Tag: Dallas Mavericks

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

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

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

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

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

OMG! The Kings win second consecutive game downing the Mavericks 98-87

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment

by Charlie O. Mallonee

SACRAMENTO–Here is your 2:20 Game Wrap from the Kings 98-87 win over the Mavericks

It is that time of year when winning can be losing and losing can be winning

If you are an NBA team that is not headed to the Playoffs, there is very little incentive for your management to encourage your team to win games. The fact is – the more games your team loses – the better your chances are in the NBA Draft Lottery and the NBA Draft.

The 2017 NBA Draft has been labeled as one of the most talent-laden drafts in a decade or more. Non-playoff teams want to have the best possible selection positions as possible for this once in decade or more event. The question becomes how do you tell your players and fans that their team needs to lose games now to make things better in the future.

“Tanking” is a word that no one in NBA HQ wants to hear or acknowledge exists. The whole concept of a professional sports team doing less than its best to win a game is repugnant to sports fans everywhere, but yet, the current draft system totally encourages teams to “tank” after they are eliminated from Playoff contention.

Commissioner Adam Silver and his staff need to come up with a plan that rewards non-playoff teams for winning rather than losing as they head into the Draft Lottery. It would be better for the fans, players and the game overall. The game cannot have a system where winning is losing.

The Kings won the game because of their 3-point shooting and rebounding

The Kings shot an incredible 54.5-percent (12-for-22) from beyond the 3-point line on Tuesday night. Ben McLemore was a perfect 5-for-5 from downtown. Buddy Hield hit 4-of-7 from long range. Langston Galloway converted 2-of-4 three point attempts.

The Mavericks attempted 43 three-point shots. They were successful just 12 times(27.9-percent).

Sacramento outrebounded Dallas 50-39. The Kings grabbed 10 offensive rebounds and 40 on defense.

The Kings outscored the Mavs in the paint 38-30.

Ben Mac was on fire

Ben McLemore scored 11 points in the final 4:02 of the third quarter. He would go on to lead the Kings in scoring with 22 points. McLemore went 5-for-5 from beyond the 3-point arc.

Buddy Hield – the Western Conference Rookie of the Month – finished with 16 points. Four of his five field goals were 3-point baskets.

The Kings converted 12-of-22 (54.5-percent) from 3-point land in the game.

Game snapshot

  • Biggest lead: Kings 12 Mavericks 7
  • Lead changes in game 10
  • Number of times the game was tied 9

Coach Joerger’s final analysis of the game

Up next for the Kings

The Kings will have two days to rest and regroup before they have to fly to Southern California to face the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night.

The Warriors cruise to victory over the Dallas Mavericks 108-99

Published on by rxsluggerLeave a comment

by Jerry Feitelberg

Oakland- The Golden State Warriors defeated the Dallas Mavericks Friday night at Oracle Arena 108-99. The Mavs, making their second visit to Oakland, did not have former Warrior Andrew Bogut in uniform. Mavs’ coach Rick Carlisle decided to rest Bogut after he played las night in Los Angeles. The other former Warrior, Harrison Barnes, was in uniform and he led the Mavs in scoring with 25 points.

The two teams played a very even first quarter. The game was tied at 29 after the first 12 minutes of play. The Dubs took the lead for good in the second quarter. They played a very methodical quarter as they ended the half leading 59-48. The Dubs were rebounding well, and they scored 15 points using the fast break. The core four of Kevin Durant, Steph Curry, Draymond Green, and Klay Thompson all were instrumental in leading the Dubs to the 11-point advantage at the half 59-48. The Dubs shot 54% from the floor, the had 17 assists and just 4 turnovers. They also outscored the Mavs in the paint 24-12.

The Dubs, behind Klay Thompson’s 17 points in the third quarter, increased the lead to 22 91-69. Thompson was in one of his patented “zones, Nowitzki” and his teammates were finding him as often as they could. However, the fourth quarter, as has been the case the last two games, was ugly. The Mavs outscored the Dubs 30-17 but could not overcome the 22 point deficit. The Dubs scored just 7 points in the last 7minutes and 11 seconds of the game. They did not score a point in the last 3:32. Warriors win 108-99

Game Notes- Kevin Durant recorded his first triple-double of the season. He scored 19 to go along with 10 assists and 11 rebounds. Klay Thompson led the Dubs with 29. Draymond Green pitched in with 13 points, seven assists, and eight boards. Steph Curry finished the night with 14.  The Warriors’ bench players made significant contributions, too. JaVale McGee and David West each scored 8 points. Ian Clark had seven and Shaun Livingston knocked down six. The Mavs were led by Harrison Barnes 25 pointNowitzki, in his 19th season had eleven and Deron Williams also scored eleven. Neither player scored in the second half. Wesley Matthews had 14, Seth Curry 11 and former Stanford Cardinal standout, Dwight Powell pitched in with 10. Most of Powell’s scores came in the fourth quarter and almost got the Mavs back into the game.

The Warriors improve to 29-5, the best record in the NBA. The Mavs fall to 10-24.

After the game when asked about his performance, Klay Thompson said that he was “being patient, trying to get a great shot.” He also said this about his team:”we moved the ball well and we shared the ball well.” Klay answered this when asked about Kevin Durant. “He does everything great. He is huge for us.”

The Warriors meet the Denver Nuggets on Monday, January 2nd at Oracle Arena at 7:30 pm.

 

Kings fail to show up; lose to Mavs 99-79

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment

 

Sacramento Kings v Dallas Mavericks
Cousins was the Kings offense in Dallas on Sunday photo: NBAE

by Charlie O. Mallonee

The Sacramento Kings went into Dallas on Sunday with a chance to finish a three-game road with a winning record and hand the Mavericks their second loss to the Kings in 12 days at the American Airlines Center. Instead, the Kings never had a lead in the game, allowed the Mavericks to dominate from beyond the 3-point arc, did not support a 33-point performance by DeMarcus Cousins and lost the game 99-79.

The Kings (10-17) were coming off a big victory in Memphis on Friday night were they to had grind their way to a 96-92 win against a team that makes it living grinding the opposition down to defeat them. Momentum should have been with them as they faced a team they had destroyed just days earlier.

The Mavericks (7-20) were coming off a devastating loss in Utah on Friday night. Dallas had tied the game up at 100-all with seconds remaining. Deron Williams missed a shot that could have won the game for Dallas and Rodney Hood drove the ball into the frontcourt for the Jazz, pulled up hitting a 26-foot jump shot to give the Utah a 3-point lead with 0.8-seconds remaining. The Jazz won the game 103-100.

It appears the motivation of overcoming a loss was stronger than the motivation of establishing a winning streak on Sunday night.

New season low point total for the Kings

The final total of 79 points was a new season low for Sacramento.  Why did the Kings score so few points? Poor shooting percentage would be the number one problem:

  • The Kings shot 39.5-percent (30-for-76) from the floor. The odds of winning an NBA game really drop when a team shoots under 40-percent
  • Converting just 8-of-31 (25.8-percent) 3-point shot opportunities. It is a 3-point league and a long-range shooting percentage in the 20s is going to make it tough to win
  • Going just 11-for-17 (64.7-percent) from the free throw line. They call it the “charity stripe” for a reason. A team has to take advantage of those uncontested shots. The small total of 17 attempts tells you that the Kings did not drive it to the basket enough in the game

Lack of scorers in double figures for Sacramento

The Kings had only two players post totals in double figures on Sunday night. DeMarcus Cousins put up 33 points while shooting 50-percent from the field. He also recorded nine rebounds. Ty Lawson was the only other Kings player to score in double figures in support of Cousins big effort. Lawson scored 10 points off the bench.

Sacramento had only two players who had scored more than three points at the half.

By contrast, the Mavericks had six players post scoring totals in double figures. Four of the five Dallas starters scored in double digits. Former King Seth Curry scored 13 points coming off the bench for the Mavs.

Sacramento Kings v Dallas Mavericks
Ben McLemore handles the ball for the Kings photo: NBAE

The Mavericks guards dominated the backcourt play

Dallas guards outscored the Sacramento guards 57-17 in the game. The Mavericks guards helped lead a 44.2-percent (34-for-77) shooting barrage that included hitting 13-of-33 shots from 3-point land.

A major loss of momentum for the Kings

A win in Dallas would have given the Kings a winning record on the three-game road trip. Now the Kings come home on Tuesday to face a Portland team that they have already lost to once this season before heading back out on the road for two more games before Christmas.

The Kings then have to go to Utah on Wednesday night for second game of a back-to-back set. They lost 104-84 on their last visit to Salt Lake City.

After facing Utah, the Kings have to travel to Minnesota to face the Timberwolves on Friday night. The T-Wolves have won just seven games this season but so has Dallas. Plus, we know that the road is a very fickle place in the NBA.

Sacramento Kings v Dallas Mavericks
Cousins drives to the basket in Dallas photo: NBAE

The Kings will need Gay and Casspi back

Sacramento was without Rudy Gay (right hip flexor strain) and Omri Casspi (illness) for the second consecutive game on Sunday night. The Kings could use the firepower of both players back in their lineup on Tuesday when they face the Trail Blazers.

Kings grind out a win in Memphis 96-92

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment
Sacramento Kings v Memphis Grizzlies
Cousins takes the shot in Memphis photo: NBAE

by Charlie O. Mallonee

The Sacramento Kings went into Memphis seeking a win in a city where they had not recorded a victory since 2009 but have posted 12 straight losses. The Kings were also taking their new head coach Dave Joerger back to the city where he was the head man for three years and an assistant coach for six years before they went their separate ways after last season.

If that was not enough motivation, the Kings also needed to bounce back the demoralizing loss to the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night 132-98.

The Kings did respond to all of those motivating factors and beat the Grizzlies on the road 96-92. It was not a pretty win. Both teams played very physical basketball and packed the paint rather than depending on the 3-point shot to win as the Rockets did in Houston. Ironically in a game that was not about 3-pointers, the Grizzlies Troy Daniels made it a 3-point game with 55.3-seconds remaining in the game with a “trey” from 26-feet away from the basket.

The Kings were able to hold on following Ty Lawson hitting 1-of-2 free throws to win the game 96-92.

Kings coach Dave Joerger sounded a bit conflicted after the game

“Kind of a crazy game. A lot of fouls – a lot of free throws, but from a personal stand point a very difficult day for me. You know … to come in here having spent as much of my love and time and family  in this community and we love it. It was not an enjoyable game to coach from that aspect. But, now I’m here and these are my guys now. I’m really proud of them. I congratulated them. We’ve had some great efforts … or performances I should say. Kosta Koufos was fantastic tonight. I thought Garrett Temple had a nice game. I thought Darren (Collison) got us in and out of stuff,” said Joerger after the win.

NBA: Sacramento Kings at Memphis Grizzlies
Marc Gasol talks with his former coach Dave Joerger before the game in Memphis photo: Justin Ford USA Today Sports

Koufos and Temple step up big for Sacramento in the win

  • The Kings were without two key players on Friday as Rudy Gay – a former Grizzly – did not dress due to a right hip flexor strain and Omri Casspi sat out due to illness
  • Garrett Temple started at shooting guard and responded by scoring 17 points, grabbing six rebound, adding four assists and two steals in 37-minutes of playing time. Temple shot 4-for-11 but went 3-for-6 from long range was a perfect 6-for-6 from the free throw line. He may be playing himself into the role of starting shooting guard
  • Kosta Koufos – another former Grizzly – may have played his best game of the year to date. He scored a season-high 16 points and made it a double-double by hauling in 13 rebounds. Seven of his rebounds were offensive boards that kept possessions alive. Koufos got his running baby hook shot going the way he likes for the first time this season in the game as well. The downside in his night was he hit just 2-of-6 from the foul line
  • DeMarcus Cousins had some struggles with the physical play of the Grizzlies particularly in the first half. He shot just 2-for-10 and scored only nine points in the first 24 minutes. In the second half, the big man shot 5-for-10 and scored 13 points to bring his total points to a game-high 22. Cousins did get into foul trouble picking up his fifth personal with 6:02 to go in the game. He fouled out of the game with 1:27 remaining which gave hope to a surging Memphis team
  • Darren Collison scored 11 points and dished out six assists in 37-minutes at point guard in the victory
  • Other contributions: Matt Barnes seven points and 10 rebounds; Anthony Tolliver nine points; Ben McLemore – who started at forward – scored eight and Ty Lawson added six points
Sacramento Kings v Memphis Grizzlies
Temple on the dribble-drive in Memphis photo: NBAE

Kings (10-16) team numbers were not great but were good enough for the win

  • Shooting: 31-for-80 (38.8- percent) – you do not record a win shooting under 40-percent very often
  • 3-point shooting 7-for-24 (29.2-percent)
  • Free throw shooting 27-for-37 (73-percent) missed free throws could have cost the Kings this game
  • 45 rebounds including 13 offensive boards
  • Turnovers 12 which led to nine Memphis points
  • Points off turnovers – Sacramento score 17 points off 13 Memphis turnovers
  • 18 assists, six blocked shot and five steals

Memphis (18-10) played their typical “grind house” game

  • The Grizzlies are not a team that is going to outshoot you from 3-point land or overwhelm the opposition with their overall shooting percentage. They are a defense first team that is most comfortable scoring in the paint
  • Memphis matched the Kings scoring 36 points in the paint
  • The Grizzlies just edged out the Kings in second chance points 15-13
  • Memphis out-rebounded Sacramento 47-45
  • The Grizzlies shot 37.7-percent (29-for-77) from the field and 5-for-20 (20-percent) for 3-pointers and Troy Daniels hit four of those shots.
  • Memphis tried to take advantage of their free throw opportunities going 29-for-36 (80.6-percent) from the line
  • Marc Gasol led the Grizzlies scoring attack with 20 points. Tony Allen added 16, Troy Daniels put in 13 while Andrew Harrison recorded 11 to go with Zach Randolph’s 10
Sacramento Kings v Memphis Grizzlies
Koufos guards Gasol Photo: NBAE

Coming up on the schedule

The Kings move on to Dallas where they will face the Mavericks on Sunday. The game time has been changed because the Cowboys game has been moved to Sunday Night Football. The game will now tipoff at 1 p.m. PST. The Mavericks lost a heartbreaker to the Jazz in Utah on Friday night 103-100 on a last second 3-point basket.

Speaking of the Jazz, they travel to Memphis to play the Grizzlies on Sunday.

Matt Barnes wanted by NYC Police for assault in night club

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment

by Charlie O. Mallonee

TMZ Sports was the first to release news that Sacramento Kings forward Matt Barnes was involved in an incident in a New York City area night club early Monday morning.

barnes-cousins-kings

Barnes was in the club with teammate DeMarcus Cousins. According to the story, Barnes became involved in some sort of altercation with a woman in the club and the woman was choked by Barnes. Another man and woman tried to intervene and were reportedly punched by Barnes.

Per the TMZ story, video they obtained that shows Barnes and Cousins after the fight has the Kings center talking about hitting one of the people involved in the altercation.

http://www.tmz.com/2016/12/05/matt-barnes-bar-fight/?adid=hero1

In USA Today’s report on the altercation, they state the video obtained by investigators shows Barnes as being the assailant in the assault of the women and the man. The statement on the video content came from a source not authorized to release information on the contents of the evidence.

Barnes made a statement via Instagram that “there are two sides to every story.”

“We continue to cooperate fully with authorities,” said Barnes’ attorney Alex Spiro.

The Sacramento Kings issued the following statement on Monday:

“We have clear standards of conduct and behavior expected of the entire Kings organization – on and off the court. We are working with all parties involved to gather information in order to take any appropriate next steps.”

The Kings have a game in Dallas on Wednesday night with the Mavericks. Will Matt Barnes be with the team? That is open to question at this time.

What is not open to question is this is exactly the kind of situation the Kings did not at this time based on what is happening with the franchise on the floor.

 

 

Kings news & notes Monday 11-28-16

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment

by Charlie O. Mallonee

webber

Cousins passes Webber on the scoring list

DeMarcus Cousins scored a game-high 37 points in win over the Nets on Sunday night. Those 37 points allowed Cousins to pass Chris Webber for third on the all-time Sacramento Kings scoring list.

Cousins now has 8847 career points for Sacramento. Webber accumulated 8843 points during his six-plus years with Sacramento.

Peja Stojakovic is currently in second-place with 9498 points and the great Mitch Richmond holds down the number one spot with 12,070 points. The all-time franchise (Royals/Kings) points leader is Hall of Famer Oscar Robinson.

Based on his current scoring projections, Cousins could pass Stojakovic for second-place on the scoring list later this season.

It was a night of technical fouls plus a flagrant two ejection

DeMarcus Cousins picked up his fifth technical foul in the third quarter of the game for contact with Luis Scola’s face. It was incorrectly reported as his fourth technical foul in last night’s story. Cousins is now tied for the league lead in that category with DeAndre Jordan of the Clippers.

The Kings Kosta Koufos was charged with a technical foul in the fourth quarter for arguing with the officials. Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson picked up a “T” in the fourth out of frustration with the officials and his team. Nets guard Randy Foye was also a recipient of a technical late in the final period.

Matt Barnes received his flagrant two foul (which was a flagrant one all the way) and ejection from the officiating crew on Sunday night in Brooklyn.

Four technicals and a flagrant two ejection begins to sound like an officiating crew that might have lost control of a game. This would be a good game for the chief of officials to review.

The Kings went back to the big starting lineup on Sunday in Brooklyn

After using the the “small ball” starting lineup for the past three games, Sacramento head coach Dave Joerger went back to the “big lineup” versus the big Nets. That means Koufos started at center, Cousins slid back to power forward, Rudy Gay played the three, Arron Afflalo was at shooting guard and Darren Collison started as the Kings point guard.

Three Kings return to Reno

reno-sc

Center Georgios Papagiannis, Forward Skal Labissiere and Guard Malachi Richardson ended few days with the parent club and returned to the D-League on Sunday. The Bighorns hosted the Warriors D-League entry the Santa Cruz Warriors.

The Bighorns used a runaway second quarter to establish a solid lead over Santa Cruz and won their second game of the season 100-84.

Malachi Richardson led the Bighorns scoring attack with 24 points and made it a double-double with 11 rebounds. He shot 8-for-18 from the floor, 3-for-6 from 3-point range and hit 5-of-6 from the free throw line.

Skal Labissiere recorded 18 points and grabbed four rebounds. He went 6-for-11 shooting from the field and was 6-for-8 from foul line.

Papagiannis did not play which was listed as a coach’s decision. Kings head coach Dave Joerger had told us that having all three players in a game really limited the number of touches each player received and they want to maximize that number to speed up player development.

The Bighorns will host the Rio Grande Valley Vipers (Houston) on Thursday.

Don’t let this guy get to close to you on the court in D.C.

For entertainment purposes only

FiveThirtyEight.com says the Wizards have a 68-percent chance of beating the Kings tonight in Washington (remember: this is the second game of a back-to-back set on the road). FiveThirtyEight’s CARMELO system predicts the Wizards are the favorites minus 4.5 points.

CARMELO also predicts the Wizards will finish with a record of 34-48 and have a 31-percent chance of making the playoffs in the Eastern Conference.

The fellows who make those predictions for the owners of those big resorts say go with the Wizards minus 4.5 points. They call the over/under as 210 to 210.5.

Looking ahead to game six of the road trip in Dallas

dallas-dirk

As reported by HoopsHype via Dallas Morning News on the Dirk Nowitzki injury: He’s only played five of 16 games. “We have every expectation that it’s not serious,” owner Mark Cuban said. “It’s dramatically better. That’s why he played the other night (in Cleveland). He just felt it again, so there’s no reason to take a chance. We’re just being cautious.” Said Carlisle: “The important thing is that we’re doing the right things to get him to a full recovery. He’s come a long way in a four-plus week period. But it’s an Achilles strain and it’s taking time. My hope is that it can be complete sometime in December, sooner than later. But we just got to be patient with it. He’s too important to us. If we have to play without him, we’ll play without him.”

Reno Bighorns win their first game of the season downing Texas 110-108

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment

Charlie O. Mallonee

reno-vs-texas

The Reno Bighorns finally broke into the win column on Tuesday night when they edged the Texas Legends (Dallas Mavericks)  110-108. Malachi Richardson hit a jumper with one-tenth of a second left on the clock to break the tie and give the win to the Bighorns (1-4).

The Bighorns held a four-point lead at the end of three quarters. The Reno lead fluctuated between two to six points as the Legends tried to retake the lead. With 7:58 to go in the game, Texas grabbed that lead and built it up to five points only to have the Bighorns comeback and tie things up with 4:31 to go.

The teams tied the game up three times in the final four minutes. The final tie coming with 16.7-seconds to play when the Legends Bryson Fonville banked in a three-foot jump shot to make it a 108-108 game.

Reno’s Lamar Patterson made a bad pass that was stolen by Fonville. Isaiah Cousins was able to steal the ball back for the Bighorns who called a timeout with 3.8-seconds left in the game and Reno trailing by two points.

The inbound pass went to Malachi Richardson who immediately put up a 21-foot jump shot that went through the hoop with 1-tenth of second remaining in the game which did not leave enough time for the Legends to make a basket.

The Bighorns won the game 110-108.

Bighorn scoring

  • Guard Lamar Patterson was the leading scorer in the game with 27 points. He went 12-for-14 from the free throw line. Patterson also had five steals.
  • Malachi Richardson not only hit the game winning shot – he put up 26 points and was also productive at the charity stripe hitting on 9-of-11 opportunities.
  • Skal Labissiere had a big game at center scoring 21 points in 28 minutes on the floor. He shot 9-for-16 in the game and grabbed eight rebounds.
  • Isaiah Cousins posted a double-double scoring 16 points and pulling in 10 rebounds.
  • Big Georgios Papagiannis – who was sent back to Reno from the Kings – also had a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds.

pattersonrls_lrg-1

Reno’s team numbers

  • Shooting 36-for-81 (44.4-percent)
  • 3-pointers 6-for-18 (33.3-percent)
  • Free Throws 32-for-38 (84.2-percent)
  • 47 rebounds, 16 assists, 11 steals, 3 blocked shots
  • 18 turnovers that resulted in 23 Texas points

Texas numbers

texas_legends

  • Shooting 39-for-87 (44.8-percent)
  • 3-pointers 8-for-24 (33.3-percent)
  • Free Throws 22-for-28 (78.6-percent)
  • 41 rebounds, 22 assists, 10 steals, five blocked shots
  • 20 turnovers that turned into 16 Reno points

Up next

Everyone in the NBA D-League has Thanksgiving off.

The Bighorns return to play on Friday night in Prescott Valley, Arizona when they visit the Northern Arizona Suns.

The Legends head back to Texas where they will host the Salt Lake City Stars on Saturday night.

The three players on Kings roster are recalled to Sacramento

reno3

Malachi Richardson-the fourth highest scorer in the D-League, Skal Labissiere and Georgios Papagiannis will enjoy their Thanksgiving dinner in Sacramento. All three players have been recalled by the Kings.

Kings head coach Dave Joerger told reporters last Friday in his pregame press conference to expect the players to go back and forth from Reno to Sacramento frequently. He also said that only two of the roster players will be in Reno a majority of the time in order to increase the number of shot opportunities for the players who are with the Bighorns. The Kings also feel it is good for the rookies to be around and practice with the veterans.

There are no option rules in the NBA like in Major League Baseball so players can move between a NBA roster and a NBA D-League roster whenever the parent club wants them to and as many times as the organization feels is appropriate for the players.

Who’s hot in the D-League?

Two of the Top 25 players who are rated most likely to make it to the NBA are on the Reno Bighorns:

  • #7 is Lamar Patterson is averaging 20.6 points and 4.4 assists per game
  • #20 is Isaiah Cousins is averaging 12.6 ppg and 3.6 assists per game
i-cousins-summer
Isaiah Cousins in the NBA Summer League

Both men are a “Affiliate Players” of the Sacramento Kings assigned to Reno. That means the Kings were able to send Patterson and Cousins to Reno without sending them through the D-League Draft so they can continue to learn the Sacramento style of play. However, both players remain free agents who can sign with any team in the NBA that offers them a contract.

  • Former Kings player Ray McCallum is currently ranked as the number two player most likely to be called up to “the Association”. He is playing for the Pistons D-League entry – the Grand Rapids Drive and is averaging 18.0 points to go with 9.3 assists per game.

The Warriors roll over the depleted Mavericks 116-95

Published on by rxsluggerLeave a comment

by Jerry Feitelberg

Oakland- The Golden State Warriors beat the Dallas Mavericks 116-95 at the Oracle Arena Wednesday night. Former Warrior starters Harrison Barnes and Andrew Bogut returned to the Bay Area for the first time since they left the club after last season. Both players received a very warm welcome from the fans when they were introduced before the start of the game. Barnes played and scored twenty-five points for Dallas, but Bogut did not play at all. In fact, Dirk Nowitzki sat out the game as well as guards Wesley Matthews and Deron Williams.

The Warriors played a terrific first half. The only time the Dubs didn’t lead was early in the first quarter when the game was tied at seven. Klay Thompson, who had been in a shooting slump, was on fire. He scored eighteen points in the first twelve minutes of play. He had four three-point shots and two buckets for his eighteen. Kevin Durant hit two three-point shots as did Draymond Green. The Dubs led by nineteen 34-15 after one period of play.

The Warriors remained hot in the second stanza as their defense continued to shut down the Dallas attack. In the meantime, Kevin Durant, Steph Curry, and Draymond Green led the relentless Warrior offense, and the Dubs led at the half by thirty-three points 67-34.

The third quarter, however, was a different story. The Mavericks went on a 25-9 run while the Warriors went to sleep. Steph Curry twisted his right ankle early in the third quarter and went to the locker room for treatment. He would return later. The Dubs were three-for-eleven from the floor with eight minutes played. They got back on track when Steph returned and led by sixteen 84-68 at the end of three. Steph took over in the fourth period and the Dubs led by twenty-three 103-80. Kevin Durant also played very well in the win. Steve Kerr inserted his bench players Kevon Looney, Patrick McCaw, J’Vale McGee, and Ian Clark to play against the Mavs’ bench players.

Kevin Durant led Golden State with 28 points and ten rebounds. Steph had 24 and six assists. Draymond Green had sixteen points, four assists, and ten boards. The Warriors shot 58.1% from the floor and made 17 three-point shots. They shot  51.5% from behind the arc. The Warriors moved the ball well as they had thirty-three assists in the game. The Mavs leading scorers were Harrison Barnes(25), 7Justin Anderson(16, seven assists and 8 rebounds), Dwight Powell(14points,9 boards). The Mavs shot 39.5% from the floor and just 21.9% on three-point shots.

The Warriors improve to 6-2 for the season and Dallas falls to 2-6. Mavs’ owner, Mark Cuban was in attendance at the Arena Wednesday night.
The Warriors play a back-to-back game Thursday night against the Denver Nuggets in Denver. Game time will be at 6:30pm PT.