Kings get six point win over Thunder 117-111; Snap 3 game skid

Sacramento Kings guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) gets a pass off in front of Oklahoma City Thunder forward Gabriel Deck (6) at the Golden One Center in Sacramento on Tue Dec 28, 2021 (AP News photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings (14-21) were back in action on Tuesday night against the Oklahoma City Thunder (12-21). The Kings last played on Sunday when they took on the Memphis Grizzlies. That game got out of hand in a big way for the Kings as they fell 127-102 to the Grizzlies. On Tuesday the Kings were set to take on the Grizzlies at 7 PM PST. The Kings managed to defeat the Thunder 117-111.

In the first quarter, both teams started the game about even. Neither team really got an immediate offensive spark. The Kings upped the pace towards the quarter but the Thunder outscored the Kings 34-42 inn the first 12 minutes of action. Harrison Barnes and Lu Dort who respectively each had eight points.

In the second quarter, the Kings and Thunder matched each other’s play for the most of the quarter. However, the Kings managed to take the advantage going into halftime. The Kings outscored the Thunder 29-23 in the second quarter to take the lead 61-57.

The Kings were led in the first half by Harrison Barnes and Tyrese Halliburton who each scored 11 points. The Thunder received their biggest contribution from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander who scored 11 points. The Kings would look to close out things out in the second half.

In the third quarter, the Kings melted down early. However, they were able to survive and bring themselves back before the end of the third. The Kings all in all outscored the Thunder 26-24 in the third to take the lead into the fourth quarter. Could the Kings close out the game?

Yes! In the fourth quarter, the Kings went up big early. However, that wouldn’t tell the whole story. The Kings didn’t hold their large lead late in the fourth quarter. The Thunder managed to claw their way back and get within six points as the game ended.

The Kings and the Thunder both scored 30 points I. The fourth as the Kings managed to defeat the Thunder 117-111 at Golden One Center. The Kings didn’t play particularly well on Tuesday. Yet, what matters is that they won the game.

The Kings improved to 14-21 on the year as the Thunder fell to 12-21. The Kings are currently one game back of the San Antonio Spurs for the last play in spot. The Kings were led by Tyrese Haliburton who scored 24 points as Shai Gilgeous Alexander scored 33 for the Thunder.

Up Next: The Kings stay home to take on the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday at 7:30 PM PST.

Grizzlies boat race Kings to 127-102 finish at Golden One Center; Memphis ends 3 game skid

Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr. (13) and center Steven Adams (4) are two on one against the Sacramento Kings forward Chimezie Metu (7) in the first quarter at the Golden One Center in Sacramento on Sun Dec 26, 2021 (AP News photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings (13-21) were back in action on Sunday afternoon after the Christmas break. The Kings welcomed the Memphis Grizzlies (20-14) to town in what was hoped to be a solid matchup between the two teams from the west. Unfortunately for Kings fans, the Grizzlies boat raced the Kings at home 127-102 on Sunday afternoon.

In the first quarter, both teams got off to a slow start on the offensive end of the floor. The Kings slow start on offense wasn’t as dire of a situation as it could have been. The Grizzlies also struggled to get the ball in the basket early. The Kings managed to pick up the pace on offense towards the end of the quarter, scoring the Grizzlies 24-20.

Damian Jones gave the Kings the best minutes in the first quarter as he scored nine points. The Grizzlies were led in the first quarter by Desmond Bane, who scored nine points for the Grizzlies.

In the second quarter, both teams played relatively the same. The Grizzlies picked up their play on the offensive end and outscored the Kings 29-26. Neither team had a momentum surge in the first half. The Kings and Grizzlies went back in fourth.

The Kings would lead the game 50-49 going into halftime. Damian Jones had 11 first-half points, followed by Harrison Barnes with 10 points leading the way for the Kings on offense in the first half. The Grizzlies got their most significant contribution in the first half from Desmond Bane, who scored 15 points. It felt like whichever team went on a run in the third quarter would win the game.

In the third quarter, the Grizzlies went on a run. In the third quarter, the Kings defense fell apart as they allowed the Grizzlies to score 40 points. The Kings only managed to score 27 points during the barrage from the Grizzlies in the third quarter.

The Kings would fight back towards the end of the quarter to pull a bit closer, but they would still trail 89-77 going into the final quarter.

In the fourth quarter, it was more of the same. The Kings defense continued to be atrocious as the Grizzlies scored 38 points. On the other hand, the Kings offense only managed to put up 25 points.

It was maybe the worst Kings loss of the season as the Kings core showed no heart down the stretch “This is the most disappointed I’ve been in my 34 years in the NBA” said Kings head coach Alvin Gentry.

As a result, the Kings lost the game by the final of 127-102. There wasn’t much to say after this loss for the Kings. They played without much heart and allowed the Grizzlies to run rough shot over them. The Kings would have to look to Tuesday to game back in the win column.

Up Next: The Kings will host the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday at 7 PM PST.

Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson: Kings need to stop the bleeding host Grizzlies Sunday at Golden One

The Sacramento Kings Harrison Barnes (40) reaches up to score two points against the Los Angeles Clippers Paul George (left) at the Golden One Center in Sacramento on Thu Dec 22, 2021 (AP News photo)

On the Kings podcast with Jeremiah:

#1 The Los Angeles Clippers (17-15) snapped a three game losing streak with a 105-89 win over the Sacramento Kings (13-20) on Wednesday night at Golden One Center in Sacramento. The Clippers Eric Beldsoe led with 19 points and right behind Bledsoe was Paul George with 17 points.

#2 The Clippers really took advantage of the Kings with Serge Ibaka who scored a season high of 17 points, Ibaka had three slam dunks, and 12 points.

#3 After losing three straight games Ibalka said the Clippers were of the mindset that they had to win this game and said they needed this win bad. A four game losing streak and getting behind the eight ball would have been damaging for the Clippers.

#4 The Kings are struggling they’ve lost six out of their last eight games. How much does the absence of head coach Alvin Gentry impact the team. Gentry has been out for Covid 19 protocols along with key offensive scorer De’Aaron Fox.

#5 Next up for the Kings the Memphis Grizzlies (19-13) Sunday at 3:00 pm PST. The Grizzlies have lost their last game to the (10-20) 102-99. The Grizzlies had a five game streak going before losing three straight games. Jeremiah how do you see this contest Sunday at Golden One?

Jeremiah Salmonson is a Sacramento Kings beat writer and does the Kings podcasts every Friday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Kings can’t overcome their poor shooting and sloppiness in 105-89 loss to Clippers

Sacramento Kings center Richaun Holmes (22) gets the rebound as the Los Angeles Clippers’ Nicolas Batum (33) and Ivica Zubac (40) defend at the Golden One Center in Sacramento on Wed Dec 22, 2021 (AP News photo)

by Marko Ukalovic

SACRAMENTO —The Sacramento Kings hope they don’t get coal for presents from Santa Claus for Christmas.

Their ineffective shooting and not being able to take care of the ball might have gotten them on Santa’s naughty list in 105-89 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday night at Golden 1 Center.

Sacramento have lost two games in a row and three out of its last four. Los Angeles have snapped its three-game losing streak.

Interim head coach Alvin Gentry missed his fifth consecutive game since being placed on the Covid-19 protocol on December 15th with assistant coach Doug Christie handling the head coaching duties for a fifth straight game.

Sacramento (13-19) came out flat and started out as cold as the weather outside. They began the game shooting 1 for 9 from the field and were held to just 33% (8-24) shooting in the opening quarter and had six turnovers. Guard Buddy Hield played all 12 minutes and was 0-6.

“We just played bad,” Haliburton said. “It’s a make or miss league. I thought we had some descent looks. But we just couldn’t put the ball in the basket, especially early.”

Los Angeles (16-15) started game on 13-5 run. Terrance Mann sparked the offense in the first quarter with nine points and center Ivan Zubac had six. They led 25-20 at the end of the quarter.

The second quarter was even less kind to the Kings as the Clippers began the quarter on a 11-3 run. Sacramento continued its carelessness with the ball with five more turnovers as they shot an anemic 32% (6-19).

Serg Ibaka chipped in five points and Eric Bledsoe scored the last four points for Los Angeles in the half as the Clippers led 49-38 at halftime.

Los Angles looked to have the game in hand when they went on a 13-2 run to increase its lead to 67-49 with 6:09 remaining with Bledsoe scoring seven of the 13 during the two-minute stretch.

However, Sacramento responded an 11-2 run of their own as Tyrese Haliburton scored five points in a row. Tristian Thompson and Hield made back-to-back three pointers to close the gap to 69-62. The Kings outscored Clippers 30-25 in the third quarter as the were down 74-68 to start the fourth quarter.

Sacramento wasn’t able to overcome their poor shooting and 19 total turnovers in the fourth quarter. Los Angeles closed out the final 5:47 on a 14-4 run to seal the deal as Ibaka scored 12 of his 17 points in the final quarter off the bench for the Clippers.

“It’s attention to the small things,” Christie said about the sloppy play by his team. “Attention to details. It’s making sure where is the ball and where am I supposed to be. You gotta hold yourself accountable and you gotta make sure you’re doing it. ‘My bad’ isn’t going to cut it in this league. You’re going to lose saying that.”

Haliburton led all scorers with 22 points to go along with a team high 13 assists. Harrison Barnes chipped in with 18 points and Hield finished with 16.

Bledsoe led the Clippers in scoring with 19 points and seven assists. Paul George chipped in with 17 points, including a dagger three pointer with 3:23 left in the game to put Los Angeles up comfortably 99-86.

GAME NOTES: Sacramento finished 12-for-38 from beyond the arc. Los Angeles was 7-for-24.

Sacramento signed Emmanuel Mudiay to a 10-day deal. Mudiay had been playing in Europe this season.

Queta Neemias was placed on the Covid-19 protocol yesterday.

UP NEXT: Sacramento hosts the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday 12/26 at 3:00pm at Golden 1 Center.

Haliburton’s 24 pt effort for not as Warriors defeat Kings 113-98

Sacramento Kings guard Buddy Hield (24) takes it to the Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Mon Dec 20, 2021 (AP News photo)

By Daniel Dullum

Monday, December 20, 2021 Unofficially, it was Stephen Curry Night at Chase Center in San Francisco, and the longtime Golden State star didn’t disappoint. Curry set the NBA record for career 3-pointers last week against the New York Knicks, and, upon the Warriors return home, was honored with a video tribute in the first half of the Warriors’ 113-98 win over visiting Sacramento.

Curry, who broke Ray Allen’s previous mark of 2,973 treys, finished with 30 points and four assists. Draymond Green added 16 points, 11 rebounds and ten assists for Golden State (25-6), giving the veteran his 31st career triple-double.

Damion Lee was seven of eight from the field and finished with 18 points. Tyrese Haliburton led the Kings (13-19) with 24 points and 11 assists, and Harrison Barnes scored 19 points. The game was competitive until the Warriors took over in the fourth quarter.

After Buddy Hield hit a go-ahead three with 1:34 remaining in the third quarter, Gary Payton II tallied five straight points, and the Warriors took an 84-79 lead into the fourth quarter. Both teams were affected by COVID-19 protocols.

The Warriors were without Jordan Poole and Andrew Wiggins, while Sacramento was hit much harder, as the Kings were down to six players. De’Aaron Fox, Marvin Bagley III, Terence Davis, Louis King, Alex Len and Davion Mitchell were all held out of the contest due to COVID guidelines, along with interim head coach Alvin Gentry.

Assistant coach Doug Christie ran the Kings in Gentry’s absence. The Kings’ Richaun Holmes missed his seventh straight game with a right eye injury. Sacramento hosts the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday, and Golden State hosts the Memphis Grizzlies on Thursday.

Warriors manhandle Kings in fourth quarter for 113-98 win

Sacramento Kings forward Tristian Thompson (13) gets shot blocked by Golden State Warriors forward Kevon Looney (5) at Chase Center in San Francisco on Mon Dec 20, 2021 (AP News photo)

Warriors Manhandle Kings in the Fourth Quarter

By Barbara Mason

The Sacramento Kings (13-19) really came to play against Golden State (25-6) and actually led by three points in the third quarter but could not maintain the lead. The Warriors came alive in the fourth quarter to take over the game winning 113-98.

Monday night the Warriors took on the Kings at Chase Center after a five game road trip.

After Saturdays game against the Raptors we did not know when we would see Jonathan Kuminga again. Fast forward and in the first quarter he played six minutes scoring twp points. Head Coach Steve Kerr turned to the bench and got some great work from Andre Iguodala with seven points and Otto Porter Jr with five.

The Warriors led 58-46 at halftime with guard Stephen Curry leading the shooting with 13 points. Draymond Green and Damien Lee both had ten points. Lee was spectacular in the first half playing 18 minutes. Golden State had eight steals and had the Kings back on their heels.

The Kings came storming out of the locker room in the third quarter playing some very competitive basketball. The Kings were still without Alvin Gentry and De’Aaron Fox while the Warriors were missing Andrew Wiggins and Jordan Poole all of them sidelined in covid protocol.

Curry sat out the entire third quarter. The 15 point lead that the Warriors had was trimmed down to two points with the Kings tying up the game with two minutes left in the quarter. The Kings briefly took the lead in the final minute of the third but could not sustain that effort in the final quarter of the game.

Going into the fourth quarter the Warriors led 84-79. Much of the lead was courtesy of Damian Lee who shot 18 points in this game. Green had a triple double in yet another brilliant performance and Curry finished with 30 points. The Kings put up a valiant effort with all of their starters scoring in double digits. It was just not enough and Golden State came away with the win 113-98.

Golden State will have a few days off before they take on the tough Memphis Grizzlies Thursday night at Chase Center. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 PM.

Golden State Warriors podcast with Barbara Mason: Warriors prepare for struggling Kings tonight at Chase Center

Toronto Raptors’ OG Anunoby (3) drives at Golden State Warriors’ Damion Lee, center, and Moses Moody (4) on Sat Dec 18, 2021 at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto (Canadian Press via AP photo)

On the Warrior podcast with Barbara:

#1 Barbara, one of the things that head coach Steve Kerr wanted to do for his key players Stephen Curry (rest), Draymond Green (right hip), Andre Iguodala (right knee), Otto Porter Jr. (left foot) and Andrew Wiggins (left knee) was get them some rest from Saturday night’s game in Toronto and had them fly back from Boston after last Friday’s game.

#2 One of the other things that Kerr wanted is to have the starters not to have to go through possible Covid 19 exposure and possible quarantine in Toronto Canada which would be two weeks.

#3 Barbara talk about Jonathan Kuminga he got lots of minutes and scored a career high of 26 points you had a chance to mention in your post game recap after Saturday night’s game what was your impression Kuminga.

#4 Kerr said after the game that he felt the second half was better than the first half using G league players and developmental players and gave Kerr a chance to see who they have in the minor league system.

#5 The Warriors take on the Sacramento Kings tonight at Chase Center in San Francisco. The Kings are struggling they’ve lost four of their last five games. They lost a frustrating home game at Golden One Center on Friday night to the Memphis Grizzlies 124-105 and their head coach Alvin Gentry and star player De’Aaron Fox were both out because of Covid 19 protocols. Barbara how do you see the Kings and Warriors match up this afternoon at 3pm?

Join Barbara Mason for the Warriors podcasts heard each Monday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Shorthanded Kings beat Spurs by seven 121-114 at Golden One

San Antonio Spurs guard Devin Vassell (24) guards against Sacramento Kings center Tristan Thompson (13) Sun Dec 18, 2021 at Golden One Center in Sacramento in the first half of NBA action. (AP News photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings (13-18) were back in action on Sunday afternoon as they welcomed in the San Antonio Spurs (11-18) to Golden One Center. The Kings, fresh off an awful short-handed loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday, were looking to clean up their effort.

However, it would be a tall task for the Kings as they remained understaffed, with the likes of De’Aaron Fox and Davion Mitchell still on the COVID list. The Kings managed to pull out the victory in a tough-fought matchup with the Spurs 121-114.

The Kings were off to a good start against the Spurs in the first quarter. The Kings offense was firing on all cylinders. The Kings put up a solid 37 points in the first quarter as the Spurs lack of defense was on full display. On the other hand, the Spurs were only able to score 27 points in the first to dig themselves an early deficit against the Kings.

The Spurs managed to flip the script in the second quarter. The Kings offense cooled, and the defense couldn’t step up. The Spurs scored 29 points in the second quarter as the Kings offense could only add 26 to their total.

Neither team played much defense in the first half as the Kings would go into halftime with a 63-56 lead. Damian Jones led the way in the first half for the Kings putting up a surprising 14 points. Tyrese Haliburton added 12 points in the first half. Lonnie Walker led the Spurs in the first half scoring 16 points.

In the third quarter, it appeared the Kings meltdown woes were coming back to bite them yet again. However, the Kings managed to get the game back under control before it got out of hand. The Spurs outscored the Kings in the third quarter, but it was only by one point, 29-28.

The Kings managed to stop the bleeding and not fall behind their opponent as they did on Friday night. The Kings would need to tighten up the defensive end in the final quarter if they wanted to get out of town with a win.

The Kings managed to do what they needed to win the game 121-114. The Kings received a significant contribution from Buddy Hield in the final quarter as the Kingd managed to outscore the Spurs. The last 12 minutes saw the Kings score 30 points compared with the Spurs 29.

Neither team shined on the defensive end of the floor all night. The Kings allowed at least 27 points in each quarter to the Spurs and scored at least 26 in each quarter themselves. The Kings were led in victory by impressive performances from Buddy Hield (29 points), Tyrese Haliburton (27 points), and Damian Jones (23 points).

The Spurs most significant contributors were Dejounte Murray and Lonnie Walker, who had 25 and 19 points, respectively. It was an excellent win for the short-handed Kings, who improved to 13-18 on the season. The Spurs fell to 11-18 on the year.

Up Next: The Kings have a quick 15-minute flight over to the Bay Area as they take on the Golden State Warriors on Monday at 7 PM PST at Chase Center.

Golden State Warriors podcast with Barbara Mason: Warriors rested starters Saturday; Tip off with Kings tonight

Toronto Raptors’ OG Anunoby (3) takes the ball against the Golden State Warriors’ Damion Lee, center, and Moses Moody (4) on Sat Dec 18, 2021 in Toronto at Scotiabank Arena. The Warriors host the Sacramento Kings Mon Dec 20, 2021 at the Chase Center in San Francisco (Canadian Press via AP News)

On the Warrior podcast with Barbara:

#1 Barbara, one of the things that head coach Steve Kerr wanted to do for his key players Stephen Curry (rest), Draymond Green (right hip), Andre Iguodala (right knee), Otto Porter Jr. (left foot) and Andrew Wiggins (left knee) was get them some rest from Saturday night’s game in Toronto and had them fly back from Boston after last Friday’s game.

#2 One of the other things that Kerr wanted is to have the starters not to have to go through possible Covid 19 exposure and possible quarantine in Toronto Canada which would be two weeks.

#3 Barbara talk about Jonathan Kuminga he got lots of minutes and scored a career high of 26 points you had a chance to mention in your post game recap after Saturday night’s game what was your impression Kuminga.

#4 Kerr said after the game that he felt the second half was better than the first half using G league players and developmental players and gave Kerr a chance to see who they have in the minor league system.

#5 The Warriors take on the Sacramento Kings tonight at Chase Center in San Francisco. The Kings are struggling they’ve lost four of their last five games. They lost a frustrating home game at Golden One Center on Friday night to the Memphis Grizzlies 124-105 and their head coach Alvin Gentry and star player De’Aaron Fox were both out because of Covid 19 protocols. Barbara how do you see the Kings and Warriors match up tonight at 7pm?

Join Barbara Mason for the Warriors podcasts heard each Monday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Grizzlies clobber Kings 124-105; Sac has lost four of last five games

Memphis Grizzlies forward Dillon Brooks (24) drives past the Sacramento Kings center Damian Jones (30) at Golden One Arena in Sacramento on Fri Dec 17, 2021 (AP News photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–The Kings were back in action against the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday night at home. The Kings last played on Wednesday when they took on the Washington Wizards.

The Kings handled the Wizards, defeating them 119-105. However, on Friday, the Kings were significantly short-handed. Kings head coach Alvin Gentry had tested positive for Covid earlier this week, and many staff members and players had to enter protocols as a result.

The players who missed Friday’s matchup were De’Aaron Fox, Davion Mitchell, and Alex Len. The short-handed Kings would try their best against the Grizzlies but ultimately fell 124-105.

In the first quarter, the Kings and Grizzlies both got off to a solid start on the offensive end. However, neither team’s defense looked outstanding as the shots fell for both teams. The Kings scored 31 points in the first quarter as the Grizzlies put up 29.

In the first quarter, the severely short-handed Kings got a much-needed lift from Harrison Barnes as he led the game with eight points. On the other hand, the Grizzlies got six points from De’Anthony Melton.

It was a very inconsistent quarter for the Kings in the second quarter. The Kings played great in the first half of the quarter. However, as the quarter came to a close, the Kings unraveled. The Kings built a 50-35 lead with 5:50 left in half, but it was short-lived.

The Kings lost the lead almost as quickly as they made it by the sloppy defense and unnecessary turnovers. The Kings had nine turnovers in the second quarter and 11 in the game, leading to 17 points so far. The Kings were outscored by the Grizzlies 29-25 in the second quarter.

The Kings were led by Harrison Barnes in the first half, who scored 15 points. Dillion Brooks led the way in the first half for the Grizzlies with 13 points. The Grizzlies took their 58-56 lead into the second half against the Kings. The Kings would need to clean up the messy play in the second half to have a chance at winning the game.

In the third quarter, the Kings meltdown continued. The Kings allowed the Grizzlies to score 33 points in the third quarter, but that wasn’t the biggest problem. The Kings offense only scored 19 points in the third. So, the Kings were left with a massive deficit heading into the final quarter 91-75.

In the fourth quarter, the Kings showed some heart but ultimately fell to the Grizzlies 124-105. The Grizzlies outscored the Kings 33-30 in the final quarter to finish off the blowout of the Kings. The Kings held their own in the first half but could not contain the duo of Jaren Jackson and Dillon Brooks, who had 21 and 23 points respectively.

The Kings were led in defeat by Tyrese Haliburton, who scored 21 points. It was a disappointing game for the Kings, who were also short-handed due to Covid.

Up Next: The Kings stay home to take on the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday at 3 PM PST at Golden One Center.