Tag: Sacramento Kings

Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson: Kings hoping to bounce back after losing 5 out of last 6; host Toronto tonight

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Sacramento Kings guard De’Aaron Fox, right, tries force a loose ball from Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards at the Target Center in Minneapolis on Wed Nov 17, 2021 (AP News photo)

On the Kings podcast with Jeremiah:

#1 The Sacramento Kings (6-9) have lost five of their last six games and have fallen three games below .500. They lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves (5-9) 107-97 what has put the Kings off the track?

#2 The Kings De’Aaron Fox has stayed consistent leading the Kings in scoring Wednesday night with 28 points.

#3 The Kings defense had a hard time trying to defend the Timberwolves Anthony Williams who opened up in the fourth quarter scoring 16 of his 26 points in the final quarter to help Minnesota to a win.

4. The Kings Buddy Hield who scored 16 points off the bench and the Kings got 20 rebounds their most for the year but took a loss to the Timberwolves.

#5 The Toronto Raptors (7-8) have lost five of the last six games before facing the Utah Jazz on Thursday night. The Raptors who played in Portland on Monday night to a 118-113 loss to the Trailblazers (7-8) a five point loss. The Raptors tip off against the Kings tonight at Golden One set the stage for this one.

Jeremiah does the Kings podcasts each Friday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Edwards, Towns lead Wolves past Kings 107-97

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Sacramento Kings forward Harrison Barnes, left, tries to get a hook shot over Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards at the Target Center in Minneapolis on Wed Nov 17, 2021 (AP News photo)

By Daniel Dullum
Wed, November 17, 2021

Offensive firepower from Anthony Edwards and Ksrl-Anthony Towns, along with stingy defense, helped Minnesota defeat Sacramento 107-97 Wednesday night at Target Center in downtown Minneapolis.

It was the Kings’ fifth loss in their last six games.

Edwards scored 16 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter, and Towns added 22 points for the Timberwolves, who held the Kings to 36.6 percent shooting and forced 20 Sacramento turnovers.

Patrick Beverley added 14 points, six rebounds and six assists for the Wolves, who had lost eight of its last nine games. Edwards sank four 3-pointers in the fourth quarter, laading Minnesota to its third win in 10 home games.

De’Aaron Fox paced the Kings with a game-high 28 points, followed by Buddy Hield’s 16 points off the bench. Richaun Holmes added 12 points and seven rebounds.

Sacramento coach Luke Walton wanted better rebounding and got it – the Kings grabbed a season-high 20 offensive boards, 13 of them in the first half resulting in 16 second-chance points.

Though both teams struggled offensively in the first half, Minnesota surged ahead in the third quarter when Towns scored the first seven points of the third quarter, sparking a 10-2 Wolves run. From there, Minnesota hit 13-of-20 field goals, including 4-pf-7 from 3-point range.

Hield tried to keep the Kings in the game with four 3s to pull Sacramento within one early in the fourth quarter. But Edwards went on his fourth-quarter tear to help the Timberwolves pull away.

The Kings return home on Friday to host the Toronto Raptors.

Kings snap four game skid thrash Detroit 129-107

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The Detroit Pistons guard Josh Jackson (20) with the Sacramento Kings guard Buddy Hield (24) on his backside tries to get control of the basketball at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on Mon Nov 15, 2021 (AP News photo)

Kings snap four game skid thrash Detroit 129-107

By Barbara Mason

The Sacramento Kings won a decisive game over the Detroit Pistons on Monday. Every starter for Sacramento shot double digits for a lop-sided win 129-107.

Monday night the Detroit Pistons (3-10) took on the Sacramento Kings (6-8) at Little Caesars Arena. The Pistons currently sit near the bottom of the Eastern Conference while the Kings are in eleventh place in the Western Conference.

The Pistons are struggling while the Kings are playing improved basketball over last season. Their leading scorer De’Aaron Fox has been consistently putting up good numbers and the team will be leaning on him in this game. The Kings are favored in this game as they try to work their way to a .500 record.

After the first quarter the Kings had taken a significant lead over Detroit 31-12. They got a quick start and never looked back.

In the second quarter the Kings put a real stranglehold on the Pistons and were leading 68-44 at the half. Everything was going right for Sacramento and the Pistons were really struggling. Fox scored 14 points in the first half followed by Tyrese Haliburton with 11 points.

The Kings got help off the bench with Buddy Hield scoring 11. The Pistons Saddiq Bey had 17 points in the half. In the first two quarters the Kings obliterated the Pistons and would try to take the same play into the second half to close out this game. The Pistons certainly had a huge deficit to contend with. Trailing by twenty-four points would be a major challenge for Detroit.

The Pistons made up a little ground in the third quarter but the Kings came roaring back and extended their lead. Going into the fourth quarter the Kings had opened up a thirty point lead and things were looking pretty bleak for Detroit.

The high score for Sacramento was off the bench. Buddy Hield shot for 22 points to cement the win for the Kings 129-107.

Wednesday night the Kings will continue their road trip taking on the Minnesota Timberwolves. Tipoff is slated for 5:00 PM.

Last-second layup by Thunder’s Dort sinks Kings 105-103

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Oklahoma City Thunder forward Luguentz Dort (5) tries to line up a shot against Sacramento Kings guard Buddy Hield (24) in the closing minutes in Oklahoma City on Fri Nov 12, 2021 (AP News photo)

By Daniel Dullum
Friday, November 12, 2021

A layup off a steal by Lu Dort with 1.7 seconds remaining gave Oklahoma City a 105-103 win over the Sacramento Kings Friday. It was the fourth win in a row for the Thunder.

The Thunder overcame an 18-point deficit to snag the win. Sacramento had the ball with 25 seconds to play, but Kings guard DeAaron Fox was stripped on an attempted crossover by Dort, who converted the steal into the go-ahead layup.

After the Kings (5-8) called a full time out following Dort’s go-ahead basket, Buddy Hield missed a 24-foot 3-pointer from the left wing as time expired.

Dort and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder (5-6) with 22 points apiece. Darius Bazley had 15 points (on 6-of-8 shooting), eight rebounds and two blocks, and Tre Marin scored 12 points off the OKC bench. Jeremiah Robinson-Earl grabbed 14 rebounds.

Harrison Barnes led Sacramento with 21 points, followed by Richaun Holmes and DeAaron Fox with 16 points each. Hield and Chimezie Metu each added 14 points for the Kings. Holmes added 15 rebounds and four blocks, Tristan Thompson grabbed 10 boards, and Tyrese Haliburton contributed eight rebounds, seven assists and eight points.

It was the fourth time this season that the Thunder overcame a deficit of 16 or more points this season.

The Kings’ road trip continues on Monday, when they visit the Detroit Pistons.

Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson: Kings try to snap three game skid in OKC tonight

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The Sacramento Kings guard De’Aaron Fox (5) tries to dribble to get inside on San Antonio Spurs guard Devin Vassell (24) on Wed Nov 10, 2021. Fox was was the high scorer for the game with 37 points and did the heavy lifting for the Kings it wasn’t enough as Sacramento went down to their third straight defeat at AT&T Arena in San Antonio. The Kings are in Oklahoma City tonight. (AP News photo)

On the Kings podcast with Jeremiah:

#1 Jeremiah the Sacramento Kings (5-7) who are suffering losing their last three games and got walloped by the San Antonio Spurs (4-7) on Wednesday night in San Antonio 136-117. After the Kings had that short run they are now facing the possibility of losing four straight on Thursday night in Oklahoma City.

#2 Dejounte Murray led the Spurs with 26 points Kings head coach Luke Walton knew that Dejounte was a force that had to be reckoned with and the Kings defense had trouble defending him.

#3 Jeremiah, despite scoring a season high 37 points the Kings De’Aaron Fox just couldn’t carry all that weight by himself and the Spurs defense pretty shutdown anyone else down in the Kings line up as the only other four Kings who scored in double figures fell short to get over the hump to catch the Spurs.

#4 The Spurs who had their own three game losing streak before Wednesday night’s game never let up on the Kings as Spurs head coach Gregg Poppovich was pushing the team hard not to drop this game.

#5 The Kings hope to turn the page tonight in Oklahoma City against the Thunder (4-6). The Thunder have won three straight games going into tonight’s contest. The Thunder defeated the New Orleans Pelicans (1-11) on Wednesday night 108-100 with the Thunder’s forward Luguentz Dort led with 27 points. Jeremiah tell us what do you expect from tonight’s contest as Kings head coach Luke Walton hopes to snap the skid tonight.

Join Jeremiah for the Kings podcasts each Friday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Spurs enjoy big offensive night, rout Kings 136-117

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The Sacramento Kings De’Aaron Fox (5) tries his best to shut down the San Antonio Spurs Dejounte Murray (5) driving at the AT&T Center in San Antonio on Wed Nov 10, 2021 (AP News photo)

By Daniel Dullum
Wednesday, November 10, 2021

San Antonio enjoyed a huge offensive night, with seven players in double-figures Wednesday, as the Spurs routed Sacramento 136-117 before a crowd of 15,065 at AT&T Center in San Antonio.

The Spurs enjoyed hot shooting from behind the arc, sinking 18-of-23 3-point attempts, including five by Devin Vassell and four by Doug McDermott. It was the Kings’ third straight loss.

Dejounte Murray led the Spurs with 26 points and seven assists, followed by 18 from Drew Eubanks. McDermott and Thaddeus Young scored 17 points each, with 15 points apiece from Vassell, Lonnie Walker IV and Bryn Forbes. Keldon Johnson added 12 rebounds, four assists, three steals and a block to go with eight points for the Spurs (4-7).

Overshadowed in the Spurs’ lop-sided win was the effort of Sacramento guard DeAaron Fox, who scored a game-high 37 points, along with six assists, three blocks and a steal. Davion Mitchell and Chimezie Metu each added 13 points off the bench, and Buddy Hield scored 12 points, Mitchell also had six assists, and center Richaun Holmes grabbed 12 rebounds.

San Antonio jumped to a 14-point lead after one quarter and built a 71-54 halftime advantage.

The Kings (5-7) opened the second half with a 9-2 run, but were unable to cut into San Antonio’s lead, as the Spurs maintained a 17-point lead going into the fourth quarter. A McDermott 3-pointer halted the Kings’ run, and San Antonio never looked back.

Sacramento continues its road trip on Friday, visiting Oklahoma City

Suns take advantage of Kings mistake laden third quarter in 109-104 win

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Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) takes it to the hoop against Sacramento Kings guards Davion Mitchell (15) and Terence Davis (3) at the Golden One Center in Sacramento on Mon Nov 8, 2021 (AP News photo)

by Marko Ukalovic

SACRAMENTO—One quarter can make or break a team.

For the Sacramento Kings, it was a horrendous third quarter doomed them in a 109-104 loss to the Phoenix Suns on Monday evening at Golden 1 Center.

Sacramento have lost three out of its past five games. Phoenix has won a season best five games in a row after starting the season 1-3.

Sacramento (5-6) were without the services of guard Tyrese Haliburton who was out with lower back tightness.

Phoenix (6-3) were without their star center DeAndre Ayton who was out with a lower leg contusion.

The Kings got off to slow start for its second consecutive game. The Suns opened the game on a 12-4 run led by the backcourt duo of Chris Paul and Devon Booker who combined for 10 of the 12 points.

Sacramento were able to get back into the game thanks for forward Harrison Barnes’ eight points to pace the Kings in the second quarter.

Phoenix finished the first quarter on a 7-2 run as they led 34-28. Cameron Payne had nine points off the bench in the opening 12 minutes.

Davian Mitchell gave the Kings its first lead of the game with a mid-range jumper with eight minutes left in the second quarter to put Sacramento up 42-21.

Sacramento found their rhythm in the second quarter as they outscored Phoenix 36-33 to close the gap to three points as they were down 67-64 at halftime.

Point guard DeAaron Fox, who had a quiet first quarter, responded by scoring 10 points in the second quarter. Terrence Davis had a strong half with 11 points and Buddy Hield scored eight points in the second quarter.

Payne paced the Suns with 17 points in the first half as he was the only Phoenix player in double digits at halftime.

The Kings played their worst third quarter of the season. A combination of poor shooting a multiple turnovers allowed the defending Western Conference champions to take control of the game and pull away from Sacramento.

The Suns started the quarter on a 14-0 run aided by four Kings turnovers. Sacramento’s first points of the quarter were a Mitchell layup with 6:52 left. Phoenix outscored Sacramento 31-12 and ended the quarter with a comfortable 98-76 lead. Fox and Hield provided no offense for the Kings.

“We let them get easy shots, easy looks and offensive rebounds,” said Mitchell. “We didn’t play with (any sort of) pace in the third quarter.”

The Suns scored 38 points off of 24 Kings turnovers, 10 of them in the third quarter. They had more fast break points than Kings (15-13) and their bench outscored Sacramento’s 48-33.

Kings head coach Luke Walton emptied his bench in the fourth quarter as he had seen enough watching his starters perform badly after a good first half. He had Mitchell, Chimezie Metu and Damian Jones play the entire fourth quarter along Fox and Barnes.

“What I’m most disappointed in is wasted opportunities,” said Walton. “We let Phoenix take us out of what we’re doing (as a team). We gave in. So at that point, we might as well not even play and stay here and have a practice we how we came out in that third quarter.”

Phoenix allowed the Kings back in the game playing isolation ball on offense for the entire fourth quarter. The Kings stepped up their defense and got the game to under single digits.

Sacramento were able to cut the lead to 105-100 with 2:36 left in the game.

We loved the fight that the group showed, the bench. Unfortunately it took the bench to come in and do that.”

Barnes scored a layup on what was originally called a blocking foul with 1:12 left that would’ve cut the lead to one point. Suns head coach Earl Watson challenged and the call it was overturned after review with Barnes earning the offensive foul and turnover.

Still the Kings had a chance to force overtime when Booker missed two free throws with 7.4 seconds. The ensuing play ended up with a fatal turnover that led to Paul sealing the deal with two free throws to ice the game for Phoenix.

Payne led all scorers with 24 points off the bench. Booker had 18 points on 8-15 from the floor. Mikal Bridges and Paul finished with 16 points.

Barnes led the Kings with 26 points to go along with six rebounds but committed a team high six turnovers. Fox had 24 points with five turnovers. Mitchell finished with 12 points and six rebounds in the losing effort.

GAME NOTES: Robert Woodward II was out with a hamstring injury for Sacramento and Dario Saric did not play for Phoenix with a knee injury.

Sacramento finished 5-7 in Pacific Division games and 16-20 at home last season. The Kings averaged 113.8 points per game while allowing opponents to score 117.6 last season.

Phoenix went 51-20 overall and 30-12 in Western Conference play during the 2020-21 season. The Suns averaged 7.2 steals, 4.3 blocks and 12.0 turnovers per game last season.

The two teams played for the second time this season. The Kings defeated the Suns 110-107 in their last meeting on Oct. 28. Buddy Hield led the Kings with 26 points, and Devin Booker led the Suns with 31 points.

UP NEXT: Sacramento begins a four-game road trip on Wednesday 11/10 as they take on the San Antonio Spurs at 5:30pm at AT&T Center.

Kings can’t defeat Pacers despite Barnes 22 point performance 94-91 at Golden One

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Sacramento Kings center Richaun Holmes (22) gets the ball knocked out of his hands by Indiana Pacers guard Brad Wanamaker (10) and forward Domantas Sabonis (11) at the Golden One Center in Sacramento on Sun Nov 7, 2021 (AP News photo)  

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings (5-5) were back in action on Sunday afternoon. The Kings were in action after having the day off on Saturday after taking on the Charlotte Hornets (5-5). On Sunday, the Kings welcomed the Indiana Pacers into Golden One Center. The Kings dropped a close one to the Pacers (4-7) 94-91 in Sacramento. If the Kings were able to win it that would have been their third straight win. Before we dive into the action on Sunday let’s take a look at how the Kings faired in their last game.

Friday flashback: The Kings played the Charlotte Hornets on Friday and won in a convincing fashion. The Kings played a tremendous game on both ends of the floor as the Kings drubbed the Hornets by a final of 140-110. It was one of the Kings most authoritative wins of the year.

Sunday recap: The game against the Indiana Pacers was set for tip-off at 3 PM PST in Sacramento.

In the first quarter, the Kings got off to a slow start. On the defensive end, the Kings allowed the Pacers to score 27 points. The Kings didn’t seem to have the energy that they played with the whole game on Friday. Similarly, the Kings offense was lackluster to start the game. The Kings only managed 19 points against the Pacers in the first quarter. The Kings looked to turn things around in the second.

In the second quarter, the Kings stopped the bleeding against the Pacers. The Kings still didn’t look in rhythm but they at least kept the Pacers from expanding the lead. The Kings outscored the Pacers in the second quarter 24-21 as the Kings pulled a little closer.

As is the theme early on this season Harrison Barnes was the main reason the Kings were in the ball game as he had 11 first-half points. Chris Duarte was the largest contributor for the Pacers with 12 points. The Kings went into halftime down 48-43 looking to come back and win the first game of a back-to-back.

In the third quarter, the Kings got off to a slow start again. The Pacers continued to hit their shots as the Kings really struggled to get any momentum going on the offensive end. Buddy Hield hit a couple of big threes to keep it close. However, the Kings were outscored 26-24 in the third to dig a 74-67 hole going into the final quarter. The Kings would need to start hitting shots if they wanted any chance of winning the game.

In the fourth quarter, the Kings intensity took an obvious jump up. The Kings defense was getting into position every time down the floor. The question was if the Kings shots would start falling enough times to cut the deficit. It was. The Kings managed to claw their way back and tie the game.

However, the Kings weren’t able to close the deal as the Pacers just barely managed to beat the Kings down to the final seconds of the game. The Kings outscored the Pacers 20-24 in the final quarter but it wasn’t enough as the Kings came up short 94-91.

The Kings offense just never caught rhythm as the Kings only managed 91 points in the game. The Kings were led in defeat by Harrison Barnes who scored 22 points. Caris LeVert scored 22 points for the Pacers in victory. With the loss, the Kings drop to 5-5 on the year as the Pacers improved to 4-7 on the year. The Kings will have to look to the second night of the back-to-back for victory.

Up Next: The Kings stay home to take on the Phoenix Suns on Monday at 7 PM PST at Golden One Center.

Kings crush Hornets with 30 point victory 140-110 at Golden One

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The Sacramento Kings put on the defensive pressure on the Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges (0) on Fri Nov 5, 2021 at Golden One Center in Sacramento (AP News photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings were back in action on Friday night. The Kings had the day off on Thursday after taking on the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday night. The Kings entered action on Friday with a record of 4-4 and what seemed to be some early season momentum. The Kings opened up on the Hornets with a 30 point win 140-110 at Golden One Center in Sacramento.

The Hornets entered play on Friday with a 5-4 record looking to improve on their solid start to the season. The Kings and Hornets would play in Sacramento at 7 PM PST. Before we dive into Friday night’s action let’s take a look at the Kings last game.

Flashback Wednesday: The Kings took on the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday night and beat them handily. The Kings matched their play most of the game and took over in the final quarter. The Kings ended up winning the game 112-99.

Friday tip off: The Kings were set to take on the Charlotte Hornets at 7 PM PST in Sacramento.

The first quarter was a tremendous outburst from the Kings. The first quarter saw everything the Kings had to offer this year. The defense was spectacular, and the offense was on fire. The Kings hit 9 three’s in the first quarter alone to set the tone for the offense. The Kings in the first quarter managed to outscore the Hornets 41-22.

In the second quarter, the Kings took a step back. The Kings defense allowed the Hornets to score 31 points to try and mount a comeback. Fortunately for the Kings, the shots continued to fall for the purple and black. The Kings outscored the Hornets by scoring 33 points in the second quarter to take a 74-53 lead into halftime. The Kings Richuan Holmes and Buddy Hield had double figures in the first half with 12 points each. The Kings looked to lock the game down in the second half.

In the third quarter, the Kings defense melted down. Part of that meltdown was in part because Gordon Hayward torched the Kings in the third. Hayward managed to score 12 points and was the biggest part of keeping the Hornets in the game. However, the Kings did still continue to light it up on offense adding scoring 33 albeit as the Hornets scored 36. The Kings would need to tighten up on the defensive end of the floor to come out with a victory. The Kings led heading into the final quarter 106-89.

In the final segment, the Kings managed to finish the Hornets off in victory. The Kings outscored the Hornets 34-21 as the Kings had all the momentum down the stretch in the 140-110 victory. At points throughout the fourth quarter, you could hear the Joy from Kings fans as they chanted in the blowout victory.

The chants were “Buddy Buckets” and “We want Bagley” among others. This was by far the best Kings team blowout in recent memory. The Kings were led in victory by Buddy Hield with 26 followed by Richuan Holmes with 23 points. The Hornets were led by LaMello Ball who scored 24 points.

Up Next: The Kings will stay home to take on the Indiana Pacers on the first night of a back-to-back on Sunday at 3 PM PST.

Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson: Barnes and Kings host Hornets tonight at Golden One

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The Sacramento Kings forward Harrison Barnes (40) drives to the hoop with the Utah Jazz forward Royce O’Neale (rear) trying to put up a block on Tue Nov 2, 2021 at Salt Lake City. Barnes led the Kings in scoring on Wed Nov 3, 2021 against the Charlotte Hornets in Sacramento.

On the Kings podcast with Jeremiah:

#1 Jeremiah, tell us about Tyrese Haliburton who went on a seven point run late in the fourth quarter to help the Sacramento Kings (4-4) pick up a 112-99 win over the visiting New Orleans Pelicans (1-8) at Golden One Center in Sacramento.

#2 The Pelicans had won only one game going into Wednesday night’s game and were an easy target for the Kings and an easier target for NBA Network’s Charles Barkley who said Zion Williamson has put on some weight which might be the team anchor.

#3 What made it even better for the Kings Williamson was not in the New Orleans line up but that said the Kings still needed all of the 20 points they scored in the fourth quarter.

#4 Jeremiah, tell us about Harrison Barnes whose been on the top of the leaderboard and Wednesday night was no exception scoring 23 points.

#5 The Kings host the Charlotte Hornets (5-4) tonight at Golden One. The Hornets are coming off a two game losing streak first losing to the Cleveland (4-4) at home on Monday 113-110 and to Golden State (6-1) in San Francisco 114-92 on Wednesday night. The Hornets have star shooters Miles Bridges, LeMelo Ball, and Gordon Hayward how do you see them matched up against the Kings tonight?

Jeremiah Salmonson does the Kings podcasts each Friday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com