Tag: Buddy Hield

Z-Bo goes head-to-head with Boogie and leads Kings to a 116-109 OT win in NOLA

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment

kingspels graphic

by Charlie O. Mallonee with Jordan Chapin

The Sacramento Kings went into the game in New Orleans on Friday night as eight to 10.5-point underdogs. FiveThirtyEight.com gave the Kings just a 15-percent chance of leaving the “Crescent City” with a win. By the end of 53-minutes of playing time in the Smoothie King Arena, everyone who picked the Pelicans to win were 100-percent wrong.

The Kings needed five extra minutes but they defeated DeMarcus Cousins and the New Orleans Pelicans 116-109 to finish their four-game road trip with a record of 2-2. Sacramento won the games in Chicago and New Orleans. They had a realistic chance to win the games they lost in Milwaukee and Cleveland. The Kings played at a higher level on this road trip.

The Kings had to fight and claw their way through the 53-minutes of playing time to stay in this game. There were 12 lead changes and the game was tied 11 times. The Pels biggest lead was 10-points and the Kings largest lead was nine-points. This contest was a “Battle Royale” from start to finish.

Z-Bo was the star of the game for the Kings

Zach Randolph
Randolph and Cousins battled each other all game long Friday night (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

The 36-year old veteran center played like a man half his age on Friday night. Randolph was the Kings leading scorer with 35-points and he made it a double-double game by hauling in 13 rebounds. He shot 14-for-22 from the field and hit 5-of-9 from 3-point range. Randolph did all of that while dealing Cousins on defense during his almost 34-minutes of playing time.

Kings co-stars

kingspels buddy
Buddy Hield drives the lane in NOLA
  • Buddy Hield showed the fans in New Orleans what they lost when he was shipped to SAC for Cousins. Hield posted 18-points and grabbed seven rebounds. He shot 7-for-12 for the game and 4-for-5 from behind the 3-point line. Hield sank the 3-point basket that tied the game and sent it into overtime.
  • De’Aaron Fox played over 36-minutes in the game and scored 14-points. He was teamed up with Frank Mason down the stretch and in overtime to help lead the Kings to the victory.
  • Frank Mason came off the bench to lead the second-unit again on Friday night. The rookie out of Kansas scored 12-points, grabbed five rebounds and added three assists.
  • The Kings other “O.G” – Vince Carter – played a big role for the Kings versus the Pelicans. The 40-year old veteran played 32-plus minutes and scored six-points. He also recorded four rebounds and distributed two assists.  Carter also had two dunks ( three if you count the one at the final buzzer that was waved off that could have been the potential game winner).
  • Georgios “Papa G” Papagiannis played an important nine-plus minutes off the bench. The big man was almost a surprise contributor in this game. He came in and played “Boogie” tough while scoring six-points and hauling in three rebounds. Papa G was a perfect 3-for-3 shooting in the game.

DeMarcus was the star of the game for New Orleans

There are very few observers of the NBA who do not see DeMarcus Cousins as being the premiere center in the league. On Friday night, Boogie reminded everyone in Sacramento what they lost when he was traded to the Pelicans.

Cousins dropped in a game-high 38-points and made it a double-double game by adding 11-rebounds. The big man also had four assists and three steals.

Cousins shot 14-for-30 from the field (4-for-10 from 3-point land). He converted 6-of-7 opportunities from the charity stripe.

Love him or hate him – Cousins is an awesome talent.

Other Pelicans who contributed

  • Anthony “the Brow” Davis returned to action after missing three games. Davis played 30-minutes and scored 18-points. He went a perfect 8-for-8 from the free throw line.
  • Ian Clark scored 15 points in just under 28-minutes of playing time. He shot 6-for-8 from the field.
  • Jrue Holiday added 14 points. He shot 50-percent for the game hitting 6-of-12 field goal attempts.
  • Rajon Rondo – who has been “hot” for the Pels since returning from injury was held out for rest. That decision may be questioned after this disappointing loss.

Team stats that matter

Kings

  • SAC shot 48.5-percent (47-for-97) for the game and 43.3-percent (13-for-30) from behind the 3-point line.
  • The Kings out-rebounded NOLA 46-35
  • Sacramento dished out 21 assists and turned the ball over 20 times (good for 12 Pels points).
  • The Kings made 12 steals in the game.

Pelicans

  • New Orleans posted a 46.1-field goal percentage (41-for-89). They hit 10-of-28 3-point attempts (35.7-percent).
  • The Pelicans converted 17-of-19 free throw attempts.
  • The Pels booked 19 assists and committed 17 turnovers (became 22 Kings points).

Update from Reno

Skal Labissiere scored 29-points, grabbed 17 rebounds and added seven blocks in his start for the Big Horns this week. Look for him to be in Sacramento on Sunday.

Up next

Kings (8-17)

The Kings will return to action on Sunday versus the very talented Toronto Raptors (16-7). The game has an unusual start time as it will tip-off at 12:30 pm.

Pelicans (13-13)

New Orleans wraps up a four-game homestand on Sunday when they host the 76ers.

 

 

 

 

Kings make a huge comeback in Milwaukee but lose to Bucks 109-104

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment
z-bo vs bucks
Randolph drives on the basket Photo USA Today Sports

by Charlie O. Mallonee with Jordan Chapin

If you turned off the Kings – Bucks game after watching for just four-minutes and 15-seconds, you know the score was Milwaukee 14 and Sacramento 0. The Kings entire starting lineup had not scored a point and were sent to the bench after just three-minutes and 10-seconds of playing time. So, to see the final score be Milwaukee 109 to 104 for Sacramento must come as a great shock to you.

Even more shocking to you who turned off the game may be the fact the Kings cut the Bucks lead to just one-point with 1:43 to go in the game. The Kings never held the lead in the contest but they had a legitimate chance to win the game with under two minutes remaining to play.

The Game Summary

The Kings starting five did not score a point in the opening quarter of the game. They scored just 16-points in the first-half which is lowest scoring total for a starting five in the NBA since 2014. Buddy Hield scored 13-points for the second-unit and Zach Randolph put up 12-points to help keep the Kings in the game.  Giannis Antetokounmpo posted 19 points, Eric Bledsoe put 16 in the books and  Khris Middleton scored 14 points to lead the Bucks to a 63 – 52 lead at half-time.

The Kings had to start the third quarter without Willie Cauley-Stein who strained his lower back. The injury was not deemed serious but the team wanted to be cautious and sat him on the bench for the second-half.

The Bucks came out in the third-period and caught fire just like they had at the beginning of the game. They opened up a 20-point lead twice in the quarter with eight-points from “the Freak”, five put up by Middleton and five recorded by Brogdon in just over three-minutes on the floor. At the end of three-quarters, the Bucks held an 88-76 lead.

In the final period, it was all about the second-unit for the Kings once again. The Kings were led by Bogdon Bogdanovic who led the Sacramento scoring with nine-points. “Bogi” showed the world he is not afraid to take charge when the pressure is on. Buddy Hield added six-points while Frank Mason III and Z-Bo each put up four-points.

The Kings outscored the Bucks 28-21 in the final quarter but the opening runs by Milwaukee in the first and third periods proved to be too much and the Bucks won the game 109-104.

The Kings made a great comeback but it was not enough for Coach Joerger

Outstanding performers

Kings

Mason vs Bucks
Mason III played strong for the Kings on Saturday night Photo USA Today Sports
  • Zach Randolph led the Kings scoring attack against the Bucks with 22-points. He went 10-for-15 from the floor.
  • Buddy Hield jumped back in the scorebook in a big way with 19-points. He shot 6-for-12 from the field and hit 4-of-6 from behind the 3-point line. Hield also grabbed six rebounds and dished out four assists.
  • De’Aaron Fox overcame a poor early start to record 14-points. He shot 5-for-10 from the floor while hauling in six rebounds and distributing three assists.
  • Frank Mason III had another amazing game. The second-round draft pick showed again why many thought he would go late in the first-round. He put up 13-points and added three assists in the effort to overcome the Bucks early onslaught.

Bucks

freak to hoop
“The Freak” put up 33-points for the Bucks vs the Kings Photo USA Today Sports
  • “The Greek Freak” Giannis Antetokounmpo was the game’s leading scorer with 33-points, 13-rebounds and five assists. The 22-year old is simply amazing.
  • Khris Middleton recorded 25-points hitting 9-of-15 shots from the floor. He went 3-for-5 from 3-point land.
  • Eric Bledsoe – who has found new life in Milwaukee since his trade from Phoenix – scored 19-points while converting 9-of-10 opportunities from the free throw lines.

Team Stats

Sacramento (7-16)

  • SAC hit 37-of-77 attempts from the floor for 48.1-percent field goal shooting (which would usually mean a win)
  • The Kings went 11-for-24 (45.8-percent) from behind the 3-point line. Again that percentage would normally be associated with a win.
  • The team converted 19-of-21 (90.5-percent) chances from the charity stripe. See the Bucks stats to realize why those numbers are not that impressive.
  • The Kings had 20 assists and 15 turnovers. That is far below the desired 2:1 assists to turnover ratio that is the goal in the NBA.

Milwaukee (12-9)

  • The Bucks shot 49.3-percent from the field (34-for-69). They hit just 6-of-19 (31.6-percent) from behind the 3-point line.
  • The Bucks really helped themselves from the free throw line. They hit 35-of-42 chances from the stripe in the game.
  • The Bucks use the Fast Break to perfection as they outscored the Kings 13-2 on the break in the game.

Up Next

Kings

The team flew home after the game and will head back on the road on Tuesday when they will travel to Cleveland to get ready for a game of Wednesday with the Cavaliers.

Bucks

Milwaukee will return to action on Monday night in Boston versus the Celtics.

One last note

Justin Jackson who is on assignment with the Reno Bighorns of the G-League scored 26-points, grabbed six rebounds and added three assists on Saturday night.

Randolph shines, leading Kings to 107-106 victory over Bulls

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Sacramento Kings forward Zach Randolph (50) shoots between Chicago Bulls forward Paul Zipser (16) and center Robin Lopez (42) during the second half of an NBA basketball game in Chicago, Friday, Dec. 1, 2017. (AP Photo/Jeff Haynes)

By: Peter Elliott

CHICAGO, IL. — It was the Zach Randolph show on Friday night at the United Center.

The 36-year-old veteran big man yet again proved his worth, leading the Sacramento Kings (7-15) to a 107-106 victory over the Chicago Bulls (3-18). Randolph earned his first double-double of the season, as he notched a season-high in points with 25 while grabbing 13 rebounds in 32 minutes of action.

Although Randolph’s star shined the brightest, the Kings also received important contributions from role players like Bogdan Bogdanović, Garrett Temple, and Willie Cauley-Stein, who combined for 42 points, 12 assists, and 11 rebounds.

Bogdanović, a first-year shooting guard from Serbia also achieved his season-high in points with 19 on 6-12 shooting from the field and six made free throws in 30 minutes, the most action he has seen so far this season.

Buddy Hield struggled once more in his seven minutes of playing time, as the second-year shooting guard failed to connect on his two shots and played lackluster defense, good for a plus-minus differential of -8.

Neither of the teams that took the floor at the United Center on Friday night appear poised to contend for the Larry O’Brien trophy this summer. However, both teams made it competitive throughout, with the biggest point margin being just seven points in the third quarter.

The Bulls, who are now losers of 13 of their last 14 games turned in a solid showing for a three-win team, but it was their bench that shined. Sacramento had trouble shutting down a seat-warming trio of Paul Zipser, Cristiano Felicio, and Jerian Grant, who combined for a whopping 55 points, four more than the starters’ total of 51.

What’s Next: The Kings will head north into Milwaukee on Saturday night, seeking revenge for 112-87 blowout loss at the hands of the Bucks just a mere four days ago. Tipoff is slated for 5:30 PT/7:30 CT p.m. on NBC Sports California.

Kings Press Row Podcast Week 7 in the NBA

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment

press row podcast

hosts Charlie O Mallonee & Jordan Chapin

  • Week 7 in the NBA brings some interesting match ups for us to watch on NBA TV

  • The Kings send three players to Reno to get some playing time

  • SAC wins 2 and loses 2 in week 7

  • Week 8 brings a brutal 4 game trip to the schedule for the Kings

  • Charlie O and the Chap break it all down for you

Third quarter collapse costs Kings the game as Clippers win 97-95

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment
Z-Bo vs DeAndre Jordan
Two heavyweights face off: Zach Randolph and DeAndre Jordan photo: USA Today Sports

by Charlie O. Mallonee

Sacramento – The Sacramento Kings played great basketball for 36-minutes on Saturday night against the Los Angeles Clippers. Unfortunately for the Kings, the 12-minutes they did not play well in the third quarter cost them the game as they lost to LAC 97-95.

The Kings went on a 6-0 run with 1:20 remaining in the game to the tie the score at 95-95 with 15.6-seconds to go on the game clock. The Clippers called a timeout with 14.8-seconds to go to draw up a play.

The Clippers put the ball into the hands of their leading scorer Blake Griffin who made a fadeaway jump shot from the left side of the floor to give his team a two-point lead with 3.7-seconds remaining in the game. LAC head coach Doc Rivers would later say he was not happy because his team took that shot too early leaving the Kings too much time on the clock.

Buddy Hield put up a desperation floating jump shot at the buzzer but it was no good. The Clippers (7-11) won their second game in row downing the Kings (5-14) by just two points.

The 3rd Quarter was a nightmare for Sacramento

The Kings scored only 10 points in the third quarter versus the Clippers after posting 61 points in the first half. LAC came out with a defensive mindset and dominated SAC.

The Kings shot 45.8-percent for the game but shot only 21.1-percent (4-for-19) in the disastrous quarter. They converted 11-of-21 three-point attempts for the game but went 0-for-4 in the third quarter.

Sacramento had one assist while they turned the ball over eight times which resulted in seven points for the Clippers.

Ten Kings players saw action in the third quarter, but only four of them scored points. All 10 players had a minus number on their +/- stat for the quarter.

Blake Griffin and Lou Williams led the scoring for the Clippers with 12 points each. Los Angeles shot 55.6-percent (10-for-18) from the field and hit on 6-of-8 (75-percent) 3-point attempts in the third period.

The Kings outscored the Clippers in every quarter except the third when LAC recorded 29 points to just 10 for SAC.

Dave Joerger was not happy with the loss but he knows it is part of player development

“Buddy Buckets” leads the Kings in scoring

Buddy Hield had an exceptional game for Sacramento coming off the bench scoring 27 points in just under 26-minutes of playing time. The second-year shooting guard hit 10-of-18 shots from the floor. Nine of those shots were taken behind the 3-point line and Hield hit seven of those attempts for 21 of his 27 points. His back-to-back 3-pointers in the last 1:20 of the game put the Kings in a position to possibly win the contest.

One of the criticisms of Hield coming out of Oklahoma was that he would not be able to convert the longer 3-point shot in the NBA. It certainly appears to have proved those critics were wrong. Hield has adjusted just fine to the deeper 3-point zone in “the Association”.

Zach Randolph drew the very tough assignment of matching up with Clippers big, tough center DeAndre Jordan. Not only did Z-Bo play Jordan tough – he held the center to five points. Jordan did haul in a game-high 16 rebounds.  Z-Bo put up 17 points shooting 7-for-14 in the game. Randolph also added seven rebounds, three assists and one steal in his 30-plus minutes of playing time.

Bogdan Bogdanovic posted 10-points on Saturday night. He shot 50-percent hitting on 4-of-8 shots from the field. He was 1-for-2 from 3-point land.

George Hill also scored 10 points against the Clippers on Saturday night. He went 4-for-7 shooting from the floor and hit 1-of-2 attempts from 3-point territory. Hill also dished out three assists.

SAC had some impressive team numbers

The Kings shot 33-for-83 (45.8-percent) from the floor versus the Clippers. They shot an impressive 52.4-percent (11-for-21) from downtown. SAC converted 8-of-9 free throw opportunities (88.9-percent). The nine free throw attempts number is too low.

Sacramento recorded 37 rebounds (eight offensive) to go with 19 assists, nine steals and eight blocked shots. The Kings committed 18 turnovers which resulted in 15 Clipper points.

Doc Rivers was happy to see his team pick up its second consecutive win

Blake Griffin played like an All-Star

The veteran forward scored a game-high 33-points in his 38-plus minutes on the floor. Griffin shot 13-for-25 from the field but was just 2-for-7 from behind the 3-point line. He recorded five assists and had four rebounds.

Lou Williams scored 10 of his 18 points in the second-half. He shot 4-for-8 from the floor. All four of his baskets were 3-point buckets. His other six-points came two 2-point baskets and at the free throw line. Williams also posted five assists and had three steals.

Up Next

Sacramento

Life does not get any easier for the Kings as on Monday night they have to travel to the Bay Area to take on the Defending NBA World Champion Golden Warriors (15-5).

Los Angeles Clippers

The Clippers will also return to action on Monday night when they will host the guys who use the locker room on the other side of the Staples Center – the Los Angeles Lakers.

 

Kings should start the “young guns” again tonight in D.C.

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment

by Charlie O. Mallonee

wiz beal drives on hield
Bradley Beal drives on Buddy Hield Photo USA Today Sports

The Kings and Wizards met in Sacramento on October 29th. Washington opened the game by going on a 13-0 run and the Wizards never trailed in the game as they went on to win 110-83.

The Kings went with a “youth movement” lineup of Bogdan Bogdanovic, Skal Labissiere, Willie Cauley-Stein, Buddy Hield and De’Aaron Fox. That may well be the starting lineup next season or two years from now, but it might be a bit premature to expect those five to carry the load of being the starting five right now.

In his postgame comments, Dave Joerger talked about his young players giving up 10 to 30 pounds and 5-7 years of experience to the starters for the Wizards. Enthusiasm and talent usually cannot overcome talent, size and experience.

Joerger also explained that his young starting five became “shell shocked”  and a bit disoriented after they fell behind by 13 points in less than five minutes to the Wizards.

What should the Kings do tonight?

AP17305007420296

In my opinion, Dave Joerger should run the same starting five he used versus the Wizards in Sacramento out on the floor to open the game on Monday night in Washington. My theory is based on learning to ride a bike. The first few times you attempt to ride you fall down. If you stop, you will never learn to ride. If you keep trying, you learn how to ride the bike with confidence.

Bogdanovic, Labissiere, Cauley-Stein, Hield and Fox need to get back up on “the bike” and face the Wizards from the start of the game to show themselves that they can compete with an experienced team. Even if they only play the opening five minutes, showing they can compete with the Wizards could be a real confidence builder for the young guns.

It’s all about player development

1-alt kings

The Kings as an organization have not made it a secret that this season is all about player development. When you have team full of young players, that has to be your commitment, but that approach can also demoralize your fan base who only understand wins and loses.

I have said before that the Kings need to go the wins at home and play for development on the road. If a game becomes a runaway on the road, the home team’s crowd will go wild as their stars go into “showtime” mode or the second unit has a chance to come out and make big plays. In the meantime, the Kings can work on developing players.

Handling the development in that manner might not thrill the television and radio people, but it would be considerably easier on the fans.

Big key for the Kings versus the Wizards – Start Fast!

wizards logo

The Kings cannot afford to let Washington go on an opening run like they did in Sacramento. The Wizards simply shoot to well in the paint, from mid-range and beyond the arc to let them grab a quick lead.

It is going to be an uphill battle for the Kings. FiveThirtyEight.com gives Sacramento only a 15-percent chance of beating the Wizards and makes them a 10.5-point underdog for the game. That is not good news for a team that is 1-6 on the road.

This will be the final time the Kings will see the the Wizards this season.

Carmelo who? Prozingis leads NYK past the Kings 118-91 Saturday night in NYC

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by Charlie O. Mallonee

NYK Skal
Labissiere Kings leading scorer

The Sacramento Kings two game winning streak came to a sudden end on Saturday night at Madison Square Garden in New York City when the Knicks – led by power forward Kristaps Porzingis – blew by the men in purple and white 118-91.

Early on, it looked like the Kings might make it a competitive game. By halftime, the Knicks (7-5) held a 64-49 lead. New York put together two big runs in the first half to establish the 15-point halftime lead.

The Knicks did not back off in the third quarter as they held the Kings under 20-points and extended their lead. In fact, NYK became so comfortable about their lead they sat Prozingis down in the third quarter and he never reentered the contest.

The Kings (3-9) and Knicks second units made the fourth quarter interesting but Sacramento was unable to cut into the big New York lead. When the final buzzer sounded, the Knicks continued to impress the professional basketball world by playing so well without Carmelo Anthony on the team.

Prozingis continues to be “the man”

NYK Prozingis
Prozingis drives on Cauley-Stein Photo: Newsday

Second-year player – Kristaps Prozingis scored 34 points in just 26:37 minutes of playing time. He went 11-for-21 from the floor while hitting 4-of-6 from behind the 3-point line. Prozingis converted 8-of-9 opportunities from the free throw line. While accomplishing all of that, he committed zero turnovers.

11 Knicks players contributed to the win over the Kings

Sacramento Kings v New York Knicks
Kanter posts a double-double 17 points 13 rebounds

Courtney Lee put up 20 points hitting 5-of-6 from 3-point land. He also added three assists and two rebounds.

Enes Kanter posted a double-double with 17 points and 13 boards. He shot 8-for-13 from the floor.

Damyean Dotson scored 14 points and Michael Beasley added 10 points.

Highly touted rookie point guard Frank Ntilkina scored just two points while posting five assists.

Sacramento had just two player score in double figures

nyk Prozingis again
Sacramento vs. NYK

Skal Labissiere became a force on offense again for the Kings as he recorded 19-points to lead his team in scoring for the game. The Kentucky product shot 5-for-10 from the field while going just 1-for-9 from behind the 3-point arc. Labissiere converted 9-of-10 free throw opportunities. He also grabbed six rebounds.

Buddy Hield came off the bench to score 17-points in 27-minutes of playing time. He went 6-for-13 shooting overall while hitting 4-of-5 from 3-point land. Hield also hauled in seven rebounds and dished out four assists.

No Sacaramento starter scored in double-figures.

Up next

$Wiz Dark

The Kings will play the second game of their three-game road trip on Monday night in Washington, D.C. The Wizards destroyed the Kings 110-83 in Sacramento on October 29th.

The Knicks will also return to actions on Monday when they will welcome LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers to Madison Square Garden. That game will have Eastern Conference Playoff implications.

Kings Press Row Podcast with Charlie O for October 24th – Hello Mr. Cousins

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment
Dal Hill
George Hill was the Kings scoring leader with 21 points Photo: USA Today Sports
    Was the the Kings three game road trip good, bad or ugly?
    The Kings lost to an 0-3 Phoenix Suns team on Monday – should that have happened?
    Why did the Kings win in Dallas?
    Why did the Kings look so different on Saturday night in Denver?
    Which Sacramento players have impressed you to date?
    Which players need to show some improvement?
    What is up next for the Kings?

 

 

Kings post first win of 2017-18 on the road Friday night beating Dallas 93-88

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by Charlie O. Mallonee

Dal Hill
George Hill was the Kings scoring leader with 21 points Photo: USA Today Sports

Sacramento won the game because they played with intensity

Nothing may illustrate that point more than the sequence that took place with 34.1-seconds left to play in the game and the Kings leading 89-86. Zach Randolph missed a 16-foot fadeaway jump shot. Buddy Hield made a hustle rebound under the basket to keep the possession alive for Sacramento. George Hill ultimately hit a 17-foot jumper that for all intensive purposes sealed the win for the Kings.

This was a game of runs

In the second quarter, the Mavs went on a 12-0 run to go up 38-26 and it looked like Kings were going to be in real trouble on the road before halftime. The Kings woke up and went on to outscore the Mavericks 20-8 in the final 5:22 of the period. George Hill was the leader with help from Z-Bo, Cauley-Stein and Buddy Hield.

Sacramento came back to floor ready to go after halftime. They won the 3rd quarter by posting 25 points to just 14 for Dallas. Buddy Hield led the scoring barrage with eight points while Hill added seven points and Randolph put up six. The Kings went into the 4th quarter with a 71-60 lead.

Another run started immediately at the beginning of the final quarter. Unfortunately for the Kings, it was the Mavericks who went on an 11-0 run to take a 72-71 lead with 9:38 to go in the game. Dirk Nowitzki — yes the old guy — and J.J. Barea were the players who fueled the run for Dallas.

The Kings retook the lead when Skal Labissiere hit a 19-foot jumper (assist Fox) at 8:46 to make it a 73-72 game. The Kings would never relinquish the lead again in the contest. They did not have an easy time in those final minutes but they played them with a lead.

Top Performers

Dal z-bo
Zach “Z-Bo” Randolph made his presence known in Dallas Photo: USA Today Sports

Sacramento

  • George Hill was the man again on Saturday night with 21 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals. He shot 9-for-12 from the floor and was a perfect 3-for-3 from beyond the 3-point line.
  • Zach Randolph got the start at center in Dallas after having to miss the home opener due to oral surgery. Z-Bo showed off his toughness on both ends of the court as he scored 13 points and grabbed 6 rebounds. Three of those rebounds came on offense — think second chance point opportunities.
  • Buddy Hield recorded 13 points and 6 rebounds but it was that one offensive rebound with under a minute to go in the game that was really clutch. He did not have a great shooting night going 4-for-11 from the floor (1-for-6 for 3’s). Hield was a perfect 4-for-4 from the free throw line. He also dished out 3 assists.
  • Willie Cauley-Stein or maybe we should call him “Mr. Double-Double”. He scored 10 points and hauled in 11 rebounds for his second consecutive double-double game.
  • “The Fox” was hot again on Friday night. How about 10 assists in the game coming off the bench? He scored 9 points, had 6 rebounds and 1 steal in 26-minutes on the floor.
  • Other contributors: Labissiere 8 points + 5 rebounds, Temple 8 points + 6 rebounds,  Vince Carter 6 points, Koufos 3 points + 5 rebounds and Justin Jackson 2 points + 4 rebounds.

Dallas

  • Top scorer for his team and the game — Harrison Barnes 24 points on 8-for-18 shooting.
  • Yogi Ferrell hit some key baskets to keep his team in the contest and finished with 14 points.
  • Dorian Finney-Smith scored 14 points coming off the bench and was a big factor late in the game.
  • J.J. Barea — who started at point guard because Dennis Smith, Jr. was held out due to swelling in a knee — scored 9 points and distributed 10 assists.
  • Dirk Nowitzki — first vice president of AARP — played 29-minutes scoring 10 points and pulling down 9 rebounds. He really is my hero.

Team Stats

Dal WCS
Mr. Double-Double Willie Cauley-Stein Photo: USA Today Sports

Kings

  • SAC shot 42.5-percent from the field (37-for-87)
  • They hit 10-of-23 from 3-point range. That is 43.5-percent shooting. Joerger has to pleased with that.
  • The Kings made 9-of-13 free throw attempts. They had only 10 attempts versus Houston. The 13 on Friday was an improvement but that total needs to get up into the 20s.
  • Kings out-rebounded the Mavs 57-36. More importantly, they owned the offensive glass 16-7.
  • The team had 20 assists and 14 turnovers giving up 14 points off those TOVs.
  • Second Chance Points Kings 14 vs Mavericks 6

Dallas

  • The Mavericks shot 41.3-percent from the field (31-for-75)
  • They were 11-for-33 (33.3-percent) from beyond the arc
  • Dallas went to the FT line 21 times and converted 15 of those attempts
  • The Mavs posted 19 assists while turning the ball over 12 times (6 points for Kings)

Both teams play Saturday night on the road

Sacramento

The Kings (1-1) head north and will play at a “Mile High” in Denver when they will face the 0-1 Nuggets. This will be the first road back-to-back set for the Kings rookies. Denver is 0-1 this season. Game time is 6 p.m. PDT.

Dallas

The 0-2 Mavericks will head south to face the 2-0 Houston Rockets in their home opener. They will not have to see Chris Paul who will be out 2-4 weeks due to his knee injury.

Kings Press Row Podcast: Post-Mortem on loss to Rockets in season opener

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hosts Charlie O. Mallonee and Jordan Chapin

Fox to hoop
Fox was fearless in driving the lane against the Rockets on Wednesday night

  • Kings showed great effort versus the Rockets on Wednesday night

  • This was a classic battle between a Tier 1 team and a Tier 3 team

  • Willie Cauley-Stein silenced many of his detractors

  • The Kentucky connection came up big for the Kings in the opener – Cauley-Stein, Labissiere and Fox made a major impact in the game

  • Buddy Hield was a major player for SAC in the game

  • George Hill showed why the front office wanted him on the roster to provide a veteran presence on the floor

  • The Kings play their first game on the road Friday night in Dallas – this will be a Tier 3 vs Tier 3 game. Both teams will be in the 2018 Draft Lottery

  • It will be a chance to see Dennis Smith who many media reporters feel has the inside track on becoming Rookie of the Year

Join us for out next Kings Press Row Podcast next Tuesday only on SportsRadioService.com.

Cauley-Stein to hoop
Cauley-Stein goes up for 2 of his 21 points