Tag: Sacramento Kings

Kings get clipped in LA 103-102

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment

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By Charlie O. Mallonee

The fourth quarter of the Kings-Clippers game was more like the 15th round of a heavyweight fight. It was physical, emotional and exciting. The game was literally won in the final seconds of the game. When the final buzzer sounded, the Clippers had defeated the Kings 103-102.

In the first-half of the game, no one in the stands or watching at home would have guessed that the game would come down to the last second. The Clippers led the Kings 26-19 after the first period of play. By the 9:51 mark in the second quarter, LA led Sacramento by 20 points. It appeared the Kings were about to take a beating by the number two team in Los Angeles.

What happened? Chuck Hayes made a layup with 8:55 to go in the half and ignited the Kings offense. Sacramento would go on to outscore the Clippers 35-28 in the second quarter. At the half, Los Angeles led the Kings 57-48.

In the third period, the battle continued. DeMarcus Cousins decided to put the team on his back and led the charge. Patrick Patterson came alive after having a miserable first-half, and Luc Mbah a Moute provided the defense under the basket that disrupted the Chris Paul-Blake Griffin connection. The Kings won the quarter 21-18 and trailed the Clippers 75-69 after three quarters.

The Clippers may be an offensive machine, but their defense is still lacking. That lack of defense allowed the Kings to scratch and claw their way back into the game. The Kings were led by Patterson, Isaiah Thomas and DeMarcus Cousins on offense. On defense, Mbah a Moute played tough down low.

The lead see-sawed back and forth until the Kings built a five point lead with 3:19 left to play in the game. The Clippers were not about to surrender. Chris Paul made a 3-pointer and the game was tied at 98-98 with 1:29 left in the game.

LA went back into the lead at 1:04 when Chris Paul made a driving layup. Even more devastating was the foul that was called on Mbah a Moute – his sixth. Watching the replay, the foul should have been charged to Cousins which would have been his sixth. The referees conferred but held firm on their call. Paul missed the free throw, but the loss of Mbah a Moute would lead to the Clippers win.

With the game tied at 100-100, Paul and Griffin pulled off the perfect pick and roll play with no Mbah a Moute to provide the underneath defense.

The game was tied at 102-102 with 0:02 to play. Patterson fouled Chris Paul who hit one of two free throws. Cousins grabbed the rebound and the Kings called a timeout. With 1.9-seconds to go, the Kings got the ball to Cousins who took a desperation shot that missed as time ran out. The Clippers won the game 103-102.

The Kings shot just 42.0% (37-88) from the field just below their season average of 42.6%. They hit just five of 17 shots (29.4%) from beyond the 3-point arc. Sacramento out rebounded the Clippers 46-39. The Kings committed just 10 turnovers.

DeMarcus Cousins led all scorers with 23 points. He also had 19 rebounds and seven assists. Isaiah Thomas added 22 points and five assists. Patrick Patterson scored 21 points in 31 minutes of playing time. Expect to see more of Patterson on Sunday versus the Lakers.

The Clippers finished with their five starters all in double figures. Chris Paul was the leading scorer with 22 points and nine assists. That ended Paul’s streak of the 13 straight games posting a double-double.

The Kings will have no time to recover from their “battle royal” with the Clippers. They have an appointment Sunday night with the Lakers back at the Staples Center.

Notes: The Kings D-League entry – the Reno Bighorns – dropped both games of their season opening back-to-back series in Sioux Falls. Ray McCallum who just joined the Bighorns from the Kings scored 28 points on Friday night and 16 points in Saturday’s game.

 

Memphis able to hold off Sacramento surge

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Photo Credit: Rich Pedroncelli/Associated Press –

By Pearl Allison Lo

The Grizzlies were able to overcome a second half surge by the Kings Sunday in a 97-86 win.

Memphis’s Zach Randolph had all 9 of his 22 points after a three by Travis Outlaw with 7:18 left to go in the game, put Sacramento within three.

Randolph was the only player to get a double-double, as he also got pulled down 10 rebounds.

Outlaw led the team with 18 points and 6 rebounds from the bench, with all his scoring done in the second half.

The Kings’ John Salmon, Isaiah Thomas, Marcus Thornton and Travis Outlaw all hit double digit points.

The Grizzlies led for the majority of the first quarter but there were five ties. Memphis pulled away to 25-18 with an 11-4 run after the last one. 7 of those points came from Jerryd Bayless who entered the game with 2:51 left in the first.  Bayless also had a rebound.

The first 3 minutes and 42 seconds of the second quarter were filled with fouls and free throws. At one point, the Grizzlies’ Mike Miller committed a foul and then turnover and Kosta Koufos was called for a foul immediately after. Memphis extended their lead to 17 points during the quarter, converting on five straight possessions. Koufos and Marc Gasol each scored 4 points then and Mike Conley, who had 9 assists in the game, assisted on 3 straight possessions. Gasol had 9 points in the quarter. The Grizzlies ended the first half with a 13 point lead, 47-34.

Memphis extended their lead to 20 several times during the third quarter. The Grizzlies’ Tony Allen started out early with steals on consecutive possessions, leading to points by Tayshaun Prince and himself. After a timeout with 7:37 left to go, coach put in reserves Salmon, Thomas, Thornton, Outlaw and Chuck Hayes into the game, leading to a 24-13 run. Outlaw and Thomas started out with three-pointers on consecutive possessions and combined for 17 of the 19 points scored after. Thomas’s layup with 2:33 left to go put within single digits at the time and Outlaw had 9 points during the quarter.

Thomas made at least two nice passes to teammates up front for points in the fourth. With the shot clock winding down with 9:55 left to go, Thomas was fouled and got a new clock.  After Outlaw put the game within three, he missed two shots and committed a foul and Sacramento went scoreless for over 3 minutes. The Grizzlies shaved a minute off the clock when on one possession, they consistently missed and got the rebound three times until Hamady Ndiaye blocked the ball, Randolph got the rebound and Memphis missed again.

Game notes: Regarding shooting percentage, rebounds and assists, they went in favor of the Grizzlies in the ratios of 55.6% to 37.9%, 49-35 and 30-21. Gasol had 19 points, 8 rebounds and 9 assists. When Randolph scores at least 15, Memphis is now 5-1, as the Grizzlies beat Sacramento for the sixth straight time. The Kings next play Tuesday versus the Phoenix Suns at 7pm.

Pistons nab first road win against “loudest” competition

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Photo Credit: Ed Szczepanski, USA TODAY Sports

By Pearl Allison Lo

On a night when the Sacramento Kings’ fans set two Guinness world records, Detroit got their first win in five games in a 97-90 win Friday.

A well-rounded Josh Smith led the Pistons as the Kings’ supporters created the “Loudest Crowd Roar at an Indoor Sports Stadium.”

Smith had 21 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists, 5 steals and 4 blocks.

Sacramento crushed the previous Guinness World Record of 106.6 decibels by the Milwaukee Bucks in 2008, soaring to a sound of 124.9 decibels in the first half, and then surpassing themselves in the second half with a record of 126 decibels.

DeMarcus Cousins led the Kings with a double-double, scoring 26 points with 13 rebounds, 2 assists and 3 blocks.  Detroit’s Andre Drummonds, whose sprained ankle put his status as uncertain before the game, was the only other player to have a double-double with 15 points and 18 rebounds.

The Pistons’ consistently strong three quarters set the pace for their win.

Detroit received the lead 16 seconds into the game with a two-pointer by Greg Monroe and held it throughout the first quarter until Ben McLemore tied the game at 34 with 8:41 left to go in the 2nd period.

Two turnovers and a foul gave the Pistons their largest lead (9 points) within that stretch, as Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored 5 points within less than 30 seconds.  A  three by John Salmons put the game within four, but McLemore missed a flying dunk and Cousins lost the ball out of bounds.

After Sacramento’s third tie, they got their first lead with 4:52 left in the first half, as Cousins made a consecutive shot.  However, it was also short-lived as Monroe followed up with a basket.  He then missed a free throw but also stole the ball, which eventually resulted in two points by Josh Smith and then a free throw. This was part of a 10-1 run since the tie right before the Kings short lead, which also featured Rodney Stuckey hitting two technicals and a three-pointer.

With 1:19 left in the first half, Sacramento got a 51-50 lead upon a three by Isaiah Thomas.  However, Jonas Jerebko then tied it with a free throw and Detroit got the lead back after two fouls and a turnover by the Kings.

Greivis Vasquez’s second three in a row put the Kings back ahead 64-62 with 5:05 left in the 3rd.  The teams then went back and forth until a three by Brandon Jennings with 4:18 left in the 3rd put the Pistons ahead for good.  As part of a 14-4 run, Detroit finished the 3rd with a 10 point, 80-70 lead.  Stuckey hit another technical, Drummonds had 6 points, Smith had 2 blocks and both Drummonds and Smith worked hard along the glass.

The closest Sacramento got afterwards was reflected in the final score, despite the Pistons going scoreless the last 2:28 of the game.

Game notes: Thomas, Stuckey and Detroit’s Kyle Singler contributed double-digit points off the bench.  Fast break points and points in the paint for the Pistons and the Kings were reflected as 24-16 and 46-34.  Sacramento next plays the Memphis Grizzlies at 3pm PST.

 

Kings Lose Again

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment

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By Charlie O. Mallonee

The Sacramento Kings suffered their fifth consecutive loss on Saturday night to the Portland Trail Blazers 96-85. The Kings trailed by as many as 20 points but made a comeback late in the fourth quarter. It was too little and too late.

In his post-game comments, Coach Michael Malone said his team needs to be more physical on defense. His team allowed the Blazers to pull down 19 offensive rebounds which created second and third chance opportunities for Portland to score.

Malone made no bones about what is going to happen before the Kings next game versus Brooklyn. He said, “… there will be changes.” He stated after six games he had seen enough to know that changes have to be made.

Malone also said that the Kings comeback attempts are coming too late in the game to give the team a chance to win. He knows his team has a great deal of work to do on both ends of the floor.

The Kings were outscored in three of the four quarters on Saturday night. They did manage to outscore the Blazers 31-27 in the final period.

On Friday night, the Kings were undone by the combination of LaMarcus Aldridge and Damian Lillard. Lillard scored just four points on Saturday in 36:45 minutes of playing time.

It was the combination of Aldridge and Wesley Matthews who inflected the pain on Saturday. Aldridge shot 10 for 19 from the floor scoring a team leading 22 points. Matthews was 8 for 11 from the field putting up 21 points for the game.

Coach Malone felt the play of Matthews was one the keys to Portland’s victory. He felt Matthews just scored at will.

Four of the five Portland starters scored in double figures. As a team, the Blazers shot 43.9% (36-82) from the field. That was well below their 48.8% of Friday night, but things became sloppy for the Blazers in the fourth quarter.

The Trail Blazers out rebounded the Kings 52-33. They also kept the Kings out of the paint in the first half forcing them take low percentage outside shots.

After the game Portland Head Coach Terry Stotts said,”It’s good to get a win. Back-to-back wins against the same team is not easy to do. The Kings are a good home team here. They’ve come back on everybody that they’ve played. It’s good to get out of here with a win. We played three good quarters of very good defense; they just made a strong run at the end.”

DeMarcus Cousins scored 30 plus points for the second consecutive game. Cousins finished with 33 points and 12 rebounds. He scored 15 of his 33 points in the fourth quarter. Cousins led all scorers in the game.

Isaiah Thomas added 12 points but only two of those points came in the second half. Thomas played just 17:20 minutes in the game. Greivis Vasquez played 32:19 at the point and scored six points plus he had five assists.

The play of Ben McLemore was one of the highlights for the Kings on Saturday night. The rookie played 27:30 minutes scoring 13 points. He was three for three from 3-point land and shot 50.0% (4-8) from the field. McLemore pulled down three rebounds along with one steal and one assist.

12 of the 13 Kings players saw playing time versus the Blazers. Only Ray McCallum did not enter the game for Sacramento.

The Kings shot 46.2% (36-78) for the game. Sacramento shot an abysmal 25.0% (3-12) from beyond the 3-point line.

The Kings coaching staff must search for answers between now and Wednesday when the Brooklyn Nets come to Sleep Train Arena.

That search for answers has already begun. As I walked to my car after the game, I observed Coach Malone and two of his assistants standing in the parking lot talking about what they should do to change things.

 

 

 

 

The Splash Brothers drown Kings, Warriors win 98-87

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By Gabe Schapiro

On Saturday night the Golden State Warriors (2-1) made easy work of their intrastate rivals, the Sacramento Kings (1-2), winning 98-87 at Oracle Arena. Klay Thompson led the way with a game-high 27 points on 10-of-17 shooting, including 3-of-8 beyond the arc.

The Warriors jumped out to an early lead and never looked back. A little over a minute into the second quarter a layup from the Kings Jason Thompson brought them within nine points, but that would be the last time Golden State’s lead wasn’t in the double digits.

To open the second half Sacramento made a strong push, going on an 8-0 run, but their momentum was squashed just as quickly as it started, when the Warriors found their shot again and responded with a 15-0 run of their own.

Heading into the fourth quarter Golden State had built a 20-point lead. From there they eased off the gas pedal and gave the end of their bench some playing time. As a result the Kings had their best quarter, but it was far too little too late, as the Warriors coasted to the victory in a game that was more lopsided then the final score would indicate.

The other half of the ‘Splash Brothers,’ Stephen Curry, had another strong game, finishing with a double-double. He scored 22 points on 8-of-13 shooting, five-of-eight from long distance, and dished out 12 assists.

David Lee, last year’s league leader in double-doubles, did it again for the 295th time of his career, contributing 15 points and 12 rebounds.

Andrew Bogut had a relatively quiet night on the stat sheet with six points and six rebounds, but on the defensive end he held DeMarcus Cousins at bay, and also chipped in four blocks.

For Sacramento it was their bench who did the most damage, with four of them finishing with double-digit points, led by rookie Ben McLemore, who scored a team-high 19.

Kings Fall to Clippers 110-101

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By Charlie O. Mallonee

The LA Clippers came to call on the Sacramento Kings Friday night. It would have seemed to be perfect timing as the Clippers had a home game on Thursday and then had to face a road game the next night. The timing did not work out for the Kings as the Clippers came out shooting at 50.0% from the field and won the game 110-101.

The Clippers came out in the first period looking like a team that was coming off a day of rest rather than playing game two of a back-to-back. The Clippers outscored the Kings 24-22. The Kings shooting left something to be desired as they shot just 38.1% from the field. Isaiah Thomas came off the bench to spark the Kings and keep the game close.

The Clippers started off the second quarter with a 9-0 run over the Kings. Just when it looked like the Clips would run away with the period, Isaiah Thomas brought the Kings back to life, but the Kings poor shooting allowed the Clippers to open up a 10 point lead. The Kings brought the game back into the paint and cut the LA lead to three with 4:26 remaining in the quarter. The Clippers used an improved shooting percentage (47.5%) to open up a 54-45 halftime lead.

The Kings shot just 38.1% (16-42) from the field in the first half. Isaiah Thomas led the Kings with 12 points.

The Clippers started off the second half much as they did the first half. Chris Paul put LAC on the board with back-to-back jumpers and strong shooting from the field (51.1%) kept the Clippers on top opening up a lead of 13 at the 7:41 mark. Following a three point play by DeMarcus Cousins, the Kings came back to life cutting the Clippers lead to 68-60 at 5:38. Isaiah Thomas came off the bench at 4:35 and sparked a charge that cut the LA lead to two with 1:25 to play in the quarter. A Travis Outlaw put back of a Cousins shot at the buzzer made it LAC 79 – Kings 77 after three periods.

A Jason Thompson field goal opened the final period tying the game at 79-79. The quarter quickly became a game of outside shooting and free throws. The Clippers would threaten to pull away and then the Kings would find an answer to keep the game close. Sacramento tied the game at 90 with a circus shot from Isaiah Thomas. The Kings took the lead at 6:43 on a Jason Thompson lay-up, but the hot LA shooting kept putting the Clippers back into the lead. DeMarcus Cousins picked up a technical foul at the 2:48 mark and gave LA a three point lead.  The game remained close, but in the end the Kings could not overcome the Clippers 50.0% shooting from the field. The LA Clippers won the game 110—101.

The Kings fell to 1-1 on the young season. They now face their first road contest of the year in Oakland versus the Warriors on Saturday night.

Isaiah Thomas led all scorers with 29 points. DeMarcus Cousins added 24 and Marcus Thornton put up 17 for Sacramento. Chris Paul led the Clippers with 26 points. Blake Griffin posted 20 along with Jamal Crawford’s 18.

The key to the Clippers win was their shooting percentage. When a team shoots 50.0% (35-70) from the field and shoots 50.0% (12-24) from 3 point range, it becomes almost impossible to defeat them. The Clippers could not be defeated on Friday night.

Notes: The Kings on Thursday declined to pick their option on Jimmer Fredette for the 2014-15 season. The move will make the former first-round draft pick an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year. Fredette will be free to negotiate with any NBA team including the Kings for next season. The move may also mean that Fredette will not finish the season in Sacramento as his now expiring contract becomes a desirable piece in possible trades with teams looking to free up salary cap room. Fredette did not play in the season opener versus Denver… The Kings had two additional players that were eligible for deals on Thursday, Greivis Vasquez and Patrick Patterson. The team declined to offer either player an extension, but Kings can make both players restricted free agents at the end of the season … The Kings travel to the Bay Area on Saturday night to play the Golden State Warriors for the first time in the regular season. The Warriors will make their first appearance in Sacramento on Sunday 12/1 … The Kings won the season series versus the Warriors in 2012-13 3-1 … Because of the many connections between Sacramento and Golden State, the Kings are anxious to eliminate the references to “golden state light” that some have made about the team.

Kings Start New Era with Win!

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Denver Nuggets v Sacramento Kings

By Tony Renteria
Sacramento CA: The Sacramento Kings (0-0) opened the 2013-2014 NBA season by hosting the Denver Nuggets (0-0) and holding off a tough Denver squad for a 09-88 win.
This was the first regular season game with the new ownership group and new head coach, The Kings may be turning the corner after the train wreck the last owners left
The Kings Led at the half 48-45 behind some strong inside play by DeMarcus Cousins who led the team with 14 points and six rebounds. Cousins has become the team leader with new altitude and passion. Cousins finished with 30 Points and game high 14 rebounds. This may be the start of an all star run of Cousins.
The Nuggets were led by Ty Lawson’s 20 points .
The Kings next play the Los Angles Clippers at Sleep Train Arena on Friday while the Nuggets host the Portland Trailblazers on the same day.

Kings hold off the Clippers in the Preseason Finale

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment

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By Charlie O. Mallonee

The Sacramento Kings closed out the preseason with a 110-100 win over the LA Clippers Friday night in LA. The game was not the most picturesque affair, but it had its moments.

The Clippers came out of the box ready to play. They outscored the Kings 30-20 in the first period.

The Kings came roaring back in the second quarter scoring 37 points to the Clippers 21. Isaiah Thomas led the charge scoring 18-points in just 15 minutes of play.

Sacramento continued to stay hot in the third period outscoring LAC 32-20.

The Clippers made a real run at a comeback in the fourth quarter. They the used the 3-Pointer and Free Throw opportunities in an attempt to cut the Kings commanding 19-point lead down to a manageable size. The Clips topped the Kings 29-21 in the final period but ultimately fell short.

The Kings shot 44.0% (37-84) from the field. They were 7 for 27 (25.9%) from 3-Point land.

Sacramento pulled down 50 rebounds to the Clippers 41. They committed 25 Personal Fouls and 11 Turn Overs.

The Kings defense held the Clippers to just 39.2% (29-74) from the field. Anytime you can hold your opponents under 40.0% shooting, a win is most likely the result.

Isaiah Thomas led all scorers with 27-points. DeMarcus Cousins added 20-points. Jason Thompson was the leading rebounder with eight.

Greivis Vasquez led the Kings with 12 assists. Ironically, he scored no points in his 21:44 of Playing Time.

Notes: Guard Trent Lockett has been waived by the Kings. Lockett made two preseason appearances scoring four points (2-3 FG), gathering in two rebounds and posting one assist in five minutes of playing time. The preseason roster is down to 15 players … The Kings have launched an additional section to their website: www.kings.com/hindi. The site features stories, interviews and player information written entirely in Hindi. Kings Chairperson and majority owner, Vivek Ranadive, who is originally from Mumbai, wants the Kings to establish an international fan base. The new section of the website is the first step in rolling out the global initiative … The Kings will open the 2013-14 regular season next Wednesday night with the Denver Nuggets at Sleep Train Arena. The 7:00 PM tip-off can be seen locally on News 10 and heard on the Sports 1140 – Kings Radio Network.

Suns Get Burned by Kings

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By Tony Renteria

Sacramento CA: The Sacramento Kings (2-1) continued the preseason by hosting the Phoenix Suns (3-1) at Sleep Train Arena on Thursday and left with a bruised ego as they lost 107-90

The Kings have turned over a new leaf with a new ownership group and new upbeat defensive mentality from head coach Micheal Malone.

The Kings have been holding their opponent under 90 points per game this preseason.

The Kings led the Suns after a strong first quarter by the score of 25 to 19.

Second year player Hamady Ndiaye supplied some excitement with a strong put back and huge block on the defensive end.

DeMarcus Cousins went PlayStation crazy in the first half with 23 points as the Kings took a 56-50 lead heading into the break. Cousins finished with 29 points on 8-15 shooting from the field. Jimmer Fredette led the Kings with Minutes and added in 23 points on his own.

The Suns were led by Markieff Morris who scored 15 for the visiting team.
There were 11,223 in attendance at Sleep Train Arena.

The Suns Host Oklahoma City on the 22nd and the Kings head to face the Trailblazers up north in Portland on Sunday

Kings arena: anti arena group to ally with non-union contractors

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by Ken Gimblin

SACRAMENTO–The new ownership of the Sacramento Kings might have to dig in at the ballot box politically this coming June as a anti arena group has geared up to oppose the new arena proposal. The new group Voters for a Fair Arena Deal will not be working with Sacramento Taxpayers Opposed To Pork or STOP. Non-union contractors who appeared at one of the Kings rallies at the Westfield mall the site of the proposed new Kings arena are joining the protest against the new arena and plan to support VFAD.

The non-union contractors are upset that they were not included in any process of the new arena build, the new arena is expected to be built by only union labor.VFAD is separating itself from the better known group STOP due to questionable petition gathering by STOP and how signatures were gathered by STOP were in question. Also STOP’s involvement with Seattle hedge fund manager Chris Hansen who paid $50,000 to have signatures gathered by STOP. Hansen who lost his bid to move the Kings to Seattle might have been seeking a way to stop the Kings from building a new arena in Sacramento if it were put to a vote regarding public funding.

Hansen later said he had nothing to do with paying the $50,000 for the signature gathering after receiving heavy criticism by city and NBA officials behind closed doors sources say to put a ballot measure to have any new public funding for any new sports facilities built in Sacramento to be voter approved first.

The public’s share of subsidizing the new Kings arena downtown is around $258 million. Hansen later backtracked after realizing he might have damaged his chances to buy, build a new arena, and own an NBA team in Seattle. VFAD is going forward with the petition campaign saying they want the public funds policed for new sports facilities which should be voted on by the Sacramento voters.

The non-union contractors who will not be involved in any of the construction work are willing to contribute to the ballot measure effort by donating $15,000-$25,000. VFAD will not be joining STOP to work in concert with getting the measure on the ballot distancing themselves from STOP because of what is considered questionable campaigning in obtaining the petition signatures and their involvement with Hansen.

Community activist Craig Powell from the group Eye on Sacramento said, “we are not opposed to the new arena, we are not opposed to the public subsidy for an arena. What we are in favor for is a subsidy we can afford.” Craig has said that the price tag of $258 million in public subsidies is too much and will do damage to the city budget.

Ken Gimblin is covering the Sacramento Kings for Sportstalk with game day reporters Tony Renteria and Charlie O