Tag: NBA

Durant, Warriors, send the Hornets down with 101-87 win

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Golden State Warriors’ Kevin Durant reacts to making a dunk against the Charlotte Hornets during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Charlotte, N.C., Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2017. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)

by Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors were without Steph Curry, Draymond Green, Patrick McCaw, and saw Zaza Pachulia leave the game early in the first quarter with a shoulder injury.

The Warriors called up Quinn Cook from the G-League Santa Cruz Warriors and Cook made his first start in the NBA. With Pachulia out, head coach Steve Kerr rotated JaVale McGee, David West, Jordan Bell, and Kevon Looney. Kevin Durant had a triple-double (35 points, 10 assists, and 10 rebounds) to lead the Dubs to a 101-87 win. It was the Dubs’ fifth win in a row on their six-game road trip.

The Warriors held the Hornets to 38 points in the first half as they shot 31% from the floor. Klay Thompson, Nick Young, and Quinn Cook made significant contributions to the Warriors’ attack.

“I knew Quinn would play well,” Kerr said. “He’s played a lot of minutes for New Orleans last year and we have watched him in practice in the G-league…We have a lot of synergy between the franchises and we run the same stuff, so Quinn knows all of the plays.”

The Warriors played from start to finish and refused to let the Hornets climb their way back into the game. The Hornets made a run late in the game, but the Dubs answered the challenge.

“Even without those other guys, they’re still pretty good,” Hornets interim head coach Stephen Silas, who’s leading the team while Steve Clifford is dealing with a health issue. “Obviously with Kevin Durant and Klay (Thompson) it was hard to stop those guys tonight.”

Kevin Durant led by example. Durant scored just 16 points in the first quarter. The Warriors led 26-18 as they held Charlotte to just 31% from the floor. In the second quarter, Thompson, Cook, and young connected on several three-pointers as the Dubs ended the first half with a 53-38 lead. The Dubs had a 26-point lead, but Kemba Walker and the Hornets’ offense got going.

In the second half, David West and JaVale McGee made several key buckets. The Hornets cut the deficit to 11 at the end of the third quarter, but the Warriors played defense in the fourth quarter to put the game in the win column.

Game Notes and Stats — Curry has a sprained ankle and is wearing a boot. He’s going to head home to the Bay Area Thursday and will be re-evaluated in two weeks.

Green was out with a shoulder injury and it is not known if he will play in Detroit Friday night.

Patrick McCaw was hit on the nose by Demarcus Cousins Monday. McCaw may not be available Friday.

Pachulia injured his shoulder and his status is unknown.

Durant said: “It’s fun when you get to create and just be creative out there, whether it’s passing to JaVale (McGee) for a lob or shooting a pull-up jump shot…Tonight it felt like I could go in my bag of tools, my bag of tricks, to pull some stuff out. I don’t expect it to be like that every single game, but tonight I thought it called for it.”

“It wasn’t so much a vocal leadership role, but more of an ‘I got this’ type of thing,’ Kerr said. “It was the way he carried himself. He was clearly the best player on the floor and the dominant player on the floor. Without Steph (Curry), he almost had a different bounce to his step, like `This one is mine, I got it.”

Thompson ended the night with 22 points. Cook tallied eight points, three assists, and three rebounds. Young came off the bench and knocked down 10. Andre Iguodala had eight points and eight boards. David West added six points, four assists, three rebounds, and two blocked shots.

Leading scorers for the Hornets were Kemba Walker with 25, Nick Batum 15, and Dwight Howard with 14.

The Warriors shot 48% from the floor and held Charlotte to just 35% The Dubs knocked down 11 three-point shots and recorded 26 assists. On defense, they had eight steals and 12 blocked shots.

The Warriors finish the six-game road trip in Detroit Friday night. The Pistons beat the Warriors in Oakland early in the season. The Pistons will be trying to sweep the season series. Game time is at 4 pm.

Kings Battle, But Can’t Overcome LeBron As The Cavs Win 101-95

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Cleveland Cavaliers’ LeBron James celebrates after scoring in the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Sacramento Kings, Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2017, in Cleveland. The Cavaliers won 101-95. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

By: Jeremiah Salmonson

The Sacramento Kings came into the Cleveland Cavaliers’ territory looking to rebound after a loss to the Milwaukee Bucks 104-109 on Sunday.

Neither the Cavs nor the Kings impressed in the first quarter. Nonetheless, the Kings led 22-19 going into the second quarter. Lebron James took only one shot in the first and was a non-factor. Zach Randolph proved to be a force in the first, scoring the most points for the Kings.

Heading into the second quarter, the Kings had to be feeling good about themselves staying competitive with the Cavs. That good feeling continued as the Kings and Cavs went head-to-head in the second. This possibly happened because of the lackluster first half from James. As a spectator, you could tell he had not put all his legs in the first half. Randolph continued to push forward and dominate the floor on the Kings’ end. At the end of the first half, the Kings led 57-48.

The Kings were efficient in limiting the damage after small mistakes and turnovers. Keeping James contained coupled with a 12-3 run going into the second half led to a 57-48 first half Kings lead.

Going into the third quarter, the Kings felt in control. They led by 17 at one point, but then James began to heat up. He ended the third with his points in the game, reaching 25.

Kevin Love also had 18 points by the time the third came to an end. The Kings still led going into the fourth, but you could feel it dwindling. The third quarter would end 78-73 in favor of Kings.

Kyle Korver and the Cavs opened the fourth quarter on a 9-1 run, thanks to Korver’s three three-point shots. The game in the fourth would prove to be competitive though as the Kings came back to even things out. With 6:20 to go in the game, the Kings committed their 12th turnover and it led to them losing the lead 89-91 to the Cavs. JaKarr Sampson set a career high in rebounds, taking 16 from the Cavs. The game would go back and forth until a shot clock turnover with 1:02 to go, and the Kings trailing 95-97. It was a huge blow that the Kings ultimately could not overcome. James proceeded to hit a jumper beyond the arc and sent the Kings home losers for the 17th time 95-101.

It was a thrilling game, but ultimately the Kings lost, and I’m sure Dave Jaeger was not happy. However, I think the Kings are right on the edge of being more competitive. They held one of the best teams in the NBA down and should hold their heads high after this game. Ultimately, a future Hall Of Famer, James, beat them.

Warriors overcome 21-point deficit to beat Pelicans 125-115 ; Curry is hurt

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Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) reacts after making a 3-point basket in the second half of an NBA basketball game against the New Orleans Pelicans in New Orleans, Monday, Dec. 4, 2017. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

by Jerry Feitelberg

The Warriors were thoroughly outplayed in the first half of Monday night’s game with the New Orleans Pelicans at the Smoothie King Arena in the Crescent City.

Everything worked for the Pelicans in the first half. They had terrific ball movement, they were making three point shots, they were rebounding, and they were beating the Warriors. However, the Warriors are the defending NBA champions, and they showed the Pelicans as they started the third quarter on a 15-0 run and stopped the Pelican offense cold as they won 125-115.

The Pelicans were playing without their big man, Anthony Davis, who was out with a groin strain. They still had to deal with Demarcus Cousins and Jrue Holiday. Cousins, perhaps the best center in the NBA, was a force in the middle. He has been effective making three point shots, and that gives his game an added dimension. The Warriors could usually handle Cousins when he was with the Kings, but he has a better supporting cast in New Orleans.

The Pelicans offense really clicked in the first half, and their defense had Golden State completely out of sync. Holiday led the Pelicans with 23 points in the half. E’Twaun Moore had 13. Rajon Rondo had eight, Dante Cunningham had nine, and Cousins knocked down 11.

Steph Curry led the Dubs with 12, but he was just 3-9 from the floor. Durant had nine, McGee had five, Green had six and Klay Thompson had just two. The Pelicans led by 20 at the half (69-49). The Warriors looked tired as they made 10 turnovers and were outrebounded 28-26. The Pelicans recorded 20 assists while the Dubs had just 14.

The Warriors, as most fans know, seem to figure out what to do at the halftime intermission and get going in the third quarter. They did exactly that. They started the quarter on a 15-0 run to cut the deficit to just five points. The Pelicans calmed down and didn’t appear to be fazed as they were able to maintain the lead and were up by six (82-76). It was at this point that Holiday got hot and propelled the Pelicans to a 91-80 advantage. Curry took over, and he scored the last eight points of the period to make it a 91-88 game. The Warriors outscored the Pelicans 37-22 in the quarter.

The Warriors continued to roll in the fourth quarter. They found their rhythm and were back in sync. The lead changed hands several times, but the Pelicans were starting to wilt. They regained the lead 105-102 but Steph made a three-pointer, and Nick Young came up big with two consecutive three-point shots that put the Warriors ahead for good. The Warriors increased the lead to ten (120-110) when Steph injured his ankle and had to leave the game. The Warriors were able to hold on, and they won 125-115.

Game notes and stats — Zaza Pachulia did not play Monday night as he had a sore shoulder. JaVale McGee made his first start of the season. Patrick McCaw was injured in the first half when he was hammered on the head and appeared to have blood running from his nose. He was taken to the locker room and did not return. Shaun Livingston was given the night off.

The other injury occurred late in the game when Curry appeared to twist his right ankle. He hobbled to the locker room, and X-Rays were taken. The X-Rays were negative which is a good sign. Curry said he will “see how it feels tomorrow and go from there” “The surgical repairs from five or six years ago are fine.”

Cousins and Kevin Durant were both ejected from the game with just 1:13 left to play. Each player had a technical called on them earlier in the game, and since this was their second technical, they had to exit.

Curry led the Dubs with 31. Thompson came to life in the second half and finished with 22. Green and Durant finished with 19. Holiday had 34, and Moore had a career-high 27 points in a losing effort. The Warriors are 19-6 while the Pelicans fall to 12-12

The Warriors play game five of the six-game road trip in Curry’s hometown of Charlotte, North Carolina. Game time is at 4 pm PST.

Warriors get it going in second half and dominate Heat 123-95 in Miami

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Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry, right, and Kevin Durant react on the bench late in the fourth quarter against the Miami Heat in an NBA basketball game Sunday, Dec. 3, 2017, in Miami. The Warriors won 123-95. (AP Photo/Joe Skipper)

by Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors had the day off on Saturday in Miami. “Just needed to get some sun and hit the clubs,” head coach Kerr deadpanned with clear sarcasm “That’s what the coaches and I did. We were out all night.” The rest did wonders for the club as they sent the Heat down to defeat Sunday night by a score of 123-95.

The two teams played a very competitive first half. The Heat outscored the Warriors 36-33 in the first quarter. The Warriors fought back and led by just two points at the end of the half (62-60). Curry led the club with 20 points.

The Warriors took control of the game at the beginning of the third period as they went on an 18-3 run. They outscored the Heat by 20 points in the quarter, and Kerr did not play Curry or Durant in the fourth period. In fact, the Warrior defense was so good they held the heat to just 35 points for the entire second half as they won going away.

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said this about the Dubs: “Golden State took it to a different level…What I wanted to see was a competitive response.”

Heat’s leading scorer, Goran Dragic, said this: “The first half we competed with them. Second half, we didn’t.”

Game notes and stats — Curry scored 30 points in 30 minutes of action and was Plus 20 when he was on the floor. “Nothing magical or no secret sauce to it,” Curry said. “Just trying to be efficient.”

Warriors’ Shaun Livingston got ejected with 6:24 left in the first half after going forehead-to-forehead with referee Courtney Kirkland while arguing a non-call. Kirkland said the ejection “was for making physical contact with me.”

Durant knocked down 24 and had seven assists and three rebounds. He was plus-18. Draymond Green didn’t score a lot, but his presence was felt when he was on the court as he ended the game with a plus-32. He scored four points, nine assists, and seven rebounds. Klay Thompson added 19, four assists, five rebounds and he was plus-33. Omri Casspi led the bench with 10 and David West knocked down eight.

Leading scorers for Miami were Goran Dragovic with 20, Josh Richardson 12, Kelly Olynyk 14, and Tyler Johnson 13. Dion Waiters, who torched the Dubs when they were beaten in Miami, was 1-for-10 from the floor and scored just four points. He was minus-23 during his playing time.

The Warriors made 47 field goals, good for 56% from the floor, and held the Heat to just 33 field goals and 40.7% shooting. The Warriors outrebounded them 47-28. The Dubs recorded 32 assists and they committed just 10 turnovers. They also had four steals and four blocked shots.

The Warriors play their third game in four nights as they travel to New Orleans to face the Pelicans. Shaun Livingston will be given the night off. Game time is at 5 pm.

Warriors kick it up a notch as they rout the Magic 133-112

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Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) is fouled by Orlando Magic guard Elfrid Payton, left, while driving to the basket during the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, Dec. 1, 2017, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Warriors probably played their best game of the year as they were firing on all cylinders as they beat the Orlando Magic 133-112 at the Amway Center Friday night. The Warriors led from start to finish. Even though they committed 19 turnovers, they recorded an astounding 46 assists on 55 field goals.

Four of the Warriors’ starters were in double figures and rookie Jordan Bell, who played 16 minutes, kicked in with 16 points. Bell had four rebounds and blocked three shots as he impressed the coaches with his performance. Curry had this to say about the amazing number of assists: “That’s what we pride ourselves on, ball movement, getting everyone involved,” “Everybody gets touches, and we help each other in that way because we are all threats.” Two of the Warriors finished the night with a double-double. Curry scored 23 points and had 10 assists. Draymond Green finished the night with 12 points and also had 10 assists.

Curry and Durant scored the first 10 points of the game for the Warriors. Each player made a three-point shot, and each made a two-pointer. That set the stage for the Dubs as they outscored the Magic 41-34 at the end of the first quarter. The Warriors kept it going as they increased the lead to 15 (78-63) at the end of the first half.

Orlando won the third quarter 28-24 to shave four points off the lead, but the Warriors were not fazed and outscored the Magic by 10 in the fourth quarter to win by 21 (133-112).

Game notes and stats: With the win, the Warriors are now 17-6 for the season, and the Magic fall to 9-14.

Scoring leaders for Golden State were Klay Thompson with 27. Curry had 23, 10 assists, six rebounds, and three steals. Durant knocked down 25 points, seven assists, two rebounds, and four blocked shots. Durant was ejected from the game for arguing with the referees with 4:52 left to play. Durant had this to say about the team’s play and the 46 assists: “That’s amazing…Everybody came and made plays tonight. We moved well without the ball and kept clicking on all cylinders.”

The Warriors bench outscored the Magic bench 40-23. Jordan Bell had 16 and Patrick McCaw had eight. Scoring leaders for Orlando were Aaron Gordon 29, Evan Fournier 22, Jonathan Simmons 22, Elfrid Payton 10, and D.J.Augustin 12.

The Warriors played an amazing game as they were in total control from start to finish. What they did in Orlando certainly impressed the Magic’s coach Frank Vogel. “Golden State definitely impresses you with everything they do,” Vogel said. “Their passing, their cutting, their ability to play off each other and their shot-making facilitates all of that stuff.”

Warriors’ coach Steve Kerr said this about the team’s effort on Friday: “I think the guys were embarrassed by the last two games,” Kerr said, referring to an overtime win over the Lakers and a loss to the Kings. “If we can just play with that kind of energy, a little better judgment, and a little better defense, we’re on to something. This is a good step in the right direction.”

The Warriors played pretty well on defense. They outrebounded the Magic 42-35. They made nine steals and had 11 blocks. On offense, they shot 62.5% from the floor and made 11 of 24 three-point shots and held Orlando to just 45.8% from the floor.

The Warriors travel to Miami to face the Heat. Their coach, Eric Spoelstra, loves to slow down the pace of the game, and the Heat gave the Warriors all they could handle when they played in Oakland. The Heat will have Dion Waiters back, and Waiters destroyed the Dubs last year when the Heat beat them in Miami. The Warriors and Steve Kerr will have their work cut out for them. Game time is at 4 pm.

Randolph shines, leading Kings to 107-106 victory over Bulls

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Sacramento Kings forward Zach Randolph (50) shoots between Chicago Bulls forward Paul Zipser (16) and center Robin Lopez (42) during the second half of an NBA basketball game in Chicago, Friday, Dec. 1, 2017. (AP Photo/Jeff Haynes)

By: Peter Elliott

CHICAGO, IL. — It was the Zach Randolph show on Friday night at the United Center.

The 36-year-old veteran big man yet again proved his worth, leading the Sacramento Kings (7-15) to a 107-106 victory over the Chicago Bulls (3-18). Randolph earned his first double-double of the season, as he notched a season-high in points with 25 while grabbing 13 rebounds in 32 minutes of action.

Although Randolph’s star shined the brightest, the Kings also received important contributions from role players like Bogdan Bogdanović, Garrett Temple, and Willie Cauley-Stein, who combined for 42 points, 12 assists, and 11 rebounds.

Bogdanović, a first-year shooting guard from Serbia also achieved his season-high in points with 19 on 6-12 shooting from the field and six made free throws in 30 minutes, the most action he has seen so far this season.

Buddy Hield struggled once more in his seven minutes of playing time, as the second-year shooting guard failed to connect on his two shots and played lackluster defense, good for a plus-minus differential of -8.

Neither of the teams that took the floor at the United Center on Friday night appear poised to contend for the Larry O’Brien trophy this summer. However, both teams made it competitive throughout, with the biggest point margin being just seven points in the third quarter.

The Bulls, who are now losers of 13 of their last 14 games turned in a solid showing for a three-win team, but it was their bench that shined. Sacramento had trouble shutting down a seat-warming trio of Paul Zipser, Cristiano Felicio, and Jerian Grant, who combined for a whopping 55 points, four more than the starters’ total of 51.

What’s Next: The Kings will head north into Milwaukee on Saturday night, seeking revenge for 112-87 blowout loss at the hands of the Bucks just a mere four days ago. Tipoff is slated for 5:30 PT/7:30 CT p.m. on NBC Sports California.

Warriors come to life; defeat Lakers 127-123 in overtime

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by Jerry Feitelberg

The Warriors began the six-game road trip with a win in overtime over the LA Lakers 127-123. Kevin Durant and Steph Curry returned to action Wednesday night. Steph, who missed a game with a hand bruise, returned to the lineup with his right ring finger heavily taped. Steph had a rough time as he did not make shots taken with his right hand. He did make one three-point shot in regulation, but most of his points came when he scored with his left. However, in the five-minute overtime period, Steph made an adjustment and scored thirteen of his twenty-eight points in overtime to lead the Warriors to victory.

The Warriors led 30-20 after the first period, and it looked like they were going to cruise to a win. The young Lakers had other thoughts, and they won the second quarter by fourteen points. The Warriors went to sleep halfway through the period, and the Lakers were able to go on an 18-4 at the end of the quarter to take a four-point advantage 54-50 at the end of the first half. Brandon Ingram led the Lakers with 14 and bench players Julius Randle, and Jordan Clarkson had 12 and 8. Former Warrior center Andrew Bogut scored two but was not a factor. Kevin Durant led the Dubs with 13, Steph and Zaza Pachulia each had six. Klay Thompson, Nick Young, and Shaun Livingston each had 5. The Lakers shot 53.8% from the floor. The Lakers, who are not a good shooting team, played like the Sacramento Kings Wednesday night. The Kings beat the Dubs as they shot over 50% from the floor and the Lakers, coached by former Warrior assistant coach Luke Walton, tried to emulate what the Kings did on Monday night.

The third quarter was nip and tuck for the entire twelve minutes of the period. The Warriors were able to end the quarter tied at 84, but it wasn’t easy. Lakers highly touted rookie, Lonzo Ball made three three-point shots. The Warriors committed four turnovers in a row, but somehow they managed to outscore the Lakers 34-30 in the quarter. Jordan Bell mad two key buckets and Nick Young made a two-point shot to give the Dubs the lead 84-82 just before the end of the period. The Lakers came back with a bucket of their own to tie the game.

The Warriors tried to put the game away in the fourth period. They took the lead, but the Lakers kept coming back. It was tied three times at 91, 93, and 95. TheDubs took a 5-point lead when Steph hit a deuce and Klay followed with a three to lead 100-95 with 5:20 to play. The Lakers tied the game again at 104 and 106. The Lakers took a 3-point lead 109-106 with just 55 seconds left. KD tied it with a three, and the game went to overtime tied at 109.

In 5-minute overtime stanza, Steph made an adjustment and mad two three-point shots. They led by seven before the Lakers woke up and fought back. The Warriors led by six after Steph made a two-pointer to put the Dubs up 122-116. The  Lakers clawed their way back to make it a one-point game 124-123, but Steph made free throws near the end of the game to win it for Golden State 127-123.

Game Notes and Stats- After the game, Warriors’ coach Steve Kerr said this about the performance of his team:” it took us most of the game before we competed and played with passion,” He also said this about the 22 turnovers the team committed: we “gotta take better care of the ball.”

Talking about Steph Curry, Kerr remarked:’he had a horrible game, but it takes a special player to bounce back.” Curry scored 27 points with 13 of them coming in overtime. He also said this about Kevin Durant’s performance:” he carried us.”

Here are the numbers. KD scored 29, 5 assists, and 7 rebounds. Klay had 20 points. Draymond Green finished the night with a double-double. He tallied 15 points, 9 assists, and eleven boards. Zaza Pachulia pitched in with 11. The Warriors shot 50% from the floor, made 12 3-point shots and had 30 assists. They outrebounded the Lakers 49-34. On defense, they had 10 steals and four blocks, but they committed 22 turnovers. The Lakers were held to 49.5% from the floor and they made 9 3-pointers. Brandon Ingram had a career-high 32 points. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope added 21. Lonzo Ball had 15, and Jordan Clarkson had 21, and Julius Randle finished with 20.

David West did not play as he had the night off.

The Warriors improve to 16-6 while the Lakers fall to 8-12. The Warriors play the Orlando Magic Friday night in Orlando. Gam time is at 4 pm.

 

Kings Suffer Hangover From Win Over Warriors As Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo Scores 32 In 112-87 Romp

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Milwaukee Bucks forward Khris Middleton, left, congratulates teammate Giannis Antetokounmpo after he scored during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Sacramento Kings, Tuesday, Nov. 28, 2017, in Sacramento, Calif. The Bucks won 112-87. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

by Tony Renteria

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The Sacramento Kings (6-14) came off a great over over the defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors. Tonight, the Kings hosted the Milwaukee Bucks (9-9) and looked as if the team bus never arrived from Oakland as they fell embarrassingly 112-87 in front of the Purple and Black faithful.

When the Kings brought in Dave Joerger to coach the team two seasons ago, it was the hope he could bring life into a somewhat experienced group of seasoned NBA players. The squad he has now with Rookies and second year players getting many minutes, he has his hands full. This young squad is capable of a great win against the NBA elite in the Warriors, but also landing on a sour note against a mediocre Bucks squad.

The Kings were outscored 29 to 11 in the second quarter, and the Bucks cruised to an easy road win. It’s the type of loss that’s hard to swallow and forget, but that’s exactly what the Kings need to do as they start a road trip in Chicago on Friday as they take on the Bulls.

The Bucks were led by forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, who scored 32 points in just 26 minutes.  He also added five rebounds and assists. The Bucks needed this win as they tried to keep pace in a tough Central Division as they try to move up from fourth place.

The Kings, who are in last place in the Pacific Division, fall father back on what looks to be another very long year for this organization. A bright spot tonight was Garret Temple, who scored 18 points,  Temple has had two back-to-back games with solid production as he chipped in 14 points against the Warriors yesterday.

The Bucks face the Utah Jazz on Thursday before heading home to host the Kings on Saturday as the Kings look for some payback in Milwaukee.

Sacramento Kings post game wrap: Kings Humiliate Warriors With 110-106 Win In Front Of Sellout Crowd At Oracle Arena

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Sacramento Kings’ Bogdan Bogdanovic (8) celebrates a score in the final seconds of an NBA basketball against the Golden State Warriors with Garrett Temple, left, and Frank Mason III (10) on Monday, Nov. 27, 2017, in Oakland, Calif. Sacramento won 110-106. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

By: Ana Kieu

OAKLAND, Calif. — The Sacramento Kings humiliated the Golden State Warriors with a 110-106 win in front of a sellout crowd of 19,596 at Oracle Arena Monday night.

The Kings had a goal in mind to snap the Warriors’ two-game win streak in order to avoid a two-game losing skid on the road.

Nick Young hit a three-pointer to put the Warriors up 25-20 with 2:26 left in the first quarter. However, Buddy Hield made a statement after getting off the bench in the second quarter. Hield hit a three-pointer to tie the game at 25 with 1:31 left in the first.

The Kings and Warriors were tied at 27 after the first quarter of the regional rivalry game.

Zach Randolph completed a set of free throws with 21.5 seconds left in the second quarter. Garrett Temple then attempted a three-pointer, but it missed the net. The Kings trailed the Warriors by two (55-53) at the half.

The Kings and Warriors continued to compete in the second half.

As usual, the Kings’ Twitter account had some fun, which sparked some outrage among Kings fans and #BasketballTwitter in general.

The Kings and Warriors went back-and-forth in the third quarter. The Kings put Frank Mason III in for Fox with 2:52 left in the third. Warriors’ JaVale McGee committed an offensive charge foul. After the replay review, the officials announced a support ruling. Andre Iguodala hit a three-pointer and McGee picked up the assist, but Vince Carter shot a driving reverse layup to put the Kings ahead 82-76 with 1:36 left in the third. That’s the reason why Kings fans call Carter “Vinsanity” for a reason.

The Kings took a 83-82 lead over the Warriors after the third quarter.

The Kings weren’t expecting any surprises, but the Warriors were without Steph Curry and Kevin Durant, so they weren’t at the top of their game tonight. Willie Cauley-Stein shot a driving dunk to tie the score at 98 with six minutes left in the fourth quarter.

However, the Kings started to fall behind, and that wasn’t what they wanted. As a result, Cauley-Stein came to the rescue and shot an alley-oop dunk to tie the score at 106 with 1:46 left in the fourth.

The Kings had no more timeouts, so they had to hang on late in the game. Bogdan Bogdanovic made a driving floating bank jump shot to give the Kings a 108-106 lead with 12.6 seconds left. Bogdanovic added two free throws, and the Kings (6-14) ended a nine-game road losing streak and dealt a humiliating setback to the defending champion Warriors (15-6) with a 110-106 win on the road.

Notes
Kings’ Starters
De’Aaron Fox, George Hill, Garrett Temple, Skal Labissiere and Zach Randolph.

Injuries

Kings: Harry Giles (bi-lateral knee rehabilitation) is out.
Warriors: Steph Curry (right hand contusion) and Kevin Durant (sprained left ankle) are out. Andre Iguodala (sore left knee) is doubtful. Draymond Green (right foot contusion) is available to play. Damian Jones is on a G-League assignment.

Team leaders
Kings

Points: Randolph (13.2)

Rebounds: Koufos (6.2)

Assists: Fox (4.5)

Warriors

Points: Curry (26)

Rebounds: Green (7.4)

Assists: Green (6.7)

Up Next
The Warriors take on the Lakers on Wednesday, November 29 at 7:30 pm PST.

The Kings host the Bucks on Tuesday, November 28 at 7 pm PST.

Third quarter collapse costs Kings the game as Clippers win 97-95

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Z-Bo vs DeAndre Jordan
Two heavyweights face off: Zach Randolph and DeAndre Jordan photo: USA Today Sports

by Charlie O. Mallonee

Sacramento – The Sacramento Kings played great basketball for 36-minutes on Saturday night against the Los Angeles Clippers. Unfortunately for the Kings, the 12-minutes they did not play well in the third quarter cost them the game as they lost to LAC 97-95.

The Kings went on a 6-0 run with 1:20 remaining in the game to the tie the score at 95-95 with 15.6-seconds to go on the game clock. The Clippers called a timeout with 14.8-seconds to go to draw up a play.

The Clippers put the ball into the hands of their leading scorer Blake Griffin who made a fadeaway jump shot from the left side of the floor to give his team a two-point lead with 3.7-seconds remaining in the game. LAC head coach Doc Rivers would later say he was not happy because his team took that shot too early leaving the Kings too much time on the clock.

Buddy Hield put up a desperation floating jump shot at the buzzer but it was no good. The Clippers (7-11) won their second game in row downing the Kings (5-14) by just two points.

The 3rd Quarter was a nightmare for Sacramento

The Kings scored only 10 points in the third quarter versus the Clippers after posting 61 points in the first half. LAC came out with a defensive mindset and dominated SAC.

The Kings shot 45.8-percent for the game but shot only 21.1-percent (4-for-19) in the disastrous quarter. They converted 11-of-21 three-point attempts for the game but went 0-for-4 in the third quarter.

Sacramento had one assist while they turned the ball over eight times which resulted in seven points for the Clippers.

Ten Kings players saw action in the third quarter, but only four of them scored points. All 10 players had a minus number on their +/- stat for the quarter.

Blake Griffin and Lou Williams led the scoring for the Clippers with 12 points each. Los Angeles shot 55.6-percent (10-for-18) from the field and hit on 6-of-8 (75-percent) 3-point attempts in the third period.

The Kings outscored the Clippers in every quarter except the third when LAC recorded 29 points to just 10 for SAC.

Dave Joerger was not happy with the loss but he knows it is part of player development

“Buddy Buckets” leads the Kings in scoring

Buddy Hield had an exceptional game for Sacramento coming off the bench scoring 27 points in just under 26-minutes of playing time. The second-year shooting guard hit 10-of-18 shots from the floor. Nine of those shots were taken behind the 3-point line and Hield hit seven of those attempts for 21 of his 27 points. His back-to-back 3-pointers in the last 1:20 of the game put the Kings in a position to possibly win the contest.

One of the criticisms of Hield coming out of Oklahoma was that he would not be able to convert the longer 3-point shot in the NBA. It certainly appears to have proved those critics were wrong. Hield has adjusted just fine to the deeper 3-point zone in “the Association”.

Zach Randolph drew the very tough assignment of matching up with Clippers big, tough center DeAndre Jordan. Not only did Z-Bo play Jordan tough – he held the center to five points. Jordan did haul in a game-high 16 rebounds.  Z-Bo put up 17 points shooting 7-for-14 in the game. Randolph also added seven rebounds, three assists and one steal in his 30-plus minutes of playing time.

Bogdan Bogdanovic posted 10-points on Saturday night. He shot 50-percent hitting on 4-of-8 shots from the field. He was 1-for-2 from 3-point land.

George Hill also scored 10 points against the Clippers on Saturday night. He went 4-for-7 shooting from the floor and hit 1-of-2 attempts from 3-point territory. Hill also dished out three assists.

SAC had some impressive team numbers

The Kings shot 33-for-83 (45.8-percent) from the floor versus the Clippers. They shot an impressive 52.4-percent (11-for-21) from downtown. SAC converted 8-of-9 free throw opportunities (88.9-percent). The nine free throw attempts number is too low.

Sacramento recorded 37 rebounds (eight offensive) to go with 19 assists, nine steals and eight blocked shots. The Kings committed 18 turnovers which resulted in 15 Clipper points.

Doc Rivers was happy to see his team pick up its second consecutive win

Blake Griffin played like an All-Star

The veteran forward scored a game-high 33-points in his 38-plus minutes on the floor. Griffin shot 13-for-25 from the field but was just 2-for-7 from behind the 3-point line. He recorded five assists and had four rebounds.

Lou Williams scored 10 of his 18 points in the second-half. He shot 4-for-8 from the floor. All four of his baskets were 3-point buckets. His other six-points came two 2-point baskets and at the free throw line. Williams also posted five assists and had three steals.

Up Next

Sacramento

Life does not get any easier for the Kings as on Monday night they have to travel to the Bay Area to take on the Defending NBA World Champion Golden Warriors (15-5).

Los Angeles Clippers

The Clippers will also return to action on Monday night when they will host the guys who use the locker room on the other side of the Staples Center – the Los Angeles Lakers.