Tag: Rudy Gay

3 C’s help Kings pick up win, 107-97, over Rockets

Published on by Michael MartinezLeave a comment

by Michael Martinez

picture credit Google Images

SACRAMENTO- The Kings came in to the night knowing they would be  missing Rajon Rondo. Rondo was suspended for Tuesday night’s game after saying a derogatory term toward referee Bill Kennedy. Coming into the game, the Kings knew they were going to be missing offensive help and ball movement. Without Rondo, point guard Darren Collison got the start and he showed up big time. Along with DeMarcus Cousins who has been solid as of late and Omri Casspi who has stepped up big since Willie Cauley-Stein’s injury. Rudy Gay helped  the Kings on the offensive end as well and the Kings did a better job on defense while continuing to move the ball and score in the paint. The Kings (9-15) defeated the Houston Rockets (12-13), 107-97, for their third straight win at Sleep Train Arena.

As the game got underway, the Kings got out to an early lead after an 11-2 run. Collision showed off his passing ability with 4 assists in that short period of time. After the quick start the Kings slowed down a bit and the Rockets got ahead of the Kings. Cousins picked up a technical in the quarter and it was a back and forth shootout. The score at the end of the first was a 31-31 tie. Cousins put up 12 points on 3/7 from the field with 2 threes and added 4 rebounds. Cousins also picked up a technical. Gay added 7 points on 3/4 shooting. The team shot 50% from the field and scored 16 points in the paint.

The scoring in the 2nd quarter started with Casspi hitting a 3 pointer. Early on George Karl picked up a technical. The Kings did a good job of passing and pushing the ball. Collision hit Casspi on an alley-oop on a fast break. Collision had 9 assists in 11 minutes. Both teams were a little carless with the ball as they had 8 turnovers each in the 2nd and 14 for the Rockets and 13 turnovers for the Kings. Casspi came around scoring 8 points on 3/3 shooting. Collision put up 7 in the 2nd quarter, the only points he scored in the half. Cousins had a game high, 17 points on 4/10 shooting. James Harden had a team high 10 points. The Kings shot 48.8% for the half and scoring 30 points for the half in the paint. Dwight Howard picked up a technical with 2 minutes left in the quarter. With they better defense and good passing ability the Kings took the lead heading into the locker room, 57-50.

As the teams head out of the locker room, the Kings were doing a good job of finding the open man. Collison got a wide open 3 pointer at 9:48 the Rockets were forced to take a timeout. Collison and Casspi had another fast break dunk. And Rudy Gay helped on another fast break opportunity with Ben McLemore slamming a huge dunk on another fast break. The Kings issue was turning the ball over, 11 times, in the 3rd quarter. Luckily, the shot the ball at 60% and out rebounded the Rockets, 33-27. Harden tried to keep his team in it with 14 points the 3rd quarter, and 24 points by the end of the quarter. Cousins notched 23 points with 9/12 from the free throw line. Collision had 14 points through 3 quarters. 6-8 shooting, and 11 assists. Casspi scored 17 points. The Kings kept their lead over the Rockets, 82-74 to end the 3rd quarter and at one point had their biggest lead of 16 points in the quarter.

Heading into the last quarter, the Kings were looking to finish minus one of their star players. Marco Belinelli, who struggled all game, got 2 three pointers off to gain some confidence in his shot. He added another 3 pointer, for 9 points in the quarter. Rudy Gay posterized Patrick Beverly with a huge tomahawk slam. He added 5 in the quarter and 17 points for the game with 13 rebounds. He shot well, 6/11 from the field and the Kings shot 50.7% from the field. The Kings held a 15 point lead in the 4th quarter and finished the game, 107-97, to beat the Kings. The team finished with 50 point sin the paint, 47 rebounds and 25 assists. The only down fall was their 29 turnovers.

The 3 C’s helped lead the Kings (10-15) to a well deserved victory against the Rockets (12-14). Collision finished with his first double double of the season scoring 14 points and totaling 13 assists, in place of Rondo who is the league’s leading assists man. Collision finished with a season high in assists as well as rebounds totaling 7. Cousins had  a double double as well with 26 points and 12 rebounds. Casspi scored 19 points on 8/11 shooting from the field with 6 assists. The team did a good job of moving the ball around and getting good shots near the hoop. Harden did finish with 33 points, 10/18 from the field but the Kings put out a better defensive effort.

The Kings will take on the Minnesota Timberwolves on the road this  Friday and will seek revenge after losing to the T-Wolves earlier in the season. With a 3 game winning streak under their belt, the Kings will get back Rondo and look to continue their winning ways.

Kings defeat Jazz, 114-106, to end 3 game losing streak

Published on by Michael MartinezLeave a comment

by Michael Martinez

picture credits Google Images

SACRAMENTO- Tonight’s game was interesting to say the least. The Kings offense was tremendous, they did many things well and their big man DeMarcus Cousins redeemed himself after criticizing his recent play. The Kings should have blown the Jazz out of the water, but the team allowed Utah to get way too many second chances points and stay in the game. The Kings lucked out that the Jazz struggled to hit the broad side of a barn for a while and Rajon Rondo’s passing ability plus lights out shooting from the team led them to an odd victory. The Kings defeated the Jazz, 114-106, at Sleep Train Arena backed by a supportive and loud home crowd.

As the game got underway, the Kings caused a bit of worry by turning the ball over in sloppy fashion and letting Jazz point guard Raul Neto drive to the hoop right past the whole team. The worry faded instantly as Ben McLemore hit a 3 pointer and started to capitalize on fast break chances. The team scored 9 fast break points, 4/4 from the field due to a solid defensive effort. The King started the quarter with a 12-2 run. Many of the Kings players did a good job attacking the hoop and the team totaled 20 points in the paint. With a good defensive effort, the Jazz seemed rattled and could not hit any shots. McLemore had a good 1st quarter, totaling 7 points on 3/3 shooting. Rudy Gay had a quarter high with 9 points on 4/5 shooting. The Kings shot 66.7% from the field and the 1st quarter was really good until the very end as the defense got a little relaxed. The Kings had the lead at the end of the 1st, 33-22, with 10 team rebounds and 9 assists and a little bit of help from the Jazz poor shooting, 36.4%.

The 2nd quarter began and the Kings seemed to let off the gas on the defensive end again. The end of the 1st spilled into the 2nd with the Kings giving the Jazz way too many open looks. If it weren’t for the Jazz atrocious shooting, the Kings could have easily been down. At the half, the Jazz were shooting only 37% from the field but 12 of the Jazz 26 points came off of second chance points. The Jazz totaled 8 offensive rebounds in the quarter as the Kings could not find a way to box them out. The Kings shot at 47.4% in the 2nd and finished the half shooting 57.4%. The first quarter really helped keep the Kings ahead as their tough time on defense led to poor offense. The Kings had 0 fast break points for the quarter and they did little to try and attack the hoop. By the end of the half, the Kings still led, 54-48, with Gay and Alec Burks having the halftime high in points with 11. Omri Casspi and DeMarcus Cousins each had 10 points, while Rondo finished the half with 6 points and 8 assists.

Coming out of the break, the Kings looked for some answers with their rebounding. The Jazz came out and struck quickly, only down by 1 early in the 3rd. However, the Kings found some life leading to a 7-0 run. But once again, the Kings let themselves get out rebounded and the Jazz were able to scratch and claw their way back into the game. The Jazz continued to jack up 3’s and their shooting of 50% for the 3rd helped keep them alive. Rondo had a highlight play when he faked a behind the back pass into a dribble to then pass to Gay who finished the fast break with a huge slam, which turned into a 3 point play. The Kings savior was their excellent shooting, 64.7% on the quarter and 59.6% in the game. At this point in the game, the Kings were outrebounded 36-25 and they turned the ball over 6 times in the quarter. The Kings only had 5 turnovers in the first half. The Kings got the ball back in the paint and by putting up 16 points in the paint, they were able to hold the lead, 86-80. Every Kings started was in double figures by the end of the 3rd quarter, with Casspi leading the way with 19 points, 7-12 from the field. Gay had 18, Cousins had 15 with 8 rebounds and Rondo had a double double totaling 13 points and 12 assists.

The 4th quarter started and the Jazz came out firing yet again. With the score 86-84, George Karl called a quick timeout to settle his team down. Marco Belinelli hit a 3 pointer out of the timeout and the Kings began to gain some momentum. A little over halfway through the 4th, the Kings found themselves up by 12 with Gay hitting a triple. Utah, however, kept finding a way to stay in the game by collapsing the Kings defense. Once the Kings defense collapsed in the paint, the Jazz found a wide open man on the perimeter. Luckily for the Kings, Cousins showed up big for the team in the fourth. He cleaned up the offensive end by getting much-needed offensive rebounds. The Kings snagged 7 offensive boards in the quarter and 15 total rebounds to Utah’s total of 8. Boogie put up 8 points in the quarter, 2-4 shootng and 4-6 from the charity stripe. The Kings held the lead and the Jazz fouled Rondo out of desperation, but Rondo went 4-4 on his free throws in consecutive possesions. As time began to tick down, the Jazz started getting second chances again and this caused Cousins to foul out. The Kings were once again sloppy towards the end but by shooting 55.8% for the game, they squeaked out a W. The final score, 114-106, with the Kings ending a 3 game skid.

5 Kings player finished the game in double figures, including Casspi, Gay, Cousins, McLemore, Rondo and Belinelli. Casspi, Cousins and Rondo all had double doubles. Casspi 19 points and 10 rebounds, 7-16 on field goals. Cousins 23 points and 12 rebounds, 8-14 shooting, adding 6 assists. Rondo finished with 17 points and 13 assists. Gay tied Cousins with a game high as he finished with 23 points. McLemore and Belinelli both finished with 10 points. The Kings passed the ball well, finishing with 29 assists and their lights out shooting helped them overcome not being able to rebound the ball. Thankfully, the Jazz did not shoot very well all game. The Kings finished the game with 58 points in the paint, which has been their MO this year.

The Kings have won 5 out of their last 6 home games.

“Consistency and enjoying play fast and you know, to play fast like we do, there’s probably more confidence at home,” said Karl.

The Kings will take on the the New York Knicks at home this upcoming Thursday on TNT as they get their first look at Kristaps Porzingis. The Kings will need to do a better job of rebounding the ball, or Porzingis might be some of the Kings players on a poster. The Kings will look to continue their hot shooting and offense from tonight’s game and they will need to close out on the perimeter to help them get a win on national television. Kings fans will be needed to be loud and proud.

 

 

Kings lose again in OKC 98-95

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment
NBA: Sacramento Kings at Oklahoma City Thunder
Photo Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

By Charlie O. Mallonee

The Sacramento Kings went into the game on Sunday having never won a contest in Oklahoma City (0-13). After the game on Sunday night, the Kings still have yet to win in OKC as they lost another winnable game 98-95.

One of the hardest things to do in the NBA is to win the second game of a back-to-back series on the road. The Kings lost a wild affair in Houston on Saturday and played well versus the Thunder but lost both ends of the back-to-back road games.

The Kings and Thunder played even in the first half. Neither was able to establish a solid lead as both teams played tough defense. At the half, the Thunder led the Kings 51-48.

Sacramento came out in the third quarter and played lifeless basketball. Early on they reverted to playing a one-on-one game and did so poorly. The Thunder outscored the Kings 25-16 in the quarter and Oklahoma City led the game 76-64 after three quarters.

The Kings came alive in the final quarter led by the solid play of Darren Collison (10 points) and Marco Belinelli (9) off the bench. Rajon Rondo added five rebounds and four assists. DeMarcus Cousins had a very quiet fourth period as he scored just two points shooting 1-for-6. Sacramento outscored the Thunder 31-22 in fourth quarter.

The Thunder was able to hang on in fourth due to the play of Kevin Durant and Dion Walters. Durant had a terrible game overall but scored six critical points at the end of the game. Walters added seven points in the final quarter to help lead his team to the victory.

Kings

Rudy Gay led the Kings scoring putting up 20 points but he had to take 18 shots to score those points. Gay shot 8-for-18 from the floor.

DeMarcus Cousins struggled shooting in the game going 5-for-20 from the field and 3-for-9 from the free throw line. Cousins scored 13 points.

Darren Collison and Marco Belinelli scored 16 points apiece. Collison was a perfect 6-for-6 free throw shooting. Belinelli shot 6-for-13 in the game.

Rajon Rondo added 10 assists, nine rebounds and seven points in the loss.

Sacramento shot just 39.8-percent (35-for-88) for the game. They converted just 18-of-30 free throw attempts. Hitting four additional free throws would have resulted in a Kings victory.

Thunder

Russell Westbrook posted a triple-double for OKC. He scored 19 points, pulled down 11 rebounds and distributed 10 assists.

Kevin Durant finished the game as the Thunder’s leading scorer. He scored 20 points but shot 1-for-6 from behind the 3-point line and turned the ball over 10 times.

Enes Kanter (14), Serge Ibaka (12) and Dion Walters (10) all scored in double figures.

The Thunder shot just 40.7-percent (35-for-86) well below their season average of 46.8-percent. OKC also shot below their average for free throws but their 22 conversions off 31 attempts was the difference maker in the game.

Up next

The Kings (7-15) return to Sacramento where they will host the Utah Jazz on Tuesday night. That game will be the first of a three-game home stand.

The Thunder (12-8) travel to Memphis to take on the Grizzlies on Tuesday night.

Kings defeat Mavs, 112-98, thanks to Big 3

Published on by Michael MartinezLeave a comment

by Michael Martinez

picture credit Google Images

SACRAMENTO- DeMarcus Cousins was listed as probable for the Kings heading into tonight’s ball game and as he started to warm up with the team, everyone seemed relieved. Averaging 27.9 points per game with 11.2 rebounds, Cousins presence was felt especially when the Kings needed him most. Rudy Gay also played well, as he did a good job of scoring the ball while Rajon Rondo seemed to get his redemption. After a fall out with the Mavs, Rondo looked to continue his tremendous play against his former team. The Kings (6-12) ball movement, defense and clutch shooting at the end of the game helped get them the 112-98 victory over the Mavericks at Sleep Train Arena.

When coach Rick Carlise was asked about Rondo he said “Rondo is having a great year like I expected. Anybody that knows him expected that.”

As the Kings started off the 1st quarter, DeMarcus Cousins got off to a bit of a slow start as he tried to shake off a little rust. Big Cous finished the quarter with 7 points on 3-7 shooting. The Kings first field goal came from Rajon Rondo who hit a 3 pointer. In the 1st, the Kings took 10 shots from behind the arc while only making 3 of those. For the quarter they shot 40%, 10-25 shooting. Rondo’s jumper looked solid, he went 3-6 from the field including a couple of 3 pointers to total 8 points. The Mavericks whole team did a good job of scoring with Chandler Parsons scoring a team high 7 points in the quarter, 2-4 from the field. Deron Williams was very impressive distributing the ball and getting good looks for his team. The Mavs shot very well, 61.1% from the field. The Mavs also got to the line 8 times, making 6 shots from the charity stripe while the Kings only got to the line once. As the Kings kept the game close, 25-23 late in the 1st, the Mavs finished the quarter on a 7-0 run which was capped off with Parsons making a 3 pointer with seconds left in the quarter. The Mavs led the Kings 32-23 at the end of the 1st.

With the 2nd quarter underway, the Mavs continued their run, 11-0 until Darren Collison got to the free throw line. Collison started attacking the hoop and getting to the line where he went 4-4 to stop the Mavs run. After a slow 1st quarter start, Rudy Gay found his rhythm in the Kings offense. Gay was able to score 8 points in the quarter for a total of 10 in the half. In the 2nd, Gay went 4-5 from the field, 5-8 for the half, adding a couple rebounds. Seth Curry checked in for the Kings early in the quarter and it paid dividends. Curry went 2-2 from 3 point range and added a pair of free throws, totaling 8 points for the quarter and the half. The Kings shooting was much improved, 58.8% in the quarter and 47.6% in two quarters of play. Rondo wound up with 10 points in the quarter and Hack-a-Rondo was in full effect, which paid off for the Mavs. Rondo went 2-6 in the quarter. The Kings defense slowed down the Mavs a bit as they shot 43.5%. Zaza Pachulia and DeMarcus Cousins were the top scorers of the half with 11 points. The Kings 3 point shot still struggled, 3-9 in the second alone and 6-19 for the half. The Kings also got a little careless with the ball totaling 10 turnovers to the Mavs 8. The Mavs were able to take the lead heading into the locker room, 58-54, however the Kings scored 18 points in the paint and played better defense to help boost their confidence.

When asked about the opportunity he was given, Curry said “It’s kind of what I’ve been waiting on – an opportunity to play some meaningful minutes, try to give us a little energy boost.”

Curry did just that for the Kings.

Down by 4 heading into the 3rd quarter, the Kings looked to keep their momentum going. Gay scored the first field goal for the Kings, hitting a 3 pointer. Cousins tried to do a bit too much on the offensive end and he went 0-3 from 3 point range, 1-7 in 3 quarters from 3 and 0-5 from the field in the 3rd. His 4 points for the quarter came from the foul line and both teams really had no offense whatsoever. After getting off to a hot start, the Mavs completely cooled down. Both teams shot atrociously and the Kings did do a much better job on the defensive end, but nonetheless neither team could buy a bucket. With that being said, the Kings caused the Mavs to turn the ball over 7 times. The Kings shot just 25%, 5-20 from the field, on the quarter and the Mavs shot 22.7%, 5-22. The Kings did a tremendous job of getting to the line, as 11 points came from the line on 18 attempts. The Mavs reverted to Hack-a-Rondo yet again, who went 2-4 from the line and totaled 6 points.. With the Kings doing a better job defensively, the Mavs scored a measly 13 points to the Kings 22. Dirk Nowitzki was the Mavs leading scorer in the quarter, with 6 points. With the third quarter in the books, the Kings took the lead 76-71.

Going into the 4th quarter with a lead, the Kings knew they had to pull out all the stops to finish the game strong. Cousins proved why he is an All Star center and so important to the Kings on both ends of the court. In the 4th, Cousins put up 16 points, 5-9 shooting, and made his presence felt in the paint. Cousins was able to go 6-6 from the free throw line and the Kings had 16 points in the paint, totaling 38 points in the paint on the night. Darren Collison also had a good 4th, adding 7 points in the quarter for a total of 15 on the night. Collison gave the Kings some great hustle and energy as he played the whole fourth quarter. The Kings took a 10-point lead with about 7 minutes remaining and never looked back. The defense was not quite there for the Kings, but the offense clicked and with a shooting percentage of 64.7%, the Mavs had no chance. As the Mavs used Hack-a-Rondo for a 3rd time, the strategy was halted when Rondo went 3-4 from the foul line. The Kings biggest lead of the game came in the fourth, when the Kings went up by 16, and finished the game up by 14. The final score, 112-98, led to a much needed Kings victory.

“Cousins is super skilled, he’s got basketball skills all over the place,” said  Coach George Karl when asked about Cousins and his 3 day lay off.

The Kings finished the night shooting 45.6% from the field while shooting 29% from 3 point range. The long ball was not there for the Kings, but the team went back to scoring in the paint, something they have done well all season. The big 3 stepped up tremendously as Cousins finished with 31 points, 10-24 from the field, 9 rebounds and 6 assists. Cousins did go just 1-8 from 3 point range, which makes his shooting look a little worse than it really was. Gay finished the game with 20 points, 7-12 on field goals, while adding 7 rebounds. Rondo, not known for his scoring, added 21 points with 5 assists and 3 rebounds. Collision scored 15, Omri Casspi scored 10 and Curry finished with his 8 points from the 1st half. The Kings turned the ball over just 13 times and their 4th quarter play really put them over the top. This win should give the Kings a lot of momentum, beating a Dallas team who has struggled but came in as the 4th best team in the West.

The Kings will be heading to Mexico City to take on the Boston Celtics on Thursday, December 3rd, and all the momentum from this game will hopefully carry over with Isaiah Thomas getting ready to take on his former team.

Kings crushed by Golden State 120-101

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment
NBA: Sacramento Kings at Golden State Warriors
Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

By Charlie O. Mallonee

There are three tiers in the NBA. The first tier includes the Warriors, Cavs, Spurs, Heat and Clippers – teams that are battling for titles. The second tier teams are fighting for the bottom two playoff spots in their respective divisions. The third tier teams are spending their off-season trying to figure out who they are going to draft in the lottery.

The first tier team known as the Golden State Warriors played the third tier Sacramento Kings on Saturday night and the results were predictable. The Warriors crushed the Kings 120-101 and improved to 18-0 on the season. The loss dropped the Kings to 6-12 after 18 games.

To be fair, the Kings did have to play without the services of their All-Star center DeMarcus Cousins (strained lower back). That is 27 points and “a whole lotta” defense up the middle that was not available to Sacramento for this game. Cousins has missed both games with Golden State this season, and it is not a coincidence that the Kings have lost both games.

The Warriors did put on their usual spectacular offensive show, but they also played outstanding basketball on the defensive end as well. The Warriors held the Kings shooters to just 39-percent (39-for-101) for the game. The Kings had to take 100 shots to score 101 points. You cannot win in the NBA with that shooting to scoring ratio.

The Warriors scored 120 points and took only 80 shots from the floor. Golden State was deadly from behind the 3-point line hitting on 16-of-30 (53.3-percent) attempts. They also made 31 trips to the free throw line and converted 26 of those attempts (83.9-percent).

Kings

Rudy Gay had a better night but not a great game against the Warriors. Gay was the game’s leading scorer with 20 points. He had to take 20 shots (7-for-20) to post those 20 points. Gay is playing hard but seems have lost his smooth shooting touch for the moment.

Kosta Koufos gave a great effort as he tried to fill the shoes left open by the lack of DeMarcus Cousins in the game. Koufos knows what he can do on the floor and he does it well. He scored 14 points and had seven rebounds in 22 minutes of playing time. Koufos had sit out much the second quarter with foul trouble.

Rajon Rondo had a quiet night scoring seven points and dishing out seven assists. It is tough to create assists when your players cannot get open or make baskets.

Omri Casspi – who was starter in the game – finished with 11 points going 3-for-10 from the floor. All three of his successful attempts were 3-point baskets.

Marco Belinelli was unable to provide a scoring punch off the bench. He scored just five points and was 0-for-7 from behind the 3-point line.

Seth Curry provided some entertainment for the crowd during “garbage time”. Curry scored nine points shooting 3-for-3 from downtown.

Warriors

Stephen Curry was the Warriors leading scorer with 19 points in 29 minutes of playing time. Curry did not play in the fourth quarter. He shot 3-for-6 from long range and was a perfect 8-for-8 from the free throw line.

Brandon Rush put up 16 points getting the start in place of the injured Harrison Barnes.

Klay Thompson added 15 points shooting 6-for-10 including three 3s in 26 minutes on the floor.

Draymond Green (13), Festus Ezeli (11) and Marreese Speights (13) all scored in double-figures.

Golden State shot 48.8-percent from the floor going 39-for-80. They hit 16-of-30 3-point shots. The Warriors had 32 assists and just 14 turnovers in the contest.

What they said after the game

“I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a better shooting team or better passing team in my whole career coaching. You give them an opportunity or you give them a mistake – they find it with the pass. A lot of times they find it with the 3-ball,” said Kings head coach George Karl.

“I’m going to write this off as an injury loss. Their defense without Cuz (DeMarcus Cousins) limit our options or somewhat limited our options to be successful. And, we didn’t finish a lot of easy shots early in the first half. I thought our shots were pretty good in the first half. In the second half, making the 3-ball got out of control and you over-react to the 3-ball and give up the layup. When you over-react to the layup you give up the 3-ball. They are team that has that genius. I don’t if they even made a mid-range jump shot,” added Karl.

Up next

The Kings will host the Dallas Mavericks on Monday night. Sacramento is hoping to have Cousins back in the lineup to face the Mavs. Dallas defeated the Nuggets 92-81 on Saturday night at home.

The Warriors kick off a 7-game road trip in Utah on Monday night.

Timberwolves defeat Kings 101-91

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment
NBA: Minnesota Timberwolves at Sacramento Kings
Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

By Charlie O. Mallonee

Sacramento – The momentum that the Sacramento Kings brought with them when they returned home from a five-game road was lost on Friday night when they were defeated by the Minnesota Timberwolves 101-91.

If you like uptempo basketball with plenty of 3-point shooting, then this game would have been to your liking. The ball crossed the mid-court line in three to five seconds on each possession and there was a total 47 three-point attempts in the game.

What was missing for the Kings in the game was defense in the first half and offense in the second half.

In the first half, the Kings allowed the T-Wolves to shoot 54.3-percent (19-for-35) from the field. Minnesota shot 53.8-percent (7-for-13) from 3-point range. The Kings generated just enough offense to keep the game close. At the half, the Timberwolves held a 53-47 lead over the Kings.

The Kings defense improved in the second half but their offense went away. Sacramento was unable took take the lead in the second half. The Kings did cut the T-Wolves lead to just two points early in the fourth quarter, but they were unable to capitalize on their effort as Minnesota opened up double-digit leads with less than six minutes left to play.

The Kings desperately needed to put together a run of six to eight points but were unable to do so. As the fourth quarter progressed, Sacramento was relegated to trading baskets with their opponents. In the end, the Kings just ran out of time.

Sacramento (6-11) was without DeMarcus Cousins who dressed for the contest but did not play due to a lower back strain. The Kings are now 1-6 when Cousins is not in the lineup.

The Timberwolves (8-8) have become true road warriors. Minnesota is now 6-2 on the road for the season.

Kings

Rajon Rondo was the workhorse for the Kings again in this game. Rondo recorded a double-double putting up 16 points and distributing 16 assists. He made 7-of-16 field goal attempts and shot 1-for-2 from beyond the 3-point line. Rondo did not commit a turnover in his 36-plus minutes on the floor.

Marco Belinelli was the Kings leading scorer with 17 points off the bench. He shot 7-for-12 from the floor and hit 3-of-5 three-point attempts. Belinelli has scored in double-figures in each of the last five games.

Kosta Koufos had a solid game for the Kings posting a double-double scoring 16 points and pulling down 13 rebounds.

Omri Casspi was strong off the bench for Sacramento once again. Casspi scored 15 points shooting 6-for-10 from the floor including two 3-pointers.

The shock of the night was the play of Rudy Gay. He shot 1-for-13 and scored just two points in 26-plus minutes of playing time. Much of the credit for Gay’s subpar performance can be credited to Andrew Wiggins who played tough defense against the Kings star forward all night long.

As a team the Kings shot 43.0-percent (37-for-86) for the game. They made 8-of-22 three-point attempts. The glaring statistic of the night was the Kings free throw shooting or rather the lack there of. Sacramento averages 23 free throw attempts per game. The had just 15 attempts on Friday night converting just nine of those attempts.

In order to close the scoring gap in the second half, the Kings needed to drive the lane, pick up fouls and score with the clock stopped. They were unable to make that happen.

The Kings were out-rebounded by the T-Wolves. Minnesota pulled down 46 rebounds to just 36 for Sacramento.

The Kings dished out 21 assists while turning the ball over 15 times. The 15 turnovers resulted in 16 points for Minnesota.

Timberwolves

The T-Wolves leading scorer was second-year forward Andrew Wiggins. Wiggins scored 22 points hitting on 8-of-17 shots. He went 5-for-6 from the free throw while grabbing six rebounds. Wiggins also showed off his defensive prowess by helping to hold Rudy Gay to just two points.

Zach LaVine started at point guard for the injured Ricky Rubio. LaVine scored 19 points, hauled in eight rebounds and had four assists for the T-Wolves.

The NBA’s number one overall draft pick Karl-Anthony Towns had a relatively quiet night. He scored just seven points but he did record eight rebounds.

Shabazz Muhammad put up 15 points off the bench and the ageless Andre Miller scored 12 points playing as the backup point guard.

The Timberwolves shot 48.1-percent (33-for-77) from the floor and made 9-of-25 (36.0-percent) 3-point shots. The T-Wolves converted 18-of-19 (94.7-percent) free throw attempts.

Minnesota posted 20 assists and 18 turnovers. Their turnovers resulted in 19 points for the Kings.

What they said after the game

“Tonight was a struggle. A struggle offensively in the second half, defensively in the first half,” said Kings head coach George Karl. “First half, I had all sorts of trouble with our defense. We just don’t have a luxury with Cuz (DeMarcus Cousins) not playing to not give an effort defensively. I thought the second half effort was there defensively, but offensively we were just frustrated and confused.”

“We need to give them (Minnesota) credit. They played hard tonight. They are a talented team, but that was a very winnable game for us. At the same time, we have to turn the page and move on and learn from our mistakes,” said Kings center Kosta Koufos.

When asked about how it felt to reach .500 (8-8) Timberwolves forward Andrew Wiggins said, “It feels good. Especially, when we were three games out of it then we won the last three games, so we’re picking it up. We’re getting better every game so it feels good.”

Up next

The Kings will have no time to sit and ponder their next moves to improve their play. Sacramento travels to Oakland to take on the 17-0 Golden State Warriors Saturday night. Playing DeMarcus Cousins against the Warriors will probably be game-time decision.

The Timberwolves travel to Los Angeles to face the Clippers on Sunday in the finale of their two-game road trip.

No Boogie, No Problem as Kings defeat Bucks,129-118

Published on by Michael MartinezLeave a comment

by Michael Martinez

photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images

SACRAMENTO- For the 6th time this season, the Kings had to play without their All Star big man, Demarcus Cousins, who sat out with a lower back strain. Prior to tonight’s game, the Kings were 0-5 with Cousins and 11-39 in the 50 games Cousins has not suited up. Nonetheless, the Kings were able to put together an offensive showcase with smart, quick ball movement while shooting at a high percentage. Although all the Kings starters played well, namely Rudy Gay and Rajon Rondo, the bench made a large impact. The Kings (5-10) win over the Bucks (6-8), 129-118, was an overall team win and a huge boost of confidence to pick up the victory without one of their team leaders in Milwaukee at the Bradley Center.

The 1st quarter was an offensive flurry for both teams and Gay started off the game hot, which would continue for most of the game. Gay made the Kings first 6 points and finished the quarter with 14 points, going 6-7 from the field and adding 2 boards. The Kings started getting the ball moving early on and pushing the ball towards the hoop. The team had 26 points in the paint in the 1st quarter and Rondo’s 7 assists in the quarter helped the Kings on the offensive end and he totaled 6 points as well. The whole team did a good job of getting it inside especially to Kosta Koufos who had 8 points in the 1st. The Kings shot the ball at an incredible 77.3% in the first although their defense was not the best especially their transition defense. The 1st was very back and forth with little turnovers, but the Kings closed the quarter on a 14-7 run to take the leader, 40-33, heading into the 2nd quarter.

The Kings offense and lights out shooting slowed down  in the 2nd quarter, however the bench started to step up big. Omri Casspi shot the ball well and attacked the hoop. He was able to get to the line on 2 occasions, going 3-4 from the charity stripe, while shooting 2-3 from the field. Marco Belinelli put up 7 points in the quarter and although his 3 point shot was not quite there, he was able to still find some offensive rhythm. While Rondo got some well deserved rest throughout the 2nd, Darren Collison kept the ball moving with 3 assists in the 2nd and totaling 6 points on 2-3 shooting. The Bucks bench also did a good job of scoring and making the Kings defense work. The Bucks outscored the Kings, 33-29, and had a slightly higher shooting percentage, 52.4%-50%. George Karl picked up a technical foul in the quarter, but the Bucks missed the free shot. To end the quarter, Gay drove to the hoop and made a nice lay up, which was answered by Jarryd Bayless with a buzzer beating 3 pointer. The Kings still led heading into the locker room, 69-66, even after being out rebounded 22-17 especially on the offensive end, which allowed the Bucks to get 2nd chance opportunities.

Coming into the 2nd half, both teams picked up where they left off. The action was once again back and forth with Gay making it look easy. The 3rd quarter for the Kings was a huge team effort as they did a good job of finding the open man throughout the 3rd and the entire game. None of the Kings players put up double digits in the quarter, but everyone who played in the quarter scored. Gay continued his hot shooting, 3-6 in the quarter, with 6 points. The 3rd ended and Gay had 26 points, while Casspi and Belinelli had 14 points each. Casspi and Belinelli’s bench play helped the Kings stay ahead throughout and Rondo kept pushing the ball up court, adding 4 more assists. Giannis Antetokounmpo showed up in the 3rd quarter where he scored 10 points, 3-5 from the field. Khris Middleton did a good job of scoring, with 8 in the quarter and 15 at the end of the 3rd. Luckily for the Kings, Middleton got into early foul trouble in the quarter and the Bucks slowed down a little bit. As the clock was winding down, Belinelli was able to hit a buzzer beater from behind the arc to give the Kings the 96-92 lead at the end of the 3rd.

The Kings did a better job on the defensive end against the Bucks, while Gay’s stroke was still smooth as butter. Gay was able to get to the line and was flagrantly fouled early on, by John Henson as he attacked the hoop. Gay put up 10 points in the 4th quarter, which was matched by Darren Collison. Collision continued the theme of solid bench play in the 4th quarter with his hustle and dribbling ability helping him get to the basket. The Kings started to pull away from the Bucks towards the end of the 4th as they did a good job with their help defense and getting stops on that end of the court. The Kings held their biggest lead of the game, 12, in the quarter. Frustration poured over for the Bucks as Michael Carter-Williams picked  up a technical. That would not be the only tech, as the Bucks head coach Jason Kidd got furious over not getting foul calls. Kidd approached referee Zach Zarba, giving him an earful and swiped the ball out of Zarba’s hand. Kidd was immediately ejected from the game and had to be held back, leaving the court to a standing ovation from Bucks’ fans. The Kings’ offense was just too much for the Bucks and the Kings were able to get just enough stops to pull out the win, 129-118.

Without Cousins, who is averaging 27.9 points a game according to ESPN.com, the Kings needed players to step up on the offensive end. Overall, the Kings did just that with the whole team playing well. Although their defense is not quite where it needs to be, their 57.1 shooting percentage, 42 rebounds and 23 assists was just enough. Gay had a game high 36 points, 13-21, while Rondo was one rebound shy of yet another triple double. Rondo finished with 10 points, 9 rebounds, 13 assists as he continues to pass the ball on an incredible level. Rondo’s vision and patience allow him to see the play he wants to make ahead of time. Koufos benefitted from Rondo’s passing ability, totaling 14 points. Casspi scored 19 points and grabbed 7 boards, 6-9 on field goals. Belinelli posted 18 points, 5-10 from the field, 3-7 from downtown. Collision put up 18 points as well and finished with 3 assists. Those 3 were the only Kings bench players, but helped the bench total 55 points.

After a great team win, the Kings are now 6-10 and will take on the Minnesota Timberwolves at home. Picking up their 2nd road win on the season, the Kings look to continue their hot shooting and hopefully can start causing more disturbance on defense as last year’s Rookie of the Year, Andrew Wiggins, and rookie Karl Anthony-Towns head to Sacramento.

Kings’ defense leads to loss, 116-109, in offensive shootout against Heat

Published on by Michael MartinezLeave a comment

by: Michael Martinez

picture credit Google Images

SACRAMENTO-  Coming off a tough loss against the Hawks the night before, the Sacramento Kings (4-8) looked to continue their solid play against the Miami Heat (6-4). After notching another triple-double against the Hawks, his 4th of the season, Rajon Rondo looked to carry the Kings who were without Demarcus Cousins due to a 1 game after a hitting Al Horford in the face with a forearm. Rondo did all he could to lead the Kings and was one rebound shy of another triple-double, but the Kings lack of defensive effort and carelessness with the ball on the offensive end (18 turnovers) cost them the game. The Kings lost to the Heat, 116-109, in Miami at American Airlines Arena.

As the game got underway, the Heat got off to a slow start, while the Kings began to score points in the paint, per usual. As the quarter progressed, Heat big man Hassan Whiteside picked up 2 fouls within 4 minutes, forcing Amar’e Stoudemire to come in. The Kings had no answer for Stoudemire, who put up 10 points in the 1st quarter, shooting 4-5 from the field. The 1st quarter had little offense, but the Heat went on an 8-3 run and a 9-2 run later in the quarter, which gave them the lead. The Kings best offensive player was Rudy Gay who scored 7 points, 3-6, while adding 3 rebounds. Rondo did a good job of pushing the ball into the paint with 4 assists and kicking the ball out to Marco Belinelli who scored 6 points, 2-3 from behind the arc. The Kings collectively shot 52.9%, 9-17, with 10 points in the paint, however with the Heat ending the quarter on a run, they led 25-21 to end the 1st quarter.

Starting off the 2nd quarter, the Heat continued their run from the 1st quarter, making it a 14-2 run. Willie Cauley-Stein had a big block on the Heat rookie Justise Winslow and Belinelli stopped the run after he was fouled behind the 3 point line, sinking all 3 shots from the charity stripe. The Kings were able to flip the script and go on a 8-2 run, however their defense looked slow and lackluster. The Kings allowed the Heat to get into the paint much too often, 20 points in the paint in the 2nd quarter alone and 30 points for the half. Cousins’ presence as a big body in the paint was definitely missed throughout the night. On the offensive end, the Kings scored a little more, however their shooting percentage lowered. Ben McLemore put up 5 points on 2-4 shooting, with a field goal from behind the arc, finishing the game with 17 points on 7-12 shooting. Dwayne Wade was also an issue for the Kings by putting up 9 points in the 2nd quarter alone, 6-12 FG and 13 points for the half. Gay finished with 11 points to end the first half, 5-10 shooting, adding 8 rebounds. With the Heat’s offense getting easy buckets, they continued to hold their lead 56-46 going into the locker room.

The Kings looked to come out of the locker room with a vengeance as they went on a 15-4 scoring run, including the end of the 2nd quarter. After the Heat had seen enough, they wound up going on a run of their own. Whiteside brought unmatched energy and his blocking ability was unreal throughout the 3rd. Dwayne Wade started right where he left off and his shot looked really good. Rondo looked to help the Kings as he distributed the ball extremely well in the paint, especially to Cauley-Stein. Even though the Kings began to falter, Rondo’s play was keeping them in the game as he scored his first points of the quarter in the 3rd. Rondo only scored 4 points in the quarter, but notched 8 assists in the quarter alone. McLemore and Cauley-Stein benefitted from this, both scoring 7 points in the 3rd. The Kings were able to stick around by shooting 61.9% from the field, 66.7% from behind the arc in the 3rd alone, and shooting over 50% for the game. The Heat kept their lead, however, up 82-76 heading in the final 12 minutes of play.

The 4th quarter for the Kings was a lot of clawing and scratching, although at first the Kings let the Heat go up by 16 at one point. The defense was doing a terrible job of keeping defenders in front of them and keeping a hand in shooters’ faces at all times. The momentary lapses on defense crushed the Kings even though they started to come back. Rondo was a huge part of this by adding 10 points in the 4th, with 4 rebounds and 4 assists. Rondo’s vision allowed him to get open looks for Belinelli who put up 10 in the 4th as well. Belinelli finished the game with a team high 23 points, shooting 5-11 from the field, 5-10 from 3 point range. Although the Kings tried to fight their way back into the game, Chris Bosh had himself a solid 4th. Bosh put up 13 points in the 4th, 23 for the game on 8-12 shooting and 11 rebounds to give himself a double-double. Wade finished with a game high 24 points. The Kings and Heat had a back and forth shootout, where both sides kept making three pointers. The Kings comeback attempt was hindered when Gay left early with a left shoulder strain. Rondo’s overall play, 14 points, the NBA’s season best 18 assists, and 9 rebounds was just not enough to get the victory. The absence of defensive stops gave the Heat the win over the Kings, 116-109.

After dropping their 2nd straight game in back to back night’s, the Kings are now 4-9 on the season. Minus Cousins and losing Gay in a close game hurt the Kings chances of defeating Miami. The loss is not one to dwell on completely as Rondo continues to play at an extremely high level and the Kings’ shooting percentage was 51.2% for the game, in part to Belinelli and McLemore’s shooting. With a slow start to the season. McLemore’s confidence looks much higher than it once was. The Kings will take on the Orlando Magic this Saturday and to get their first road win, they will have to take care of the ball and play much better defense.

 

 

Spurs hand Kings 6th straight loss, 106-88, after Sacrameto’s 4th quarter meltdown

Published on by Michael MartinezLeave a comment

by Michael Martinez

picture credit Google Images

SACRAMENTO- On a night where the Kings celebrated women in sports, especially with Becky Hammon and Nancy Lieberman being the first opposing women coaches in NBA history to square off, the Kings looked to end their losing woes. Against one of the deepest teams in the NBA, the Kings knew they would have their hands full. While the Sacramento Kings continue to search for a way to stop their opponents on the defensive end, the San Antonio Spurs capitalized with offensive runs. As the Kings stuck around with the Spurs for the first 3 quarters, they collapsed on every end of the floor in the 4th, even with All Star Demarcus Cousins back in the lineup. Every ounce of hope the Kings had prior to the 4th quarter, was quickly lost when the Spurs outscored, out hustled and out played the Kings in all aspects of the game. The Spurs handed the Kings their 6th straight loss at Sleep Train Arena, defeating the Kings 106-88.

The Kings got their offense going in the 1st with a nice fast break push where Rudy Gay assisted Demarcus Cousins for a big jam. The 1st quarter was more about defense and the team’s willingness to hustle and put forth their best effort. The Kings held the Spurs to a shooting percentage of 37.5% from the field, 9-24. The Kings made sure to pressure the Spurs’ ball handlers at all times and kept a hand in their face. The team also did well crashing the glass, finishing the quarter with 15 rebounds. Most importantly, the Kings pushed the ball and had 14 points in the paint. As they pushed the ball around the perimeter, the team did a good job of getting the ball close to the hoop for easy looks. Cousins struggled early on, but finished the quarter with 8 points, shooting 3-8 from the field, adding 4 rebounds and 2 assists. Rajon Rondo matched Cousins with 8 points as well, shooting 4-4 from the field. Rondo’s jumper looked solid in the first quarter, which was important with Darren Collison inactive. Rondo played the whole quarter and with his efforts, the Kings held a lead over the Spurs 24-23 to end the 1st.

After a great 1st quarter, the Kings hoped to bring the same defensive effort to the 2nd quarter. Both teams started off slow, but Rondo quickly helped the Kings out with his passing ability. Rondo has great vision and he did a nice job of seeing Marco Belinelli coming off screens and anticipating when he would be open. The combination of the two helped the Kings score early on, but when Belinelli started missing the mark, the offense slowed down big time. As the offense slowed, the defensive end began to allow the Spurs to score and the Spurs went on an 8-0 run in the middle of the 2nd. Ben McLemore ended the run by driving to the hoop and scoring on a lay-up. The big blow to the Kings was their defense, allowing the Spurs to shoot 57.1% from the field in the 2nd. The Kings did not do enough to get to the paint and stop the Spurs in the paint. Rondo, who played the entire first half, finished with 8 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists. Bellineli finished the half with 10 points, 4-7 from the field, 2-2 from behind the arc, with all points coming in the 2nd quarter. Cousins picked up a technical foul towards the end of the quarter and the Kings sloppy 2nd quarter, 5 turnovers, put them down 49-43 to end the first half.

After a disappointing 2nd quarter, the Kings looked to stay close with the Spurs. Gay started the quarter off strong, making all 6 of his points in the first 5 minutes. The Kings did a good job of scoring, but after tying the game at 55, the defense fell apart. Once the score was tied up, the Spurs went on an 11-0 run. The Kings defense was playing poorly, but once Kawhi Leonard came out of the game, the Kings began to find a bit of a rhythm. The Kings went on a 10-3 run late in the 3rd with Cousins getting to the foul line often. Cousins put up 13 points in the 3rd, going 9-12 from the free throw line. He shot 2-6 from the field and added 5 rebounds and 1 assist. To end the quarter, the Kings pushed the ball, playing to their up-tempo offense and were only down 72-69 to end the 3rd.

The Kings looked to make a stand and tried to pull out a win against the Spurs only down by 3. However, for the Kings, they allowed their opponents to score with ease. The Spurs began to pour it on when they went on a 22-0 run. Patty Mills contributed to this run by not only putting up 7 points while adding 6 assists in the 4th alone. Mills finished with 8 assists and 9 points. Omri Casspi was the little offense the Kings had, scoring 9 points on 4-6 shooting with 2 rebounds. All of the Kings star players, Gay, Rondo and Cousins did not do much on either end to help the Kings. With the Kings down, fans began to leave with 6:31 remaining in the game, as they were tired of watching the Kings get outrebounded and out hustled. The Kings’ players began to play selfishly and when the ball movement died down, the Kings did as well. The 4th quarter was the difference in the game as the Kings never found any moment on either end of the court, losing 106-88.

When asked about the 4th quarter, Coach George Karl said “Bad offense, creates bad defense.”

The Kings’ poor shot selection created easy opportunities for the Spurs to score.

In his first game back, Cousins was out of sync with his mid range jumper. Typically Cousins is money from mid range, but being a little rusty he shot 5-20 from the field. Cousins did a good job of getting contact at the rim and shot 11-15 from the charity stripe. Rondo played all 48 minutes and after a good scoring first quarter, he finished with the same 8 points and totaling 6 rebounds and 12 assists. The Kings shot 40.5% from the field for the game and 36.8% from behind the arc. The team was out played in the 4th quarter and hopefully the Kings can find a quick solution.

The solution might not be that easy though, as the Kings seem to have some issues in the locker room. Cousins told reporters that their would be a players only meeting and said “Just to make it clear, I believe in every single person in this room. We just got to stick together.”

Cousins reiterated this idea throughout the post game interview and it will be interesting to see if the Kings can figure it out at tomorrow’s practice.

I asked Gay if the difficultly of their schedule has played a factor in their 6 game losing streak.

“Not having a rhythm completely, and then playing against playoff teams, it doesn’t help,” said Gay.

The Kings will once again be tested by a good team as they take on the Pistons at home this Wednesday. The Kings will need to find an answer on the defensive end of the floor as newly crowned player of the week, Andre Drummond, looks to continue his domination.

In the battle of Northern California the Kings lose to the Warriors 103-94

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment
Rocky Widner/NBAE
Rocky Widner/NBAE

By Charlie O. Mallonee

Sacramento – The Sacramento Kings had to face the undefeated Golden State Warriors without DeMarcus Cousins and Darren Collison on Saturday night. The result should have a very predictable “blow out” by the Warriors, but it was not walk over win for the defending NBA Champions.

Golden State defeated the Sacramento Kings 103 to 94. It was a two-point game with four minutes to go in the contest. No one – Warriors fans or Kings fans – could believe this game was so close at the end.

The Kings played tough, hard-nosed basketball, but in the end, the talent of Curry, Thompson, Barnes, Green and Iguodala proved to be too much for Sacramento to handle with a short-handed team.

Frankly, the Warriors came out flat or overlooking the Kings in the first half. The Kings took an early lead in the first period and held that lead until the 3:35 mark in the quarter. Golden State stepped up their play with scoring from former King Jason Thompson, Shaun Livingston and Andre Iguodala. The Warriors established a 20 to 14 lead after one quarter. Most people in the building expected them to just continue to stretch that lead in the second period.

Golden State did open up a 14-point lead with scoring from Klay Thompson (8), Iguodala (4) and Marreese Speights (4). Just as the game appeared to be headed for a runaway, the Kings came back with a 3-point basket from Marco Belinelli. Belinelli was then fouled attempting a 3-pointer and converted three free throws to cut the Warrior lead to eight.

At the half, Golden State led the Kings 46 to 38.

Sacramento came out strong in the third quarter as center Kosta Koufos scored six unanswered points. The Kings cut the Warrior lead to one on a Koufos lay-up at the 7:31 mark. Sacramento then took the lead when Belinelli sank another 3-point basket from 25-feet out. Golden State then went on 12-0 run that again threatened to put the Kings away. Again the Kings – led by Belinelli – closed the gap to four points. After three quarters, the Warriors led the Kings 72 to 68.

The Kings continued to keep the game close early in the fourth quarter. Sacramento took the lead 79 to 78 on a Rajon Rondo 19-foot jump shot with 6:37 to play. The game stayed close until the Warriors opened up a 10-point lead with under two minutes to play. The teams traded baskets and fouls, but the Kings were unable to find that something extra to propel them back into the game.

The Warriors defeated the Kings by nine points, 103 to 94.

Kings

Marco Belinelli on Saturday night showed why the Kings signed him to a 3-year contract. He scored 22 points shooting 5-for-11 from the floor. The Italian sharp-shooter was 3-for-6 from 3-point range. He went 9-for-10 from the free throw line. Twice Belinelli converted 3-point plays from the charity stripe after being fouled in the act of shooting a 3-pointer.

Rudy Gay stepped up for Sacramento against the Warriors. He shot 10-for-25 from the field scoring 22 points for his team. Gay showed an aggressiveness that George Karl would like to see more of on a nightly basis.

Rajon Rondo handled the point for 44 minutes against Golden State. With Darren Collison inactive due to a hamstring issue, Rondo was the only point guard on the floor for Sacramento. He put together a rare triple-double scoring 14 points, pulling down 12 rebounds and dishing out 15 assists. After the game Kings head coach George Karl said, “He knows how to do that, he has great history of leading teams and tonight he was very special.”

Center Kosta Koufos recorded a double-double scoring 12 points and hauling in 10 rebounds. Omri Casspi put up 10 points. Willie Cauley-Stein added six points with two nice finishes off lob passes under the basket.

The Kings shot .437 (38-for-87) from the field. They went 6-for-19 (.316) from 3-point range. The team continued to improve from the free throw line making 12 of 16 attempts (.750).

Sacramento turned the ball over 22 times which resulted in 29 Golden State points. The Kings were out-rebounded 46 to 45.

Warriors

Steph Curry led the Golden State scoring with 24 points. Curry scored 21 of those points in the second half of the game. He did not have a great game from beyond the 3-point line shooting just 2-for10 from long distance.

The much anticipated Curry versus Curry match up did not occur as Seth Curry did not play for the Kings. Seth Curry was nursing an ankle sprain coming into the game.

Klay Thompson put up 18 points shooting 7-for-16 from the floor and hitting on 4 of 11 3-point opportunities.

Harrison Barnes (13), Draymond Green (10), Festus Ezeli (10), and Andre Iguodala (14) all scored in double figures for the Warriors. Ezeli made it a double-double game by recording 12 rebounds.

As a team, Golden State shot .413 (38-for-92) from the field. They were a dismal .205 (8-for-39) from 3-point land. The Warriors were impressive at the free throw line converting 19 of 22 opportunities (.864).

The Warriors scored 19 points off second chance opportunities. The Kings scored nine second chance points.

What they said after the game

“It was a pretty impressive game, but they (Kings) have fought through four games in five nights. Obviously there was some fatigue there (shown by) our turnovers in the first half. They kept fighting. I thought our leader was Rondo. Rondo was incredibly into the game, incredibly intense. His defense on (Stephen) Curry was first class. I just wish we would have (had) more gas in the tank to finish off the game,” said Coach George Karl.

“There’s a lot of good we can take out of it (the game) as a team,” explained Rudy Gay. “But I think we’re overdue for a win – we need one bad. It’s another game I thought we could’ve had.”

“Our guys played hard and we knew it would be a tough game coming in,” said Warriors interim head coach Luke Walton.”Sacramento – they compete. Like I said before the game, they haven’t been winning a lot of games but they’ve been playing hard and (been) in the games. We couldn’t get out shots to go in tonight which happens but we found a way like you said to grind it out and come out with a victory.”

“Definitely not pretty but we overcame missed shots, turnovers, kind of a sluggish first half,” said Stephen Curry after the game. “With our defense, we gave ourselves an opportunity to have some minute runs. Pretty much had control of the game the whole way through. They made a decent run to take the lead by one in the fourth. Made some plays down the stretch and pulled it out. That defense allowed us to overcome a poor shooting night.”

Up next

The Kings have Sunday off, but their day of rest will be short lived. Sacramento will host the very talented San Antonio Spurs on Monday night. DeMarcus Cousins is expected to be available for that game.

The Warriors will also have Sunday off and return to action on Monday night hosting the Detroit Pistons.