Denver Nuggets guard Emmanuel Mudiay (0) dries around Sacramento Kings guard De’Aaron Fox (5) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Sacramento, Calif., Monday, Nov. 20, 2017. (AP Photo/Steve Yeater)
By Morris Phillips
SACRAMENTO–A big second half propelled the short-handed Nuggets past the Kings at Golden 1 Center on Monday night, 114-98. Will Barton and Gary Harris combined for 45 points as Denver’s offense hummed after the game was tied at the half.
Nine of Denver’s 15 made threes but only two of their 13 turnovers came after the break as the Nuggets led by double digits throughout the fourth quarter despite being without suspended coach Mike Malone and starters Paul Millsap and Wilson Chandler.
“The first half, we were sloppy with the ball at times and we allowed them to kind of stick around,” interim coach Wes Unseld Jr. said of the Nuggets. “We took care of it, continued to share the ball and we got great looks down the stretch.”
The Kings were led by George Hill and Kousta Koufos with 16 points apiece, and Zach Randolph and De’Aaron Fox with 12 each. The Kings allowed a huge disparity on the glass (49-34) and made just eight free throws, highlighting the two most glaring differences statistically.
“We’ve got to be more physical,” Coach Dave Joerger said of his Kings. “We were a step slow in the second half.”
The Kings had won three straight at home, but fell to a Nuggets team that was embarassed by the Lakers the previous night in Los Angeles. Overall, the Kings have lost five of six. Denver has won five of seven, and seven of 10.
Malone, the former Kings coach, was ejected on Sunday arguing a non-foul call in the loss to the Lakers. The Nuggets went on to lose 127-108. Millsap sprained his wrist in the loss, and Chandler was scratched due to lower back pain.
Atlanta Hawks forward John Collins (20) has the ball knocked away by Sacramento Kings center Georgios Papagiannis (13) during the second half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2017, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
By: Ana Kieu
ATLANTA — The Sacramento Kings suffered a third straight loss in a 126-80 blowout by the Atlanta Hawks at Phillips Arena on Wednesday night.
The Kings were hoping to snap a two-game losing skid while the Hawks were in an even worse situation, losing four of their last five games. Unfortunately, Sacramento unable to achieve the goal they initially had in mind and Atlanta caught them off guard in a 126-80 blowout win on home court.
The Kings suffered a horrible loss, but at least they were savage from start to finish.
We're shooting 25% and the Hawks are shooting 75%. So together we're shooting 100%.
The Kings trailed by eight (24-16 Hawks lead) at the end of the first quarter.
Kosta Koufos’ field goal pulled the Kings within five (26-21 Hawks lead) with 10:50 left in the second quarter. But the Hawks offense came alive and that wasn’t an understatement as they finished the quarter with 40 points.
The Kings trailed the Hawks 64-35 at the end of the first half. But you can’t deny the fact the besieged team had some fun on Twitter during halftime.
The usual shrug emoji would not suffice, so here's this
The Kings’ misery didn’t stop in the second half as they continued to dig themselves into a hole in a 92-61 deficit to the Hawks at the end of the third quarter.
As expected, the Kings dug themselves in a hole and never got back up in what eventually became a 126-80 blowout loss to the Hawks at the end of regulation. Luckily, Sacramento will return home to host the Trail Blazers before a rematch at the Moda Center.
Notes Kings’ starting lineup George Hill
Garrett Temple
Willie Cauley-Stein
Bogdan Bogdanovic
Zach Randolph
Hawks’ starting lineup Dennis Schroeder
Kent Bazemore
Dewayne Dedmon
Taurean Price
Luke Babbitt
Up Next
Kings return home to host the Trail Blazers on Friday, November 17 at 7 pm PST.
Hawks finish their homestand against the Celtics on Saturday, November 18 at 7:30 pm EST.
Sacramento Kings guard George Hill, right, and Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal reach for the ball during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Monday, Nov. 13, 2017, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
By: Ana Kieu
The final score was a little closer this time, but the Sacramento Kings dropped their second straight game in a 110-92 loss to the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena on Monday night.
The Kings were looking to bounce back after a rough 118-91 loss to the Knicks while the Wizards were searching for their third straight win.
Randolph did Randolph things early in the game. The Kings had a 17-12 with 6:15 left in the first quarter.
George Hill also had an impact as he made a three-pointer with 3:56 left. Hill finished with 13 points and the Kings led the Wizards 32-25 at the end of the first quarter.
The Kings and Wizards had a back-and-forth second quarter. Kelly Oubre Jr. dunked it home to put Washington back on top (36-34) with 9:05 left. Sacramento then regained the lead (41-40) just 2:14 later when De’Aaron Fox threw a pass to Buddy Hield, who put the ball in the basket for a three-pointer.
The Kings trailed the Wizards 57-51 at the half. The Washington offense was on fire as John Wall scored 16 points, Mike Scott scored 10 points and Oubre Jr. had seven points along with seven rebounds.
Here’s a fun fact: The Kings were off to a nice start from beyond the arc, shooting six-for-nine from the three-point range (courtesy of Coors Light).
The Wizards’ offense remained dominant in the second half. Wall led the team with 19 points, Marcin Gortat scored 18 points and Otto Porter Jr. had 15 points along with seven rebounds. The Kings fell into an even deeper hole in an 86-71 deficit after the third quarter.
It was closing time in the nation’s capital as the Wizards put the game out of reach with a 91-71 lead over the Kings at the 10:35 mark of the fourth quarter. Although Fox did beat the shot clock buzzer from deep at one point, Sacramento (3-10) was unable to complete a comeback and Washington (8-5) got what they wanted: a third straight win to cap off a four-game homestand.
Notes Kings starters
George Hill
Bogdan Bogdanovic
Garrett Temple
Zach Randolph
Willie Cauley-Stein
Up Next The Kings visit the Hawks on Wednesday, November 15 at 7:30 pm.
The Wizards visit the Heat on Wednesday, November 15 at 7:30 pm.
Sacramento Kings forward Zach Randolph, second from left, goes to the basket against Oklahoma City Thunder guard Andre Roberson, left, during the second half of an NBA basketball game Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2017, in Sacramento, Calif. The Kings won 94-86. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)
By Morris Phillips
SACRAMENTO–The Kings’ desperately sought second win of the season came Tuesday night– 18 long days after the first–at Golden One Center against Western Conference heavyweight Oklahoma City. That’s the headline. But to be fair, the subtext would have to be how poorly the star-laden Thunder played–and how disinterested they looked after tripling up Sacramento in an impressive, first quarter start.
The Kings would have preferred it be about them, but it wasn’t. At least it wasn’t after the first 12 minutes. After scoring just 10 points in the opening period–and trailing by as many as 17 points–the Kings responded, gaining the lead before halftime, and maintaining it throughout the second half in a 94-86 win.
“We beat a good team with good players, good coaching and a great front office and everybody had a part in it,” Coach Dave Joerger said. “I’d love to give a bunch of `Atta boys’ out but that was a total team effort.”
Zach Randolph led the Kings with all 18 of his points coming after the half, as Sacramento built on its slim, one point-lead at the break. Randolph’s willingness to play center in a smaller lineup keyed the resurgence as the team’s ball movement improved, and the shots began to drop.
“I’m drawing so much attention from the defense, so somebody’s open,” Randolph said. “There’s always a double team, always a man coming over so I can move the ball and get that open shot for my teammate.”
Boston Celtics’ Kyrie Irving (11) shoots over Sacramento Kings’ George Hill (3) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Boston, Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2017. (AP Photo/Mary Schwalm)
By: Ana Kieu
BOSTON — The Sacramento Kings lost their sixth straight game in a 113-86 blowout loss to the Boston Celtics at TD Garden Wednesday night.
Both teams had a goal in mind. The Kings hoped to snap a five-game losing skid while the Celtics wanted to extend its winning streak to six games. Turns out, Boston got exactly what they wished for—a win over a hapless Sacramento squad.
As usual, the starting lineups were released prior to the game. The Kings went with George Hill, Garrett Temple, Willie Cauley-Stein, Bogdan Bogdanovic and Zach Randolph, whereas the Celtics selected Kyrie Irving, Jaylen Brown, Aron Baynes, Jayson Tatum and Al Horford.
Kosta Koufos hit what would’ve been his first career three-pointer, but the referee didn’t recognize it to count as three points.
The Kings trailed the Celtics by just three points (27-24) in the first quarter. Randolph had nine points while Hill scored seven points.
The Kings were losing miserably as they trailed the Celtics 58-45 at the half, but that didn’t stop the Kings’ Twitter from cracking some jokes for the fans in the third quarter.
As you can see, the Kings were down by 29 after three quarters. The Celtics’ offense kept on getting better. Brown and Irving got 22 points apiece. Irving also collected five assists. Tatum and Terry Rozier had nine points apiece.
The Kings’ Twitter displayed sportsmanship at the end of the game even though the Garden got loud after the Celtics extended their record to 6-2 with a 113-86 win over the Kings.
Kings shooting guard Buddy Hield scored 16 points off the bench at the Garden.
Notes De’Aaron Fox notched a strong performance against the Indiana Pacers Tuesday night. Fox recorded 18 points (12 in the fourth quarter), five assists, four rebounds and one steal. He also marked the third time in seven games where he’s scored 18 or more points.
“Just coming out with more energy,” Fox told the Sacramento Kings. “We talk about trying to do that in the first half and it’s harder to be done than said but it’s something that we’re going to have to do if we’re going to compete in these games.”
Up Next
The Kings (1-7) visit the Detroit Pistons (5-3) Saturday at 7 p.m. EST on NSCA and FSDT.
Sacramento Kings head coach David Joerger gestures on the sideline during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Indiana Pacers in Indianapolis, Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2017. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
By: Ana Kieu
INDIANAPOLIS — Like the other day, the Sacramento Kings suffered a 101-83 blowout loss to the Indiana Pacers at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Tuesday night.
The Kings went with a starting lineup of George Hill, Buddy Hield, Willie Cauley-Stein, Bogdan Bogdanovic and Zach Rudolph against the Pacers’ starters Darren Collison, Victor Oladipo, Domantas Sabonis, Bojan Bogdanovic and Thaddeus Young.
The Pacers jumped out to an early 11-4 lead in the first quarter. Sabonis recorded six points and eight rebounds at the 7:16 mark.
On a positive note, Bogdanovic had a clever move and finish, reducing the Pacers’ lead to 17-8 with 3:14 left in the first quarter.
The Sac Kings trailed the Pacers 24-13 at the end of the first quarter.
The Pacers offense smothered the Kings defense in the second quarter. Indiana had eight unanswered points and led Sacramento by 20 (43-23) with 4:51 left in the second quarter.
The first 24 minutes of the game were terrible for the Kings, who trailed the Pacers 55-30 at the half. Both the Kings defense and offense looked lackluster. In terms of the Pacers, Sabonis got a double-double (10 points, 11 rebounds) in the first half.
Despite the Pacers’ success on the court, Thaddeus Young didn’t take his team’s half-time lead over the Kings for granted. Young told Fox Sports Indiana, “They’re going to keep fighting, keep scratching and clawing.”
Young not taking #Pacers' big first-half lead over #Kings for granted: "They're going to keep fighting, keep scratching and clawing." pic.twitter.com/ibC0XCcmCf
This was the second of back-to-back games for both the Kings and Pacers, but Indiana continued to dominate Sacramento in the second half. They led 69-48 after three quarters.
The Pacers chased down a rebound (sound the horn!) and the Kings’ three-game road trip began with an ominous start after they got blown out 101-83 for their fifth straight loss.
Notes Kings exercised their 2018-19 options on Willie Cauley-Stein, Buddy Hield, Malachi Richardson, Skal Labissiere and Georgios Papagiannis.
Kings transferred JaKarr Simpson and Jack Cooley to the Reno Bighorns.
De’Aaron Fox scored double-digit points in five of his first seven games.
Up Next The Kings (1-6) head to TD Garden to take on the Boston Celtics (5-2) Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. EST on NBSB and NSCA.
Bradley Beal drives on Buddy Hield Photo USA Today Sports
by Charlie O. Mallonee
The Washington Wizards opened the game with the Sacramento Kings on Sunday afternoon with a 13 – 0 run. By the time Sacramento head coach Dave Joerger mercifully called timeout with 7:16 to go in the first quarter, very few in the Golden 1 Center had any doubts about how the game would finish.
By the time the final buzzer sounded 48 – minutes later, the Wizards (4-2) had handed the Kings (1-5) their third consecutive defeat 110-83. Quite possibly more important than losing three-in-a-row is the fact the Kings are 0-3 at home this season. Even for a young team – there is supposed to be some semblance of a “home court advantage”. This young edition of the Kings has not established that home court presence as of yet.
Wizards were on a mission
John Wall scored a game-high 19 points Photo USA Today Sports
Washington had been on a very tough road trip. The Wizards won the opening game of the trip in Denver, then everything fell apart in Los Angeles. After John Wall was very outspoken about the way he was going to go at Lonzo Ball, the Lakers beat the Wizards 102 – 99 in overtime. That loss led to some major headlines across the nation.
On Friday night, Washington had to face the Golden State Warriors in Oakland. The Wizards were in control of that contest until late in the game when the Warriors came alive to outscore the Wizards 33-20 in the fourth period. Golden State won the game 120 – 117.
That Warriors game also featured the “scuffle” between Draymond Green and Bradley Beal. The Wizards literally did not know until 90-minutes before the game whether Beal would be able to play or be suspended. The league chose to fine him and Beal played against the Kings.
Wizards head coach Scott Brooks made it very clear in his pregame remarks that his team had one goal and that was to finish the road trip 2 – 2. They met that goal.
The 3-point shot was the Wizards weapon of choice
Washington used the 3-point shot to perfection against the Kings on Sunday. The Wizards hit 17-of-34 3-point attempts (50-percent) in the game. That was not a franchise record. Washington has the 11th best 3-point shooting percentage in the NBA. Ironically, the team with the 12th best 3-point shooting percentage in “the Association” is the Sacramento Kings – except they shot only 27.3-percent (6-for-22) from beyond the arc on Sunday.
John Wall led the Wizards hitting 5-of-6 from downtown. Otto Potter Jr. sank three and Kelly Oubre Jr. connected on two from long range.
Every active player on the Washington roster played and scored in the game
The Wizards had 12 men on the active roster Sunday afternoon and all saw playing time against the Kings. Every Wizard scored points. John Wall scored a game-high 19-points and dished out nine assists.
Otto Porter Jr. put up 16-points and grabbed five rebounds. Bradley Beal – who in this reporter’s opinion should have been on suspension for his actions last Friday night – scored 15-points. Mike Scott added 13-points and Jodie Meeks recorded 11.
Every active player on the Kings roster played in the game
Dave Joerger planned on using a 10-man rotation on Sunday. When Garrett Temple sustained a cut over his eye, that changed the plan and all 13 Sacramento players saw time on the floor.
Bogdan Bogdanovic led the Kings in scoring with with 15-points going 7-for-9 from the field. Frank Mason III put up 11-points shooting 5-for-10 in his 21-minutes on the court. Skal Labissiere and Malachi Richardson each tallied 10 points against the Wizards.
Dave Joerger had some interesting takes on the loss to the Wizards
Wizards Head Coach Scott Brooks thoughts on the game
Scott Brooks looks on as his Wizard destroys the Kings Photo USA Today Sports
“I thought we came out defensively and contested shots and made them miss shots. We were really moving the ball well, and knocking down 3’s. It was probably the best that we’ve played on both ends of the court. Our passing, leading to open 3’s were just terrific. Hopefully, we can continue that trend. Defensive mindset was really good tonight.”
Kings management must react to the “boos” and empty seats
Kings head coach Dave Joerger made some comments in his pregame news conference about the starting lineup and roster being about player development. Everyone understands that Kings are in a “rebuilding mode” but that does not mean they will be patient if they go into a “G-League” mode. Kings fans are paying top dollar for the opportunity to see their team play at the Golden 1 Center and they expect to see their team at least be competitive on the court.
Having George Hill and Zach Randolph on the inactive list against a team like the Wizards is not putting your best product on the floor. If you want to experiment with a young, inexperienced roster, do it in Indiana or Atlanta where their fans will love the “blow out” and not feel “ripped off”. At home, the Kings need to do everything they can to win games. They owe that to their fans.
It is not acceptable to hear boos at the end of the first-half and to have a half-full arena as the second-half tips-off. Kings fans have worked too hard to keep this team in Sacramento to suffer experimental lineup after experimental lineup. Experiment on the road and be competitive at home.
Up next on the schedule
The Kings head out on the road for a three-game road that begins on Halloween in Indiana with the Pacers. Then on Wednesday, they have the back end of a back-to-back set on the road in Boston. Sacramento wraps up the road trip on Saturday in Detroit with the Pistons.
The Wizards head back to Washington and will face the Suns on Wednesday and then must get ready for the Cavs on Friday.
PHOENIX — The Sacramento Kings dropped a 117-115 decision to the Phoenix Suns at the Talking Stick Resort Arena Monday night.
The Suns fired their head coach Earl Watson after the team’s 0-3 start so far this season. Watson left the position with a 33-85 record. Shortly after, they promoted Jay Triano as an interim head coach.
The Kings, on the other hand, got blown out by the Denver Nuggets 96-79 last Saturday. So they were obviously hungry for a win.
The Suns were off to a fast start in the first quarter. They were also on fire from the three-point line. They led the Kings 36-17 after the first. Marquese Chrisse had 10 points and two rebounds.
The Kings had a rough first half. The Suns continued to bring their offense as Alex Len’s dunk was nice, but the pass from Tyler Ulis was even better. After a Kings delay of violation, TJ Warren blocked George Hill’s five-foot driving layup and then Bogdan Bogdanovic missed a 22-foot jumper.
The Kings mounted a large comeback with 34 points in the second quarter, but trailed the Suns 59-51 at the end of the first half. Despite missing an extended jumper, Bogdanovic had 13 points in 12 minutes in the second.
Troy Daniels’ three-pointer put the Suns up by nine with 3:36 left in the third quarter. Skal Labisserie made a dunk with 1:09 left in the third. However, Labisserie missed a shot as the clock winded down and the Suns held a 87-76 lead over the Kings after the third.
The Suns reached the 100-point mark when Dragan Bender made the first of two free throws with 6:35 left in the fourth quarter. Bender did end up making both free throws after Tyson Chandler entered the game to take Len’s place.
Not much luck for the Kings as Willie Cauley-Stein drew a shooting foul with 6:13 left in the third. But there was a light at the end of the tunnel as soon as Garrett Temple made a 26-foot three-pointer to pull the Kings within 10 with 5:54 left. Labisserie then entered the game for Kosta Koufos, which prompted the Suns to take a timeout.
The score reverted back to single digits (102-94) after Bogdanovic found Cauley-Stein for the dunk with 5:17 remaining. The Kings were behind the Suns until De’Aaron Fox made an eight-foot driving floating jump shot, tying the game at 112 apiece with 58 seconds left in regulation.
Though, a shot by Mike Jones put the Suns ahead 114-112 with only 14 seconds left to go. Both teams called timeouts and Devin Booker made two free throws to extend the Suns’ lead to 116-113. Yet, the Kings weren’t ready to back down as Hill responded with two of his own.
Troy Daniels added a down-to-the-wire free throw to expand the Suns’ lead to 117-115. The Suns held on for their first win of the season, a 117-115 victory, and handed the Kings their second straight loss.
Notes Bogdan Bogdanovic made his debut with the Kings.
Here’s a throwback from the Kings’ last game against the Suns in Phoenix. Skal Labissiere dropped a career-high and game-high 32 points that day.
Remember the last time the @SacramentoKings were in Phoenix? @OneBigHaitian dropped a career-high AND game-high 3⃣2⃣ points!!!
Zach Randolph scored 11 points and grabbed 9 rebounds on Saturday night Photo: USA Today
NBA teams have only a 33-percent chance of winning the second game of a back-to-back set on the road. Sacramento won in Dallas on Friday night. The odds were against them going into Denver on Saturday which is why they entered the game as a -12.5 point underdog.
When the final buzzer sounded, the Kings had lost their second game of the season as the Nuggets outscored them 96-79. Denver did not play that spectacular. They just played less sloppy than the Kings did in the game.
For all of the Sacramento rookies, this was their first back-to-back set of games on the road. Add in the fact that the game was played at “mile high” altitude” in Denver and it becomes a real learning situation. This is not an effort to make excuses for the Kings but rather an opportunity to explain the literal uphill battle they faced on Saturday night.
Rebound stats may explain the entire game
The Nuggets out-rebounded the Kings 58-39 in the game. There are very few games where a team can give up 19 more rebounds to their opponents and walk away with a victory.
When the rebounding stats are broken down even further, the impact of Denver’s efforts becomes even greater. The Nuggets pulled down 18 rebounds on offense which created 13 second chance point opportunities. Denver converted eight of the second chance situations which turned into 19 points.
The Kings had only 12 offensive rebounds that turned into 10 points. Eight of those rebounds on offense came in the second half when the Kings had a significant scoring deficit to make up so they did not have the impact they might have had earlier in the game.
The problem — tired legs. You could see that the Kings did not have the spring in their legs like they had in Dallas on Friday night. Fatigue and altitude can be brutal. Yes, the young players will to learn how to deal with these adversities, but that is why fans have been cautioned to remember this is going to be a season of learning.
Top Performances
Labissiere came off the bench to score 13 points for SAC Photo: USA Today Sports
Kings
De’Aaron Fox continued to amaze on Saturday night as he scored a team-high (tied for game-high) 18 points shooting 8-for-13 from the floor. He sank one 3-pointer, grabbed five rebounds and had one assist. He did all of that while being double-teamed by the defense much of the game.
Skal Labissiere came off the bench and brought some offense to the game for the Kings. He finished with 13 points in 25-minutes on the floor. He shot 6-for-12 including one 3-pointer. Labissiere also pulled down four rebounds and dished out four assists.
Z-Bo showed the young kids how an “O.G” plays in a back-to-back on the road. He put up 11 points in 20-minutes. He also grabbed nine rebounds (four offensive). Randolph spent much of the game being very frustrated with the officials and the lack of foul calls.
Rookie Frank Mason III played in his first NBA game and scored seven points.
Malachi Richardson saw some playing time most of which came in the fourth quarter and scored eight points.
Coach Dave Joerger used all 13 of his active players in the game on Saturday night.
Nuggets
Faried came off the bench to score 18 points for the Nuggets Photo USA Today Sports
Denver had two players who tied for team-high in scoring and game-high in scoring with De’Aaron Fox. Paul Millsap put up 18 points to go with nine rebounds. The hyperactive Kenneth Faried came off the bench to score 18 shooting 7-for-10.
Guard Gary Harris scored 17 points going 7-for-11 from the field including three 3-pointers. Early in the game, he just broke loose and worked the backdoor for easy buckets under the basket.
Will Barton quietly scored 15 points for the Nuggets. He shot 6-for-13 overall and went 3-for-8 from 3-point land.
Team Performances
It was not a beautiful game for either team.
Sacramento (1-2)
The Kings shot just 36.6-percent (31-for-85) for the game. They went just 8-for-23 (34.8-percent) from beyond the 3-point arc.
Free throw opportunities were in short supply again on Saturday night. SAC went to the line just 13 times in the game and hit nine of those opportunities. They have to increase the number of free throw attempts per game.
They dished out 15 assists but turned it over 14 times which resulted in 19 Denver points. That ratio is not acceptable.
Rebounding — that has already been discussed.
Denver (1-1)
The Nuggets shot an acceptable 43.5-percent (37-for-85) from field. They hit 10-of-30 3-point opportunities (33.3-percent).
Denver went 12-for-20 from the charity stripe.
Their 58-39 rebound advantage really made the difference in the game for the Nuggets.
The Nuggets distributed 25 assists and turned the ball over 16 times. Those TOVs resulted in 13 points for the Kings.
Up next
Sacramento
The Kings will have Sunday off in the Valley of the Sun and then will face the 0-3 Phoenix Suns on Monday night. The Suns lost to the Clippers in Los Angeles on Saturday night 130-88. FiveThirtyEight.com gives the Suns a 66-percent chance to win the game. They make Phoenix -4-point favorite.
Denver
The Nuggets will return to action on Wednesday in Charlotte versus the Hornets. Denver is a 2.5-point underdog according FiveThirtyEight.
Final Note
Denver head coach Michael Malone Photo USA Today Sports
The rivalry between Denver and Sacramento because they are facing former Kings coach Michael Malone is officially over. No player on the Kings roster was ever coached by Malone. Wow! How quickly things can change in the NBA.
George Hill was the Kings scoring leader with 21 points Photo: USA Today Sports
Sacramento won the game because they played with intensity
Nothing may illustrate that point more than the sequence that took place with 34.1-seconds left to play in the game and the Kings leading 89-86. Zach Randolph missed a 16-foot fadeaway jump shot. Buddy Hield made a hustle rebound under the basket to keep the possession alive for Sacramento. George Hill ultimately hit a 17-foot jumper that for all intensive purposes sealed the win for the Kings.
This was a game of runs
In the second quarter, the Mavs went on a 12-0 run to go up 38-26 and it looked like Kings were going to be in real trouble on the road before halftime. The Kings woke up and went on to outscore the Mavericks 20-8 in the final 5:22 of the period. George Hill was the leader with help from Z-Bo, Cauley-Stein and Buddy Hield.
Sacramento came back to floor ready to go after halftime. They won the 3rd quarter by posting 25 points to just 14 for Dallas. Buddy Hield led the scoring barrage with eight points while Hill added seven points and Randolph put up six. The Kings went into the 4th quarter with a 71-60 lead.
Another run started immediately at the beginning of the final quarter. Unfortunately for the Kings, it was the Mavericks who went on an 11-0 run to take a 72-71 lead with 9:38 to go in the game. Dirk Nowitzki — yes the old guy — and J.J. Barea were the players who fueled the run for Dallas.
The Kings retook the lead when Skal Labissiere hit a 19-foot jumper (assist Fox) at 8:46 to make it a 73-72 game. The Kings would never relinquish the lead again in the contest. They did not have an easy time in those final minutes but they played them with a lead.
Top Performers
Zach “Z-Bo” Randolph made his presence known in Dallas Photo: USA Today Sports
Sacramento
George Hill was the man again on Saturday night with 21 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals. He shot 9-for-12 from the floor and was a perfect 3-for-3 from beyond the 3-point line.
Zach Randolph got the start at center in Dallas after having to miss the home opener due to oral surgery. Z-Bo showed off his toughness on both ends of the court as he scored 13 points and grabbed 6 rebounds. Three of those rebounds came on offense — think second chance point opportunities.
Buddy Hield recorded 13 points and 6 rebounds but it was that one offensive rebound with under a minute to go in the game that was really clutch. He did not have a great shooting night going 4-for-11 from the floor (1-for-6 for 3’s). Hield was a perfect 4-for-4 from the free throw line. He also dished out 3 assists.
Willie Cauley-Stein or maybe we should call him “Mr. Double-Double”. He scored 10 points and hauled in 11 rebounds for his second consecutive double-double game.
“The Fox” was hot again on Friday night. How about 10 assists in the game coming off the bench? He scored 9 points, had 6 rebounds and 1 steal in 26-minutes on the floor.
Other contributors: Labissiere 8 points + 5 rebounds, Temple 8 points + 6 rebounds, Vince Carter 6 points, Koufos 3 points + 5 rebounds and Justin Jackson 2 points + 4 rebounds.
Dallas
Top scorer for his team and the game — Harrison Barnes 24 points on 8-for-18 shooting.
Yogi Ferrell hit some key baskets to keep his team in the contest and finished with 14 points.
Dorian Finney-Smith scored 14 points coming off the bench and was a big factor late in the game.
J.J. Barea — who started at point guard because Dennis Smith, Jr. was held out due to swelling in a knee — scored 9 points and distributed 10 assists.
Dirk Nowitzki — first vice president of AARP — played 29-minutes scoring 10 points and pulling down 9 rebounds. He really is my hero.
Team Stats
Mr. Double-Double Willie Cauley-Stein Photo: USA Today Sports
Kings
SAC shot 42.5-percent from the field (37-for-87)
They hit 10-of-23 from 3-point range. That is 43.5-percent shooting. Joerger has to pleased with that.
The Kings made 9-of-13 free throw attempts. They had only 10 attempts versus Houston. The 13 on Friday was an improvement but that total needs to get up into the 20s.
Kings out-rebounded the Mavs 57-36. More importantly, they owned the offensive glass 16-7.
The team had 20 assists and 14 turnovers giving up 14 points off those TOVs.
Second Chance Points Kings 14 vs Mavericks 6
Dallas
The Mavericks shot 41.3-percent from the field (31-for-75)
They were 11-for-33 (33.3-percent) from beyond the arc
Dallas went to the FT line 21 times and converted 15 of those attempts
The Mavs posted 19 assists while turning the ball over 12 times (6 points for Kings)
Both teams play Saturday night on the road
Sacramento
The Kings (1-1) head north and will play at a “Mile High” in Denver when they will face the 0-1 Nuggets. This will be the first road back-to-back set for the Kings rookies. Denver is 0-1 this season. Game time is 6 p.m. PDT.
Dallas
The 0-2 Mavericks will head south to face the 2-0 Houston Rockets in their home opener. They will not have to see Chris Paul who will be out 2-4 weeks due to his knee injury.
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