Tag: Golden 1 Center

Patrick McCaw’s injury overshadows Warriors’ 112-96 win over Kings

Published on by rxsluggerLeave a comment

Photo credit: nba.com/warriors

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Warriors had three of their All-Stars back in the lineup Saturday night, and they looked like they were the defending champions. They won the game 112-94 over Sacramento, but all the air went out of the Golden 1 Arena with just 41 seconds left in the third quarter. Patrick McCaw, who had recently returned from a wrist injury, was seriously hurt going in for a layup. While he was in the air, he was brushed by the veteran player, Vince Carter. The force of Carter’s action caused McCaw to fly into the air, and he landed on his backside and was in immense pain. He rolled over on the floor twice, and everyone in the arena knew that McCaw was seriously hurt. The EMT people had to immobilize McCaw, and he was taken on a stretcher to UC Davis Medical Center for examination and tests. A member of the Warriors’ training staff went with him. Nothing was known about his condition after the game. Neither Steve Kerr nor any of the Warrior players felt that Carter’s foul was intentional. Carter apologized to McCaw and Carter participated in a team prayer with the Warrior players before play resumed. Steve Kerr spoke to the media about McCaw after the game. He made some comments about the injury, but did not discuss the game as he felt that was rather inappropriate.

However, a game was played, and the Warriors had Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green back in the lineup. Steph Curry was not able to play, and he will miss the last six games of the season. The Warriors were looking to snap a three-game losing streak, and they accomplished their goal. Thompson looked sharp. He wore a protective guard around his right thumb, and that did not appear to affect his shooting. He tallied 25 points and made three 3-point shots. Kevin Durant led the Warriors with 27 points, five assists, and 10 rebounds. Draymond Green was a force on the court and flirted with a triple-double. He recorded eight points, seven assists, and nine rebounds. Quinn Cook added 10 points.

The Warriors won the first half 57-49. They went on a 19-2 run midway through the first quarter to regain the lead and were never headed after that. As they have done so many times this year, they owned the third quarter. They outscored Sacramento, 36-20, in the period and had a 24-point lead heading into the fourth quarter. If the game could have been stopped at this point, the Warriors would have gladly ended the game. The Kings won the fourth quarter, but they couldn’t catch the Warriors.

Notes: Warriors chief operating officer Rick Welts was named to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, part of a 13-person class that also includes player development consultant and former MVP Steve Nash.

Up Next: The Warriors return home to Oracle Arena Sunday night to play the Phoenix Suns. Game time is at 5:30 pm PT.

 

Protestors knock on arena doors, but Kings down Hawks 105-90

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Photo credit: nba.com/kings

By: Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO, Calif. —  It was a very interesting turn of events going into the game against the Sacramento Kings and Atlanta Hawks on Thursday evening. Instead of Kings basketball being center stage on Thursday, the Black Lives Matter movement in conjunction with the recent death of Stephan Clark was at the forefront. Clark, who was shot at with 20 bullets last Sunday outside his grandparents home, was featured on countless signs and banners being tended to by protesters. Clark was fatally shot after police believed the cell phone he was holding was a firearm. Chants of “Cell phones, don’t shoot!” and “Justice for Stephan Clark!” filled the concourse around all of the Golden 1 Center entrances.

In light of these protests, the Golden 1 Center was on lockdown. Therefore, only a few fans were able to attend the game inside since they entered before the arena entered lockdown status. Nonetheless, the Sacramento Kings and Atlanta Hawks played basketball.

So, after the turn of events preceding game time, the Kings took the floor. Sacramento jumped out to a quick lead early on in this game. Following a foul that sent De’Aaron Fox to the free throw line, the Kings were up 5-0 with 10:37 to play.

However, the Hawks responded by jumping out to a lead of their own. The Hawks took the lead by a 18-11 margin with 5:22 to go in the first quarter. The first quarter would continue to be a dogfight with the Kings ultimately pulling within three with a 28-25 disadvantage.

Going into the second, the Kings knew that they had some work to do. With the help of Vince Carter, Skal Labissiere, Bogdan Bogdanovic, and Frank Mason, the Kings took a 41-38 lead with 3:25 left to play in the first half. The Kings added eight more points, and the Hawks added six to send the Kings to halftime with a 49-45 lead.

The Kings entered the third quarter up by five. Justin Jackson put the first points on the board in the third for the Kings by sinking a two-pointer to make it a 51-46 Kings lead. Jackson had a total of 11 points with 11:20 to play in the third quarter.

The Hawks battled through, and at one point, got within two points of the Kings, thanks to a triple. The third quarter had 8:48 to go and the game was 59-57 Kings.  Justin Jackson continued his hot shooting to compile 19 points with 2:13 left to play in the third and also gave the Kings a 70-67 lead. The third quarter ended with the Kings on top 80-71.

Entering the fourth quarter, the Kings looked as if they were unstoppable. The game bounced around for a good six minutes in the fourth with the Kings leading 93-82 with six minutes to play.

Neither team, up to this point, made any significant ground on the other. Kosta Koufos, Buddy Hield, and Frank Mason all had 12 points at this point in the game. From this point on in the game, the Kings were unable to commit wrongdoing. Some of the players were able to pad the stats, and the Kings came out victorious with a 105-90 win. It was a nice win for the Kings as the city and its fans has had to face some adversity in the last week.

Up Next: The Kings stay home to face the Boston Celtics on Sunday at 3 pm PST. The Hawks take a trip to the Bay Area to face the Warriors Friday at 7:30 pm PST.

Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson: Golden One Center remained locked down throughout Kings and Hawks game due to Black Lives Matter protest

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

@SeanCunningham photo: Sacramento Kings attendee Sean Cunningham took this photo of the fans who were able to get into the building before Golden One Center was locked down due to safety concerns on Thursday night. Cunningham tweeted that the upper deck of the arena was empty

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–The NBA Commissioner’s office decided with Sacramento Police to keep the doors at Golden One Center on lockdown meaning that anyone who needed to go to work would be excused for the night and anyone trying to leave the arena would not be permitted to leave the building because of strict security regarding the Black Lives Matter protest over the shooting of Stephen Clark, who was shot at least 20 times, after neighbors reported that he had been breaking windows into cars in the 29th Street neighborhood in Sacramento.

Protesters who arrived between 6:00 pm and 6:30 pm in the thousands with Kings fans waiting to get into the building were outside of the building as late as 8:30 pm on Thursday night. After the release of the video of Clark’s shooting by police that aired on Sacramento TV station KCRA TV 3 Black Lives Matters put their plans of a protest into action outside the most visible and high profile spot in Sacramento the Golden One Center one hour before a game between the Atlanta Hawks and the Kings.

Rather than cancel the game the NBA decided to play the game while the doors of the arena remained on lockdown. SWAT officers were on the Golden One Concourse as protesters and police exchanged words outside. The game is expected to end at 10 pm when fans who got there early before the lockdown will try to leave.

Jeremiah Salmonson is a Sacramento Kings reporter for http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

Fox shines at the buzzer, Kings outlast Heat 123-119 in OT

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Photo credit: @NBA

By: Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The Kings hosted the Miami Heat on Wednesday night. The Heat came into the game having lost their last game, 115-99, to the Portland Trail Blazers. The Kings also lost their last game to the Oklahoma City Thunder, 106-101. The Kings and Heat are having very different seasons. The Kings had a record of 21-47. The Heat had a record of 36-32. Tip off was set for 7:00 pm PST with the Kings and Heat going head-to-head in Sacramento.

The first quarter would start off with a fairly mellow tempo. Neither team came out of the gate looking more dominant than the other. With 4:59 to play in the first quarter, the Kings trailed the Heat by only two points, 16-14. Vince Carter entered the game and fouled James Johnson. The Kings would add a few more points with time running out in the first quarter. It was over yet though as Buddy Hield would toss up a four foot floater to make a buzzer-beating two. The Kings would go into the second quarter down 31-24.

The Kings would come out in the second with full force. They scored the first seven points in the second and pulled within two at 31-33. They didn’t stop there. After the Heat added a two, the Kings were right back at it. The Kings added 10 points to make it 43-38 Kings on top with 6:21 in the second. Between that and with 3:15 to play the Kings would extend that advantage to 49-43. The Kings showed some real heart in the second. For what appeared to be a game favoring the Heat, the Kings battled back and went into the locker at halftime up 59-52.

In the third quarter, both teams came out looking like they did in the first half. The Heat looking for a go-to scorer, and the Kings looking to keep rolling. Both teams would bounce back and forth with the score being 82-73 Sacramento with 3:35 to play in the third. The Kings would add nine more with a minute left to make it 91-76. Frank Mason would attempt to hit a long-range three at the buzzer, but to no avail. The Kings would lead, 91-79, going into the fourth quarter.

In the final quarter, the Kings would get on the board first. Those points scored on a floater by Kosta Koufos. Mason would be fouled and he made both his shots to make it 95-79. At this point, the game looked as if it were heavily in Sacramento’s favor. This narrative would then continue. With eight minutes to play, the Kings led the game 97-84.

The Heat and Kings got in a little scuffle around the seven-minute mark. Two technical fouls were charged. The first went to Koufos and the second to Goran Dragic. At the five-minute mark, the Heat started to put a little pressure on the Kings. So if anyone thought this was over, think again. De’Aaron Fox was charged with a controversial call that put the Kings in the penalty. From all angles, it appeared that Fox made no contact with Dragic, who would make both his shots. That coupled with a three from Dragic to make the game, 104-102, in favor of the Kings. The Heat would storm back and take a 110-106 lead with only 49.6 seconds to play and the Kings had a possession as Hield countered with a long-range three to make it 110-109. As if we haven’t seen Fox come up clutch all year, he showed us again. Fox hit a buzzer beating layup to tie the game at 111 apiece. These two teams headed to overtime!

In overtime, the script was simple. Both teams battled hard! Bogdan Bogdanovic hit a long-range jumper to make it 119-115. The Heat answered back with a two, but Hield was fouled and made both free throws. Hield was fouled again and made both shots to set the stage for the Kings’ victory. With the crowd at Golden 1 Center going crazy, the Kings defeated the Heat 123-119 in OT.

What’s Next?
The Kings head down to the Bay Area, where they will face the Warriors on Friday at 7:30 pm PST.

The Heat stay on the road and go to Los Angeles to face the Lakers Friday at 7:30 pm PST.

 

Kings fail to put two good games in a row as they fall to Jazz 98-91

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Photo credit: @SacramentoKings

By: Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The Sacramento Kings came into Saturday night’s game against the Utah Jazz coming off a 116-111 overtime victory against the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday night. The victory improved the Kings’ record to 19-43.

The Jazz also came into the Golden 1 Center coming off a 116-108 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves to improve to 32-30 on the season.

The Jazz won the tip-off and score six points early in the first quarter. The Kings, though, would battle themselves back to a tie game at six points apiece with 8:20 to go in the 1st.

The Jazz also went on a little run with the Kings not hitting any of their shots. The score was 20-13 with 2:40 to play. Vince Carter would be fouled with 1:34 to play in the first. He made both free throws. The Jazz would add a few more points and finish the first with a 25-17 lead.

The Jazz opened up the second quarter in a forceful manner. With six minutes left, the Jazz had already scored 15 as opposed to the Kings’ eight. The Kings failed to capitalize on opportunities in the second quarter that led to good looks for the Jazz. The Kings also threw the ball around that cost them possessions. The Kings would manage to put some pressure on the Jazz. De’Aaron Fox, Zack Randolf, and Bogdan Bogdonovic would all put up points to get the Kings within nine points for a 52-43 deficit going into halftime.

The second half commenced with the Kings’ sloppiness with the ball. The Kings had 10 turnovers midway through the third quarter. Those 10 turnovers led to 12 points.

Buddy Hield was able to hit a three and Skal Labissiere was able to throw down a dunk to pull the Kings within single-digits as the Jazz continued to lead 69-56. Labissiere would be fouled with 1:51 to go in the third. He made both attempts to help the Kings get closer, but the Jazz enlarged its lead to 75-61. The Kings then managed to put up four more points before the end of the quarter to get them within nine with 12 minutes to play in the game.

The Jazz opened the fourth quarter with a three to make it 78-66 with 10:37 to play. Frank Mason hit a long-range jumper to bring the Kings within 11 at the seven-minute mark. No team really made any ground on the other to this point in the fourth. The Kings would take a timeout with 2:36 to go, trailing 94-83. The Kings really had to go to work at this point if they wanted to make this a close game. Bogdan Bogdanovic hit a three to make it 94-86 Jazz with 1:25 to play in the game. The Kings were unable to muster a much-needed comeback and eventually fell to the Jazz 98-91.

Notes:  De’Aaron Fox led all Kings with 17 points. Bogdan Bodanovic had 15 points.

Donovan Mitchell led the Jazz with 27 points. Skal Labissiere had 12 assists. Ricky Rubio added six rebounds.

Next: The Kings stay home in Sacramento to host the New York Knicks Sunday at 6:00 pm PST. The Jazz go home to host the Orlando Magic at 7:00 pm MST on Monday.

Kings down Nets 116-111 in overtime

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Photo credit: @SacramentoKings

By: Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO — The Sacramento Kings and Brooklyn Nets both came into Thursday’s contest coming off losses. The Kings fell to the Portland Trail Blazers, and the Nets fell to the Cleveland Cavaliers. The matchup was all-set with two teams having sub-par seasons with nothing really to play for except pride. De’Aaron Fox would lead to Kings onto the court with a 7:11 tip-off.

In the first quarter, the Kings would come out of the gate sluggish, but managed to pick it up halfway through the quarter. The Kings would have a 12-14 lead with six minutes to play in the quarter.

Allen Crabbe and the Nets would storm back to snatch a 31-22 lead. Willie Cauley-Stein would lead the way, scoring 12 points for the Kings. The Kings were a little sloppy with the ball in the first, leading to multiple dunks in transition.

The Kings needed to make up some ground in the second quarter. They did not help their cause much by continuing their sloppy ball handling. The Kings would fall to a 27-36 deficit with 9:26 to go in the first half. The game did not stay in the Nets favor for long though. The Kings stormed back to take a 43-49 with two minutes left in the quarter. Skal Labissiere would be charged with two shooting fouls and all four free throws were made. DeMarrre Carrol would cap the first half with a buzzer-beating two-point shot. They headed into the second with a score of 53-51 in favor of the Kings.

The second half started in the Kings favor with Skal Labissiere and Justin Jackson’s dunks, respectively. Yet, the Nets would come right back with points of their own to make it 62-61 Kings with 7:30 left to play in the third period. With the Kings looking to build on the one-point lead, just the opposite happened. The Kings once again were sloppy with the ball, and that led to 71-66 lead with four minutes left to play. The quarter would end with the Kings trailing 79-73.

Going into the fourth quarter, the Kings had some ground to make up. The Kings were able to tie it up at 79 apiece with a Garrett Temple dunk off a turnover. The game would go back-and-forth with the Kings up 94-89 with 3:40 to play. D’Angelo Russell would hit a long range jumper to make it 95-94 Nets with 2:20 left to go in the game. Nothing was falling for the Kings during the Nets’ run. Buddy Hield would put the Kings up 98-95 before DeMarree Carroll hit a shot from downtown to tie it up. Buddy Hield would be charged with a foul with 6.1 seconds left on the clock. The Nets made both free throws and the game was 100-98. Fox would tie it at the buzzer with a floater and the game headed to overtime.

In overtime with the help of Buddy’s buckets and Bogdan Bodanovic, the Kings would have a 110-109 lead with 1:42 left to go in overtime. Buddy Hield was fouled in transition with 13.4 seconds left to go and made both his shots to put the Kings back on top 114-111.

The final would be 116-111 with Bogdan Bogdanovic making two free throws.

Game Notes: The Kings improve to 19-43 while the Nets fall to 20-43.

Up Next: The Kings host the Utah Jazz this Saturday at 7:00 pm PT. 

Golden State Warriors Friday game wrap: Warriors turn ball over 25 times, still able to beat Kings 119-104

Published on by rxsluggerLeave a comment

Photo credit: nba.com

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors, still smarting from a 30-point loss to the Utah Jazz, traveled to Sacramento to face the lowly Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center. The Warriors have not lost two consecutive games in a row this season, and they were hoping the Sacramento would be their sacrificial lamb. The Kings, who beat the Warriors in Oakland the last time they met, had other thoughts. The Kings, who are in rebuild mode, gave the Warriors a fierce fight before succumbing 119-105. The 14-point lead at the end of the game was the biggest lead the Warriors had all night.

The Kings, coached by Dave Joerger, usually play a slow-tempo game. Most teams try to avoid an uptempo game with the Warriors as they know that the Warriors love to run and move the ball. The Warriors usually play great defense, and with the teams running up and down the court, the Warriors normally prevail. The Warriors did win but it wasn’t easy, and the game was much closer than the score at the end of the game. The Warriors played a very sloppy game as they were careless with their passes and careless handling the ball. The Warriors committed 25 turnovers and were still able to win. When the Warriors make more than 17 turnovers in a game, their record was 10-8 and less the 17, their record is 33-3.

The first two quarters of the game was competitive. The Warriors won both quarters by three points and led 58-52 at the half.  Kevin Durant led the club with 17, and Steph Curry added 13. The Warriors were able to take a nine-point lead after three periods 84-75, and it looked like they had taken control of the game. The Kings, to their credit, had other thoughts and made a run early in the final stanza to close the game to 89-88. The Kings’ Buddy Hield, who came to Sacramento last season in the trade the sent DeMarcus Cousins to the Crescent City, got hot and gave the Kings the spark they were looking for. The Warriors regained their composure to go on an 8-0 run to make it 97-88. That run seemed to knock the spirit out of the Kings, and the Warriors were able to put the game in the win column 119-105.

Game Notes and Stats: The Warriors were without four players Friday night. David West, Shaun Livingstone, Andre Iguodala, and Jordan Bell did not play. Bell is rehabbing from a sprained ankle, and Coach Steve Kerr gave the other three veterans the night off.

The Warriors shot 55% from the floor while holding Sacramento to 44.2%. The Kings, However, took 15 more shots than the Warriors. Had they been able to make some of those shots, the final score might have been different.

Durant led the Warriors with 33. Steph had 23, Klay 17, Draymond 13. Nick Young had 9, and JaVale McGee added 4. When McGee was in the game, the Warriors seemed to play with more energy.

The Kings had six players in double figures. They were running and finding the open man just as they were trying to emulate the Warriors’ style of play. Rookie De’Aaron Fox, who is on his way to stardom, tallied 14. Willie Cauley-Stein 13, the ageless Zach Randolph 18, Justin Jackson 17, Bogdan Bogdanovic 12, and Buddy Hield had 16.

The Warriors improve to 41-11 while the Kings drop to 16-35.

Up Next: The Warriors play the Denver Nuggets Saturday night in Denver.

Kings’ comeback falls short as Clippers run away with 121-115 win

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Photo credit: @SacramentoKings

By: Jordan Chapin

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — On a Thursday night in Sacramento, the Los Angeles Clippers came into town after arguably their biggest win of the season against the Golden State Warriors. They kept their momentum going tonight, edging the Sacramento Kings, 121-115, at the Golden 1 Center.

In a game where DeAndre Jordan went down with an ankle sprain in the first half, Montrezl Harrell stepped up in a big way, shooting a near perfect 11-for-12, and ending his night with 25 points. Despite brilliant efforts from George Hill and a new career-high in points with 22 from Bogdan Bogdanovic, the Kings turned on the switch too little, too late.

In the first half, the Kings trailed as much as 14 points, and Lou Williams proceeded to have a field day. Williams had 21 points by the end of the first half and ended the game with 30. Sacramento trailed throughout the entirety of the game, until Zach Randolph hit a go-ahead jump shot to give the Kings the lead with four minutes to go. In crunch time, big players stepped up in big ways, after a Blake Griffin three-pointer and a Williams fadeaway jumper, the Kings didn’t have enough to match the Clippers and lost the battle against the clock.

Sacramento did shoot pretty well as a team at 50%, but struggled from behind the arc, shooting only 30%. Offensively, the Kings did well, ending with six players in double-digit scoring and assisting on 23 baskets. L.A. was just flat out the better team, with more star players, and a bit more fire power, even with key players being out. This is Sacramento’s third loss this year to the Clippers, but they have an opportunity to steal a game in the series finale at the Staples Center. This Thursday night loss extends the Kings home losing streak to 11 games.

Up next for the Kings is their second trip in Los Angeles in three days where they will battle the Clippers once again on Saturday night. It is questionable that Jordan will return from his ankle injury, but you can bet Williams will be coming out hot, as he has done for the last 12 years.

After that, they will fly to Oklahoma City and face a team in the Thunder that they beat earlier in the season, so you know OKC will be coming out hard and aggressive.

Sacramento Kings
Star of the Game: George Hill
George Hill had one of his best games of the season, shooting only 5-for-13 from the field, but was 10-of-13 from the free throw line. Hill played very aggressive throughout the whole game and was the biggest key for Sacramento getting back into the ball game. He ended with 21 points, three rebounds, and three assists.

Key Stats
-Six players in double-digits
-Bogdan Bogdanovic set a new career high with 22 points
-Kosta Koufos has recorded 29 rebounds in last two games
-Sacramento allowed 43 points in the second quarter, which is a season-high for an opponent in a quarter.

Los Angeles Clippers
Star of the Game: Montrezl Harrell
Montrezl Harrell had a season-high 25 points tonight and filled a huge gap when DeAndre Jordan went down early. Harrell played with major energy off the bench and  was nearly perfect scoring around the basket. He shot 11-for-12 from the field, but struggled from the free throw line shooting a poor 3-for-9. Harrell capped off his night with six rebounds and a Clippers victory.

Key Stats
-Lou Williams scored 70 points in two nights
-Assisted on 28 made baskets
-Shot 51% from the field and 42% from three-point land
-Blake Griffin ended with 18 points, 12 rebounds, and six assists after missing a few games with a concussion

Kings blow lead, lose to Spurs 107-100

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Photo credit: @SacramentoKings

By: London Marq

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The Kings started their game with the Spurs with one of their better opening quarters of the season. While a trend of slow starts has plagued Sacramento for the better part of the campaign, tonight was not one of those nights.

For the Kings, it was a defensive effort to begin the game–a defensive effort that fueled offensive production. By the end of the first quarter, the Kings had the lead and Willie Cauley-Stein was well on his way to a double-double with 10 points and five rebounds.

The Kings kept the Spurs flat on offense. All five San Antonio starters had negative plus/minus efficiency after one quarter as they were held to just 21 points. The Kings played well through the second quarter and would go into the half with a 10-point lead (56-46).

When the Spurs stepped on the hardwood for the third quarter, they were a different team. The tempo of their effort kicked it up a notch on both sides of the court. Sacramento was forced to slow down and be more careful with the ball. Sacramento, who led by as many as 14, lost their rhythm. LaMarcus Aldridge scored 11 third quarter points and helped the Spurs get back to a three-point deficit going into the fourth quarter.

Spurs head coach Gregg Popovic was complimentary of Aldridge after the game, saying: “He was a big factor tonight. He’s taking advantage of the extra minutes he’s been getting during the season”.

Indeed, Aldridge was a major part of San Antonio’s game plan. He finished with 31 points and 12 boards. Davis Bertans also poured in 28 for the Spurs. The Kings led for the vast majority of the game, with 5 plays scoring double digits.

However, like we’ve seen time and time again from Gregg Popovic and the Spurs found away to steal the game away from Sacramento. With the deficit disappearing as the fourth quarter progressed, the Kings began to make mistakes that young teams make: turnovers and bad fouls.

Sacramento had 18 turnovers that translated to 24 points for the Spurs, and six of those turnovers came in the final period.  The Spurs would close the game on a 17-5 run and snag a win before heading to Los Angeles to face the Lakers on Thursday. San Antonio has now won 12 straight games against Sacramento.

The Kings will chalk this one up as a learning experience, as they host Los Angeles’s other team, the Clippers on Thursday as well. With the latter half of the season quickly approaching the Kings will look to find some consistency they sorely need.

Final: Spurs defeated Kings 107-100.

Up Next: Kings host the Clippers on Thursday at 7 pm PT.

Kings snap two-game losing skid with shocking 109-95 win over Cavs

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Sacramento Kings’ George Hill, left, and Garrett Temple celebrate in the closing moments of the Kings 109-95 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers in an NBA basketball game Wednesday, Dec. 27, 2017, in The Kings won 109-95. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

By: Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Both the Sacramento Kings and Cleveland Cavaliers came into Wednesday’s game trying to rebound from losses suffered prior to the statistically lopsided matchup.

Of course, the Cavs–especially Lebron James–were coming off the controversial Kevin Durant incident consisting of a reported three fouls in two minutes. The Kings’ starters were Garett Temple, Malachi Richardson, Zach Randolph, George Hill, and Frank Mason. The Cavs countered with a starting five of James, Jae Crowder, Kevin Love, JR Smith, and Jose Calderon.

The Kings played in front of what appeared to be a sellout crowd. During the first few minutes of the first quarter, the Kings seemed to have lacked energy. The score with eight minutes left in the first was 12-4. However, the Kings clawed their way back to a 15-12 Cavs advantage with 5:44 to play. At one point, the game would make its way to a 21-16 Cavs advantage, but Kings fans had no fear as their team roared back to finish the first with a 28-27 lead, thanks to Bogdan Bogdanovic’s buzzer two-point shot.

The second quarter would prove to be another strong display from the Kings. It began back and forth until the Kings came out to a 57-45 advantage following a three-pointer from Buddy Hield. Zack Randolph proceeded to hit a three from way downtown. With about a minute left to play, George Hill would hit a two to make it 62-53 Kings with 31.7 seconds left to play in the second. The Kings were up 55-62 at halftime.

The second half began with Randolph hitting a two from in close to make it 64-55 Kings. However, it was short-lived as the Cavs went on a run to make it 67-66, forcing Dave Joerger to take a timeout. With 6:45 left to play, the score was 69-68 Cavs. LeBron would dunk and transition followed by a Randolph two. Randolph made it a three by hitting his free throw and tied the score 71-71 with five minutes left in the third. Timeout halted play with 2:45 left and the score 79-74 Kings. To cap off a great third, Carter hit a three from the wing to put the Kings up 85-80 going into the final quarter.

The fourth quarter began in favor of the Kings, who went on a 11-0 run to extend the lead to 94-80 with 8:37 left to play. With 7:10 left, the Kings got a jump ball. The game sat pretty tight until Vince Carter hit a three to break the 100-point barrier and make it 101-87 Kings with 5:11 left. With 3:38 left, Willy Cauley-Stein was fouled and made one of his two free throws. Carter would hit a two and Temple then hit a three to make it 109-92 and appeared to put the game out of reach. LeBron would sit and the Kings went on to win by a final score of 109-95.