Tag: NBA

Kings Fall to Nuggets 116-110 After Late-Game Scoring Drought

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Jake LaRavia shoots against the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday night. (Photo Sacramento Kings on X)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

DENVER–The Sacramento Kings were back in action on Wednesday night in Denver, Colorado. They entered the game riding a four-game winning streak, having most recently defeated the Dallas Mavericks on Monday by a final score of 122-98. Meanwhile, Denver was coming off a four-game road trip in which they went 2-2, most recently falling to the Boston Celtics on Sunday, 110-103. In their last 10 meetings, the Nuggets had won six of those matchups against the Kings.

On Wednesday, the Kings were without Domantas Sabonis and Malik Monk, sidelined with a hamstring strain and a toe sprain, respectively. The Nuggets were also dealing with a slew of injuries, including Aaron Gordon, who was out with an ankle sprain. However, Nikola Jokić was cleared to play shortly before tip-off.

Tip-off was set for 6 PM PST at Ball Arena in Denver, where the Nuggets defeated the Kings 116-110.

The Kings started hot in the first quarter, jumping out to an early 16-8 lead, prompting Nuggets head coach Mike Malone to call a timeout. Keon Ellis made an immediate impact, scoring seven points while starting in place of Malik Monk. The Nuggets responded with a quick run to close the gap, but the Kings finished the quarter strong, bolstered by 11 points from Jake LaRavia. Sacramento outscored Denver 42-29 in the opening frame.

The Nuggets opened the second quarter with an 8-0 run, quickly pulling themselves back into the game. However, the Kings answered right back, extending their lead to 53-39, leading to another timeout from Malone. Sacramento maintained control throughout the half, carrying a 65-55 advantage into the break. LaRavia led the Kings at halftime with 15 points, while Jamal Murray paced the Nuggets with 11. The Kings shot 52% from the field and 50% from deep in the first half, while the Nuggets shot 40.9% and 31.6%, respectively.

The third quarter was a battle of runs, with both teams exchanging bursts of momentum. The Kings started strong, followed by an 8-0 Nuggets run, before Sacramento regained control. Neither team could fully seize momentum, but the Kings managed to hold off Denver and took a 93-84 lead into the final quarter. Sacramento’s defense, which had held Dallas to just 66 points through three quarters on Monday, limited the Nuggets to 84 points through three quarters in this contest.

The fourth quarter was up for grabs. Early on, the Nuggets seized the moment, storming back to take a 96-95 lead after a Zeke Nnaji three-pointer with 8:17 remaining. From that point on, the Kings went ice-cold offensively, managing just nine points over nearly nine minutes. This scoring drought proved costly, as Denver ultimately secured the victory, 116-110. It was a tough loss for Sacramento, which had played disciplined basketball for most of the night but faltered down the stretch with costly defensive lapses and offensive struggles.

DeMar DeRozan led the Kings with 35 points, while Russell Westbrook paced the Nuggets with 25. The loss dropped Sacramento to 32-29 on the season, while Denver improved to 40-22.

After the game, the Kings did not hold back in their criticism of the officiating. DeRozan expressed his frustration bluntly, stating, “The refs were terrible. Terrible as sh*t. Simple as that.”

Doug Christie also weighed in on the officiating, particularly the free throw disparity, saying, “The free throw discrepancy… I thought the guys attacked the rim, and I think they played a solid game.” Later in the press conference, when asked about the team’s three-point defense, Christie responded, “I have to go look and see if they were fouled because I’m not exactly sure. We do not want to foul three-point shooters.”

The locker room was filled with frustration postgame, but the team remained focused on bouncing back at home.

Up Next: The Kings return to Golden 1 Center to face the San Antonio Spurs on Friday at 7 PM PST.

Golden State Warriors podcast with David Zizmor: Curry leads Warriors with 28 pts in win over Knicks; Golden State are in Brooklyn Thursday

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Golden State Warriors guard Moses Moody (4) passes the basketball away from the New York Knicks forward OG Anunoby (8) from floor level in the first quarter at Madison Square Garden on Tue Mar 4, 2025 (AP News photo)

On Golden State Warriors podcast with David Zizmor:

#1 Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry led with 28 points and nine assists and ran his personal record against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden to 12-1 in the Warriors 114-102 win on Tuesday night.

#2 The Warriors Jimmy Butler and Bradin Podziemski each had 19 points and the Warriors are now 3-1 on this current five game road trip. The Warriors are now 12-2 in their last 14 games when playing at Madison Square Garden.

#3 Next up for Golden State they tip off against the Brooklyn Nets at the Barclay Center in Brooklyn on Thu Mar 13 for a 4:00pm PST tip. The Nets are a struggling bunch who have lost five in a row and are in 11th place in the Eastern Conference at 21-40.

Join David Zizmor for the Golden State Warriors podcasts each Wednesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Golden State Warriors game wrap: Curry leads Golden State with 28 in win over Knicks 114-102

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Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) takes the ball up the floor in the first quarter against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden in New York on Tue Mar 11, 2025 (AP News photo)

By Jessica Kwong

NEW YORK, NY. — The Golden State Warriors beat the New York Knicks 114-102 on Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden led by Stephan Curry, who notched his 10th consecutive victory and a 12-1 record at the historic venue.

Curry, who returned to the floor despite right ankle soreness, finished with 28 points and nine assists in 33 minutes.

Golden State’s shots were not going in for much of the first half, but they fought for possessions and Warriors head coach Steve Kerr credited the win in large part to Jimmy Butler.

Butler scored 13 of his 19 points in the second half. The Warriors are 9-1 in 10 games that Butler has played with them.

“I give him and all of our guys a lot of credit because they’re finding a new identity and it’s fun to watch them find it,’ said Kerr.

The Warriors and Knicks were even throughout the first quarter, with the Knicks finishing ahead 26-25.

The defining moment of the game was when Curry and the Knicks’ Jalen Brunson re-entered the game with 6:33 left to go and Golden State went on a 11-0 run in four minutes, to boost their lead up to 105-93 with 2:30 left in the game.

Brandin Podziemski also scored 19 points and Draymond Green had eight points, nine rebounds and eight assists on the day he turned 35.

“The energy and camaraderie I think is essential, I would say it looks different because we’re winning a lot more,” said Podziemski. “Jimmy is a different player than what we had and so he just adds a different element to our group that we didn’t have.”

Golden State (34-28) won their second straight game after beating the Charlotte Hornets on Monday, and snapped the Knicks’ (40-21) three-game winning streak.The Warriors are 3-1 in their five-game trip and have won 12 of their last 14 games at the Garden.

Curry relished in the moment of his new milestone at MSG.

“It’s Madison Square Garden, it speaks for itself. This is a place that naturally has great, unique basketball energy and like the fans are unreal like the who’s who’s celebrity row all that, but just everybody’s anticipating great basketball and from my first game here in college to now like it’s always delivered,” he said.

“So for us in the Western Conference we only get once chance here, so we try to make the most of it.”

The Warriors continue their road trip on Thursday facing the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center. Tip-off is at 4:30 p.m. PT.

Sacramento Kings podcast with Tony Renteria: Kings go for their fifth win in a row in tough task Denver Wednesday

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Sacramento Kings Jonas Valanciunas (17) defends against the Dallas Mavericks Kyrie Irving (right) in the first half at American Airlines Arena in Dallas on Mon Mar 3, 2025

Sacramento Kings podcast with Tony Renteria:

#1 Sacramento Kings Zach LaVine scored 22 points and DeMar DeRozan followed up with 20 points. LaVine and DeRozan sat out in the fourth quarter in the Kings win over the Dallas Mavericks 122-98. It was the Kings fifth straight win.

#2 Tough break for the Mavericks Kyrie Irving was lost in the latter part of the first quarter due to a left knee sprain. How much did that impact the Mavericks loss physically and mentally.

#3 The Kings have caught fire winning winning four straight after the win against the Mavericks and have won four of their last five games. Looks like head coach Doug Christie has the team turned around again.

#4 What is impressive is that the Kings have this win streak going and handled themselves well without Domantas Sabonis whose been dominate in the triple doubles category. Sabonis who injured himself in the first minute of the Kings game in Houston last Saturday.

#5 Kings are in Denver on Wednesday night for a 6:00pm PT tip. The Nuggets are third in the Western Conference at 39-22. The Nuggets have won seven of their last ten games and have the home floor advantage. The Kings with their fourth win in a row are eighth in the Conference and are a half game back of the sixth place Golden State Warriors. How do you see this match up Wednesday night in Denver?

Tony Renteria does the Sacramento Kings podcasts each Tuesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Kings Roll Over Mavericks, Stay Hot in Playoff Push

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Keegan Murray shoots in the game vs Dallas (Photo Sacramento Kings on X)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO— The Sacramento Kings were back in action on Monday night in Dallas, Texas. Sacramento entered the game after defeating the Houston Rockets 113-103 on Saturday in Houston. It was a gritty win for the Kings, who lost star center Domantas Sabonis just over a minute into the game due to a hamstring strain. On Sunday, the Kings announced that Sabonis would be listed as “Out” and re-evaluated in one week. His return timeline remains uncertain, though it’s reasonable to expect he will be sidelined for at least a couple of weeks. Additionally, the urgency of his return will likely depend on how the Kings perform in the coming games without him. Despite his absence, the Kings defeated the Dallas Mavericks 122-98 on Monday night.

In other news, following the announcement of Sabonis’ injury, the Kings signed Skal Labissière to a 10-day contract. Labissière previously played for the Kings from 2016 to 2019, appearing in nearly 150 games for the franchise.

Having spent the past few days in Texas, the Kings faced the Mavericks inside American Airlines Center, tipping off at 5:30 PM PST.

The Kings got off to a strong start in the first quarter, jumping ahead early as Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd called a timeout at the 5:42 mark with Sacramento leading 15-7. Keegan Murray found his rhythm quickly, scoring eight points in the opening period, including two three-pointers. However, the Kings didn’t close the quarter as they would have liked, allowing Dallas to cut the lead to 27-24 by the end of the first.

Also in the first quarter, Kyrie Irving suffered a left knee sprain and was helped off the court by Anthony Davis and the Mavericks’ coaching staff. He did not return, and his timeline for recovery remains unknown. Before the injury, Irving had seven points in the game.

In the second quarter, the Kings maintained their strong play, though the Mavericks remained competitive. However, Sacramento managed to create some separation towards the end of the quarter. The Kings outscored Dallas 33-26 in the second quarter, extending their lead to 60-50 at the break. Sacramento’s defense was communicating well, and the team played cohesively. Keegan Murray (15 points), DeMar DeRozan (15), and Zach LaVine (14) led the charge in the first half, combining for 44 points. The Mavericks’ leading scorer at halftime was Kai Jones with 13 points.

The third quarter was a one-sided affair. The Kings dominated, outscoring the Mavericks 34-16 to take full control of the game. Sacramento was firing on all cylinders while Dallas struggled to generate any offense. Zach LaVine finished the quarter with 22 points, making him the Kings’ leading scorer. By the end of the third, Sacramento held a commanding 94-66 lead.

In the final frame, the Kings turned to their bench, marking the only quarter in which Dallas outscored Sacramento. The Mavericks won the fourth quarter 32-28, but it wasn’t nearly enough to overcome the deficit as they fell 122-98. It was a rough night for Dallas, which not only lost Irving but also saw Jaden Hardy exit with an injury. Overall, Sacramento delivered an impressive performance on both ends of the floor. The starting unit—each player finishing in double figures—led the way, spearheaded by Zach LaVine’s 22 points. On the other side, the Mavericks’ bench provided the bulk of their scoring, as none of their starters reached double digits. Kai Jones led Dallas in defeat with 21 points.

Postgame, Doug Christie spoke about Keegan Murray’s aggressiveness after his 18-point performance.

“Keegan’s aggressiveness, paired with the fact that he’s usually guarding the best player defensively, means he’s learning how to play hard on one end while still staying aggressive and finding his shots on the other end. That’s a skill and a talent in and of itself.”

After the game, I asked Keegan about his approach to staying aggressive.

“I think the more impact I have on the game, the better it is for our team,” he said. “That’s not just offensively but defensively too… just trying to stay aggressive.”

I also asked Zach LaVine if he felt the team’s defensive communication was improving, as it appeared from the outside.

“As much as everyone wants it to click from the first game… it just doesn’t work that way,” LaVine said. “Playing live games always helps. You need to go through some ups and downs before you take off and start to understand everybody.”

The Kings have now won four straight games. However, we’ve seen similar stretches before against weaker opponents. The real test will come when they face tougher competition. It would be premature to say the Kings have fully turned a corner with this new group, but time will tell.

With this win, Sacramento improves to 32-28, sitting in the eighth seed in the Western Conference—just half a game behind the Golden State Warriors for the sixth spot.

Up Next: The Kings fly to Denver on Tuesday to take on the Nuggets at Ball Arena on Wednesday at 6 PM PST.

Sacramento Kings podcast with Barbara Mason Mon Mar 3, 2025: Kings looking for fourth straight win tonight in Dallas

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Sacramento Kings guard Malik Monk left drives around the Houston Rockets forward Amen Thompson (right) in first half action at the Toyota Center in Houston on Sat Mar 1, 2025 (AP News photo)

Sacramento Kings podcast with Barbara Mason:

#1 On Saturday night the Sacramento Kings DeMar DeRozan scored 21 points and considering Domantas Sabonis didn’t play against the Houston Rockets at the Toyota Center in Houston the the Kings won it 113-103.

#2 The Kings Zach LaVine scored 20 points and the the Kings had a 13-3 run that gave them a 97-85 lead with just ten minutes left in the game. LaVine and Keon Ellis each hit a three pointer and DeRozan got five points in those last few minutes.

#3 For the Rockets Alperen Sengun led with 30 points and ten rebounds. Jalen Green scored 24 points in the Houston effort but it wasn’t enough as the Rockets snapped their two game win streak.

#4 Sabonis came into Saturday’s game with a 19.9 points scoring average and 14.4 rebounds but suffered a hamstring injury and didn’t come back into the game. Sabonis’ injury came when he was running down the floor and pulled up holding his left hamstring.

#5 The Kings are in ninth place in the NBA Western Conference and have won three straight games. They next play in Dallas against the Dallas Mavericks. The Mavericks are in tenth the Western Conference and have won six of their last ten games. How do you see this match up tonight?

Barbara Mason does the Sacramento Kings podcasts each Monday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson: Kings take on Rockets in Houston Saturday

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Sacramento Kings Matt LaVine (8) scored 22 points against the Utah Jazz at the Delta Center on Wed Feb 26, 2025 (Sports Illustrated photo)

On the Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah:

#1 Sacramento Kings Keegan Murray scored 26 points his highest total for season and Zach LaVine scored 22 points as the Sacramento Kings defeated the Utah Jazz at the Delta Center on Wednesday night.

#2 Murray scored five 3 pointers and LaVine scored four 3 pointers. The Kings Keon Ellis score three 3 pointers and the Kings were 15 for 36 outside of the three point arc.

#3 The Kings handled their offense well inside the paint scoring 50 points and shot 52.9% against the struggling Jazz.

#4 Murray put on a show with his variety of slam dunks and taking some fancy jump shots and it’s also been since Nov 24 when Murray scored 21 points. Murray scored 20 on Wednesday.

#5 Next up for the Kings the Houston Rockets on Sat Mar 1 at the Toyota Center in Houston a 5:00pm PT tip. The Rockets are fourth in the Western Conference at 37-22 and are 20-9 at home. How do you see this match up?

Jeremiah does the Sacramento Kings podcasts each Friday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Kings Beat Jazz Despite Utah Challenge 118-101

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Sacramento Kings guard Zack LaVine (8) scored 22 points against the Utah Jazz at the Delta Center on Wed Feb 26, 2025 (Sacramento Kings X photo)

By Barbara Mason

The Sacramento Kings (30-28) won their second game in a row beating the Utah Jazz (14-44) 118-101. After Monday night’s demolition of the Hornets, the Kings Keegan Murray had the hot hand tonight scoring 26 points, the game high.

Zach LaVine who had scored 42 points in their win over the Hornets Monday had another nice game scoring 22 points. DeMar DeRozan finished the game with 19 points. The Kings hit 15 triples and for a second game in a row, Domantas Sabonis did not finish with a double double. He came close with nine rebounds and 12 points. Malik Monk had 11 points and also had nine rebounds.

Game recap: The first quarter came to an end with the game all knotted up at 22. Sacramento had a very slow start in the first 12 minutes of play lacking the energy that we so often see from them.

The Kings had a more productive second quarter outscoring the Jazz 33-24 and taking a 55-46 lead into the half. Despite the lead there was not a lot of high caliber fireworks from Sacramento. They would be looking to pump it up in the second half.

The Jazz continued to hang around in the third quarter and at 7:45 the Kings were clinging to a one-point lead 60-59. Sacramento was having an awful third quarter giving the Jazz a lot of opportunity to do some damage.

Utah was just unable to take the advantage thrown their way. The Kings had an 18-5 run in the quarter to put an end to a Utah comeback. The Kings took a 14 point lead into the fourth quarter 83-69.

For a second night in a row, Sabonis was quiet with eight rebounds and eight points. Murray had the team high through three quarters with 20 points. Sacramento was looking for a strong fourth quarter to put this game away.

The Kings were on their way to another game with significant turnovers going into the final quarter with 14. It had been a very frustrating night for the Utah Jazz as they struggled with missed shots at the line and a string of air balls throughout the first three quarters.

Sacramento cranked it into high gear in the fourth quarter taking a 102-80 lead at 7:37. It took them three quarters to find their stride but they had it all going mid-way through the final quarter. The Kings were getting some solid production off their bench from Jonas Valanciunas and Keon Ellis.

The Jazz refused to throw in the towel however, cutting the Kings 22 point to 13 points 104-91 with 5:34 left in the game. Sacramento pushed right back taking a 112-91 lead as time was running out for Utah.

With under three minutes left in the game, the Kings took a time out when the Jazz again threatened a run. Sacramento extended their lead and with under a minute left in the game it was a done deal with the Kings leading 116-99. The final was 118-101.

Sacramento had their hands full in the first half of this game. At times the Jazz really challenged but they were unable to sustain that in the fourth quarter. Every starter for the Kings had double figures.

Murray had a great game finishing with 26 points, the game high, and six rebounds. Lavine had 22 points, eight rebounds and DeRozan with 19 points and six rebounds. The Kings were really zoned in defensively in the fourth quarter; they just had a very slow first quarter to start the game.

Again Sacramento had high numbers when it came to turnovers with 16 something they have to address as they head into Houston to take on the Rockets.

The high for the Jazz was Walker Kessler, the 23 yr-old who shows a lot of promise. He had 25 points. KJ Martin finished the game with 16 points but not much else was going on for Utah. Their bench finished with 37 points more than double the Kings bench. More Jazz bench players took the court than Sacramento’s.

Game notes: Wednesday night, the Kings began a four-game road trip, their first stop in Salt Lake City taking on the Jazz. The Kings came into this game after demolishing the Hornets Monday night at Golden 1 Center by the score of 130-88.

Zach LaVine was on fire for that game scoring 42 points. The Jazz are another sub-par team that has struggled mightily this season losing to the Trail Blazers Monday night by two points 114-112. They came close to a win but could not pull the game out suffering yet another loss. The Kings got a second win in a row and more high caliber stuff from Zach LaVine and company.

Saturday night the Kings will take on the Houston Rockets in a much tougher contest. They will need all hands on deck for this one if they want to extend their win streak to three. Tipoff for that game is scheduled for 5:00PM.

Golden State Warriors podcast with David Zizmor: Warriors rolling with four straight wins, face Orlando Thursday

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Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) drives on the Charlotte Hornets guard Josh Green (10) in the first half at Chase Center in San Francisco on Tue Feb 25, 2025 (AP News photo)

Golden State Warriors podcast with David Zizmor:

#1 David, the contest wasn’t even close Tuesday night as the Golden State Warriors defeated the Charlotte Hornets by a wide margin 128-92 at the Chase Center in San Francisco.

#2 The Warriors got had six players in double figures with Buddy Hield leading in scoring with 16 points. The scoresheet reflected that the ball was distributed evenly and given the Hornets struggles the Warriors were able to do practically what they wanted to do against the Hornets defense.

#3 The Warriors face the Orlando Magic Thursday in Orlando. The Magic are seventh in the Eastern Conference and have won five of their last ten games. The Warriors are eighth in the Western Conference and have won four in a row and are closing in on the final sixth playoff spot.

David Zizmor does the Warriors podcasts each Wednesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Sacramento Kings podcast Tony Renteria: Kings can make it two straight wins; Take on Jazz in Utah on $2 night Wed at the Delta Center

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The Charlotte Hornets forward Moussa Diabate (14) attempts to shoot over the Sacramento Kings center Jonas Valanciunas (right) in first half action at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Mon Feb 24, 2025 (AP News photo)

On the Sacramento Kings podcast with Tony Renteria:

#1 Sacramento Kings Zach LaVine scored 42 points for his best game since joining Sacramento on Monday night at Golden 1 to head lead the Kings to a 130-88 win against the Charlotte Hornets.

#2 Lavine scored eight 3 pointers and had made 16 baskets out of 19 in the Kings first home floor victory against the Hornets since 2021. LaVine also scored in double figures in all of his eight games for Sacramento.

#3 DeMar DeRozan scored 18 points with seven rebounds as the Kings improved their overall record to 29-28. Malik Monk had 13 points, Keegan Murray had ten points and Domantas Sabonis had seven points with ten reounds and seven assists.

#4 For the Hornets Miles Bridges had 23 points. LeMelo Ball and Nick Smith Jr scored 13 points each. Jusuf Nurkic and Moussa Diabate scored 12 points each as the Hornets once again go down loosing 12 of their last 14 games.

#5 The Kings travel to Utah to take on the Jazz at the Delta Center on Wed Feb 26th for a 7:00pm PST on $2 night for fans attending. The Jazz sit in dead last in the Western Conference with a 14-43 record. The Kings are tenth in the Conference and are 14-14 on the road.

Tony Renteria does the Sacramento Kings podcasts each Tuesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com