Tag: NBA

Kings Dominate Trail Blazers in first win of season, Flexing Their Potential 111-98

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Photo: Kings Forward #10 DeMar SeRozan taking a shot over Trail Blazer Guard #1 Anfernee Simons (by Mauricio Segura Golden Bay Times/Sports Radio Service)

By Mauricio Segura

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings kicked off their first season win with flair, cruising to a commanding 111-98 win over the Portland Trail Blazers at the Golden 1 Center on Monday night.

From tip-off to the final buzzer, the Kings ran the show, never trailing and making an early statement that they’re a team to keep on your radar this season. With a mix of seasoned veterans and rising stars, Sacramento gave fans a preview of the exciting potential that lies ahead.

The Kings came out strong in the first quarter, outpacing Portland 25-20. Domantas Sabonis set the tone early, dominating the boards and orchestrating the offense. Sabonis flirted with a triple-double, finishing with 16 points, 13 rebounds, and 7 assists. New addition DeMar DeRozan, picked up in the offseason, looked right at home in Sacramento’s system. He led all scorers with 23 points, drawing fouls at will and sinking 9 of 10 free throws.

The third quarter proved to be the turning point. Sacramento exploded with a 21-4 run, transforming a close game into a one-sided affair. Sabonis ran the show from the high post, while Keegan Murray knocked down timely buckets to stretch the lead to 24 points. Portland had no answers, getting outscored 38-28 in the third as the Kings locked in and put the game out of reach.

Portland’s rookie guard Scoot Henderson flashed his potential with 18 points, five assists, and four rebounds, but he lacked the consistent support needed to mount a serious challenge. Deandre Ayton made his presence felt with 20 points and 11 rebounds, but their efforts weren’t enough to stop Sacramento’s well-balanced attack.

Kings head coach Mike Brown praised his team’s all-around effort, saying, “The way we shared the ball and played for each other tonight is exactly the kind of energy we need.”

On the other side, Blazers coach Chauncey Billups acknowledged the growing pains with his revamped squad. “Sacramento had us on our heels all night. That run they made was the difference; we’ve got to learn how to respond better,” Billups said.

With their first win in the books, the Kings aim to carry this momentum into tougher games ahead, signaling they’re ready to build on last season’s playoff success. As for the Blazers, they’ll head back to Portland looking to regroup and smooth out the wrinkles in their lineup as their new-look squad takes shape.

Sacramento Kings podcast with Barbara Mason: Kings looking for that first win host Blazers tonight at Golden One

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Los Angeles Lakers forward Anthony Davis (3) attempts a lay up against the Sacramento Kings forward Domantas Sabonis (11) and Kevin Huerter (right) at Golden One Center Sacramento on Sun Oct 27, 2024 (AP News photo)

Sacramento Kings podcast with Barbara Mason:

#1 The Sacramento Kings (0-2) lost another close contest to the Los Angeles Lakers (3-0) 131-127. They trailed for almost all of the second half but had an amazing third quarter. 

#2 The Lakers scored 14 unanswered points in the first two minutes of the final quarter. Sacramento has really shown some positive signs however in the early going of the season and really look to be turning the corner. 

#3 After the first 12 minutes of play the Lakers had a slim 28-26 lead. The second quarter was a rough one for the Kings as the Lakers scored 12 unanswered points taking a 40-26 lead.

#4 With under a minute it was a two point game 125-123. The Lakers Anthony Davis hit a three to push the lead to 128-123. The Kings fought hard but again came up short, the final score 131-127.

#5 Monday the Kings will head back home for a date with the Portland Trailblazers looking for their first win of the season. Tipoff for this game is scheduled for 7:00 PM.

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

Kings Come Close Again But Lose To Lakers 131-127; King James triple doubles on Kings

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Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) led with 32 points over the Sacramento Kings at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Sat Oct 26, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

The Sacramento Kings (0-2) lost another close contest to the Los Angeles Lakers (3-0) 131-127. They trailed for almost all of the second half but had an amazing third quarter. They won the third quarter 34-23 but really struggled in the early minutes of the fourth quarter.

The Lakers scored 14 unanswered points in the first two minutes of the final quarter. Sacramento has really shown some positive signs however in the early going of the season and really look to be turning the corner. The have some things to work out but seem to be on course as they return home for a game with the Minnesota Timberwolves Monday.

Game recap: After the first 12 minutes of play the Lakers had a slim 28-26 lead. The second quarter was a rough one for the Kings as the Lakers scored 12 unanswered points taking a 40-26 lead.

Sacramento was digging a hole that preempted another timeout. The Kings had to stop the bleeding trailing 27-42 at 8:36. The Lakers were dominating from the field, from downtown and defensively really taking it to the Kings in the opening minutes of the second quarter.

Sacramento was falling flat offensively as well. Sacramento cut into the Lakers 15-point lead at the six-minute mark 46-36 but still had a lot of ground to make up. At 3:49 the Laker lead had been more than cut in half 53-47 as the Kings mounted a rally.

With three minutes left in the half, the Kings trailed by two points 53-51 forcing a Los Angeles timeout. The Kings kept fighting and with 30 seconds left in the first half trialed by a single point 58-59.

The Lakers pushed their lead back out to four points 64-60 but Sacramento had turned this game around in the second quarter after trailing by as much as 15 points. The Kings went on a 10-0 run late in the half gaining a bit of momentum.

The Kings would need a whole lot more production from De’Aaron Fox, DeMar DeRozan and Keegan Murray in the second half although all three began to heat up in the closing minutes of the half.

At 9:55 the Kings took their first lead since the early minutes of the first quarter 67-66. Sacramento continued to push the lead and at the seven minute mark in the third quarter had taken a 74-69 lead.

After a couple of easy Laker hoops the Kings took a timeout at 4:55 hanging onto a 78-74 lead. After three quarters of play the Kings had a 94-87 lead. The fast pace of the game was working well for the Kings.

It all turned sideways for Sacramento as the Lakers went on a scoring frenzy to start the fourth quarter. In two minutes time Los Angeles scored 14 unanswered points taking a 101-94 lead. The Lakers continued to push their lead and Sacramento couldn’t buy a bucket missing seven shots in a row.

The Lakers continued to score and the Kings remained stagnant. Sacramento finally scored at 7:38 their first points of the fourth quarter trailing 97-108. When it looked like the Kings had control of the game in the third quarter, it all fell apart.

The culprit in this crazy turnabout for the Lakers was LeBron James who had scored 32 points with nearly seven minutes left in the game. He was unstoppable. With under four minutes left in the game the Kings did their best to fight back but the Lakers were relentless as the two teams traded buckets.

With just under two minutes left in the game the Lakers had a five point lead 123-118. Every time the Kings got close, the Lakers pushed the lead back leaving a frustrated Sacramento team in their wake. With under a minute it was a two point game 123-125. The Lakers Anthony Davis hit a three to push the lead to 128-123. The Kings fought hard but again came up short, the final score 131-127.

The Kings high score for this game was Domantas Sabonis with 29 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists for a triple double. De’Aaron Fox finished with 28 points and DeMar DeRozan hit 23 points.

LeBron James had the game high with 32 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists for a triple double.

Game notes: Saturday night the Kings traveled to Los Angeles for a game with the Lakers . The Kings struggled through the pre-season as they continue to work through some of the changes on their roster this season. They lost a heat-breaker to the Minnesota Timberwolves Thursday night 117-115.

The Kings saw some great work from Domantas Sabonis, DeMar DeRozan and Keegan Murray but Sacramento came up just short. They played well enough to win the game but needed a little more from De’Aaron Fox but it is still so early in the season and the Kings has really begun to pull it together. Saturday night they were looking for their first win of the regular season against LeBron James and the Lakers. The Kings came close but couldn’t seal the deal losing by 4 points.

Monday the Kings will head back home for a date with the Portland Trailblazers looking for their first win of the season. Tipoff for this game is scheduled for 7:00 PM.

Timberwolves Randall and Edwards spoil Kings opener 117-115 at Golden One

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Sacramento Kings forward DeMar DeRozan (10) takes a jump shot against the Minnesota Timberwolves guard Donte Divincezo (0) during first half action at Golden One Center in Sacramento on Sat Oct 24, 2024 (AP News photo)

Saturday, Oct. 24, 2024

Golden 1 Center, Sacramento, California

Minnesota Timberwolves 117 (1-1)

Sacramento Kings 115 (0-1)

Attendance: 18,049

By Stephen Ruderman

SACRAMENTO–The Kings held the lead for most of the game on opening night, but each time they seemed poised to pull away, the Timberwolves came right back, and they ended up winning a 117-115 thriller to give the Kings a brutal loss to open the 2024-2025 season.

The Kings opened their 40th season in Sacramento in front of a sold-out crowd at Golden 1 Center. The Timberwolves were playing their second game of the season after they dropped their season opener Tuesday night in Los Angeles to the Lakers 110-103.

The crowd was into it from the getgo. The Kings felt that energy, and jumped out to an early 5-0 lead. Domantas Sabonis was fouled and hit one of two from the line, and DeMar DeRozan hit a layup. Sabonis was then fouled again, and this time, hit both from the line.

The Timberwolves then scored eight unanswered points, thanks to threes by Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle. Minnesota’s eight unanswered points also set the theme of this game in motion

The Kings scored nine unanswered points of their own to take a 14-8 lead. After Keegan Murray’s fadeaway jumper gave the Kings the lead with 8:47 remaining in the first of the quarter, they would hold that lead the rest of the quarter. Minnesota made it close a couple of times, but the Kings led 32-29 at the end of one.

Malil Monk, and De’Aaron Fox, the Kings’ points leader in each of the last four seasons, each scored nine.

DeRozan hit a jumper in the first minute of the second quarter, and Murray was fouled and hit both from the line over a minute later to give Kings a 36-29 lead. After Sabonis hit the first of two from the line with 6:35 to go, the Kings’ lead was 48-40.

However, the Timberwolves went on an 11-2 run over the next four minutes to take a 51-50 lead. The Kings outscored Minnesota 9-4 over the remainder of the quarter, and they went into the half with a 59-55 lead.

The Kings came out of the gate strong in the third quarter, as they extended their lead to 81-69 with 6:22 to go. However, just like their eight-point lead in the second quarter, their 12-point lead was completely erased, and the Timberwolves retook the lead. Minnesota went on a 20-7 run to go into the fourth quarter up 89-88.

In the fourth quarter, the Kings started off with a 9-2 run to take a 97-91 lead with 8:57 to go. The run was capped off by a three by Murray, who after only scoring two points in the first quarter, really came alive later in the game.

Unfortunately, the Kings could not escape the overall theme of this game, as the Timberwolves went on a 14-2 run in just under three minutes to take a 105-99 lead, their biggest of the night.

This time, the Kings were the ones looking to come back, and they certainly made a game of it late. DeRozan was fouled and hit both shots from the line, and Sabonis slammed one down to make it 105-103 with 5:34 to go.

Naz Reid hit a hook shot, and Donte DiVincenzo hit a three ball to extend Minnesota’s lead back to five at 110-105, but the Kings kept coming. Sabonis hit a three with 4:15 left to make it 110-108, and the crowd at Golden 1 Center erupted.

Monk was fouled and hit the second of two free throws to tie the game at 112-112 with 2:20 left. Edwards made a jumper to put Minnesota back ahead with 1:28 to go, but Monk tied it on a layup with 53 seconds left. Monk was fouled on the play, and he hit his shot from the line to put the Kings back ahead.

Rudy Gobert was fouled with 38 seconds left, and he hit one of two to tie it at 115-115. The Kings then caught a bad break with 26 seconds to go. The ball went out of play, and from the replays, the Sacramento faithful seemed to think that it would be the Kings’ ball, but after review, the referees determined that the ball would go to Minnesota.

Chants of “REFS YOU SUCK!!!!!” rang throughout Golden 1 Center, and it’s all the fans could really do at that point. The Timberwolves ran down the clock, and when Edwards went in for a layup with two seconds to go, he was fouled.

Edwards hit both from the line to put the Timberwolves back ahead 117-115, and the Kings called timeout, so they could inbound the ball closer to the bucket. Keegan Murray got the ball and took an off-balance shot from beyond the arc, but it fell short, and the Timberwolves won 117-115.

Really, three guys carried the Timberwolves to victory Thursday night. Julius Randle scored 33 points; Anthony Edwards scored 32; and Naz Reid scored 19.

Despite scoring nine points in the first quarter, Fox only scored six more the rest of the way for a total of 15. DeRozan led the Kings Thursday night with 26 points, and he was followed up by Sabonis and Murray, who scored 24 and 23 respectively. Monk didn’t start, but he ended up scoring 17.

The Kings start off 0-1, and they will head down to Los Angeles to play the Lakers Saturday night. Tipoff from Crypto.com Arena will be at 7:30 p.m.

Sacramento Kings podcast with Barbara Mason: Kings sign Shaquille O’Neal’s son; Sac opens season Thursday night against Minnesota

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Team Luka center Shareef O’Neal (8) looks on against Team Scoot during the second half at the Jon M. Huntsman Center. O’Neal joined the Sacramento Kings minor league affiliate the Stockton Kings concluding the Kings pre season on Fri Oct 18, 2024. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Creveling-Imagn Images / Christopher Creveling-Imagn Images

Sacramento Kings podcast with Barbara Mason:

#1 The Sacramento Kings have singed the son of former Orlando Magic and Los Angeles Laker star Shaquille O’Neil, Shareef O’Neal. The Kings made the signing after their loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Fri Oct 18.

#2 Shareef’s mother Shaunie Henderson wrote on instagram that she’s proud of Shareef’s signing with the Kings and proud of him for never giving up.

#3 Shareef will be joining the Kings G League team the Stockton Kings with new Kings signees Antione Davis and Drew Timme. The Kings are hoping to develop these new players who at some point could join the big club in Sacramento.

#4 Barbara, for Shareef he put in lots of work to get the G League there’s very little doubt he got some tips and help from his father Shaquille to help on basketball skills him to get to the Sacramento Kings organization.

#5 The Sacramento Kings open the season against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday. The Kings are coming off a 0-5 pre season but that might not necessarily tell the whole story of the Kings going into the regular season. The Kings head coach Mike Brown may not be showing all his cards as opening night approaches.

Join Barbara Mason for the Sacramento Kings podcasts Mondays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Kings Go 0-5 In Pre-Season Play Losing To Los Angeles Clippers 113-91

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Oct 17, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Clippers guard Jordan Miller (11) drives to the basket against Sacramento Kings forward Keegan Murray (13) during the second quarter of NBA preseason game at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn ImagesKiyoshi Mio

By Barbara Mason

Thursday night the Sacramento Kings (0-5) lost their final pre-season game to the Los Angeles Clippers (4-1) 113-91. The Kings have lost every pre-season game as they continue to work to get ready for the 2024-25 season.

Sacramento’s newest acquisition DeMar DeRozan is working hard to complete the starting roster for the Kings. Sacramento now has a week of hard practice ahead of them as they prepare to take on the Minnesota Timberwolves to open the season at Golden 1 Center.

Thursday evening the Kings finished up their pre-season losing to the Clippers at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood. The Kings have lost all of their pre-season games and they are focused on working DeMar DeRozan into the starting lineup.

They did improve ball protection in their last game and continue to work hard as they prepare for the start of the regular season which gets underway on October 24 when they take on the Minnesota Timberwolves in Sacramento.

Kevin Huerter, Malik Monk, Orlando Robinson, Trey Lyles and De’Aaron Fox were all listed GTD with a return date of October 24th. James Harden, Kawhi Leonard and Derrick Jones did not play for the Clippers.

The Clippers got on top as the opening quarter wore down leading 30-20 after the first twelve minutes of play. The first quarter was sloppy at best for the Kings with 9 turnovers, shooting at 18% from downtown with only 30 % from the field.

Los Angeles continued to extend their lead in the second quarter and with 6:31 left in the first half the Clippers had a 28-48 lead. The Sacramento bench saw some action in the second quarter although Domantas Sabonis, DeMar DeRozan, and Keegan Murray did play play in the quarter.

The Kings continue to push through the pre-season in an effort to get this lineup ready for the regular season. The Clippers took a 65-38 lead into halftime. They had outscored Sacramento 35-18 in the second quarter. The Kings finished the half with 13 turnovers, shooting 14% from downtown and 28% from the field. The Clippers were shooting nearly 60% from the field in this lopsided game.

The Kings made a rally attempt in the third quarter after trailing by as much as 27 points. They were able to pull to within 14 points before the Clippers pushed back holding onto a comfortable lead for the rest of the quarter. After three quarters Los Angeles had an 85-69 lead. The Kings were able to outscore the Clippers in the quarter 31-20.

The Clippers went on to win the fourth quarter 28-22 and the game 113-91. Domantas Sabonis finished with the high for the Kings with 24 points and 9 rebounds just shy of another double double. Keegan Murray had 11 points and 7 rebounds in the loss. Sacramento will now head back to Golden 1 Center to prepare for the start of the season next week.

The Kings will face the Minnesota Timberwolves in their first game of the 2024-25 season with the tipoff scheduled for 7:00 PM.

Despite Better Effort Kings Drop Their Fourth Pre-Season Game to Jazz 117-114

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Sacramento Kings center Domantas Sabonis (11) runs up the court to prepare to defend with the Utah Jazz John Collins (20) in the foreground with basketball at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Tue Oct 15, 2024 (Getty photo)

By Barbara Mason

The Sacramento Kings (0-4) made some vast improvement in their matchup with the Utah Jazz (4-1) despite losing 117-114. They finished the game with only 11 turnovers a far cry from the 27 they had last Sunday.

They had a better effort from beyond the arc. The first half was back and forth with 13 lead changes but the second half saw the Jazz take the lead for much of the third and fourth quarters. The high for the Kings was Domantas Sabonis with another double double. He finished the game with 29 points, 8 assists and 13 rebounds.

Game recap: As this game got underway, it could not have been closer. After the first 12 minutes of play, the Kings trailed 30-31. There were lead changes throughout not only the first quarter but the second quarter as well.

Utah won the second quarter by a single point 27-26 and led at the half 58-56. Domantas Sabonis was having a great game scoring 23 points with nine rebounds on the edge of another double double.

De’Aaron Fox and DeMar DeRozan would be looking for more offense in the second half. Each of them had seven points in the first half. Sacramento had really cleaned up the turnovers in the first half with only six to Utah’s 15. This was a vast improvement over their last game against Portland and they were looking for more of the same in the second half.

The Jazz began to build a lead in the third quarter and at 5:42 led 77-68. The Kings head coach Mike Brown wasted no time calling a timeout when the team began to fall further and further behind not liking at all what he was seeing.

Sacramento would pull to within four points but by quarters end, the Jazz pushed back taking the lead 85-76 with under two minutes left in the third. After three quarters the Jazz had a 87-83 lead. De’Aaron Fox hit a 50-foot jumper at the buzzer to close out the third.

Less than two minutes into the fourth quarter the Kings trailed by two points 87-89. At 9:26, this game was tied at 92. Down the stretch at 6:31, the Jazz had a 98-97 lead and this game was up for grabs.

The game was again tied at 105 with 4:21 left on the clock. With under a minute left in the game the Jazz were clinging to a one-point lead 113-112. This game was going down to the wire. The Kings just could not get over the top losing to Utah 117-114 for their fourth pre-season loss.

Domantas Sabonis had the high for the Kings with 29 points, eight assists and 16 rebounds for another double double. DeAaron Fox finished with 22 points and seven rebounds which included the 50-ft shot at the third quarter buzzer.

Keegan Murray had 21 points and five rebounds. The Kings ball protection was great with only 11 turnovers much improved over previous games.

Keyonte George was the high for the Jazz with 24 points .

Game notes: Sunday the Kings got blown out of the water by the Trail Blazers 105-85. They had 27 turnovers and struggled defensively. Tuesday night the Kings lost to Utah (4-1) and failed to pick up their first win of the pre-season.

They were also looking for much improved ball protection as well as better offense and defense. It was a rough game for the Sacramento starters Sunday and they didn’t get much production Tuesday in Utah. When you see that starting lineup scoring barely ten points apiece you have to scratch your head. Curious. With all the turnovers, this team was not playing as a unit and Tuesday night they played a lot closer game with the Jazz but again lost and fell three points short.

The Kings will play their final pre-season game Thursday night taking on the Los Angeles Clippers looking for their first win of the pre-season. They played a far improved game Tuesday and they are moving in the right direction with the season a little over a week away. Tipoff for Thursday is scheduled for 7:30 PM PT at Crypto.com Arena.

Sacramento Kings podcast with Barbara Mason: Kings drop to 0-3 after getting nailed by Trail Blazers 105-85

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Sacramento Kings center Domantas Sabonis (11) drives the basketball against the Portland Trail Blazers at Golden One Center in Sacramento on Sun Oct 13, 2024 (Sacramento Kings X photo)

On the Sacramento Kings podcast with Barbara Mason:

#1 Barbara,The Sacramento Kings hosted the Portland Trail Blazers in the third Preseason game Sunday at the Golden One Center losing 105-85.

#2 The Kings are still working on the new starting rotation with the new addition Demar DeRozan and Keon Ellis filling in for an injured Kevin Huerter and it showed as they had 26 turnovers.

#3 Kings turnovers and the Trail Blazers three point shooting put the Kings in a very deep hole as Portland Took a nine point lead into the half.

#4 Kings head coach Mike Brown is still working on this line up and hopefully it will perform better by the season opener than they did Sunday. 

#5  The Kings travel to Utah to play the Jazz for their final preseason game on October 15th. They play their last pre season against Thu Oct 17 against the Los Angeles Clippers in the Southland.

Join Barbara Mason for the Sacramento Kings podcast Mondays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Kings Preseason Struggles Highlighted In Loss 105-85

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Sacramento Kings head coach Mike Brown hopes the Kings can win their last pre season game Tue Oct 15th at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City as the Kings are 0-3 in pre season (AP file photo)

By Tony Renteria

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings hosted the Portland Trail Blazers in the third Preseason game Sunday at the Golden One Center losing 105-85. The Kings are still working on the new starting rotation with the new addition Demar DeRozan and Keon Ellis filling in for an injured Kevin Huerter and it showed as they had 26 turnovers.

Kings turnovers and the Trail Blazers three point shooting put the Kings in a very deep hole as Portland Took a seven point lead into the half. Portland out scored the Kings 35-24 in the second quarter behind great play from Scoot Henderson who finished with 17 points in only 25 minutes of play.

DeRozan who the Kings brought in to to help them get past the first round of the playoffs is still finding his footing with his new teammates and new head coach Mike Brown. General Manager Monte McNair brought DeRozan in fill a need of veteran leadership and the steady hand of Experience.

DeRozan only scored eight points on 4 for 10 shooting. His teammates did not fair much better De”Aaron Fox only had 11 points himself to show for his 28 minutes worth of playing time. Domantas Sabonis is working on adding a three point shot into his offensive repertoire but was only zero for three from past the three point line.

Brown is still working on this line up and hopefully it will perform better by the season opener than they did Sunday. The Kings travel to Los Angeles to play the Clippers for their final preseason game on October 17th. They open with season a week later by hosting the Timberwolves a week later on the 24th.

Kings Drop Second Pre-Season Game To Golden State 109-106

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Sacramento Kings forward Keegan Murray (13) drives past Golden State Warriors guard Moses Moody (4) during the first quarter at Chase Center in San Francisco on Fri Oct 10, 2024. photo Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images / D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images

By Barbara Mason

The Sacramento Kings (0-2) led for much of their pre-season game Friday night with the Golden State Warriors (3-0) but it all fell apart in the final minutes of the fourth quarter as the Kings lost in their second meeting with Golden State 109-106.
The Kings De’Aaron Fox had the high for the team with 19 points. Off the bench Boogie Ellis was solid with 11 points. These guys still have a lot to work on as the regular season approaches. These pre-season games will go far in preparation for a solid start to the 2024-25 season.

Game recap: All eyes remain focused on the King’s acquisition DeMar DeRozan who had the high score in Wednesday’s game. How this guy will settle into the starting rotation remains the question that everyone is asking. He is looking forward to the season and giving the Kings the boost that they are needing for a successful season. The Warriors are also dealing with changes on their team as are so many teams across the league. This is why the pre-season is so very important.

The opening quarter went to the Warriors who led after the first 12 minutes of play 34-30. The second quarter was also a close one with the Kings leading by as much as four points in a half with constant lead changes and ties. At the half the Kings had a slim lead 58-55.

De’Aaron Fox and DeRozan had the highs in the first half with each player shooting for 14 points. Domantas Sabonis had a double double with ten points and ten rebounds. Keegan Murray finished the half with 12 points. It was a solid start for the Sacramento starters in their second pre-season game.

Sacramento’s Keon Ellis found his stride in the third quarter and joined the rest of the starters shooting double digits. With 3:54 left in the quarter the Kings had taken a 82-70 lead. The Kings only had eight turnovers through almost three quarters while the Warriors were struggling with 18 turnovers.

Both teams were shooting at 42% but the Kings were protecting the ball at a much higher level. With one minute left in the third quarter, the Kings 12 point lead had been cut in half and when the clock ran out on the quarter Sacramento was hanging onto a 3 point lead 84-81.

While fans love winning whether it be pre-season or regular season, the purpose of the pre-season is not about winning; it is about getting teams rosters set up and their players ready for the regular season honing their skills and playing as a unit.

Sacramento pushed their lead back out in the fourth quarter. At 8:29 in the quarter, the Kings had taken a 91-83 lead. The Kings starters had taken the bench and their bench players entered the game. Alex Len had four rebounds as he prepares to back up Domantas Sabonis in the absence of Orlando Robinson but had failed to score at all in the game.

The Warriors pulled to within three points but once again Sacramento pushed the lead back out to 99-91. The Warriors pushed back and it was a battle between the two benches. With 2:24 left in the game it was all tied up at 102.

With under a minute left in the game it was a one point game 107-106 in favor of Golden State. The Warriors would prevail 109-106 in the second of these two pre-season games between the two Northern California rivals.

Fox had the high for the Kings with 19 points in 26 minutes of play. Boogie Ellis had 11 points, the high off the bench. He played for ten minutes. The Kings finished the game with 13 turnovers.

Game notes: The 2024-25 NBA regular season is right around the corner as the pre-season has already gotten underway. Teams are making decisions right now as to what they want their starting rosters to look like and working players new to the team into their rotations. The Kings lost to the Warriors Wednesday night at Golden 1 Center and Friday night the Kings lost another one to the Warriors at Golden State, this time at Chase Center.

Sunday afternoon, the Kings will be back at Golden 1 Center to take on the Portland Trail Blazers looking for their first pre-season win. Tipoff for this game is scheduled for 3:00 PM.