Tag: Rudy Gay

Suns down Kings, 118-97, as Sacramento gives poor defensive effort

Published on by Michael MartinezLeave a comment

by Michael Martinez

picture credit Google Images

SACRAMENTO- After a mediocre performance at home the night before, the Kings looked to pick up the slack from last night. The defense needed improvement and so did the offense. The offense did improve, but the defense was even more horrendous than the night before. With Demarcus Cousins out for the second consecutive game, the Kings hoped to fill his void with Rudy Gay and Rajon Rondo, but neither player truly stepped up. With some many open looks and letting the Suns shoot the ball at a high percentage, the Kings lost to the Suns at Talking Stick Resort Arena, 118-97, never once holding the lead.

The Kings starting lineup added a couple of new members with Darren Collison and James Anderson. As the Kings have done a lot lately, they started the game down early as the Suns took a 9-2 lead with 9 minutes remaining. The Kings transition and perimeter defense looked poor from the start and was a trend throughout the game. Rondo had his hands full all night being asked to guard Eric Bledsoe who put up 10 points in the first quarter. The Kings kept allowing the Suns to get wide open looks although their defense started to improve towards the end of the 1st. On the offensive end of the court, the Kings did not do much with Rudy Gay having a rough night. Gay has been unable to fill the large hole the Kings are left, without All Star Demarcus Cousins. Kosta Koufos and Rondo were the only real offense in the 1st with a measly 4 points a piece. Phoenix took advantage of the Kings’ poor defense and shooting, 38.1% from the field, to take a 28-18 lead at the end of the 1st quarter.

With the Kings looking to turn things around, they started off the quarter with Omri Casspi missing 2 free throws. Missing free throws has become a trend for the Kings as of late who are the worst free throw shooting team in the league according to ESPN. The Kings were not careless with the ball, however their shot selection was poor and when driving to the hoop they were out of control. The Kings began to turn things around when they were able to attack the basket and get the ball in the paint to Koufos who put up 6 points in the 2nd quarter and shooting 5 for 6 with 6 rebounds at the end of the 1st half. Unfortunately, even with a little bit of better ball movement, the Kings could not stop the Suns on the defensive end. Most of the Suns players scored in the 2nd quarter to hold the lead, 49-40, at the end of the 1st half.

After a pretty effortless 1st half, the Kings came out with fire under their belts. James Anderson came out on fire as he hit 3 3 pointers quickly as the Kings went on a 15-6 run to start the 3rd quarter. The Kings did a good job of swinging the ball around the perimeter and pushing towards the hoop on fast breaks. The Kings almost matched their first quarter total of 18 points in less than 5 minutes and tied the game at 55 all. This caused the Suns to take a timeout and after the timeout, Phoenix never looked back. Brandon Knight, who had no points in the 1st half, came alive and found his stroke. Knight was 5-8 from the field, going 2-4 behind the arc, scoring 12 points in the 3rd alone. Koufos continued to help the Kings with his presence when he finished the 3rd with 14 points, yet the Kings could not find a way to get back in the game. The Suns went on a 26-14 run after the Kings tied the game. The score at the end of the quarter was 81-69, the Suns over the Kings.

If the Kings had any hopes of getting back into the ball game, they needed to step up their defense. Nonetheless, the Kings could not do so and the Suns shot 65.2% from the field in the 4th quarter and scored 37 points. Alex Len broke out big for the Suns as he scored 14 points in the fourth on 6-9 shooting. Len would finish the game with 16 points. Bledsoe had a game high of 19 points going 8-18 from the field and Knight finished with 17 points shooting 7-16. Even though the Kings left open way too many shooters and allowed easy finishes, Marco Bellineli did a good job of shooting the ball tonight. He scored 8 points in the fourth quarter, had 15 in the game on 6-11 shooting including 2-5 from beyond the arc. Koufos was the Kings best player tonight, finishing with 16 points going 8-11 from the field with 7 boards. Anderson finished the game with 15 points but on a poor 33% shooting percentage. The Kings finished the game shooting 47.6% from the field and 45.8% from downtown. The Suns held the lead the entire way by shooting 54.2% from the field and incredible 60.9% from 3 point range, giving them the victory over the Kings, 118-97.

As the Kings continue to play poorly, they really need to get effort from their big names, particularly Gay and Rondo. Without Cousins, the Kings seem to be lost and are not showing any reason why they should be a playoff contender. Hopefully for the Kings, Cousins will be able to play in their home game this Friday against the Rockets. The Kings will need to figure out how to stop shooters on the perimeter as James Harden comes to town, otherwise it is going to be another miserable night.

Kings look sloppy at home, lose to the Grizzlies, 103-89

Published on by Michael MartinezLeave a comment

By Michael Martinez

picture credit Google Images

SACRAMENTO- Any team that has to play a playoff caliber team without their starting All Star center is going to struggle. Not only is it difficult to play without your only All Star, but when the team you are playing lost by 50 the night before, you know you could be in even more trouble. Without Demarcus Cousins, who is dealing with an achilles injury, the Kings looked lost and hopeless in many aspects. As nobody was able to step up to replace Cousins, the Kings ball movement was lifeless, the defense was filled with holes and the Grizzlies got an easy win at Sleep Train Arena, 103-89, boosting their morale after an embarrassing loss to the Warriors the night before.

For the Kings, the whole game was not a complete disaster as the 1st quarter went well. To start the 1st quarter, the Kings looked sluggish on the offensive and defensive end. They allowed the Grizzlies to take an early 7 point lead, but nevertheless the Kings came back swinging with a 5-0 run to cut the lead to 2. The Kings began to put themselves in a better position with good ball movement and Rudy Gay’s hustle really helped as well. When Gay was asked to guard Zach Randolph, he used his length to his advantage on the defensive end and his speed on the offensive end as well. Gay put up 8 points in the first quarter by attacking the rim and getting good looks from the field. Marco Belinelli also helped the Kings by finishing the quarter with 8 points on 2 for 2 shooting behind the arc. The Kings began to cause Memphis to turn the ball over and by shooting 58.8% from the field the Kings finished the quarter with a 29-25 lead.

Entering the 2nd quarter with a 4 point lead over the Grizzlies, the Kings looked to continue scoring on the offensive end. However, the second quarter was absolutely atrocious for the Kings in many ways. Nobody on the team could hit the broad side of the barn with their shots, including free throws. Free throws aka free points were more of a kryptonite for the Kings who finished the half shooting 57.1% from the charity stripe. Their field goal percentage also dropped 20% as they finished the quarter shooting 37.5% from the field. Gay looked to continue to step up but his shot was completely out of sync. The ball movement was stagnant as the Kings had 0 assists in the 2nd quarter. Sloppy play and being out rebounded, 27 to 16, caused the Kings to be outscored. Without Demarcus Cousins and with Kosta Koufos in foul trouble, it was to be expected but this hurt the Kings. Luckily the Grizzlies did not play well either, except they had a couple big put back jams from Jaymychal Green and Courtney Lee, which were the only real highlights of the quarter. The Grizzlies finished the quarter with a fast break lay up at the buzzer to take a 50-40 lead as they outscored the Kings 25-11.

After an awful second quarter, the Kings hoped to come out of the locker room with a vengeance. Unfortunately for the home team, their defense looked even sloppier than the quarter before. The Grizzlies continuously got wide open shots and were able to get easy hoops close to the basket. Randolph came out strong and had 8 points in the quarter. He finished the game with 20 points and 11 rebounds. Although the Kings scored more than they did in the second quarter, thanks to Gay and Darren Collison, their field goal percentage dropped to 37% for the game. The ball movement that helped the Kings play well in the preseason became nonexistent in the 3rd quarter. A lot of selfish play put the Kings in a bad position even though they put up 27 points in the 3rd. As the Kings’ defense failed to improve, the Grizzlies led 83-67 to end the 3rd.

With the Kings down by 16 to start the 4th, Cousins sat with his teammates on the bench to try and encourage a come back. The come back was not meant to be, as nobody on the team could get enough offense going to cut the Grizzlies lead. Belinelli had a nice pass to Willie Cauley-Stein for a big dunk, but once Coach George Karl saw the lead was too much, the bench players came in. For the Grizzlies, Brendan Wright did a good job in the 4th quarter off the bench. Wright finished with 10 points on 4 for 5 shooting, adding 6 rebounds and 3 assists. Although the Kings outscored the Grizzlies, 22-20 in the 4th, they simply could not shoot the ball all night. They finished the game with a 39.2 shooting percentage and shot 60% from the free throw line.

The only bright spots for the Kings, more like dim spots, was the scoring of Collison and Gay. Collison finished the game with 18 points, but uncharacteristically only had 1 assist. Gay finished the game with 19 points, adding 5 rebounds and 3 assists. The Kings biggest problem was that there was very little ball movement. After 7 assists in the 1st quarter, they finished the game with only 17 assists. Without the team’s best scorer and rebounder, the Kings are going to need Rajon Rondo to create open shots and the Kings’ shooters are going to need to hit open shots and get better looks. The Kings will take on the Phoenix Suns tomorrow night, where hopefully they can improve in every aspect as Cousins will be sitting out once again.

Kings crush the Lakers 132-114

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment
NBA.com
NBA.com

By Charlie O. Mallonee

Sacramento – The circus came to town on Friday night in the form of the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers might not see the Kings as their archrivals, but Kings fans see the purple and gold as an enemy that needs to conquered.

The Kings conquered the Lakers on Friday night 132-114 in a game that was not a close as the score would indicate. Sacramento dominated the game from the opening tip. The Lakers had only one lead in the game – 4 to2 at the 10:40 mark in the first quarter. Los Angeles never came close to a lead after that.

The Kings scored 40 points in the first quarter and 34 more in the second period. They held a 74-50 lead at halftime. The only question was how would the Kings respond coming out of halftime?

There was a bit of a letdown as the Lakers outscored the Kings 33-28 in the third and 31-30 in the fourth quarter. The Lakers tried to make a run in the fourth quarter but the game outcome was never in question.

Preseason prognosticators predicted the Kings would finish three to five places ahead of the Lakers in the NBA Western Conference. After the game on Friday, you can see why those predictions are accurate. The Kings are an improved team while the Lakers are young and not very good at this point. The Lakers have potential, but it is going to be painful while that potential develops into a winning basketball team.

Kings

George Karl was unhappy with the Kings pace in the first quarter of the game with the Clippers. In his pregame press conference he made it clear that wanted his to play defense from the opening tip with the Lakers.

Karl even changed his starting lineup in order to achieve his goals. Rookie center Willie Cauley-Stein made his first NBA start on Friday night versus the Lakers. Karl said he liked the match ups with Cauley-Stein in the lineup.

Cauley-Stein did not let his coach down. The Kings newest big man played 30-plus minutes, scored 17 points, grabbed nine rebounds and had three blocked shots. He also took care of the ball making only two turnovers during his time on the floor.

Rajon Rondo had a breakout game for Sacramento. He scored 21 points and dished out eight assists in just 23 minutes of playing time. Rondo was very much the floor general the Kings want him to be on Friday.

DeMarcus Cousins put together another double-double night. He scored 21 points and pulled down 11 rebounds. Cousins also had three assists and two blocked shots. He shot 11-for-14 from the free throw line.

Rudy Gay also had a big night for the Kings. He put up 19 points shooting 8-for-12 from the floor. Gay also had three assists and two steals.

The Kings second unit had a productive night as well. Darren Collison scored 14 points, Omri Casspi 12, Kosta Koufos 8 and Marco Belinelli six.

The Kings shot .515 (52-for-101) from the floor. That is not a typographical error. Sacramento took 101 shots in the game.

If there was a disappointment in the game, it was the Kings 3-point shooting. They shot just .273 (6-for-22) from beyond the 3-point line.

Sacramento was also an improved team from the free throw line. They were 22-for-30 (.733) from the stripe. The 30 attempts were a vast improvement over the mere 18 chances they had against the Clippers. The Kings were driving the ball to basket versus the Lakers.

The Kings exceeded George Karl’s goal for 25 assists per game by dishing out 26 assists.

The also took better care of the basketball cutting their turnovers down to just 14 and giving up just 10 points off those mistakes.

The Kings scored 80 points in the paint to just 38 for the Lakers. Just another example of the team’s complete domination of Los Angeles in the game.

Lakers

Guard Jordan Clarkson led the scoring for the Lakers with 22 points. He shot 10-for-15 from the floor and 2-for-3 from beyond the 3-point arc.

Nick Young was productive off the bench for Los Angeles putting up 17 points in his 21-plus minutes on the floor.

D’Angelo Russell – the Lakers number one draft pick – scored 13 points shooting 5-for-10 from the field. He also dished out two assists as he alternated with Clarkson at point guard.

Kobe Bryant played 22 minutes in the game putting up 13 points, recording three assists and hauling in four rebounds. Bryant moved into fifth place on the NBA’s all-time career list for the most field goals made, passing Shaquille O’Neal (11,330).

As a team, the Lakers shot .461 (41-for-89) for the game. They shot a very respectable .324 (11-for-34) from 3-point land.

Turnovers were a major problem for the Lakers. They gave up 30 points to the Kings off 19 turnovers.

The Lakers used all 13 of their active players in game Friday night. Metta World Peace and Larry Nance Jr. were inactive for the Lakers.

What they said after the game

“I think we challenged them to play defense,” said George Karl. “Our pressure took the offense away and forced them into a lot of jump shots. We ran into a different team in the second half. I wasn’t really happy with the defensive performance in the second half. Learning how to play 48 minutes fast is not always as easy as people think it is. I thought tonight they did a good job for the most part, there were some muddy moments where the ball got sticky and we got a little selfish.”

When asked if he had a good time in first start, Willie Cauley-Stein said, “Yeah, it was a great time. A lot of fun – definitely – a lot of fun. We were sharing the ball really well so that made it a lot more fun. Sharing the ball and not having ball stoppers – that is vital to us. If we want to be a good team, we’ve got to share the ball like that.”

Up next

The Kings play the Clippers in Los Angeles on Saturday night. Playing the very tough Clippers on the second night of back-to-back games will be no easy task. After the Saturday night game, the Kings will not face another Los Angeles team until January 2016.

The Lakers will return to action on Sunday night when they host the Dallas Mavericks at Staple’s Center.

Kings beat the Pelicans in Kentucky

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment
NBAE/Getty Images
NBAE/Getty Images

by Charlie O. Mallonee

The Kentucky Wildcats capped off their “Midnight Madness Weekend” by hosting a NBA preseason game between the Sacramento Kings and the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday night. The Wildcats had three of the top 10 basketball recruits in the nation on campus for the big weekend.

The Kings – Pelicans game featured four former Kentucky players (three of whom played for head coach John Calipari) and two of Calipari’s former Memphis players. The Kings DeMarcus Cousins and Willie Cauley-Stein played for Kentucky under Calipari. Rajon Rondo played for Tubby Smith at Kentucky.

The Pelicans star center Anthony Davis played for Calipari in Lexington. New Orleans players Tyreke Evans and Chris Douglas-Roberts played for Calipari at Memphis.

That is not a bad way to impress high school recruits. Please meet these five NBA players who I coached in college. Did you say you would like to play in “the association”?

Now on to the game

This contest was the Kings sixth and final preseason game. The next time the Kings play an opponent it will be on October 28th when they open the season with the Los Angeles Clippers in Sacramento. It was George Karl’s last opportunity to see his players in actual game situations.

The Kings started the game slowly falling behind the Pelicans 31-20 after the first quarter of play. The Kings then turned up the tempo and outscored New Orleans in each of the final three quarters.

The Kings won the game 107-98. The victory allowed Sacramento to finish the preseason with a 5-1 record. The loss dropped the Pelicans preseason record to 2-2.

Kings

Rudy Gay led the Kings attack scoring 20 points in 30 minutes of playing time. Gay made it a double-double game by pulling down 10 rebounds.

DeMarcus Cousins put up 19 points while grabbing five rebounds in his 24 minutes on the floor. Fellow Kentucky Wildcat Willie Cauley-Stein scored seven points and recorded six rebounds. The Kings other Kentucky alum – Rajon Rondo – posted three points and three assists.

Darren Collison had a strong game for the Kings scoring 19 points, grabbing seven rebounds while dishing out five assists. Collison shot 8-for-11 from the field.

Omri Casspi added 16 points and seven rebounds. Kosta Koufos scored 11 points in 14 minutes of playing time.

As a team, the Kings shot .447 (38-for-85) from the floor. They shot just .273 (6-for-22) from 3-point range. Sacramento hit 25 of 34 free throw attempts (.735).

The Kings won the battle in the paint as they outscored the Pelicans 58-31 down low. Sacramento also won the battle on the boards pulling down 50 rebounds to just 45 for New Orleans.

Sacramento had only 14 assists in the game but also committed only 14 turnovers (four in the second half). Karl wants the assist total be at 25 per game, but he will live with 14 turnovers.

Pelicans

Ryan Anderson led the Pelicans scoring with 20 points going 6-for-14 from the floor.

Former Kentucky star Anthony Davis put up 19 points shooting 7-for-15 from the field. Davis was 2-for-4 from 3-point land.

New Orleans shot 34-for-79 (.430) in the game.

Up next

For the Kings, it is lots of scrimmages until the 28th of October when they open the season at home with the Clippers.

The Pelicans close out their preseason with the Rockets in Houston on Monday night.

Kings defeat Lakers, 107-100, in Sin City

Published on by Michael MartinezLeave a comment

by Michael Martinez

picture credit Google Images

SACRAMENTO- Lady luck was on the Kings side tonight as they continued to show excellent team offense with 7 players in double figures while adding 26 teams assists, even with All Star Center Demarcus Cousins sitting out. The Kings’ passing and good shooting allowed them to hold a lead throughout the game. The Kings beat the Lakers, 107-100, at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The Kings started off slow in the 1st quarter as the Lakers lead for almost the first half of the quarter. However, Rajon Rondo once again stepped up for his team and showed that he is not only a passer. Rondo scored the ball well and the point guard known for horrible shooting, shot 3 for 5 from the field in the 1st quarter, scoring 7 points and adding 3 assists. He finished the game with 11 points, shooting 5 for 9 from the field, 1 for 4 behind the 3 point line, and added 6 assists in 25 minutes of play. Marco Belinelli also did a good job of scoring the ball for the Kings with 5 points, shooting 2 for 3 from the field. The free agent signings helped give the Kings a 31-27 lead heading into the 2nd quarter.

Again the Kings 2nd quarter woes continued, giving up a 5-0 run to start the quarter. The defense was lackluster until Eric Moreland came up big defensively with a couple blocks and added 6 points on the offensive end. Belinelli began to heat up again as he hit a couple of threes and Darren Collison continued that charge. The Kings got out on an 8-0 run until Lou Williams hit a pair of free throws. To finish out the half, Kosta Koufos, who replaced Cousins in the starting line up, tipped in a buzzer beater to give the Kings a 63-51 lead. At the end of the half, the Kings shot the ball 53.5% from the field with 15 assists.

To begin the 3rd quarter, Rondo made the first bucket of the half off an assist from Koufos. From there the Kings continued to push the ball around the perimeter while also getting the ball inside. Rondo assisted Rudy Gay who filled the lane in really well to give the Kings a 16 point lead. Gay finished the game with a double-double, 10 points with 11 rebounds in 24 minutes of play, although he shot 3 for 12 from the field. But the Kings defense struggled once more giving up a 7-0 run to the Lakers. Ben McLemore, who finished with 11 points on 3 for 9 shooting from the field, 2 for 5 behind the arc in 25 minutes, made a big 3 pointer to stop the Lakers in their tracks. Nonetheless, the offense for the Kings kept their lead to double digits. The big story of the 3rd quarter was Kobe Bryant leaving the quarter with a left leg contusion and sitting out for the rest of the game. Bryant finished with 10 points, going 4 for 12 from the field and his fadeaway jumper looked good early in the game. And Belinelli, the Kings top scorer of the night, once again shot the ball well to finish the first 3 quarters with 17 points, going 5 for 9 from the field and 3 for 5 on 3 point field goals in 23 minutes of play, shooting 50% from the field. The Kings lead to end the 3rd was 88-74, and their field goal percentage was 51.7%, with a 3 point field goal percentage of 40%.

As the 4th quarter got underway, Eric Moreland came up big with 2 more blocks and showed Coach Karl he is a huge asset on defense. The Kings held a lead throughout the 4th quarter, but let the Lakers make the game a little closer. Collison once again came up big and did a great job of scoring the ball while distributing to his teammates. Towards the end of the 4th, the reserves came in and D’Angelo Russell tried to make it interesting scoring 6 points in the final minute.

Collison finished the game with 16 points, 2 rebounds and 7 assists. The final Kings player in double figures was Moreland who scored 10 points in 15 minutes going 5 for 6 from the field. Moreland also tallied 4 blocks with 5 rebounds and revitalized the Kings effortless defense.

The overall team effort, ultimately leading to a win, now puts the Kings at 4-1 during the 2015 preseason. The Kings’ offense looks sharp as they continue to swing the ball and push it inside or find the open man, finishing with a 45.6% field goal percentage with 38 points in the paint. If the Kings can get their defense on the right path and pass the ball as well as they have this entire preseason, the 2015-16 regular season could be an exciting one in the City of Trees.

Suns Reserves Outshine Kings

Published on by Matthew HarringtonLeave a comment

By Matthew T.F. Harrington

The Sacramento Kings fell to the Phoenix Suns 102-98 Wednesday night at the Talking Stick Resort Arena for their first loss of the preseason.

Rudy Gay led the team with 27 points, DeMarcus Cousins had a team-high 8 rebounds and 15 points and Marco Belinelli chipped in 12 points off the bench. Point guard Rajon Rondo, signed in the offseason, scored 5 points on 2 field goals over 5 attempts and added 5 assists. Darren Collison also dropped a quintet of dimes to match the Kings game-high.

In his second season with the Suns, TJ Warren opened his preseason with a hot start. The former North Carolina State forward scored 17 points off the bench. NBA journeyman Jon Leuer also scored 17 points off the pine, picking up a double-double with his game-high 13 rebounds. Guards Brandon Knight (16) and Eric Bledsoe (13) were the only two starters to break double figures in scoring.

The two teams traded leads 11 times, with 10 lead changes coming in the first three quarters. Sacramento held a 3-point lead, 79-76, but the Suns outscored them 26-19 down the stretch to put the Kings preseason record at 1-1 following Monday’s 109-105 overtime win in Portland.

The two teams shot the ball at a 40% clip, but the Suns managed to haul in 55 rebounds to the Kings 46 as the difference maker. The Kings were also outrebounded 52-50 on Monday.

Sacramento gets its first dose of home cooking during the exhibition slate tomorrow night. The Kings return to the Sleep Train Arena to face perennial Western Conference powers San Antonio in the second half of a back-to-back.

AP Photo/Brandon Dill By Jeff Hall MEMPHIS – The Memphis Grizzlies snap a three game losing streak with a 97-83 win over the Kings in Memphis. Mike Conley and Jeff Green led the way for the Grizzlies. Conley scored 18 points and Green added 16. Rudy Gay was the Kings offensive leader. Gay scored 24 points but had to leave the game in the third quarter after taking an elbow in the face from his former teammate Marc Gasol. The Kings played without their All-Star DeMarcus Cousins who was given the night off for rest. Karl said resting Cousins was based on a remark from the starting center that his body was beat up. Zach Randolph also had a great night scoring for the Grizzlies with 15 points for Memphis. The struggling Grizzlies had lost to Cleveland, Golden State and the Spurs, all by double digits, and the loss at San Antonio on Sunday cost them their hold on the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference. Memphis was in a different position than during the losing streak, carrying a 56-43 lead into halftime. Memphis built at the start of the second quarter, hitting its first five shots, including a pair of 3-pointers, to build the advantage to as many as 16 before halftime. "We were behind from the beginning," Kings Power Forward Derrick Williams said. "We kept it close until the last couple of minutes." Sacramento head coach George Karl acknowledged it was hard to challenge a team like Memphis with his two top players, Cousins and eventually Gay, out of the game. "Every time it looked like we had an opportunity, we'd bite ourselves in the butt with a bad pass or a bad decision," Karl said. With the loss Sacramento has lost 10 straight road games to Memphis. Up next the Kings conclude their four game road trip in Houston against the Rockets on Wednesday.

Kings Outplayed by Strong Memphis Team

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AP Photo/Brandon Dill

By Jeff Hall

MEMPHIS –

The Memphis Grizzlies snapped a three game losing streak with a 97-83 win over the Kings in Memphis. Mike Conley and Jeff Green led the way for the Grizzlies. Conley scored 18 points and Green added 16.

Rudy Gay was the Kings offensive leader. Gay scored 24 points but had to leave the game in the third quarter after taking an elbow in the face from his former teammate Marc Gasol.

The Kings played without their All-Star DeMarcus Cousins who was given the night off for rest.

Kings Head coarch George Karl said resting Cousins was based on a remark from the starting center that his body was beat up.

Zach Randolph also had a great night scoring for the Grizzlies with 15 points for Memphis.

The struggling Grizzlies had lost to Cleveland, Golden State and the Spurs, all by double digits, and the loss at San Antonio on Sunday cost them their hold on the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference.

Memphis was in a different position than during the losing streak, carrying a 56-43 lead into halftime. Memphis built at the start of the second quarter, hitting its first five shots, including a pair of 3-pointers, to build the advantage to as many as 16 before halftime.

“We were behind from the beginning,” Kings Power Forward Derrick Williams said. “We kept it close until the last couple of minutes.”

Coach Karl acknowledged it was hard to challenge a team like Memphis with his two top players, Cousins and eventually Gay, out of the game.

“Every time it looked like we had an opportunity, we’d bite ourselves in the butt with a bad pass or a bad decision,” Karl said.

With the loss Sacramento has lost 10 straight road games to Memphis.

Up next the Kings conclude their four game road trip in Houston against the Rockets on Wednesday.

Deja Vu in D.C., Kings lose 113-97

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment
NBA.com
NBA.com

by Charlie O. Mallonee

Stop me if you have heard this one before. The Kings start the game strong. Sacramento has an unbelieveable second quarter and goes into halftime with a big lead. Then, the Kings falter in the third quarter allowing their opponents to get back into the game. The other team has a strong fourth quarter and the Kings lose the game.

That is a summary of the Kings – Wizards game on Saturday night in D.C. Sacramento lost to the Wizards 113-97.

The Kings went into the game short-handed. Rudy Gay had to sit out the contest due to a left patellar tendon strain. When the Kings are without one of their big two, things usually do not go well for the team.

Sacramento played a solid first quarter as they outscored Washington 25-21 in the quarter.

The Kings played dominant basketball in the second quarter. As a team, they shot 75.0-percent. DeMarcus Cousins scored 13 points to go with the eight put up by Ray McCallum. The Kings bench scored 18 points in the period. Sacramento went to their locker room with a 64-46 halftime lead. It appeared that the Kings were ready to close out their eight game road trip on a high note.

A different Kings team returned to the floor for the third quarter. Their outside shooting went away as they shot just six for 16 from the field. Sacramento could score only 21 points in the quarter. The Wizards came out on fire. John Wall shot four for six with three 3-pointers to score 15 in the period. Paul Pierce was a perfect five for five shooting, including two 3-point baskets, and put up 12 points. The Kings, who led by 21 early in the third, were now holding on to a one point lead, 85-84 after three quarters.

As the fourth quarter began, the Wizards had never held the lead in the game. That changed with 10:11 to go in the game when Ramon Sessions (yes, the former King) hit a 25 foot 3-point shot to give Washington an 89-88 lead. The Wizards would never trail again and went on to win the game.

The loss dropped the Kings record on the eight game road trip to 2-6.

The Wizards are now 38-28 on the season, and they now have a three game winning streak.

DeMarcus Cousins scored 30 points in 29 minutes on the floor. Cousins fouled out with 5:34 to go in the game. It was the 10th time he had fouled out of a game this season. Cousins also picked up a technical foul.

Derrick Williams and Ray McCallum scored 15 points apiece. They were the only other Kings in double figures. McCallum added six assists.

John Wall led the Wizards scoring with 31 points. Paul Pierce added 17. Washington had six players score in double figures. The Wizards hit a season high 13 3-pointers in the game,

The eight game, 12 day road trip is over for the Kings. They will have Sunday off, and then, the Kings host the Atlanta Hawks on Monday night at Sleep Train Arena. The fun never ends.

Kings implode in Philly

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment
NBA.com
NBA.com

by Charlie O. Mallonee

The Sacramento Kings had an 18 point lead over the Philadelphia 76ers with 8:46 to go in the third quarter of the game on Friday night. From that point on the Sixers started chipping away at the Sacramento lead until they took the lead 81-80 late in the third period. Philadelphia went on to defeat the Kings 114-107 in what is a stunning loss for the Kings.

When we looked at the Kings daunting eight game road trip and tried to project game outcomes, virtually every writer and commentator had Kings winning in Philly. Why not? The Sixers have consistently been one of the worst teams in the “the Association” all season. Some have even accused the Sixers of tanking because their performance has been so bad. So, predicting a Kings win versus the Sixers was a no brainer.

Then, you add to the mix the Kings big road win over the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday night. Sacramento beat a team that is fighting for a playoff berth. That victory should have given the Kings the confidence and motivation to pick up their third win of the road trip in Philadelphia, but as the man said, “That’s why they play the game.”

The Sixers not only overcame an 18 point deficit but opened up a 13 point lead of their own in the fourth quarter. The Kings fought back and cut the Sixers lead to just three points with 1:15 left to play in the game.

The Sixers responded again to open up another solid lead. An alley-oop pass from Ish Smith to Nerlens Noel that resulted in an easy dunk with 41.9 seconds left in the game gave Philly 108-103 lead. The Sixers added six points off of free throws to seal the deal.

DeMarcus Cousins did everything he could do to lead his team to a win. Cousins scored 39 points in 40 minutes of playing time and added a career high 24 rebounds to his stats for the game. It was Cousins’ 40th double-double of the season.

Rudy Gay had a 24 point game while Derrick Williams added 15 of his own. Cousins, Gay and Williams were the only Kings to score in double figures. The Sacramento bench produced a meager 25 points.

Sacramento shot just 40.2-percent (35 for 87) from the floor. They were just four for 14 (28.6-percent) from 3-point range. The Kings went to free throw line 17 times more than the Sixers scoring 33 points from the line but it was not enough to bring them a victory.

The Kings turned the ball over 17 times and those miscues resulted in 27 Philadelphia points.

Robert Covington led the Sixers scoring with 24 points while Nerlens Noel put up 16. Jerami Grant scored 13. Mbah a Moute, Sampson, Thompson and Smith all scored 10 points apiece. The Sixers bench scored 47 points in the game.

Philadelphia shot 47.4-percent from the field (45 for 95).

Both teams are back in action on Saturday night. The Kings (22-41) have to play the Wizards in D.C. Washington is on a two game winning streak.

The Sixers (15-50) will host the Brooklyn Nets in a battle of non-playoff teams.

The Heat burn the Kings in OT 114-109

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment
NBA.com
NBA.com

by Charlie O. Mallonee

The Sacramento Kings were done in by the zone defense, a rookie guard and a Jekyll and Hyde performance on Saturday night as they lost to the Miami Heat 114-109 in OT.

The Kings started the game with great optimism knowing they would face the Miami Heat without Luol Deng, Goran Dragic, Hassan Whiteside and Chris Bosh. It appeared that containing Dwayne Wade would be enough to lead Sacramento to a victory on the road. The Kings had not won in Miami since November 2001.

Sacramento played a strong first half and took a 14 point lead into the locker room at halftime. The Kings shot 56.4-percent from the field. They were 8 for 12 (66.7-percent) from 3-point range. Rudy Gay scored 18 first half points and Ben McLemore added 17 of his own to lead the Kings to the 61-47 halftime lead. All the Kings had to do was show up and play the same way in the second half in order to escape with a victory.

The Heat came out in the second half and changed the dynamics by utilizing a zone defense to tie up Cousins and Gay. The Kings could have eliminated the zone by hitting outside shots, but their shooting touch left them as they went just 13 for 37 (35.1-percent) from the floor in the second half. They were 1 for 11 from beyond the 3-point arc. The Kings turned the ball over 11 times in the second half.

The Miami bench scored 29 points in the second half. The Kings bench scored 8 points in the half.

These factors combined to allow the Heat to close up the gap and ultimately to have the game end in a 96-96 tie at the end of regulation.

In overtime, Dwayne Wade took over for the Heat and scored 10 points. Tyler Johnson added five points including a back-breaking 3-point bucket late in OT. DeMarcus Cousins fouled out of the game with 1:41 left to go in the extra period. Veteran leadership from Wade, the magic of the rookie Johnson and the lack of their big man on the floor led to the Sacramento loss.

“The zone will show we need some zone work. In the same sense, I think our turnovers … I had one thought – our sloppy offensive decisions creates a lot points for the other team. Tonight, we gave them the free throw line. We gave them turnovers. They got to the rim way too often,” said Kings Head Coach George Karl after the game.

Sacramento turned the ball over 22 times and those miscues resulted in 27 points for the Heat. Miami scored 54 points in the paint.

The other area that killed the Kings on Saturday night was bench production. The Miami bench scored 59 points compared to just 22 bench points for the Kings. The Kings starting five tried to carry the load, but in the NBA, your second unit has to produce in order to win games.

Rudy Gay and DeMarcus Cousins led the Kings in scoring with 27 points apiece. Cousins posted a double-double by grabbing 17 rebounds. Ben McLemore scored 20 in the game.

Dwayne Wade led the Heat with 28 points. Miami capitalized on the outstanding performance of their rookie guard Tyler Johnson out of Fresno State who scored 24. Johnson was seven of 12 from the field, hit three of five 3-point attempts and went to the free throw line 10 times. Johnson also had six assists. Not bad for a player who spent 15 games in the D-League before being called back to the big club.

The Kings are now 3-6 in George Karl’s 30 game mini-season plan. They are 1-3 on the road trip with four games yet to be played.

The Kings have Sunday off, and then, they must play the Eastern Conference leading Atlanta Hawks on Monday night in Atlanta.