By Charlie O. Mallonee
The last place a 0-2 NBA team wants to play when trying to get its first win of the season is Oklahoma City. The Thunder had a 9-1 opening night record at home heading into the game versus the Kings on Sunday night. OKC also had won 74.2-percent of their home games at the Chesapeake Energy Arena going the 2018-19 home opener. That is what you call a “real uphill battle.”
The Kings parlayed a two-point first quarter lead into a 12-point halftime lead. Everyone knew the Thunder would not go quietly–especially with Superstar Russell Westbrook back for the first time this season after a knee scope.
The Kings held a 97-90 lead at the end of three quarters and then had to gut it out for the final 12 minutes.
The Kings (1-2) led by Justin Jackson, Willie Cauley-Stein and De’Aaron Fox outscored OKC 34-30 in the fourth period and won their first game of the season 131-120. Beating the Thunder (0-3) on the road is a real motivator for a young team like Sacramento.
Sacramento turned to a vet for a lift
Kings head coach Dave Joerger inserted NBA veteran Iman Shumpert into the starting lineup on Sunday night. Shumpert gave the team an immediate lift by scoring 16 of their 34 first quarter points. He hit 4-of-6 3-point shots in the opening 12 minutes.
Shumpert finished the game with 26 points shooting 9-for-13 from the floor including four 3-point conversions. He also added four assists, three steals, three rebounds and two blocked shots.
Fans should not expect Shumpert to produce those kinds of numbers on a regular basis but he will be good as a “spark plug” for the team during the season.
Defense
It may seem odd to talk about defense when a team gives up 120 points, but it has to be a discussion for this game. One of the key issues was not allowing long scoring runs. In the game in New Orleans, the Pelicans went on very long scoring runs which were back breakers. Sacramento did not let that happen on Sunday which helped them win the game.
The Kings also held the Thunder to 44.2-percent shooting (46-for-104) overall. In their two losses, the Jazz and Pelicans shot over 50-percent for the game. Scoring is up in the NBA dramatically as teams are pushing the pace, but defense will still be important to winning games.
Rookie watch
Marvin Bagley III came off the bench and played just over 23 minutes. MBIII scored 13 points and grabbed seven rebounds. Five of those rebounds were off the offensive glass setting up second-chance opportunities. He attacked the basket often looking like he had jumped off a mini-trampoline. The young man can “raise the roof.”
Harry Giles III played almost 17 minutes and did not foul out. That is significant because he was assigned to slow down Steven Adams, which is no easy task for a veteran, let alone a rookie. HGIII did put a crimp in Adams style and managed to score eight points to go with six rebounds.
The Fox was on the loose
After the game, coach Dave Joerger said he may have played Fox for too many minutes (41:59) in the contest. Not only did the second-year point guard push the pace but he also had to defend against Russell Westbrook for 35 minutes. Fox did look tired during his postgame interview.
Fox recorded a double-double putting up 22 points and dishing out 10 assists in the victory. He hit 7-of 12 shots from the field and converted 7-of-9 opportunities from the charity stripe.
Seven Kings scored in double-figures
Kings team numbers were impressive as well
Up Next
The Kings wrap up this three-game road trip on Tuesday night in Denver against a very tough Nuggets team. The Nuggets are currently 3-0 after squeaking out a 100-98 win over the Golden State Warriors on Sunday night.
By Charlie O. Mallonee
By the end of the evening in New Orleans, the Sacramento Kings would rather have been in Yuba City because they had no reason to celebrate on Bourbon Street. The Kings gave up 149 points to the New Orleans Pelicans in their loss on Friday night. The 149 points was a new game-high scoring record for the New Orleans franchise.
The Kings did score 129 points of their own, but it was in a losing effort. There were some highlights but a loss is a loss. This was the Kings first road loss of 2018-19, and they are now 0-2 on the season.
Joerger’s take
”I saw some really good things offensively tonight,” Kings coach Dave Joerger said. ”I see, certainly, a lot of things defensively that can be learned through experience that just takes time as younger guys learn how to play against older guys. I am not fired up about giving up 149, but I do like what I see from a lot of our guys.”
Maybe this reporter is just a little impatient, but he has heard the “I saw some really good things” line many times over the last two years. Yes, this is a completely reworked roster with some very young players, but the “I’m happy with some of what I saw from my team tonight” line is going to wear thin very quickly. After 10 games if the team is playing poorly, the coach is going to have to speak honestly about the way his team is playing. The time to “kick butt and take names” is coming sooner and not later for Sacramento.
Coming out party for MBIIIV
The Kings top draft pick saw some major playing time on Friday versus the Pelicans. Bagley played 32-plus minutes and matched up well against “the Brow” – Anthony Davis. MBIIIV put up 19 points hitting 7-of-10 from the field. He converted 5-of-6 opportunities from the free throw line. Bagley grabbed eight rebounds, had three assists and made three steals.
Not a bad second game as a professional for a 19-year old having to go up against Anthony Davis.
WCS comes up “Big” again
Willie Cauley-Stein was the Kings leading scorer for the second consecutive game with 20 points in just over 25 minutes of playing time. He shot an impressive 9-for-14 from the floor. The big man also grabbed seven rebounds.
Swipa the Fox and Buddy Buckets showed up as well
De’Aaron Fox shot 6-for-12 from the floor and scored 18 points for the Kings. He also dished out six assists and pulled down seven rebounds. The Fox hit 6-of-7 chances from the free throw line.
Buddy Hield recorded 17 points, hitting 7-of-11 shots from the field. Hield put in 3-of-4 tries from behind the 3-point line. He also added three assists.
Mr. Mason had a big game coming off the bench
Frank Mason III played just over 21-minutes and scored 18 points. Mason shot 7-for-13 from the floor and converted 3-of-4 from the free throw line. He also handed out six assists.
What about Harry Giles III?
Harry had a tough game on Friday night. He committed six fouls in just over 18 minutes on the floor. Giles scored seven points and added four rebounds. He shot just 3-for-11 for the game. Rookies sometimes struggle.
Team stats
The Kings shot 52.1-percent (50/96) for the game. The problem was the Pelicans shot 58.9-percent (56/95) in the contest.
Sacramento hit 10-of-25 (40-percent) from 3-point land. New Orleans buried 16-of-31 tries from behind the long-distance line.
The Pelicans outrebounded the Kings 52 to 39.
The need for defense
The practice on Saturday will be all about defense. The Kings have proved they can score. Now, they need to figure out how to stop their opponents from scoring at will.
Up next
The Kings will return to action on Sunday on the road in Oklahoma City versus the Thunder at 4:00 pm PT. The quest for their first victory of 2018-19 does not get any easier having to face a team a talented as the Thunder on the road.
By Charlie O. Mallonee
After being blown out 132-93 by the Utah Jazz on Thursday night, the Sacramento Kings needed to bounce back in the second game of a back-to-back in Portland on Friday to prove that they are not a “walk-over team” in the 2018-19 season. The Kings did not win on Friday night, but they did not embarrass themselves either. Sacramento fought to the end but came up short losing to the Trail Blazers 118-115.
Sacramento did not go into the game with positive news. Point guard De’Aaron Fox and head coach Dave Joerger were both pregame scratches because of the stomach flu. That is not the way you want to start a game you need to win–no head coach and down one superstar.
The Kings fell behind 32-20 at the end of the first quarter, and it looked like it might be another ugly loss for Sacramento on the road. The Kings bounced back in the second quarter and outscored the Trail Blazers 35-25.
The Kings kept the game close and had a chance to win the contest right up to the end. With one-tenth of a second remaining, Frank Mason put up a 3-point shot that missed. Had that shot been good–the Kings would have won the game.
Kings Performances
What the Trail Blazers did
Team stats
Up next
The start of the 2018-19 regular season on Wednesday, October 17 versus the Utah Jazz at 7:00 pm PT inside the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento.
By Morris Phillips
SACRAMENTO — The Kings have the league’s shiniest arena, enthusiastic fans, promising, young talent, and they play a pleasing, break neck pace. What’s not to like?
According to ESPN NBA journalist Zach Lowe, a bunch. Simply based on their youthfulness, and lack of proven NBA performers, most prognosticators have pegged the Kings as the league’s 30th (out of 30) most talented team. But that doesn’t make them the least appealing to watch as well, does it?
Lowe thinks so, right down to iconic broadcaster Jerry Reynolds stepping away from his position as television color analyst after 20 seasons, replaced by Doug Christie. Sacramento basketball without Reynolds’ folksy analysis? Not good, says Lowe.
In fact, according to Lowe, only one thing can save the Kings from such a lowly distinction: De’Aaron Fox flying up and down the court at warp speed gives Sacramento basketball one, pleasing dimension. And beyond that?
Well, the Kings have the intriguing duo of Marvin Bagley III and Harry Giles, the Duke big men that possess positionless attributes. Play the pair together, Lowe says, and the Kings might have something.
In fact, in the Kings’ 132-100 wipeout of Maccabi Haifa, Giles flashed into the lane, received a pass, and seamlessly laid a no-look, behind the back pass to Bagley for the dunk. The Golden 1 Center roared its approval at the sequence.
Willie Cauley-Stein is another piece the Kings possess with appeal. But could this be tatooed, big man’s last year in Sacramento? As a restricted free agent, Cauley-Stein could be more sought after by another team seeking his size and activity in the lane.
The Kings have committed fully to their youth movement, so George Hill, who often seemed disinterested, isn’t around to drag things down. And Zach Randolph is comfortably set in his player emeritus role, so the Kings’ ball movement among the youthful core should be fluid and in keeping with how the NBA does things these days.
Iman Shumpert hasn’t recovered from injuries that have shelved him since his acquisition from the Cavaliers mid-way through last season. But he’s a welcome presence for no other reason than his wife, Teyana Taylor, is hotter than any other player’s wife. Have you seen the video vixen’s explosive performance in Kanye West’s video for his song “Fade”? Can’t label that unappealing, that’s for sure.
Ultimately, what will make the Kings appealing is winning ballgames. Too often, last season, Sacramento games played out like exhibitions with the Kings falling behind, and playing little or no defense. Close, competitive games will make the Kings watchable without a doubt.
GAME NOTES: Buddy Hield led the Kings with 22 points in 27 minutes in their win over Maccabi Haifa. Seven Kings finished in double figures with Giles (16 points, seven rebounds) and Justin Jackson (18 points) the next, most prolific performers. The Kings’ issues with opponents’ physicality disappeared for a night as Sacramento outrebounded Maccabi Haifa 47-36 while totaling a whopping 64 points in the paint.
Maccabi Haifa was paced by former Stanford star and Atlanta Hawk Josh Childress, who had 18 points. Kennedy Meeks (North Carolina) and Scott Machado (Iona) chipped in 17 and 15 points, respectively.
UP NEXT: The Kings wrap up pre-season action with Thursday’s home game against the Utah Jazz at 7:00 pm PT followed by a trip to Portland to face the Trail Blazers at the Moda Center on Friday at 7:00 pm PT.
Th Kings’ regular season opener is set for October 17 at 7:00 pm PT against the Jazz at the Golden 1 Center.
By Charlie O. Mallonee
Thursday night was an exciting night for NBA starved basketball fans in Sacramento. The Kings traveled to Los Angeles to take on King James and the Lakers in a preseason affair. The keyword in that sentence is “preseason.”
The number one goal in a preseason game is not to win. Now, these are professional athletes, and they hate to lose at anything, anytime. However, the preseason is about getting players working together, learning the playbook, seeing how different combinations play as a unit, and deciding who make the open spots on the roster.
Understanding those parameters explains the final score of 128-123 with the Lakers coming out on top. There were moments where defense came into play, but it certainly did not look like the type of defense you will see in the regular season. No one wants to go into the regular season battered and bruised.
Kings
Lakers
In typical preseason fashion, there were 24 lead changes in the contest and the game was tied 12 times.
Up Next
The Kings will be back on the floor Friday night in Seattle to take on the Golden State Warriors. The Seattle fans will be anxious to see Kevin Durant. They will also have a chance to see a Kings team that almost moved to Seattle.
The Lakers host the Clippers on Saturday night.
The Heat handed the Kings their second loss in the California Classic 86-76. Sacramento tried to close the gap late in the fourth quarter, but their effort was too little too late.
Three things we learned in this game:
Here some of the key stats for the Kings:
Here are some numbers on the Heat’s winning performance:
Coach Lewis’ thoughts on the game:
MB3FIVE meets with the media after the game:
Up next for the Kings
The Kings will practice on Friday and then travel to Las Vegas to get ready for the Summer League Tournament. Sacramento will play its first game on Saturday afternoon at 4:30 pm PDT when they will face the Phoenix Suns. That game can be seen on ESPN.
by Charlie O. Mallonee
Sacramento — The inaugural California Classic NBA basketball showcase began play on Monday night at the Golden 1 Center. The six-game classic is an opportunity for the four teams to prepare for the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.
Breaking news almost overshadowed the games
As the Warriors and Heat were preparing for the first game of the evening’s doubleheader, news broke that former Sacramento Kings star and current free agent DeMarcus “Boogie” Cousins had signed a one-year, $5.3-million contract with the Golden State Warriors.
There was a definite buzz that came over the arena as news of the signing spread among the fans. Leave it to “Boogie” to try and steal the Kings thunder.
The good news — it did not take long for the fans to forget about Cousins and start concentrating on basketball.
Kings two “Dukies” made their debut in front of the hometown crowd
The Kings number one draft pick (number two overall) Marvin Bagley III was one of the starting forwards versus the Lakers in the second game on Monday night. He was joined on the front line by center and former Duke player Harry Giles III. Giles was “redshirted” last season while he completed bi-lateral rehabilitation.
The number two lottery selection in the NBA Draft is expected to be an immediate impact player, so the near-sellout crowd was ready to Bagley perform right from the opening tip. The word about Giles and his performance in workouts was so positive that many fans could not wait to see him in actual competition.
The two former Blue Devils did not disappoint.
Bagley III scored his first points at 6:58 in the first quarter when he hit a seven-foot fadeaway shot. Giles III got into the act 24-seconds later when he finished a fastbreak with a layup off an assist from Frank Mason. Giles started the fastbreak opportunity when blocked a 3-point shot attempt by Moritz Wagner.
Not to be outdone, Bagley III came back seconds later with a monster dunk on a fastbreak of his own. About a minute later, Bagley would sink a 26-foot 3-point shot. Yes, the big home crowd was going wild.
Frankly, my focus for the majority of the game was on Bagley III and Giles III. We had not had a chance to see the two players in action and this was a chance to really focus on their skills.
What did we learn about Harry Giles III?
First, Harry Giles III is a very tough, physical player. After being out for an entire season, there was a possibility he could have been a bit cautious getting back into action. The exact opposite happened. Giles looked like a man who was hungry to get into action and mix it up.
Giles III played physical with and without the ball. He left no doubt that he was on the floor for any Laker that had to play against him on Monday night. Giles III committed six personal fouls (players get 10 this time of year) in the game and some of them were very physical.
Giles III scored 13 points shooting 6-for-10 from the floor. He hit 1-of-2 3-point shots. Even though he played a very physical game, Giles III did not go to the free throw line once in 25-minutes of playing time. He grabbed three rebounds, had one steal and one blocked shot.
It was a nice professional debut for Mr. Giles III.
Marvin Bagley III is going to be a tough guy on the court
The Kings top draft choice made his presence known early in the game. He is not shy. Bagley III is into the game and very demonstrative about it. He is very active on the floor and does not appear to have any fear about mixing it up with opposing players.
At one point in the game, Bagley III made a move to the basket leading with his right shoulder. He did not make the shot but did go to the line to shoot free throws. The defender was left clutching his chest in pain after taking “the bump” to clear him out before Bagley III made his move to the hoop.
Bagley III posted 18 points in just under 26 minutes on the floor. He shot 6-for-11 overall and hit 1-of-2 from downtown. Bagley — who has not been know as a great free throw shooter — went 5-for-6 from the charity stripe. He also hauled in six rebounds and blocked three shots.
In his first professional game, Marvin Bagley III performed as advertised, and that is a good thing.
Oh by the way … the Kings won the game
The Kings beat the Lakers 98-93 on Monday night. It is important to remember that the rosters of these teams are made up of first-year players, rookies, G-League players and undrafted free agents. These are young players that the teams want to get experience plus players they may be considering for “two-way” contracts or for their G-League teams.
De’Aaron Fox — who will not play in the Las Vegas Tournament — was the leading scorer for Sacramento. He recorded 23 points, had eight rebounds, dished out six assists and made three steals. Fox shot 9-for-15 from the field but went just 1-for-6 from long-range. He went to the free throw line six times and converted five of those opportunities.
Frank Mason also had a very good game for SAC scoring 16 points. He hit 4-of-7 shooting and sank 2-of-3 from 3-point range. Mason also took advantage of the free throw line dropping in 6-of-7 shots from the line.
The Lakers were led by Moritz Wagner and Josh Hart who each scored 23 points in the contest. Svi Mykhalliuk added 15 points of his own.
This contest also featured two technical fouls charged to the Lakers. A Flagrant 1 Foul charged to Frank Mason and an ejection to one of the Lakers leading scorers — John Hart.
These young players have a great deal on the line, so they are willing to play with reckless abandon.
Golden State vs. Miami
The Heat and the Warriors played in the first game of the doubleheader on Monday night. Golden State won the game 79-68. Kendrick Nunn led the Warriors scoring attack with 19 points to go along with 11 rebounds. Derrick Jones, Jr. was the leading scorer for the Heat and the game. He also recorded a double-double posting 24 points and 11 rebounds.
The schedule for Tuesday night
The Lakers and Heat will faceoff at 6:00 PM. The Warriors and the Kings will meet in the nightcap will tip-off at approximately 8:00 PM.
By Charlie O. Mallonee
The Sacramento Kings did not go off script on Thursday in the 2018 NBA Draft. When it was time for them to make the number two overall selection in the draft, the Kings wasted no time taking power forward Marvin Bagley III, a freshman from Duke. At 6-foot-11 and 234 pounds, Bagley is the prototype of the new big man in the NBA.
Bagley was a 2017-18 consensus First Team All-American. He was named NABC National Freshman of the Year and NABC Pete Newell Big Man of the Year. Bagley was named to the All-ACC Academic Team.
“I’m just too excited right now,” Bagley said after being selected by the Kings. “I can’t even describe the feeling I’m feeling right now. A lot of emotions running through me, seeing my family out there, happy for me, and friends that came. This has been great.”
“I’m super excited to get started with this franchise and keep it going and keep building,” said the newest member of the Sacramento Kings.
Vlade Divac on his new player
Bagley by the numbers in 2017-18
More on Bagley III
Strengths and Weaknesses
Who does Bagley compare to?
The experts say Bagley III is very comparable to Amar’e Stoudemire. He can run the floor, do damage at the basket and struggles on defense.
Kings Second-Round Pick: So long!
The Kings drafted Duke guard Gary Trent Jr. with the number 37 overall pick in the draft and within five minutes traded him to Portland for two future second-round draft selections.
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