Tag: NBA

Sacramento Kings guard De’Aaron Fox (5) shoots over Golden State Warriors guard Gary Payton II (8) and guard Moses Moody (4) during the second half of Game 2 in the first round at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Mon Apr 17, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–Game two of the first round of the western conference playoffs was set for 7 PM in Golden One Center on Monday night. After defeating the Warriors on Saturday, the Kings were poised to compete in game two on Monday. On Monday night, the Kings beat the Warriors 114-106. The Kings put themselves up 2-0 in the series against the defending champion Warriors.

In the first quarter, the Kings offense started slow. It was similar to how the nerves looked to shut down the Kings offense in the first half of game one. The Kings offense didn’t get any rhythm in the first quarter. The Kings started the game an abysmal 0-10 from beyond the three-point line. The Kings only scored 17 points in the first quarter to dig themselves into an early deficit. The Warriors scored 23 points in the first quarter. Both teams were playing good defense to start the game.

In the second quarter, the tide turned for the Kings. Suddenly, the offense started picking it up for the Kings. The Kings went on a run in the second quarter that saw them outscore the Warriors 41-29. The Kings caught life at the perfect time to send the Kings fans into a frenzy.

The Kings had a 58-52 lead going into halftime. Stephen Curry led the Warriors in the first half with 15 points. Curry was keeping the Warriors close even when the Kings took the lead. In the first half, the Kings were led by Domantas Sabonis, who had 12 points. The Kings didn’t shoot all that well, even in the second quarter. However, they went into halftime with a 58-52 lead over the Warriors.

In the third quarter, The Kings and Warriors battled and traded baskets. At one point, the Kings had a 13-point lead over the Warriors. The Kings and Warriors were now in the middle of a heavyweight battle. The three-seed and the six-seed were going at it.

The Kings would take an 83-75 lead into the final quarter of action. Curry did not make a shot all third quarter as he remained at 15 points. Sabonis got himself to 20 points after three quarters.

In the fourth quarter, it was wild. Star Draymond Green for the Warriors was ejected from the game after stomping on a prone Sabonis. It was ruled a technical foul flagrant two, and he was kicked out. The question would be what effect would have on the Kings and Warriors.

In this case, I thought it would have a galvanizing effect on the Warriors. In reality, it did not. The Warriors did tie the game, but ultimately, the Kings pulled away late and won the game. The Kings won game two of the first-round playoffs to take a 2-0 lead into game three on Thursday in San Francisco. Curry led the Warriors with 28 points on the night. De’Aaron Fox and Sabonis led the Kings with 24 points each in the contest.

Up Next: The Kings take on the Warriors in game three in San Francisco on Thursday. Time TBD.

Golden State Warriors guard Jordan Poole, center, lies on the floor as teammates Kevon Looney, left, and Andrew Wiggins, right check on his condition after a hard fall against the Sacramento Kings in the third quarter at the Golden 1 in Sacramento on Sat Apr 15, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–The date was April 15th, 2023. That date will go down in Sacramento history for the Kings. It marked the first time in almost 17 years that the Kings played a playoff game. Sacramento was ready. The Kings fans had packed out downtown early in the day to prepare for the game.

The Kings were set to welcome in the defending NBA Champion Golden State Warriors. The Warriors and Kings were ready for a first-round playoff matchup. The Kings and Warriors game was set to begin at 5:30 PM PST in Sacramento. The Kings took game one of the series 126-123 on Saturday night.

In the first quarter, the Kings came out playing very tight. It was evident in the first quarter that the Kings have very little playoff experience. Shots that the Kings would normally knock down were not falling early. However, the Kings really battled in the first quarter.

The Kings and Warriors both scored 29 points in the first quarter. Neither team got on any run in the first, as they both traded baskets. It became apparent the first team to go on an extended run would most likely win the game.

In the second quarter, the Warriors started to pull away a bit from the Kings. The Warriors outscored the Kings 32-26 in the second quarter to make a little separation at halftime. It was no secret in the game that the Kings starters were playing poorly. At halftime in the game, Kings starters were 0-10 from three-point land.

The Warriors didn’t get very hot either in the third but did just enough to gain the advantage. If the Kings wanted any chance in this game, they needed a strong third quarter.

In the third quarter, the Kings ended the quarter strong. It was an up-and-down quarter all around, but the Kings finished it on the run. The Kings managed to score 36 in the third quarter to take a one-point lead going into the final quarter of the game. The Kings starters were still struggling mightily, but the bench was picking them up. The Kings and Warriors would enter the fourth quarter with the Kings leading 91-90.

In the fourth quarter, it was a dogfight until the end. The Kings went on a run early in the quarter while Steph Curry was on the bench resting. The Kings run was 23-11, which got them back into position in the game. However, the game was not over yet. Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson kept the Warriors in it all the way until the final minutes.

Ultimately, the Kings came through victorious as they defeated the Warriors in game . The Warriors were outscored by the Kings 35-33 in the final quarter. The Kings won as time expired on a missed one-leg three-pointer from Stephen Curry.

It was a huge win for Kings fans who had been waiting for this game for 17 years. The Kings best performances came from Malik Monk and De’Aaron Fox, who scored 32 and 38, respectively. The Warriors best performance came from Curry, who scored 30 points.

Up Next: The Kings will stay home for game two of the series on Monday at 7 PM PST.

Sacramento Kings guard De’Aaron Fox (5) reacts after making a 3-point basket in the third quarter during Game 1 against the Golden State Warriors at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Sat Apr 15, 2023 (AP News photo)

De’Aaron Fox Rocks Warriors in Game One 126-123

By Barbara Mason

Teams across the league have played their hearts out all season vying for a spot in the NBA playoffs. A few select teams have advanced to the first round of the post season which got underway Saturday. Here in Northern California two elite teams the Golden State Warriors (44-38) and the Sacramento Kings (48-34 ) faced each other in round one at Golden One Center; each team with a very different journey leading up to this game. The Kings took full advantage of the struggling Warriors on the road with a 126-123 game 1 win at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento.

The defending champion Warriors have had a challenging season that saw them almost unbeatable at Chase Center while barely squeaking out wins on the road; nine of 30 games to be exact. The Kings have not experienced playing in the playoffs for the past 17 years; it’s been back in the 2005-06 season. Their last championship was in 1951. Prior to this season Sacramento had the longest NBA playoff drought which came to an end this year.

The Warriors have a far different and storied history. They have experienced an up and down season this year but they came around in the final weeks leading up to the playoffs. They are looking like a championship team ready to bring home another NBA title. Since 2015 the team has racked up four titles and will be playing for a back-to-back as these playoffs get underway.

These two teams possess some outstanding players and terrific benches that will make this series one to remember. Stephen Curry is the heart of the Warriors while De’Aaron Fox has really come into his own for the Kings.

This game was dead even after the first 12 minutes of play at 29-29. The atmosphere at Golden One was electric, the noise thunderous. Despite playoff inexperience the Kings were showing no signs of nerves keeping up with the Warriors shot for shot.

In the second quarter the game was a see-saw affair trading shots. In the final two minutes of the half the Warriors began to take a bit of a lead and by halftime Golden State had a 61-55 lead.

Despite the lengthy absence of Andrew Wiggins, he showed no signs of rust and came out as if he had not missed a day. Wiggins, Curry, Klay Thompson and Jordan Poole all had double digits at the half.

The Kings had not made a single shot from downtown in the first half but they were having huge success in the paint. Mr. Fourth Quarter Fox was having a heck of a first half. He had double digits as did Malik Monk off the bench and Domantas Sabonis had already secured a double double.

Golden State amped it up in the third quarter leading by as much as ten points at 9:40 into the quarter 67-57. The Kings erased some of the Warriors lead but they could not catch Golden State. With under three minutes left in the third quarter the Warriors again established a ten point lead 86-76. The Kings went on a crazy run with Fox sizzling and after three quarters had reclaimed the lead 91-90. Sacramento had fought their way back into this game.

The fourth quarter was a shoot-out in the wild wild west as both teams traded shots. The Kings were clinging onto a 101-97 lead with 9:20 left in the game. Sacramento turned it up a notch in the final minutes leading 119-114 with three minutes left in the game. The final 18.8 seconds was a crazy affair with the Kings leading 124-123. With 2.9 left on the clock in regulation, Sacramento led 126-123. The Kings had won their first playoff game since April 30.2006.

The hero for the Kings was De’Aaron Fox with 38 points the second most for a first time playoff appearance. Bench player Malik Monk had a terrific game with 32 points. All together Sacramento had 55 points off the bench. They had 60 points in the paint to the Warriors 44 that made a huge difference in the game.

The team played hard for their “Coach of the Year” Mike Brown who has had so much to do with the success of this team. The pieces were primarily there; Brown knew exactly how to piece it all together and we have seen the result. We all witnessed basketball brilliance in this game.

It was a tough loss for Golden State after the lead they carried in the third quarter. The Warriors had a number of wide open looks in the final minutes but could not connect. Curry had the team high with 30 points followed by Thompson with 21.

Wiggins and Poole had 17 points each off the bench. This is just the beginning of this best of seven series between these two teams. The Warriors hope to bounce back in game two to be played at Golden One Monday night with tipoff scheduled for 7:00 PM.

Who will come out on top in the battle of the coaches? The Sacramento Kings Mike Brown (left) or the Golden State Warriors Steve Kerr (right) as both coaches and teams meet for game 1 of the 2023 NBA Playoffs at Golden 1 Center on Sat Apr 15, 2023 (USA Today file photo)

On the Sacramento Kings podcast:

#1 The Sacramento Kings have youth on their side as they open up the NBA Playoffs at Golden 1 Center for game 1 on Saturday as opposed to some of the older veterans on the Golden State Warriors will youth hold true over Golden State or will experienced veterans be the headlines in these playoffs over Sacramento?

#2 After leaving Andrew Wiggins Golden State to take care of his father’s health issues for over a month and half will the Warriors Wiggins be ready for playoff battle? Wiggins has worked out with the team and did not play the last three regular season games of the season.

#3 The Kings lost to the Warriors in their last regular season meeting on Fri Apr 7 119-97 at Golden One it was one of the Warriors very few road trip wins their 11th. The circumstances were a bit different for the Kings than regular season form. The Kings had already clinched, they didn’t want to risk injury to their key core in the line up namely De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis. The Warriors needed that game and came away the winner. You were at that game tell us how that one looked with those components in place.

#4 The question keeps coming up Stephen Curry and the Warriors get hot in post season it’s a time of the year they leave the regular season mistakes in the rearview mirror and come out for the fight and go deep in the playoffs for their eyes on the prize that hardware prize. Seeing the Kings as you have all season and know what Golden State has done in the past is this one for the ages or will the Kings struggle with Golden State in this first round.

#5 It’s the battle of the coaches: Steve Kerr Golden State Warriors head coach and former Warrior assistant coach and Sacramento Kings head coach Mike Brown. Brown looks to be the top candidate for NBA coach of the year for guiding an ailing Kings team to post season for the first time in 16 years. The Warriors are not intimidated and coach Kerr is familiar with Browns coaching style who comes out on top amongst these two brainy and great coaches?

Join Jeremiah Salmonson for the Sacramento Kings podcasts each Friday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Sacramento Kings guard Kevin Huerter, left, fights for control of a loose ball with Denver Nuggets forward Bruce Brown in the second half in Denver on Sun Apr 9, 2023 (AP News photo)

Kings Drop Final Game of the Season to Denver 109-95

By Barbara Mason

Easter Sunday afternoon there was a lot of action in the NBA and a lot of teams fighting for position in the final standings. But, one of those games between the third place Sacramento Kings (48-34) and the first place Denver Nuggets (53-29) had nothing to do with the final standing in the Western Conference. The Nuggets got a six point win over the Kings 109-95.

Coming into this game the Nuggets were on a 3-game skid and a win would be a good thing going into the playoffs. The Kings have lost their last two games the most recent game to the Golden State Warriors 119-97. In this game the Kings did not play most of their starters giving them the night off.

The Kings got a great start in the first quarter leading 43-26. The Nuggets were playing without numerous starters. Jokic, Murray, Porter Jr. and Gordon were unable to play this games due to assorted injuries from leg tightness to inflammation to sprains.

The Kings had a halftime lead 67-59. They had played their usual starting lineup and going into the third quarter, De’Aaron Fox, Domantas Sabonis and Harrison Barnes sat for the second half.

The Nuggets took a slim lead into the fourth quarter 83-81 and finished off the Kings with a final of 109-95. Denver had outscored the Kings in the third (24-14) and fourth (26-14) quarters erasing the 17 point lead Sacramento had had in the first quarter.

Sacramento had a great start in this game despite the loss. They made six of their first seven shots from downtown before the Nuggets began to recover. The Kings only shot 35% in the final three quarters. This team came into the game as the highest -scoring team in the NBA. Harrison Barnes had the team high with 17 points even though he sat in the final 24 minutes.

Going into the playoffs the Kings hope to step it up a notch higher than they had during the regular season. The turn-around that this team has experienced this season has been nothing short of amazing. They have to be sentimental favorites going forward.

They are certainly the talk of the NBA and they deserve all the accolades thrown their way. It has been a very long since this team has been a playoff team and they will not have the post season experience that many of these teams will have.

This could hurt them, however, this is a determined group with an amazing bench and some phenomenal starters. A lot of credit for this turnaround has to go to Head Coach Mike Brown. The Kings had all the pieces and Brown knew exactly how to put them together.

The Sacramento Kings will face the sixth seed in the playoffs which was revealed today. They will face the Golden State Warriors who demolished the Trail Blazers this afternoon 157-101.