Sacramento Kings – Page 114 – Sports Radio Service

Kings: the search for a starting point guard

Published on July 1, 2016 by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment

ronnie-price-seth-curry — Seth Curry runs the offense for the Kings

By Charlie O. Mallonee

Now that the draft is over, the Kings have started the search for their bench players. The real search is for who is going to play point guard and who can help the team at shooting guard.

The point guard situation has become clouded because of the situation with Darren Collison. Unfortunately, Collison has been indicted in a domestic violence case and will almost certainly face a suspension from the NBA related to the situation. When Collison will be available to play for the Kings is a major unknown at this point.

Last season’s starting point guard – Rajon Rondo – is a free agent and had a very productive year for Sacramento. The consensus is that Rondo would be open to signing another short-term contact of one to two years to stay in with the Kings. Sacramento does not have “Bird Rights” on Rondo so his salary would have to come out of this year’s cap money.

The big question is – do you want Rondo at the point again this season? There is no doubt that Rondo can produce assists and is capable of scoring in spurts. There is also no question that he will not provide the team with the type of defense the Kings are looking to establish this season.

Rondo has also become a target of the Brooklyn Nets who are looking to replace Jarrett Jack. There have to be other teams who are looking at what Rondo did last season and are thinking that he would be worth offering a big dollar-short term contract for that type of potential production for a season or two.

Who does that leave for the Kings to target for the point guard position? Ricky Rubio of the Timberwolves appears to have become expendable with Minnesota drafting Kris Dunn. Rubio averages 10.1 points and 8.3 assists per game. A trade would be necessary to bring Rubio to Sacramento. The Kings do have Kosta Koufos and Ben McLemore that could be packaged in a possible exchange. The key worry involving Rubio would be his history of injuries.

Jeremy Lin is an unrestricted free agent who spent last season in Charlotte. He averaged 11.7 points and 3.0 assists per game. Lin made $2-million last season but he will want a raise this year and some security. UPDATE: Lin signed a three-year, $36-million deal with the Brooklyn Nets. That is a $10-million a year raise over his last contract. The Lin signing also potentially affects the Rajon Rondo situation.

Ty Lawson has experience and has been a major disappointment in his last two stops in Houston and Indiana. He also earned over $12-million last season.

Mario Chalmers played for Joerger in Memphis averaging 10.3 points and 3.8 assists per game but then was waived by the club. He made just over $4-million last year.

Ish Smith has become a legitimate starter in the league for the Sixers. He averaged 12.6 points and 6.5 assists per game. Smith will certainly want a raise from his $1.1-million salary. Also is he willing to go from one bad team to another just for the money? UPDATE: Smith signed a three-year,$18-million contract with the Detroit Pistons on Friday.

The best option for the Kings may be to re-sign Seth Curry, the combo point/shooting guard who came on strong for the team in closing days of last season. The team has given Curry – a restricted free agent – a qualifying offer so they have the opportunity to match or exceed any offer Curry would receive from another team.

This would mean the Kings would have to start the season with Curry and rookie Isaiah Cousins while they wait for the Collison situation to play itself out. It would allow the Kings to spend money on shooting guards that they so desperately need plus one of those shooting guards might be able to play some limited time at the point.

The Kings may well need to embrace “positionless” basketball to compensate for the lack of a star point guard. Former head coach George Karl said the best passer on the Kings is DeMarcus Cousins. Maybe the offense will need to flow through the high post until the point guard situation can be firmed up.

The worst thing the Kings could do right now is make a knee-jerk decision and spend too much on a player that they might not need later in the season or in seasons to come.

Wrapping up the Kings 2016 draft

Published on June 25, 2016June 25, 2016 by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment

By Charlie O. Mallonee

Sacramento – This is going to be a vain attempt to wrap up the 2016 NBA Draft for the Sacramento Kings. The one thing we have come to expect from the Kings ownership and management is lots of surprises. They did not disappoint on Thursday night. What looked like a simple two pick night turned into a four selection event that has had the basketball world talking all day and not necessarily in a good way.

Pick Number 59

The Kings had the next to last pick in the draft. With that selection, they chose guard Isaiah Cousins (no relation to DeMarcus) of the Oklahoma Sooners. Cousins is a four-year player who helped his Sooner team make it to the Final Four of the 2016 NCAA Tournament. He showed his versatility moving from shooting guard to point guard as a senior.

As a senior at Oklahoma, Cousins averaged 12.6 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game. He shot 40.8-percent from the floor and 41.1-percent from beyond the 3-point arc. Cousins averaged 1.4 steals per game.

At 6-foot-5 and 191 pounds, Cousins has excellent size for a point guard. Scouts say he knows how to use his size to create scoring opportunities for himself and his teammates. He is used to pushing the ball from running the up tempo Oklahoma offense. Cousins needs to improve his shot selection decisions and reduce his tendency to over penetrate the lane. He also needs to improve his free throw shooting.

Draft analysts like this selection by the Kings because it definitely fills a need. With Rondo’s status up in the air and Collison’s immediate future under the control of the courts, the Kings need point guards. If Cousins plays well in the Summer League, he has an excellent chance of winding up with a guaranteed contract.

Kings fans also remember a point guard named Isaiah that Sacramento drafted with the 60^th pick that worked out pretty well. Unfortunately, Isaiah Thomas is now in Boston but he was an All-star last season.

Remember the name Bogdan Bogdanovic

One of the reasons the Kings made the trade for the eighth pick in draft with the Phoenix Suns was Bogdan Bogdanovic. In return, the Kings received the number 13 and 28 picks in the draft and the signing rights to Bogdanovic who the Suns drafted with the 27^th selection in 2014.

Bogdanovic is from Serbia and plays basketball professionally in Turkey. The 6-foot-6 shooting guard had just informed the Suns that he would not be signing with them for the 2016-17 season. By waiting one more season, Bogdanovic will not be subject to the rookie salary limitations of the NBA. With his skill and experience, he may well be able to negotiate a “max” contract for a player of 0-6 years of experience.

For the Kings, Bogdanovic represents their 2017 first-round draft pick. Sacramento is still subject to losing their first-round selection to the Chicago Bulls in 2017 unless it is pick 1-10. Of course, the Kings are hoping to be playoff team and not a lottery pick team next season, so they had to make plans that would protect them should they not have a first-round selection next year. The rights to Bogdanovic is that protection.

“We got the rights to one of the best European players in Eastern Europe that Phoenix drafted a couple of years ago. Next year we are probably not going to have a pick because it is 1 to 10 protected by Chicago so I tried to think about next year too,” said Kings vice-president of operations/general manager Vlade Divac. “He’s definitely one of the best European player.”

Reactions to the Picks

Some analysts have been very critical of the Kings trading the eighth pick to Phoenix and passing on power forward Marquese Chriss. Chriss had been projected to go as high as third fell to number eight. The Kings do need help at the four spot but Chriss is a project that may be three to four years away from being a real impact player. At this point in time, the Kings are not a very patient team.

Georgios Papagiannis Round 1 Pick 13

The reaction to this pick has been harsh. Most of the criticism has centered on taking Papagiannis with the number 13 pick. Many of the analysts believe that the big man would have been available later in the draft which would have allowed the Kings to have addressed more pressing needs with this selection.

There have also been questions as to why draft another classic center which is exactly what Papagiannis is as a player. The Kings already have DeMarcus Cousins, Willie Cauley-Stein and Kosta Koufos who play center.

This reporter is going to suggest that this is a selection for next year and beyond. DeMarcus Cousins will be a King for the 2016-17 season. Will he be with the Kings in after next season? Probably not. It will be the final year of his contract and the chances of him resigning in Sacramento are really “slim to none”. The Kings cannot afford to let their most valuable asset just walk away. A trade on or just before draft day next year is a very real possibility. At that point, the Kings may need a 7-foot-2 center who can fill the lane.

Malachi Richardson Round 1 Pick 22

This is the pick that does not yet officially exist. The Kings will trade guard Marco Belinelli to the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for the number 22 pick Malachi Richardson. Richardson is a shooting guard out of Syracuse with good size who is an aggressive offensive player. The trade cannot become official until July 1^st.

Reaction to the selection of Richardson has been very positive. Most analyst see him as being exactly the type of player the Kings have looking for at shooting guard. He is a good athlete who can score points in bunches. Richardson can also shoot the 3-pointer.

Skal Labissiere Round 1 Pick 28

The University of Kentucky connection continues. Labissiere is a “one and done” Wildcat that drew the attention of scouts from the beginning of the college basketball season last fall. Before we continue, no this selection was not part of a ploy to bring John Calipari to Sacramento. Please put that conspiracy to bed.

At one point, Labissiere was seen a lottery pick by many draft watchers. His troubles adjusting to the college game and the tough coaching style of John Calipari caused his stock to begin to drop. Labissiere’s inability to stay out of foul trouble on the defensive end also raised some red flags for many player personnel people.

Even with those difficulties, Labissiere is an intriguing prospect because of the natural talent he possesses. He did not play organized basketball until coming to the United States following the 2010 earthquake in Haiti. In many ways, he is still learning the game. Labissiere is a project but to be fair most first-round picks in the NBA Draft are projects at this point.

Labissiere is quick and athletic for a big man. He can run the floor like a guard (think Willie Cauley-Stein). Even though he did not show it much at Kentucky, Labissiere has a nice touch shooting the 3-pointer. For the reason, look for him to be used as a power forward/stretch four in the Kings line up.

“We were really surprised that Skal fell to 28^th and that talent you couldn’t pass,” explained Vlade Divac.

What is to come

At the conclusion of the draft, Vlade Divac expressed that there is a lot of work left to do for the Kings. “This just the first step. Like I said, free agency is coming. We have summer league. We have two or three months before we assemble our team.

SAC drafts a wing at 22 and forward at 28

Published on June 23, 2016June 23, 2016 by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment

By Charlie O. Mallonee

Sacramento – The Kings directly addressed one of their major needs with the 22^nd selection of the NBA Draft by taking shooting guard/small forward Malachi Richardson of Syracuse University. Richardson is seen as having the size, length and athleticism needed to be a wing player in the NBA. The Kings need have more production from the wing so this would seem like a good match.

Richardson will have no trouble adjusting to the NBA stage after playing in the pressure packed ACC. He was selected to the ACC All-Freshman team. Richardson was also a part the Orange team that became the first number 10 seed in the NCAA Tournament to reach the Final Four since the expansion to 64 teams in 1985.

Richardson started all 37 games for Syracuse in 2015-16. He averaged 13.4 points, 4.3 rebounds and 34.4 minutes per game. He shot 36.9-percent from the field and 35.3-percent from 3-point range. Richardson is a 72-percent free throw shooter and averages 2.1 assists per game.

Scouts see Richardson as versatile scorer who can put the ball on the floor and who can also shoot for range. He can also work his way to the rim and finish through contact.

With the number 28 pick, the Kings went big again and back to Kentucky once more by selecting Skal Labissiere. Labissiere is a 6-11, 225 pound forward/center. He was projected as a number 15 or higher pick in many of the mock drafts.

Labissiere appeared in all 36 games for Kentucky and started in 18 of those contests. He averaged 15.8 minutes, 6.6 points, and 3.1 rebounds per game. Labissiere had a field goal percentage of 51.6 and a 66.1 free throw percentage.

Labissiere was the target of some criticism for underperforming last season. Still others criticized Coach Calipari for not using Labissiere correctly to get the most out of his skills.

Labissiere is quick and athletic. He runs the floor well. On defense, he is a stong shot blocker and help defender. As far as improving his game, Labissiere needs to cut down on the personal fouls, and he needs to get tougher especially under the basket.

Labissiere said that Coach Calipari told him his Kentucky teammates, “they are our brothers. They will look out for me.” It cannot hurt to have DeMarcus Cousins and Willie Cauley-Stein watch your back when you are a 20-year old rookie in NBA.

Dave Joerger hired as Kings head coach

Published on May 9, 2016May 9, 2016 by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment

by Charlie O. Mallonee

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings have reached agreement with former Memphis Grizzlies head coach Dave Joerger to become the new head coach of the Kings. Joerger was fired by Memphis on Saturday.

According to reports, the Kings sent a private jet to fly Joerger and his family to Sacramento. Joerger met with vice president and general manager Vlade Divac on Sunday and with owner Vivek Ranadive on Monday.

The contract is supposedly a three-year deal worth $12 million. There is reportedly a team option for a fourth year worth an additional $4 million.

“I am thrilled to welcome Dave to the Sacramento Kings,” said Divac. “He is a strong and passionate leader with a proven track record of producing results. Dave shares our focus on creating a long-term culture of winning and I look forward to a bright future ahead for the Kings with his leadership on the court.”

Joerger was the head coach in Memphis for three seasons. His teams were known for their tenacious, physical defense that would break down the opposition. Based on past track records, Joerger is a 180-degree opposite in coaching style from George Karl. Expect Joerger to be a defense first type coach.

Joerger has been coaching professionally since 1997. He paid his dues coaching in the minor leagues in the International Basketball Association, the Continental Basketball Association and the NBA Development League. Joerger spent six seasons as an assistant coach in Memphis working primarily as a defensive specialist before ascending to the head coaching position.

The Kings Rudy Gay played for Memphis when Joerger was an assistant for the Grizzlies.

Joerger posted a record of 147-99 in his three seasons as head coach in Memphis. His teams made the playoffs all three seasons. The team’s best playoff finish was when they made it into the conference semi-finals in 2015.

Kings: new building, new attitude, new logo

Published on April 26, 2016 by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment

by Charlie O. Mallonee

The Sacramento Kings unveiled their new logo package today at an event held at outside the new Golden 1 Center. This is the first update of the corporate logos since 1994.

The new logos pay tribute to the logos of the Cincinnati Royals, Kansas City Kings and the original Sacramento Kings but retains the royal purple color that was established in 1994.

“When the Kings moved to Sacramento in 1985, the city was transformed. Today, we aim to do it again,” said Owner and Chairman Vivek Ranadive. “This brand kicks off a new era for our franchise as we move into the most technologically-advanced, most environmentally-friendly arena in the world. As Sacramento becomes the next great American city, this identity honors our heritage while moving us forward.”

Some of the Kings thunder was stolen by sportslogos.net who revealed the designs on Saturday on their website. Sportslogos.net discovered the logos when the NBA filed for copyright protection in Europe. The website was not able to disclose the color scheme for the logos because the copyright filing only had to reveal the logo design in black and while.

For fans who just cannot wait to have the latest Kings gear, items with the new logo designs are available online today.

Report: Seth Curry to turn down option with Kings

Published on April 22, 2016April 22, 2016 by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment

by Charlie O. Mallonee

The Vertical from Yahoo Sports is reporting that Seth Curry is planning to decline his player-controlled option with the Sacramento Kings for the 2016-17 season. Curry has until Saturday to finalize his decision.

If Curry does not exercise his $1-million option, it does not automatically mean he will not be with the Kings next season. By declining the option, Curry would become a restricted free agent. Curry would be free to negotiate a contract with another team but the Kings would have the right to match any offer.

Curry’s stock rose late in the season as his playing time increased. He proved his value as a 3-point shooter and a back-up point guard. Curry’s late season success had some asking why the Kings had not used him more earlier in the campaign.

Curry appeared in 44 games for the Kings averaging 6.8 points and 1.5 assists per game. He averaged 15.2 points per game over the team’s final 11 games.

It’s official: the George Karl era has ended

Published on April 14, 2016April 15, 2016 by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment

by Charlie O. Mallonee

SACRAMENTO–In the worst kept personnel move ever, the Sacramento Kings have fired head coach and future Hall of Famer George Karl. Multiple media sources – including this one – had been reporting that Karl would be dismissed since Wednesday morning.

The termination comes as no surprise to anyone who has been following the Kings for the past 18 months. DeMarcus Cousins did not want the team to hire Karl in the first place. Karl was almost fired over the summer for trying initiate a trade for Cousins, and vice president and general manager Vlade Divac wanted to terminate Karl in February when the team was in midst of turmoil. This was a relationship that was doomed from the very beginning.

“After evaluating the team’s performance this season, I determined it was necessary to move forward with a new voice from the head coaching position,” said Divac. “I have a great deal of respect and admiration for George and his accomplishments throughout his nearly 30 years in the NBA. On behalf of everyone in the Kings organization, I thank him for the contributions made during his time in Sacramento and wish him good fortune in the future.”

This will be the first time the Vivek Ranadive ownership group has a head of basketball operations in place before hiring a head coach. Michael Malone and George Karl were hired before the general manager was in place and the results have been disastrous and resulted in both coaches being fired.

There have been reports that the minority owners have been upset over the handling of the hiring and firing coaches by Ranadive. For instance, Karl walks away with a reported $6.5-million due him for the remainder of his contract. Investors hate to pay “dead money” to anyone knowing they will have to pay out big dollars to the new coach that takes Karl’s place.

The assumption is that Divac will have heavy input into the hiring of the next coach. Not that Ranadive will be left out of process but he will probably allow the experts to do their job in order to avoid another hiring fiasco.

The coaching merry-go-round has become a joke in the national press that covers the NBA. Ryen Rusillo of ESPN Radio spent almost five minutes decrying the coaching situation in Sacramento as ridiculous during his nationwide show on Wednesday. That is just one example of ridicule that is being flung at the Kings organization’s inability to hire and retain a head coach.

Hiring the right coach for this situation is critical. First, the coach must be able to adapt to the direction of the team as set by Divac who is said to want a more defensive approach on the floor. Secondly, the new head man (or woman) must be able to adapt to the available personnel. Finally, DeMarcus Cousins must buy in on whoever the Kings want to hire. That is not a good thing for management but they have empowered Cousins and will have to obtain his cooperation to make it work for the next coach.

Some of the names that are being floated are coaches with experience. Ex-Houston coach Kevin McHale, ex-Phoenix coach Jeff Hornacek, former Bulls and Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro, ex-Cleveland coach David Blatt, former Warriors head man Mark Jackson and Charlotte assistant coach Patrick Ewing have been mentioned as possible candidates for the job. The search will also include top assistant coaches from around the league who are looking for their first job as a head coach.

The names of Tom Thibodeau and Scott Brooks have come up but both are expected to take higher profile jobs.

The interview process is expected to take some time because the Kings cannot afford to make another major hiring mistake as they move into the new arena.

Reports have Karl being fired by Kings on Thursday

Published on April 13, 2016April 13, 2016 by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment

by Charlie O. Mallonee

The Sacramento Bee and other news organizations are reporting that Kings head coach George Karl will be fired on Thursday when the team returns home from Houston. Sports Radio Service’s Kings Podcast predicted that Karl would not be retained as head coach based on his statements in the pregame and post-game news conferences on Saturday.

Karl has been on the “hot seat” since last summer when he sent up some trial balloons about possible trades for All-Star center DeMarcus Cousins. Reports had majority owner Vivek Ranadive wanting to dismiss Karl at that time.

Karl was also rumored to be close to termination in November following a confrontation with Cousins in the locker room after a game. Karl wanted Cousins suspended for two games but was overruled by vice president and general manager Vlade Divac.

Cousins was suspended for one game without pay in early March following a tirade during a timeout aimed at Karl (stop me if you are seeing a pattern here).

That fact is Cousins was against the Karl hiring from the beginning. Reports had Cousins “camp” telling management they thought Karl was not a good fit for the team and Cousins. The chances of a working relationship between coach and player was doomed from the beginning.

Karl is still owed $6.5-million from the 4-year contract he signed in 2015. He will be the fourth head coach to be fired by the Kings under the Vivek Ranadive ownership group.

League sources – speaking under the condition of anonymity – have indicated the Kings are interested in several people to take Karl’s place. The usual suspects of Tom Thibodeau and Scott Brooks have been named and are reportedly not interested in Sacramento.

Other names that are being floated include Vinny Del Negro, Boston Celtics assistant Jay Larranaga, ex-Cleveland Cavaliers coach David Blatt, Atlanta Hawks assistant Kenny Atkinson, ex-Phoenix Suns coach Jeff Hornacek, Charlotte Hornets assistant Patrick Ewing and ex-Houston Rockets coach Kevin McHale. Ironically, Del Negro was in Sacramento on Saturday night for the Kings final game in the old arena.

No matter who the Kings settle on as their next head coach, if DeMarcus Cousins does not buy in on the choice then Sacramento had better looking for their fifth head coach. That is a horrible situation to be in but the Kings created the problem when they allowed Cousins to become more important than his coach.

Curry’s first double double leads to Kings’ win in Phoenix

Published on April 11, 2016April 11, 2016 by Michael MartinezLeave a comment

by Michael Martinez

picture credit Robin Hagy Photography

SACRAMENTO- It all came down to free throws at the end of the game. Fortunately, the end of the game was not constantly fouling the Kings, who gave up a 15 point lead they had early in the fourth quarter.

The Kings even had a seven point lead within a minute to play, but the Suns never quit. Phoenix would cut the lead down to two with 21 seconds left in regulation. Ben McLemore got to the line where he missed both free throws and gave the Suns some hope to tie it up. Luckily, rookie sensation Devin Booker missed a jumper and James Anderson got the rebound and got to the line. Anderson made them both to put the Kings up by four. After a couple of free throws by Quincy Acy to maintain their four point lead with three seconds to go. The Kings picked up win number 33, 105-101.

Without DeMarcus Cousins and Rajon Rondo, Seth Curry and Kosta Koufos stepped up in a huge way. Curry got his first career double double in the ball game with 20 points and 15 assists. Curry made some outstanding passes as he drove to the hoop and broke down the defense. On 8-14 from the field and 3-6 from beyond the arc, Curry continues to be an effective scorer. One of those threes he juked his defender, made a spin move and knocked down the shot. Curry is solidifying himself with his recent play and the Kings’ decision to sign him has paid off. Hopefully he will continue to develop and make an impact for this team who might not retain Rondo after this offseason.

As DMC sat out, the Kings lost his 26.9 points per game but Koufos did a good job on the offensive end with 19 points and eight boards. Gay chipped in 15 points and although McLemore missed two late free throws, he added 14 points of his own.

The Kings turned the ball over 19 times, which led to 27 points for the Suns. Phoenix also out rebounded Sacramento, 51-40. Phoenix grabbed 17 offensive rebounds and they scored 17 second chance points. Their turnovers and a bit lack of size almost cost Sacramento the game, but the Kings shooting 49.3% led to their victory.

Sacramento will finish their season on the road in Houston against the Rockets. Cousins will once again not play, so expect Koufos to get playing time once again. And whether or not Rondo plays, Curry must get more minutes in the season finale to to see his development as he continues to set career highs.

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

Published on April 10, 2016April 10, 2016 by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment

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 32^nd 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.