Tag: Phoenix Suns

Kevin and Devin show has Kings fall to Suns 130-125; Durant 28 pts, Booker 25 pts offense gets Phoenix win

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

The Phoenix Suns Kevin Durant (35) is stoked after after hitting a three point first half shot against the Sacramento Kings at Footprint Arena in Phoenix on Tue Feb 13, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

PHOENIX–The Sacramento Kings were back in action on Tuesday night in Phoenix, Arizona. The Kings last played on Sunday when they took on Oklahoma City Thunder. The Kings, who had played the Thunder well so far into the season, had high hopes for that game.

Unfortunately, the Kings lost a relatively uncompetitive game by the final of 127-113 on Sunday. The Kings have been a woefully inconsistent team in the 2023-2024 season. They are desperately looking for consistency on the defensive side of the ball and from the urgency department. The Kings would take on the Suns on Tuesday at 8 PM MST. The Kings fell to the Suns 130-125.

In the first quarter, the offense was the name of the game. The Kings and the Suns started hot from the scoring end of the floor. The Kings outscored the Suns 39-38 in the first quarter of action. Domantas Sobonis and De’Aaron Fox got going early, with 13 and 12 points, respectively. It seemed the entire Suns team got in on the scoring in the first quarter, as seven players had scored for them. Obviously, both these teams are offensively gifted. Could either team tighten things up on the defensive side of the ball?

In the second quarter, the intensity level from both teams went to max. The Kings and Suns were caught in a heavy-weight battle in the Valley. As both teams increased the intensity, the offensive output took a dip. The Kings outscored the Suns again in the second quarter by two points, 28-26. It was a thriller of a first half on TNT as both teams were looking to move to the sixth seed in the Western Conference. It would also be the deciding game for the season head-to-head record for the two teams. The Kings would be leading heading into halftime, 67-64.

In the third quarter, the Suns finally broke through and would take the lead on the Kings. Granted, the lead would only be two points as the Suns led 94-92 heading into the fourth quarter. The Kings were outscored by the Suns 30-25 in the third. Fox had 27 points, and Sabonis 25 through three quarters. Eric Gordon was leading the way for the Suns with 20 points. You could feel the energy building as the Suns fans were gearing up for a fourth-quarter run.

In the fourth quarter, the Suns couldn’t miss early. The Suns went on a 9-2 run to open the quarter and force Mike Brown to take a timeout with 10:13 left in the game. An animated Brown, Kevin Huerter, and Harrison Barnes could be seen on the sidelines, obviously frustrated with defensive miscues.

After the timeout, the Kings did their best to withstand the Suns onslaught. The Suns were shooting out of their minds. The Kings would be down 108-100 with 7:00 to go in the game. Could the Kings make a run to win the game? The Kings went on a run to bring the game within a shot.

The game would go back and forth up until the final whistle, but the Kings would fall to the Suns 130-25. The Kings best performance in the loss was from Sabonis, who had 35 points, 18 rebounds, and 12 assists. Fox recorded a 40-piece in the loss. Kevin Durant led the Suns to victory with a 28-point and 10-rebound game.

Sabonis is the first player since Larry Bird to have at least 30 points, 15 rebounds, 12 assists, and five blocks in a game.

Up Next: The Kings travel to Denver to take on the Nuggets on Wednesday.

Sacramento Kings podcast with Tony Renteria: Kings battle Suns Kevin and Devin tonight at the Footprint Center

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

The Oklahoma City Thunder’s guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) takes a shot over the Sacramento Kings guard De’Aaron Fox (5) in the second half at Paycom Arena in Oklahoma City on Sun Feb 11, 2024 (AP News photo)

On the Sacramento Kings podcast with Tony Renteria:

#1 The Kings took a tough loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder as the Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led with 38 points. Alexander made 15 of 26 points and had 17 assists against the Kings.

#2 Following up Alexander in scoring for the Thunder was Jalen Williams with 32, Tony when you look at both Alexander and Williams the Kings defense just couldn’t keep up with the Thunder who wound up winning by 14 points 127-113 at Paycom Arena in Oklahoma City.

#3 Kings head coach Mike Brown said after the game that Alexander played like an MVP candidate, Brown said the Kings defense threw the kitchen sink at Alexander and he still came up with 38 points.

#4 The Kings high scorers were Malik Monk with 26 points and Domantas Sabonis with 21 points, through their efforts the Kings have now lost three of their last four games.

#5 The Kings face the Phoenix Suns at Footprint Arena in downtown Phoenix. The Suns are loaded with Kevin Durant and Devin Booker. The Suns are sixth in the Western Conference and have won six of their last ten games. How do you see this match up for tonight?

Join Tony Renteria for the Sacramento Kings podcasts each Tuesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Thompson Scores Team High 26 – Warriors Beat Jazz 129-107

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Golden State Warriors Klay Thompson (11) and Stephen Curry (30) celebrate during a second half moment. Thompson went on to score a team high of 26 points against the Utah Jazz at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Mon Feb 12, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

The Golden State Warriors (26-25) have been on a roll despite some quiet games from Klay Thompson. Tonight against the Utah Jazz (26-28), Thompson played a terrific game scoring the team high of 26 points. 

On top of that, Warriors guard Stephen Curry hit five 3’s in the fourth quarter. They did this all without Head Coach Steve Kerr who was in Serbia attending the funeral of assistant coach Dejan Milojevic. Every starter in this game scored double digits beating the Jazz 129-107. The team now boasts a season record of 26-25.

Game recap: The Jazz hung in this game throughout but just could not finish. They were able to tie the second quarter 29 apiece but Golden State took a 63-55 lead into the locker room at the half. Seven Warriors hit three’s in the opening quarter which was an amazing start for the team and set the tone for the game. The Jazz were able score on seven straight possessions in the first half but the Warriors erased their lead to go back in front.

Golden State continued this pace testing the Jazz’s new starting lineup. Utah had traded away Simone Fontecchio, Kelly Olynyk and Ochai Agbaji for draft assets down the road. The Warriors rendered this lineup ineffective. They went on to win the third quarter 30-25 and the final quarter 36-27 with the final 129-107 in favor of Golden State. The Warriors had won their fifth straight game.

This was a terrific game for the Warriors with every starter contributing double digits. Off the bench Jackson, Payton and Podziemski also scored double digits. Klay Thompson really came to life in this one scoring 26 points, the team high, and six rebounds. 

This was Thompson’s highest points scored since they played Chicago on January 12. Curry was right behind him with 25 points, six rebounds and ten assists. Jonathan Kuminga also reached a milestone with his 14 points being the 31st straight game in double figures for him.

Andrew Wiggins added 17 points and Draymond Green with 12 points. This was first time in a bit that every starter came to the party and it was flawless. The Warriors hit 20 three’s in this game and really protected the ball with only 13 turnovers.

Post game notes: Monday night the Warriors took on the Jazz in Utah. They had to play without a number of coaches in this game which included head coach Steve Kerr. They were all in Serbia attending the funeral of assistant coach Dejan Milojevic. 

Assistant coach Kenny Atkinson took over head coach duties. The Warriors won their fifth win in a row. The Warriors came into this game after a real thriller in Phoenix. Curry hit a three with .07 left on the clock to take a 113-112 lead which was the final last Saturday night to beat the Suns. 

The Warriors are looking forward to their next challenge when they head back to Chase Center to take on the Los Angeles Clippers (35-16). This will be a true test but considering how they played tonight, they are certainly up for the challenge. Tipoff for this game is scheduled for this Wednesday 7:00 PM.

  

Golden State Warriors podcast with Barbara Mason: Warriors head back to Utah for make up game and relive passing of coach Milojevic

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) takes a jump shot against the Phoenix Suns guard Devon Booker (right) in the second half at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Sat Feb 10, 2024 (AP News photo)

On the Golden State Warriors podcast with Barbara:

#1 You would have never know the Golden State Warriors were a tenth place team in the Western Conference as they won their fourth game in a row against the Phoenix Suns on Saturday night at the Chase Center in San Francisco.

#2 Warrior guard Stephen Curry hit a three point shot with 0.7 second left to get the Warriors past the Suns with a one point 113-112 win.

#3 The Suns are no easy task they have Kevin Durant who scored with 24 points and Devon Booker who led the Suns in scoring with 32 points. It was an effort but the Suns fell short.

#4 Barbara talk about how important Jonathan Kuminga has been for the Warriors 21 points finished second in scoring and behind Stephen Curry it’s hard to believe the Warriors could trade Kuminga if that’s possible?

#5 Warriors are in Salt Lake City against the Utah Jazz tonight at 6:00pm this was the site of the passing of assistant coach Dejan Milojevich who died after having dinner with the players and coaches on Jan 17th. This is a make up game as the Warriors were supposed to play the Jazz the next night. They might have to relive that moment a little bit as they head into Salt Lake City.

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

Kings Fall to Thunder In An Offensive Letdown 127-113; Alexander leads with 38 pts for OKC

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

The Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) drives on the Sacramento Kings forward Keegan Murray (left) in the second half at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City on Sun Feb 11, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

The Sacramento Kings (30-22) fell to the Oklahoma City Thunder (36-17) Sunday afternoon. The Kings did not show up offensively or defensively. The Thunder could not be contained and scored at will winning this game 127-113.

First it was the Denver Nuggets taking on the Sacramento Kings Friday night and then Sunday Sacramento had their hands more than full in Oklahoma playing the red-hot Thunder at Paycom Center. The Kings had nicely taken care of the Nuggets Friday night winning that game 135-106. 

Two nights earlier, Sacramento lost to the worst team in basketball the Pistons, and then turned around and beat one of the best two night’s later. It was a crazy turn of events. It could well have been fatigue after the lengthy road trip they had just come off of. They may have taken this game too lightly looking ahead to the Nugget matchup. It just defies logic.  

The Thunder improve to third place in the Western Conference after their win over the Kings. The Kings drop to seventh place in the conference. The Thunder battle tested the Kings to a greater extent for the 14 point win then the Nuggets did.

Game recap: Sacramento hung tight in the opening quarter of the game trailing after the first twelve minutes 29-27. OKC got going in the second quarter leading at the half 69-57. The Kings were having a lot of trouble protecting the ball with 11 turnovers. 

Sacramento was also having trouble keeping up with the face pace that the Thunder had set.  It was a quiet half for Kevin Huerter and De’Aaron Fox. Domantas Sabonis was on the edge of yet another triple double with eight rebounds, nine assists and 12 points.

It all seemed to fall apart in the third quarter for Sacramento. They had a nice start with a shot from downtown and then suffered nine empty possessions. The Thunder could not be stopped scoring at will and taking the largest lead of the game 88-66 with 5:38 left in the quarter. 

The Sacramento offense had left the building and the Kings were desperate for stops which were not coming easily. There were glimpses of some nice offense from Sacramento but nothing on a consistent basis. 

OKC was sporting a 100-83 lead going into the fourth quarter. Without offense it would be a very long quarter of basketball for Sacramento. A 17 point lead with an entire quarter left in the game in most cases is surmountable but your offense has to join the party. 

The Kings went on a nice run erasing the Thunder’s 17 point lead to start the fourth quarter. Sacramento trailed by eight points with eight minutes left in the game. The Kings could not get anything going after the opening quarter.  

One bright spot in this game for Sacramento was the triple double from Sabonis. He He had 11 rebounds, 14 assists and 21 points. Malik Monk was the high for the game with 21 points. He had a terrific game off the bench.   

Tuesday night the Kings travel to Phoenix to take on the Suns in the Valley of the Sun. Tip off for this game is scheduled for 7:00 PM in yet another tough matchup.    

Warriors stay hot rout Pacers 121-109; Extend win streak to three; Curry leads with 49 pts

Published on by rxsluggerLeave a comment

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) led the Warriors with 49 points against the Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse Indianapolis on Thu Feb 8, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors (24-25) led wire to wire to outgun the Indiana Pacers (29-24) 131-109 in Indianapolis. The arena fans got to see how good Warrior guard Stephen Curry is. Curry made his first seven three-point shots in a row.

Curry finished the first half, connecting on eight threes and 29 points in total. The Warriors played well on defense, too. The Warriors’ defense held Tyrese Haliburton to five points. Haliburton averages 22.5 points per game.

The Warriors have the ninth-best defensive record with Draymond Green in the lineup. Without him, the Warriors are 20th. The Warriors finished the five-game road trip with four wins and just one loss. The only loss was to the Atlanta Hawks in overtime.

The Warriors have won five of the last six. Steve Kerr had to be pleased with the performances of the younger players on the team. Brandin Podzienski, Jonathan Kunimga, Lester Quinones, and Gui Santos all played well in handing the Pacers the loss.

The Warriors got off to a hot start in the first quarter. Curry’s seven threes in the quarter helped the Warriors score 45 points. The Pacers never led in the game. They trailed early in the game by one point, 7-6.

The Warriors offense was clicking on all cylinders Thursday night. The Warriors led 58-53 on Curry’s three-pointer. The Pacers closed the gap to two, 58-56. The Warriors then went on a 12-2 run to finish the first half 70-58. Curry tallied 29 points. He was ten for eleven from the floor.

Eight of the shots were three-pointers. Kuminga had 10, Andrew Wiggins and Dario Saric each had nine.

The Warriors did not relent in the third quarter. They outscored the Pacers 25-18 to finish the third quarter leading 95-76. Curry led the attack. Draymond Green, Dario Saric, Gui Santos, and Brandin Podzienski helped on offense. In the fourth quarter, the Warriors continued to put points on the board. Curry, Kuminga, Santos, and Quinones all played well.

Game Notes: With the win, the Warriors are now 24-25. The Pacers fell to 29-24.

Curry led the team with 42 points. He made 11 threes, the 13th time in his career that he has made 11 threes in a game. Curry’s Splash brother, Klay Thompson, has made 11 threes four times in his career. Thompson did not play Thursday night.

Thompson celebrated his 34th birthday on Thursday.
The other Warriors in double figures were Kuminga (18), Santos (13), Wiggins (11), and Saric(11). As a team, the Warriors shot 56% from the floor and made 17 threes in 32 tries.

The Warriors play the Phoenix Suns at the Chase Center on Saturday night. The game will start at 5:30 pm.

Kings Suffer a Third Loss In a Row to Phoenix 119-117

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

The Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant is congratulated in the second half of the game against the Sacramento Kings for making a three point shot at Footprint Arena in Phoenix on Tue Jan 16, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

This was another stunning loss for the Sacramento Kings (23-17). Sacramento had led throughout three quarters and most of the fourth quarter before the Phoenix Suns (22-18) were able to take the lead. The culprit in this game were the 8 Sacramento turnovers in the fourth quarter leading to the 119-117 final. The Kings had led by as much as 22 points in this game but just faded away in the fourth quarter in an absolute melt down.

Game recap: The Kings won both quarters in the first half. Sacramento won the opening quarter 39-27 and finished up the first half with a 29-24 second quarter win taking a 68-51 lead into the locker room. The Kings defense made thing very difficult for the Suns in the first half. 

They held both the Suns Kevin Durant and Devon Booker to seven points apiece. The Suns Grayson Allen was the only Phoenix player on the floor with double digits after two quarters of play. 

The Kings De’Aaron Fox had 17 points in the first half. Sacha Vezenkov shot for 12 off the bench and Domantas Sabonis finished the half with 11 points and eight rebounds. He already had six assists and would be looking for another triple double as the two teams took the court in the second half.

Sacramento had a terrific defensive effort in the first half forcing the Suns into turnovers. At the half the Kings had four turnovers and the Suns had 11. They had really contained Durant and Booker and would have to keep pressure on both of them in the second half. There was still a lot of basketball to be played in this game.

Going into the third quarter Fox hit the teams 14th three. They had shut down the Suns from outside allowing only eight threes from Phoenix. At 7:27 the Kings had taken a 82-61 lead. Phoenix has a lethal offense that was slow to get onboard in this game and Sacramento wanted to keep it that way. 

The one thing that the Kings wanted to avoid was letting Booker get hot. With under four minutes left in the quarter six Kings had double digits and Sabonis was one rebound away from another triple double. 

With under two minutes left on the clock in the third quarter, the Suns made a run cutting the Kings lead to eleven points 92-81. As the third came to an end, the Suns had pulled to within ten points. 

The Kings pushed back and after three quarters led 96-84. Booker had started to come alive and Sacramento would have to dig deep in the fourth quarter. Fox was leading the offense with 25 points.

Sacramento pushed the lead back to 104-87 in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter. Sabonis hit his 11th triple double of the season in the fourth as the Kings continued to dominate defensively. Eight minutes into the final quarter Sacramento had pushed their lead back to 22 points 109-87. In a flash the Suns started to push back and the 22 point lead shrunk to 15 points going on a 7-0 run. 

Every time the Suns pushed, the Kings pushed right back. With under five minutes left in the game head coach Mike Brown called a timeout. The Suns had cut the Kings 22 point lead to ten points and there would be more from Phoenix before this game was all said and done. 

The Suns were scoring off of some horrendous mistakes from Sacramento. With under a minutes left in the game the Kings had a three point lead. With 18.7 left in the game the Suns had delivered a gut-punch taking a 117-115 lead. 

Fox tied up the game with 18.8 on the clock. Fox was called for a foul on Durant and Durant delivered giving the Suns a 119-117 lead in a shocking turn around. 

The Suns prevailed winning this game 119-117 and the Kings had suffered yet another devastating loss. Sacramento had eight turnovers in the fourth quarter and this was absolutely the straw that broke the camels back. It was a real stunner!

Fox had the team high with 33 points. Sabonis finished with 21 points, 11 assists and 12 rebounds garnering another triple double. Going into the fourth quarter the Kings only had six turnovers finishing with 14. 

It was those turnovers that killed Sacramento. In the fourth quarter the Kings couldn’t score inside nor outside. It became stagnant offensively after those three opening quarters handing the Kings another disappointing loss. They were not able to finish this game after playing so well through three quarters.

It was an amazing comeback by the Phoenix Suns and they deserve a lot of credit after trailing by such a margin. They hung in the game and finished the game taking advantage of the multitude of mistakes from Sacramento.

Post game notes: Tuesday night the Kings traveled to the “Valley of the Sun” taking on the Suns at Footprint Center. Sunday night the Kings suffered a heart breaking loss to the Milwaukee Bucks in overtime 143-142. Lillard hit a 32-foot buzzer beater with 1.1 left on the game clock. Sacramento was looking to get back on track but ended up dropping their third game in a row to the Suns.

The Suns have a daunting starting roster with Durant, Booker and Allen. Between these two teams there was some electric offense that went right down to the wire with Durant sinking two free throws for the win.

The Kings will now head home to Sacramento to take on the Indiana Pacers Thursday night. Golden 1 Center will look pretty good to the team after a rough finish to this road trip. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 PM. 

 

     

 

Damian Lillard and the Bucks Crush Kings Bid In Overtime 143-142

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Sacramento Kings head coach Mike Brown (center) is held back Molik Monk (right) after being thrown out of the game for arguing non foul calls by the officials when De’Aaron Fox got roughed up by the Milwaukee Bucks at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee on Sun Jan 14, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

The Sacramento Kings (23-15) came so very close to finally beating the Milwaukee Bucks (27-12) in overtime. With five ticks left on the clock, Damian Lillard launched a 32 foot buzzer beater for a 143-142 win over the Kings. It was a heartbreaker for Sacramento who had taken a 141-137 lead with 17 seconds left in the game.

Game recap: The Kings had a 37-32 lead after the first 12 minutes of play but the Bucks made their presence known winning the second quarter 36-29 taking a 68-66 lead into the locker room at the half. 

Keegan Murray had a very quiet first half with only four points and Harrison Barnes with seven. The Kings would need a whole lot more from their starters as well as their bench in the second half. The Kings were taking care of the ball with only two turnovers but just needed more success from the field. They also wanted to defend without fouling in the second half of this game.

After three quarters, the Bucks held onto the lead 95-91. It all came down to the fourth quarter. This game became even more physical as the fourth quarter wore on. Kings head coach Mike Brown was ejected from the game when excessive physicality on De’Aaron Fox went unnoticed by the referees. 

Brown came onto the court in a rage which sent him to the locker room. This game went down to the wire as the Kings fought from behind throughout the entire quarter. As time expired the game was tied at 128 and went into overtime.

With 2:57 left in overtime the Kings had taken a 134-128 lead. With under two minutes this game was tied again at 134. With 1:18 left in the game the Kings led 141-137. The Bucks Brook Lopez hit a three and with 9.3 left on the clock Sacramento led by a single point 141-140 with possession. 

Fox drew the foul missing his first and making the second giving Sacramento the lead 142-140 with five ticks left on the clock. Milwaukee was not finished by a long shot and with the ball in Lillard’s hands the Kings could do nothing but watch a 32-point buzzer beater swish losing the game in a heartbreaker 143-142.

Sacramento lost this game at the line. Two turnovers and two missed free throws in overtime were the turning point for the Kings. It was a heartbreaker for the team after having played a heck of a game against one of the best in the NBA.

Fox finished with 32 points. What a disappointment for Fox who turned the ball over twice in the overtime. Malik Monk had 28 points off the bench. This was an exceptional showing for the team, they just came up a few points short.

The three’s were flying in this game. The Bucks shot 20 including the dagger and the Kings had 17 in a beautiful offensive display from both teams. Both teams shot at 52% from the field. Sacramento only had nine turnovers in the game. Lillard had the high for the Bucks with 29.

Post game notes: Sunday evening the Kings took on the Bucks at Fiserv Forum. This game challenged the Kings who came into this game after a loss to the Philadelphia 76ers Friday night 112-93 after a real lackluster offensive effort. 

The Bucks are playing lights out basketball after blowing out the first place Boston Celtics last Thursday night. Saturday night the Bucks beat the Golden State Warriors in a game that was very close through three quarters. Milwaukee took over in the fourth quarter finishing off the Warriors. 

Sunday night the Kings couldn’t crack the Bucks defensive code and they needed a strong offensive effort in overtime and they did their best to contain Giannis Antetokounmpo a huge challenge in itself.

The Kings continue their road trip traveling to Phoenix to take on the Suns. After losing to the Bucks, the Kings will be looking to get back on track after dropping two games in a row. Tipoff for this game is scheduled for Tuesday at 6:00 PM.

 

De’Aaron Fox breaks Kings’ assists record in 120-105 win over Suns

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

The Phoenix Suns guard Seben Lee (38) blocks a Sacramento Kings De’Aaron Fox (5) shot in the first quarter at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento (AP News photo)

Friday, Dec. 22, 2023

Golden 1 Center, Sacramento, California

Phoenix Suns 105 (14-14)

Sacramento Kings 120 (17-10)

By Stephen Ruderman

SACRAMENTO–De’Aaron Fox scored 23 points, and broke the Kings’ all-time assist record, as he led the way in Sacramento’s 120-105 win over the Phoenix Suns.

Coming off a loss Wednesday night to the Boston Celtics, the Kings were looking to bounce back against the Suns in the fifth game of their six-game homestand. It was a lively Friday night crowd at the Golden 1 Center, as the fans cheered on the Kings, and loudly booed the Suns, as they took the court.

The Suns won the opening tip, and got on the board right away, as Devin Booker alley-ooped to Drew Eubanks, who dunked it in to put Phoenix up 2-0. Domantas Sabonis responded with a pair of dunks to put the Kings up 4-2.

Grayson Allen hit a three-ball for the Suns to put Phoenix up 5-5, but that would prove to be their final lead of the night. The Kings maintained a steady lead throughout the remainder of the first quarter, but never led by more than nine points. The Kings would start to pull away a bit, but each time, the Suns would get back in it

Towards the end of the first quarter, the officials contacted the Replay Command Center, and even though the clock said there was a minute and 14 seconds remaining, it was determined that there were only 21 seconds remaining. The quarter, which was sarcastically described by Kings Public Address Announcer Scott Moak as the “longest quarter in NBA History,” ended with the Kings up 35-30.

The second quarter went mostly the same as the first. Sasha Vezenkov started the quarter with a three, and Fox followed it up with a jumper to put the Kings ahead 40-30. The Kings’ lead never fell below seven for the first half of the second quarter, but there was plenty of drama.

Following a dunk by Adoka Azubuike of the Suns with 6:47 remaining to make the score 47-40, Kevin Durant was called for a technical foul, and Booker was hit with a tech of his own as he argued Durant’s foul. Harrison Barnes shot both free throws from Sacramento, and hit them both.

Durant laid one in with 4:25 remaining to cut the Kings’ lead to 51-46, but from there, the Kings began to pull away, as they closed out the second quarter with a 14-8 run.

Suns Head Coach Frank Vogel was hit with the Suns’ third technical foul of the quarter after Durant was called for a backcourt violation with 18 seconds remaining. Durant was arguing as well, and had to be pulled away to prevent his second technical foul, which would have resulted in his ejection.

The Kings went into the half up 65-54, and then they hit the ground running in the third quarter, as they went on a 31-13 run to take a 96-67 lead with 5:54 remaining. During that run, Fox recorded his 1,581st-career assist to become the Kings’ all-time assists leader.

However, the Suns didn’t go down quietly, as they went on a 17-4 run to close the gap to 100-84. Barnes hit a fadeaway jumper, and hit a free throw after he was fouled on the play, and the Kings went into the fourth quarter up 103-84.

Despite the brief reprieve, the Suns kept their momentum going into the fourth quarter. Saben Lee laid one in, and Booker hit a jumper to cut the score to 103-88.

The Kings then regained control, as the teams traded points throughout the fourth quarter, and the Kings easily won by a final of 120-105.

Despite Fox’s strong performance and historic night, Domantas Sabonis led the Kings tonight with 28 points. Keegan Murray scored 21 points.

The Kings improve to 17-10, and they will welcome in the Minnesota Timberwolves to close out the homestand for a 7:00 tip Saturday night.

Green just can’t stay out of trouble; Faces second suspension and is out indefinitely over Nurkic punch

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Golden State Warriors guard Draymond Green (23) asks the official “who me” when hit with a flagrant 2 foul call after hitting Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkic (on floor face down) in the face at the Footprint Center in Phoenix on Tue Dec 12, 2023 (USA Today photo)

By Barbara Mason and Jerry Feitelberg

The NBA has indefinitely suspended Golden State Warrior guard Draymond Green for his spinning punch to Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkic on Tuesday night. Green was trying to get open on an inbound play when he spun around and hit Nurkic. Nurkic was behind Green and landed a punch to his face that landed him on the ground. Green was immediately ejected for a flagrant 2 foul.

This was Green’s third ejection of this season and his second suspension. His first suspension came when he had his hand and arm around the neck in a headlock of the Minnesota Timberwolves Rudy Gobert on Nov 14th which earned him a five game suspension.

Green said at the time of the first suspension that he had no regrets “I’ll come to a teammate’s defense any time that I’m in a position to come to a teammate’s defense. What matters to me is how the people that I care about feel, first and foremost.”

On this second suspension during the post game presser at the Footprint Center in Phoenix on Tuesday Green apologized and said unlike previous suspensions and altercations he admitted making a mistake. He explained “I thought he was pulling my hip, and I was swinging a way to sell the call, and [I] made contact with him,” Green said. “As you know, I’m not one to apologize for things I meant to do, but I do apologize to Jusuf (Nurkic) because I didn’t intend to hit him.”

Accident or no accident Green will be suspended indefinitely pending his meeting with the NBA. Green is meeting with Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy to discuss the suspension. Nurkic was questioning what is wrong with Green and that he needs some kind of help. “What’s going on with him? I don’t know. Personally, I feel like that brother needs help,” Nurkic said. “I’m glad he didn’t try to choke me. At the same time, it ain’t nothing to do with basketball.”

Barbara Mason and Jerry Feitelberg are Golden State Warriors beat writers for http://www.sportsradioservice.com