Tag: New Orleans Pelicans

Warriors play better, but not good enough as they lose to the Pelicans 126-120

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Photo credit: @warriors

By Jerry Feitelberg

OAKLAND — The Golden State Warriors, having been routed by the Indiana Pacers Thursday night, played a very entertaining and thrilling game against the New Orleans Pelicans Saturday night at Oracle Arena.

The Pelicans, fighting to get into the playoffs, came out firing on all cylinders in the first quarter. The Warriors regained their composure and trailed by two at the end of the first half. Kevin Durant took charge in the third quarter, and the Warriors were able to own the lead by four heading into the fourth quarter. The Pelicans refused to be beaten. They outscored the Warriors by 10 in the period and beat the defending NBA champs 126-120.

New Orleans came into the game tied with San Antonio and Oklahoma City for fifth place in the NBA’s Western Conference. Every game is a must-win for New Orleans as they could end up in ninth place behind Minnesota or Denver. They started the game by making the first nine shots they took. They were 10-for-13 in the first six minutes of the game, and they poured in 40 points and held the Warriors to 32. The Pelicans finished the first quarter on a 10-2 run.

The Warriors started to play defense in the second quarter and were able to tie the game at 65 late in the quarter. The Pelicans made a bucket to finish the first half leading 67-65. The Pelicans were led by Anthony Davis, Nikola Mirotec, and the veteran guard Rajon Rondo. Quinn Cook paced the Warrior offense with 15. Kevin Durant had 11, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green each had nine, and Nick Young tallied eight coming off the bench.

In the third quarter, the Pelicans extended the lead to 80-72. It was at this point in the quarter when the Warriors went on a 17-2 run to take the lead for the first time in the game 89-82. The Pelicans regained their composure, but the Warriors finished the third quarter leading 92-88. Kevin Durant led the Warriors, and it looked as if they had the momentum to carry them to a win. However, Anthony Davis, Nikola Mirotec, and the rest of the Pelicans had other thoughts as they came back to take the lead 99-97.

The Pelicans caused the Warriors to turn the ball over eight times in the fourth quarter, and the Pelicans recorded 15 points off those turnovers. The teams were tied at 105 when New Orleans went on a 14-3 run to secure the win. One of the key plays for New Orleans came when Rajon Rondo picked Kevin Durant’s pocket as he stole the ball and that led to a big bucket for the Pelicans.The Pelicans win 126-120.

Game Notes and Stats: With the win, the Pelicans improve to 46-34. San Antonio and Oklahoma City also won, and those three teams are 46-34. The Denver Nuggets also won, and they are 45-35 and tied with the Minnesota Timberwolves, who are 45-35. The last two games of the season will be critical to these teams, and the Warriors probably will not know who they will be playing in the first round of the playoff until Wednesday.

Kevin Durant led the Warrior offense with 41 points, five assists, and 10 rebounds. Durant committed four turnovers Saturday night.

Draymond Green had a double-double with 11 points, nine assists, and 10 rebounds. Green had trouble handling the ball as he was charged with seven turnovers and the team as a whole committed 17 in the loss to the Pelicans. The eight turnovers in the fourth quarter cost them 15 points, and that cost them the game. Quinn Cook finished the night with 21, Klay Thompson had 18, and Kevon Looney, starting at center, pitched in with 10.

The Pelicans’ Anthony Davis, who outplayed Kevin Durant in the fourth quarter, finished with 34 points and 12 boards, Nikola Mirotec had 28, and he made five three-point shots. Jrue Holiday kicked in with 25, Rajon Rondo 12 and he had 17 assists, too. The Pelican defense had 15 steals and six blocked shots. The Warrior defense had no blocked shots and just three steals.

The Warriors drop to 57-23, and they have two games left on the schedule against Phoenix Sunday night in Phoenix and Tuesday night in Salt Lake City against the Utah Jazz. Utah is battling with Portland for the third seed in the Western Conference. The Warriors want to finish the season on a winning note but they know that the Utah game will not be easy.

Up Next: The Warriors take on the Phoenix Suns Sunday night at 6:00 pm PT.

Kings fall to Pelicans 114-101; New Orleans now on a 10-game winning streak

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Photo credit: @SacramentoKings

By Alexandra Evans

SACRAMENTO — The Sacramento Kings (10-31) and the New Orleans Pelicans (20-19) tipped off at the Golden 1 Center on Wednesday, March 7, to whom they fell 114-101.

In the first quarter, the Kings’ greatest lead over the Pelicans was two points, compared to the Pelicans’ 11-point lead at the end. Beginning at the halfway point of the quarter, their lead over the Kings gradually increased from one point to 11 through the end of the stanza. The score was 32-21 after 12 minutes of play.

In the first two minutes of the second quarter, the Pelicans upped their score by seven and the Kings by four; they still trailed the Pelicans by more than 10 points. Cheick Diallo managed to bring the Pelicans’ score into the 40s while the Kings remained in the 20s.

Then, with 7:20 remaining, Ian Clark made a jump shot to bring the Pelicans’ lead to 20 (49-29). Buddy Hield then made two free throws to break the 20-point lead, and then a three-pointer assisted by Jackson, an impressive move by Hield which immediately followed the two free throws.

Though, the Kings had a long way to go regardless. After the first half, the Kings trailed the Pelicans by 18; the score was 62-44.

At halftime, Randolph still exceeded the Kings with 11 points; Buddy Hield led the team in three-pointers with five. Nikola Mirotic led the Pelicans in points (13) and three-point shots (3).

Randolph opened the third quarter with two baskets to make the score 62-46. Anthony Davis responded, making sure the Pelicans kept a double-digit lead over the home team with a three-pointer, followed by a jump shot and then an alley-oop shot to bring the score to 71-48. The 20-point lead was temporarily broken after Garrett Temple and Jackson both got driving layups. Davis responded yet again with a three-pointer for the Pelicans, and Emeka Okafor added another two points with a jump shot.

For the remaining four minutes, the Pelicans tried to keep their 20 point lead, while the Kings made an effort to break it. After 36 minutes, the Kings trailed the Pelicans by 18 points once again (85-67).

The final quarter opened with a layup from Hield for the Kings, one from Moore for the Pelicans, and then a jump shot from Skal Labissiere for the Kings. Two consecutive free throws from Hield and JaKarr Sampson cut the Kings’ trail to 11 points, then, with 3:48 remaining, Labissiere got a layup to put the Kings behind by only 10 points, the smallest deficit since the first half.

The lead was briefly cut to the single digits when Hield made a jump shot with 3:12 left, but quickly shot back up to double digits when Mirotic made a three-point jump shot.

Hield finished first in points for the Kings with 20, which included 11 three-point shots, another team-high. Mirotic exceeded the Pelicans with 26 points and six three-pointers.

The Pelicans had a nine-game winning streak prior to the match, earning their 10th against the Kings.

“It would be nice to be the team that breaks [an opponent’s winning streak],” Kings Head Coach Dave Joerger said in a post-game conference. “But we don’t ask them to try harder for that purpose.”

Sampson added, “When you’re on a win streak, you’re comfortable… the flow is good, the energy is good, so [we want to] disrupt the energy. Tonight, we kind of waited too long to do that, but that is part of growing as a young team.”

The Kings will take on the Orlando Magic this Friday, March 9, at 7:00 p.m. PST at Golden 1 Center.

Kings Press Row Podcast for December 6, 2017: On the road and a return home for SAC

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press row podcast

hosts Charlie O. Mallonee & Jordan “Chapes” Chapin

  • The Kings had a very interesting finish to their time in Northern California with a win in Oakland and a loss at the Golden 1 Center to the Bucks

  • Sac Kings picked up a win in Chicago but it was a very close game that they were very fortunate to come away with the “W” in their column

  • The Kings had to face the “Greek Freak” and company last Saturday night. It was a very strange game that SAC had a chance to win after trailing 14-0 to begin the game

  • SAC came home after the game in Milwaukee on Saturday then flew back out to Cleveland on Tuesday to continue the four-game road trip

  • Now it’s time to face the King James and Boogie before coming home to face the Raptors on Sunday

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

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

by Jerry Feitelberg

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Warriors extend win streak to two with 110-95 win over Pelicans

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Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry, left, drives the ball away from New Orleans Pelicans guard Rajon Rondo during the second half of an NBA basketball game Saturday, Nov. 25, 2017, in Oakland, Calif. The Warriors won, 110-95. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

By: Ana Kieu

OAKLAND, Calif. — The Golden State Warriors defeated the New Orleans Pelicans 110-95 at Oracle Arena Saturday night.

The Warriors came off a massive 143-94 blowout win over the Bulls, while the Pelicans came off a standard 115-91 blowout win over the Suns. However, the Bulls and Suns were both struggling teams to say the least. Tonight’s matchup between the Warriors and Pelicans wasn’t as lopsided in terms of the standings.

Prior to the tip-off, Pelicans guard Ian Clark received a championship ring from the Warriors.

The Pelicans overwhelmed the Warriors in the first quarter. The Pelicans were 5-7 from the three-point line, while the Warriors were just 1-5. The fast-break points were in favor of the Pelicans (9-0). The Pelicans outscored the Warriors 31-17 at the end of the first quarter.

After an unsatisfactory opening quarter, the Warriors outscored the Pelicans 36-22 to even the score at 53 apiece at the half. The Warriors’ offense put on a show for rapper and Vallejo native E-40, who was spotted in the audience at the Oracle Arena tonight.

Here are the halftime stats: Klay Thompson with 16 points and made four of six three-pointers, Omri Casspi with seven points and two blocks, Andre Iguodala with seven points and four assists, David West with six points, Steph Curry five points and five assists, Shaun Livingston with four points, Draymond Green with two points, four rebounds and three assists, Zaza Pachulia with two points and three rebounds and Kevon Looney with two points and three rebounds.

The Warriors started the second half on the right foot as they took the lead on a 6-0 run and never looked back. Also, the Warriors’ Twitter account retweeted a tweet from ESPN, who said their alternate jerseys are fire.

The Warriors led the Pelicans 84-75 at the end of the third quarter.

The Warriors continued to dominate in the fourth quarter. Livingston completed a three-point play to put the Warriors up 95-83 with 8:48 left in the game. The Warriors then went on a 8-0 run that was nice while it lasted.

The Warriors finished the home game with a 110-95 win over the Pelicans. Curry led the Warriors with 27 points, four rebounds and six assists. Thompson recorded 24 points, four rebounds, two assists, two steals and two boards. Pachulia scored 10 points, seven rebounds, two assists and three steals. Casspi scored nine points, four rebounds and two assists. Green scored six points, seven rebounds, eight assists and two steals. Iguodala had 14 points and four assists. Livingston had seven points and two rebounds. West had six points, two rebounds and two assists. Looney had three points and five rebounds.

Notes
Warriors’ injury update: Kevin Durant (left ankle sprain) is out for tonight’s game against the Pelicans. Andre Iguodala (sore left knee) is probable.

The Warriors debuted their Statement alternate uniforms, featuring “The Town” logo.

Last night, Jameer Nelson, Rajon Rondo and DeMarcus Cousins combined for 21 of the Pelicans’ 29 assists with eight, seven and six, respectively.

Pelicans’ injury report: Alexis Ajinca (right knee injury), Solomon Hill (left hamstring tear) and Frank Jackson (right foot fracture).

Up Next
The Warriors host the Kings on Monday, November 27 at 7:30 pm PST.

The Pelicans host the Timberwolves on Wednesday, November 29 at 7 pm CST.

Warriors rally to win their first game of the season as they down New Orleans Pelicans 128-120

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Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant (35) blocks a shot by New Orleans Pelicans guard Jrue Holiday (11) in the first half of an NBA basketball game in New Orleans, Friday, Oct. 20, 2017. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

by Jerry Feitelberg

New Orleans- The Golden State Warriors had their hands full with the spirited New Orleans Pelicans Friday night in the Crescent City. The Dubs rallied from a fifteen-point deficit halfway in the second quarter and looked like the champs that they are as they won 128-120

The Pelicans, without question, outplayed the Warriors in the first quarter. They shredded the vaunted Warrior defense as they scored at will and poured in thirty-nine points to lead 39-26. The Pelicans increased the lead to 57-42 halfway through the second quarter before the sleep-walking Warriors woke up and exerted themselves. The Warriors went on a 19-7 run to end the first half and trailed by three 64-61.

The Warriors surge carrier over into the third quarter. As they have done so many times last year, they owned the third quarter and went on a 26-7 run and finished the third quarter with an eight-point advantage. The Pelicans kept the pressure on in the fourth quarter, but Golden State refused to wilt. Each time scored thirty points in the final stanza, and the Warriors finished the night with the win.

Klay Thompson, Steph Curry, and Kevin Durant paced the Warriors to victory. Klay led the team with thirty-one points. Steph followed with twenty-eight, seven assists, and three board. Kevin Durant added twenty-two points, seven rebounds, and a career-high six blocks. Draymond Green pitched in with ten points, eight assists, and five rebounds.  The two big men for the Pelicans, Anthony Davis, and DeMarcus Cousins, each scored thirty-five points. Davis had seventeen boards and Cousins pulled down fourteen. Other Pelicans in double figures were Jrue Holiday, Jordan Crawford, and former Warrior Ian Clark. Clark finished the night with thirteen points.

Game Stats- The Warriors shot 52.2% from the floor and knocked down eighteen three-point shots in forty attempts. They also recorded thirty-one assists. The Warriors defense came through with five steals and eight blocks.

After the game, Steve Kerr remarked that Klay Thompson “was on his game right away.” Klay did not start well last year, but his performance has been stellar so far this year. Kerr said this about the defense:’ I thought we had a much better defensive stretch than we ever had in the Houston game.”

The Warriors play the Memphis Grizzlies Saturday night in Memphis. Game time is at 5 pm.

Boogie gets his revenge against the Kings leading the Pelicans to a 117-89 victory

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by Charlie O. Mallonee

Sacramento Kings v New Orleans Pelicans
DeMarcus Cousins dominates versus the Kings Photo: NBAE

Former Kings All-Star center DeMarcus “Boogie” Cousins did not want to leave Sacramento. In fact not long before the big trade, Cousins said he was looking forward to having his jersey being retired and hanging in the rafters at the Golden 1 Center.

Since being traded to New Orleans, Cousins has been quoted making statements about loyalty – or lack there of – in some not so veiled jabs at his former team. So, everyone who follows the NBA was ready to see the man they call Boogie go off against his former team when they met in NOLA on Friday night. The big man did not disappoint.

Cousins put up 37 points and grabbed 13 rebounds as he led the Pelicans to a 117-89 thrashing of his old team. He also had four assists, three steals and two blocked shots. Cousins teammates made sure their new superstar was able to be in a position to publically embarrass his former team – especially the ownership and front office.

In a post-game interview with the Kings Radio Network, Jordan Crawford of the Pelicans said that he and his teammates were doing everything they could do to help Cousins win the game and dominate his old team. They were successful in their efforts.

Before all Kings fans start tearing their clothes and sitting in ash-heaps in mourning, they need to realize that Cousins presence in New Orleans has not been the difference maker that many people thought it would be when the trade went down.

The “Pels” (33-43) have been on a bit of a roll as they have won eight of their last 11 games and have pulled within 4.5 games of the eighth-place Portland Trail Blazers for the final playoff slot in the Western Conference. With just six games remaining, New Orleans would need a miracle to make the playoffs and turn the first-round draft selection they sent to the Kings into a non-Lottery pick.

Yes, Boogie had a big night. But, it was a short-term success because in the long-run the “revenge win” will mean nothing in big picture of the NBA. That is one of the reasons Cousins in no longer with the Kings. There were too many short-term victories and not enough long-term successes.

How did the former Pelicans do against their former team?

nolahield
Buddy Hield working against the his former team the Pelicans Photo: NBAE

Buddy “Buckets” Hield scored 13 points shooting 6-for-9 from the floor. He was 1-for-4 from beyond the 3-point line. Hield hauled in eight rebounds, dished out three assists and had one blocked shot.

Tyreke Evans made the start for his old team against his old team – that gets confusing really fast. Evans recorded 11 points going 3-for-9 from the floor including two 3-point baskets. Evans played just 19-minutes in the game.

Langston Galloway played almost 21-minutes but really struggled on offense. He shot just 1-for-7 from the field. His one score was a 3-point bucket.

How did the other young Kings do in the game?

Skal Labissiere played just over 36-minutes on Friday night and scored 13 points. He also pulled down eight rebounds. The rookie did not have his best shooting night going 5-for-16 from the floor. Labissiere did not attempt a 3-point shot which is an oddity for him. He converted 3-of-6 from the free throw line.

nola wcs
Willie Cauley-Stein had a double-double game vs the Pelicans Photo: NBAE

Second-year man Willie Cauley-Stein recorded 11 points in 34-minutes of playing time. “WCS” made it a double-double game by posting 14 rebounds. Cauley-Stein is taking advantage his opportunities to start and play big minutes.

Ben Mac leads the Kings in scoring

nola mac
Ben McLemore led the Kings in scoring versus the Pelicans Photo: NBAE

Ben McLemore led the scoring attack for Sacramento recording 15 points against the Pelicans. He shot 6-for-16 from floor, added eight rebounds and distributed four assists in his 25-minutes of playing time. McLemore is an improving player under the guidance of Dave Joerger and his staff.

Up next for the Kings

After the game, the Kings headed for the airport and took off for a long flight from the “Crescent City” to the “Twin Cities” to face the Timberwolves. This is the type of brutal back-to-back scheduling that NBA has to eliminate if coaches are to be persuaded to stop sitting stars for rest.

Kings – Jazz Postgame Notes & Quotes

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by Charlie O. Mallonee

utah afflalo
Arron Afflalo puts the ball up for the Kings Photo NBAE

If you are Dave Joerger this morning, you are probably having an agony and ecstasy moment over your coffee. The ecstasy is your team played a great game on Sunday versus a very talented playoff bound Utah Jazz squad. The agony is your team let a 16 point lead slip away and you lost in overtime on a tip-in with 1-tenth of a second left on the clock.

Joerger really had a good attitude after the game on Sunday. “It was good. Arron Afflalo, like I said pregame, has really stepped up into the leadership position. I thought he really set the tone for us. I think he made four of his first five, five of his first six. He was aggressive. He did a great job at (defending) Gordon Hayward.

Afflalo scored 17 points shooting 6-for-12 from the field and 4-for-4 from the free throw line. He had four rebounds and three assists. Afflalo was one of seven Kings to score in double figures.

“It was good,” said Afflalo after the game. “I was extremely proud of my teammates. Everybody was engaged on both ends of the court. We played with a purpose to win tonight. It’s going to be a true test of our will to take a tough loss like this and play the team (Denver) tomorrow (Monday) that we’re trying to catch for the eighth spot.”

Garrett Temple returned to the court

utah temple 2
Garrett Temple returned after missing 11 games Photo NBAE

Garrett Temple returned to action for the Kings on Sunday night after missing 11 games with a partially torn left ham string. Temple scored 11 points on 4-of-9 shooting including two 3-point baskets to go with four assists and three steals.

“Well certainly he has a positive impact,”, said Dave Joerger. “We were better defensively whether he was in there or not. He is certainly a positive defender and a solid positive contributor for sure.”

Willie Cauley-Stein played with intensity

utah wcs 2
Cauley-Stein dunks it over Gobert Photo NBAE

“That was a playoff game for us,” opined Joerger. “We played with playoff intensity. If a guy plays 12 minutes of that, that’s better than four (quarters) in summer leagues where he plays 38 minutes. Summer league, you just get minutes, they keep score and that’s great. This is where you find out where you are as a player and what you need to work on. The intensity of competition is a fantastic experience.

Cauley-Stein put up 15 points while shooting 6-for-12 and grabbing 9 rebounds. “WCS” also had Three assists, two steals and one blocked shot.

The Kings have now lost four in a row

The Kings have now lost four consecutive games and their record has fallen to 25-37 for the season. Sacramento has fallen to 11th place in the Western Conference three games behind Denver in the eighth and final playoff spot. They are tied with the Timberwolves while Portland and Dallas stand in between them and the Nuggets.

Kings (25-37) must face the Nuggets (28-34) Monday night in Denver

DNuggets_Global

The Kings have the tough task of playing the Nuggets in the second game of a back-to-back set on the road at high altitude in Denver. The Nuggets are coming off a loss to the Hornets and are anxious to take advantage of the fact that 8 of their next 11 games at home.

FiveThirtEight.com projects that the Kings have just a 17-percent chance of winning the game in Denver (ouch!). The second game of a back-to-back on the road coupled with the high altitude seems to the influencing factors. This lopsided prediction is out there despite the fact the Kings are 2-0 versus the Nuggets this season. The second Kings win came after the DeMarcus Cousins trade to New Orleans but that win came in Sacramento.

The Jazz were thrilled to escape Sacramento with the overtime win

“It’s a big lift,” said Jazz head coach Quin Snyder.”I think particularly, Sacramento played well. We made some plays to win the game, but they did a heck of a job and probably deserved to win. I like to think our guys did some good things and we were able to steal one. It gives you a lift. There’s no question about it. With plenty more to go right now, you can’t rest on that any more than you can with getting beat.”

The Jazz also have a back-to-back

The Jazz flew home to Utah where they will host the New Orleans Pelicans in the second game of a back-to-back set. Both teams are coming off wins on Sunday. The Pels picked up their first win with DeMarcus Cousins on the roster by beating the Lakers in Los Angeles.

Utah will be looking to increase their 1.5-game lead over the fifth-place Clippers. The Pelicans are in 13th-place in the Western Conference 3.5-games out of playoff contention.

Multiple reports: The “Boogie” era is over in Sacramento

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by Charlie O. Mallonee

SACRAMENTO–The DeMarcus Cousins era in Sacramento has apparently come to an end. Multiple reports have Cousins going to the New Orleans Pelicans in exchange for shooting guard Buddy – “the Nutcracker”- Hield, guard (and former King) Tyreke Evans, shooting guard Langston Galloway plus a future first-round and second-round draft pick.

hield
Buddy Hield goes to the hoop

“The Woj” of The Vertical was the first to send the rumors of the possible trade up the wires earlier on Sunday. Most of the reaction to the rumor was negative based on Vlade Divac’s statements to ESPN last week on the Kings intentions to sign Cousins to a long-term extension and the fact that Sacramento is still in contention for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

As the day progressed and the All-Star Game got underway, the rumors of a Cousins trade continued to heat up. Where it had just been New Orleans as a possible destination, there then became rumors that other teams were vying for Cousins. As time passed, the story began “to grow legs”.

tyreke-evans
Tyreke Evans is coming back to Sacramento

Adding fuel to the fire was the limited amount of playing time that Cousins saw in the All-Star Game. Cousins played just two minutes and scored three points.

It would appear that the Kings have moved into a rebuilding mode. If they hold unto the number 10 or better lottery draft pick, the Kings will retain that selection rather than having to send that pick to the Chicago Bulls. The upcoming draft has been deemed one of the most star-studded in years. The trade would indicate that the Kings want to participate in the draft process.

Do not forget that Sacramento hedged their bets by sending Marquese Chriss to Phoenix for the rights to shooting guard Bogdan Bogdanovic who is currently playing in Turkey. He is seen as a potential impact player in the NBA.

bogdan_1
Bogdan Bogdanovic will be a King next season

This certainly marks a major change in philosophy for the Kings. Up until now, it has been “all Boogie – all the time”. Now, it’s a clean slate. What kind of team do the Kings want to build? Vivek Ranadive was a minority owner of the Golden State Warriors and loves their style of play. Who doesn’t love the Warriors style?

All change is crisis. So, the Kings are in the middle of another major crisis. They have to justify to their long-suffering fans why they did an about-face and dropped out of the playoff race while jettisoning their only legitimate All-Star player.

I would not want to be an account representative having to call season ticket holders for renewal orders on Monday. When those current season ticket holders ask what are the Kings plans for the future, the answer at this point is probably an honest … I’m not sure.

There is one constant that has not changed. The Sacramento Kings are never boring. They are never easy to understand, but they are never, never boring.

Kings win again surging past the Pelicans 105-99

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nop-wildcats
Boogie and the Brow look for the rebound Photo: NBAE

by Charlie O. Mallonee

The Sacramento Kings were in a must win situation on Sunday night when they hosted the New Orleans Pelicans. The Pelicans are also a “Tier 3” team that is trying to break free of the NBA Draft Lottery and make it into the first-round of the NBA Western Conference Playoffs.

The Kings entered the game with a predicted 69-percent chance of winning the contest with the Pelicans. The Kings had won three of their five previous games. Sacramento is still in the hunt for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. The men in white and purple had a lot on the line.

The Kings (22-32) did not disappoint their fans as they downed the Pelicans (21-34)  105-99. Sacramento repeated their familiar pattern where they under-performed in the first half and excelled in the second half. The Kings have been victorious in four of their last six games.

Where the Kings stand in the Playoff Race

The Kings are currently in 10th place 1.5 games behind the Denver Nuggets for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. The Trail Blazers stand in between the two teams one game behind the Nuggets and one-half game ahead of the Kings. All three teams are 5-5 in their last 10 games.

It was another battle of Kentucky Wildcats on Sunday night

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The premiere match up of the night was at center which featured two former Kentucky Wildcats – DeMarcus Cousins and Anthony Davis. Davis – “the Brow” is an All-Star starter for the Western Conference and Cousins – “Boogie” is a Western Conference All-Star reserve.

Davis scored a game-high 32 points and made it double-double by adding 10 rebounds. He shot an impressive 11-for-24 from the floor and went a perfect 9-for-9 from the free throw line in his 40-minutes on the floor.

Cousins led the Kings scoring attack with 28 points and also recorded a double-double by hauling in 14 rebounds. He dished out seven assists. Cousins shot 7-for-14 from the field and went 14-for-16 from the charity stripe.

Stars of the game

Kings

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Collison drives past Solomon Hill Photo: NBAE

Darren Collison gets the star for Sacramento. When the Kings needed someone to step up, Collison was the man. He finished with 20 points (7-for-16 shooting including 2 3-point baskets), eight assists, six rebounds and three steals. Collison again played big minutes playing just under 41-minutes in the game.

Pelicans

The star has to go to “the Brow”. The fact is without the presence of Davis and his finesse on the floor the Pelicans are never really in this game. New Orleans is very much like Sacramento. Take their former Kentucky big man out of the lineup and they are a team that is in deep, deep trouble.

Looking into the book

Kings

  • Matt Barnes was important on offense when needed him and then on defense when the situation called for it. Barnes finished with 12 points, five rebounds, three assists. He also hit 2-of-6 3-point tries.
  • Ben McLemore had an 11 point game with nine of those points coming off three 3-point baskets. He hit on 3-of-5 tries from long range.
  • Arron Afflalo put up 10 points, had two assists and one steal
  • Anthony Tolliver struggled a bit shooting as he scored nine points on nine shots. All of his points came off 3-point buckets.
  • Willie Cauley-Stein – the other big man from Kentucky – scored eight points in 17-minutes on the floor. Cauley-Stein did a pretty good job defending Davis which is no easy task.
  • As a team: the Kings shot 44.9-percent; they went  11-for-31 (35.5-percent) for 3-pointers; they converted 24-of-27 from the free throw line; they out-rebounded the Pels 46-36; Sacramento had 23 assists and made 20 turnovers giving up 16 points to New Orleans.

Pelicans

  • Jrue Holiday had another solid game posting a double-double with 16 points and 11 assists
  • Dante Cunningham scored 14 points hitting on 4-0f-7 from long range. Do not leave that man open in 3-point land.
  • Solomon Hill went 3-for-5 from the field (all 3-point attempts) and scored nine points
  • As a team: the Pels shot 41.5-percent; they went 13-for-31 (41.9-percent) from downtown; NOP had 23 assists and 18 turnovers that resulted in 15 Sacramento points.

Now that’s hitting below the below the belt

The Pelicans’ Buddy Hield was ejected from the game with 2:55 remaining to play in the second quarter after he literally hit DeMarcus Cousins below the below the belt. Cousins had already been assessed a technical foul and any retaliation by Cousins could well have resulted in his ejection. The Kings big man kept his cool. The officials in New Jersey reviewed the play and Hield’s actions were ruled a Flagrant 2 foul which resulted in an automatic ejection.

Who knows how the game would have turned out had Hield still been on the floor in the fourth quarter?

Night of Technical Fouls

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Cousins looks to drive the paint Photo: NBAE

The officiating crew felt free to pass out “tech fouls” in the game on Sunday night. They issued three:

  1. Pelicans head coach Alvin Gentry picked up the first “tech” just 2:11 into the game when he let the officials know he felt DeMarcus Cousins should have been called for a foul on a play that resulted in two points for Sacramento.
  2. Cousins picked up his 17th technical foul of the season with 1:06 to go in the first quarter when he tangled up with Donatas Motiejunas under the Pelicans basket. The play was reviewed to see if it was a flagrant foul which it was ruled not to be. If Cousins is assessed tech foul number 18, he will be suspended for another game under NBA rules since he is over the 16-tech foul limit.
  3. New Orleans was charged with a technical for a 3-second defensive violation in the first quarter.

In this writers opinion, the Gentry call was a quick trigger and the Cousins “tech” is a candidate to be rescinded. Also, the NBA needs to review the use of “the Tech” and decide what its purpose really is in the structure of the game. “The Association” also needs to grasp that fans do not come to an arena to watch refs call tech fouls.

Up next

The Kings will play the first of their two road games in the month of February on Tuesday in Los Angeles when they face the Lakers. This is another must win game for the Kings. The Lakers are a lower level “Tier 3” team that Kings have to beat if they are to jump into the eighth and final playoff slot.

The Pelicans travel to the Valley of the Sun to face the Suns on Monday night.