Tag: Cleveland Cavaliers

Cleveland Cavaliers guard James Harden (1) passes the ball against the Sacramento Kings DeMar DeRozan (10) and Maxime Raynaud (42) in the first half at Golden 1 in Sacramento on Sat Feb 7, 2026 (AP News photo)

Sacramento Kings podcast Barbara Mason:

1.The Kings suffered their 12th loss in a row-their worst stretch this season losing to the Cleveland Cavaliers 132-126.

2.Now that the trade deadline has past the Kings has stayed pretty much intact with only Keon Ellis and Dennis Shroder being traded before the deadline.

3. Despite the loss this was a well-played game for the Kings with every starter scoring in double digits as well as double digits from two of their bench players.

4.There are some very promising young players for Sacramento right now both starting and on the bench. Despite the rough time they are going through there just might be some light at the end of the tunnel.

5. Monday night the Kings have traveled to Smoothie King Arena in New Orleans in a quick turnaround taking on the struggling Pelicans, another opportunity to break their losing streak.

Barbara Mason does the Sacramento Kings podcasts Mondays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Whether you’re pre-gaming with the Kings or celebrating an A’s win, Cyprus Grille at the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena is your downtown go-to.

⚡Craft cocktails? Check.
🔥Game-day bites? Oh yeah.
🏟️Steps from Golden 1 Center? You bet.

Open daily, Cyprus Grille is serving up local flavor with a front-row seat to the action. Stop by before or after the game—or make it your new downtown hangout.

Cyprus Grille—where fans fuel up.

📍Located inside the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena @ 300 J Street

Happy Hour – 4pm-6pm

Show your ticket for additional discounts when dining in. 

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Jayson Tyson (20) goes to the basket against the Sacramento Kings guard Malik Monk (0) at Rocket Arena in Cleveland on Fri Jan 23, 2026 (AP News photo)

Sacramento Kings podcast Tony Harvey:

#1 Domantas Sabonis delivered a big performance off the bench with 24 points and 16 rebounds — how would you evaluate his energy and impact against Cleveland, especially during key stretches in the second half?

#2 Dennis Schröder had a strong scoring night with 21 points — what adjustments did he make to find rhythm against the Cavaliers’ defense, and how important was that for the team’s offensive flow?

#3 DeMar DeRozan contributed 20 points — what did you see from him in terms of leadership and execution down the stretch, particularly in late-game possessions?

#4 After taking a late lead before a Cleveland comeback, what do you think the Kings can learn from how they closed out the fourth quarter, both offensively and defensively?

#5 Given that Sacramento continues a long road trip, how do you assess the team’s resilience and recovery, especially from players like Sabonis and Schröder who logged heavy minutes Friday night?

Join Tony Harvey for the Sacramento Kings podcasts Saturdays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Whether you’re pre-gaming with the Kings or celebrating an A’s win, Cyprus Grille at the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena is your downtown go-to.

⚡Craft cocktails? Check.
🔥Game-day bites? Oh yeah.
🏟️Steps from Golden 1 Center? You bet.

Open daily, Cyprus Grille is serving up local flavor with a front-row seat to the action. Stop by before or after the game—or make it your new downtown hangout.

Cyprus Grille—where fans fuel up.

📍Located inside the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena @ 300 J Street

Happy Hour – 4pm-6pm

Show your ticket for additional discounts when dining in. 

Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Mitchell (31) goes for the basket against the Sacramento Kings forward Domantas Sabonis (right) at Rocket Arena in Cleveland on Fri Jan 23, 2026 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

The Sacramento Kings (12-33) hung with the Cleveland Cavaliers (25-20) through the first half and half of the third only to give up their lead which grew significantly in the fourth quarter. Sacramento lost the game 123-118 after trailing by two points with 90 seconds left in the game.

They had a great opportunity to win this game but a couple of fouls and missed shots in the final minute of play determined the winner. The Kings bench started the game and finished the first half with a collective 47 points.

Game recap: The Kings had a sluggish start, the Cavaliers going on a 11-0 run but battled back to tie up this game after the first 12 minutes of play. The first quarter came to an end with the two teams knotted at 35.

After some less than stellar games from their starters, the Kings played the majority of the opening quarter with their bench taking the court. They did not disappoint as they’re starters watched much of the game from the sidelines.

The second quarter was another see-saw battle with the two teams continuing to trade leads. The Cavaliers had as much as a 14 point lead in the game but it was Sacramento who led for much of the second quarter. The Kings outscored Cleveland in the quarter 36-33 and took a 71-68 lead into the half.

The Kings bench had a great first half of basketball collectively scoring 47 points. In the first two quarters Domantas Sabonis, Dennis Schroeder and Malik Monk each had double digits, Sabonis with 14, Schroeder with the team high of 17 and Monk with ten points.

The starters saw more action in the second quarter scoring 24 points collectively. Sacramento would need to take this battle into the second half and continue to keep pace with the Cavaliers.

Both teams were shooting well from the line and the Kings had the edge from beyond the arc and inside. Points in the paint were dead even with each team scoring 24 points. Another plus for the Kings was limiting the turnovers with only four in the half.

Three Cleveland starters finished the first half with double digits. Evan Mobley had the high for the first half with 19 points and Donovan Mitchell turning in 18 points.

The third quarter was more of the same with the Kings leading for the first five minutes of play by as much as five points. At 5:33 the Cavaliers took their most significant lead since the first quarter 87-82.

For the rest of the third quarter Cleveland continued to extend their lead taking a 100-89 lead with 1:22 left in the third. Going into the fourth quarter Cleveland had taken a 102-93 lead.

The Kings had trailed 11-0 to start the game and recovered and now they would need another surge with 12 minutes left in the game to do it. Four minutes into the final quarter the Kings made their move, cutting the 11-point Cavalier lead to four points 106-102 with 8:29 left in the game.

With 90 seconds left on the clock the Kings trailed by a couple of points 118-116. With a great chance to pull even it came down to Sacramento fouls and far too many missed shots in the final seconds. Sacramento has now lost four games in a row.

Sabonis finished the game with a double double. He had 24 points the high for the team and 16 rebounds. Schroeder had 21 points. DeRozan finished the game with 20 points but not much more for the King starters. The team had 11 turnovers in this game and hit 13 3-pointers. Schroeder was 3 of 5 from beyond the arc and Monk was 4 of 9.

Game notes: Friday night the Kings took on the Cavaliers in their first game on the road in quite awhile. They come into this game after losing to the Toronto Raptors last Wednesday 122-109 and prior to that game they lost to the Miami Heat 130-117.

The Kings lost four games in a row the first three of them at Golden 1 Arena. Friday night the Kings sought to break their losing streak and get back on track. The Kings needed more production off their bench and looked to Nique Clifford, Dylan Cardwell, Malik Monk and Dennis Schroeder to get the Kings going in the right direction despite the effort the Kings lost by a five point deficit. Upon his return Domantas Sabonis will continue to play off the bench.

Donovan Mitchell had the high for the game hitting 33 and Evan Mobley had a double double with 29 points and 13 rebounds on Friday.

Sunday the Kings will travel to Detroit for a matchup with the Pistons. Tipoff for this game is scheduled for 12:00 PM.

The Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland (left) drives to the basket on the Sacramento Kings guard Keon Ellis (23) in first half action at Rocket Mortgage Arena in Cleveland on Sun Apr 6, 2025 (AP News photo)

Sacramento Kings podcast Barbara Mason:

#1 How shocking is that that the Sacramento Kings were able to pull off a win over the NBA’s best the Cleveland Cavaliers twice in one season?

#2 The Kings Zach LaVine scored 37 points, had 11 points in the crucial fourth quarter as the Kings defeated the Cavaliers on Sunday 120-113 at Rocket Mortgage Arena.

#3 The Kings DeMar DeRozan scored 28 points and Domantas Sabonis scored 27 points and had nine rebounds as the Kings picked up their second straight win and improved their position in the Western Conference to ninth place.

#4 The Cavaliers Ty Jerome’s 20 points were the most followed up by Donovan Mitchell 19. Jerome had been out since Mar 25th after missing five games with left knee tendinitis.

#5 It’s off to Detroit and the Pistons at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit. The Pistons are sixth in the Western Conference and have won six of their last ten games. The Kings are battling to try and get a playoff spot and the Pistons are a playoff team how do you see these two teams matching up for tonight’s game?

Join Barbara Mason for the Kings podcasts Mondays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Sacramento Kings center Domantas Sabonis (11) take the ball to the hoop against the Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen (31) and guard Max Strus (1) in the first half at Rocket Arena in Cleveland on Sun Apr 6, 2025 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

Sunday afternoon the Sacramento Kings (37-40) pulled off a second upset of the Cleveland Cavaliers (62-15) this season 120-113. Zach LaVine came unhinged finishing with 37 points. He was on fire hitting seven triples going 7 of 11.

Demar DeRozan scored 28 points and Domantas Sabonis finished with 27. Sacramento hit 14 three’s. The Kings outscored the Cavaliers in the third quarter 35-22 setting the stage for the upset. This win will go a long way towards their fight for a playoff spot.

As this game finished up, the Phoenix Suns lost to the New York Knicks 112-98. The Suns loss gives the Kings a three-game lead for tenth place and they still have a shot to move into ninth place with a little help from the Mavericks.

Game recap: The Sacramento Kings had a great start in the opening quarter leading 31-27 after the first 12 minutes of play. Domantas Sabonis spearheaded a great start scoring 15 points with four rebounds.

Zach LaVine chipped in seven points and the Kings were waiting on DeMar DeRozan to get his engine working. It had been an excellent start for Sacramento and the true test for the Kings would be to keep the pressure on Cleveland and dictate the pace of the game going into the second quarter and beyond.

The Cavaliers took the lead throughout the second quarter and had led by as many as seven points. When the quarter came to an end, the Cavaliers had outscored Sacramento 30-25. The Kings had continued to shave the Cleveland lead and it paid off for them.

The Kings sure know what is at stake right now. and they were playing like it. At the buzzer Keon Ellis hit a triple (43-ft) to trail by a single point 56-57 as the first half came to an end. Sabonis continued to lead the scoring for Sacramento finishing the first half with 19 points and eight rebounds. Zach LaVine was following suit hitting 15 points and DeMar DeRozan was on the edge of double digits with eight points.

Going into the third quarter the Cavaliers hung onto the lead throughout most of the quarter until the final two minutes when the Kings turned it all around. With 53 seconds left on the clock, the Kings had taken a 10-point lead 87-77.

At the end of three quarters, the Sacramento Kings had taken a 91-79 lead. DeMar DeRozan had really heated up finishing the quarter with 19 points. Sacramento had to hold on for one more quarter to pull their second Cleveland upset of the season.

The Kings held on in the fourth quarter but the Cavaliers started to chip away at the Sacramento lead and at 7:47 it was a tie game at 96. The Kings were holding onto their lead but not extending it and they paid for it when the Cavaliers took the lead at 7:04 101-100.

For nearly the next two minutes this was a one-point game or tied with both teams trading the lead. At 6:06 the Kings had pushed back their lead to 105-101 and this game was going down to the wire. With under two minutes left in the game the Kings had taken a 116-111 lead in this nail-biter. As time expired, the Sacramento Kings had beaten the Cleveland Cavaliers for a second time this season.

Game notes: Sunday afternoon the Kings took on the hottest team in the NBA, the Cleveland Cavaliers and shocked the NBA world with a second win of the season over the Cavaliers .

The Kings finally got a win on Friday in Charlotte beating the lowly Hornets 125-102 and face a major challenge against the giants of the NBA. While the Kings were hardly favored in this game, they did beat Cleveland last month March 19 by the score of 123-119 in a thriller.

Sacramento were without the services of Keegan Murray who is out with a back issue. The Kings relied on Trey Lyles who had seven points and Doug McDermott who did not play but were around to pick up the slack in the front court.

While this game doesn’t have huge meaning for the Cavs a win would have meant a home court advantage for the duration of the playoffs. For the Kings this win means a whole lot more as they are fighting to retain their tenth place position in the Western Conference.

After this wild win, the Sacramento Kings will jump on a plane and head into Detroit to take on the Pistons on Monday night, their final road game of the regular season. Tipoff for the Detroit matchup is scheduled for 4:00 PM PDT at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.