Tag: Philadelphia 76ers

76ers snap the Warriors’ 11-game winning streak with 113-104 win

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Photo credit: @NBA

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors, who returnedhome after winning all five games on the road, had to face the young and talented Philadelphia 76ers Thursday night at Oracle Arena.

The game marked the home debut of DeMarcus Cousins, and the sellout crowd was hoping that the Warriors would win their 12th game in a row. Cousins had 22 points Monday night in the win over the Indiana Pacers, and it appeared that he fitted in well with the team. Cousins’ presence in the lineup gives the Warriors something they have needed for a long time, and that is a big man that can clog the lanes, rebound, pass, and shoot. Cousins was also able to provide screens for Steph Curry and Klay Thompson.

The 76ers, with the third best record in the NBA East and led by their two big men, Joel Embiid at center and Ben Simmons at forward, were too much for the Warriors as they sent the Warriors down to defeat 113-104.

The two teams played a very competitive first quarter. The Warriors led 21-12 about midway through the period. The 76ers went on a 16-6 run to tie the game at 27. The Warriors got back on track behind two buckets each by Kevon Looney and Kevin Durant. The Warriors led 35-30 after the first 10 minutes of play. Steph Curry knocked down 11 points, and he made three 3-point shots. In the second quarter, the 76ers started the proceedings with an 8-0 run to lead 38-35. The Warriors rallied behind Curry, Durant, and Looney to extend the lead to seven 60-53 at the end of the first half. Curry had 23 points, and he made six threes in eight tries. Alfonzo McKinnie, who was filling in for the ailing Klay Thompson, helped out with 9. Durant had 12, and Looney had 8. Other than Looney, no Warrior coming off the bench, scored a point. Ben Simmons led the 76ers with 15, Embiid had 9 points and 10 rebounds. Former LA Clipper, JJ Redick, had six, and the Warriors held Jimmy Butler scoreless.

The third quarter was a different story. The Warriors, who have done so well so many times in this quarter, were outplayed by the 76ers. The Warriors were ahead 69-59 until Philadelphia went on a 12-2 run to tie the game at 71. The Warriors tied the game at 73, and it was all 76ers after that. The 76ers outscored the Warriors 42-26 in the period and led by nine, 95-86, heading into the fourth quarter. Joel Embiid had 11 points in the period to lead the 76er rampage.

Each team scored 18 points in the fourth quarter. The 76ers were able to bottle up Curry. He was able to make two threes, but the other Warriors couldn’t help him out. Both teams played defense in the last 12 minutes of action. The Warriors tried, but Embiid and company won the battle Thursday night.

Game Notes and Stats: The 76ers are now winners of 7 of their last nine games and improve to 34-18. They trail the Milwaukee Bucks and Toronto Raptors for the best record in the NBA East. The Warriors fall to 36-15. They still have the best record in the NBA West.

Steph led the Warriors with 41points, and he connected on 10 threes in 18 tries. Durant had 25, Looney 14, and McKinnie 11. DeMarcus Cousins had 7 points, 6 boards, and six assists. Draymond Green finished with 4 points, 8 boards, and 10 assists.

Joel Embiid had his 42nd double-double of the season. He finished with 26 points and 20 rebounds. Ben Simmons had 25. JJ Redick added 15. The 76er bench contributed 31 points while Looney had 14 and the rest of the Warrior bench added just two points.

The Warriors were without the services of Klay Thompson, who was not able to play due to an undisclosed illness. McKinnie filled in for him, and he did well in his first NBA game as a starter.

The stats show how close the game was. Both teams made 41 field goals in 88 attempts good for 46.6% The 76ers made one more three-pointer than the Warriors 12-11. Where the game was won was on the free throw line. The 76ers outscored the Warriors 19-11 from the charity stripe.

The 76ers beat the Warriors for the first time since the 2013 season.

Up Next: The Warriors face the Los Angeles Lakers Saturday night at Oracle Arena. Game time will be at 5:30 pm.

Lakers superstar LeBron James, who did not play when the Warriors, beat the Lakers in LA in game two of the five-game road trip and will be back in action for LA.

NBA podcast with Jerry Feitelberg: Kings take tough 114-95 loss; Wizards just nick the Knicks 101-100; 76ers pile on the Pacers 120-96; plus more

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Photo credit: @SacramentoKings

On the NBA podcast with Jerry Feitelberg:

#1 The Sacramento Kings took a tough 114-95 loss in Charlotte Thursday night to the Hornets. The Hornets’ Kemba Walker led with 23 points. The Kings drop their road record to 9-12.

#2 The Washington Wizards just got by the New York Knicks 101-100. The Wizards Bradley Beal had 26 points for Washington.

#3 The Philadelphia 76ers piled up the points for a 120-96 win over the Indiana Pacers. The Sixers’ Jimmy Butler led with 27 points.

#4 The Toronto Raptors beat the Suns 111-109 in Toronto. The Raptors’ Pascal Siakam had 10 points to lead Toronto in scoring.

#5 The Denver Nuggets knocked off the struggling Chicago Bulls 135-105. The Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic led with 18 points.

Jerry Feitelberg is a Golden State Warriors beat writer and does the NBA podcasts each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Kings beat the Sixers 101-95 in Philly Tuesday night to sweep the season series

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Z=bo vs sixers
Zach Randolph was a leader in the Kings victory over the Sixers Photo USA Today Sports

by Charlie O. Mallonee

The Sacramento Kings picked up their first win on their four-game road trip Tuesday night when they downed the Philadelphia 76ers 101-95 in Philadelphia. The victory gave the Kings the series sweep over the Sixers who they defeated in Sacramento on November 9th 109-108.

That is a bit ironic after the Kings just finished being swept by the Toronto Raptors on Sunday.

The Kings found themselves down 78-71 as they headed into the fourth quarter. They would need a 10-point effort from Buddy Hield and nine-points from Garrett Temple to lead a 30-point scoring barrage that would help them to victory. Willie Cauley-Stein added six-points in the final period as the Kings outscored the Sixers 30-17 in the fourth quarter.

Sacramento used 12-of-13 players on their bench in the contest. Only Georgios Papagiannis did not play. George Hill was not available due to illness.

The Sixers held a 57-48 lead at halftime due to some solid play from Robert Covington, Ben Simmons, T.J. McConnell and JJ Redick. Philly outscored the Kings 30-18 in the second quarter and it looked like the Sacramento squad might be in for a long night.

Sacramento kept things close in the third period which allowed them to have opportunity to take control in the fourth quarter.

Kings star of the game

Frank Mason to hoo[
Frank Mason had another strong game off the bench for the Kings Photo USA Today Sports
Rookie reserve point guard Frank Mason gets the star of the game nod for the win over the Sixers on Tuesday night. Mason scored 16-points in just over 22-minutes of playing time on the floor. The four-year Kansas alum shot 7-for-9 from the floor and went 2-for-2 from behind the 3-point line. He also recorded two blocked shots in the game. Mason has demonstrated a maturity and confidence coming off the bench that has served the Kings very well this season.

Kings co-stars of the game

  • Zach Randolph made a good argument that he should have been the star of the game. The veteran power forward put up 27-points and grabbed five rebounds in just over 28-minutes on the court. The man who was brought in as a “role model” has become “a game changer” for the Kings.
  • Buddy Hield did not have his best night from 3-point land but he shot 9-for-19 for the game. He recorded 24-points, grabbed five rebounds, dished out two assists and made three steals in just over 28-minutes of playing time.

Sixers star of the game

Ben Simmons has to get the star as he came within one assist of recording a triple-double. Simmons scored 13-points, hauled in 12 rebounds and distributed nine assists in his 32-plus minutes on the floor.

Sixers co-stars of the game

  • Forward Robert Covington recorded 17-points despite having a very tough shooting night. Covington shot 5-for-19 overall and just 2-for-13 from 3-point range. He did go a perfect 5-for-5 from the free throw line.
  • Jerryd Bayless scored 15 points for the second-unit coming off the bench and seeing just over 26-minutes of action in the contest. Bayless shot 5-for-12 overall and hit 4-of-8 opportunities from downtown.

Key Team stats of the game

Sacramento

  • The Kings shot 41-for-91 (45.1-percent) in the game and hit 7-of-27 (25.9-percent) from behind the 3-point line.
  • Sacramento went 12-for-23 from the free throw line ( the percentage was poor but the number of attempts was excellent and was a real improvement)
  • The Kings committed just 12 turnovers which became 15 Philly points

Philadelphia

  • The Sixers shot 34-for-81 for the game. That was 10 less attempts and seven less conversions than the Kings.
  • Philly hit 10-of-35 3-point attempts. That was three more conversions than the Kings.
  • They went 17-for-24 from the free throw line. The Sixers hit five more free throws than the Kings.
  • Philly out-rebounded the Kings 53-39

Up next

Kings (10-20)

Sacramento wraps up their four-game road on Wednesday night when they will face the Brooklyn Nets in Brooklyn. The Nets are 11-18 on the season. FiveThirtyEight.com gives the Kings a 27-percent chance of winning the game and makes them a six point underdog.

Sixers (14-16)

Philly will host the Toronto Raptors on Thursday night. FiveThirtyEight.com makes the Sixers a 0.5 underdog and gives them only a 48-percent chance to win.

 

The Raptors sweep the season series with the Kings; winning Sunday in Toronto 108-93

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Bogi assists
Bogdanovic dishes an assist versus Raptors Photo: USA Today Sports

by Charlie O. Mallonee

The Sacramento Kings record dropped to 0-2 on their four-game trip as they lost game two on Sunday to the Toronto Raptors 108-93. With the win on Sunday, the Raptors completed a season sweep of the the two-game series between the two teams. The Kings swept the series in 2016-17 but DeMarcus Cousins was still on the Sacramento roster when that happened.

The Kings did manage to avoid falling behind 13-0 as they had one week ago in Sacramento. The Kings trailed trailed by just five points – 35 to 30 – after the first 12-minutes of play. Garrett Temple was the leading scorer in the opening quarter with 10-points.

The Kings went with an interesting starting five. Vince Carter, Kosta Koufos, Willie Cauley-Stein, Garrett Temple and George Hill took the floor to start the game for Sacramento. Zach Randolph was held out for rest. De’Aaron Fox was unavailable because of a Right Quadriceps Contusion suffered in the Minnesota game. JaKarr Sampson had to be sent to the G-League as a two-way player to fulfill his commitment to the Bighorns.

The Kings really shined in the second quarter as they outscored the Raptors 33-26. Bogdan Bogdanovic led the scoring with 11-points shooting 4-for-5 overall while hitting 3-of-4 from 3-point land. George Hill posted nine-points going a perfect 3-for-3 from behind the 3-point arc.

Sacramento went to the locker room at halftime with a 63-61 lead. That would be that last positive highlight for the Kings in the game. The Raptors would outscore the Kings 22-14 in the third quarter and 25-16 in final period of the game. Too much experienced talent and the low percentage chances of winning on the road had caught up the Kings on Sunday afternoon in Toronto.

Kings star of the game

Bogdan Bogdanovic gets the star of the game for Sacramento. The Kings oldest rookie came off the bench to score 18-points in just over 28-minutes on the floor. He shot 7-for-10 overall and hit 4-of-7 from behind the 3-point line. He also handed out five dimes while grabbing three rebounds.

Kings co-stars

Willie scores
Willie Cauley-Stein scores against Toronto Photo: USA Today Sports
  • Garrett Temple – the talented swing-man also recorded 18-points hitting 6-of-13 shots from the floor including two 3-point baskets. He added two rebounds and two assists.
  • Veteran George Hill put 16-points in the book by sinking 6-of-11 shots. Hill converted 4-of-7 3-point attempts. He also distributed five assists.
  • Willie Cauley-Stein continues to get back into the swing of things as he recorded 12 points and hauled in six rebounds. He also added four assists.

Raptors star of the game

It really comes as no surprise that DeMar DeRozan was the star of the game for the Raptors. DeRozan put up a game-high 21-points as he shot 6-for-17 from the field. He was much more successful from charity stripe where hit 9-of-12 opportunities. DeRozan also handed out five assists and had two blocked shots.

Raptors co-stars

  • Guard Kyle Lowry had a better statistical on Sunday than he did last week against the Kings. He put up 14-points hitting 5-of-11 shots from the floor and 4-of-8 from 3-point land. Lowry added seven assists and five rebounds.
  • OG Anunoby scored 13-points, Norman Powell added 13 off the bench, Fred VanVleet recorded 11 points and Delon Wright came off the bench to add 10-points.

Important team stats

Sacramento

Vince got a start
Carter got the start in Toronto Photo: USA Today Sports
  • Field goal percentage: 46.9-percent (38-for-81)
  • 3-point shooting percentage: 42.3-percent (11-for-26)
  • Free Throws: 6-for-8 (75-percent) not nearly enough attempts
  • 32 rebounds – that’s too low
  • 25 assist and 17 assists ( led to 13 Raptor points)

Toronto

  • Toronto shot 36-for-45 (42.4-percent) from the field
  • They hit 13-of-30 (43.3-percent) from 3-point range
  • The Raptors converted 23-of-28 free throw attempts (this was a major difference in the game)
  • Toronto grabbed 46 rebounds (14 more than the Kings)
  • The Raptors had 20 assists
  • Toronto committed just 12 turnovers that yielded only three points for the Kings

Up next for the Kings

The Kings move on to the “City of Brotherly Love” to take on the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday night.

Warriors come back from 22-point halftime deficit to beat Sixers 124-116

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Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry, top, shoots as Philadelphia 76ers’ Joel Embiid, of Cameroon, bottom, defends during the second half of an NBA basketball game Saturday, Nov. 18, 2017, in Philadelphia. The Warriors won 124-116. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)

by Jerry Feitelberg

The big question on everyone’s mind is this: How do they do it? How do they get pummeled by 22 points in the first and still come back to win? The Sixers outplayed the Warriors in the first half. They outscored the Warriors 47-28 in the first quarter and led 74-52 at the end of the first 24 minutes of play. The Warriors–still smarting from the 92-88 loss to Boston Thursday night–regrouped and took control of the game in the third quarter as their defense held the Sixers to just 15 points while they scored 47. The Warriors did not relinquish the lead and won 124-116.

The young Sixers appeared to be blowing the Warriors out of the building in the first half. They shot 74% from the floor in the first quarter and finished the first half at 58% The Warriors shot 47% from the floor which isn’t terrible, but they could not stop the Sixer attack. The Sixers made seven 3-point shots while the Warriors connected just on one. The Sixers had four starters in double figures at the end of the half. Joel Embiid led the Sixers with 17. Ben Simmons had 15. J.J.Redick also had 15. Robert Covington knocked down 12, and Dario Saric pitched in with 9. Steph Curry led the Warriors with 15, and Kevin Durant followed with 14.

The Warriors trailed by 22 at the start of the third quarter.The Sixers increased the lead to 24 (76-52). The Warriors–as they have done so many times–found their game and started to make stops and played Warrior basketball. They found a way to move the ball and were able to find the open man. Durant and Curry led the offense, Nick Young made a big 3-point shot. Kevon Looney came in and helped energize the team on defense. The Warriors trailed by 10 87-77 with 5:30 left in the period. They continued to attack as Curry made a three to close the deficit to just one (89-88). The Warriors took the lead for good when Curry made two free throws to make it 90-89. Looney made a bucket, Curry connected on another 3-pointer, and Draymond Green finished the scoring in the period with a two-point bucket. The Warriors turned the game around outscoring the Sixers 47-15 and ended the third quarter leading 99-89.

The Warriors, behind David West and Klay Thompson, were able to increase the lead to 117-97. The Sixers fought back as they cut the lead to seven (120-113), but they ran out of time as the Warriors held on to win 124-116.

Game notes and stats — With the win, the Warriors improve to 12-4 and are 1-1 on the four-game road trip. The Sixers fall to 8-7. The Warriors had five players in double figures. Curry led the team with 35 points, five assists, and five rebounds. Durant tallied 27. Klay Thompson had 17, David West had 14, and Zaza Pachulia had 10. Green scored eight points and had eight assists along with seven rebounds.

Scoring leaders for Philadelphia were Dario Saric with 13, Robert Covington with 20, J.J.Redick with 20, Joel Embiid with 21, and Ben Simmons with 23.

The Warriors held Embiid to just four points in the second half. The Dubs held Redick to 5, Saric 4, and Simmons 8.

After the game, Curry said this about the win: “We got stops which is key.” We “found a way to give ourselves some life.” He noted that the Warriors just didn’t play well in the first half but “we moved the ball a lot better” in the second half as the Warriors found a way to score 47 points in the third quarter and put the clamps on the Sixers offense.

Steve Kerr remarked this about the play of his team in the third period: “We were more poised in the third quarter.” “They dominated the first half, but we corralled them in the second half.”

The Warriors play the Brooklyn Nets Sunday afternoon in Brooklyn. Game time is at 3 pm.

Are the Kings looking to hire a new head of basketball operations?

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by Charlie O. Mallonee

SACRAMENTO–Just when you thought things were settling down into an end of the season routine, bam! – here comes another rumor out of right field that Kings managing owner Vivek  Ranadive  may be looking to hire someone to head up the basketball operations department. That person would supervise Vlade Divac and the rest of the operations staff according to the rumor mill.

The executive the Kings are targeting may be as much of a surprise as the fact they are looking for additional front office help. The rumors say the Kings are pursuing former Philadelphia 76ers general manager Sam Hinkie.

Hinkie has been out of the league for almost a year since the Colangelo’s (Jerry and Bryan)    took over the Philadelphia operation. Hinkie  is known as “the process” for his plans he put together to rebuild the 76ers especially by “tanking”.

Hinkie drafted Joel Embiid, Dario Saric and Jahlil Okafor. He also put together a deal with the Sacramento Kings that netted the Sixers Nik Stauskas plus the right to swap first-round picks in 2016 and 2017. The trade also results in Philadelphia receiving the Kings 2019 first-round draft pick. The Kings basically received salary cap relief and the rights to two little known Euro League players.

There have been persistent rumblings that minority owners have been putting pressure on Ranadive to bring in someone with more experience to run the basketball operations. The Kings have been very successful on the business and marketing side under the leadership of Chris Granger. The minority owners are looking for the kind of expertise that Granger brings on the business side to be put in place on the basketball operations side.

Does this story have legs? Six months ago, I would have said no but now I have to say maybe. The team who was never going to trade DeMarcus Cousins did move him and that makes everything fair game in this reporter’s opinion.

As of today, the Kings will two lottery picks in the 2017 NBA Draft. Those picks could determine the success or failure of the team for seasons to come. Having all the experience and expertise in the front office as possible at this critical time for the organization would be a major plus for the Kings.

Kings drop a close one in Philly 122-119

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philly-cuz
DeMarcus Cousins scores two of his 46 points Photo NBAE

 

by Charlie O. Mallonee

“The road trip from hell” continued in Philadelphia on Monday when the Kings played the 76ers. This was the makeup game for the contest that was postponed on November 30 due to the wet floor from the ice below the hardwood. This game turned a seven-game road trip into the longest road trip of the year – eight games – with three back-to-back sets.

The Kings entered the game with a surprising 3-3 record on the road trip so far. Expectations were high as Philadelphia is also a “Tier 3” team which means they have comparable levels of personnel. Also, big man Joel Embiid who has been playing some great basketball for the Sixers was not available to play on Monday due to a knee contusion.

Even with solid momentum and player personnel advantages it was still an NBA game on the road which automatically favors the home team. The home court advantage played in Philly’s favor Monday night as they squeaked past the Kings 122-119.

The Sixers took advantage of a huge break when DeMarcus Cousins fouled out of the game with 58.5-seconds left in the contest. Cousins has scored 46 points up to that point and was leading the charge to take the lead in the game for Sacramento.

Even with their superstar on the bench, the Kings managed to remain in the fight and had a chance to tie the game with literally one-second to go in the game. With score 122-119 in favor of Philadelphia, the Kings somehow broke Arron Afflalo into the open in the right corner for an open three-point shot that would have tied the game. Unfortunately for the Kings and their fans, the shot hit the rim and did not go in and the win went to Philly (18-29).

Who did what in the game

Kings (19-29)

  • DeMarcus Cousins scored a game-high 46 points to go with 15 rebounds for his 13th consecutive double-double. Cousins – who was double-teamed the entire game – shot an incredible 20-for-22 from the free throw line
  • Willie Cauley-Stein had another big game coming off the bench for the Kings. He put up 17 points in 20-minutes on the floor. He shot a very impressive 8-for-10 from the field
  • Matt Barnes was a major factor on offense for Sacramento on Monday night. Barnes added 16 points hitting 6-of-12 from the floor including four 3-point baskets
  • Ty Lawson may have to change his name to “the distributor”. Lawson dished out 11 assists working the point for the Kings
  • Team numbers: 55.4 Field Goal Percentage; 44.8-percent 3-pt Field Goal Shooting (13-of-29); 24-for-29 Field Throws
Philadelphia 76ers V Sacramento Kings
Dario Saric drives to the basket Photo NBAE

76ers

  • The Sixers had seven players score in double-figures against the Kings
  • Robert Covington led Philly in scoring with 23 points and made it a double-double with 10 rebounds
  • Dario Saric was a key force off the bench for the Sixers as he scored 17 points, dished out six assists and grabbed five rebounds while shooting 8-for-11 from the floor
  • Former King Nik Stauskas enjoyed a good night versus his former team. The guard hit 6-of-10 field goal attempts including four 3-pointers for a total of 16 points in the game
  • As a team: Field Goals 54.2-percent; 11-for-31 (35.5-percent) 3-point shooting; 80.8-percent Free Throw Shooting (21-for-26); 32 assists against just 16 turnovers ( the perfect 2-1 ratio)

Up next on the schedule

For the Kings, this nightmare road trip comes an end on Tuesday night in Houston against the Rockets. Houston sports 36-16 record and currently holds down the number three spot in the Western Conference. James Harden and company love to shoot the three, so expect the Rockets to “make it rain” in Houston on Tuesday.

The 76ers head out on the road as they will face the Mavericks in Dallas on Wednesday night.

Kings-76ers Monday night post game wrap: Kings hold on to win 102-100

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Philadelphia 76ers v Sacramento Kings
Cousins goes to the rack Photo: NBAE

By Tony Renteria

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The game between the Sixers and Kings came down to free throws on Monday night as Sacramento won their fourth consecutive game 102-100.

Garrett Temple put the Kings up by three points with 14.9-seconds to go when he hit 1-of-2 free throws. Philly’s Sergio Rodriguez answered back with a 25-foot 3-point shot that cut the Kings lead to just one point. Robert Covington fouled Cousins with 5.9-seconds remaining in the game. The Kings big man converted 1-of-2 foul shots allowing the Kings to take a 102-100 lead. The Sixers Joel Embiid missed two 3-point shots in those final seconds and the Kings held on for the victory.

The Kings had to outscore Philadelphia 32-23 in the final period to win the contest. The Sixers held a 77-70 lead after three quarters.

The Sacramento Kings record improved to 14-17 with the victory while Philadelphia dropped to 7-23 after the loss. Sacramento holds on to eighth place in the Western Conference with a one-game lead over ninth place Denver and a two-game lead over 10th place Portland – the Kings next opponent.

With 31 games under their belt this season, the Kings just need three wins to get to .500. First-year head coach Dave Joerger continues to focus on defense and finding the right combination of players to put on the floor.

DeMarcus Cousins again led the team in scoring with 30 points on 10-of-20 shooting, while also adding nine rebounds.  Rudy Gay returned to the Kings lineup after missing six games with a hip flexor. He made his presence known chipping in 17 points himself. Gay’s return did create a significant change in the Kings player rotation.

Ty Lawson was again a major factor off the bench for Sacramento on Monday night. He scored 12 points, grabbed four rebounds (three offensive), dished out four assists and had two steals in 20-minutes of playing time. Willie Cauley-Stein played significant minutes especially in the third quarter when Kosta Koufos experienced foul trouble. Cauley-Stein went into the game to help defend Embiid and wound up scoring nine points and pulled down four rebounds.

The Kings won the battle in the paint outscoring the Sixers 52-46 down low. Sacramento also out-rebounded Philly 42-38. The Kings had 24 assists but they turned the ball over 19 times which resulted in 24 points for Philadelphia.

The 76ers were led by Joel Embiid and his 25 points and eight rebounds. Sergio Rodriguez also added 18 points on 7-of-9 shooting, including 4-of-5 from beyond the arc. Jahlil Okafor played 19-minutes at center scoring six points and posting one rebound. Disgruntled big man Nerlens Noel received just three-minutes on the floor and scored three points for his team.

Former King Nick Stauskas never really got going in the game. He played just 19-minutes scoring four points shooting just 2-for-4 from the floor. Stauskas is actually having his best year in the NBA upping his scoring average to 9.5 points per game which is a 2.6 point improvement over his career average of 6.9 points per game.

The 76ers head to Utah to play the Jazz Thursday, while the Kings will travel to Portland play the Trail Blazers Wednesday. The Kings are 1-1 versus the Trail Blazers this season. Each team has won on their home court. DeMarcus Cousins scored 55 points in Kings 126-121 victory over Portland at the Golden 1 Center. The game on Wednesday night will be the final meeting of the season between the two teams.

Kings win third game in a row defeating the Timberwolves 109-105

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment
Sacramento Kings v Minnesota Timberwolves
Koufos shoots in the paint photo: NBAE

by Charlie O. Mallonee

The Sacramento Kings won their third consecutive game on Friday night in Minnesota 109-105 as they downed the young and very talented Timberwolves ending their two game winning streak. Both teams fought hard in the game as the lead changed hands 20 times in the contest.

The win was the Kings second in a row on the road as they also won in Utah on Wednesday night. Sacramento’s road record improved to 6-11 and they are 5-5 in their last 10 games.

Sacramento’s overall record improved to 13-17 and moved them into sole possession of eighth place in the Western Conference by one-half game over Portland. That means if the season ended today, the Kings would be in the NBA Playoffs.

DeMarcus Cousins leads the way for the Kings

Cousins struggled with the Wolves double-teams in the first half scoring just 11 points. The Timberwolves were unable to hold him down in the second half as he put up 22 points working the paint and shooting from long range.

The Kings forward/center was the team’s assists leader with seven dimes. He was very aware of where his teammates were when the Minnesota defense double-teamed him. Cousins also led the team in steals. It was a Cousins steal from Zach Levine with 36-seconds to go in the game that helped to seal the win for the Kings.

The Kings bench produced big results on Friday night

The Kings bench outscored the Timberwolves bench 45-11. Anthony Tolliver scored 17 points hitting 5-of-7 shots from 3-point range. Tolliver played 30 minutes off the bench for Sacramento.

Ty Lawson has really come into his own in the last few games. He seems to have found how use his speed in the offense. Lawson scored 15 points for the second unit shooting 5-for-11 including two 3-point baskets. He also dished out four assists and had two steals.

The Kings team stats were very impressive

Sacramento shot 42-for-80 (52.5-percent) from the field. They hit 15-of-29 (51.7-percent) from 3-point land. From the free throw line, the Kings went 10-for-14 (71.4-percent).

The Kings assists to turnover ratio was better than the goal of 2:1. They had 27 assists and turned the ball over just 11 times that Minnesota converted into just six points. Sacramento had seven steals in the contest.

The Kings were out-rebounded 42-38.

Sacramento Kings v Minnesota Timberwolves
Barnes handles the ball for the Kings photo: NBAE

Coach Joerger’s views on the game

  • It was a good game, a good win
  • The Kings avoided the “track meet” mentality of trying to run with the young Timberwolves
  • The executed pretty well
  • By winning three in row, the team has earned Christmas Eve and Christmas off

Lavine was a one-man wrecking crew for Minnesota

Guard Zach Lavine tried to win the game single-handedly for the Wolves and he almost succeeded. Lavine scored a career high 40 points. He shot 13-for-21 from the field including seven 3-point buckets. Lavine was also a perfect 7-for-7 from the free throw line. The third-year shooting guard played 39-minutes in the game.

The other Kentucky center had pretty good game as well

Karl-Anthony Towns scored 20 points for Minnesota. He made it a double-double game by grabbing 13 rebounds. Towns shot 7-for-15 from the floor. He also had five assists.

Sacramento Kings v Minnesota Timberwolves
Towns works through traffic photo: NBAE

Minnesota has to work on Christmas Day

The Timberwolves travel to Oklahoma City to take on the Thunder on December 25th. That is a tough task for a 9-20 team that is trying to find its footing. Minnesota has all the talent it needs to become a real force in the NBA. Now, it’s a matter of developing the maturity.

The Kings return to action on Monday night

Sacramento has a real chance to make it four wins in a row when they host the 7-22 Philadelphia 76ers at the Golden 1 Center. The Kings need to be very careful with the Sixers. It can be very easy to look past a team that is doing so poorly and wind up losing to that squad. That is what happened last season when the Sixers beat the Kings in Sacramento.

Karl frustrated by Kings play versus Portland

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment
NBA: Portland Trail Blazers at Sacramento Kings
Photo Credit: Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports

by Charlie O. Mallonee

The Sacramento Kings committed four turnovers in their first seven possessions on Sunday night versus the Portland Trail Blazers. By the end of the game, the Kings had turned the ball over 23 times.

The Kings lack of value for the ball clearly frustrated their coach and he said so after the game.

“The first four turnovers were crazy. The beginning of the game was crazy,” said George Karl in his postgame press conference. “We’re trying to throw Aaron Rodgers passes in the window from 30 feet. It’s basketball! You’re supposed to throw a pass that has a 95 – maybe 98-percent chance of getting completed.”

Karl was brutally honest about his team’s performance. “We’ve got to value possessions. I don’t think we’re a talented enough basketball team not to put more value on every possession we play on both ends of the floor.”

Karl ended the press conference by standing and saying, “I’m done. I’m frustrated.” Then, the Kings head man walked back to his office.

The situation does not get easier for the Kings who have to travel to Oakland for a Monday night game with the Golden State Warriors. The Kings need to show a concerted effort versus the Warriors or there will be hell to pay from Karl.

The Kings have two home games following the Golden State contest. Philadelphia comes in on Wednesday and Phoenix visits Sacramento on Sunday. Those two games are really must wins for the Kings. The Sixers and Suns are the type of teams the Kings have to beat if the playoffs are even a remote possibility.