Tag: Sacramento Kings

Sacramento Kings game wrap: Kings Lose Seventh In A Row to Pelicans 117-110

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Brandon Ingram forward (14) of the New Orleans Pelicans takes a shot over the Sacramento Kings guard Tyrese Haliburton (right) Mon Apr 12, 2021 in New Orleans (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

With the regulation season approaching the final lap, team’s are fighting for that eighth spot. The eighth spot is a very real possibility for a few teams but the Sacramento Kings and the New Orleans Pelicans are probably not one of them. The Kings were defeated in New Orleans for their seventh straight loss 117-110 to the Pelicans on Monday night.

The Pelicans have made a bit of a move and are now in 11th place, three games behind the eighth place Grizzlies. With roughly have 19 games left in the regular season; now is the time to make a move for both of these teams. The Kings are 22-31 and in 12th place; a full five games behind the Grizzles. A win tonight is exactly what the Kings are gearing up for. They have lost six games in a row and desperately need a win.

The Kings started off the game on a slow note. The Pelicans led after one quarter 31-19. The second quarter did not go well for the Kings either. They trailed going into the locker room at the half 68-45. Sacramento had a lot of ground to make up in the second half. The Kings were having trouble stopping the Pelican offense. This is not surprising since the team has suffered with poor defense all season.

The Kings would need starters Richaun Holmes, Harrison Barnes, and Tyrese Haliburton to really step up in the second half. The Kings made up a lot of ground in the third quarter. They trailed 86-74 cutting their half time deficit in half. De’Aaron Fox was having a great game with 31 points through three quarters.

The Kings would pull to within four points of New Orleans but just plain ran out of clock. The slow start in this game came back to bite them in the rear resulting in the disappointing loss.

De’Aaron Fox had the high score of the game with 43 points for the Kings. Harrison Barnes finished with 16 points and Maurice Harkless had 15. The Pelicans Brandon Ingram had 34 points and Zion Williamson had 30. This loss is the seventh in a row for Sacramento.

On Wednesday evening the Kings will take on the Wizards. Tip off is at 7:00 PM.

Kings drop fourth straight this time to Jazz 128-112

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There’s no denying Utah Jazz guard Donavon Mitchell driving to the basket against the Sacramento Kings guard Buddy Hield on Sat Apr 10, 2021 in Salt Lake City (AP News photo)

The Sacramento Kings were back in action on Saturday night. The Kings played in Utah against the Jazz in a game that was sure to challenge the Kings. In the Kings previous game, they took on the Detroit Pistons. On Saturday, the Kings weren’t able to pull off the victory losing by the final of 128-112.

Thursday flashback: The Kings welcomed in the Detroit Pistons on Thursday in a game they Kings had circled as an easy win. However, it wouldn’t go as the Kings hoped. The Kings were embarrassingly defeated by the final of 113-101 in one of the lesser teams in the league. The Kings would need to get back on track against the Jazz to stop the bleeding.

Saturday night recap: The Kings were set to take on the Utah Jazz in Utah at 5PM PST.

In the first half, the Kings and Jazz traded buckets for the most part. In the first quarter, the Kings were out scored by the Jazz 34-31 as neither team played any defense. In the second quarter, the script was flipped. The Kings managed to outscore the Jazz 34-25. Going into halftime, the Kings took a 65-59 lead looking to get back into the win column.

In the second half, the Kings melted down. The third quarter saw the Kings be outscored 36-24 as the defense continued to be the Kings greatest weakness. The Kings would need a dramatic comeback in the fourth quarter to get the win. However, they weren’t able to mount a comeback.

The Kings were also out scored 33-23 in the final quarter to lose the game 128-112. The Kings are struggling mightily as of now and need to get back on track as soon as possible. Leading the way for the Kings in defeat was De’Aaron Fox who scored 30 points. In victory, Utah was led by Donovan Mitchell who finished with 42 points.

Up Next: The Kings will take on the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday in New Orleans at 6 PM PST.

Sacramento Kings game wrap: Kings loss streak climbs to five; Joseph leads Pistons with 24 pts in 113-101 win

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The Detroit Pistons guard Corey Joseph drives against the Sacramento Kings guard Buddy Hield on Thu Apr 8, 2021 at Golden One Center in Sacramento (AP News photo)

The Sacramento Kings were back in action on Thursday night after two days off. The Detroit Pistons were in town to take on the Kings who were looking to get back on track. The Kings played their last game on Monday against the Minnesota Timberwolves. On Thursday, the Kings fell to the Detroit Pistons at home by a final of 113-101.

Flashback Monday: The Kings were struggling going into Monday night’s game. Against the Timberwolves on Monday night, the Kings fell 116-106 to one of the worst teams in the league. The Kings defense and offense weren’t up to the task and they didn’t play a particularly competitive game.

Thursday game recap: The Kings were set to take on the Detroit Pistons on Thursday at 7 PM PST in Sacramento.

In the first half, the Kings struggled in a major way. The Kings allowed the Pistons to score 27 points in the first quarter compared to their 24 points. However, that wasn’t the worst of it. In the second quarter, the Kings were blown out with the Pistons scoring 35 points compared to the Kings 21.

It was an embarrassing half for the Kings. It is worth noting that the Kings were also without Jerami Grant and Mason Plumlee. The Kings defense was atrocious as they would need a massive second half to form a comeback. The Kings went into halftime down 62-44.

In the second half, the Kings played better but it wasn’t nearly enough to win the game. The Kings outscored the Pistons 30-27 in the third quarter. The Kings would need a massive fourth quarter to have a prayer in the game. In the fourth quarter, the Kings outscored the Pistons 27-24 as the Kings defense tightened up.

However, the Kings still fell to the Pistons 113-101. It was an embarrassing defeat for the Kings who fell to 22-30 in the standings. The Kings were led by De’Aaron Fox in the loss who scored 23 points. In the win, the Pistons were led by former King Corey Joseph who scored a season-high 24 points. The Kings will look to their next game to get back on track.

Up Next: The Kings will take on the Utah Jazz on Saturday night in Utah at 5 PM PST.

Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson: Fox has been carrying the offensive load for Kings during skid

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The Sacramento Kings center Richaun Holmes throws down as teammate Buddy Hield watches against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Mon Apr 5, 2021 at the Target Center in Minneapolis (AP News photo)

#1 Jeremiah, the Kings are coming off a four game losing streak after a tough loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday 116-106 they certainly are looking forward to some home cooking tonight.

#2 The Kings tried as hard as they may against the Timberwolves just had trouble getting any traction much like their previous loses.

#3 Jeremiah, losing these four games you can see there has been a drop in scoring in key quarters is this a matter of opponents turning up the defense or the Kings are just not getting the shots to fall?

#4 The Kings are pretty much relying on De’Aaron Fox who had 31 points leading the team in scoring in their last game against the Timberwolves what will it take to get another scorer to help Fox out and get the Kings over the hump to win some of these games?

#5 The Detroit Pistons tip off with the Kings tonight the Pistons have won only three in their last ten games the good news is the Kings are back at home at Golden One Center the bad news possibly will they struggle or play down to the level of the Pistons tonight?

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

Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson Thu Apr 8, 2021 by Sports Radio Service | Free Listening on SoundCloud

Sacramento Kings podcast with Tony Renteria: Kings on four game losing streak hope to snap it tonight against Detroit

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The Sacramento Kings Harrison Barnes (right) goes to shoot over the Minnesota Timberwolves forward Juancho Hernangomez (left) on Mon Apr 5, 2021 at the Target Center in Minneapolis (AP News photo)

#1 The Sacramento Kings lost their fourth straight game to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night 116-106 at the Target Center in Minneapolis. It was a game that Kings head coach Luke Walton would liked to have ended their skid.

#2 So far this season the Kings have had three four game win streaks, a nine game losing streak, that was in February and in March they won five straight to get within one game of the Golden State Warriors for a playoff spot but now have lost four straight as they host the Detroit Pistons tonight.

#3 After the recent loss to the Timberwolves on Monday Kings forward Harrison Barnes said “there is no tomorrow” as the Kings battle to get into a playoff spot and are 12th and falling in the Western Conference.

#4 The Kings are behind Golden State by two games and the New Orleans Pelicans by a half game it’s getting late in early April as the Kings have 21 games left in the season to make due.

#5 The Pistons who are dead last for 15th place in the Eastern Conference standings tip off with the Kings tonight have won three of their last ten games. The Pistons in their most recent game were defeated by the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday night 134-119.

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

Sacramento Kings podcast with Tony Renteria Thu Apr 8, 2021 by Sports Radio Service | Free Listening on SoundCloud

Kings Lose Fourth In a Row 116-106

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Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) is fouled by Sacramento Kings center Richaun Holmes at the Target Center in Minneapolis on Mon Apr 5, 2021 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

The Sacramento Kings have not won a game since March 31st. Since that win they have lost four games in a row. They fell to the Spurs, the Lakers, the Bucks by a single point and lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night the final score was 116-106. Prior to that they had won five games in a row. The bottom line is that they have been playing very competitive basketball.

They are 3.5 games out of eighth place and so a playoff run is not out of the question but with only about 22 games left in the regular season it’s time to really put it all out there.

Monday afternoon the Kings took on the Minnesota. Minnesota is currently in last place in the Western Conference with only 12 wins. This was a game that Sacramento needed to win.

The Kings got off to a good start and finished the first quarter leading 29-26. Although leading for most of the first half, they needed to put a lot more distance between themselves and Minnesota.

The Timberwolves just kept hanging around. There was not much help off the bench. But De’Aaron Fox had the high score for the first half with 20 points after a slow start. As the second half came to an end the Kings and the Timberwolves were tied at 55.

The second half needed a lot more offense from Hield, Holmes and Haliburton. All three of these guys need to make a difference in every game from here on out if the playoffs are in their future. As the second quarter came to an end both Fox and Hield had some nice offense setting up a promising second half.

As the third quarter came to an end the Kings and Minnesota were all knotted up at 82 and the Kings were fighting for their lives in this one.

The Kings all but fell apart in the fourth quarter. With less than five minutes left in the game they were trailing by 11points. This game was winnable and the Kings have the talent to beat the Timberwolves but again it was the defense that reared it’s ugly head. A defense that would match the offense would be a very nice thing for the Sacramento Kings. 

This is a game that Sacramento should have won. Fox finished with 31 points, Harrison Barnes with 21, and Buddy Hield with 18 points. The bench was ok and there is no explanation other then their defensive woes. Each loss from here on out takes them further and further away from any playoff hopes

The Kings will next take on the Pistons Thursday night in another winnable game against a last place team. Tipoff is at 7:00PM.

Sacramento Kings game wrap: Kings can’t hold off Holiday and Bucks 129-128

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Milwaukee Bucks guard Jrue Holiday (21) and forward Thanasis Antetokounmpo (43) put the pressure on Sacramento Kings guard Terrence Davis on Sat Apr 3, 2021 at the Golden One Center in Sacramento (AP News photo)

The Sacramento Kings were back in action on Saturday night welcoming in the Milwaukee Bucks to Golden One Center in Sacramento. For the Kings, it was the second night of the back-to-back after playing the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night. Unfortunately for Kings fans, the Kings weren’t able to beat the Bucks. The Kings fell to the Bucks 129-128 on Saturday night.

Flashback Friday: The Kings welcomed in the Lakers on Friday night. The Lakers were down significant personnel as Lebron James and Anthony Davis were out due to injuries. However, the Kings weren’t able to take advantage of the injured group. The Kings defensive effort lacked as the Lakers blew out the Kings 115-94 in Sacramento.

Saturday game reacp: The Kings were set to take on the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday night at 7 PM PST in Sacramento.

In the first half, The Kings played hard and kept the game the game close. The Bucks outscored the Kings 31-28 in the first quarter as it was shaping up to be a track meet in Sacramento. In the second quarter, the Kings defense continued to struggle.

The Bucks again outscored the Kings in the second quarter as they managed 30 points compared to the Kings 29. Neither team had a defense that shined in the first half as both teams were pushing the pace on offense. The Kings would head into the second half down 61-57. If the Kings hoped to win the game they would need to limit the Bucks on offense.

In the second half, the Kings came to play. However, the third quarter didn’t go as planned for the Kings. Looking to jumpstart a comeback in the second half, the Kings failed to do so in the third quarter. The Kings allowed the Bucks to score 34 points in the third quarter compared to the Kings 30 points.

That would expand the Bucks lead to 98-91 heading into the final quarter of the game. In the fourth quarter, the Kings weren’t able to complete a comeback. The Kings did outscore the Bucks 37-30 but fell just short as the Bucks defeated the Kings 129-128.

It was a hard-fought battle for the Kings but they weren’t able to put together all four quarters. Leading the way for the Bucks was Jrue Holiday who scored 33 points in the victory. In defeat, De’Aaron Fox and Terence Davis scored 27 points apiece. The Kings will turn to their next game on Monday to get back on track as they have lost three in a row.

Up Next: The Kings will travel to Minnesota to take on the Timberwolves on Monday at 4 PM PST.

Kings lose to shorthanded Lakers 115-94

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Photo credit: sportsbookwire.usatoday.com

By Ana Kieu

The Sacramento Kings looked to avoid a two-game losing skid with a win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night. But the Kings lost to the shorthanded Lakers 115-94 at the Golden 1 Center.

The Kings got on the board first. Richaun Holmes threw down a dunk off an assist by Harrison Barnes. The score was 2-0 Kings just 14 seconds into the first quarter. De’Aaron Fox made a step back jumpshot to give the Kings a 12-9 lead with 6:39 left in the first quarter. Harrison Barnes made a pair of free throws and the Kings led by one, 28-27, with 28.1 seconds left in the first quarter. Montrezl Harrell wrapped up the quarter with a free throw. The Lakers were on top 29-27.

The Lakers took a 31-27 lead to start the second quarter. Talen Horton-Tucker made a driving layup just 15 seconds into the second quarter. Horton-Tucker added a two-point shot off an assist by Markieff Morris for a 33-27 lead at 11:15. LA, however, went in a scoring frenzy. Morris made a jumper with 28.2 seconds left in the second quarter. The Lakers took a 65-53 lead into the locker room at halftime.

The Kings made it a 10-point game on Harrison Barnes’ dunk off an assist by Buddy Hield at 11:17 of the third quarter. Although Sacramento picked up the pace, LA maintained a double-digit lead throughout the third quarter. Talen Horton-Tucker made a driving layup with 3.7 seconds left in the third quarter. The Lakers wrapped up the third quarter with a 91-76 lead.

Talen Horton-Tucker made a pair of free throws to give the Lakers a 93-76 lead at 11:16 of the fourth quarter. Alex Caruso hit a three-pointer to help the Lakers to a 20-point lead at 10:20 of the fourth quarter. The Lakers reached the 100-point mark with 9:04 left in the fourth quarter when Caruso threw down a dunk. Devontae Cacok made a driving layup for a 115-94 lead with 25.3 seconds left in the fourth quarter. The Lakers won 115-94.

LA improved to 31-18, while Sacramento fell to 22-27.

The Kings welcome the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday, April 3 at 7 pm PST.

Raptors humiliate Warriors 130-77; Siakam leads Toronto with 36 points

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Toronto Raptors forward OG Anunoby (3) gets some hang time after slam dunking on the Golden State Warriors on Fri Apr 2, 2021 in Tampa Bay (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Warriors faced the Toronto Raptors in Tampa Friday night. The Warriors were hoping to rebound from a loss to the Miami Heat on Thursday. The team knew it would be a very tough task as Stephen Curry and Draymond Green were sitting out the game. Curry was in a lot of distress due to his back injury in the game against the Houston Rockets. Green sat out due to sprained finger.

Nonetheless, the Warriors felt they had a chance to beat the Raptors. Toronto has been struggling this season and entered the game with a record of 18-30. It turned out to be a night to forget for the Warrior players, coaching staff, and fans as Toronto drubbed the Warriors 130-77. 

The Warriors played well in the first quarter. The teams were evenly matched. Andrew Wiggins carried the load for the Warriors. Toronto’s Pascal Siakam and Gary Trent, Jr. led their team’s offense. The first quarter ended with Toronto holding a slim one-point advantage 27-26.

The Raptors, not known for defense and 30th in the NBA in rebounding, shut down the Warriors on both ends of the court in the second and third quarters. In the second quarter, Toronto went on a 20-1 run to lead 47-30. After Kelly Oubre made a three to start the quarter, the Warriors failed to make a field goal in the next six minutes and 30 seconds.

Toronto won the quarter 35-16 to lead 62-42 at the half. Toronto’s Pascal Siakam and Gary Trent paced the Raptors with 40 points in the first half. The Warriors, as a team, scored 40. Wiggins was the only Warrior that was able to put points on the board. He had 15 to lead the Warriors.

The nightmare continued in the third quarter. Toronto had its foot on the accelerator as they hammered the Warriors 46-14 to finish the third quarter leading by 53 points 108-53.

The Warriors had no flow to the offense. With Curry and Green in the lineup, the Warriors move the ball well. Without them, they floundered. They could not get anything going on offense. Their defense was non-existent without Draymond. The way the game was going, head coach Steve Kerr had to wonder if there was a Mercy rule.

There was no hope for a win. They still had to play the final 12 minutes of the game. Kerr sent in his reserves, and they lost the fourth quarter 22-21. Toronto sends Golden State down to one of the worst losses in team history, 130-77.

Game Notes and Stats: With the loss, the Warriors are 23-26 for the year. Toronto is 19-30

Andrew Wiggins led the Warriors with 15. The Raptors were able to double-team him in the second half and kept him from scoring. Nico Mannion and Jordan Poole each had. No other Warrior was in double figures. James Wiseman, Kelly Oubre, Jr., and Eric Paschall each had nine.

The Warriors shot 33% from the floor and were 11-for 32 from 3-point range. The Raptors mentioned earlier as not being very good on defense put up numbers that made them look like one of the NBA’s best defensive units. They had 14 steals, eight blocked shots, and forced 21 Warrior turnovers that led to 30 Toronto points. The Raptors, 30th in rebounding in the NBA, outrebounded the Warriors, 29th in that department, 57-45.

Pascal Siakam, celebrating his 27th birthday, led the Raptors with a season-high 36 points. He was 14-for-24 from the floor, and he connected on four threes. Gary Trent knocked down six threes to finish with 24 for the night. Og Anunoby had 21, Malachi Flynn 16, and Chris Boucher 10. 

The Warriors finish the three-game road trip in Atlanta on Sunday. The game will start at 4:30 pm

Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson: With LeBron and Davis out of the line up Kings odds better against Lakers tonight

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The Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) throws down on the Los Angeles Lakers Andre Drummond (2) on Wed Mar 31, 2021 in the Staples Center in Los Angeles as the Lakers come visit the Golden One Center tonight against the Sacramento Kings (AP News photo)

#1 Jeremiah, LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers (30-18) who was felled by an injury on March 20th when the Atlanta Hawks forward Solomon Hill fell on his ankle resulting in a high ankle sprain. LeBron isn’t expected back in the Lakers line up until April 20th.

#2 The Lakers have lost six of their last 12 games playing .500 and another source of the Lakers lacking is the absence of Anthony Davis who is suffering from calf injury. Davis has been out of the Lakers line up since Feb 14th. With LeBron and Davis gone the team has been a .500 club.

#3 The last time the Kings (22-26) faced the Lakers was on March 3rd and the Kings won it on their home floor 123-120 and yes you guessed it LeBron and Davis were not in the line up that night.

#4 The Kings had a five game win streak up until they played game 2 of their two game series in San Antonio the Spurs 120 (24-21) and the Kings 106. The Kings shooting was was real close in the second half but it was the first half scoring by the Spurs that clinched it for them.

#5 The Lakers are coming off a tough loss to the Milwaukee Bucks (30-17) 112-97. It was too much Giannis Anteokoumpo who scored 25 and Jrue Holiday led in scoring with 28. Lakers needless to say won’t be coming in too happy facing the Kings tonight.

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