Tag: Bogdan Bogdanovic

Kings: “A little wedgie let them down!” Warriors win 117-116 on Saturday night

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Kings 5 at GSW

By Charlie O. Mallonee

Last season–if this reporter were to tell you that the Sacramento Kings had a chance to beat the Golden State Warriors on the road with 0.03 seconds to go in the game–you would call that reporter a delusional liar. Yet, on Saturday night in Oakland, that was exactly the situation that existed for the Kings.

Buddy Hield drove to the bucket and attempted a layup that did not drop. Marvin Bagley III attempted to tip the ball back into the basket but it wedged between the hoop and the backboard setting up a jump ball scenario.

The Kings controlled the jump ball and immediately called a timeout with 0.03 remaining on the clock. Sacramento inbounded the ball but it was tipped by a Warriors defender and the game ended with the ball loose on the floor. The Warriors won the game 117-116.

The critics will be quick to point out that Steph Curry was not available to play for the Warriors, and that is true. But in seasons past, Curry, Durant, and Thompson could have been on the bench and the Kings would have had no chance to win the game.

On Saturday night, the Warriors were missing Curry but had all of their other stars and the Kings gave the NBA Champs a run for their money. The outcome of this contest was still unknown with just 0.03 seconds to go in the game.

Hield was the man for SAC on Saturday night

buddy-at-gsw.jpg

Buddy Hield was the star of the game for the Kings versus the Kings on Saturday night. Hield led the Kings in scoring with 28 points. He shot 12-for-21 from the field and 4-for-6 from behind the arc. Hield also grabbed seven rebounds, posted three assists and had a blocked shot in the game.

MBIII Double-Double
Marvin Bagley III came off the bench to score 20 points and pull down 17 rebounds in just under 34-minutes of playing time. MBIII hit 7-of-15 shots from the field. He also converted 6-of-8 opportunities from the charity stripe. Bagley also had two assists in the contest.

Swipa the Fox
De’Aaron Fox struggled in this game and yet contributed at the same time. Fox played almost 34-minutes but scored just nine points. Fox also had nine assists in the game.

Fox shot just 3-for-14 in the game. He did not sink a 3-point shot in the game.

The Kings cannot win with Fox having just nine points and nine rebounds in a game.

Bogi struggled as well

Bogi vs GSW

Bogdan Bogdanovic put up 10 points and added two rebounds versus the top team in the NBA, “Bogi” saw his toughest minutes on the floor since coming off the disabled list to start the season.

Two important bench performances
Justin Jackson came off the bench to have a very productive game for the Kings. Jackson scored 12 points in just 20 minutes on the floor. He went 4-for-8 from the field and hit 3-of-3 from the charity stripe in his time in the game.

Harry Giles III posted 10 points in just 11 minutes of playing time. He hit 4-of-5 shots from the field. GIII also went 2-for-3 from free throw line. GSW broadcasters Bob Fitzgerald and Jim Barnett were very impressed by Giles performance.

Up Next
The Kings will be back in action on Sunday afternoon as they will host the Utah Jazz. The Kings beat the Jazz in Salt Lake City last Wednesday night 119-110.  The Jazz lost to the Lakers on Friday night 90-83.

Rockets work from downtown to beat the Kings 132-112 on Saturday night

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Hou score

By Charlie O. Mallonee

The Sacramento Kings faced a Herculean task on Saturday night. First, they had to go for a win in the second game of a back-to-back set on the road for which the odds are against the road team. Second, the team they would have to defeat would be the Houston Rockets–one of the most talented “Tier One” teams in “the Association.”

This would also be the Kings’ fourth back-to-back set of games this season, which is just 16 games old for Sacramento. For a league that wanted to reduce the number of back-to-back games, the NBA seems to be doing a poor job of it when it comes to the Kings.

After losing to the Grizzlies on Friday night, the Kings came up short in Houston losing to the Rockets 132-112. The Rockets have won seven of their last nine games and have now won four games in a row. Simply put, the Rockets are on fire!

The Rockets’ plan was to slow the Kings down

Hou starters

Everyone in the NBA now knows the Kings’ plan is to run their opponent out of the building. The defense that appears to be the most effective against that plan is to slow down the Kings pace of play and force them into a half-court game. Sacramento appears to be unable to adjust when having to play at a slower pace.

The Kings shot 45.1-percent (46/102) overall for the contest. They hit on just 11-of-35 (31.4%) 3-point attempts. Even more important, SAC only had 12 attempts from the free throw line and converted just seven of those shots. Having just 12 free throw opportunities indicates that the Kings were not attacking the bucket.

Sacramento had just 14 fast break points in the game while the Rockets posted 17. When the opponent has more fast break points, the Kings are in serious trouble which they were on Saturday night.

The Rockets played their game to perfection

Hou Capela = 88

Kings radio broadcaster Gary Gerould described the Houston game as “pick and roll, isolation and deep 3-point shots.” The Rockets did all three of those things to perfection on Saturday night.

The Rockets shot 56.8-percent (46/81) for the game. They converted 20-of-47 (42.6%) of their 3-point shots. Houston hit 20-of-24 (83.3%) of their free throw attempts. Chris Paul tied his career-high with six 3-point baskets made in the game.

Houston dictated the action by playing the game according to their game plan while forcing the Kings to play a style other than their uptempo–run them out of the arena plan.

Key Kings Numbers

  • Buddy Hield leading scorer with 23 points, shooting 10-for-17
  • De’Aaron Fox posted 19 points, going 2-for-4 from downtown
  • Marvin Bagley III played 27-plus minutes and put 16 points in the book
  • Bogdan Bogdanovic scored 14 points and had 5 assists in just 20 minutes
  • Every King in uniform appeared in the game on Saturday night
  • The Kings are now 8-8 for the season

Houston Stats

  • James Harden was the game’s leading scorer with 34 points
  • Clint Capela posted a double-double with 23 points and 16 rebounds
  • CP3 put up 24 points with 6-of- his 7 buckets being 3-pointers
  • Gerald Green scored 17 points in just 13:40 of playing time
  • The Rockets biggest lead in the game was 26 points
  • Houston is now 8-7 this season

The Kings are in the midst of controversy

Hou Joerger

Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports reported that Kings’ head coach Dave Joerger could be on the “hot seat” for not playing younger players like Marvin Bagley III in favor of players like Nemanja Bjelica in order to get wins. Haynes premise was that Joerger was not following the script of developing young talent such Bagley, Harry Giles III, and Skal Labbissiere.

After the game, Kings general manager Vlade Divac issued a statement stating support for Joerger and his confidence in him.

Close but no cigar for Kings in Memphis; Grizzlies beat SAC 112-104 Friday night

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Griz Pix
Photo: @NBA

by Charlie O. Mallonee

The Sacramento Kings kicked off a two-game mini road trip in Memphis on Friday night as they went up against the rival Grizzlies. Why are they the rival Grizzlies you ask? Because Kings head coach Dave Joerger was the head man in Memphis before he became “the man” in SAC. That makes the Grizzlies an automatic rival for the Kings and a  must win for the men in “royal purple” every time they play the team from the city that “Elvis made famous”.

Memphis (9-5) showed the basketball world why they call the FedEx Forum “the Grind House” as they defeated the Kings 112-104. The Grizzlies opened up an 11 point lead just before halftime and they managed to keep that lead throughout the second half all the way to the final buzzer. Sacramento would make mini-runs and close up the score, but the Griz would then “bump and grind” their way back to a 10 point plus lead. 

Memphis used a combination of power basketball under the rim, strong rebounding on offense and well-timed 3-point shooting to beat the Kings (8-7). Both teams had four of their five starters score in double figures.

It was veteran – rookie combo that led Memphis to victory

Griz alt pic
Photo: @memgrizz

Jaren Jackson Jr. – the fourth overall pick in the 2018 draft out of Michigan State – was the leading scorer in the game with 27 points. The 6-foot-11 power forward hit on 11-of-16 shots from the floor including one 3-point basket. The big rookie also converted 4-of-6 opportunities from the free throw line. Jackson added six rebounds, four steals and two blocked shots in starring effort for the Grizzlies.

The key player for the Grizzlies was Marc Gasol – who is in his 11th season with Memphis. Gasol posted 19 points shooting 7-for-12 overall and hitting 2-of-6 from behind the arc. The Grizzlies big man made it a double-double game by grabbing 15 rebounds. Six of those rebounds came off the offensive glass helping to set up second-chance opportunities. 

Sacramento was paced by the usual suspects

Griz start 5
Photo: @SacramentoKings

De’Aaron Fox was the Kings, high scorer, and only player to record a double-double in the contest. Fox recorded 23 points and dished out 10 assists in the game. The second-year player shot 8-for-17 from the field but went just 1-for-5 from long range. Fox took advantage of free throw opportunities sinking 6-of-8 chances from the line.

Buddy Hield put 16 points in the book by hitting 50-percent of his shots (6-for-12). Hield buried 2-of-4 3-point attempts. He also added four rebounds, three assists, two steals and one blocked shot.

Bogdan Bogdanovic came off the bench to put up 12 points in just under 24 minutes of play. He hit 5-of 10 shots from the field and scored on 2-of-4 3-point opportunities. Bogi also added two assists as he continues to look stronger in each game since returning after an off-season knee procedure. 

Other notable Kings performances: Shumpert 12 points, Cauley-Stein 11 points, Bjelica 8 and Bagley 7. No doubt MBIII would have liked to have performed better versus his fellow draft class member Jackson, Jr., but he will have another chance this season to match up against the number four draft selection.

Joerger’s perspective

“We ran into a very good team. They were focused and ready to go. After they played at our place a couple a weeks ago, we knew this was coming. They were locked in. They were physical. They got after us. They forced 21 turnovers which is way too many for us. Mike (Conley) and Marc (Gasol) set the tone for the game. They’re playing well. 

It’s all in the numbers

  • Memphis outscored SAC 54-42 in the paint
  • The Grizzlies won the battle of 2nd Chance Points 15-8
  • The Kings outran the Griz scoring 37 Fast Break Points to just 13 for Memphis
  • Memphis shot 50.6% (43/85) for the game
  • The Kings had 23 assists and 21 turnovers (17 Memphis points)
  • 24 – the number of Free Throw Attempts each team had in the contest

Up next for SAC

The Kings will wrap up this quick two-game road trip on Saturday night in Houston (7-7). Tipoff is scheduled for 5:00 PM PT.

 

Kings Press Row Podcast for NBA Week 2

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press row podcast

hosts Jordan “Chape” Chapin & Charlie O

  • What has happened to Buddy Hield?

  • Is De’Aaron Fox continuing to be a star for the Kings?

  • Is Willie Cauley-Stein playing for more than a big check?

  • What is Bjelica bringing to the table?

  • Is Harry Giles III ready for Prime Time?

  • Is MBIIIV living up to the hype?

  • Who is more important to the team: Kosta or Z-Bo?

  • Where does Skal fit in with the team at this point?

  • When will Bogie be ready to play?

The answers to these questions and more on this edition of the Kings Press Row Podcast.

Kings: Bogdanovic left knee procedure goes well; back in four to six weeks

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Serbia vs Greece
Bogdanovic goes to the hoop versus Greece in the World Cup Qualifier

by Charlie O. Mallonee

Sacramento Kings second-year guard Bogdan Bogdanovic underwent what the team called a “minor” arthroscopic procedure on his left knee Thursday in New York City. The procedure was performed at the Hospital for Special Surgery by Dr. Riley Williams. The reports are the procedure was successful and Bogdanovic should be able to return to game action in four to six weeks.

Based on the four to six weeks estimate, that means Bogdanovic would miss all of the preseason games and the season opener with the Jazz. If he were to need the full six weeks to recover and rehab, the Kings star guard might not be available until November 4th versus the Hawks on the road in Atlanta.

Bogdanovic injured the knee in a game on September 17th while playing for the Serbian National team versus Estonia in a World Cup Qualifying game. Bogdanovic reported experiencing discomfort in his left knee early in the first quarter of that game, which Serbia won 91-65.

Winner, winner, chicken dinner! SacKings will pick second in NBA Draft

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NBADRAFTLottery
Photo: @NBADraftLottery

by Charlie O. Mallonee

The NBA Draft Lottery order was selected in Chicago on Tuesday night, and the big winners of the night were the Sacramento Kings. The Kings entered the evening slotted to pick seventh on draft night in June. The Kings finished the season tied with the Chicago Bulls but lost a coin toss so the Bulls owned the sixth selection pre-lottery draw.

NBADraftFox
@NBADraftLottery

The Kings had just an 18.3-percent chance of winding up in the Top-3 in the Draft Lottery. Those odds may have been helped a little because the team was represented by first-year point guard De’Aaron Fox who has been a positive force for Sacramento ever since his arrival in June of 2017 from the University of Kentucky.

The Kings moved into the Top-3 in the 2017 Draft Lottery back fell back to the number five pick because Philadelphia had the right to swap selections if the Sacramento pick was higher than the Sixers. With the number five selection, the Kings took De’Aaron Fox.

This good fortune becomes even more important because the Kings will not have a first-round pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. The 2019 first-round selection was dealt away early in the tenure of Vlade Divac’s administration of basketball operations. This makes the 2018 draft selection even more important than it would normally be because it has to count for two seasons.

Who will be the number two draft pick?

Luka
Photo: @LukaDoncic

Virtually every mock draft site has Luka Doncic going as the number two selection in the 2018 NBA Draft. He is an international player currently playing with Real Madrid of Spain originally from Slovenia. Doncic is a 6-foot-7 small forward/shooting guard who is capable of playing positionless basketball that has become so popular in the NBA today.

Doncic is just 19-years old and definitely plays older than his years. He is an outstanding assists player who also is a strong rebounder on offense and defense. Doncic is an above average scorer and shooter at the free throw line. He needs work on his three-point shooting percentage and his number of turnovers needs to be lower.

The Kings front office has two prominent members – Vlade Divac and Peja Stojakovic – who are Eastern Europeans and should be able to make Doncic feel comfortable in Sacramento. One of the Kings up and coming stars is former Euro star – Bogdan Bogdanovic –  who certainly understands the style of basketball Doncic has been playing and could help make the transition to the NBA.

It looks like a match made in heaven right? Well, wait just one minute. The Phoenix Suns believe that Doncic can play point guard in the NBA. That’s right. They think this 6-foot-7 budding superstar can play point guard in “the association” alongside their star shooting guard Devin Booker. If the Suns believe Doncic can play that role, he could become the number one pick in the 2018 NBA Draft.

If Doncic goes number one, who goes number two?

NBADraftAyton
Photo:NBADraftLottery

That would leave DeAndre Ayton from Arizona available for the number two pick. Ayton is a 7-foot-1, 250-pound center who has an NBA body. He scores in multiple ways and has even been developing a three-point shot. Ayton runs the floor well and is not afraid of contact. He has great hands and good footwork.

His weakness is his defense. Ayton tends to get caught flat-footed too many times. He needs to do a better job defending against the pick and roll – a staple of the NBA. He needs to be more consistent about contesting shots.

Ayton is going to be a star in the NBA.

The Suns are going to be under immense pressure to draft the Arizona product and keep him in Phoenix. However, the Suns may opt to pass and go with Doncic who may pay off with more long-term results for them.

Either way, the Kings cannot go wrong. They are going to be able to draft a player who is going to become a star in the NBA.

The Kings 2017-18 season ends with a 96-83 win over the Houston Rockets

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4-11 starting 5
Starting of game 82 Photo: @SacramentoKings

by Charlie O. Mallonee and Jordan “Chape” Chapin

Sacramento – The Sacramento Kings season came to an end on Wednesday night as they defeated the number one seeded playoff team in the NBA Western Conference – the Houston Rockets – 96-83. Now, it is important to know that the Rockets did not allow James Harden and Chris Paul to step on the court for fear that they might sustain an injury that would cause them to miss the playoffs.

Even without the two Houston superstars on the floor, there was some very entertaining basketball played by both teams. The Rockets reserves wanted to impress their coaches that they could contribute if given playing time during the playoffs. The Kings players desperately wanted to send their fans home with a victory to remember until new season tips off next October.

The Kings started fast and finished strong

The Kings won every quarter except the fourth period which they did not need to win because they had the game well in hand by that time. Four of the five Kings starters scored in double figures and seven of the nine players used by Sacramento scored in double digits.

Willie Cauley-Stein finished with a team-high 22 points and he made it a double-double by grabbing 11 rebounds. Buddy Hield scored 14 points, pulled down five rebounds, handed out five assists and made two steals in 27-plus minutes of playing time.

Sacramento shot 47.5-percent (38-for-80) for the game and hit 7-of-26 (26.9-percent) attempts from downtown. The Kings went to the free throw line 20 times but converted only 13 of those opportunities (65.0-percent).

Houston relied on two key players for the entire game

Forward Gerald Green led the way on offense for the Rockets on Wednesday night scoring a game-high 31 points. Green shot 11-for-22 from the field and hit 7-of-17 attempts from 3-point land. RJ Hunter posted 19 points shooting 7-for-16 overall and sinking just 3-of-11 attempts from behind the 3-point line.

Tarik Black played just over 38-minutes against the Kings and recorded a double-double. Black scored 12 points and hauled in 11 rebounds.

The Rockets also played Aaron Jackson who they signed on Wednesday after he had been playing in the Chinese Basketball Association for the Beijing Ducks. Jackson will be eligible to play for Houston in the playoffs. Jackson scored eight points in 34-plus minutes of playing versus the Kings on Wednesday night.

Kings win fewer games in 2017-18

The Kings finish the season with a record of 27-55 for the year. Sacramento finished with a record of 32-50 in 2016-17.

Head Coach Dave Joerger reflects on the game and the season

Vince Carter talks about why there will be another year of Vinsanity

Bogie explains why he is a rookie until next season

Charlie O’s and “Chapes” Kings Player of the Year

buddy 4-11
Hield flies high versus Rockets Photo: @SacramentoKings

We did not have to take a moment to contemplate who our choice of would be our choice for this season because our selection for Player of the Year is a no-brainer in our humble opinion. Second-year guard Buddy Hield has been outstanding in his development and execution in 2017-18.

The big knock on Hield as a player was that he was purely a one-dimensional guard. Hield was a shooter who could come into a game and shoot the ball … period. Experts said he could not handle the ball, set up assists, rebound and he most definitely could not play defense.

Then, the Kings finally signed Bogdan Bogdanovic and the Sacramento backcourt became a very crowded place. Early on in the season, it became apparent that Bogdanovic was going to be a starter along with De’Aaron Fox. That meant Hield would be coming off the bench.

Hield adjusted to being the Kings “sixth man” very quickly and never complained about his role. He frequently provided the spark the team needed to get into a  game where they started off slowly.Hield also began to play more minutes per game.

As Hield played more, the turnovers went down as his rebound, assist, and steal numbers went up. Then observers began to notice something else about his game, Buddy Hield was making a real effort to play defense.

As Hield entered game 82 on Wednesday night, he was averaging 13.5 points per game which is the second-best average for the Kings. Hield is the overall points leader for Sacramento with 1065 points.

Hield has averaged 3.8 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1.05 assists in 25.3 minutes per game this season. His season-highs show 35 minutes played, 27 points scored, nine rebounds, seven assists, five steals, and two blocked shots.

Hield shooting numbers have also been impressive. Overall, Hield has shot 44.6-percent from the field while converting a team-high 43.1-percent of his 3-Point attempts. He has also been deadly from the free throw shooting 88.8-percent from the stripe.

2017-18 has been a year of real growth and dynamic production for Buddy Hield.

 

Kings surprise Grizzlies with a 94-93 win at the buzzer on the road in Memphis

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Kings vs MEM final

by Charlie O. Mallonee

Just 6.4-seconds remained on the clock in the fourth quarter in Memphis when the Kings called timeout. Dillon Brooks had just buried a 25-foot 3-point jump shot to give the Memphis Grizzlies a 93-92 lead. The Kings were in need of a quick miracle if they were going to leave the home of Graceland with a victory.

Sacramento inbounded the ball and it ended up in the hands of Bogdan Bogdanovic – who had suffered a horrible shooting night – with 1.5-seconds to go in the game. “Bogie” drove on the bucket and pulled up from 16-feet out to sink a two-point basket that gave the Kings a 94-93 advantage. Memphis called an immediate timeout.

With 1.1-seconds to go in the game, the Grizzlies attempted to inbound the ball at midcourt but – yes, you guessed it – Bogdanovic was there to make the steal and the Kings would win the game 94-93.

The King’s record improved to 26-54 on the year while the Grizzlies dropped to 21-58 for the season.

It really wasn’t a very exciting game

Bogi vs Mem
Bogdanovic – Kings star of the game Photo: @SacramentoKings

As exciting as the ending was, the rest of the game was not that thrilling. In fact, the game was really very boring much of the time. The Kings did not hit a 3-pointer (0-for-6) in the first half. They went just 2-for-6 from the free throw line.

The Grizzlies most notable starter was Ben McLemore to go with the Brooks brothers (no not the suit guys) and two other players you have probably never heard of or have seen in an NBA box score before.

Memphis is in full “tankathon” mode. They currently have the second-worst record in the NBA and could be in contention for the number one draft pick if the ping pong balls would fall the right way. The Grizzlies have lost four games in a row and are 2-8 in their last 10 games. Still, they appeared to want to beat their old coach Dave Joerger on Friday night on their home court.

The Kings certainly started slow and really should be in “tankathon” mode. Sacramento has no first-round draft pick in 2019, so their 2018 selection has to a great one – a home run if you will. Their only goal should be to move up in the lottery standings, but on Friday night winning for their coach versus his former team seemed to take over other goals. But until the fourth quarter, it was really a boring contest.

Coach Joerger looked happy after the game

Dave Joerger did have a look of satisfaction on his face after his team delivered a win to him in Memphis on Friday night. Joerger was the Grizzlies head coach for four seasons and the win appeared to be a bit of sweet revenge for the Kings head coach who would no doubt deny its importance.

The win also had to please Zach Randolph – who was given the night off – and Vince Carter who both played for Memphis before joining the Kings.

Top Performances

Kings starting 5 Mem

Kings

  • Willie Cauley-Stein was the Kings leading scorer with 18 points in the game. He also grabbed eight rebounds, made three assists, made two steals and blocked two shots.
  • Buddy Hield scored 14 points coming off the bench to go with a team-high six assists and five rebounds.
  • Justin Jackson had another solid game scoring 13 points in almost 30-minutes on the floor. Jackson shot 5-for-10 overall and 3-for-6 from behind the 3-point line. His 3-pointer with 17.2-seconds to go in the game gave the Kings the lead and the momentum to keep them in the game.
  • De’Aaron Fox put 13 points in the book shooting 5-for-13 from the field. He also hauled in six rebounds and dished out four assists.
  • Two-way player JaKarr Sampson also had a very nice night as a starter posting 11 points and pulling down six rebounds in just over 24-minutes of playing time.

Grizzlies

  • It was a huge night for the “Brooks Brothers” in Memphis on Friday. MarShon scored a game-high 23 points to go along with eight rebounds. Dillon put up 16 points and distributed six assists in the Grizzlies losing effort.
  • Ivan Rabb recorded a double-double by scoring 12 points and grabbing 11 rebounds.
  • Kobi Simmons and Omari Johnson scored 11 points each in the game.

Up Next

Sacramento

The Kings play their final road game of the season on Monday night in San Antonio.

Memphis

The Grizzlies host the Pistons in their home finale on Sunday.

 

 

Kings squeak past the Lakers 84-83 Sunday night at Staples

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Buddy vs Lakers
Kings leading scorer Buddy Hield to the hoop Photo: @SacramentoKings

by Charlie O. Mallonee

The odds were against the Kings on Sunday night in Los Angeles. Sacramento had played at home on Saturday and lost to the World Champion Golden State Warriors. The chances of winning the second game of a back-to-back set on the road drop significantly in “the Association”.

Evidently, the Kings did not read any of the oddsmaker’s sites before the game because they played like they were favorites to win the game on Sunday and win they did.

With the game tied at 80 all with 39.6-seconds remaining in the game, Buddy Hield stole the ball from Caldwell-Pope. Hield finished off the fastbreak opportunity with a dunk that gave the Kings an 82-80 lead.

On the next possession, Bogdanovic made another steal when the Lakers Alex made a bad pass. The Kings set up the offense and De’Aaron Fox drove the lane putting up a seven-foot floating jump shot that gave Sacramento a four-point lead. The Lakers called an immediate timeout stopping the clock with 9.7-seconds remaining to play.

Out of the timeout, Caldwell-Pope missed a 23-foot 3-point attempt that was rebounded by Josh Hart. The ball was passed to Brooke Lopez who hit a 26-foot jumper to cut the Kings lead to just one point. Lopez immediately committed a foul to stop the clock with two-tenths of a second to go in the game but the Lakers would never regain possession.

The Kings won the game 84-83.

Top Performances

Kings (25-53)

  • In what seems to an every game occurrence, Buddy Hield was the Kings leading scorer with 19 points. Hield shot 8-for-15 overall and hit 3-of-5 from downtown. He also collected four steals in the game.
  • Bogdan Bogdanovic scored 15 points by sinking 6-of-7 shots from the field. He was a perfect 2-for-2 from 3-point land.
  • De’Aaron Fox worked his way through a tough shooting night to score 14 points. He went 6-for-18 shooting (0-for-3 3-PT) but wound up hitting the winning bucket. Fox also led the Kings with six assists.
  • Willie Cauley-Stein recorded 11 points in less than 20-minutes on the floor. He hit 5-of-8 shots and grabbed seven rebounds. Cauley-Stein also dished out four assists.

Lakers (33-43)

Randle vs Kings
Julius Randle scored 19 points vs Kings Photo: @Lakers

  • Julius Randle led the way for Lakers against the Kings by scoring 19 points. He shot 5-for-8 from the floor and hit 9-of-14 chances from the free throw line.
  • It took 13 shots for Caldwell-Pope to score 16 points which is not the kind of ratio a coach is looking for from a starter. He went 0-6 from behind the 3-point arc.
  • Kyle Kuzma – (WARNING: EDITORIAL OPINION) the best rookie on the Lakers roster – posted 13 points hitting 5-of-16 shots from the floor and converting 3-of-9 chances from downtown. Kuzma played 39-minutes in the game.

Up Next

Sacramento

The Kings second stop this final road trip of the season will be in Phoenix on Tuesday night. This will a battle of Draft Lottery Teams. The Suns lost to the Warriors on Easter Sunday 117-107 and have now lost 15 games in a row.

Los Angeles Lakers

The Lakers will travel to Salt Lake City to face the playoff-bound Utah Jazz on Tuesday night.

If the 2018 NBA Draft would be held today

Bamba
Possible Kings draft pick Mohamed Bamba of Texas Photo: @TexasMBB

Who would the Kings draft is they had to select today? According to Tankathon. com, Sacramento would have the number six selection and they would use it to take Freshman center Mohamed Bamba out of Texas. Bamba is a 7-footer who weighs 216 pounds. He will be 20 years old at the time of the draft.

Bamba played in 30 games averaging 12.9 points per game and 10.5 rebounds a game. He averaged blocking 3.6 shots per game. Bamba his known for being an excellent rebounder on both ends of the floor as well as an excellent shot blocker. He is also a strong defender against the 3-point shot.

Golden State too much for Kings to handle; Warriors win 112-96

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01d4386acfd9bbd7022f27d83076f8fd36d85fe546
Warriors vs Kings Photo: Sports Radio Service

By Charlie O. Mallonee

Sacramento – The Sacramento Kings dream of winning the 2017-18 season series versus the NBA World Champion Golden State Warriors will not be realized as they were soundly beaten by the Dubs 112-96 on Saturday night in Sacramento. The Kings will finish the four-game series with a very respectable 2-2 record. No one would have predicted that outcome back in October.

The Warriors had to play with this game without their superstar Steph Curry but unlike the last time the teams met in Oakland, Golden State had their other three All-Star players available to face the upstart Kings. Kevin Durant, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson were all healthy and ready to go at the opening tip-off.

The Kings kept it close in opening 12-minutes as they trailed the Warriors by just three points – 28 to 25 – at the close of the quarter. Durant scored 15 for Golden State while De’Aaron Fox put up 10 for the Kings. Both teams were ice cold from 3-point land as the Warriors went 1-for-4 and Sacramento hit just 1-of-7 from long-range.

The Warriors opened the second quarter with a 7-0 run that really set the tone for the rest of the game. Golden State maintained a lead of nine to 11 points for most the period. SAC was able to cut the Warriors lead to eight points at the half when Buddy Hield hit a 25-foot jump shot at the buzzer. At the half, Golden State held a 57-49 lead over the Kings.

Frankly, there really is not that much more to talk about in what became a runaway game. The Warriors held a 93-69 lead at the end of the third quarter and the Kings second unit played hard in the final period to outscore Golden State 27-19 for the quarter.

The Warriors won the game 112-96. Golden State’s record improves to 55-21 while the Kings drop to 24-53 for the season.

A Dark Cloud Over the Game

McCaw
Teams huddle in prayer for McCaw Photo: @SacramentoKings

With less than 50-seconds remaining in the third quarter, the Warriors Patrick McCaw cut across the lane to attempt a layup. Vince Carter stepped in front of McCaw to defend against him. McCaw’s leg came down on Carter’s shoulder and McCaw free-fell to the floor landing on his tailbone.

McCaw was not allowed to stand up and was eventually removed from the court by a stretcher. He was taken to the hospital where he will undergo testing.

The Warriors and Kings huddled together in prayer for McCaw before continuing the game.

Top Performances

Kings

  • Buddy Hield was the Kings leading scorer with 19-points. He shot 6-for-11 from the field and hit 4-of-5 from 3-point range.
  • De’Aaron Fox added 15 points of his own for SAC. He also led the team in assists with eight.
  • Willie Cauley-Stein and Bogdan Bogdanovic each scored 12 points in the game.
  • Bruno Caboclo played 15-plus minutes in the game and scored all seven of his points in the fourth quarter.

Warriors

  • Kevin Durant put up a double-double scoring 27 points and grabbing 10 rebounds in just over 30-minutes on the court. He was their leading scorer.
  • Klay Thompson returned after missing eight games to score 25 points against the Kings.
  • Draymond Green scored eight points, pulled down nine rebounds and dished out seven assists.

Up Next

Kings

The Kings get to celebrate Easter in Los Angeles by playing the Lakers at the Staples Center. The game is scheduled to get underway at 6:30 PM PDT.

Warriors

Golden State will also have to work on Easter Sunday as they will host the Phoenix Suns for a 5:30 PM PDT tip.