Tag: Sacramento Kings

Celtics Blow-Out Kings 122-104

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The Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) takes a drive around the Sacramento Kings guard Kevin Huerter, left during Fri Nov 25, 2022 game at TD Garden on Fri Nov 25, 2022 (AP News photo)

Celtics Blow-Out Kings 122-104

By Barbara Mason

Friday night the Sacramento Kings (10-8) traveled to Boston to take on the Celtics (15-4) at TD Garden. The Kings are coming off a loss to Atlanta 115-106 from Wednesday night. The red-hot Celtics came into this game after beating the Mavericks 125-112 last Wednesday. The Celtics are the third best three point shooting team in the NBA and were a tough assignment for Sacramento beating the Kings 122-104 Friday night.

Game recap: The first quarter was all Boston winning it 34-23. The Kings had ten turnovers which turned into 11 Celtic points and De’Aaron Fox did not score until the final 1:31 of the quarter.

They would need Fox if they had any hopes of beating the Celtics. The Kings also needed to limit the turnovers because you are not going to beat many teams committing ten turnovers let alone a team with the talent of Boston.

The Kings really settled down in the second quarter. With two minutes left in the half they trailed by a single point. After a terrible start to this game the Kings trailed by a couple 64-62 at halftime in a huge turnaround. Fox came to life with 14 points, 11 of them in the second quarter and Domantas Sabonis had 12 points.

The Kings had great work off the bench from Malik Monk hitting nine points and Davion Mitchell with 10. In the second quarter the Kings only had two turnovers.

The Celtics went on a 16-0 run to end the third quarter leading by the score of 94-84. At 10:12 the Kings tied up the game and actually took the lead for a time but it was short-lived as Boston went on the crazy run.

Boston took this game over leaving the Kings in the dust as they distanced themselves from Sacramento. With 4:30 left in the game the score was 115-90 in a blow-out. The Celtics had gone on a 37-6 run and it was all but finished for the Kings. The Kings went on a slight run but it was far too little too late. The final was 122-104.

The Kings have now lost two in a row, They will next take on the Phoenix Suns Monday night at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 PM.

Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson: Kings seven game win streak snapped but not drive and determination

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Atlanta Hawks forward AJ Griffin (14) attempts to pass during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Sacramento Kings in Atlanta on Wed Nov 23, 2022 (AP News photo)

On Sacramento Kings podcasts with Jeremiah Salmonson:

#1 Wednesday night the Sacramento Kings (10-7) took on the Atlanta Hawks (11-7) at State Farm Arena. The Kings are coming off a win over Memphis Tuesday 113-109 while the Hawks lost to the Cavaliers on Monday 114-102.

#2 The Kings trailed at the half 72-57. Sacramento lost the first quarter 35-26 and the second quarter 37-31. The Kings were struggling defensively and were challenged in trying to contain the Hawks Trae Young.

#3 Although the Kings dominated in the paint it was those turnovers that really hurt them in this game. De’Aaron Fox had a slow start but finished with 18. Malik Monk had a monster game with 27 points off the bench. 

#4 Young had 35 points for Atlanta getting open consistently throughout the entire game. The Hawks didn’t have a great fourth quarter but the Kings just didn’t take advantage of their let-down.

#5  Friday night the Kings will travel to Boston to take on the Celtics at TD Garden. They will get a chance to rest tomorrow after taking on this challenging road trip. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:00 PM.

Join Jeremiah for Kings podcasts Fridays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Kings Winning Streak Halted At Seven- Losing To Hawks 115-106

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Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) guards the ball against Sacramento Kings guard Kevin Huerter (9) during the first half at Atlanta on Wed Nov 24, 2022 (AP News photo)

Kings Winning Streak Halted At Seven- Losing To Hawks 115-106

By Barbara Mason

Wednesday night the Sacramento Kings (10-7) took on the Atlanta Hawks (11-7) at State Farm Arena. The Kings are coming off a win over Memphis Tuesday 113-109 while the Hawks lost to the Cavaliers on Monday 114-102.

The Kings trailed at the half 72-57. Sacramento lost the first quarter 35-26 and the second quarter 37-31. The Kings were struggling defensively and were challenged in trying to contain the Hawks Trae Young. The Kings had a lot of trouble getting those three’s to fall as they missed shot after shot from downtown. Turnovers were also mounting as the game went on.

The Kings made up some ground in the third quarter winning it 31-25.

Sacramento got to within seven points in the fourth quarter but the Hawks answered every time extending their lead with shots from outside. As the clock began to wear down, the Kings had 19 turnovers which Atlanta took advantage of to the tune of 17 points.

The Kings seven game winning streak was in jeopardy with 2:39 left in the game. Sacramento had so many opportunities but their downfall beyond the turnovers were the missed three’s. They were eight of 29 from downtown. With 48.6 left on the clock Young said good night to the Kings with yet another shot from downtown. The final was 115-106.

Although the Kings dominated in the paint it was those turnovers that really hurt them in this game. De’Aaron Fox had a slow start but finished with 18. Malik Monk had a monster game with 27 points off the bench. The Kings were sluggish out of the gate and just weren’t able to get going.

Young had 35 points for Atlanta getting open consistently throughout the entire game. The Hawks didn’t have a great fourth quarter but the Kings just didn’t take advantage of their let-down. Friday night the Kings will travel to Boston to take on the Celtics at TD Garden. They will get a chance to rest tomorrow after taking on this challenging road trip. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:00 PM.

Living Up To The Hype: Kings slighty different than advertised in 113-109 win over the Grizzlies

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By Morris Phillips

All of a sudden the Sacramento Kings are so good, they…

Don’t need to depend on their prolific scoring to win games. In Tuesday’ 113-109 thriller at the Grindhouse in Memphis, they put up a “mere” 113 points, the lowest point total in any of their ten victories this season. And yes, the defense was present. The formidable Grizzlies were held to 17 points in the decisive, third quarter in which they missed seven of eight 3-point attempts.

“I thought our third quarter defense was really good,” coach Mike Brown said. “Might be our best defensive quarter of the year.”

Don’t need to shoot the lights in order to win. The Kings have made slightly more than half of their shot attempts on the season, but against Memphis they made do with 43 percent shooting, and survived their whopping 30 misses from distance.

Don’t need to command the stat sheet to prevail. The Kings were outrebounded, fouled more and didn’t commit fewer turnovers, but they still pulled it out. To be fair, the numbers between the teams were extremely close in all three areas, but the contention that the Kings don’t have to unveil their best effort to win holds weight.

Don’t need a big finish to get a win… and this one on the road against a quality opponent to boot. This time the Grizzlies, not the Kings, dominated play down the stretch, cutting a 14-point, fourth quarter deficit to three on several possessions inside two minutes remaining. Ja Morant, who led all scorers with 34, missed a 3-pointer with 1:10 left that would have brought the hosts even at 104. Morant’s three-point play with five seconds remaining pulled the Grizzlies within 109-108, but the Kings converted four, subsequent free throws to close it out.

De’Aaron Fox led the Kings with 32 points, but Brown pointed to Harrison Barnes and his 26 points as the key to the Kings’ surviving the frantic finish.

“Obviously, we were haywire out there. Going crazy, and Harrison just made some big plays down the stretch,” Brown said.

The Kings have won seven straight for the first time since they did it in 2005, the season of their most recent–but distant–playoff appearance. Kings’ fans with anxiety issues might not want to look at the Western Conference because their long forlorn team occupies the third spot behind the Suns and the equally, surprising Jazz, just percentage points above the fourth-place Clippers.

The Kings were their typical, freewheeling selves in the first half on Tuesday, shooting 51 percent with eight makes from distance to lead 64-59. The third quarter saw the Kings extend their lead to 12, and they led 99-85 with 6:08 left after Barnes hit a three.

Memphis responded with a 5-0 run which set the stage for the tense finish. Morant was terrific after missing the previous game with an ankle injury, scoring 20 of his 34 in the fourth.

The Kings complete a back-to-back on Wednesday in Atlanta where they will confront the 10-7 Hawks.

Sellout Shootout: Kings rally late for sixth, straight win, 137-129 over the Pistons

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By Morris Phillips

SACRAMENTO–The biggest week of Kings’ basketball in over a decade almost transpired without an essential conclusion: a win over the shorthanded, hapless Pistons.

Losers of all nine of their road contests, and minus three starters, Detroit didn’t get the memo or read the Kings’ storybook. Instead they came out firing, led almost the entire way, and were tenuously in control with 4:16 remaining, up 124-119.

That’s when the 17,866 in attendance turned the volume up, while Kevin Huerter and De’Aaron Fox took control on the hardwood. Fox started the final push with a dunk in transition off Huerter’s steal, then the second of Huerter’s two 3-pointers gave the Kings a 131-127 lead with 1:29 remaining.

Fox dismissed the Pistons on a jumper with 56 seconds to go, and two made free throws with 22 seconds left that sealed it. In all, Sacramento’s starting backcourt combined for 14 of the team’s final 18 points, and Fox led the Kings with 33 points, seven assists.

“He’s playing at an All-Star level. He’s doing it on the offensive end, the defensive end,” said Harrison Barnes of Fox. “It’s a credit to him and the amount of work he put in this summer.”

Huerter added 24 points, and Domantas Sabonis had 15 points, 13 rebounds as all five Kings’ starters scored at least 13 points.

The Pistons got 24 points from rookie Jaden Ivey, who was a headliner in a matchup with fellow, top 5 draft pick Keegan Murray. The Kings’ rookie started on Sunday after missing the previous game against the Spurs and finished with 13 on 4 of 10 shooting.

Marvin Bagley also got a few hits on Twitter, as a reminder that this was his first game back in Sacramento following the trade deadline deal that shipped him to Detroit. The 6’11” Bagley didn’t figure to hold up as the only true frontcourt presence for the visitors in the absence of Saddiq Bey and Isaiah Stewart, but he did. Bagley played 21 minutes and scored 11 of his 15 points after halftime. The former No. 2 overall pick for Sacramento was playing just his fifth game after missing the first 13 games of the season with a knee sprain.

The Kings six-game win streak is their first since January 2005, and the perfect complement to Tuesday’s electrifying, 153-121 win over Brooklyn on national TV that created all the buzz. Thursday’s win over the Spurs kept the party going, and Sunday’s crowd, the biggest in the history of the Golden 1 Center confirmed the fan base has taken notice.

The Kings are three games over .500 for the first time since February 13, 2019 when they were 30-27 in support of the underappreciated coaching of Dave Joerger.

With all the excitement surrounding his team, coach Mike Brown stood alone in his subdued reaction. The Pistons 61 percent shooting before halftime, and their 102 points after three quarters left a sour taste.

“We were not good at all defensively tonight,” Brown said. “We got lucky.”

WHAT HAPPENED TO TD?: Terence Davis, the first player in NBA history to notch at least 30 points, seven rebounds, seven 3-pointers and three steals on 70-percent shooting from the field in a single game barely played on Sunday.

Davis wasn’t hurt, just not needed in the minds of the Kings’ coaching staff. Davis’ record night was Tuesday against the Nets. Then on Thursday he scored five points in 15 minutes against the Spurs. And on Sunday, with Murray back in the starting lineup, Davis sat the entire first half, and played just three minutes in the third quarter. He finished with three points.

Do the Kings have quality depth? Apparently so.

Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson: Kings pick up fifth straight win; Sac had commanding lead on Spurs

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Sacramento Kings forward Trey Lyles (41) and San Antonio Spurs guard Devin Vassell (24) chase the ball during the first quarter at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Thu Nov 17, 2022 (AP News photo)

Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson:

#1 The Sacramento Kings (8-6) have been going for the gusto of late they have won five straight games defeating the San Antonio Spurs (6-10) 130-112 at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento Thursday night.

#2 De’Aaron Fox led the way for the Kings with 28 points and had his usual huge influence on the outcome of the game and on the offense.

#3 It seems like head coach Mike Brown has this team running on all cylinders he’s certainly taken a page out of his old Golden State days when he was an assistant coach when they won several championships. He has the Kings playing with that same kind of confidence.

#4 The Spurs did put on some defense in the second and third quarters but it was the fourth quarter when Kings pulled away scoring 41 points to wind up with a 18 point win.

#5 The Kings have a very good shot at getting their sixth straight win at Golden 1 on Sunday a 3:00pm tip against the visiting Detroit Pistons. The Pistons have now lost five straight games.

Join Jeremiah for the Sacramento Kings podcasts heard Thursdays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

It’s Five In A Row For Sacramento Beating Spurs 130-112

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San Antonio Spurs guard Josh Richardson (7) and Sacramento Kings guard Malik Monk (0) chase the ball during the first quarter at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Thu Nov 17, 2022 (AP News photo)

It’s Five In A Row For Sacramento Beating Spurs 130-112

By Barbara Mason

Thursday night the red-hot Sacramento Kings (8-6) took on the San Antonio Spurs (6-10) looking for their fifth win in a row. The Kings have one of the high powered offenses in the NBA right now. Their ball movement is on fire and they are taking high percentage shots and not forcing anything. This team is not leaning too heavily on one player, but rather they are trusting each other. The Huerter Sabonis connection has been insane and so much fun to watch.

This was true test for the Kings playing against a Gregg Popovich led team. The Spurs played hard and pushed Sacramento to the limits. The Kings played without Keegan Murray who sat out the game with a back issue. His injury is not considered to be a long-term issue and that is good news for the Kings. The Kings picked up their fifth straight win over the Spurs 130-112 at Golden One Center in Sacramento.

The Kings won the first quarter 37-28 leading at one time by sixteen points. The Spurs made a push getting to within four points but the Kings pushed back and held a 63-56 lead going into halftime. De’Aaron Fox had scored 12 points in the first half and off the bench Malik Monk also had twelve points.

The Spurs refused to go away and this game was tied a number of times in the third quarter. With 2:09 left in the quarter the scored was tied 80-80. At 1:18 the score was again tied at 82 and the Kings would have to go the distance and pull out all the stops in this one. After three quarters the Kings led 89-82.

The Kings would extend that lead down the stretch in the fourth quarter. Fox and Monk were shooting lights out. Monk was shooting 50% from downtown and Fox was 10 of 13 and 24 points with 7:32 left in the game. With a little over two minutes left on the clock, Sacramento was in the driver’s seat. With 1:37 the Kings had a 128-110 lead and their fifth win in a row was in sight.

All five of the starters for the Spurs shot in double digits with Devin Vassell the high with 29 points. The Spurs just could not handle the offensive excellence of Sacramento. De’Aaron Fox finished with 28 points and Malik Monk had 26 off the bench.

This was an all-around effort by the Kings. Harrison Barnes and Domantas Sabonis both had 16 and off the bench Trey Lyles had 14 points and Chimezie Metu with 10. This was just another solid offensive and defensive game for Sacramento. They fought throughout the game holding onto the lead through four quarters.

Next up for the Kings will be on Sunday when they take on the Detroit Pistons. They will be gunning for their sixth win in a row. Tipoff is scheduled for 3:00 PM.

Golden State Warriors podcast with Barbara Mason: Warriors continue to struggle on the road remain winless

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Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) drives to the basket past Sacramento Kings guard Davion Mitchell (15) at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Sun Nov 13, 2022 (AP News photo)

On the Warriors podcast with Barbara:

#1 Barbara, Golden State Warriors (5-8) still without a road win they took another road loss last night at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento against an improved Sacramento Kings (6-6) team losing by seven points 122-115.

#2 Even key stars of the Warriors guard Stephen Curry and forward Draymond Green had a tough time defending Kings star player Domantas Sobonis who ended up with a triple double in the contest.

#3 The Warriors played well enough to win they got scoring production from Curry 27 points, Andrew Wiggins 26 and Jordan Poole with 18 points despite the effort it’s just got to be frustrating working hard but going empty handed.

#4 The Warriors had a tough time defending Sobonis who wound up on the top of the leaderboard with 26 and De’Aaron Fox who finished second in scoring with 22 points.

#5 The Warriors will return home to the Chase Center for a battle with the San Antonio Spurs Monday night at 7:00pm. The Spurs had lost five straight games before winning their last game against the mighty Milwaukee Bucks Friday 111-93 in San Antonio. Barbara tell us how you see the Spurs and Warriors matching up tonight?

Join Barbara for Warriors podcasts each Monday morning at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Sacramento Kings game wrap: Sabonis leads in scoring as Kings shut down Golden State 122-115 at Golden 1

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Sacramento Kings Domantas Sabonis (center) can’t be stopped by the Golden State Warriors top star players forward Draymond Green (left) and guard Stephen Curry at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Sun Nov 13, 2022 (AP News photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings were back in action on Sunday night as they welcomed in the Golden State Warriors. The Warriors last played on Friday night as they defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers at home. The Kings also last played on Friday in Los Angeles when they beat the Lakers.

On Sunday, it looked to be a fun matchup. The World Champion Warriors were taking on the upstart Sacramento Kings in Golden One Center at 6 PM PST. Game result was a 122-115 win for the Kings. The Warriors remain with a winless road record.

In the first quarter, the Kings didn’t look great. They didn’t play any defense, and the offense couldn’t pick up the difference. In a dismal first quarter, the Kings gave up 39 points to the Warriors, who started the night with a hot shooting hand. The Kings only scored 26 points in the first quarter. Warriors guard Stephen Curry continued his shooting terror, starting the game by scoring 13 in the first.

In the second quarter, the Kings played much better. It was almost a complete role reversal for the Kings. The Kings played solid defense and held the Warriors to only 23 points in the second quarter. On the other hand, the Kings offense came alive and scored 38 on the Warriors in the second.

The Kings were led in the first half by Keegan Murray and Malik Monk, who had 13 and 12, respectively. Andrew Wiggins led the Warriors in the first half, scoring 18 points. The Kings would lead the Warriors heading into halftime 64-62. The Kings would look to close out the Warriors in the second half but could Curry light a fire under the Warriors and lead them back?

In the third quarter, both teams fought tooth and nail. Neither team could seem to figure out the defensive end of the floor. The offense seemed to be getting to most of the spots they wanted. The Kings managed to outscore the Warriors for the second quarter in a row, 34-29 in the third. The Kings showed poise and avoided the third-quarter meltdown. Could the Kings close out the defending champs? The Kings entered the final quarter of action leading 98-91.

In the fourth quarter, the Kings started to lose control of the game. The Kings had played well in the second half until they started to get sloppy with the ball and commit mental mistakes. The Kings committed a series of bad offensive fouls that seemed to turn the tide in the game.

However, De’Aaron Fox was able to lead the Kings to victory in the second half. The Kings managed to defeat the Warriors in a seven point victory. It was an excellent show from the Kings against the defending champs to not give in after halftime and close out the win. The Kings were led by an incredible performance from Domantas Sabonis, who had 26-22-8 for his line. Fox finished the game with 22 points leading the Kings back into momentum in the final quarter.

Up Next: The Kings stay home at Golden 1 to take on the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday at 7 PM PST

Golden State Warriors game wrap: Warriors remain winless; Lose to Kings 122-115

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Golden State Warriors center Kevon Looney, center, is guarded by Sacramento Kings forward Domantas Sabonis (10) and guard Kevin Huerter (9) during the first quarter at Golden 1 in Sacramento on Sun Nov 13, 2022 (AP News photo)

Warriors Remain Winless On the Road Losing to Kings 122-115

By Barbara Mason

Sunday night the Golden State Warriors (5-8) took on the Sacramento Kings (6-6) hoping to win their first road game of the season. Limiting the turnovers will be key in this game. This has been troublesome all season as well as sending opponents to the line far too often. The Warriors will have to get that first road win for another day as they dropped Sunday’s game to the Kings 122-115 at Golden 1 Arena in Sacramento.

Golden State came out on fire hitting three three’s to start the game and taking a 39-26 lead after the first 12 minutes. Guard Stephen Curry started this game much the same as he finished their last game against the Cavaliers.

The second quarter saw a reverse of fortune for the Kings. They had trailed by fifteen points in the quarter only to take a halftime lead 64-62. The Kings outscored the Warriors in the second quarter 38-23. The Warriors had hit eight three’s and the Kings had nine. The Kings had scored 13 points off Warrior turnovers as Golden State continued to struggle in that department.

This is the third meeting between these two teams this season, all of these games very competitive.

The Warriors got their offense back on track in the third quarter taking back the lead 78-72 at 8:27. Both teams had hit 11 three’s. Just when the Warriors made a nice push, the Kings pushed right back taking the lead 80-78 mid-way through the quarter. One big factor in this game was the 14 rebounds by the Kings Domantas Sabonis as Sacramento continued to challenge the Warriors. After three quarters the Kings led 98-91.

The turnovers for the Kings began to mount and with six minutes left we had a one point game 109-108 in favor of Sacramento. Both teams got a bit sloppy in the closing minutes. Just inside of five minutes the Warriors took back the lead 111-110 in this see-saw of a game.

Golden State needed to close out this game as both teams traded the lead in the final three minutes. Winding down to the two minute mark, the Kings had taken a 119-113 lead. The Warriors just could make shots in the final minutes and came up short losing another road game 122-115.

Curry had the high score with 27 points and Jordan Poole finished with 18. The Kings defense was amazing especially Sabonis with an amazing 22 rebounds and 26 points. The Kings simply were the better team tonight.

The Warriors will be back home at Chase to take on the San Antonio Spurs Monday night. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 PM.