Tag: Russell Westbrook

Kings win a thriller over the Raptors 102-99

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment

by Charlie O. Mallonee

Toronto Raptors v Sacramento Kings
Raptors vs Kings Photo: Rocky Widner NBAE

The Sacramento Kings have done the improbable by defeating the mighty Toronto Raptors 102-99 on Sunday at home to complete the season swept for the second consecutive season.

The win broke up a Sacramento four-game losing streak. Ironically, the Kings victory earlier in the month in Toronto also ended a four-game losing skid.

It is too early in the season to label it a “must win” game, but it was a “we need to win soon” game. The Kings have two games remaining on this homestand with Oklahoma City and Houston – two teams that are playing good basketball right now. The last thing the Kings wanted to do was go winless on a five-game homestand.

This game had one of the best endings for Kings fans in some time. If you are a Raptors fan, you do not share that opinion. In fact, you feel your team got “hosed”.

The final 101-seconds were wild

Darren Collison stole the ball from Patrick Patterson of the Raptors. Collison pushed the ball up the floor. He then passed the ball to Barnes at the top of the key. Barnes passed back to Collison who found the trailer Rudy Gay who put the ball away with commanding dunk.

Following a series of missed shots by both teams, Kyle Lowry was fouled in the act of shooting a 3-pointer by Darren Collison. Lowry hit the first two charity shots but missed the third and Cousins pulled down the rebound.

Following a 20-second timeout, the Kings were unable to make a basket after playing keep away and committed a shot clock violation.

With 2.4-seconds left is when all the fun began.

The final 2.4-seconds felt the final five-minutes … oh they were!

Following the shot clock violation, the Raptors took a 20-second timeout which meant they would inbound the ball in the frontcourt. Toronto had to have a 3-point basket to tie the game and force an overtime session.

DeMarre Carroll was the player who was selected to inbound the ball. DeMarcus Cousins was put on Carroll to defend against the inbound pass. At the whistle, Carroll threw the inbounds pass to Terrence Ross. The ball hit the floor before Ross picked it up. Ross then took a 30-foot shot that was a beautiful “swish” shot for a game-tying 3-pointer. The ball clearly went through the basket before the red light lit up around the backboard.

DeMarcus Cousins immediately indicated to anyone who would listen that he had tipped the inbounds pass. If he did, the clock should have started then and Ross’ shot may have come too late to count.

Because it was under two minutes, the play went to an automatic video review to the NBA Video Replay Center in Secaucus, New Jersey for the final decision. After a complete review, the final decision was Cousins did indeed deflect the ball which means the clock started at the point. Running the clock from that point Ross’ shot came after time had expired, so the basket did not count. Kings win the game 102-99.

Toronto head coach Dwane Casey was incredibly upset with the officials and the decision. However, no one would expect him to be happy to have a potential tie game taken away from his team.

Important numbers for the Kings

  • Rudy Gay was the Kings high-scorer with 23 points and needed just 13 shots to tally those points. It was a nice comeback after having to two rough games.
  • DeMarcus Cousins recorded another double-double (19 points, 10 rebounds) despite missing considerable minutes in the first half with foul trouble
  • Darren Collison put up 15 points and added nine assists in a very active game for the point guard
  • Arron Afflalo scored 14 points in 19 minutes coming off the bench
  • The lead changed 11 times in the game
  • This game was tied 13 times
  • The Kings shot 40.7-percent (11-for-27) from 3-point land
  • Sacramento held DeMar DeRozan – the NBA’s leading scorer – to just 12 points
Toronto Raptors v Sacramento Kings
Kyle Lowry and Darren Collison Photo: Rocky Widner NBAE

Key stats for the Raptors 

  • Kyle Lowry led the Raptors scoring effort with 25 points. He went 9-for-10 from the free throw line
  • Center Jonas Valanciunas – who did not play against the Kings in Toronto – put up 23 and hauled in 14 rebounds for the double-double in 37 minutes of playing time
  • DeMarre Carroll hit for 17 points to make 4-0f-5 starters in double figures
  • The Raptors shot 91.7-percent (22-for-24) from the free throw line

Up next

The Kings are off until Wednesday when they will host Russell Westbrook and the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Raptors have the back-end of a back-to-back on the road tomorrow night in Los Angeles versus the Clippers.

 

 

The Warriors blow out the Thunder 122-96 at Oracle

Published on by rxsluggerLeave a comment

by Jerry Feitelberg

AP photo: The Oklahoma Thunder’s defense try to put the kibosh on the Golden State Warriors Kevin Durant (35) during the first half of Thursday night’s game at Oracle Arena

Oakland- The Warriors defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder 122-96 Thursday night at the Oracle Arena. The game was hyped as a grudge match between the two teams. The Thunder organization and the fans in OKC were enraged when Kevin Durant opted to leave the Thunder and join the Dubs. Durant felt the Warriors would be the team to get him a championship ring. The Thunder came close to making the Finals last year as they led the Warriors 3 games to one, but they could not put the Warriors away. The Dubs rallied to eliminate them in seven. So, there was a lot of electricity in the air when the two teams faced each other in the first meeting of the year. The Thunder entered the game with a record of 4-0 and their star player, Russell Westbrook, averaged about 38 points a game in the first four outings. The Warriors, on the other hand, played poorly and lost by a wide margin to the San Antonio Spurs at home to open the season. The Dubs went on the road and won the next three games. They had a hard time with the New Orleans Pelicans and the Phoenix Suns. They found their mojo against the Portland Trail Blazers and looked like the team that won the NBA Championship in 2014-2015.

In the first period, the Thunder played well to start the game. The only lead the Dubs had in the early going was 3-2. Kevin Durant made the first of his seven 3-point shots to give Golden State the lead. The Thunder’s big man, Steve Adams from New Zealand, scored nine points in the early going to stake the Thunder to a 20-12 advantage. The Thunder increased the lead to 31-21, but the Dubs went on a 10-1 run to end the first period trailing by one 32-31. The Warriors were smoking hot to start the second stanza. They went on another 12-2 run behind Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, and Steph Curry. The Warriors defense shut the Thunder down completely in the period as Golden State outscored them 37-11 to take a 25-point lead at the end of the first half. The score was 68-43. Kevin Durant led the Dubs with twenty-nine points. Steph had thirteen and Klay six. Klay, who could not hit a 3-point shot in the prior games, nailed two in the half. The Dubs tried 16 3-pointers and made eight. OKC shot just 33.3% from the floor and was four for fifteen from 3-point range. Leading scorers for OKC in the half were Westbrook with twelve, Victor Oladipo added eight and Adams had nine. The Dubs outrebounded the Thunder 36-31.

The second half became a highlight reel for Durant. He continued to make three-point shots. He made a couple of spectacular dunks and blocked a couple of shots. Steph and Klay each made a pair of three-pointers, and the Dubs increased the lead to 28 at the end of 3 periods of play. Coach Steve Kerr kept his regulars in for just a short time in the fourth period, and it allowed Kerr to use his bench as did Thunder coach Billy Donovan. The Dubs blew out the Thunder by a final of 122-91.

Kevin Durant had a monster game. He scored thirty-nine points. He was 16 for 24 from the floor and made seven 3-point shots. After the game, he said in an interview that he “wanted to come out and play good basketball.” He did not want to talk about the chatter that went on between him and his former teammates during the game. He said that stuff stays within the lines. Durant tied an NBA record held by Michael Jordan Thursday night. He scored at least twenty points in his sixty-ninth consecutive game. Steph Curry scored twenty-one and had seven assists. Klay ended the night with eighteen points and he made four three-point shots.Draymond Green added nine to go along with five assists and ten rebounds. Zaza Pachulia pitched in with 8 points, five assists and pulled down ten boards.

Russell Westbrook scored twenty with ten assists and six rebounds. Victor Odalipo led the Thunder with twenty-one. The OKC bench led the Dubs bench 29-27, but they picked up most of those points in garbage time. The Dubs won their fourth in a row and are 4-1 for the season while the Thunder lost for the first time this year, and they are also 4-1.

The Dubs travel to Los Angeles to face the Lakers at the Staples Center Friday night. The Lakers are coached by former Warrior assistant coach Luke Walton. Should be an intriguing game as the pupil faces off against his mentor. Game time is at 7:30 pm PT.

 

Historic season not over yet, Dubs back in the NBA Finals

Published on by Michael MartinezLeave a comment

by Michael Martinez

picture credit Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images

Down in the Western Conference Finals three games to one, the Golden State Warriors looked lost, worn out and defeated. While the Oklahoma City Thunder seemed unstoppable and their path to the NBA Finals appeared clear.

But did people forget that this Warriors team won a record setting 73 games? If anybody could come back down three games for just the tenth time in league history, it would be these guys. And the Warriors showed their resiliency and in game seven their fearless leader, Steph Curry showed that his second MVP selection, an unanimous decision, was no fluke.

The best player on the planet and his team defeated the Thunder, 96-88, in a tough game 7.

The first quarter was all Thunder as their defense was relentless and made Golden State take tough shots. The Warriors only scored 19 points, while Kevin Durant looked to be locked in. Oklahoma City showed up in the first and gave the impression that they had forgotten about the past two games.

However, the second quarter was different and the Warriors went back to what they do best, shooting the three ball. Klay Thompson got off to a rough 0 for 7 start, but knocked down four triples in the second to help his team cut the Thunder’s lead, who looked poised to take a big lead.

At the half, OKC led Golden State, 48-42 and out of the half, the MVP reigned supreme.

Curry made three big triples in the third and the Warriors played tremendous defense. The defending champs outscored the Thunder, 29-12, in the third quarter. The third quarter was the turning point and the home team never looked back.

While Curry had a solid third quarter, his clutch performance in the fourth proved why he is currently the best player in the NBA. Curry went 5-6 from the field, including 2 for 3 from beyond the arc for 15 fourth quarter points. Curry absolutely went off and made the big shots when the Thunder tried to make a come back of their own late in the game.

The Warriors lived by the three in tonight’s game, shooting 45.9 percent from behind the three point line. Their defense also did a great job of not allowing Durant the ball and holding their opponents to a shooting percentage of 38.2 percent.

Durant did finish with 27 points on 10 of 19 from the field for a team high and Russell Westbrook totaled 19 points, 13 assists and seven rebounds. But Westbrook had difficulty shooting as he went 7 of 21 on the night.

Curry finished with a game high 36 points, hitting 13 fields goals on 24 tries with seven of those field goals coming from three point range. The Warriors win was definitely a collective effort as the team had to come together strong to make this incredible series come back. Thompson ended the game with 21 points of his own as the Splash Brothers once again guided their team to one of the franchise’s most important victories.

The Warriors spent a ton of energy on winning this series and that could be a factor as their next task begins on Thursday. But, the Warriors are headed to back to back finals. They have a player who won back to back MVP trophies. And now, repeating as champions is in plain sight.

The Cavs and LeBron James look better than the team the Warriors saw last year, but again do not count out the Western Conference Champions. History is unfolding right in front of our eyes, can the Warriors be historical once again?

Tune in to ABC on June 2 at 6 p.m, where Golden State and Curry will take on James and company at Oracle Arena in front of a rambunctious Oakland crowd.

 

Westbrook, Durant throttle champs in Game 4

Published on by jhawkes51Leave a comment

By Joe Hawkes-Beamon
Contributor

photo credit The Sporting News: Oklahoma City Thunder’s Kevin Durant (35) hand looks blinding for Golden State’s Stephen Curry in the third defeat of the Warriors at OKC on Tuesday night

Oklahoma City — Don’t look now but the Golden State Warriors are in some serious trouble for the first time in two years.

Russell Westbrook recorded his third career triple double, racking up 36 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists, while fellow superstar Kevin Durant dropped 26 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 118-94 victory Tuesday night and a commanding 3-1 lead in the best-of-7 Western Conference finals.

The loss puts the defending NBA champions on the brink of elimination. It also marked the first time that this season that Golden State has loss back-to-back games this season.

Klay Thompson scored 19 of his team-leading 26 points in the third quarter while dealing with foul trouble, while Stephen Curry scored 19 points but struggled tremendously from the floor finishing 6-for-20 from the floor.

The two-time league MVP missed wide open shots for the majority of the game while exerting so much energy chasing Westbrook for most of the night.

Westbrook was an instant fastbreak starter, engineering a Thunder squad that outscored Golden State 48-38 in the paint.

The Thunder, who were the league’s top rebounding team at 48.6 rebounds per game during the regular season, dominated the boards 56 to 40. For the series, OKC has out-rebounded Golden State by averaging 49 to 41 rebounds per game.

In addition to Westbrook and Durant, OKC finished with five players in double figures (Serge Ibaka and Andre Roberson each scored 17 points, Steven Adams scored 11 points, and Dion Waiters chipped in with 10 points off the bench.)

Roberson, who 17 points were a career-high, also finished with 12 rebounds.

During the playoffs, the Thunder are 7-0 when they have five or more players finish in double figures.

“The Thunder are outplaying us right now,” said Warriors head coach Steve Kerr. “We have to come up with answers.”

Golden State needs to come up with some answers fast heading back to Oakland for a do-or-die Game 5 Thursday night in what will be  raucous Oracle Arena crowd.

Draymond Green had a game to forget tonight.

Green, who avoided suspension from the league after kicking Adams in the groin during Game 3, finished with just six points and 11 rebounds, but shot 1-for-7 from the floor.

“I bring the energy for this team and I haven’t been bringing that energy,” Green said post game. “We just didn’t take care of the ball well tonight. I have to bring more energy for this team to win.”

The Warriors had 13 of their 21 turnovers in the first half. Green and Curry each had six turnovers.

Harrison Barnes finished with 11 points for Golden State, who now have a larger mountain to climb if they are going to reach the NBA Finals for the second straight year.

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, teams that trail 3-1 in a best-of-7 series are just 9-223.

But the focus wasn’t just on Curry’s disappearing act (2-for-10 on 3s), or Thompson racking off 19 straight points in the third quarter that pulled Golden State within eight points after being down as much as 25 points, but on the tentative play by Green.

“This is the first time in my life I didn’t respond to critics,” said Green.

The Thunder have smacked the NBA champions in the mouth the last two games, hammering the Warriors by an average of 26.5 points per game in the two win at Oklahoma City.

Oklahoma City rung up 72 points in the first half for the second straight game on Golden State this postseason, joining the 1987 Showtime Lakers as the only team to score 72 points in the first half in back-to-back games in the playoffs.

For Golden State, the next 48 hours are going to be the most important 48 hours that the team has faced during the Steve Kerr era.

The team that won a regular season-best 73 games during the regular season, has looked awful the last two games of the Western Conference finals with the bad shot selections, turnovers, and poor rebounding.

But if winning championships were easy then everyone would be doing it, right?

The Warriors have face adversity all season, but the Thunder have made life extremely difficult for Golden State in this series.

Kerr and the coaching staff has to find answers for a beat up Warriors team that are on the ropes.

 

 

 

Thunder roll past Warriors in game 3

Published on by Michael MartinezLeave a comment

by Michael Martinez

After the Warriors 27 point blow out win in game 2, the momentum seemed to be in there in Golden State’s favor.

But the Oklahoma City Thunder made it seem like that game was in the very far past.

While the first quarter was close, OKC broke things open in the second quarter thanks  to Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. The big key for the Thunder in the game was that they were able to get to the free throw line and get easy points. In the second quarter alone, the Thunder went 17 of 18 from the charity stripe.

As everything went right for the Thunder, everything went abysmal for the Warriors who shot 22.6% from the field in the second quarter. Golden State also only made two three pointers in the quarter.

At the half, the Thunder led 72-45 and the third quarter was no different. Golden State showed a little more offensive life, but were still outscored by their opponent. The Thunder took their biggest lead in the game in the third quarter, going up by 41 points at one point in the game.

Golden State scored more than OKC in the fourth quarter, but it was a very lost cause. Oklahoma City blew out the defending world champs in dominate fashion. Durant and Westbrook both had huge games and the Thunder shot 50% from the field for the game.

Westbrook neared a triple double with 30 points, 12 assists and eight rebounds. Durant scored a game high 33 points and eight assists while going 10-15 from the field. The two All Stars played really well and collectively as a whole the Thunder played well.

Steph Curry had a team high for the Warriors with 24 points and Klay Thompson added 18. The Warriors just looked flat and were completely outplayed.

Draymond Green was not a factor in the game at all, which played a role in why the Warriors did poorly. Green also picked up a flagrant one foul after kicking Steven Adams in the groin, which he claims was inadvertent.

Whether it was or not, my guess is that Green will not pick up a suspension for the foul. In the end, the Thunder defeated Golden State, 133-105. OKC’s blowout victory was a point more than the Warriors game two win. After everybody thought the Warriors would have the momentum, Oklahoma City struck right back.

Can Durant and Westbrook continue their incredible play? With the Warriors down two games to one in the series, they will look to try to even the series on Tuesday at 6 p.m. on TNT.

Curry leads the Warriors to a 118-91 win over OKC in game 2

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment
NBA: Playoffs-Oklahoma City Thunder at Golden State Warriors
Photo Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

by Charlie O. Mallonee

Basketball is a game of runs. The key run in game two of the NBA Western Conference Finals came in the third quarter when Golden State went on a 15-2 run. All 15 Warriors points were scored by Stephen Curry.

The Warriors showed why they have not lost back-to-back games in 2015-16 on Wednesday night. They played solid defense that set up their offense to do what few teams in the history of the NBA have been able to do as they won game two 118-91. The series is now tied at 1-1.

The Thunder were able to keep the game close and even took the lead late in the second quarter. The Warriors then ran off eight unanswered points and took 57-49 lead into the locker room at the half.

The third quarter is where the Warriors put the game away. Golden State outscored the Thunder 31-17 in the quarter led by Curry’s 17 points. Durant scored four points and Westbrook had just two points for OKC. Down 88-68 after three quarters, the Thunder did not give up but could not overcome the deficit in the final quarter.

Golden State

The Warriors shot 50.6-percent (43-for-85) for the game. They went 13-for-28 (46.4-percent) from beyond the 3-point arc. Golden State did struggle from the free throw line converting just 19-of-28 (67.9-percent) attempts.

Golden State out-rebounded Oklahoma City 45-36. The Warriors recorded 26 assists and turned the ball over just 12 times. The 12 turnovers resulted in just 12 points for the Thunder.

Stephen Curry was the Warriors leading scoring putting up 28 points in just 29-minutes on the floor. Curry was 5-for-8 from 3-point land and a perfect 5-for-5 from the charity stripe.

Klay Thompson put up 15 points in the game. He did struggle shooting going just 5-for-17 from the field for the game.

Draymond Green scored 10 points, grabbed eight rebounds, dished out seven assists, blocked two shots and had one steal for the Warriors.

Andre Iguodala (14), Festus Ezeli (12), Marreese Speights (13) and Harrison Barnes (11) all scored in double figures for Golden State.

The Warriors did get a big scare in the first quarter when Stephen Curry went flying into the crowd and no one tried to break his fall. Curry developed a large knot on his right elbow which obviously did not affect his shooting later in the game.

Oklahoma City

The Thunder shot 44.9-percent (35-for-78) from the floor for the game. They were just 7-for-23 (30.4-percent) from behind the 3-point line. The Thunder did go 14-for-19 (73.7-percent) from the free throw line but they only went to the line 19 times.

OKC had 22 assists but turned the ball over 16 times. Those 16 turnovers resulted in 23 Golden State points.

The Thunder had just two players score in double figures.

Kevin Durant led all scorers with 29 points. Durant shot 11-for-18 from the floor but was just 2-for-4 from downtown.

Russell Westbrook put up 16 points for the Thunder on Wednesday night. Westbrook shot 5-for-14 overall and was just 1-for-5 from long distance. He was a perfect 5-for-5 at the free throw line.

What they said after the game

Stephen Curry on what got him going in the third quarter:

“The ball movement was a lot better tonight. There were certain situations on offense where we took advantage of some iso possessions. We got the ball movement side to side, set great screens for each other. We found easier shots. Thankfully they went down. That’s the way we’ve got to play going forward.”

Up next

The teams travel to Oklahoma City for game three on Sunday. Tip-off will be at 5:00 PDT.

 

Kings win final game in Sleep Train/ARCO Arena 114-112 over OKC

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment

IMG_2789

by Charlie O. Mallonee

SACRAMENTO–On a night that felt more like a Hollywood awards show than a basketball game, the Sacramento Kings pulled off a storybook ending to close out their 2015-16 home schedule and to end their 28-year stay in Sleep Train/ARCO Arena.

The Kings defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder 114-112 in front of a raucous, adoring sellout crowd that desperately wanted the team’s final game in the old building to be a victory. The crowd did its part. They were loud and into the game from the opening tip-off right up to the final buzzer.

The Kings did their job. They played the very talented Oklahoma City Thunder in a tough, physical manner that was worthy of a heavyweight boxing match. Every time the Thunder threw a punch, the Kings returned a punch. The Kings kept the game close then took the lead and fought back each time they lost the lead. There were 12 lead changes and the game was tied 12 times.

The game came down to the free throw shooting of Rudy Gay. Gay went to the free throw line three times in the final 17.4-seconds. He made 4-0f-6 chances from the charity stripe. None more important than the final shot with one second left to go in the game that made it a two-point game and gave the win to the Kings.

The game appeared to be headed to overtime when James Anderson fouled Russell Westbrook as he went into the act of shooting from behind the 3-point line. Westbrook stepped to the line and converted all three free throws to tie the game at 112-112 before Gay was fouled and put the game on ice for Sacramento.

This was the 32nd win of the season for the Kings. Their home record for the season will be 18-23. The win also allowed the Kings to finish the season 2-2 versus the Thunder. Sacramento won once in Oklahoma City and once at home.

Kings

 The player of the night for the Kings was guard Darren Collison. Collison was the team’s leading scorer with 27 points. He also dished out eight assists and grabbed five rebounds. Collison shot 10-for-16 from floor and was 4-for-6 from 3-point range. He ran the point and found ways to score in his 36-minutes of playing time.

The other standout player for Sacramento was Seth Curry. Curry finished the game with 20 points and three assists. He lit up the night from beyond the 3-point line hitting on 6-of-10 chances. Curry’s shooting kept the Kings in the game early and allowed Sacramento to keep the game close.

George Karl gave the game ball to Collison and Curry.

Rudy Gay finished the game with 24 points. Gay was 9-for-19 shooting and was a dismal 1-for-6 from 3-point range. He was 5-for-7 from the free throw where he ultimately won the game for his team. Gay also led the Kings in playing time with almost 38 minutes.

DeMarcus Cousins scored 15 points and hauled in seven rebounds. Cousins had a frustrating night shooting finishing 7-for-24 from the field. The Kings big man played in foul trouble throughout most of the game. He picked up three personals in the first half and three more in the second half. Cousins fouled out the game with 3:26 left to play.

The Kings had additional scoring from Kosta Koufos (8), Quincy Acy (7), James Anderson (5), Willie Cauley-Stein (4) and Ben McLemore (4).

Sacramento shot 47.9-percent (45-for-94) from the field. They were an impressive 13-for-32 (40.6-percent) from behind the 3-point line. The Kings struggled from the free throw line converting only 11-of-20 (55.0-percent) from the stripe.The Kings took good care of the basketball committing just 11 turnovers while dishing out 22 assists to reach the goal of a 2-to-1 ratio.

Thunder

 Kevin Durant led the Thunder in scoring putting up 31 points. Durant distributed eight assists and had six rebounds in his game-high 39-minutes of playing time.

Russell Westbrook had a double-double game scoring 24 points and dishing out 10 assists. Westbrook had trouble taking care of the ball as he turned it over a game-high eight times.

Serge Ibaka added 14 points and Enes Kanter scored 11 points for OKC.

The Thunder shot 48.1-percent (39-for-81) from the floor and hit on 13-of-32 (40.6-percent) beyond the 3-point line. Turnovers were a problem for OKC as their committed 21 in the game.

Oklahoma City is now 54-26 on the season. Their road record falls to 23-17.

What they had to say after the game

 “First thing I wrote in my notes is we’re playing a playoff team that will have a playoff atmosphere because of the historical event,” said Kings head coach George Karl. “I don’t think anyone was disappointed with what happened. The building had energy to it from the very beginning. It helped us. We rode the wave of the crowd and the energy.”

“Fans are incredible. Fans are first class, style, loyal, committed and next year they get a fantastic new building that hopefully will have more playoff games, rather than just regular season nice wins. Let’s have some playoff nice wins,” added Karl.

First class night

 As an organization, the Kings have faced a great deal of criticism this season and much of it has been deserved. On Saturday night, the Kings proved they know how to produce a big event and pull it off with class and grace.

The Kings paid tribute to fans and the players of the past 28 years that have filled Sleep Train/ARCO Arena with emotion and excellence.

Reggie Theus, who scored the first two points in the arena, praised the Kings for the way they have reached out and included the players from the past in the celebration of basketball in Sacramento.

The Kings front office made it a night to remember for the fans attending the final game in Sleep Train/ARCO Arena. The team and the way they won made it night to never forget.

 

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 Can’t Overcome Playoff Hungry Thunder, Lose 116-103

Published on by swhelchLeave a comment

By Shawn Whelchel

In a fight for the eight and final spot in the Western Conference, the Russell Wilson led Oklahoma City took down the depleted Sacramento Kings with a 116-103 final to keep their playoff dreams alive.

With both Kevin Durant and Serge Ibaka still ailing, it was up to Westbrook to lead the Thunder’s charge. The dynamic young point guard didn’t disappoint, dropping 27 points while dishing 10 assists against a Sacramento team still missing both DeMarcus Cousins and Rudy Gay.

But Westbrook wasn’t alone in his charge, as a slew of supporting characters on the Oklahoma City roster helped him out with a balanced scoring attack. Alongside Westbrook, fellow starters Enes Kanter and Dion Waiters finished with over 20 points on the night, while Anthony Morrow provided 19 off the bench.

But despite what the final 13 point deficit might suggest, the Kings did not make it easy for the Thunder to grasp the victory. After being up as many as 13 points in the first half, the Kings battled back to head into the final frame with just a six point deficit. However, the Thunder would not relinquish their grip on the lead, and would outscore Sacramento by seven points in the fourth to hold on for the win.

Like the Thunder, the Kings scoring attack was fairly balanced, with Ben McLemore leading the team with 20 points on 8-of-17 shooting. He was followed by Omri Casspi, Ray McCallum and Derrick Williams, all of whom finished with 15 points or more on the night.

The Kings have now lost 7 of their last 8 games while clearly missing their top two scorers in Gay and Cousins. They still have three games left in order to finish the season on a high note by concluding their road trip at Denver before heading home to face the Lakers for their final home game of the season on Monday. They will then travel to Los Angeles to take on the Lakers yet again to play their season finale on April 15.

Golden State blow by OKC

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AP Photo/Ben Margot)

By Joe Hawkes-Beamon

OAKLAND — It’s no secret, the Golden State Warriors have the Oklahoma City Thunder’s number this season.

Harrison Barnes finished with a season-high 23 points and seven rebounds, helping Golden State pick up their third straight win over Oklahoma City this season, 117-91 in front of a sellout crowd of 19,596 at Oracle Arena.

“My teammates got me into the flow of the game,” said Barnes, who shot 5-for-5 from 3-point range. “It was a relief to shoot better tonight.”

Overall, the Warriors shot 15-for-28 (53 percent) on 3s.

Golden State (27-5), blazed out to a 17-6 lead in the first quarter over the Thunder, ignited by the Splash Brothers. Klay Thompson scored 13 of his 19 points in the first quarter, and Stephen Curry also finished with 19 points.

With both Curry and Thompson battling foul trouble, Golden State turned to reserve guard Justin Holiday in the second quarter. Holiday had his best game of the season, scoring 12 points on 4-for-6 shooting while playing a season-high 28 minutes off the bench.

“Coach [Steve Kerr], told me to be confident and take my shot,” Holiday said.

Draymond Green finished with 11 points and 13 rebounds as Golden State held Oklahoma City to 30 percent shooting (30-for-98) from the floor, while the Dubs shot 46 percent (41-for-88) from the floor.

Oklahoma City (17-18) couldn’t get their superstar duo of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook or the entire team into gear tonight.

Westbrook led all Thunder players with 22 points, but shot 5-for-21 from the field. Durant finished with just 14 points on 3-for-16 shooting after scoring 30 points in 20 minutes against Golden State back on Dec. 18 at Oracle Arena before leaving the game with a sprained ankle.

“Great job defensively tonight, I thought our defense was really good,” said Kerr. “Obviously when Durant and Westbrook won’t have bad shooting nights, but we played great defense, but we we’re lucky.”

With the win, Golden State have now won 12 straight games at home for the first since the 1989-90 season, and hold the best home record in the league at 14-1.

The Warriors and Thunder hook up for the final time this season on Jan. 16 in Oklahoma City. The Thunder should have newly acquired shooting guard Dion Waiters available for that game.

Oklahoma City was part of a three-team trade, sending a protected 2015 first-round pick to the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for Waiters. The New York Knicks received reserve Lance Thomas from Oklahoma City, and sending J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert to Cleveland.

Golden State has won the first four games of their six-game home stand, which continues Wednesday night with the visiting Indiana Pacers coming to town.