Tag: De’Aaron Fox

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

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment
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.

 

 

Kings give maximum effort on the road but come up short to Jazz 103-97

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment
MASON vs Jazz
Frank Mason III takes it to the hoop vs Jazz Photo @SacramentoKings

by Charlie O. Mallonee

The Sacramento Kings ended a nightmare five games in seven nights stretch with a “Battle Royale” versus the playoff bound Utah Jazz in Salt Lake City on Saturday night. The Kings played a very competitive game for a full 48-minutes but came up just short losing to the Jazz 103-97.

The Kings had to battle the talent of the Jazz, the fatigue of having played at Golden State on Friday night and playing at altitude – SLC sits 4226 feet above sea level. Sacramento played those five games in five different cities – only the Miami game was played in SAC. They also played in three different time zones. Even under those adverse conditions, the Kings finished this punishing part of their schedule with two wins and three loses.

Despite not arriving in Utah until 2 am, Sacramento showed no fatigue starting the game fast and with high energy. The team continued to play hard in the second quarter and took a 54-50 lead into the locker room at halftime. The Kings 3-point shooting helped to carrying them in the first half as they 8-of-11 (72.7-percent) from behind the arc in the opening 24-minutes. Buddy Hield came off the bench to lead the scoring for Sacramento with 10 points while Rudy Gobert was the top scorer for the Jazz with 13.

The Kings have battled third-quarter let downs all season long but managed to avoid that problem in this game. They did fall behind by 10 points in the period but rebounded late in the quarter and trailed the Jazz by just one – 80 to 79 – after three quarters.

In the final period, the score seesawed back and forth with neither team able to take control of the game. The game was tied at 94-all with 40-seconds remaining. Joe Ingles hit two free throws to give Utah the lead then Ricky Rubio hit two from the charity stripe to give the Jazz a four-point lead 24-seconds to go.

The Kings had to foul to stop the clock and keep the game close. They fouled Gobert who converted two free throws to make it six-point game. Garrett Temple hit a 3-pointer to bring the Kings back within three-points then they had to foul Ingles again. Ingles hit the first free throw but missed the second. Gobert grabbed the rebound slammed the ball home to give the Jazz a 103-97 lead which would be the final score.

Top Performances

Kings

Utah Kings starting 5
Kings starting five vs Utah Photo @SacramentoKings
  • Buddy Hield came off the bench to be the leading scorer for his team with 23-points. “Buddy Buckets” shot 9-for-15 for the game and hit 5-of-8 3-point attempts. Hield also led his team with six assists.
  • Bogdan Bogdanovic posted 12 points but had a tough night shooting. He hit just 5-of-17 shots overall and was 2-for-3 from long-range.
  • Fox scored 11-points, grabbed four rebounds, made four steals and handed out two assists but also struggled from the field hitting just 4-of-13 attempts.
  • Garrett Temple had a good game coming off the bench to score 11-points. He shot 4-for-7 and was a perfect 3-for-3 from downtown.
  • Other Sac contributors: Cauley-Stein 9-points, Koufos and Mason III 8 each, Labissiere 7, Sampson 6, Jackson 2.

Jazz

Utah vs Kings 3-17
Photo @utahjazz
  • Rookie of the year candidate Donovan Mitchell was the high-scorer for the game with 28-points. Mitchell shot 11-for-21 from the field but was an awful 1-for-8 from 3-point land. He hit 5-of-6 from the free throw line.
  • Rudy Gobert recorded a double-double scoring 22 points and hauling in 13 rebounds.
  • Ricky Rubio was expected to miss the game after being injured in the Suns game on Thursday, but he did make the start. The point guard scored 14-points, recorded nine rebounds and dished out five dimes.
  • Joe Ingles posted 14 points, seven rebounds and a game-high nine assists.

By the Numbers

Sacramento (23-48)

  • The Kings bench outscored the Utah reserves 56-15. Dave Joerger would like to have that kind of bench production every game.
  • SAC was hot from behind the arc as they hit 14-of-21 (66.7-percent) from 3-point range versus the Jazz.
  • The team shot an acceptable 43-percent (37-for-86) for the game.
  • The Kings recorded 33 rebounds versus 48 for the Jazz.
  • Sacramento scored 20 points off 16 Utah turnovers.
  • SAC dished out 23 assists versus 14 turnovers.
  • The Kings went to the free throw line just 14 times while Utah went to the stripe 38 times.

Utah (40-30)

  • Second chance points may have been the key to the Jazz win Saturday night. Utah scored eight second chance points to just three for the Kings.
  • Success at the free throw line was also a major contributing factor in Jazz win. They converted 31-of-38 opportunities from line. Sacramento went 9-for-14 shooting free throws.
  • UTA dominated the battle in the paint outscoring SAC 46-30 down low.
  • Utah shot 44.6-percent (33-for-74) for the contest.
  • They did not have a great not from downtown hitting just 6-of-24 (25-percent) from 3-point range.

 Up Next

Kings

SAC opens a six-game homestand with the Detroit Pistons on Monday night at the Golden 1 Center. The Pistons made a big trade for Blake Griffin to make a drive for the playoffs in the Eastern Conference but are now six games out of contention for the eighth and final postseason spot.

Jazz

UTA will stay in Salt Lake City and prepare for the “tanking” Atlanta Hawks who will come to town on Tuesday night. The Hawks occupy last place in the NBA East. Atlanta will continue their road trip on Thursday night in Sacramento.

Kings beat the Warriors at Oracle 98-93

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment
GSW 2 vs Kings
Kings sweep both game in Oakland this season Photo @warriors

by Charlie O. Mallonee

The Sacramento Kings won in Oakland for the second time this season as they defeated the World Champion Golden State Warriors 98-93 on Friday night. Yes, the Warriors were shorthanded as Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant were all on the bench in street clothes due to injury but that is exactly when a team must take advantage of an opponent. “Kick ’em when they’re down” is the motto of successful teams.

The Golden State bench is also better than many of the starting lineups for non-playoff teams in the NBA. A team does not win a championship without having a very strong second unit and bench. The Warriors certainly meet those requirements.

Two Kings players who did not have terrific performances early in the contest came up big late in the game. De’Aaron Fox scored four of his six points in the final two minutes and forty-seconds of the game. Willie Cauley-Stein took a charge and then blocked a 3-point attempt by Nick Young that led to a game punctuating slam dunk that would seal the win for Sacramento.

Top Performances

Kings

GSW Kings starting 5
Kings starting versus the Warriors Photo @SacramentoKings
  • Buddy Hield not only led the Kings in scoring with 22 points but he provided a scoring punch that kept his team in the game when Warriors threatened to runaway with the contest. Hield not only led his team in scoring but he pulled down seven rebounds and distributed seven assists in just over 30 minutes of playing time.
  • Skal Labissiere returned to the floor after being out with a bruised hip that he suffered in a hard fall under the basket. The second-year power forward put up 15 points, grabbed five rebounds and dished out three assists. Labisissiere hit 3-of-4 attempts from 3-point land. He played just over 25 minutes in his return to action.
  • Kosta Koufos continued to be an impact player for the Kings as he scored five points and more importantly hauled in game-high 12 rebounds. Five of his rebounds came on offense which led to second chance scoring opportunities.
  • Other Kings scorers: Bogdanovic 11 points, Cauley-Stein 9, Mason 9, Jackson 8, Temple 8, Fox 6 and Randolph 5.

Warriors

gsw starting 5
Warriors starting five vs Kings Photo @warriors
  • Two-way player, point guard Quinn Cook made a real case that he should be playing in the NBA full-time next season by leading the Warriors with 25 points versus the Kings. Cook shot 10-for-13 overall and hit 5-of-7 from behind the 3-point arc.
  • Nick “Swaggy P” Young recorded 16 points but shot just 5-for-15 from the field and 3-for-8 from downtown.
  • Draymond Green recorded a double-double scoring 14 points and pulling down 10 rebounds. He also led GSW with seven assists.
  • Andre Iguodala added 11 points, four rebounds, two assists and one steal.
  • Former King Omri Casspi started the game strong with six points but had to leave the floor after playing just over six-minutes when came down on the foot of teammate’s foot and twisted his ankle.

By the Numbers

Sacramento (23-47)

  • The Kings shot 43.4-percent (36-for-43) from the floor. They converted 14-of-31 (45.2-percent) from 3-point range.
  • SAC went to the free throw line 17 times and hit 12 of those opportunities (70.6-percent).
  • Sacramento out-rebounded the Warriors 47-40 in the game. They grabbed 11 offensive rebounds and 36 rebounds on defense. The scored 16 second chance points (7-for-15) in the game.
  • The Kings recorded 25 assists and 14 turnovers. The TOVs resulted in 17 GSW points.

Golden State (52-17)

  • This loss dropped the Warriors two and one-half games behind the Western Conference leading Houston Rockets. If the season ended tonight, Golden State’s first round playoff opponent would be the Utah Jazz.
  • GSW shot 42-percent (34-for-81) for the game. They hit 12-of-26 (46.2-percent) 3-point shots.
  • They converted 13-of-18 (72.2-percent) chances from the free throw line.
  • The Warriors had 21 assists and committed 12 turnovers which became 17 Sacramento points.

Up Next

Kings

SAC will be back in action tomorrow night in Salt Lake City as they face the Utah Jazz in back end of of back-to-back road set. Ricky Rubio will not play after being injured in the Suns game on Thursday. They will have to face former King and Reno Big Horn David Stockton who has been signed by the Jazz to a 10-day contract.

Warriors

GSW will also complete a back-to-back set on Saturday night in Phoenix versus the Suns. The Warriors are hoping that their game will not be as physical as the Suns versus the Jazz game was on Thursday night.

 

Kings run out of air at a mile high as Denver wins 130-104 on Sunday

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment
SAC vs DEN featured image
photo @SacramentoKings

by Charlie O. Mallonee

The Sacramento Kings kicked off a short two-game, three-day road trip on Sunday afternoon 5280-feet in the air versus the Denver Nuggets. The loud crash that you heard was the Kings hitting the proverbial brick wall at 120 mph as they were blown out by the Nuggets 130-104.

Denver entered the contest fighting for their playoff lives in ninth-place in the Western Conference, one-half game out of eight-place and being in the NBA playoffs. With the battle for the playoff berths in the West so close, every game is critical for the Nuggets.

Their victory on Sunday moved Denver into a three-way tie for the eighth and final playoff spot with the Clippers and Jazz. The Nuggets are just one-half game behind seventh-place San Antonio.

The final 15-game stretch of the regular season in the Western Conference is going to be a real “dog fight” as 10 teams battle for eight playoff positions.

SAC was a statistical mess

The Kings just suffered in almost every area of the game on Sunday:

  • They shot 42.9-percent from the field while allowing Denver to shoot 56.2-percent for the game.
  •  The Kings went 6-for-31 (19.4-percent) from “3-point land” while the Nuggets hit 15-of-37 (40.5-percent) from long-range. If you are not hitting 3-pointers, a team cannot afford to have their 3-point defense breakdown and hope to win the game.
  • SAC was out-rebounded 51-38 in the game. The Nuggets owned the defensive glass pulling down 43 rebounds on defense to the Kings 31. A team like Sacramento needs those second-chance point opportunities.
  • The Kings had only three steals. Dave Joerger will not be happy with that number because he is all about making deflections on defense.
  • Sacramento recorded only one blocked shot in the game.

Positive numbers:

  • SAC went to the free throw line 26 times in the game which is they type of numbers the coaching staff would like to see on a consistent basis. The Kings converted 20 of those 26 free throw attempts.
  • The Kings protected the ball very well in the contest as they turned it over just three times which resulted in just five points for the Nuggets.

Individual numbers

Kings (21-46)

SAC vs DEN starting 5
 The Starting Five Photo @SacramentoKings
  • Kosta Koufos started at the five spot again. Koufos posted 14 points and he made it a double-double game with 10 rebounds.
  • De’Aaron Fox was back in the starting lineup and played just over 30-minutes. “Swipa” scored 12 points, distributed nine dimes and had three rebounds.
  • Buddy Hield came off the bench to lead the team in scoring with 18 points. “Buddy Buckets” had a much better shooting night hitting 8-of-15 field goal attempts. He did struggle a bit from behind the arc as hit converted 2-of-6 from long-range.
  • There was more good news for SAC as Willie Cauley-Stein returned after being out with back trouble. WCS scored 12 points and grabbed eight rebounds in just over 30 minutes of playing time.

Nuggets (37-30)

Denver’s starting five was very productive as four of the five scored in double figures and three of the five scored at least 20 points.

  • Nikola Jokic was the man for the Nuggets as he posted a triple-double scoring 20 points, pulling down 11 rebounds and distributing 10 assists. He also had a blocked shot.
  • Gary Harris was the leading scorer for the Nuggets with 21 points.
  • Jamal Murray was the other starter who scored 20 points for Denver shooting 8-for-16 for the game.
  • Trey Lyles had big game coming off the bench scoring 14 points in just over 18 minutes of playing time for his team.

Up next

Kings

SAC wraps up this mini two-game road trip in Oklahoma City on Monday night. The Kings are 4-9 on the second night of back-to-back games this season. The Thunder are 39-29 so far this season and are currently tied for fourth-place in the Western Conference.

Nuggets

Denver has Monday off and then returns to action on the road in Los Angeles versus the Lakers on Tuesday night.

Kings Press Row Podcast: The All-Star Break Edition

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press row podcast

hosts Charlie O and Jordan “Chape” Chapin

  • Kings dominate the “Rising Stars Game”

  • Bogi grabs the MVP honors in the game

  • A look at the Kings revamped roster

  • A review of the remaining schedule

  • Total wins projection for the season

  • The role of Iman Shumpert

  • The return of Frank Mason III and Skal Labissiere

The Kings send the Mavs into the All-Star break with a 114-109 loss in Dallas

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment

00 vs Dal

by Charlie O. Mallonee

Two NBA Draft Lottery teams met on the court in Dallas on Tuesday night. The Sacramento Kings and Dallas Mavericks are both looking ahead to next season right now because neither team will be a playoff contender.

The Kings were playing the second of three games on the road before the All-Star Break. Sacramento lost their first road game in Minneapolis on Sunday night. The game in Dallas was the first contest of a “Texas Two-Step” that finishes with a game versus the Rockets in Houston on Wednesday night.

The Kings shocked the Mavericks by handing them a 114-109 loss on their home court to sweep the season series in Dallas. That is the first time that has happened since 2003.

Sacramento jumped out to a 29-16 lead in the first quarter and led the Mavs 65-44 at the half.

Dallas finally woke up in the third quarter behind the play of Harrison Barnes and closed the gap to 17 points. The Kings held an 88-71 lead after three quarters.

Dallas dropped in 38 points in the fourth quarter behind J.J. Barea’s 12 points and Dirk Nowitzki’s 10 point effort. The Kings recorded just 26 points in the final period. The Mavericks outscored the Kings 65-49 in the second half.

Sacramento ran out of gas in the fourth period but they were able to hang on for the win. It was their quick start out of the gate that allowed the Kings to win the game. The Mavericks outscored the Kings in the third and fourth quarters but it was not enough to overcome Sacramento’s strong early start.

This was the Kings 10th road win of the season.

Star Performers 

5 in DAL

Kings

  • Once again – it was one of the “old guys” who starred for the Kings as Zach Randolph scored a game-high 22 points. Z-Bo hit 10-of-15 shots from the field and went 2-for-3 from 3-point range. He also grabbed seven rebounds and dished out three assists.
  • Kings rookie (Euro veteran) Bogdan Bogdanovic scored 19 points hitting 8-of-17 from the floor with three of those baskets being 3-pointers. Bogie also hauled in five rebounds and dished four assists in almost 34-minutes of playing time.
  • Rookie point guard De’Aaron Fox scored 11 points and distributed seven assists while playing just over 31-minutes in the game. Fox also recorded four rebounds and had one steal in the contest.
  • Special recognition goes to the Sacramento starting five who all scored in double-digits versus Dallas.

Mavericks

  • J.J. Barea was the man for Dallas in the game as he posted a double-double. Barea scored 19 points and handed out 13 assists in the game. Five of his baskets were 3-pointers.
  • Harrison Barnes had a slow start but you are not going to keep a talent like Barnes silent. He posted 18 points, five rebounds, two assists and one steal in the game.
  • Rookie point guard Dennis Smith Jr. put up 17 points while handing out three assists and recording three rebounds.
  • Dwight Powell scored 18 points coming off the bench.

Prime Numbers

Sacramento (18-38)

  • The Kings shot 54-percent (47-for-87) for the game. They hit 12-of-29 (41.4-percent) shots from 3-point range.
  • Sacramento went 8-for-12 (66.7-percent) from the free throw line.
  • The Kings handed out 30-assists while committing only nine turnovers which resulted in 17 points for the opponents.
  • There was only one lead change in the game and the Kings largest lead in contest was 26 points.

Dallas (18-40)

  • The Mavericks hit 38-of-83 (45.8-percent) shots from the floor. The went 15-for-40 (37.5-percent) from long-range.
  • Dallas tried to get healthy from the free throw line by hitting 18-of-23 chances from the charity stripe.
  • The Mavericks recorded 29 assists while committing only nine turnovers which became seven Sacramento points.
  • Dallas was outscored in the paint 56-38 by the Kings

Up Next

Sacramento

The Kings will complete their “Texas two-step” on Wednesday night when they play the Rockets in Houston. Then, it’s All-Star Break time for the men in purple and black (baby blue and red depending on uniform choices).

Dallas

The Mavericks are on their All-Star Break as of now. They will return to action on February 23rd in LA against the Lakers.

Kings play tough in Minnesota but come up just short losing 111-106

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment

Kings vs Twolves final

by Charlie O. Mallonee

Style points are usually reserved for events in the Olympics. Well, the Winter Olympics are in full swing and the Kings are in full “player development mode”, so we have to judge them on more than just wins and losses.

For their efforts in Minnesota on Sunday night, the young Kings get a 10 for effort, a 10 for hustle and eight for style. Sacramento lost the game to the T-Wolves 111-106, but they did what no one really expected them to do in this first game of a three-game road trip. The Kings made it a very competitive game.

The Kings did two major things right on Sunday night:

  1. They came out of the gate an played hard from the opening jump ball. De’Aaron Fox led the way scoring 14 points in first period as the Kings outscored the Timberwolves 29-23 in the first quarter. Sacramento also played some tough defense as they gave up only 23 points.
  2. The second thing the Kings did well on Sunday night is they avoided the dreaded third quarter letdown. Sacramento has established a habit of playing very ineffective basketball in the third stanza and then having to try to come back in dramatic fashion in the fourth quarter to make up for bad third quarters. The Kings won the third quarter on Sunday night 26-19

The Timberwolves superior firepower took its toll in the fourth quarter as they outscored the Kings 36-26 to win the game 111-106. The game was competitive right up until the final seven-seconds of the contest.

The victory was the Timberwolves 13th consecutive win on their homecourt. That is truly an incredible run.

Star Performances

Kings

Kings vs Twolves 5

  • Rookie De’Aaron Fox played an outstanding game in his almost 35-minutes on the floor. Beyond his 14 points in the first quarter, Fox finished the game with a team-high 23 points. He shot 8-for-16 from the floor and went 6-for-8 from the free throw line. Fox added three steals and two assists to his stats for the game.
  • Buddy Hield had another productive game coming off the bench. Hield played just under 19-minutes but manged to post 16 points in that time on the floor. Hield shot 6-for-13 including going 2-for-5 from 3-point land. Buddy also recorded four rebounds, two steals, one assist and one blocked shot.
  • Rookie (well NBA rookie) Bogdan Bogdanovic put 13 points in the book in 30-plus minutes on the floor. He shot 5-for-12 from the field and hit 2-of-5 from behind the 3-point arc. Bogie also dished out eight assists in the game.

T-Wolves

Kings vs Twolves extra

  • To no one’s surprise, the big KAT was the man for Minnesota on Sunday night. Karl-Anthony Towns scored a game-high 29 points shooting 10-for-17 from the floor. Towns went a perfect 7-for-7 from the free throw line. He grabbed eight rebounds, dished out six assists and blocked three shots in the game.
  • Veteran Jimmy Butler added 18 points hitting 5-of-9 shots from the floor. Butler went to the free throw line nine times and converted seven of those opportunities. Butler also added three assists.
  • Andrew Wiggins was another key part of the T-Wolves win on Sunday. He scored 16 points, grabbed eight rebounds and distributed three assists. Wiggins hit 7-of-13 of his shots in the game.

Prime Numbers

Sacramento (17-38)

  • The Kings shot 47.7-percent (42-for-88) for the game and hit 10-of-25 (40-percent) from 3-point range.
  • Sacramento hit 12-of-17 from the charity stripe. The team needs to go to the free throw line at least 20 times per game, but hitting 70.6-percent of their opportunities is acceptable.
  • The Kings pulled down 43 rebounds – 15 of those rebounds were offensive grabs. Those 15 offensive rebounds turned into 22 points for SAC.
  • Sacramento committed 19 turnovers that became 22 Minnesota points. The Kings totaled only 17 assists which gave them a negative assists to turnover ratio.

Minnesota (35-24)

  • The T-Wolves shot 50-percent (37-for-74) from the floor for the game on Sunday night. They hit 9-of-24 chances from long-range.
  • Minnesota went to the free throw line 32 times. They sank 28 of those free throw shots (87.5-percent).
  • The Timberwolves dished out 29 assists while committing 17 turnovers which is close to the 2-to-1 desired ratio goal.
  • The T-Wolves biggest lead in the game was five points while the Kings largest lead was 10 points. There were 10 lead changes and the game was tied 15 times.

Up Next

Kings

Sacramento will play the second game of their three-game road trip on Tuesday night in Dallas versus the Mavericks.

Timberwolves

Minnesota will stay at home and host the Houston Rockets on Tuesday night.

 

 

Kings run out of gas in the fourth quarter on Saturday night and lose to Dallas 106-99

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment
2-3-18 feature photo
Buddy Hield puts in the final three points for the Kings on Saturday night

by Charlie O. Mallonee

Sacramento – The Sacramento Kings played a pretty solid game versus the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday night for 36-minutes. Unfortunately for the Kings, a regulation NBA game takes 48-minutes to be official.

The Kings began the fourth period with an 85-81 lead and looked like they were ready to battle the Mavericks down the stretch to post a win on their home court. The Mavericks had a different plan.

After shooting above 50-percent for the entire game, the Kings went ice cold in final quarter with the proverbial lid being put on the basket. In the meantime, the Mavericks found a burst of energy and went on a 16-0 run to establish a 10 point lead. Sacramento did not score their first points in the quarter until the 6:08 mark when De’Aaron Fox hit a 14-foot jump shot.

The home team cut the Mavericks lead down to six points with 2:45 to play but by then, the Kings were “gassed”. Fatigue – both mental and physical – had taken over and the chance to win the second game of a home back-to-back set was ended.

Dallas – who came into the game losers of five consecutive games – won the game 106-99. This was just the seventh road win of the year for the Mavericks.

The Kings have now lost two games in a row at home since going 3-3 on their 13-day, six-game road trip. Sacramento has two games remaining in this four-game home stand.

Top performers

Mavericks

2-3-18 Dirk
Dirk shoots the 3-ball in the fourth quarter versus the Kings
  • Mavs starting five: all of the Dallas starters scored in double-figures on Saturday night. Harrison Barnes scored a game-high 18 points while Dwight Powell posted 17, Dirk 15, Dennis Smith Jr. 12 and Wesley Matthews 11. Yogi Ferrell also added 11 points coming off the bench.
  • Smith Jr. scored 10 of his 12 points in the second half. He shot very poorly overall but he just kept working even when things were not going his way. Smith Jr. shot 4-for-15 overall and 0-for-6 from 3-point range. He converted 4-of-7 free throw opportunities. The rookie also added five rebounds, five assists and two steals to his stat line for the contest.
  • Barnes hit 7 of 14 field goal attempts going 4-for-8 from 3-point land. He scored 12 of his 18 points in the first half and was responsible for keeping the Mavs in the game when the Kings were playing with energy.
  • Mr. Nowitzki’s stats must also be mentioned out of pure respect for his 19 years in “the Association”. Dirk shot 5-for-9 overall and hit 3 of 7 from behind the 3-point line. He also grabbed seven rebounds.

Kings

2-3-18 Fox to hoop
@swipathefox takes it to the bucket in the fourth period for SAC
  • De’Aaron Fox had two completely different halves in this game. He finished with 15 points to match Garrett Temple for the team-high scorer. Fox scored just four points shooting 2-for-2 in the first half. He seemed to bothered by Smith Jr. and maybe he was battling his fatigue early. In the second half, Fox posted 11 points shooting 5-for-11 from the field (0-for-3 for 3’s) while hitting 1 of 2 from the charity stripe. Fox also dished out three assists and made three steals in second half.
  • Garrett Temple played a strong 31-minutes off the bench scoring 15 points hitting 6 of 10 shots from the floor. He also went 2-for-2 from the free throw line. Temple added two assists and two steals.
  • Willie Cauley-Stein played 31-minutes which was a little surprising after seeing almost 35-minutes of time on the floor against the Warriors on Friday night and just coming back from injury. He scored 14 points shooting 7-for-12 from the floor. WCS also grabbed eight rebounds, had two steals and blocked one shot.

Key Stats

Dallas (17-36)

  • The Mavericks went after the Kings reputation for not being able to defend against the 3-point shot. They attempted 41 shots from long-range and made 13 of them (31.7-percent). The Mavs 3-point shooting helped them win the game.
  • Dallas out-rebounded the Kings 37-31. They grabbed 10 offensive boards to SAC’s seven.
  • The Mavs outscored the Kings in second-chance points 19-11 for the game. Offensive rebounds do make a difference.
  • Dallas also went to the free throw line 14 times compared to just six times for Sacramento. They converted 11 of those 14 opportunities.
  • The Mavericks also outscored the Kings in the paint 48-44.

Sacramento (16-36)

  • The Kings shot 43-for-82 (52.4-percent) for the game. Their biggest problem was they shot just 22.7-percent (5-for-22) in the fourth quarter which allowed Dallas to go on their 16-0 run.
  • The Kings only went to the free throw line six times. They were successful on five of their six opportunities but six free throw attempts is not going to get it done in the NBA. Sacramento needs to be going to the line at least 20 times per game.
  • The Kings did make 12 steals in the game to the Mavericks eight. SAC also blocked three shots to zero blocked shots for the Mavs.

Up next

Sacramento

The Kings are off until Monday when they will host the Chicago Bulls. Head coach Dave Joerger said the team will have Super Bowl Sunday off and will go back to work on Monday.

Dallas

The Mavs will also play on Monday night when they will face the “Blake Griffin-less” Clippers in LA.

 

Sacramento Kings Friday game wrap: Warriors come to Sacramento hand Kings a 119-104 loss

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment

gswsacscore

by Jordan Chapin

Sacramento – Friday night at the Golden 1 center, the Sacramento Kings returned home from their longest road trip of the year and were welcomed back by the the World Champion Golden State Warriors. Even with the return of Willie Cauley-Stein, Golden State handed the Kings their 35th loss of the year in a 119-104 Warriors victory. After winning three of their last four games, Sacramento came into the contest with a little momentum, but it was raining three balls in the Golden 1 Center, and not in favor of the Kings.

Sacramento came out of the gate hot, and started the game on a 20-7 run  led by Justin Jackson’s eight points in the first quarter. It didn’t take long for Golden State to close that gap with the help of Kevin Durant’s 17 point first half. The Warriors led 58-52 going into the locker room at halftime.

During the third quarter, Sacramento trailed as much as 14 points, but they continued to keep their heads above water as the Splash Brothers combined for 17 points in the period. Trailing 87-79 with 9:47 left to go, Sacramento’s Buddy Hield rattled off seven straight points, including back-to-back steals and cut the lead to just one, but that’s as close as the Kings would get to retaking the lead. KD put the team on his back scoring 13 points in the last 10 minutes of play, finishing his night with 33 points while shooting 12-for-17 from the field.

Even though the Kings forced 25 turnovers, it was not enough to overcome a stellar shooting night from the Warriors. The season series is now tied at one game a piece, and the Kings will not see the Warriors again until March 16th at Oracle Arena. The Kings have an opportunity to bounce back quickly as they will face the Dallas Mavericks Saturday on the second night of a back-to-back.

Sacramento Kings

Star of the Night: Justin Jackson

Jackson finished his night shooting 7-for-13 from the field for 17 points. He totalled 33 minutes for the game, but in those minutes he looked very aggressive, knocking down a couple three balls, and hitting his floaters from inside the paint. De’Aaron Fox on what he has seen from Justin Jackson, “Lately, he’s been great, his confidence has been up, he’s playing a lot, he’s making shots, something we know he can do.” Jackson was two points away from tying his career high.

Key Stats:

  • Forced 25 turnovers(19 points)
  • Shot 44.2% from the field and 40% from 3-point range
  • Led the game by as much as 13 points, but trailed as much as 17
  • Had six players in double figures, including all five of their starters
  • Six lead changes

Golden State Warriors

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Star of the Night: Kevin Durant

Durant continued his all-star campaign with 33 points, 6 assists, and 4 rebounds. KD hit shots when they mattered, scoring 17 in the first half, and 13 in the fourth quarter to seal the game for the Warriors. Durant killed the Kings from behind the arc shooting 6-for-7 from downtown and finished hitting 12-for-17 from the field overall.

Key Stats:

  • Shot 17-for-33 from 3-point land
  • Had nine turnovers in the second quarter, which is a season high in TO’s for a quarter
  • Zaza Pachulia grabbed a game high 13 rebounds
  • Splash Brothers combined for 43 points
  • Out rebounded the Kings 51-33

Kings defeat the Pelicans 114-103 in NOLA to finish road trip with a 3-3 record

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment

by Charlie O. Mallonee

The Sacramento Kings beat the Pelicans in New Orleans for the second time this season by downing the Pels 114-103 on Tuesday night. The victory allowed the Kings to finish their six-game, 13-day road trip with a surprising 3-3 record.

For the naysayers out there, yes the Pelicans were without DeMarcus Cousins who is out for the rest of the season after rupturing his left achilles last Friday versus the Rockets. The Kings were without the services of Willie Cauley-Stein, Skal Labissiere, Frank Manson, Malachi Richardson and their head coach Dave Joerger.

Why did the Kings win the game?

Two sets of stats really explain why Sacramento came away with the “W” Tuesday night. The Kings out-rebounded the Pelicans 49-36 but even more important than the over all numbers is the offensive rebound count.

SAC pulled down 14 balls off the offensive glass while NOLA grabbed just two offensive rebounds. The Kings scored 26 second chance points converting 10-of-11 opportunities. The Pelicans scored zero second chance points and literally had no second opportunities in the contest. It is virtually impossible to win a game playing one shot and done basketball in “the Association”.

Rebounding made the difference in the game for Sacramento in New Orleans.

Top Performers

Kings

  • Star of the Game honors go to Zach Randolph who scored a game-high 26 points and made it a double-double game posting 12 rebounds. Z-Bo shot 11-for-23 from the floor and hit 3-of-6 three-point attempts. The veteran big man also played very physical versus New Orleans star Anthony Davis.
  • Kosta Koufos earns Special Co-Star of the Game status by starting the game and playing 37-plus minutes to post a double-double of his own. Koufos put up 17 points and recorded 17 rebounds (seven offensive rebounds). Koufos hit 7-of-12 shots from the field.
  • Co-Star of the Game credit goes to De’Aaron Fox for scoring 15 points, hauling in six rebounds and dishing out four assists in 27-minutes of playing time. Fox had a +9 rating for his time on the court.

Pelicans

  • New Orleans Star of the Game honors go to reserve shooting guard Ian Clark who played over 29-minutes scoring 20-points while hitting 9-of-10 field goal attempts. Only one of his field goals was a 3-point conversion. Clark also recorded six rebounds.
  • Anthony Davis receives Co-Star credit for the game. With Boogie Cousins gone for the season, the weight of success falls squarely on the shoulders of Davis. He scored a team-high 23 points and made it a double-double by recording 13 rebounds. Davis went 9-for-10 from the free throw line.
  • Jrue Holiday gets a Best Supporting Player nod for contributing 20 points but he went just 9-for-20 shooting from the floor to score those points. Holiday did not post a single rebound.

Key Stats

Sacramento (16-34)

  • The Kings hit 46-of-97 shots (47.4-percent) from the field for the game. They took 20 more attempts than the Pelicans and made seven more field goals than New Orleans.
  • Sacramento converted 10-of-26 three-point attempts (38.5-percent) which was one more made 3-point field goal than the Pels hit in the game.
  • The Kings outscored the Pelicans in the paint 52-42.

New Orleans (27-23)

  • The Pelicans shot 50.6-percent from the field (39-for-77) for the game but it was 20 less attempts and seven less conversions than the Kings put in the books.
  • New Orleans won the battle of Fast Break points outscoring the Kings 23-22 for the game.
  • The Pels dished out more assists (26-22) than the Kings but they were not enough to turn the tide of the game.

Up Next

Kings

The Kings flew home after the game and were able to sleep in their own beds for the first time in 13 days. They will be off until Friday night when they have the unenviable task of hosting the world champion Golden State Warriors at the Golden 1 Center.

Pelicans

New Orleans will hit the road and will play the Thunder in OKC on Friday night.