Tag: Sacramento Kings

Grizzlies hang on late to upend Kings 107-106

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by Marko Ukalovic

MEMPHIS, Tenn–Terence Davis had a chance at the end of the game to play the hero but his deperation three-point attempt at the buzzer rimmed out as the Memphis Grizzlies held on by the skin of its teeth to defeat the Sacaramento Kings 107-106 on Saturday evening at FedEx Forum.

Memphis have won five games in a row, including the two-game sweep over the Kings, and head into Sunday’s finale showdown with the Golden State Warriors with eight place in the Western Conference on the line. Sacramento has lost two in a row and three out of its last five games.

The Kings (31-40) entered the game tying a NBA record for futility. This is the 15th consecutive year they will miss the post-season, a record they now share with the Los Angeles Clippers.

Memphis (38-33) looked to have wrapped up the game with 46.5 seconds remaining in the game when Killian Tillie made a three-pointer to put the Griz up 105-99. However, their poor free throw shooting down the stretch (missing seven of its final ten) kept the Kings in it to set up Davis’ chance at the buzzer.

Louis King came off the bench and was the Kings leading scorer with 27 points on 10-16 shooting, including 2-5 from beyond the arc. Center Damian Jones led the starters with 17 points on six of seven shooting and 10 rebounds.

Justise Winslow led the Grizzlies in scoring with 25 points on 9-19 shooting, including 4-6 from three point land. Tillie and Xavier Tillman each chipped in with 16 points.

Memphis jumped out to a 29-25 lead after the first quarter as Winslow got off to a good start with 10 points in the first quarter. Jones kept the Kings afloat with his 10 points in the opening 12 minutes.

Sacramento went on a 13-0 run in a two-minute stretch starting at the 7:58 mark of the second quarter to go up 49-42. They closed out the half with a four-point lead 57-53.

Memphis started the third quarter cold and the Kings took advantage outscoring the Grizzlies 5-0 in the first 2:10 to extend its lead to nine, their biggest lead of the game at 62-53.

Down by nine points, the Griz finished the final 6:49 of the third quarter on a 16-6 run to go up 79-76 heading into the fourth quarter.

The fourth quarter went back and forth with four lead changes and the biggest lead for either team was just five points by Memphis.

The game featured more of a G-League lineup than an NBA lineup. Memphis were without seven of its players including Jonas Valanciunas, Grayson Allen, and Sean McDermott. While Sacramento, who have been hit hard by the injury bug, were without stars Harrison Barnes, De’Aaron Fox, Tyrese Haliburton and Marvin Bagley III.

GAME NOTES: Sacramento finished 15-21 on the road this season.

Buddy Heald, who has been dealing with ankle injury, was in the starting lineup and finished with 11 points and five assists.

UP NEXT: The Kings finish the regular season at home as they host the Utah Jazz on Sunday 5/16 at 6:00pm at Golden 1 Center.

Sacramento Kings podcast with Barbara Mason: Kings to play out the string two games left in the season

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Memphis Grizzlies forward Dillon Brooks (24) shoots against Sacramento Kings center Richaun Holmes (22) in the first half of action in Memphis on Thu May 13, 2021 (AP News photo)

On the Kings podcast with Barbara:

#1 The Memphis Grizzlies (37-33) eliminated the Sacramento Kings (31-39) on Thursday night to put the final touches on any chance for the Kings to get post season.

#2 The Kings put together a effort in the home stretch winning five out of their last six games before losing the Grizzlies on Thursday night the effort was there but they fell short in the standings.

#3 Barbara, It seems like a different player every other night to lead the team in scoring for Thursday it was Justin James who lead with 31 points.

#4 For Kings head coach Luke Walton it was an on and off campaign which included a nine game losing streak and this recent five out of six game wins to just miss the post season for the head coach.

#5 Kings vs. Grizzlies go at it again tonight at Memphis for game two of the series the Kings certainly will play for pride now and try to move into the win column tonight.

Barbara filled in for Jeremiah Salmonson for the Kings podcasts each Friday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Kings eliminated miss playoffs in tough loss to Memphis 116-110

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The Sacramento Kings Buddy Hield (24) drives against the Memphis Grizzlies Dillion Brooks (24) on Thu May 13, 2021 in Memphis (AP News photo)

The Sacramento Kings were back in action on Thursday evening. The Kings were slated to take on the Memphis Grizzlies after playing the Oklahoma City Thunder at home on Tuesday. The Kings beat the Thunder on Tuesday and were looking to keep that momentum going on the road against the Grizzlies. The Kings unfortunately fell against the Grizzlies on Thursday night 116-110 and were officially eliminated from playoff contention. However, before we discuss Thursday’s game let’s revisit the Kings win against the Thunder on Tuesday night.

Flashback Tuesday: The Kings downed the Thunder on Tuesday after falling behind in the first half. The Kings may have had one of the best quarters of the season in the third as they outscored the Thunder 41-18. The Kings with the help of Terence Davis, who has taken a more active role in the absence of key Kings starters, scored 27 points. The Kings beat the Thunder by the final of 122-106.

Thursday night recap: The Kings were set to take on the Memphis Grizzlies for the first game of a back-to-back on Thursday night at 5 PM PST in Memphis.

In the first half, the Kings hung in with the playoff bound Grizzlies. In the first quarter, the Kings were outscored by the Grizzlies 36-32 as Memphis started the game red hot shooting the ball. In the second quarter, the Kings tightened up the defense and outscored the Grizzlies 28-23 to take a 60-59 halftime lead. The Kings would need to seal the deal to keep their playoff hopes alive. However, the third quarter wouldn’t be so kind.

In the second half, it was the third quarter that ultimately did the Kings in. The Grizzlies managed to outscore the Kings 30-23 in the third quarter to take a six point lead into the final 12 minutes of action. If the Kings hoped to keep their season alive they would need a rally. Unfortunately, the Kings didn’t get one. The Grizzlies and Kings both scored 27 points in the final quarter as Memphis downed the Kings 116-110 to end the Kings season hopes. The Kings already had an uphill battle to fight, but Thursday’s loss was the last nail in the coffin. The Kings were led in defeat by Justin James who had a tremendous game scoring 31 points. Dillon Brooks led the Grizzlies with 30 points in victory.

With the Kings eliminated from playoff contention for the 15th cod consecutive years. It is a disappointing end to the seasons hopes for the Kings who came into the year with high expectations.

Up Next: The Kings remain in Memphis to take on Grizzlies for the second night of a back-to-back on Friday at 6 PM PST.

Kings strong second half gets them win over OKC 122-106

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Sacramento Kings guard Terence Davis (9) guards Oklahoma City Thunder guard Svi Mykhailiuk (14) in the first quarter at the Golden One Center in Sacramento on Tue May 11, 2021 (AP News photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

The Sacramento Kings (31-38) were back in action on Tuesday night. The Kings last played on Sunday in Sacramento against the Oklahoma City Thunder (21-49). On Tuesday, they were matched up against those same Thunder. The Kings would play the Thunder in three of the last five games after Tuesday night. On Tuesday, the Kings downed the Thunder 122-106. However, before we talk about Tuesday’s matchup let’s discuss the Kings win against the Thunder on Sunday.

Flashback Sunday: The Kings have handled the Thunder in 2021. On Sunday, it was no different. The Kings managed to bet the Thunder by a convincing margin 126-98. The key to the King’s victory was defense. This year, the theme in Kings victory has been defense. If the Kings are competent on the defensive end they have a chance to win. The Kings downed the Thunder on Sunday by keeping them below 100 points.

Tuesday night game recap: The Kings were set to take on the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday at 7 PM PST in Sacramento. It would be the Kings third game in the last game against the struggling Oklahoma City Thunder.

In the first half, the Thunder outplayed the Kings. Specifically, in the first quarter where the Thunder outscored the Kings 32-27. For a team without much offensive firepower, the Thunder boomed on offense. In the second quarter, the Thunder didn’t slow down.

Yet, the Kings managed to outslug the Thunder in the second quarter. The Kings outscored the Thunder 35-33 in the second quarter to close the gap heading into halftime. The Thunder would enter halftime up 65-62 looking to snap the losing streak against the Kings.

In the second half, the Kings had plans for the Thunder. The Kings came out of the gate in the third with authority as they pummelled the Thunder by outscoring them 41-18. It may well have been the best quarter the Kings have played this season as the defensive intensity and offensive output had greatly increased from the first half.

The third quarter would give the Kings momentum and catapult them to a 102-83 lead heading into the final 12 minutes. In the fourth quarter, it was merely academic. The Kings offense cooled and the Thunder outscored them 23-19 in the final quarter.

However, that comeback would fall woefully short. The Kings beat the Thunder for the third straight time by the final of 122-106. In the game, the Kings got solid performances from Terence Davis, Buddy Hield, and Delon Wright who all scored more than 20 points.

Davis seems to have taken on more of a scoring role in the absence of De’Aaron Fox and Tyrese Haliburton. Davis led the Kings scoring 27 points on Tuesday night. For the Thunder, they were led in defeat by Kenrich Williams who scored 20 points.

Up Next: The Kings head to Memphis on Thursday to take on the Memphis Grizzlies at 5 PM PST. The Kings have three games remaining on the season as they are 2.5 games back of the 10th place Spurs in the standings.

Kings Destroy OKC 126-98

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The Sacramento Kings Maurice Harkless (8) scores on the Oklahoma City Thunder’s  forward Aleksej Pokusevski (17) at Golden One Center in Sacramento on Sun May 9, 2021 (AP News photo)

Kings Destroy OKC 126-98

By Barbara Mason

While it has been a disappointing season for the Sacramento Kings they have been playing some pretty good basketball in their past few games. They have been good in the absence of DeAaron Fox who was cleared to rejoin the team two days ago.

With only four game left in the season a good finish would be something for fans to take with them into the next season, a season that will more than likely have a larger crowd able to attend games. It would also be nice for fans to be able to see Fox in the final four but he is not playing tonight and there is no certainty about the final three.

Rookie Tyrese Haliburton is out for the season with a knee injury. The good news is that the injury is not as serious as previously thought. He avoided what could have been a very significant injury. Buddy Hield was back after being cleared.

Tonight the Kings took on the OKC Thunder. The Kings are in twelfth place and the Thunder in thirteenth place. Neither team will be making an appearance in this year’s playoffs.

In the first quarter of this game the Kings came out strong and as the clock ran out they led by the score of 33-25. They had at one time during the quarter led by twelve points. Maurice Harkless had the high score for the quarter with 12 points.

At the half, the Kings had really taken control of the game and led by the score of 71-51. Harkless finished the half with 16 points and Buddy Hield had entered the game in the first quarter. Terence Davis was terrific off the bench with 13 points in twelve minutes of play.

After three quarters the Kings led by an impressive 106-71. The final score was 126-98. The Kings clearly dominated in this game although the Thunder did outscore them in the fourth quarter 27-20. The bench was instrumental in this win with 51 points.

The Kings will be back on court Tuesday night taking on OKC one more time. Tipoff is at 7:00PM.

Spurs end five game skid and Kings four game win streak with 113-104 win

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The San Antonio Spurs came up with a nine point victory over the Sacramento Kings on Fri May 7, 2021 at Golden One Center in Sacramento (@spurs photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

The Sacramento Kings were back in action on Friday night. They last played on Wednesday against the Indiana Pacers. The Kings would look to keep their momentum going having four in a row. The kings and Spurs entered the game both vying for the 10th spot and to get into the play in tournament. The Spurs held the spot and were multiple games up on the Kings entering play. However, before we talk about Friday’s game let’s discuss the Kings against the Pacers.

Flashback Wednesday: The Kings played the Pacers on Wednesday and played one of the better games of the season. Sacramento’s defense held the Pacers to only 93 points as the Kings offense put up a cool 104. It was the Kings fourth win in a row as they looked to inch closer in the playoff race.

Friday night recap: The Kings were set to take on the conference standing rivals on Friday at 7PM PST in Sacramento.

In the first half, the Kings held their own. In the first quarter the Kings were outscored 25-21, but looked solid and San Antonio didn’t have a lot of momentum. In the second quarter, the Kings managed to outscore the Spurs 28-27 but it wasn’t enough to grab the lead going into halftime. The Kings entered halftime down 52-49. If the Kings would want to stay in the playoff hunt they would need to win in comeback fashion.

In the second half, the Kings started off well. They managed to outscore the Spurs in the third quarter 32-26 to grab the lead heading into the final quarter of play. However, the Spurs mounted a comeback in the fourth quarter out scoring the Kings 35-23. That would put the Spurs over the top and defeating the Kings 113-104 in Sacramento. The game most likely marked the end of any playoff hopes for the Kings as this was the team they desperately needed to make ground up on. Leading the way for the Kings in defeat was Terence Davis who scored 24 points. The Spurs were led in victory by DeMar DeRozan who had 25 points.

Up Next: The Kings will stay home to take on the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday night at 7 PM PST.

Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson: Kings bring in four game win streak/Spurs a five game losing streak for tonight’s game

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Sacramento Kings De’Aaron Fox (5) is expected to be back tonight after spending two weeks on the Covid-19 protocols list (NBA Analysis Network file photo)

On the Kings podcast with Jeremiah:

#1 The Sacramento Kings winners of seven of their last ten games and have won four straight a remarkable come back after losing nine straight games.

#2 The odds of the Kings making the post season not likely but when you consider the last seven wins and what they did to get them it seems like head coach Luke Walton had to rework the offense and defense.

#3 Marvin Bagley III led the way with 31 points in the Kings last game in Indiana. Bagley’s effort was key for the Kings win 104-93 against the Pacers.

#4 De’Aaron Fox whose been out for two weeks due to Covid-19 protocols is expected to return tonight against the San Antonio Spurs at the Golden One with the Kings playing the way they have been Fox would be another great addition to their charge.

#5 San Antonio head coach Gregg Poppovich is a competitor and as Walton knows he can be outsmarted too by Poppovich. The Spurs who are on a five game losing streak will be pushing hard to win this one tonight how do you see this match up as the Kings come in on a four game win streak?

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

Sacramento Kings podcast with Tony Renteria: Kings recovery has been nothing short of amazing

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The Sacramento Kings forward Marvin Bagley III takes the ball up court against the Indiana Pacers on Wed May 5, 2021 in Indianapolis. Bagley led the Kings in scoring with 31 points (@SacramentoKings photo)

On the Kings podcast with Tony R:

#1 Tony ever since the Sacramento Kings (29-37) ended their nine game losing streak back on April 15th they have turned it around winning seven of their last ten and have won four straight games.

#2 Last night in Indianapolis they won their fourth straight game defeating the Indiana Pacers (30-35) 104-93 what’s been remarkable is with De’Aaron Fox out of the line up the team just seemed to jell and have had some great offensive games.

#3 Kings forward Marvin Bagley III last night against the Pacers led the team with 31 points and 12 rebounds he’s been leading this team in offense.

#4 Despite the Kings not going to the playoffs they’ve been putting in the work every night like their playoff live depend on it and they’ve been grinding it out these last six games.

#5 The San Antonio Spurs (31-34) are coming to Sacramento on Friday night the Kings hoping to string their fifth straight win the Kings have six games left of the season and want to make the best of each one of them.

Join Tony for the Kings podcasts each Thursday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Sacramento Kings report: Royal Flush Kings win five out of last six; Sac beats Indiana 104-93 for four straight wins

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Sacramento Kings forward Marvin Bagley III led the Kings in scoring with 31 points on Wed May 5, 2021 against the Indiana Pacers in Indianapolis (AP News photo)

by Jeremiah Salmonson

The Sacramento Kings were back in action on Wednesday night. The Kings last played the day before on Tuesday in Oklahoma City. We will get to that game in a minute. However, on Wednesday night the Kings were able to beat the Indians Pacers on the road by the final of 104-93. Before we get into that game, let’s quickly discuss Tuesdays game in Oklahoma City.

Flashback Tuesday: The Kings went into Oklahoma City and played a solid game. They held the Thunder to 99 points and managed to eclipse the 100 point mark themselves. It was defense that won the Kings the game. He Kings beat the Thunder by the final of 103-99.

Wednesday Night Recap: The Kings were set to take on the Indiana Pacers at 5 PM PST on Wednesday night. It was the final game of the road trip for the Kings.

In the first half, the Kings handles the Pacers with ease. The first quarter saw the Kings outscore the Pacers 30-26 as Sacramento got out of the gate early. In the second quarter, it was good defense and more of the same on offense for the Kings. The Kings outscored the Pacers in the second quarter 26-21 to take a 56-47 lead into the intermission. The Kings would look to seal the deal in the second half of the game.

In the second half, the Kings remained solid! The third quarter saw the Kings outscore the Pacers again 29-21 as it appeared the Kings were on their way to victory. The Kings would finish the deal in the fourth quarter. Albeit, by being outscored 25-19 in the fourth quarter but the margin they had built held up in victory.

The Kings win was a great victory who were led by often injured center Marvin Bagley III. Marvin finished the game with 31 points and 12 rebounds. For the Pacers, they were led by Domantas Sabonis who scored 17 points in defeat.

Up Next: The Kings return home to take on the San Antonio Spurs at 7 PM PST in Sacramento

Kings defeat OKC 103-99 third straight win; Five wins in seven games

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(@okcthunder photo)

Kings Win Third Straight Beating OKC

By Barbara Mason

With eight games left in the season the Sacramento Kings took on the OKC Thunder. Sacramento has had some nice wins in their last two games beating the Lakers and the Mavericks. The Thunder on the other hand were trying to stop a 3 game skid.

The Kings got a nice start and were leading after one quarter 25-20. The Thunder would continue to pressure the Kings in the second quarter remaining close until the final two minutes. The final minutes of the half were good ones for the Kings taking a significant lead 56-46 as time expired.

Buddy Hield had 12 points for the first half and Terence Davis was impressive with 13 points off the bench. Darius Bazley had 13 points for Oklahoma City.

Despite De’Aaron Fox and Harrison Barnes out of the lineup, the Kings were holding their own. Barnes has missed the last three games with a groin injury and everything points to him missing a fourth game. Fox remains out on covid protocol. He is getting close to being able to return to the court.

After three quarters the Kings maintained their lead 81-69. Sacramento barely held on winning the game by the score of 103-99. The Thunder would outscore the kIngs in the fourth quarter 30-22 but came up just short. This was the King’s third win in a row. Buddy Hield finished with 18 points and 11 rebounds to squeak by the Thunder.

The Kings will be taking on the Pacers tomorrow night going for their fourth straight win. Tipoff is at 5:00 PM.