Tag: NBA

Pelicans land hard on the Kings in a 149-129 win in “the Big Easy”

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Bagley vs Pels
Bagley slams it home Photo @SacramentoKings

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

Mason vs Pels
Frank Mason works against the Pelicans Photo: @SacramentoKings

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.

Warriors come back to outlast the Jazz 124-123 in a thriller in Utah

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Photo credit: @warriors

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors trailed by as many as 16 points, but came back late in the fourth quarter to defeat the Utah Jazz 124-123 at Vivint Smart Home Arena on Friday night to win a thriller as time expired.

The Jazz had it all going for them in the first half as they put 81 points on the board. The first quarter was close and Utah led by two 34-32 after the first 12 minutes. Utah owned the second quarter as they outscored Golden State 47-37 and led 81-69 at the end of the first half.

When the Warriors score that many points in the first half, they are usually in command and would be cruising to a win. That was not the case Friday as the Jazz, who were behind the hot shooting of Joe Ingles, poured in 81 points. Warriors’ head coach Steve Kerr had to be dismayed by the lack of defense and must have conjured up an effective defensive strategy at halftime.

The Jazz increased the lead to 16 before the Warriors decided to shut down Utah’s offense. They held the Jazz to just 22 points in the third period and cut the deficit to six before starting the fourth quarter. Draymond Green, Kevin Durant, and Klay Thompson continued to apply defensive pressure on the Jazz. With just under six minutes to go, the Warriors took a one-point lead. The Jazz went up by five with a little over a minute. The Warriors came back and took the lead 123-122 with less than 30 seconds left in the game. The Jazz made a two-pointer with just six seconds left on the clock.

Kerr took a timeout, and the Warriors inbounded the ball from the half-court line. They got the ball to Durant, but he missed the bucket. However, Jonas Jerebko, who played for the Jazz last year, managed to tip the ball in to give the Warriors the lead with just 3/10ths of a second left on the clock. The Jazz failed to score, and the Warriors walked away with a hard-earned win 124-123.

Game Notes and Stats: Kevin Durant was the scoring star for Golden State Friday night. He knocked down 39 points and had 9 rebounds and seven assists. Also, he had one steal and two blocked shots on defense.

Steph Curry also had a big night. Curry put 31 points on the board along with four boards and eight assists. He made five 3-point shots in nine attempts.

Draymond Green almost had a double-double. He kicked in with 14 points, nine rebounds, and six assists. He, too, had one steal and two blocked shots on defense.

Klay Thompson had 12.

Jonas Jerebko, who scored the winning bucket, played well as he recorded 10 points, six rebounds, and one assist.

Kevon Looney and Damian Jones each had four, and Shaun Livingston added eight.

The Warriors gave up 81 points in the first half, but held the Jazz to just 42 in the second.

Joe Ingles led the Jazz with 27, which was a career-high for the talented Aussie.

Big man Rudy Gobert had a double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds.

Ricky Rubio had 13, Donovan Mitchell had 19, Jae Crowder had 17 and Dante Exum added 13.

The Warriors are 2-0 for the season, while Utah drops to 1-1.

Up Next: The Warriors head to Denver to take on the Denver Nuggets on Sunday night at 5:00 pm PT on NSBA and ALT.

Jazz ruin Kings’ Opening Night with 123-117 road win at Golden 1 Center

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Photo credit: @desnewssports

By: London Donson

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — NBA opening night is a special night for every team.  It’s a time when every team believes in themselves, despite what the rosters may indicate, possible predictions and off-season hype that they have a chance to create some magic. For the Sacramento Kings, it’s the opportunity for ultimate redemption, like, say, Wednesday night versus the Utah Jazz at Golden 1 Center. Also, a chance to pave a path back to the playoffs after 12 years of being bottom-feeders in the West. With a significant amount of young talent like De’Aaron Fox and Marvin Bagley, Sacramento is looking to progress into the future and it all starts tonight…or not.

The Kings looked like they were hoping to keep the hope alive. With less than eight minutes to go in the first quarter Sacramento held a 9-0 lead over Utah. Sacramento would hold a 10-plus lead for the majority of the quarter, thanks to early contributions from Buddy Hield. Utah rallied early and closed the gap behind seven points, thanks to Joe Ingles. The first quarter ended with a four-point advantage for Sacramento, 34-30.

The Jazz were in control during second and third quarters, while the Kings seemingly couldn’t catch a break with the referees and found themselves in foul trouble in the first three quarters. Rudy Gobert showcased his tremendous length and proved why he is one of the best big men in the NBA. Going into into the fourth quarter, Gobert had a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds. The Kings got contributions from many different places with five players with double-digits, but trailed by six at the start of the fourth quarter, 93-87.

The Kings never lost the fire they had going in the game, starting the fourth quarter with energy and refusing to let the Jazz walk away with an easy win. Willie Cauley-Stein went on to be Sacramento’s leading scorer with 23 points. Hield and Fox scored 21 and 19 points, respectively; but the Kings’ real standouts were Nemanja Bjelica and Yogi Ferrell, whose clutch effort plays kept the Kings competitive. Ferrell caused two jump balls through four quarters, the second coming at a crucial late stage in the game as the Kings were trying to close the gap in the fourth quarter.  Bjelica was one of the Kings’ most potent scorers, pouring in 18, including a fourth quarter three-pointer.

In the end, both teams scored 30 points apiece, and the Kings fell by the same third quarter deficit of six points. Even still, Sacramento played with great effort and well enough to be competitive, keeping up with a Utah team that’s considered to be one of the better teams in the West. The Kings can look back at this game for growth, and keep the hope for a better season.

Final: The Jazz defeated the Kings 123-117.

Up Next: The Kings travel to Smoothie King Center to take on the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday, October 19 at 5:00 pm PT on NSCA and FSNO.

Headline Sports podcast with London Marq: Kings open season hosting Jazz tonight; 49ers’ loss simply was a heartbreaker; Expect Astros-Sox to go the distance

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Photo credit: @SacramentoKings

On the Headline Sports podcast with London:

#1 London will be covering the Sacramento Kings opener at Golden 1 Center as the Kings host the Utah Jazz. London talks about all the excitement surrounding opening night.

#2 The San Francisco 49ers lost a crucial close game to the Green Bay Packers 33-30 in a game that went right down to the wire. Is this game viewed as an improvement game for San Francisco?

#3 It’s a series that has gone back and forth that saw the Red Sox win game one and the Astros in game two and now the Sox in game three. There’s no doubt the two best teams in the American League battling in the ALCS.

#4 With the Golden State Warriors losing four of their five preseason games, any indication that this Warriors team is getting older slowing down and show signs of fatigue or they just didn’t show all their cards in the preseason? Looks like they answered that question with a big win over the OKC Thunder on Tuesday night.

#5 The Oakland Raiders’ loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday in London was one of the low points of this season. With the team at 1-5, is this team getting away from head coach Jon Gruden?

London has Headline Sports each Wednesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Warriors start season with win over OKC Thunder 108-100

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photo from goldenstateofmind.com: Forward Paul George (13) the OKC Thunder pushes against the Golden State Warriors Stephen Curry (30) on opening night at Oracle Arena in Oakland on Tuesday night

By Jerry Feitelberg

OAKLAND — The Golden State Warriors, after unfurling their sixth NBA Championship banner and receiving their rings, started their quest for the third championship in a row and fourth in five seasons with a win over the Oklahoma City Thunder 108-100 at Oracle Arena on Tuesday night. It was not easy as both the Warriors and Thunder were not in mid-season form. Both teams play looked ragged at times, but the Warriors played defense down the stretch to win the game.

The Warriors did get off to a good start in the first quarter as they outscored the Thunder 31-23. Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, and Klay Thompson looked sharp. Things changed a bit in the second period, but the Warriors outscored the Thunder by two to finish the first half with a 10-point lead, 57-47. Curry finished the half with 19 points, and he made five 3-point shots in six attempts. Durant had 15, and Thompson added 10. Draymond Green made just one bucket good for 2 points, but he showed his defensive prowess with nine rebounds and five assists in the first half. Dennis Schroder, a former Atlanta Hawk, led the Thunder with 12 points. Steve Adams had nine, and Paul George kicked in with six.

The Warriors, who owned the third quarter last season, struggled as the Thunder fought their way back into the game. OKC started the period with a 22-9 run and took the lead 67-66. From that point forward, the lead seesawed between the two teams. The Thunder won the period 32-26, but the Warriors still finished with a four-point lead 83-79. The Warriors could not pull away from the Thunder until late in the fourth quarter. The Warriors led by four 95-91 with a little of six minutes left in the game. OKC cut the deficit to two 99-97, but Curry made a layup and got fouled on the play. He made the free throw, and the lead was back to five, 102-97. With time running out, Kevon Looney made a two-point bucket that ignited the crowd. Durant scored to put Golden State up 106-99. However, Durant landed awkwardly on his right shoulder, and the Arena went silent. The big guy rose to his feet and shook off the injury, and the fans let out a huge collective sigh of relief. Durant scored the last bucket of the night, and the Warriors finished the night with their first victory of the season.

Game Notes and Stats: At times, as mentioned above, the play looked sloppy on both sides. The Warriors turned the ball over 20 times, and head coach Steve Kerr was not happy as he wants the team to handle the ball better and keep turnovers to under fifteen. Kerr knows his players are still getting in shape and looked tired, saying: “We didn’t look much like ourselves. It’s not surprising either. We need a couple more weeks.”

Kevin Durant who played well as he knocked down 27 points and had 8 rebounds and six assists said this about the team’s performance.

“I love who we are, game 1 of 82,” Durant said. “Just keep grinding.”

Steph Curry led the team with 32 points, 8 rebounds, and 9 assists. Curry  did not make a 3-pointer in the second half and ended the night with 5 for 9 in that department. Klay Thompson finished with 10. Draymond Green did not score in the second half, but he finished the night with an astounding 13 rebounds and 5 assists. Green admitted that he was tired, but he did not play much in the preseason as he was resting a sore knee. The Warriors big men, Kevon Looney and Damian Jones, played well. Looney scored 10 points and had 10 boards. Jones had a career-high 12 points, 3 rebounds and 2 boards.

Paul George caught fire in the second half and finished the night with 27 points for OKC. Steve Adams finished with 17 points and 11 rebounds. Dennis Schroder added 21 points, 9 rebounds, and 6 assists. The Thunder’s leader and All-Star guard Russell Westbrook did not play as he was sidelined with a knee injury.

Up Next: The Warriors travel to Salt Lake City to play the Utah Jazz Friday night. Game time will be at 7:30 pm PT and will be shown on ESPN.

Kings lose the final preseason game of the year to Portland, 118-115, but not ugly this time

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Por vs Sac

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.

Por vs Sac2

Kings Performances

  • Buddy Hield was the Kings co-high scorer in the game with 19 points. Hield went a perfect 10-for-10 from the free throw line. He also had four assists.
  • Yogi Ferrell also scored 19 points in the game. Ferrell shot 7-for-15 from the field. He also added five assists.
  • Marvin Bagley III–MBIII5 scored 15 points and grabbed six rebounds. He shot 7-for-11 from the field.
  • Willie Cauley-Stein and Frank Mason each scored 14 points in the game.
  • Nemanja Bjelica put up 10 points and grabbed 9 rebounds.

What the Trail Blazers did

  • CJ McCollum led the Trail Blazers scoring attack with 21 points. He also had nine rebounds and six assists.
  • Meyers Leonard added 17 points and nine rebounds.
  • Nik Stauskas (remember him?) recorded 15 points. He hit 4-of-7 from 3-point land.
  • Zach Collins scored 15 points in 31 minutes on the floor. He shot 7-of-12 from the floor.

Por Leonard

Team stats

  • SAC shot 42.2-percent from the floor (38-for-90).
  • The Kings hit 10-of-24 (41.7-percent) from 3-point land.
  • Sacramento went 29-for-33 (87.9-percent) from the free throw line.

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.

Lakers down the Warriors 119-105 to finish the preseason

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Photo credit: @Lakers

By Jerry Feitelberg

SAN JOSE — The Los Angeles Lakers, who were without LeBron James, Brandon Ingram, and Kentavius Caldwell-Pope, rallied in the second half to down the Golden State Warriors 119-105 at SAP Center on Friday night.

The Warriors did not play Kevin Durant or Andre Iguodala. Steph Curry played the first period for Golden State and was done for the night. Klay Thompson did not play in the second half. Draymond Green, who had not played since September 29th, saw 14 minutes of action and scored just one point.

Curry played most of the first quarter and tallied 16 points, including four three-point shots. He looked as if he was in mid-season form. Thompson finished the night with 21, and he looked ready to go. The Warriors won the first half by 13 (67-54). Damian Jones had a good first half as he knocked down 15 and appears to be the starting center for the Warriors until DeMarcus Cousins is ready to play.

The second half belonged to the Lakers. Kyle Kuzma was on fire as he and Svi Mykhailuk led the Lakers to a comeback win as they outscored the Warriors 61-38. The Warriors used Draymond Green in the third quarter and Shaun Livingston in the fourth quarter. The rest of the players were trying to show the Warriors’ coaching staff that they belonged in the NBA. The Warriors will have to make decisions soon on which players will start the season in Oakland and who will be assigned to the G-League.

Game Notes: The Warriors still have not agreed to a contract with Patrick McCaw. McCaw would be starting his third season with the Warriors, and he could help this year’s edition. There are question marks regarding Damian Jones, Jordan Bell, Jacob Evans, Jonas Jerebko, and Marcus Derrickson.

The Big Four consisting of Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant, and Draymond Green are set. Andre Iguodala, Shaun Livingston, Kevon Looney, and Quinn Cook will make up the second unit.

Up Next: The Warriors open the season at Oracle Arena on Tuesday night at 7:30 pm PDT versus the Oklahoma City Thunder. Moreover, the Warriors’ championship banner will be unfurled, and the players will receive their championship rings.

Three takeaways from the Kings’ preseason loss to the Jazz

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Photo credit: Sports Radio Service

By: Ana Kieu

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The Sacramento Kings returned to familiar territory at Golden 1 Center, where they hosted a preseason game versus the Utah Jazz on Thursday night.

Did the Kings bounce back? Nope. The Kings barely won their first preseason game 106-102 over the Phoenix Suns at the Talking Stick Resort Arena and then lost their next three preseason games, including their most recent loss–a 132-93 blowout to the Utah Jazz, who went undefeated in the preseason.

Here are three takeaways from the Kings’ loss to the Jazz:

The Kings’ rookie factor
The Kings were the home team in this preseason game, but that didn’t mean the team–and the Golden 1 Center–left a lasting impression on their fanbase.

But if you could look past the low attendance numbers and lack of community spirit, you’ll find a few bright spots like rookie power forward Marvin Bagley III, whom the Kings selected with the second overall pick in this year’s NBA Draft. Bagley III posted 17 points, eight assists and one assist in 21 minutes of play. Moreover, Bagley III led all Kings in scoring, which was a great sight to see.

The Kings made a slightly controversial move when they initially selected Bagley III, a Duke product, when there was a franchise-changing young man in Deandre Ayton, who was preferred by the Phoenix Suns, but CBS Sports has reported that the Suns should’ve spent a little bit more time looking at him.

Of course, every rookie in NBA history likely has thought that he was the best player in the draft, but Bagley III has told CBS Sports that he’d embark on a long and fruitful NBA career. While it’s too early to predict Bagley III’s future, we can reassure you that he has been making headlines for the right reasons.

The Kings fall flat
Even if you didn’t watch the game, the final score should scream that the Kings fell flat and the Jazz had the upper hand.

Sacramento suffered from a complete lack of defense along with missed field goals, lay-ups and other point-blank attempts. Utah, on the other hand, excelled when it came to field goals. The Jazz converted 60 percent of their field goals, including 14 of their 30 three-point shots. The Jazz jumped out to a 39-10 lead in the first quarter and never looked back.

The Kings should take notes on the Jazz, who are an up-and-coming team with rookie shooting guard Donovan Mitchell, who’s arguably the future of the Jazz. Also, Utah’s leading scorer–Ruby Gobert–finished with 18 points, seven rebounds and one assist in 17 minutes of play, so keep an eye out for him. In addition, Utah big men Alec Burks, Grayson Allen, Derrick Favors and Jae Crowder deserve parts of your attention for their hard work.

Buddy Buckets
Kings shooting guard Buddy Hield recorded seven points, seven assists and five rebounds in 25 minutes of play. Obviously, those aren’t above average numbers, but Hield proved that he deserves the nickname “Buddy Buckets.”

Hield’s steal and slam in the second half was a noteworthy moment for the Kings, who qualified for a positive moment following the awful first half. Hield’s game has shown marginal improvements over time and Hield will likely become a regular starter again. Hield’s one of the Kings’ best players. Hield may not be the definite cure for the Kings’ issues, but it’s a start.

The Kings have nowhere to go, but up.

Jazz refuse to quit with 132-93 pounding of Kings

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Photo credit: sacbee.com

By Jeremy Harness

SACRAMENTO — The Golden 1 Center was half-empty on Thursday, and the brave souls who showed up probably wished they had not.

The Sacramento Kings sure didn’t. They were smacked around in every way imaginable right from the opening tip-off in a 132-93 drubbing at the hands of the Utah Jazz, the team’s first home preseason game against an NBA opponent.

Let’s put it this way: The Kiss-Cam got more applause than the Kings did.

The boo birds, as well as the occasional shout of “you suck” started midway through the second quarter. It only intensified after a Rudy Gobert fast-break dunk gave the Jazz a 62-29 lead. The booing did cease, however, in the second half, possibly due to either a strong sense of resignation or a general lack of interest.

The majority of Utah’s field-goal attempts were uncontested, which explains why the Jazz converted 60 percent of them (51 of 85), including 14 of their 30 3-point shots. The Kings, meanwhile, were flat broke the entire game, starting with DeAaron Fox’s jumper from the free-throw line clanking off the base of the rim.

What followed were missed layups and other point-blank attempts as well as a complete lack of defense. Utah used the first 12 minutes of the game to get out to a 39-10 lead.

It got no better during the course of Thursday’s game. In fact, it got painfully worse. The Kings were a woeful 34 percent (32 of 93) from the floor.

Sacramento was losing it on the court, and it seemed to trickle down to the head coach, and that didn’t take very long. After calling a timeout upon Sacramento going down 32-7 late in the opening quarter, Dave Joerger waited exactly seven seconds–about the time it took for Sacramento to get the ball across half-court–to call another one.

The second quarter was simply an extension of the first. While going down 45-10 in the first two minutes of the quarter, Buddy Hield missed a wide-open fast-break layup and watched as the putback attempt got wedged in between the basket and the backboard. Meanwhile, the Jazz built up a 36-point halftime lead and led at one point by 44 points.

The Jazz were led by Rudy Gobert, who caught numerous alley-oops for dunks and put in a few more uncontested attempts on his way to 18 points on 7-of-8 shooting.

Rookie Marvin Bagley III, whom the Kings selected with the second pick of this year’s draft, scored 17 points and pulled down eight rebounds. Willie Cauley-Stein had 16 points, but he was manhandled by Utah big man Rudy Gobert in the process. Harry Giles III and Justin Jackson each scored 12 points for Sacramento.

NOTES: It’s probably not a good sign when Skal Labissiere–who was a first-round pick just two years ago–doesn’t see his first action of the game until the start of the fourth quarter, after the Kings had been trailing by at least 20 since the opening minutes of the game.

Ben McLemore, who was part of the trade that sent guard–and proven leader–Garrett Temple to the Memphis Grizzlies, did not get into the game until the fourth quarter as well.

UP NEXT: The Kings head up north to the Moda Center to take on the Portland Trail Blazers in their final preseason game Friday night at 7:00 pm PT on NSNW.

LeBron James, Brandon Ingram lead the way over the Warriors 123-113

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Photo credit: @warriors

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Los Angeles Lakers were able to hold off the defending NBA Champion Golden State Warriors 123-113 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Wednesday night. It was the Warriors’ third preseason game, and they suffered their second loss in a row. The Warriors were missing All-Star forward Draymond Green with a sore knee, and DeMarcus Cousins was not available as he recovers from an Achilles tendon injury.

The Warriors lost two big men over the off-season. Zaza Pachulia went to the Detroit Pistons, and JaVale McGee became an LA Laker. Head coach Steve Kerr has to hope that Damien Jones and Kevon Looney will be able to do the job until Cousins is ready to play.

With LeBron James on board, the Lakers will no longer be a pushover for the Warriors. LeBron played the first half and was in mid-season form as he scored 15 points and had 10 rebounds and five assists in the first half. The Warriors won the first quarter 34-31, but the Lakers outscored them 30-23 in the second period to finish the first half with a 61-57 lead. Steph Curry and Kevin Durant each scored 18 to pace the Warrior attack.

Curry,  Durant and Klay Thompson saw action in the third quarter, but left the game midway through the period. Kerr used his bench players the rest of the way, but they were not able to catch the Lakers. The Lakers were paced by Ingram in the third quarter, and he finished the night with26 points. The Lakers outscored Golden State 41-35 in the third period, and the Warriors won the fourth quarter 21-20.

Notes: Steph Curry was sharp as he netted 23 points and recorded five assists, but had five turnovers. Klay scored 18. Durant ended the night with 18. Durant also fouled out midway through the third quarter.

Brandon Ingram led the Lakers with 26. Kentavius Caldwell-Pope tallied 20. Kyle Kuzma, who came off the bench, knocked down 22 in 24 minutes. Lonzo Ball saw 23 minutes of action, but scored just seven points. Lance Stephenson helped out the Lakers with 12.

Up Next: The Warriors finish the preseason Friday night when they play the Lakers again. This time, the venue will be the SAP Center in San Jose.

The regular season starts on Tuesday, October 16th at Oracle Arena when the Warriors host the Oklahoma City Thunder. Game time will be at 7:30 pm PT.