Tag: Sacramento Kings

Blazers lack of defense as Kings Sabonis leads in scoring in Sac’s 126-94 pre season win

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Sacramento Kings forward Keegan Murray (13) is one on one with the Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lilliard (0) at the Golden One Center in Sacramento on Sun Oct 9, 2022 (@ SacramentoKings photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–Game two of the preseason was set with the Kings coming home to take on the Portland Trail Blazers. The Kings first game of the preseason was Friday when they took on the Los Angeles Lakers. The Kings were set to take on the Trail Blazers Sunday at 6 PM PST. On Sunday, the Kings destroyed the Trail Blazers 126-94.

In the first quarter, the Kings came out firing. The Kings led by Domantas Sabonis scored 31 points in the first quarter. Sabonis had nine points followed by De’AaronFox and Kevin Huerter who each had six points. For the Trail Blazers, they only managed 19 points in the first against the Kings defense. Anfernee Simons scored six points for Portland in the first quarter.

The second quarter didn’t go much better for the Trail Blazers. In fact, the deficit grew larger. The Kings outscored the Blazers 39-34 in the second quarter to grow the lead even larger. The Kings would lead the Blazers 70-53 going into halftime.

Keegan Murray exploded for the Kings in the second quarter by scoring 12 points. Overall, the Kings offense was. Firing on all cylinders on Sunday night.

In the third quarter, it was more of the same. The Kings have looked great all preseason and that was on full display in the third. The Kings extended their lead over the Trail Blazers to 98-77 by outscoring them 28-24 in the third quarter.

The Kings, under Mike Brown, didn’t let up and fold like so many games in previous seasons under other coaching. It was a refreshing sight for Kings fans. Could they hold on in the fourth and final quarter?

In the fourth quarter, the Kings wrapped up the blowout. There was nothing Portland could do to contain the Kings as they ran away with victory. The Kings out scored the Trail Blazers 28-17 in the fourth quarter to come away with the victory 126-94.

It was indeed a blowout for the Kings who have looked really solid in summer league. Jerami Grant led the way for the Trail Blazers scored 17 points in the contest. Keegan Murray led the Kings with 16 points of his own. It was a great team win for the Kings where everyone got involved.

Up Next: The Kings will travel to Phoenix to take on the Suns on Wednesday at 7 PM PST.

Murray leads Kings with 16 pts in 105-75 victory over Lakers in the Southland

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Los Angeles Lakers guard Russell Westbrook, second from right, jumps as he guards Sacramento Kings guard De’Aaron Fox, second from left, as forward LeBron James, left, watches along with Harrison Barnes at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Mon Oct 3, 2022 (AP News photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

Monday night at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles marked the first Sacramento Kings game of the season. Granted, it was pre-season it was nonetheless exciting for Kings fans and NBA fans like to see their purple and black back in action. The Kings managed the Lakers with ease winning the game 105–75 in Los Angeles.

A lot has changed since the Sacramento Kings last took the court. New additions to the roster and draft picks have really shaken up the outlook for the Kings this season. In addition to roster changes for the on court ranks, the Sacramento Kings hired a new head coach in the off-season.

New head coach Mike Brown who arrived via the Golden State Warriors in the off-season is poised to take the helm of the kings and try to turn the culture of losing around in Sacramento. The Kings core group of De’Aaron Fox, Harrison Barnes, Domantas Sabonis and company are all back for another season in Sacramento.

In addition to the players remaining on the roster the Kings picked up the likes of Malik Monk via the market and Keegan Murray in the NBA draft. Kings fans are excited to see the development of this team and the new head coach who the current front office wanted not old leadership. On Monday night the Kings put forth a solid effort in their first preseason game of the year.

In the first half most of the starters for both teams played in the game. The contest in the first half was a very even matchup between Kings stars such as De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis taking the court against the likes of LeBron James and Anthony Davis. After the first half of action, The Lakers led the Kings 46–41 going into halftime.

De’Aaron Fox led the way in the first half for the Kings scoring ten points in just over 15 minutes. For the Lakers, Anthony Davis scored the most points in the half with 11. The Kings were poised to take over the game in the second half with the main starters taking the rest of the night off.

In the second half it wasn’t even a contest. The Kings dramatically outscored the Lakers in the second half. The third quarter saw the kings outs score of the Lakers 35-13 while in the fourth quarter the Kings trounced the Lakers 29–16.

All in all the Kings would defeat the Lakers 105–75. It was an impressive win for the Kings who played well on every side of the ball. Keegan Murray led all scorers in the game with 16 points has Anthony Davis led the Lakers with his 11 first half points.

The Kings next match up is in Sacramento against the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday at 6 PM PST

NBA Draft podcast with David Zizmor: Warriors looking to develop Baldwin; Kings say Murray can help Mitchell and Fox

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Milwaukee University’s Patrick Baldwin Jr is expected to be a big help for the Golden State Warriors who plan to take their time developing Baldwin (AP News file photo)

On the NBA Draft podcast with David Zizmor:

Golden State Warriors picked center Patrick Baldwin Jr out of Milwaukee who they can develop and take their time brining him up as they’re in a good position to do so. Baldwin comes up from the first round a 28th pick.

Baldwin according to scouting reports could be an elite NBA player at 6’10 he can shoot and handle the ball and play just as good as any guard coming out of the college ranks. Their is a concern about him staying healthy.

Baldwin played in only 11 college games this past season due to an ankle injury can he mesh that and get in more playing time. The Warriors medical staff are good with ankle injuries as they had time to work on Stephen Curry’s ankle a time or two.

Sacramento Kings picked Keegan Murray out of Iowa University a small forward drafted out of the first round as a four pick. Murray has a workout with the Kings prior to the selection and it just so worked out that Murray is now on board with the team.

The Kings say they are looking forward to seeing how Murray works with Davion Mitchell and D’Aaron Fox. They say that Murray will be a big help switching at the post and diversifying in the front court.

David Zizmor is an NBA analyst for http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Headline Sports with Tony Renteria: Will Brown be the answer for Kings improvements? How physical will the rest of the Warriors-Grizzlies series get?

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Sacramento Kings newly hired head coach Mike Brown shown here as an assistant coach of the Golden State Warriors against the Portland Trailblazers on Nov 4, 2021 at the Chase Center in San Francisco (AP file photo)

On the Sac Kings podcast with Tony Renteria:

#1 Tony, the Sacramento Kings who just recently hired former Golden State Warriors assistant coach Mike Brown how skeptical are you about Brown or any coach coming in and trying to improve this team?

#2 Tony, will coach Brown and Kings General Manager Monte McNair be able to rework the foundation of this basketball team and be able to remake and redo the roster.

#3 One other thing are the Kings willing to spend money to bring in some front line talent that would almost assuredly give the Kings a chance at making the playoffs?

#4 Tony, Dillon Brooks said at the Memphis Grizzlies practice today that he didn’t intend to hurt the Golden State Warriors Gary Payton II and that if he could he would take back the flagrant 2 foul he would.

#5 Tony let me ask you a question we got to ask Barbara Mason on this morning’s Warrior podcast after the Warriors Draymond Green pulled down on the jersey of the Grizzlies Brandon Clark in game 1 for a flagrant 2 foul the jury said it was not Green’s intent to hurt Clark going forward though this series since then has turned into a physical series of flagrant 2 fouls.

Listen to Tony R for Headline Sports each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Kings Beat No.1 Team in NBA 116-109; Positive result to end 2021-22 Sacramento season

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Sacramento Kings forward Justin Holiday throws down in front of Phoenix Suns forward Cameron Johnson (23) in first half action at the Footprint Center in Phoenix on Sun Apr 10, 2022

Kings Beat No.1 Team in NBA 116-109; Positive result to end 2021-22 Sacramento season

By Barbara Mason

It has been a long long season for the Sacramento Kings (30-52). They have fought through the loss of a Head Coach (Luke Walton) and injury and lots of frustration. With all that they have endured throughout the season, they have to finish it playing the best team in the NBA the Phoenix Suns (64-18).

It was a bit of a surprise to see the Kings leading after the first quarter 33-24. What was even more surprising was the fact that they extended their lead to 67-51 at the half. Of course the Suns were not playing Devon Booker, Chris Paul and Deandre Ayton not risking injury to their starters and keeping them fresh for their post-season run.

On the other hand the Kings De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis were out with injury so missing their top scorer Fox and newest acquisition Sabonis.

A win for the Suns makes no difference in the standings. A win for Sacramento would give them their 30th win of the season and a little something to hang their hat on after the disappointment they have gone through all year. The Kings shocked picking up a win at Footprint Center in Phoenix over the first place Kings 116-109.

The Suns made up a little ground in the third quarter but the Kings stubbornly held on with some great play from Justin Holiday and Davion Mitchell. They continued to hold a double digit lead mid-way through the third.

The Kings saw their 16 point lead start to shrink as the quarter came to an end. After three quarters Sacramento held a 86-77 lead. They would have to dig deep to finished the season with a win.

The Kings maintained a double digit lead until the final three minutes of this game. With 2:38 left on the clock the Suns were trailing by eight points. The Suns would make if really interesting trailing by three points with 8.6 left on the clock. The Kings refused to go down in this game and finished off the Suns.

Sacramento had some great work from Damian Jones, Mitchell and Donte Divincenzo all with 19 points. So now we bid a brief farewell to the Kings as they head into the off-season. With a healthy De’Aaron Fox, Sabonis, Damian Jones, Mitchell Divincenzo and Harrison Barnes there is some optimism going forward for the Kings.

Our thanks to our Sacramento Kings beat writer staff for the 2021-22 season, Jeremiah Salmonson, Charlie O, Morris Phillips, Barbara Mason, Jessica Kwong, Daniel Dullum and Marko Ukalovic

George, Clippers roll past Kings 117-98

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Los Angeles Clippers guard Paul George (13) battles his way to the hoop as Sacramento Kings forward Harrison Barnes (40) puts the stop on George in first half action at the Crypto Arena in Los Angeles on Sat Apr 9, 2022 (AP News photo)

By Daniel Dullum
Saturday, April 9, 2022

Paul George scored 23 points, dished out 12 assists, and pulled down eight rebounds for the Los Angeles Clippers Saturday night, leading the Clips past Sacramento 117-98.

It was the Clippers’ fourth straight win. Los Angeles will face the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday in the NBA’s play-in tournament. If the Clippers win, they will reach the playoffs for the fourth straight year and meet the No 2-seed Memphis Grizzlies in the first round.

A loss to Minnesota would send the Clippers into a game against either New Orleans or San Antonio on Friday. The winner would face the overall top-seed Phoenix Suns.

George missed 43 games due to an elbow injury. Since his return, George is averaging 22.6 points, 5.6 rebounds and 6.8 assists while the Clippers are 5-1 in that stretch.

The Clippers led from start to finish, as Norman Powell scored 20 points off the bench and Ivica Zubac added 15 points and 12 boards for LA.

Davion Mitchell led the Kings with 22 points, followed by Trey Lyules with 15. Damian Jones scored 12 points to go with four steals, and Neemias Queta added 10 points off the Sacramento bench.

The Clippers led by as many as 20 points in the first half before Sacramento used a run to pull within 59-45 at halftime. The Kings scored the first seven points of the third quarter to cut its deficit in half.

That was as close as Sacramento would get, as Los Angeles used a 19-5 run over the last five minutes of the third quarter to take a 92-71 lead going into the fourth quarter.
The Kings travel to Phoenix on Sunday.

Pelicans control Kings wire to wire in Sac’s last home game 123-109

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The New Orleans guard CJ McCollum (3) drives to the bucket against the Sacramento Kings at the Golden One Center in Sacramento on Tue Apr 5, 2022 (AP News photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings (29-51) were back in action on Tuesday night for their last home game. The Kings were set to welcome the New Orleans Pelicans (35-44) on Tuesday at 7 PM PST in Sacramento. The Kings last played on Sunday evening against the Golden State Warriors as they lost that game 109-90.

On Tuesday, the Kings lost to the New Orleans Pelicans by the final of 123-109 in the Kings last home game of the season.

In the first quarter, both teams started slow. The Kings fell behind early in the first quarter only to pull closer as the quarter came to a close. Overall, the Kings scored 25 points in the first quarter compared to the Pelicans 27. The Kings offense was down several players on Tuesday, but most notably, it was De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis.

In the second quarter, It wasn’t any better for the Kings. The Kings offense played well in the second quarter as they began to pick up the pace. However, the increase on offense also led to worse play on the defensive end.

The Kings scored 32 points in the second quarter but allowed the Pelicans to score 33 points and further their lead. Damian Jones led the way for the Kings in the first half as he scored 15 points. Jaxson Hayes led the way for the Pelicans on offense as he scored 12 points in the first half.

The Kings would need to control the Pelicans on offense if they wished to secure a win in their final home game of the season. The Kings went into halftime down 60-57.

In the third quarter, the story only got worse for the Kings. The Pelicans offense remained in high gear as the Kings struggled to mount any sort of gameplan on the defensive end of the floor.

The Pelicans continued the offensive onslaught as they scored 35 points on the Kings in the third quarter. On the other hand, the Kings only scored 27 points in the third as the deficit grew in Sacramento. It would tackle a miracle for the Kings to come back in the fourth quarter as they were down 95-84.

In the fourth quarter, the Kings didn’t show much fight. The trend of being outscored in every quarter of the game continued as the Pelicans outscored the Kings 28-25 in the final quarter. It was a disappointing end to a disappointing season for the Kings.

The Kings fell to the Pelicans by the final of 123-109. The Kings were led in the defeat by Damian Jones, who had 22 points. The Pelicans leading scorers were Jaxson Hayes and CJ McCollum, who each had 23 points. This game would conclude the 41 home games the Kings played at Golden One Center for the season.

Up Next: The Kings go on the road to take on the LA Clippers on Saturday in LA time of the game TBD.

Golden State Warriors podcast with David Zizmor: Warriors look to pick up third win in row against slumping LeBron and Lakers

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The Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) makes for a fast break on the Sacramento Kings Justin Holiday (9) at the Golden One Center in Sacramento on Sun Apr 3, 2022 (AP News photo)

#1 Dave, after losing four straight games the Golden State Warriors (50-29) got key wins against the Utah Jazz and the Sacramento Kings (29-50). How much of a relief did this have to be for the club considering they had lost those three games and were without Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson.

#2 Despite not having Curry and Thompson the Warriors got some offense from forward Andrew Wiggins who led with 25 points and guard Jordan Poole who finished behind Wiggins with 22 points.

#3 The Warriors host the Los Angeles Lakers (31-47) on Thursday night at Chase Center. The Lakers are having troubles of their own with seven loses of their last eight games. The Lakers are on a eight game loss streak losing their last game to the Denver Nuggets (47-32) 129-118 at Crypto Arena on Sunday night.

Join David Zizmor throughout the NBA postseason for the Golden State Warriors podcasts each Wednesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Golden State Warriors podcast with Barbara Mason: How Warriors missed Thompson’s presence in Sacramento on Sunday

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The Golden State Warriors Klay Thompson celebrates a great offensive night on Sat Apr 2, 2022 at Chase Center in San Francisco sat out Sun Apr 3, 2022 in Sacramento due to a management injury (AP News photo)

On the Golden State Warriors podcast with Barbara:

#1 Barbara, the Golden State Warriors didn’t have the use of Klay Thompson due to a management injury. Watching the contest in Sacramento on Sunday night could you see a difference with Thompson out of the line up.

#2 There is no doubt with a Thompson and Curry out of the line up the Warriors have to lean on scorers Jordan Poole and Andrew Wiggins to provide for offense.

#3 In the Warriors game on Saturday you couldn’t tell that Thompson had any injury issues he was lights out scoring 36 points.

#4 As you could see from their game against the Utah Jazz a huge difference when Thompson is in the line up they got a four point win against a good club.

#5 The Kings are a team that has been on the move lately before Sunday’s game they had won four out their last five. They narrowly lost the the Phoenix Suns on Sun Mar 20th they’re a team that the Warriors had own in the past.

Join Barbara Mason for the Golden State Warriors podcasts Mondays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Sacramento Kings game wrap: Kings brief two game win streak comes to an end in 109-90 loss to Golden State

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Sacramento Kings guard Davion Mitchell (15) takes a shot against the Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) in the second quarter at the Golden One Center in Sacramento on Sun Apr 3, 2022 (AP News photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings (29-50) were back in action on Sunday evening. The Kings had last played on Friday as they took in the Houston Rockets for the second time in as many games.

The Kings wrapped up the five-game road trip with a win on Houston on Friday 122-117. On Sunday, the Kings welcomed the Golden State Warriors (50-29) to Golden One Center with tip-off set for 6 PM PST. The Warriors beat the Kings at home 109-90 on Sunday night…

In the first quarter, it was a plodding start for the Kings. The Kings only scored 14 points on the Warriors in the first quarter. However, that wasn’t the only bad news for the Kings.

The Warriors offense got off to a quick start when they put up 28 points on the Kings in the first quarter. The Kings would need to act fast in the second quarter if they wanted to keep the game close.

In the second quarter, It didn’t get much better for the Kings. The Warriors offense was still firing on all cylinders, and the Kings defense couldn’t contain them. The Kings offense did pick up the pace scoring 28 points in the second quarter.

Unfortunately, the Warriors dropped 34 points on the Kings in the second quarter. The Kings would dig themselves into a 62-42 deficit going into halftime to a Warriors team without Stephen Curry or Klay Thompson. In the first half, Andrew Wiggins led the Warriors in scoring with 15, while Damian Jones scored eight points for the Kings.

In the third quarter, the Kings played their best quarter so far. The Kings outscored the Warriors in the third quarter, 29-19, as they got a little momentum heading into the final quarter.

Throughout the game, the difference had been the Kings three-point shooting compared to the Warriors. The Warriors made almost half of their three-pointers while the Kings were lucky to make 1-10. As a result, the Kings went into the fourth quarter trailing 67-81.

In the fourth, the Kings would show heart but ultimately lose the game 109-90. The Kings did get within seven points of the Warriors down the stretch in the fourth quarter. However, after a bad pass from Damian Jones, the Kings lost their momentum, and the Warriors took the game over to seal the deal.

The difference in the game was three-point shooting as the Warriors made 16-34 attempts. On the other hand, the Kings only made 7-33. The Warriors were led in victory by Andrew Wiggins, who scored 25 points, as Harrison Barnes had 18 points to lead the Kings.

Up Next: The Kings take on the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday at 7 PM PST to wrap up the home schedule for the Kings this season.