Kings Demolish Raptors 123-89; Sabonis chalks up his 24th triple-double

On defense the Sacramento Kings Domantas Sabonis (10) and forward Keegan Murray (13) puts the squeeze on the Toronto Raptors forward Bruce Brown (11) in the first half at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto on Wed Mar 20, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

The Sacramento Kings (40-28) lost to the Toronto Raptors (23-46) back in January but they were not having any of that in their game Wednesday night. They came in with a purpose and they played the Raptors off the court. This game was finished after the third quarter with the Kings finishing off Toronto in the fourth the final 123-89.

Game recap: The first quarter was a close one with the Kings leading after the first 12 minutes 32-27. Sacramento busted this game wide open in the second quarter leading at the half 68-45. They won the second quarter by a landslide 36-18. De’Aaron Fox already had 15 points and the incomparable Domantas Sabonis already had 12 rebounds.

Sacramento took their first half energy into the third quarter winning the quarter 31-20 and the Kings had a 99-65 lead going into the fourth quarter. Sabonis had his 24th triple double and another double double his 63rd this season.

The Raptors had their best quarter of the game but it was over after the third quarter. Toronto tied the Kings in the fourth quarter 24-24 and a lot of credit to the Raptors for continuing to fight.

The Kings did let their foot off the pedal mid-way through the quarter but pulled it back together to finish off the Raptors. Sacramento had tied up their series at one apiece. Whether it was the memory of the game back in January or where the season is right now, the Kings came into this game with a real agenda and they never backed down.

This was a monster game for the Kings. Fox had the team high of 20 points. Sabonis had 17 rebounds, 10 assists and 13 points for another triple double. Malik Monk and Chris Duarte had a terrific game off the bench. Monk with 17 and Duarte with 14. This was their second win in a row and it was an important win as this season approaches the finish line. Every game is critical right now.

Post game notes: Wednesday night the Kings took on the Raptors on the road at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto. The Kings came into this game after beating the Memphis Grizzlies in Sacramento on Monday night. They sit in sixth place tied with the Mavericks and the Phoenix Suns are a half a game behind both of them. The Raptors beat the Kings back in January in their only meeting this season. Toronto is really struggling this season and couldn’t break their seven game losing streak extending to eight games with the loss to the Kings.

The Kings continue on the road taking on the Washington Wizards Thursday night. This team right now is committed to winning and that is what the Kings are seeing right now. Hopefully they will take this energy into their next game in Washington. The good news for the Kings is that they were able to rest their starters in the fourth quarter of this game. Tipoff is scheduled for 4:00 PM at the Capital One Center.

Golden State Warriors podcast with David Zizmor: Warriors to host Grizzlies tonight at Chase Center

The New York Knicks guard Mile McBride goes up for the shot against Golden State Warriors forward Trayce Jackson-Davis and guard Chris Paul (3) in the first half at Chase Center in San Francisco on Mon Mar 18, 2024 (AP News photo)

On the Golden State Warriors with David:

#1 The New York Knicks picked up their fourth straight win over the Golden State Warriors 119-112 at Chase Center in San Francisco. The Knicks are fourth in the Eastern Conference and this was their fifth win over the Warriors in their last 19 meetings.

#2 Dave what can you say about Jalen Brunson who been leading the Knicks in scoring on Monday night he capped the team with 34 points and teammate Miles McBride had a career high of 29 points finishing second in scoring.

#3 The Warriors host the Memphis Grizzlies Wednesday night. The Grizzlies are 13th in the Western Conference at 23-46. Memphis has lost three in a row and will be looking to ending their losing streak. The Warriors have the home floor in this one can they rebound from the loss to the Knicks tonight?

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

Sacramento Kings podcast with Tony Renteria: Kings and Raptors tip off tonight at Scotiabank in Toronto

Sacramento Kings Domantas Sabonis forward (center) catches himself in double coverage with the Memphis Grizzlies Jarren Jackson Jr forward (left) and guard DeJon Jearreau (right) at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Mon Mar 18, 2024 (AP News photo)

On the Sacramento Kings podcast with Tony R:

#1 Malik Monk was the leading scorer with 28 points on Monday night at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento in the Sacramento Kings overtime contest against the visiting Memphis Grizzlies in the ten point 121-111 win.

#2 In the overtime stanza Monk as hot again scoring 12 of 28 points. Monk just had a rhythm going and was hitting his shot.

#3 What can you say about Domantas Sabonis he’s having a Hall of Fame season he chalked up his league leading 50th double double. Sabonas no doubt a key player in the Kings offensive scheme of things.

#4 Head coach Mike Brown was proud of the job that Sabonis did against the Grizzlies saying all you have to do is put the ball in his hands and Sabonis will do the rest.

#5 Wednesday night the Kings are in Toronto facing the Raptors. The Raptors are 23-45, 12th place in the Eastern Conference, they have struggled severely they are on a seven game losing streak. How do you see this match up between the Kings and Raptors tip at 4:30pm PT.

Join Tony for the Kings podcasts Tuesdays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Knicks lead wire-to-wire beat Warriors 119-112; Fifth loss in last ten games for Golden State

New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) pushes away Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Cury (11) while driving the ball in the first half at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Mon Mar 18, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors (35-32) hosted the New York Knicks (41-27) at the Chase Center on Monday night. The Warriors, fresh off an important win over the LA Lakers Saturday night, wanted to record another win.

The Knicks had won three in a row and were playing well. The Warriors needed to find a way to stop Jalen Brunson and not let any of the Knicks’ role players beat them. The Knicks got off to a good start and never relinquished the lead. New York York won 119-112. 

The Knicks scored the first eight points of the game. New York led 20-6 before the Warriors’ offense started to put points on the board. The Knicks won the quarter 30-22. 

The Knicks continued to dominate play in the second quarter. The Warriors needed a defense for guard Miles McBride. McBride, averaging 6.5 points per game, torched the Warriors, knocking down 19 points in the first half and connecting on five threes in the half.

The Warriors were down 59-44 until Warrior guard Stephen Curry and Jonathan Kuminga tallied ten points to come within five, 59-44. The Knicks finished the first half with a six-point advantage, 62-56 Curry led the Warriors with 15. Kuminga and Chris Paul were second with 12. Brunson tallied 14.

The Warriors knew a six-point lead was not insurmountable. The Warriors wanted to get off to a good start and play better defense. The Knicks did not let that happen. The Warriors’ defense could not contain Brunson. The Knicks’ offense got help from former Warriors Donte DiVincenzo, who made four threes. The Knicks finished the third quarter leading by 11, 99-88.

The Warriors went on a 7-0 run in the fourth quarter to cut the deficit to four, 99-95. The Knicks increased the lead to nine, 106-95. The Warriors went over four minutes without scoring. The Knicks defense refused to wilt. The Warriors could not get any closer. New York won.

Game Notes: The Warriors celebrated women’s empowerment by having women do all the broadcasting. Jenny Cavner, who will be in the broadcast booth doing play-by-play broadcasting for the Oakland A’s, was in the TV booth with Lachina Robinson. The Warriors had four women do the pre-and post-game segments.

With the loss, the Warriors are 35-32. They fell one game behind the LA Lakers in the battle for the play-in tournament. The Warriors must win both play-in games to advance to the playoffs. The Warriors have 15 games left to play. The Knicks improved to 41-27. New York has won their last four games.

Monk leads Kings with 28 pts in overtime victory beat Grizzlies at Golden 1, 121-111

The Sacramento Kings shooting guard Malik Monk led with 28 points against the Memphis Grizzlies on Mon Mar 18, 2025 at the Golden 1 Center (Sacramento Kings photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings (39-28) were back in action on Monday night at Golden One Center. The Kings last played on Saturday as they took on the New York Knicks at home. The Kings dropped that game to the Knicks 98-91. The Kings would have the day off on Sunday before welcoming in their fellow Western Conference foe, the Memphis Grizzlies (23-46).

Memphis has been plagued by injuries all year as star Ja Morant is gone for the season. The Grizzlies wanted to play spoiler on the Kings as the race in the Western Conference tightens. The Kings came away with a home victory over the Grizzlies 121-111.

In the first quarter, the Kings came out slow on offense. The Kings looked out of joint and not in rhythm on the offensive end early. In the opening few plays of the game, Kevin Huerter would also leave with an elbow injury.

The Kings were outscored by the Grizzlies 28-35 in the first quarter to go down early. It was a game that the Kings certainly shouldn’t lose. So, the fans would wait for a bounce-back quarter in the second.

In the second quarter, the Kings bounced back with a statement. The Kings scored 29 points in the second quarter to keep the offense on track. However, the quarter’s story would be holding the Grizzlies to just 15 points in the second.

The Kings would enter halftime with a 57-47 lead over the Memphis Grizzlies. Domantas Sabonis led the Kings in scoring in the first half with 13 points. GG Jackson was the Grizzlies first-half leading scorer with 13 points.

In the third quarter, the Kings couldn’t extend the lead. The Kings and Grizzlies battled in the third and largely just traded shots most of the quarter. De’Aaron Fox had some late-quarter heroics, hitting three straight three-pointers to help the Kings score 27 points in the quarter. The Grizzlies would score 29 points in the quarter to get a few points back in the game. The Kings would go into the fourth quarter leading 84-76.

In the fourth quarter, the Kings would falter and give up the lead. The Kings, leading by eight going into the quarter, would lose the lead, and it would be a tie game at 99 apiece with 2:58 minutes to play. Defensive complacency and made shots would erase the Kings lead against the Grizzlies. The Grizzlies would take the lead with 33 seconds remaining.

The Kings would be down 105-103 with Coach Brown calling a timeout to draw up a play. The Kings would score, and the Grizzlies would send the game to overtime at 105-105. The Grizzlies outscored the Kings 29-21 in the fourth quarter.

In overtime, it was all Malik Monk and the Kings. Malik took over the overtime period and put the Kings on his back. The Kings would defeat the Grizzlies 121-111. The Kings outscored the Grizzlies 16-6 in the overtime period. The Kings leading scorer in the game was Malik Monk, who scored 28 points. Jaren Jackson Jr. led the way for the Grizzlies in defeat with 25 points.

Up Next: The Kings will travel to Toronto to take on the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday at 4:30 PM PST.

Golden State Warriors podcast with Barbara Mason: Can Warriors get better than a play in game?

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) reaches in on Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves (left) in the first half at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Sat Mar 16, 2024 (AP News photo)

1.The Warriors are in battle for position in the standings as the season begins to wind down.  Right now a play-in game seems the only possibility but stranger things have happened.

2.The Warriors welcomed back Stephen Curry and Draymond Green to the lineup which they desperately needed with only about 16 games left on the season.

3.The Warriors got some great help all around from not only Curry but also Klay Thompson and Jonathan Kuminga.

4.The Warriors had to try and contain LeBron James but things went south for the Lakers when Anthony Davis went down in the first quarter and did not return for the rest of the game.

5.Monday night the Warriors take on the New York Knicks in another challenging game but as of late they are meeting every challenge head on.

Join Barbara Mason for the Warriors podcasts each Monday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Brunson’s 42 points puts Knicks past Kings 98-91

New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson who scored 42 points takes a shot against the Sacramento Kings forward Harrison Barnes (40) at Golden 1 Arena in Sacramento on Sat Mar 16, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings were back in action on Saturday night in Sacramento. The Kings were coming off a win in their last game on Wednesday night. The Kings defeated the Lakers on Wednesday, sweeping the season series between the teams.

The Kings had two days off and were ready for their next opponent. The New York Knicks came to town on Saturday to take on the Kings. The Knicks were 39-27 coming into the matchup, and the Kings were 38-27. Tip-off on Saturday was set for 7 PM PST inside Golden One Center. The Kings would lose 98-91 to the New York Knicks.

In the first quarter, defense was the name of the game. The Knicks and the Kings played solid defense to limit the offense in the first quarter. The Kings scored 22 points in the first quarter to take an early lead against the Knicks. The Knicks only managed 21 points against the Kings in the first quarter. Domantas Sabonis started the game hot, scoring 13 points in the first quarter and five assists.

In the second quarter, offense remained at a premium. However, the Kings had minimal answer for Jalen Brunson on defense. Brunson scored 21 points in the first half to lead the Knicks to a halftime lead over the Kings. The Knicks outscored the Kings 32-26 in the second quarter to take a 53-48 lead going into halftime. Domas Sabonis was the Kings’ leading scorer in the first half, scoring 18 points.

In the third quarter, both teams would trade baskets. Brunson continued to torch the Kings even as they played solid defense. Brunson couldn’t miss. Brunson scored 33 points through the first three-quarters of action. The Knicks outscored the Kings 26-22 in the third quarter. The Knicks would take a 75-74 going into the fourth quarter.

In the fourth quarter, It was a dogfight until the end. Brunson and his magnificent performance was the story of the game, but could the Kings overcome him? Unfortunately for Kings fans, the Knicks defeated the Kings 98-91.

The story of the game was Brunson. Jalen scored 42 points against the Kings on 28 attempts. The Knicks outscored the Kings 17-23 in the fourth quarter to take the win. The Kings leading scorer was Domantas Sabonis, who scored 21 points in the game.

The secondary story of the game was the awful officiating. One play late that was particularly egregious was when Sabonis was trapped in the paint. He would then be hacked, and a no-call would follow, leading to a double-dribble. It was a microcosm in the game of terrible officiating.

Up Next: The Kings stay home to take on the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday at 7 PM PST. Memphis will be without Ja Morant as he has been out and will be the rest of the season.

Curry Leads Warriors to Win Over Lakers 128-121

By Barbara Mason

In a crazy game Saturday night the Golden State Warriors (35-31) beat the Los Angeles Lakers (36-32)128-121. Golden State welcomed the return of Stephen Curry and Draymond Green. Curry did not disappoint shooting for 31 points after a slow first quarter.

Game recap: While we did not get clarity in the opening quarter, Curry set the record straight shooting for 11 points in the second quarter. He was just getting warmed up in the first quarter and really began to heat up in the second.

The Lakers suffered a blow when Anthony Davis headed to the locker room in the first quarter. There was an apparent eye injury to Davis and when he did not return a more severe injury was suspected. The Lakers led after the first twelve minutes 36-30. Golden State answered back winning the second quarter 37-30. At halftime the Warriors were clinging to a 67-66 lead.

The Warriors continued to dominate winning the third quarter 35-27 leading 102-93 with one more quarter of basketball to be played. The absence of Davis had certainly cramped the Lakers style with most of the pressure on the shoulders of LeBron James.

The Warriors were doing a great job of protecting the ball with only six turnovers in the first half and mid-way through the fourth quarter not a single turnover in the second half for Golden State.

The Warriors had as much as a 12 point in the final quarter but the Lakers pulled too within four points with 5:26 left in the game. The Warriors had scored 50 points in the paint since the first quarter of this game with four minutes left on the clock.

With less than two minutes left in the game a barrage of reviews took center stage and this turned into the game that refused to end. 18 minutes elapsed with only 15 seconds coming off the clock.

Head Coach Steve Kerr could only shake his head in disbelief. At first some of the players were amused with the stoppages but it quickly turned into frustration with 20 minutes now elapsed with the shot clock malfunctioning. Curry, Klay Thompson and Jonathan Kuminga spearheaded the

Curry led the team with 31 points. Thompson was solid with 26 points off the bench and Kuminga continued his stellar play with 23 points. After the first quarter warm-up, Curry did not miss a beat. The Warriors are now tied for ninth place in the Western Conference.

Game notes: Saturday night the Golden State traveled down to Los Angeles taking on the Lakers. The two teams battled it out for the last play-in spots with the Warriors currently sitting in tenth place and the Lakers in ninth place in the Western Conference.

Both teams are in fact looking to move out of play-in position but with the season rapidly winding down there is not a whole lot of time to finish where they would ultimately like to finish. Golden State welcomed Stephen Curry and Draymond Green back into the lineup.

Green missed only their last game whereas Curry missed a couple of games. The Warriors lost to the Mavericks and beat the Spurs in Curry’s absence. After being sidelined for a couple of weeks how would Curry come back in this game? He did come back with a vengeance scoring 31 points. It looked like he never missed a game.

Monday night the Warriors will take on the New York Knicks at Chase Center. With only 16 games left on the season the Warriors have a fight ahead of them if they want to move up in the standings. Tipoff for this game is scheduled for 7:00 PM.

Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson: Kings host Knicks Saturday; Sac can win their 3rd straight game

Sacramento Kings guard Molik Monk (0) asks “whose the man?” in second half action against the New York Knicks at Golden 1 Arena in Sacramento on Thu Mar 14, 2024 (AP News photo)

On the Kings podcast with Jeremiah:

#1 The Sacramento Kings (38-27) Domantas Sabonis got a triple double with 17 points, 19 rebounds, and ten assists that helped defeat the Los Angeles Lakers (36-31) 120-107 at Golden 1 Arena in Sacramento on Wednesday night.

#2 The Kings have had success against the Lakers having won seven of the last eight games against Los Angeles and also swept the Lakers in all four games this season.

#3 The Kings Harrison Barnes scored seven 3 pointers and had 23 points. De’Aaron Fox had 21 points and Keegan Murray had 19 points.

#4 Sabonis keeps adding up those triple doubles picking up his 23rd of the season which leads the NBA.

#5 The Kings host the New York Knicks (39-27) at Golden 1 Saturday night at 7:00pm PDT. The Knicks are fourth in the Eastern Conference. The Knicks have won five of their last ten games and have won two straight coming into Saturday night’s game.

Join Jeremiah for the Sacramento Kings podcasts Fridays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Kings top Lakers 129-94; Sabonis get triple double; Sac sweeps four game season from LA

The Sacramento Kings forward Domantas Sabonis (10) drives on the Los Angeles Lakers forward Anthony Davis (3) in the second half at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Wed Mar 13, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–The Kings were back in action on Wednesday night in Sacramento. They were set to take on the LA Lakers on Wednesday, the second night of a back-to-back. The Kings were coming off a win against the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday night by the final score of 129-94.

The Lakers last played on Sunday when they defeated the Timberwolves 120-109. The Kings and Lakers were set for tip-off at 7 PM PST on Wednesday. The Kings defeated the Lakers 120-107 on Wednesday night.

In the first quarter, both teams came out playing well. The Kings and Lakers got off to quick starts as they traded baskets. Both teams scored 29 points in the first quarter. Austin Reaves was red-hot in the first quarter, scoring 13 points. Domantas Sabonis led the Kings with six points, and every player who stepped on the court for the Kings scored.

In the second quarter, the battle continued. Neither team went on a dominating run in the first half, as the game stayed close. The Kings offense scored 31 points in the first quarter on 19 shots. The Lakers scored 27 points in the second quarter on 24 shots to fall behind the Kings. The game would go into halftime with the Kings leading 60-56. The Kings were led by Keon Ellis, Domantas Sabonis, and Keegan Murray, all in double figures in the first half. The Lakers Austin Reaves led them with 19 first-half points.

In the third quarter, the Kings dominated and took a big lead. The Kings outscored the Lakers 28-17 and played great defense against them. Granted, the shots weren’t falling for the purple and gold. The Kings took an 88-73 lead going into the fourth quarter. De’Aaron Fox scored six points in the third as Keegan Murray added five.

In the final quarter of action, the Kings took it to the Lakers. The Lakers couldn’t really get any momentum going in the final quarter as they were defeated by the Kings. The Kings beat the Lakers 120-107 in regulation. The Kings were led by Harrison Barnes, who scored 23 points in the game. Domas Sabonis added another triple-double. The Lakers best performance came from Austin Reaves with 28 points.

Up Next: The Kings will stay home to take on the New York Knicks on Saturday.