Tag: Sacramento Kings

Career night for Caldwell-Pope lifts Lakers past Kings, 113-108

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment

By: Jordan Chapin

wcs-vs-lakers.jpg

SACRAMENTO- Saturday night at Golden 1 Center the Lakers faithful made there presence known in a very loud, very exciting game that the Lakers came out on top of 113-108. The always anticipated, Lonzo Ball vs De’Aaron Fox match-up was put on hold due to Ball sitting out due to injury, but that did not stop the Lakers guards from putting on a show. The combination of Thomas, Hart, and Caldwell-Pope combined for 61 points, about half of which came from Caldwell-Pope.

After struggling two nights ago, Bogdan Bogdanovic came out of the gates firing on all cylinders. He led all Kings scorers in the first quarter with seven points, and then got a bit of a lift from his “big man” – Willie-Cauley Stein who went into the locker-room at halftime already having a double-double and helped the Kings to an eight point lead after the first 24 minutes.

Sacramento did get a bit of help from the bench, led by Buddy Hield with 21 points, but the second half belonged to Lakers Caldwell-Pope who scored 17 points in the third quarter and didn’t seem to miss any shot. The Lakers led the rest of the way until Bogdan Bogdanovic finished a 4-point play that knocked the Lakers lead to just one with 12 seconds to play. Sacramento had a chance to tie the game after a pair of Isiah Thomas free-throws, but they could not capitalize as Bogdanovic missed a driving lay-up to seal the game for the Lakers.

The Kings will finish there home-stand Monday night as they face a Minnesota Timberwolves team who just lost Jimmy Butler to a knee injury and don’t know when or if he will return this season. Once again, without their first-round draft pick, Lonzo Ball, the Lakers were able to pull off their 25th win of the season and continue to build their young talent for future

Player of the Game: Willie Cauley-Stein

Willie set the tone early grabbing rebounds and scoring around the rim. He finished his first half with a double-double, 10 points and 11 rebounds. It did not stop there for Cauley-Stien. He continued his aggression in the second half, totaling 37 minutes and  finishing with 18 points and 15 rebounds to go along with 2 blocks.

Key Stats

  • As a team, the Kings shot 52% from 3-point land and a respectable 45% from the field.
  • Frank Mason and De’Aaron Fox led the team with six assists a piece
  • “Rising Stars” Bogdan Bogdanovic and Buddy Hield led the Kings with 21 points each
  • Willie Cauley-Stien had a season high 15 rebounds
  • Vince Carter “Slamage”- ONE

Los Angeles Lakers

Player of the Game: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope

KCP has had a bigger role since Lonzo Ball has been hurt, but something that we all know is that he will shoot his shots. He finished his night 12-for-20 from the field and racking up a season high 34 points to go along with 7 rebounds and 2 assists. Caldwell-Pope was the reason the Lakers were able to stay in the game early, and hold the lead late.

Key Stats

  • Had seven players in double digits including all starters
  • Julius Randle finished with another Double-double, after having a Triple-double last night
  • Season high in 3-pointers made with 17
  • Caldwell-Pope’s eight 3-pointers made, is the highest for his career

Westbrook adds 18th triple-double of season and hits game-winning shot for 110-107 Thunder win

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment

By Jordan Chapin

SACRAMENTO — The Sacramento Kings made their return to the Golden 1 Center after a well-needed week off. The return of Frank Mason and Skal Labissiere jump started the Kings final 25-game schedule with a 110-107 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder Thursday night. The reigning MVP, Russell Westbrook, proved once again why he is one of the most clutch players in the league by racking up his 18th triple-double of the season and hitting the game-winning shot.

After trailing by 23 points in the first quarter, the Kings took advantage of their opportunities with the second unit lead by Buddy Hield with 19 points and Vince Carter with 13 points. The Kings cut the lead within eight at half, and then it was Zach Randolph time. Z-Bo finished his night with 29 points and 12 rebounds and put the Kings up by five with under four minutes to go. After several lead changes, the Thunder led by two with just 11 seconds to go in the game. Vince Carter put up a shot from about 34 feet out–missed–was tipped up several times, and with one second left, Justin Jackson came flying in for the put back lay-up to tie the game.

With exactly one second to go, Westbrook caught the in-bounds pass on the wing, and rose-up over Garrett Temple and drained the three-pointer as the clock expired. Although Westbrook did struggle from the field, he reminded us why he is a perennial All-Star in this league. His teammates Paul George and Carmelo Anthony picked him up on the scoring end, as they combined for 49 points.

When the Kings return to Golden 1 Center on Saturday night, they will have a fully rejuvenated lineup as they take on the Los Angeles Lakers. Sacramento will see Isiah Thomas for the first time since he has put on the Purple and Gold. The Kings extended  their record to 18-40 as OKC gets their 34th win of the season and stand pat as the fifth seed in the West.

Kings lose to Rockets 100-91; Houston enters All-Star break with 10 straight wins

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Photo credit: @NBCSAuthentic

By: Ana Kieu

Last night, a streak was broken and swept up against the Dallas Mavericks, and the Sacramento Kings traveled to South Texas to take on the Houston Rockets in a Valentine’s Day game at the Toyota Center on Wednesday night.

The Kings were doing just fine in the first quarter. They got some insurance points from Buddy Hield too.

 

 

 

The Kings led the Rockets 25-20 at the end of the first.

However, the Rockets bounced back with 35 points in the second quarter. The Kings scored just 20 points in the second.

The Kings trailed the Rockets 55-45 at the half.

Since the Kings were down by 10 at halftime, they decided to have some fun on Twitter. Rapper Gucci Mane tweeted, “It’s never too late. You can still do it!” The Kings quoted the tweet with “That’s right, Gucci! Trailing at the half but plenty of basketball to go.”

It was a low scoring third quarter, but the Kings outshot the Rockets 18-17 to end the third. Hield continued to make it rain with various types of shots, including buckets, on the court.

 

 

 

Despite the Kings ending the third on a high note, they continued to trail the Rockets 72-63 at the end of the third.

After that, the Kings’ Twitter announced the game’s Cold Hard Fact sponsored by Coors Light. That fact said: “Seven Kings players have at least four rebounds so far tonight.”

Both teams scored 28 points in the fourth quarter, but the Kings’ hard-fought battle came up short as they lost to the Rockets 100-91. Kings’ De’Aaron Fox received stitches above his right eye and chin after making contact with the floor during the early moments of tonight’s game in Houston.

Notes
Kings’ starters:

Kings’ crowdsourced startup powered by Sacramento Urban Technology Lab will return for the third year in a row.

Kings’ De’Aaron Fox will participate in the 2018 Rising Stars Game.

Kings’ dancers posted for a Valentine’s day photoshoot.

https://twitter.com/SacramentoKings/status/963925839271391233

Up Next
The Kings return home to kick off a three-game homestand, starting with the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday, February 22 at 7:00 pm PT.

Kings complete 21-point comeback to beat Bulls 104-98

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Photo credit: @SacramentoKings

By: Jordan Chapin

SACRAMENTO–The boo birds were out early, but by the time the clock read 0:00, it was bedlam at Golden 1 Center on Monday night. The Sacramento Kings trailed by as much as 21 points in a game, but they ended up winning, 104-98, over the Chicago Bulls.

After De’Aaron Fox went down early in the third quarter, somebody needed to step up big for Sacramento, and that player was JaKarr Sampson. Sampson brought major energy off the bench, including an emphatic dunk and a clutch 3-pointer. He ended his night with nine points, six rebounds, and one block.

In the first quarter, Sacramento shot 4-for-20 from the field, scored nine points, trailed by as much as 19. Little to say, it seemed like it was going to be another long night for the purple and black faithful.

Things started to shift midway into the second quarter following Robin Lopez’s words with official Justin Van Duyne just moments after Lopez was ejected. As a result, Lopez had to watch the rest of the game from the locker room.

The Kings continued to trail 55-41 at the end of the first half.

Kings coach Dave Joerger had something good to say at halftime because the Kings had overcome a 21-point deficit and took the lead, 96-93, after a Buddy Hield’s significant 3-pointer with 1:33 left to go in the game.

The Bulls quickly responded as Bobby Portis hit a 3-pointer of his own. With under a minute to go, and a tie ball game, Bogdan Bogdanovic threw up a step-back 3-pointer over two defenders that found the bottom of the net.

The Bulls had two decent looks to tie the game, but were unable to capitalize. The Golden 1 Center was in uproar as the Kings seized their 17th win of the season.

Sacramento has now broke the hearts of Bulls fans twice this year, as they sweep the season series 2-0. The Kings will have three full days off before they have to see Damian Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers Friday night in Sacramento. After that, it does not get much easier as they travel to the Midwest to face a very good Minnesota Timberwolves team.

Sacramento Kings
Player of the Game: Bogdan Bogdanovic

Bogdan Bogdanovic lead all scorers for the Kings tonight with 15 points, but in a game Bogey struggled from the field, he was able to get himself to the free throw line six times.

With De’aaron Fox going down, Bogdanovic was put in a tough situation, and answered the bell by hitting what ended up being the biggest shot of the game. To go along with his 15 points, he added four assists and four rebounds.

Key Stats
Six players in double digits.

Sacramento’s Bench outscored the Bulls bench 55-22.

First time the Kings have swept the Bulls since the 06-07 season.

With the win, the Kings complete their largest comeback of the season (21).

After shooting 20% from the field in the first quarter, the Kings finished there night shooting at 44%.

Chicago Bulls
Player of the Game: Zach Lavine

Zach Lavine was playing in his 11th game of the season and the Bulls fans finally got what they had been waiting for, a poster, unfortunately JaKarr Sampson was the victim.

More importantly, Lavine set a new season high with 27 points and shot 4-for-8 from behind the arc.

Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg on Lavine’s night, “Zach’s getting a rhythm, he’s playing better, he’s getting more comfortable out there”. Lavine racked up two rebounds and two assists to go along with his 27 points

Key Stats
Shot 40% from the field, and 39% from 3-point land.

Bobby Portis finished his night with a double-double (18 points, 14 rebounds).

Bulls extend there losing streak to seven games.

Innocent Chairs that were thrown from anger by Robin Lopez: 1

Golden State Warriors Friday game wrap: Warriors turn ball over 25 times, still able to beat Kings 119-104

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Photo credit: nba.com

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors, still smarting from a 30-point loss to the Utah Jazz, traveled to Sacramento to face the lowly Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center. The Warriors have not lost two consecutive games in a row this season, and they were hoping the Sacramento would be their sacrificial lamb. The Kings, who beat the Warriors in Oakland the last time they met, had other thoughts. The Kings, who are in rebuild mode, gave the Warriors a fierce fight before succumbing 119-105. The 14-point lead at the end of the game was the biggest lead the Warriors had all night.

The Kings, coached by Dave Joerger, usually play a slow-tempo game. Most teams try to avoid an uptempo game with the Warriors as they know that the Warriors love to run and move the ball. The Warriors usually play great defense, and with the teams running up and down the court, the Warriors normally prevail. The Warriors did win but it wasn’t easy, and the game was much closer than the score at the end of the game. The Warriors played a very sloppy game as they were careless with their passes and careless handling the ball. The Warriors committed 25 turnovers and were still able to win. When the Warriors make more than 17 turnovers in a game, their record was 10-8 and less the 17, their record is 33-3.

The first two quarters of the game was competitive. The Warriors won both quarters by three points and led 58-52 at the half.  Kevin Durant led the club with 17, and Steph Curry added 13. The Warriors were able to take a nine-point lead after three periods 84-75, and it looked like they had taken control of the game. The Kings, to their credit, had other thoughts and made a run early in the final stanza to close the game to 89-88. The Kings’ Buddy Hield, who came to Sacramento last season in the trade the sent DeMarcus Cousins to the Crescent City, got hot and gave the Kings the spark they were looking for. The Warriors regained their composure to go on an 8-0 run to make it 97-88. That run seemed to knock the spirit out of the Kings, and the Warriors were able to put the game in the win column 119-105.

Game Notes and Stats: The Warriors were without four players Friday night. David West, Shaun Livingstone, Andre Iguodala, and Jordan Bell did not play. Bell is rehabbing from a sprained ankle, and Coach Steve Kerr gave the other three veterans the night off.

The Warriors shot 55% from the floor while holding Sacramento to 44.2%. The Kings, However, took 15 more shots than the Warriors. Had they been able to make some of those shots, the final score might have been different.

Durant led the Warriors with 33. Steph had 23, Klay 17, Draymond 13. Nick Young had 9, and JaVale McGee added 4. When McGee was in the game, the Warriors seemed to play with more energy.

The Kings had six players in double figures. They were running and finding the open man just as they were trying to emulate the Warriors’ style of play. Rookie De’Aaron Fox, who is on his way to stardom, tallied 14. Willie Cauley-Stein 13, the ageless Zach Randolph 18, Justin Jackson 17, Bogdan Bogdanovic 12, and Buddy Hield had 16.

The Warriors improve to 41-11 while the Kings drop to 16-35.

Up Next: The Warriors play the Denver Nuggets Saturday night in Denver.

Kings love Florida sunshine: SAC beats MIA 89-88 for second consecutive win

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Kings-HEAT

by Charlie O. Mallonee

With 4.3-seconds left to play on Thursday night and the Kings in possession of the ball, Sacramento trailed the Heat 88-87 on the road in Miami. This is the kind of situation that Kings have faced and failed in as they try to find success as a team in the rebuilding process. It was a different ending last night.

Bogdan Bogdanovic took a 20-foot step back jump shot that missed and bounced above the rim. De’Aaron Fox ran in from the left angle and slammed the rebound home to give the Kings an 89-88 lead. The clock stopped with 3.3-seconds remaining to allow Olynyk to enter the game for Miami and Temple to come on the floor the Kings.

Miami’s Josh Richardson missed a 21-foot jump shot with less than a second left on the clock and the Kings won their second consecutive game 89-88. Both of the wins have come in the “Sunshine State” of Florida.

The key to the win for the Kings was their ability to keep the game close. They did allow the Heat to open up a 12-point lead at one time but for the most part, it was a seesaw battle. There were 19 lead changes and the game was tied seven times in what turned out to be an exciting 48-minutes if you are a Kings fan.

Sacramento also broke a destructive pattern that has plagued them this season of falling behind in the third quarter and then having to make a major effort just catch up in the final period. On Thursday, Kings trailed by just one point heading into the fourth quarter.

The Kings dressed 10 players versus the Heat and head coach Dave Joerger used all 10 players in the game. Sacramento held out Vince Carter (who started in Orlando), George Hill and Georgios Papgiannis. Rumors are circulating that Hill may have a toe problem and is not being held out because of a possible trade.

Top Performances

Kings

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  • De’Aaron Fox gets the Star of the Game billing for the Kings. Not only did he score the game-winning basket but he added 14 points, four assists and three rebounds in his 29-plus minutes on the floor.
  • Buddy Hield really battled Fox for top billing on Thursday night. Hield receives Co-Star designation for scoring a game-high 24 points. He hit 10-of-15 field goal attempts and went 4-for-7 from 3-point range. Hield scored 13 of his points in the second quarter.
  • Veteran Zach Randolph is also going to receive a best supporting player award for recording a double-double against the Heat. Z-Bo scored 10 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in 28-minutes of playing time.

Heat

Miami in the Vice jersies

  • Goran Dragic was the Star of the Game for Miami. He was the top scorer for the Heat with 23 points shooting 8-for-14 overall for the game. Dragic hit 3-of-5 from long-range and was a perfect 4-for-4 from the free throw line.
  • Co-Star status goes to guard Wayne Ellington who put up 20 points against the Kings. He converted 7-of-16 field goal attempts and six of those conversions were 3-point baskets.

By the Numbers

Sacramento (15-33)

  • The Kings shot 46.9-percent (38-for-81) from the floor versus the Heat. They only attempted 12 three-point shots but they hit five of them.
  • SAC was out-rebounded 46-38 but managed to outscore Miami on second-chance scoring opportunities 8-7.
  • The Kings dished out 21 assists and turned the ball over 13 times which is below the desired 2-to-1 ratio. They gave up 13 points to the Heat off those 13 TOV’s.
  • Sacramento recorded six blocked shots in the game. Five Kings players posted a block and Cauley-Stein had two blocks.

Miami (27-21)

  • The Heat shot just 37.8-percent (31-for-82) for the game. If a team shoots under 40-percent in the NBA, there is not much of chance that they will come away with a win.
  • Miami decided to attack the Kings by taking as many shots from beyond the 3-point line as possible. They attempted 34 long-range field goals but hit just 12 for a 35.3 shooting percentage.
  • The posted 19 assists and made 17 turnovers for a very unacceptable 1-to-1 ratio. The Kings scored 20 points off those 17 miscues.

Up Next

SAC

Unless the Kings request to have the game on Sunday moved to any city in Florida, they will face the Spurs in San Antonio on Sunday at 4:00 pm PST.  The team is hoping to take advantage of the good “mojo” they have enjoyed in Florida by staying in Miami on Friday and waiting to travel to Texas until Saturday.

MIA

The Heat will host the Hornets on Saturday night in Miami.

 

Kings take another fall in 112-107 loss to Hornets after Grizzlies’ rout

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Photo credit: @StrikaNation24_

By: Jeremiah Salmonson

Sacramento — The Sacramento Kings and the Charlotte Hornets both came into their game Monday evening coming off losses. The Kings lost in a big way on Friday night, losing to the Memphis Grizzlies 106-88. The Hornets, on the other hand, played a great game on Saturday. However, they fell 106-105 against the Miami Heat. The Kings and Hornets were looking to bounce back at the Spectrum Center on Monday.

The first quarter would prove to have plenty of offense in it. The Kings scored 33 and the Hornets scored 35 in the first quarter. The points in the first for the Kings came from all over the roster with no player having more than six points by the end of the first. Bogdan Bodanovic had five points in the first along with Fox and Hield. Kosta Koufos had six points in the first leading the Kings. Leading the Hornets in the first would be Jeremy Lamb with five points. Dwight Howard and Nicolas Batum each had seven, and Kembra Walker ended the first with eight points.

The second quarter would prove to be a good one. That is until the Hornets scored the last eight points in the second quarter. That would send the hornets into the locker room ahead 67-55 over the Kings. At the half, the Kings were shooting at 38.5% from downtown, and 46.2% in field goals while making two of three free throws.

The Hornets, on the other hand, shot 50% outside, 54.8% of field goals, and 11 of 13 free throws. Leading the way for the Kings was De’Aaron Fox with ten points after the first half. Kosta Koufos had six rebounds and Bogdanovic had four assists. The Hornets led the way with Jeremy Lamb scoring 13 points. Dwight Howard had eight rebounds and four assists for Kemba Walker.

Going into the third, it appeared the Kings had lost some steam with the Hornets scoring the last eight points of the first half. Carter started the third quarter by hitting a three. That made the score 68-58 with 10:32 to play in the third. The Kings had fallen behind 13 points with 7:56 to go in the third quarter. The score would be 73-60 when the Kings took a timeout. One of the lopsided figures so far in this game was free throws. With 5:37 to go in the third the Kings had made three of four free throws.

Meanwhile, the Hornets managed to make 12 of 15 attempts from the line. Bogdan Bogdanovic took a blow with 4:45 to play in the third. He was down for a minute but made his way back up. The officials took it to replay and determined it was not a flagrant and play resumed. The Kings would battle but end the third trailing 92-75.

The Hornets would extend extend their lead to 20 points with only 10:30 to play. The score at the time was 95-75. 8:14 remained in the game with the Kings trailing by 16 points and coach Dave Joerger took a timeout. The Kings continued to battle with Buddy Hield and the Kings going on a 15-6 run. With 4:57 to go, the Kings got the score back to a respectable 101-92. The game would go back to forth until the Kings made it 107-102. However, the Hornets would pull away and bury the Kings 112-107.

What’s next?
Kings: Tuesday against Orlando Magic in Orlando at 4 pm PST.

Hornets: Wednesday against New Orleans Pelicans at 4:30 pm PST.

Kings lose seventh consecutive game as Grizzlies win 106-88 on Friday night

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment

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By Charlie O. Mallonee

The Sacramento Kings kicked off their longest road trip of the season on Friday night in Memphis versus the Grizzlies. It was big night for head coach Dave Joerger, Zach Randolph and Vince Carter as they were returning to the city where they enjoyed great success as members of the Grizzlies basketball organization.

Unfortunately for the Kings, they were not able to make it a great night for Joerger, Z-Bo and Vince by handing the Grizzlies a loss and making the local fans realize what they are missing by not having those three men still involved with their team.

Memphis handed Sacramento their seventh consecutive loss as they beat the Kings 106-88. For the Grizzlies, it was their third win in a row.

The Kings continued their commitment to young player development on Friday night. Sacramento started Justin Jackson, Willie Cauley-Stein, Bogdan Bogdanovic, De’Aaron Fox and because it was his first time back in Memphis–veteran Zach Randolph was in the starting five.

The Kings started slow and trailed the Grizz 30-17 after the first 12 minutes. The men from SAC pulled things together in the second period and outscored the hometown team 23-10 to make it a 40-40 game at the half.

As it has been so many times this season, the third quarter was the Kings undoing in this contest. Memphis took control of the game and won the quarter putting up 27 points to Sacramento’s 19.

The Grizzlies seized upon the lead they established in the third quarter and went on to dominate the final period by outscoring the Kings 39-29. Not only was this Sacramento’s seventh consecutive loss but it starts them out 0-1 on this long, tough road trip.

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Stars of the Game

Memphis

  • Star of the game for the Grizzlies has to go to former Sacramento Kings guard Ben McLemore. McLemore came off the bench to play almost 27 minutes and score 21 points against his old mates. He shot six for 13 from the field–including three 3-point baskets. Ben “Mac” went a perfect six for six from the free throw line. McLemore played like a man who had something to prove to other side.
  • Dillion Brooks gets a co-star billing for being the high scorer in the game with 22 points. Brooks shot eight for 13 from the floor and three for six from behind the 3-point line. He also was a good thief as he grabbed three steals in his 27-plus minutes of playing time.

Sacramento

  • The Kings star of the game is starting point guard De’Aaron Fox who scored a team-high 16 points. Fox hit five of 12 shots from the floor and went a perfect five for five from the free throw line. The rookie point guard also dished out six assists in the contest.
  • The co-star tag goes to veteran Vince Carter. Carter played just over 23 minutes and posted 15 points. The Kings “O.G” went five for nine from the floor and all five of his baskets were 3-point conversions. Tomorrow morning he may not be able to walk, but Friday night he was 21 years old again.

Key Stats

Grizzlies (16-28)

  • Memphis took good care of the basketball. They committed 13 turnovers (16 Kings points) while they posted 24 assists. That put them right at the target of the 2-to-1 ratio that every coach wants to see.
  • The Grizzlies out-rebounded the Kings 49-44
  • Memphis outscored Sacramento on the fast break 19-12

Kings (13-32)

  • Sacramento turned the ball over 21 times (26 Memphis points) and recorded just 18 assists. That is a negative assist to turnover ratio. That will not help you record a win.
  • The Kings shot just 40 percent (32 for 80) for the game. The Grizzlies shot 44.3 percent (39 for 88) from the field. Memphis did not shoot great but it was just enough better than Sacramento to post the win.
  • The Kings gave the opposition an advantage in the third quarter again on Friday night. Sacramento cannot have those third quarter let downs and expect to win games.

Up Next

Kings

Sacramento is off until Monday night when they will play the Hornets in Charlotte. Maybe a couple of good practices will help them be ready to face the Hornets and break the losing streak.

Grizzlies

Memphis has to get right back to business on Saturday as they have to face the Pelicans in New Orleans. The NBA schedule can be a harsh mistress.

The Jazz hand Kings their sixth consecutive loss 120-105; rookie Mitchell puts up 34 points for UTA

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment

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by Charlie O. Mallonee

Sacramento – Wednesday night was game one of the Sacramento Kings “youth movement” where the emphasis would be placed on getting the younger team members more time on the floor. Winning would be the secondary goal.

That sounds like a potentially painful proposition, and it proved to be very painful versus the visiting Utah Jazz.

Both teams entered the contest looking to end losing streaks. The Jazz had lost two consecutive games. The Kings were losers in their previous five match ups. This was Sacramento’s last home game before heading out on their longest road trip of the season to face Memphis, Charlotte, Orlando, Miami, San Antonio and finally Boogie Cousins and the New Orleans Pelicans.

This game looked winnable and they needed a win.

The Kings – who led by as many as 10 points in the first quarter – lost the lead for the final time with 8:58 remaining in the second period. They would trail by 10 points at the half, by 15 points at the end of three quarters and 15 at the final buzzer.

SAC could not find a “lock-down defense” that could stop rookie sensation Donovan Mitchell who seemed to score at will, and Rodney Hood who may have played his best game of the year for the Jazz.

Kings head coach Dave Joerger analyzed the game in nine words, ” … we need to play with a lot more nasty.”

What the coaches had to say after the game

Stars of the Game

Jazz

  • Rookie Guard Donovan Mitchell was without a doubt the star of the game for Utah. He scored a game-high 34 points in just over 34 minutes of playing time. Whenever a player scores a point per minute played, he has had an outstanding game. Mitchell shot 14 for 19 overall and converted five of seven from the free throw line. He also contributed three assists and made three steals.
  • Rodney Hood – the fourth year player out of Duke – also had an outstanding game scoring 25 points to earn co-star honors. Hood hit nine of 16 field goal shots and made four of nine 3-point attempts. He went a perfect three for three from the charity stripe. Hood grabbed eight rebounds and made two steals.
  • Joe Ingles and Derrick Favors must also receive best supporting performance awards. Ingles put up 14 points going four for seven from 3-point land. Favors also scored 14 and he pulled down 11 rebounds to make it a double-double game.

Kings

  • Willie Cauley-Stein receives the star of the game for the Kings for recording a double-double. WCS scored 26 points and hauled in 10 rebounds in almost 37 minutes on the floor. He shot 11 for 18 from the field. Cauley-Stein was the Kings high-scorer.
  • Sacramento’s co-star has to be Bogdan Bogdanovic who posted 25 points in 39 minutes of playing time. Bogey shot nine for 11 overall and was a perfect six for six from behind the 3-point line. He also grabbed six rebounds.
  • George Hill gets a featured player credit for scoring 20 points in 36 minutes versus his former teammates. He shot six for 10 from the floor and four for five from 3-point land. Hill also recorded three steals. Many still believe that the Kings are showcasing Hill for possible trades before the February 8th trade deadline.

Key Stats

Utah

  • The Jazz shot 56.8-percent (46 for 81) overall for the game. They hit 12 of 29 attempts from behind the 3-point line (41.4-percent).
  • Utah took advantage of the free throw line converting 16 of 20 (80-percent) opportunities.
  • The Jazz dished out 26 steals while committing only 10 turnovers to exceed the desired goal of a 2:1 ratio. The Kings scored 19 points off the 10 Jazz turnovers.
  • Utah made 15 steals in the contest.

Sacramento

  • The Kings shot an impressive 52.8-percent (38 for 72) from the floor. They just did not have enough attempts and conversions to keep pace with the Jazz.
  • SAC shot an impressive 13 for 21 (61.9-percent) from behind the 3-point arc.
  • The Kings had 19 assists and 19 turnovers. A 1 to 1 ratio is not acceptable. The Jazz scored 27 points off those 19 Sacramento turnovers.

Up Next

Sacramento

The Kings will return to action on Friday in Memphis versus the Grizzlies. Sacramento lost to Memphis 114-96 on New Year’s Eve in SAC.

Utah

The Jazz will host the Knicks on Friday night in Salt Lake City.

 

 

The Thunder beat the Kings 95-88; Sacramento has lost five in a row

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Photo credit: @SacramentoKings

By Charlie O. Mallonee

The Sacramento Kings suffered their fifth loss in a row as the Oklahoma City Thunder won 95-88 at Chesapeake Energy Arena on Monday night. The Kings’ losing streak may not end anytime soon with their intensified commitment to player development continues.

Sacramento went with a very young starting five on Monday night. Dave Joerger tapped Skal Labissiere, Willie Cauley-Stein, Bogdan Bogdanovic, De’Aaron Fox and Garrett Temple to start the game. Temple was the only starter who was not playing on his original NBA contract and he played just under 18 minutes in the game.

Buddy Hield and Justin Jackson saw significant playing time coming off the bench for Sacramento. Veteran point guard George Hill played just over 24 minutes, but that may be the Kings trying to showcase Hill for a possible trade. There have been persistent rumors that the Nuggets have real interest in picking up Hill who has become expendable with the emergence of Frank Mason.

The Kings played well in the first-half and actually held the lead at halftime 52-46. De’Aaron Fox and George Hill each scored 10 points in the half to lead the Sacramento scoring attack.

As it has been so often this season, the third quarter was the Kings downfall. The Thunder outscored Sacramento 31-16 in the quarter. Carmelo Anthony put up 15 points for OKC shooting 5 for 11 in the period. The Kings used nine players in the quarter but only three of them scored. Willie Cauley-Stein posted seven points, Bogdan Bogdanovic scored six and Garrett Temple recorded three points.

The Kings had a glimmer of hope in the fourth quarter when Russell Westbrook received back-to-back technical fouls and was ejected from the game with 2:51 remaining to play in the contest and the Thunder leading 91-80.

Sacramento was never able to cut the Oklahoma City lead to less than seven points and wound up losing the game 95-88. The Kings are now 13-30 on the season and reside in last-place in the Western Conference. The Thunder’s record improved to 24-20 which puts them in fifth-place in the Western Conference.

Stars of the Game

Thunder

  • The “Big Three” for OKC take the honors and that is really no surprise. Carmelo Anthony scored a game-high 20 points shooting 7 for 19 and grabbing nine rebounds as well. Russell Westbrook posted a double-double with 19 points and 16 rebounds. Paul George put 18 points in the book.
  • Steven Adams receives the award for “mouth of the game”. The big man did not stop chirping at the officials throughout entire contest. If Westbrook was ejected for going overboard with his complaints, Adams should have received the same punishment. The constant negative chatter directed at the officials has to stop. Adams scored 13 points shooting 5 for 11 from the floor, but he hit only 3 of 12 from the charity stripe.

Kings

  • Buddy Hield led the scoring attack for Sacramento. Hield came off the bench to score 16 points in almost 28 minutes on the floor. Hield shot just 6 for 15 and was 0 for 5 from behind the 3-Point line. He was a perfect 4 for 4 at the free throw line.
  • Willie Cauley-Stein had another strong game. The Kings starting center played 39 minutes and 52 seconds in the game and scored 15 points. He hit 6 of 13 field goal attempts while pulling down seven rebounds and adding three steals.

Key Stats

OKC

  • The Thunder out-rebounded the Kings 58-37. Of their 58 rebounds, 18 came on offense. Those 18 offensive rebounds turned into 13 second chance points for the Thunder.
  • Turnovers: OKC had 20 TOV but they led to just seven points for Sacramento. The Kings committed 15 turnovers which the Thunder turned into 18 points.

SAC

  • The Kings had a 15 point lead at one point in the game.
  • SAC scored 13 second chance points converting 5 of 6 opportunities.
  • The used 10 players in the game including Georgios Papagiannis.

Up Next

Kings

SAC will host the Utah Jazz on Wednesday night at the Golden 1 Center. The Kings will then head out on a six game road trip – the longest of the year.

Thunder

OKC will host the Lakers on Wednesday night.