile, only two Cougars hit double figures, with Que Johnson putting up 21 points on 8-of-15 shooting while Royce Woolridge had 13 and made six of his 13 shots.

 

That was good enough for Washington State (8-9, 1-4 Pac-12) to hang around in the first half, as Stanford could not contain Johnson at all in the first half. The redshirt freshman diced up the Cardinal in the 15 minutes that he played in the opening stanza, scoring 15 points and connecting on all but one of his seven shots, including his draining each of his three 3-point attempts.

 

Stanford and Washington State traded baskets – and the lead – while Johnson was on the floor. After he took a seat at the 3:57 mark of the first half with Stanford holding a two-point lead, the Cardinal began to distance themselves from the Cougars to take a 40-29 halftime lead.

 

To say the least, the scoring was much more balanced for the Cardinal than it was for Washington State. Seven different guys scored for Stanford, with Anthony Brown leading the way with 12. Meanwhile, Royce Woolridge had 11 first-half points, but besides he and Johnson, Dexter Kernich-Drew was the only other Cougar to score with three.

 

The onslaught only increased for the Cardinal, as their lead swelled to 25 points by the midway point of the second half.

 

Washington State did not get its first bench points of the game until the midway point of the second half, when Ike Iroegbu made a layup to narrow Stanford’s lead to 27.

 

Stanford will host Washington Saturday night before heading down to Southern California to face USC and UCLA.