Sacramento Kings – Page 127 – Sports Radio Service

Cleveland hands the Kings their eighth consecutive loss, 101-90

Published on January 30, 2015 by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment

by Charlie O. Mallonee

The Sacramento Kings went into Cleveland looking for their first win of the shortened three game road trip. They did not get the win as the Cavaliers beat the Kings 101-90. For Cleveland (28-20), it was their ninth consecutive win. For Sacramento (16-29), it was their eighth consecutive loss.

Earlier in the day, it appeared that Cleveland would have to play without LeBron James who was nursing an injured right wrist. James was able to start the game but was obviously not playing at 100-percent. Even playing hurt, James was able to put up 19 points to go with three rebounds, seven assists, four steals and two blocked shots in 33 minutes of playing time.

The game opened with James creating a turnover and then going coast-to-coast for the first score of the contest.

The Kings were victimized by another stellar performance in a single quarter. This time it was Kevin Love who scored 16 points in the opening period on just nine shots. Love went for seven for nine from the field and two for three from beyond the 3-Point line. He finished the game with a double-double (23 points, 10 rebounds).

“It was like we were a step slow. They were aggressive,” said Kings Head Coach Tyrone Corbin. “They were doubling DeMarcus in the post early. We got a little impatient at times … turned the ball over. We never got a good rhythm offensively.”

The Kings turned the ball over 16 times allowing 18 points off of those miscues. As a team, Sacramento tallied only 15 assists. With that kind of assist to turnover ratio, a team cannot expect to record wins in the NBA.

Sacramento shot just 35.7-percent (30 for 84) from the floor. They were a pitiful three for 18 (16.7-percent) from beyond the 3-Point arc.

Newly minted All-Star DeMarcus Cousins led the Kings scoring with 21 points and 13 rebounds – his 27th double-double of the season. Rudy Gay put up 20 points, Darren Collison (11 points) and Ben McLemore (6 points) both had very quiet scoring nights. Omri Casspi led the scoring off the bench with 15 points against his former team.

Tyrone Corbin emptied his bench with 7:27 to go in the game. That unit made up of Ryan Hollins, Quincy Miller, Nik Stauskas, Ray McCallum and Casspi surprised the Cavs second unit closing the scoring gap and forcing Irving and James to reenter the contest to stop the Kings run.

“I thought that group at the end played with a lot of energy to give us a chance,” said Corbin of his substitutes.

The Cavaliers shot 47.5-percent (38 for 80) from the field and were 11 for 31 (35.5-percent) from 3-Point land. Cleveland did struggle from the free throw line going 14 for 24 (63.6-percent).

After the game, DeMarcus Cousins told reporters his team is having trouble adjusting to the pace of play. “Guys are lost,” said Cousins.

The Kings flew to Indianapolis after the game where they will play the Pacers on Saturday night. Cleveland will play Minnesota in Minneapolis tomorrow evening.

From the Notebook

DeMarcus Cousins was named to the Western Conference All-Star team by Commissioner Adam Silver. Cousins replaces the injured Kobe Bryant on the roster.

The Kings have signed forward Quincy Miller to a second 10 day contract. Miller comes to Sacramento from their D-League affiliate in Reno.

Cousins will be an All-Star after all

Published on January 30, 2015 by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment

by Charlie O. Mallonee

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has selected DeMarcus Cousins to replace Kobe Bryant on the Western Conference All-Star team. Bryant will miss the remainder of the season due to a torn rotator cuff.

Cousins is the first Kings player named to the All-Star team since Brad Miller and Peja Stojakovic represented Sacramento in 2004. He is the sixth Sacramento King to play in the game and the 23rd player in franchise history to be named an All-Star.

“I’m extremely excited to play in my first All-Star game. I appreciate the recognition and want to thank my teammates and the fans for their support throughout the season,” said Cousins. “Representing the Kings and the city of Sacramento is a great honor.”

“Everyone in the Kings organization is thrilled for DeMarcus and happy that his diligence and commitment to becoming the best player he can be has been recognized,” said Kings General Manager Pete D’Alessandro.

Kings Head Coach Tyrone Corbin added, “This honor is a result of the hard work and determination DeMarcus has shown throughout the season.”

Cousins is averaging 23.8 points per game to go with 12.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists,1.38 steals and 1.63 blocks in 33.8 minutes of average playing time. Cousins is fourth in the NBA in double-doubles (26), fifth in scoring and third in rebounding.

The 63rd NBA All-Star Game will be played on Sunday, February 15th at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

Kings vs. Knicks game postponed ; Quincy Miller to stay another 10 days

Published on January 26, 2015January 26, 2015 by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment

by Charlie O. Mallonee

Update: The NBA has confirmed the postponing of the Kings – Knicks game tonight in New York City. The game has been rescheduled for Tuesday, March 3rd at Madison Square Garden. That will create back-to-back road games for the Kings. Sacramento will play Spurs in San Antonio on Wednesday, March 4th.

Sacramento Kings television broadcaster Grant Napear has sent a Tweet stating that tonight’s Kings – Knicks game has been postponed due the expected blizzard that will be impacting the New York City area this afternoon. According to Napear, no make up date has been established.

The New York Post newspaper is also reporting the Sacramento – New York Knicks has been postponed.

Quincy Miller

The Sacramento Bee is reporting forward Quincy Miller has been signed to a second 10 day contract. Miller scored 13 points to go with six rebounds, two blocked shots and two steals versus the Golden State Warriors on Friday night.

Miller is filling the 15th spot on the Kings roster. Sacramento may need a forward on a full-time basis if Jason Thompson or Derrick Williams are moved before the trade deadline. Both Thompson and Williams have been the subject of trade rumors.

Klay Thompson and Warriors crush the Kings 126-101

Published on January 23, 2015January 23, 2015 by Charlie O. Mallonee1 Comment

by Charlie O. Mallonee

On Friday night in Oakland, it was Klay Thompson’s world and the rest of us were allowed to live in it.

Thompson did something against the Kings that no player had done in the history of the NBA. He scored 37 points in the third quarter of the game. No player in “the Association” has ever scored that many points in a quarter before Thompson did it on Friday night.

Not only did Thompson score 37 points in the third quarter, he was a perfect 13 for 13 from the field including nine 3-Pointers. Thompson scored 52 points for the game and he sat on the bench for most of the fourth quarter. He finished with 11 3-Point baskets just one short of Kobe Bryant’s NBA record of 12 3-Pointers in a game.

The Golden State Warriors (36-6) rode Thompson’s coattails to a 126-101 win over the Sacramento Kings (16-27).

Marreese Speights put up 19 for the Warriors off the bench to go with 11 from Draymond Green and 10 from Stephen Curry.

Golden State shot 47.9-percent (45 for 94) from the field while going 17 for 40 (42.5-percent) from beyond the 3-Point arc. They were 19 for 22 (86.4-percent) from the free throw line.

The Kings were led in scoring by DeMarcus Cousins’ 28 points in 35 minutes of playing time. Darren Collison added 15 points, Quincy Miller 13, Nik Stauskas 11. Rudy Gay was held scoreless after he was ejected from the game for back-to-back technical fouls at the 8:15 mark of the second quarter.

Sacramento shot 41.5-percent (34 for 82) from the floor and 23.5-percent (4 for 17) from 3-Point range. The Kings shot 85.3-percent (29 for 34) from the charity stripe.

Neither team took good care of the ball. The Warriors turned the ball over 18 times (21 points) while the Kings gave the ball back 22 times (21 points).

Golden State out-rebounded Sacramento 46 to 43.

The Warriors threatened to runaway with the game in the first quarter when they went on a 20-2 run. The Kings did not give up and closed the gap to just nine points by the end of the quarter.

The Kings continued to chip away at the Warriors in the second quarter even after Gay’s ejection. Sacramento took advantage of a cold shooting streak by the Warriors to cut the lead to just five points (56-51) at the half.

The Kings opened the third quarter with an 8-0 run and took the lead 58-56. Moments later Klay Thompson caught fire and literally history was made on the court.

The Kings have now lost six consecutive games. They are 0-3 versus the Warriors this season. Sacramento is now 0-1 on their five game road trip.

Up next:

Kings at New York Knicks on Monday 1/26

Boston visits Golden State on Sunday 1/25

Kings Can’t Close Out Portland, Drop Fourth Straight.

Published on January 19, 2015 by swhelchLeave a comment

By Shawn Whelchel

The Kings couldn’t hold on to a fourth quarter lead Monday night, as the Portland Trail Blazers completed their late comeback to hand Sacramento a 98-94 loss.

The Kings, who have now dropped four in a row, held a 87-86 lead with a little over 2 and-a-half minutes to go in the fourth. But Portland’s Damian Lillard lead the late charge, dumping in 6 of his 22 points in the last 90 seconds of play to secure the win.

Portland left the door open for a late Sacramento tie, as Lillard and Nicolas Batum missed 3-of-6 free throws in the waning seconds of the game to keep it a one score game.

But a miss by Rudy Gay and a Darren Collison turnover sealed the Kings fate as Portland held on for the win following a Batum free throw.

Lillard’s team-high 22 points were accompanied by six rebounds and five assists. Gay lead all scorers on the night with 26 points for Sacramento. He was followed by DeMarcus Cousins who added 22 points of his own while hauling in 19 rebounds.

The Kings continue to be hurt by sloppy play after a total of 23 turnovers contributed to 29 Portland points. Sacramento will look to get back on track against the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday.

Clippers down Kings 117-108

Published on January 17, 2015January 17, 2015 by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment

By Charlie O. Mallonee

The Los Angeles Clippers (27-14) used a 30 point performance by Blake Griffin and a double-double (26 points/10 rebounds) from Matt Barnes plus the absence of Kings center DeMarcus Cousins to defeat Sacramento (16-24) 117-108 on Saturday night.

Both teams were playing the second game of a back-to-back schedule. Both teams lost their games on Friday night.

The Kings were playing short-handed with Cousins (ankle), Carl Landry (wrist) and Ramon Sessions (back) out due to injury. Sacramento also thought they would be without Rudy Gay for the second consecutive game except with less than three minutes to play in the first quarter Gay entered the floor. We learned after the game even his teammates were surprised to see Gay on the court.

The major difference in the contest was the way each team took care of the basketball. The Kings committed 18 turnovers that allowed the Clippers to score 16 points. Los Angeles turned the ball over just five times (six points). Turnovers and a lack of second half defense is why Kings lost the game.

The Breakdown

The Kings and Clippers played to a 28-28 tie in the first quarter. Sacramento was up by as many as eight points due to their scoring in the paint and Jason Thompson’s 11 points. Los Angeles rode the hot hand of Matt Barnes who scored nine points in the quarter to keep the Clippers even with the Kings.

The teams played even in the second quarter as well. They were tied five times in the period. Again, it was Matt Barnes leading the way for the Clippers with 11 points including three 3-Pointers. Rudy Gay made his presence known dropping in 12 points for the Kings. Each team scored 24 in the quarter.

The game was tied 52-52 at the half.

The Clippers were able to create a little separation in the third quarter. Los Angeles used a 9-0 run late in the quarter begin pulling away. Blake Griffin put up 13 for the Clippers while Kings reserve center Reggie Evans scored eight points. Los Angeles led Sacramento 83-78.

Any thoughts of the Clippers pulling away for an easy win were erased quickly by the Kings. Sacramento used 16 rebounds and eight second chance points to stay competitive in the final period. The Kings even went to a “hack-a-Jordan” plan to put poor free throw shooting DeAndre Jordan at the charity stripe. Ultimately that plan failed. The Clippers outscored the Kings 34-30 in the quarter to preserve the win.

The Clippers won the game 117-108.

By the Numbers

Blake Griffin’s 30 points lead all scorers in the game. JJ Redick put up 18 points while Chris Paul had a quiet 12 point night to go with nine assists.

The Clippers shot 47.8 percent (44 for 92) from the field. They were nine for 28 (32.1 percent) for 3-Pointers. Los Angeles was a terrible 20 for 31 (64.5 percent) from the free throw line. They were outrebounded by Kings 54-34.

Jason Thompson’s 23 points and 22 rebounds led the Kings attack. Rudy Gay added 22 points off the bench. Darren Collison added 17 points, Ben McLemore 14 and Derrick Williams 13.

The Kings were 41 for 89 (46.1 percent) from the floor and five for 18 from beyond the 3-Point arc. They were 21 for 26 (80.8 percent) from the charity stripe. Sacramento scored 25 second chance points.

In Their Own Words

On Rudy Gay playing in the game Kings Head Coach Tyrone Corbin said, “It was a game time decision. I was happy to see him get himself ready to go and be able to come into the game. I thought he played a great game. He gave us huge lift when he came into the game.”

Corbin was also pleased with Jason Thompson’s play, “Huge game. I thought he did a great job on defense fighting Blake (Griffin) most of the night … His offense – he set some screens and flat out hit a couple of shots. He shot it with a lot of confidence … It was a great overall game for him.”

Darren Collison was pleased with his team’s effort, “If we just come playing hard, we can be happy with that. Regardless of the score it – just come out and play hard. There were some games that we didn’t come out and play hard and that was bothering (me). I was glad we came out with this effort.

Game Notes

The Kings finished the six game homestand with a 2-4 record
Forward Quincy Miller played his first minutes for Sacramento and scored one point, grabbed two rebounds and dished out two assists
Miller has been signed to a 10 day contract with the Kings. He had been playing the Kings D-League team in Reno
Jason Thompson’s 22 rebounds are a career high
The Clippers victory evens the season series with the Kings at one win each
Sacramento and Los Angeles will meet next at the Staples Center on February 21

Up Next

Sacramento heads to Portland to face the Trail Blazers on Tuesday night.

The Clippers will host Boston on Monday afternoon.

Heat burns the Kings 95-83

Published on January 17, 2015January 17, 2015 by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment

By Charlie O. Mallonee

Sacramento Kings Head Coach Tyrone Corbin summarized the game versus the Miami Heat (18-22) on Friday night in five words, “It was a disappointing loss.”

The Heat, without Dwayne Wade, rode the play of their star forwards Chris Bosh and Luol Deng to a 95-83 runaway victory over the Sacramento Kings (16-23) at Sleep Train Arena.

Bosh led all scorers in the game with 30 points to go with seven rebounds, three assists, three steals and one blocked shot. Bosh was a perfect three for three from beyond the 3-Point arc.

Luol Deng added 25 points for the Heat on just 18 shots. Deng grabbed six rebounds, had four assists, two steals and two blocked shots in his 37-minutes on the floor.

Miami guard Shabazz Napier was the only other Heat player to score in double figures with 12 points. Napier also had five assists, two steals and one blocked shot.

DeMarcus Cousins led the Kings scoring with 17 points but 14 of those points came in the first half. Cousins made it a double-double game pulling down 11 rebounds. One stat that Cousins would like to forget was his eight turnovers.

Ben McLemore (15), Darren Collison (13), Ray McCallum (11) and Derrick Williams (10) all scored in double figures for the Kings. McCallum was a perfect three for three from 3-Point range.

The Breakdown

The opening quarter was really a precursor of what was to come in this game. Miami’s Hassan Whiteside picked up two personal fouls in less than two minutes. The Kings committed three turnovers that led to four Heat points. The Kings controlled the boards (8-4) but committed five turnovers to one for Miami. Sacramento got into early foul trouble as Cousins, Casspi and Thompson all picked up two personals. Tyrone Corbin was forced to go to a two forwards and three guards small line-up. The Heat led the Kings 26-22 after one period.

Miami came out in the second quarter determined to control the pace. With Cousins on the bench, the Heat defense forced the Kings to take high percentage outside shots that were not falling. Cousins returned to the game and scored 10 points all in the paint. The Heat used a 7-0 run at the end of the quarter outscore the Kings 26-22 in the second. Miami shot 55.6-percent (10 for 18) while the Kings shot 38.9-percent (7 for 18). There were no second chance points scored in quarter.

At the half, Miami led Sacramento 52-44.

The Heat opened the third quarter by going on a 5-0 run. Miami then took control of the pace and slowed the tempo down to the way they like to play. The Kings cut the Heat lead to 10 but that was as close to the lead they would come in the second half. Sacramento’s poor shooting (6 for 19, 33.3-percent) allowed Miami to open up a lead of up to 17 points. Corbin even tried going back to his small line-up of two forwards and three guards, but it did not help. Miami outscored the Kings 23-17 and led the game 75-61 after three quarters.

The Kings opened the fourth quarter with a turnover on their first possession which was symbolic of the entire game. Miami played tough defense and controlled the clock preventing the Kings from making a run to get back into the game. Sacramento did outscore Miami 22-20 in the final quarter but it was too little too late. DeMarcus Cousins did not score in the fourth period while Chris Bosh led the Heat with eight points. With 2:04 to go in the game, Coach Corbin cleared the bench and the Heat coasted to their third victory on this five game road trip.

The final score was Miami 95 Sacramento 83.

By the Numbers

Miami shot 47.3-percent (35 for 74) for the game. They were 8 for 17 (47.1-percent) from 3-Point range. The Heat out-rebounded the Kings 38-35. Miami had nine steals and six blocked shots in the game. They turned the ball over 10 times (eight points).

The Kings shot just 42.7-percent (32 for 75) from the field. They actually shot better from beyond the 3-Point arc connecting on seven of 16 attempts (43.8-percent). Sacramento went to the free throw line just 14 times compared to 21 opportunities for Miami. The Kings turned the ball over 15 times and that allowed the Heat to score 17 points.

The Kings outscored the Heat 32 to 28 in the paint. Miami won the battle for second chance points 12-8. The Heat tallied 17 fastbreak points to just seven for the Kings.

In Their Own Words

Kings Head Coach Tyrone Corbin said after the game, “Well it was a disappointing loss. We just couldn’t find our place to generate points. We thought we had a chance at the end of that second quarter … We can’t feel sorry for ourselves because we have another tough opponent (LA Clippers) coming in here tomorrow. Hopefully, we can get some guys back tomorrow, but if not we have to be ready to go.”

Speaking on the pace of the game Corbin commented, “I just thought that we couldn’t create pace all night. We were looking around for someone to bail us out. We can’t afford to do that. This team (Miami) wanted to play at a slow tempo, so we talked about creating pace and pushing the ball down the floor. We ended falling into a trap and playing at a pace that was favorable to the other team.”

When asked about how the Kings can find some consistency DeMarcus Cousins said, “Craziest thing about it is, we know what the problem is. We know we’ve got to be a consistent defensive team and just don’t do it. So that’s something the guys on the floor have to figure out. We have to come together and figure it out – either you want to get it right or you want to continue to have nights like this.”

Game Notes

The Kings are now 10-13 at home and 2-3 on the six-game homestand … Sacramento played without Rudy Gay (knee), Carl Landry (wrist) and Ramon Sessions (back) – all three are considered day-to-day … DeMarcus Cousins’ double-double was his 23^rd of the season … Ben McLemore scored in double figures (15 points) for the 27^th time this season.

Miami is now 11-10 on the road … they were 3-2 on this five-game road trip … the Heat played without Dwyane Wade for the 10^th time this year … this was Chris Bosh’s fifth 30-point game of the season … it was Luol Deng’s sixth 20-point plus game of 2014-15.

Up Next

Sacramento plays the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday night.

Miami is off until next Tuesday when they will host the Oklahoma City Thunder.

No LeBron, too much Cousins – Kings handle the Cavs 103-84

Published on January 11, 2015January 11, 2015 by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment

by Charlie O. Mallonee

The Cleveland Cavaliers (19-19) came into Sacramento without LeBron James in the line-up and left town having lost their fifth consecutive game. The Sacramento Kings (16-21) handed the Cavs a 103-84 loss and improved to 2-1 on their six game homestand.

After losing a shootout to Denver on Friday, the Kings needed to find their defensive focus, take care of the basketball and hit high percentage shots against the Cavaliers.

Sacramento gave up 29 points to Cleveland in the first quarter by allowing them to shoot 63.2-percent from the floor and 44.4-percent (4 for 9) from 3-Point range. The Kings locked down their defense in the second quarter and held the Cavs to a 31.6-Field Goal Percentage (6 for 19) and only allowed Cleveland to score 15 points in the period.

The teams went into halftime with the Kings leading the game 59-44.

The Kings gave up 20 points to the Cavs in the third quarter on just 7 for 18 shooting (38.9-percent). Sacramento did not let up on Cleveland in the fourth quarter allowing just 20 points on 8 of 22 shots (36.4-percent). For the game, the Kings held the Cavaliers to 42.3-percent (33 for 78) shooting from the field and 34.4-percent (11 for 32) from beyond the 3-Point arc. Cleveland had been averaging 90.1 points per game over their last eight games. The Kings held them to just 84 points on Sunday night.

Sacramento came into the game averaging 16.5 turnovers per game. They turned the ball over just five times against the Cavs (a season low). The Kings had zero turnovers in the second quarter.

The Kings outrebounded the Cavs 45-41.

The Kings needed to take higher percentage shots and they did. Sacramento outscored the Cavs 40-30 in the paint and led the game in Fastbreak points 17-5. The Kings scored 12 Second Chance points to just 7 for Cleveland.

The Kings dished out 20 assists for the game. Darren Collison led the team with six assists. DeMarcus Cousins added five, Ben McLemore four, Derrick Williams three and Rudy Gay two assists.

DeMarcus Cousins recorded his 21st double-double of the season putting up 26 points (game high) and grabbing 13 rebounds for Sacramento. Rudy Gay put up 23 points, Darren Collison 16 and Carl Landry 11.

Kevin Love led Cleveland with 25 points and 10 rebounds. Kyrie Irving added 21 points and seven assists. Timofey Mozgov, who just joined the Cavs from Denver, had a double-double with 14 points and and 12 rebounds.

Jason Thompson had the task of guarding Kevin Love on Sunday night. Love did score 25 but he had to put up 21 shots to record those points because of Thompson’s relentless defense.

There was a LeBron James siting. “The King” worked out before the game in front of adoring fans. James is expected to be back in the starting line-up as early as Thursday versus the Lakers in Los Angeles.

The Kings return to action on Tuesday when the host the Dallas Mavericks at Sleep Train Arena.

Detroit crushes the Kings 114-95

Published on January 4, 2015January 5, 2015 by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment

by Charlie O. Mallonee

The Detroit Pistons (10-23) won their fifth a game in row as they defeated the Sacramento Kings 114-95 in Detroit on Sunday night.

Detroit road the “hot hand” of guard Brandon Jennings who scored 35 points on just 21 shots. Jennings was five for eight from 3-Point range and a perfect two for two from the free throw line. Jennings accomplished all of this in just 30 minutes of playing time.

The Pistons as a team shot 49.5-percent from the field (45-91) and 12 for 31 (38.7-percent) from beyond the 3-point arc. Detroit out-rebounded the Kings 49-41. The Pistons had 12 second-chance points to just one for Sacramento.

DeMarcus Cousins posted another double-double (18 points, 15 rebounds) in the Kings losing effort. Darren Collison was the bright light for Sacramento scoring 17 points on just seven shots including going two for two from 3-Point range. Derrick Williams scored 12 points off the bench for the Kings playing well in uptempo situations. Rudy Gay was held to just 12 points.

The Kings(14-20) shot just 42.7-percent (32-75) from the floor and three for 15 from beyond the 3-Point line. Sacramento recorded 18 assists, nine steals and four blocked shots in the game.

Kings Head Coach Tyrone Corbin was disappointed in his team’s defensive effort, “To give up 90 points in three quarters, you can’t say you had good effort. To have 31,29 and 30 (points) in three consecutive quarters regardless of how well they shot the ball … we could have found a little more than that.”

Game Flow

Both teams started the game slowly. In the first quarter, the Kings shot a very poor 39.1-percent (9-23) and were 0-4 from beyond the 3-Point line. Detroit put up 27 shots but hit on just 10 of those opportunities for a 37.0 Field Goal Percentage. The Kings used a late 8-2 run to keep the game close in the opening frame. Jason Thompson, who returned to the Kings starting lineup, led the team with seven points in the quarter. Detroit led the Kings 24-22 after the first 12 minutes.

DeMarcus Cousins made his presence known early in second quarter. Cousins filled the lane taking charges and causing Jonas Jerebko to pick up three personal fouls early in the period. McCallum brought the Kings some needed energy off the bench. When the Pistons starters returned to floor, they began to pull away from the Kings. Detroit shot a blistering 52.4-percent from the field and went 4 for 11 from 3-Point range. Jodie Meeks led the Pistons with eight points and Anthony Tolliver added six. Cousins and McLemore led the Kings with seven points each. The Pistons led the game 55-46 at the half.

The Kings opened the third quarter with Darren Collison being fouled and going to the line sinking three free throws. Sacramento had a 5-0 run to open up the period. Collison hit the Kings first 3-Pointer of the game and it began to feel like Sacramento could make a run at taking the lead back. Derrick Williams came off the bench and brought energy to the floor for the Kings. Williams drove to the hoop for a lay-up and was fouled. He hit the free throw to cut the Pistons lead to one point, but Brandon Jennings came back to life scoring seven points in the last 2:37 to help Detroit go back up by six points, 84-78, at the end of the quarter. Jennings scored 15 for the Pistons in the period while Collison had 10, Gay 8 and Williams 7 for the Kings.

Ray McCallum opened the fourth quarter with a field goal for the Kings, but things went downhill quickly for Sacramento. The Kings were unable to put together any kind of run, and they shot very poorly (5-15, 33.3-percent) from the field. While the Kings faltered, the Pistons heated up shooting 11 for 21 (52.4-percent) from the floor and hitting four of nine from 3-Point range. The Kings had no second chance points and zero fastbreak points in the quarter. Brandon Jennings was a perfect 3-3 shooting, good for eight points while Drummond added seven points. Jodie Meeks and Caron Butler scored five points each. The Pistons outscored the Kings 30-17 in the final period.

Game Notes

Sacramento finished the four game road trip with a 1-3 record … the Pistons five game winning streak began after the team waived forward Josh Smith … Brandon Jennings’ 35 points was a season high … the Kings return to Sacramento for a six game homestand that begins on Wednesday with the Oklahoma City Thunder … Added note: Rookie forward Eric Moreland has undergone successful surgery to repair the torn labrum in his left shoulder. The surgery was performed the renown Dr. Arthur Ting. Moreland will begin rehab immediately and should be available for the NBA Summer League.

Sacramento Kings Snaps Two Game Skid Against Minnesota Timberwolves

Published on January 1, 2015January 2, 2015 by swhelchLeave a comment

By Shawn Whelchel

The Sacramento Kings snapped their two-game road skid on Thursday night using an opportune matchup against the cellar dwelling Minnesota Timberwolves, battling their way to a 110-107 victory.

After dropping consecutive games to Brooklyn and Boston, the Kings used a balanced scoring attack that saw all five starters in double digits to down the Timberwolves, who are currently tied for the second worst record in league with just 5 wins on the season.

Rudy Gay and Darren Collison led the team with 21 points a piece, while DeMarcus Cousins followed closely behind with another strong showing, posting 19 points and seven rebounds in the winning effort.

But despite the scoring outbursts from the Kings’ starting five, another weak night from Sacramento’s bench allowed Minnesota to make it an interesting game down the stretch. Sacramento had lost both of their key starters in Gay and Cousins with the score tied at 99, with just a little over 4 minutes left to play.

But Collison came up clutch for the Kings down the stretch, sinking two key free throws that forced Minnesota into a last second three pointer that missed its mark, securing the win for Sacramento in the tight contest.

Rookie standout Andrew Wiggins had an impressive showing for Minnesota, posting 27 points and nine rebounds while keeping the Timberwolves within striking range.

After dropping the first two games of the roadtrip, Sacramento can now finish the four game series with a 2-2 showing, as they look to keep their win streak alive against the Detroit Pistons on Sunday.