Tag: Sacramento Kings

Sacramento Kings game wrap: Suns put a stop to Kings wins 116-100

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

The Phoenix Sun Devin Booker (1) goes for the mid air attempt at a ball off the boards against the Sacramento Kings at Golden One Center in Sacramento on Sun Dec 27, 2020 (USA Today photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

The Sacramento Kings had started the season off right. The Kings managed to win the first game of the season against the Denver Nuggets 124-122. This was a tough task for the Kings who on paper seemed to be a much weaker team. The Kings beat the Nuggets on Wed Dec 23rd.

The Kings then faced off against the Phoenix Suns Sat Dec 26th. The Kings beat the Suns 106-103. They had passed both the tests they face so far this year. They didn’t pass the third test on Sunday night Dec 27th in Sacramento getting beat by 16 points 116-100 at Golden One Center dropping their early 2020-21 season record to 1-2.

On Sunday, the Kings faced their first back to back games of the season. The Kings couldn’t stop the Suns who scored 34 points in the third quarter and another 26 points in the fourth quarter and put the game so far out of reach the Kings couldn’t catch up in the 16 point Sunday night loss.

In the first half the Kings held their own. They managed to outscore the Suns 33-28 in the first quarter. In the second, the Kings offense faltered and they were only able to score 20 points. This led to the Suns taking a 56-53 lead into halftime.

In the second half, it was up and down for the Kings. The Kings managed to keep pace with the Suns early in the third, but faltered later in the quarter. The Suns out scored the Kings 34-25 in the third. In the fourth, the Kings unfortunately couldn’t get back momentum. The Suns out scored the Kings 26-22 to win the game by a final of 116-100.

Buddy Hield led the Kings with 17 points as the Suns Mikal Bridges dropped 22 points.

Up Next: The Kings take on the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday at 7 PM PST at Golden One Center.

Sacarmento Kings game wrap: Kings pick up second win of season defeat Suns 106-103

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

The Phoenix Sun Devin Booker (1) tries to drive to the basket on the Sacramento Kings Richaun Holmes (left) in the first quarter of their game at Walking Stick Arena in downtown Phoenix on Sat Dec 26, 2020 (AP News photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

The Sacramento Kings have started the season off right. They were able to beat the Denver Nuggets last Wednesday on the opening night of the season. On Saturday night, the Kings were set to take on the Phoenix Suns.

The Suns wrapped up the season on a high note last year. After making the bubble, they were able to make all their games going 8-0 in Orlando. In the offseason, they managed to add veteran point guard Chris Paul. The Suns then started the season off right by beating the formidable Dallas Mavericks in their first game. The Suns and Kings matchup was going to be a quality comparison of talent. The Kings out scored the Suns and were able to hold onto a 106-103 three point victory.

In the game the Kings jumped out to an early lead outscoring the Suns 31-25 in the first quarter. For the most part, the Kings were able to hold the lead going into halftime by a score of 59-54. The Kings had been playing a strong game up until this point. The key for them going forward was not giving up a “meltdown” quarter.

In the second half, the Kings did not give up any monster quarters. However, at times in the second half, the Kings did slip into their old ways. The encouraging part for the Kings was the ability to stop the bleeding and get back on track. The Kings and Suns matched pace in the third each scoring 25 points. The Kings weren’t able to replicate the offensive success in the first half in the last quarter but they did just enough to hold on. The Suns out scored the Kings 24-23 but the Kings were able to hold on 106-103 for the win.

The Kings got a tremendous performance from De’Aaron Fox as he scored 24 points and had seven assists. Devin Booker led the way for the Suns with 26 points. Harrison Barnes had 11 rebounds compared to the Suns Deandre Ayton who had 12.

Up next: The Kings will run it back against the Suns on Sunday at 6 PM PST at the Golden One Center.

Sacramento Kings game wrap: Kings pull off overtime win in Denver 124-122

Published on by Sports Radio Service1 Comment

The Sacramento Kings Buddy Hield (24) drives to the basket against the Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr (left) and center Nikola Jokic (right) in overtime Wed Dec 23, 2020 in Denver (AP News photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

The 2021 NBA season has arrived. The Sacramento Kings took on their first opponent of the season on Wednesday night. It is a tough assignment for the Kings as they took on the Denver Nuggets in Denver and pulled off a 124-122 win. However, before we get into the game, let’s chat preseason.

The Kings had many positive signs in this camp. Tyrese Haliburton looks like the real deal. He can shoot, defend and has already been seen dropping dimes to his teammates for easy buckets. The future looks bright for this one.

The Kings core looks to be healthy (Knock on wood) entering the season. De’Aaron Fox, Marvin Bagley III, and Tyrese Haliburton look like they will all contribute major roles this season.

The game was a wild one. The Kings fell to an early deficit against the Nuggets in the first half. The Kings weren’t playing their best in the first half as the Nuggets outscored them 60-53. The Kings needed to make adjustments on defense and get stops if they had any chance of winning the game.

In the second half, the script flipped for the Kings. They managed to outscore the Nuggets 36-24 in the third quarter, thanks largely to ten points from De’Aaron Fox. Fox was clearly leading the team back into the game, where they took the lead 89-84 heading into the final quarter.

In the fourth quarter, the Kings faltered on defense. Marvin Bagley III fouled out with Rachaun Holmes. This led to some bad matchups on defense that allowed the Nuggets to tie the game and send it to overtime.

In overtime, the Kings miraculously came out with the win. As time was winding down in OT, Nikola Jokic lost control of the ball, and it was gathered up by Harrison Barnes. Barnes then proceeded to drive to the hoop but was blocked from behind. As time was expiring, Buddy Hield got the put back off the rim and got the bucket to win at the buzzer 124-122.

Next Up: The Kings come home to play the Phoenix Suns on Saturday at 7 PM PST.

Golden State Warriors game wrap: Warriors look sharp as they beat Kings 113-107

Published on by rxsluggerLeave a comment

Golden State Warrior Stephen Curry (30) makes it look all too easy, Curry led Golden State with scoring with 29 points in the Warriors win over the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento (Mercury News/Bay Area News Group photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Warriors finished the short three-game preseason with a win over the Kings in Sacramento Thursday night by 113-107. The regular season starts Tuesday night, December 22nd, when the Warriors meet the Brooklyn Nets in New York City.

The Nets will feature former Warrior Kevin Durant and former Cleveland Cavalier and Boston Celtic star Kyrie Irving. Steve Nash is the new Nets’ coach, and former Houston Rocket coach Mike D’Antoni will be his right-hand man on the Nets’ bench.

Warriors’ head coach Steve Kerr had to be pleased with his team’s performance Thursday night. Andrew Wiggins and Kelly Oubre, Jr showed they could fit in with the Warriors’ up-tempo game.

In the first half, the Warriors outscored the Kings 65-62. Wiggins made his first five shots and tallied sixteen points in the half. Oubre had fifteen. Curry was 3-for-13 from the field in the first half. However, Stephen Curry made three threes in three tries. He finished the first 24 minutes of the game with 13 points. Marquese Chriss, coming off the bench, had five. Reserve guard Brad Wanamaker had nine.

The Warriors moved the ball well and were very good defensively. Andrew Wiggins impressed the coaching staff with his aggressive moves to the hoop.

During the five-year run when the Warriors went to the NBA five consecutive seasons, one of the keys to their success was their domination in the third quarter. This year’s team showed they are ready to be a playoff team.

They outscored the Kings 27-19.  Curry was on fire as he knocked down 16 points. Kelly Oubre and Marquese Chriss performed also did well. The Warriors led 92-81 after three quarters. The Warriors did not use Curry or Oubre in the fourth quarter.

Wiggins was on the floor until he fouled out with about six minutes left in the game. Kerr inserted Damion Lee, Nico Mannion, Mychal Mulder, Juan Toscano-Anderson, and Kevon Looney to finish the game. The Warriors win it 113-107.

Game Notes and Stats: Neither James Wiseman nor Draymond Green was in the lineup Thursday night. They have been practicing with the team and should be ready to play next Tuesday against Brooklyn.

Wiseman, the number two pick in this year’s NBA draft, is expected to be a rim protector. He is nineteen years old and does not have much experience under his belt. Had he played against the Kings, it would have been interesting to see how he would handle Hassan Whiteside. Whiteside is a seven-footer who has given the smaller Warrior centers fits over the years. Whiteside will get his chance to show what he can do Tuesday night. Draymond Green will be back, too. 

 Curry led the team with 29 points, six rebounds, and three assists. He saw 28 minutes of action. Oubre had 22, Wiggins 19. Marquese Chriss tallied nine and had 12 boards. Jordan Poole had eleven, Brad Wanamaker nine.

Former Warrior Harrison Barnes paced the Kings with nineteen. The Warrior defense held the Kings Buddy Hield to eleven and De’Aaroin Fox to eight. Hassan Whiteside had twelve. 

As mentioned above, the season starts next Tuesday night in Brooklyn at Barclay Center with a 4 pm tip.

 

Kings drop preseason game to Warriors 113-109

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Photo credit: sactownroyalty.com

By Ana Kieu

SACRAMENTO — The Sacramento Kings played their second straight preseason game against the Golden State Warriors on Thursday night at the Golden 1 Center. In case you missed it, Sacramento edged Golden State 114-113 on Tuesday night.

The Kings’ starting lineup featured De’Aaron Fox, Buddy Hield, Harrison Barnes, Marvin Bagley III, and Richaun Holmes.

Andrew Wiggins made it rain early with three-pointers, but there was effort on both ends of the court. The game was tied at 29-29 at the end of the first quarter,

Just like the Kings, the Warriors were on the move in the second quarter. Yet, Golden State had a slight advantage. Four Warriors players contributed to a solid rebound that was thrown out to Kelly Oubre, who knew exactly what to do–and that was to tip in a shot for a noteworthy highlight. The Kings trailed by three, 65-62, at the end of the first half.

The Kings were unable to contain Steph Curry in the third quarter. Curry jump started the scoring with a two-pointer. The Kings tried to outscore the Warriors, but ended up trailing 91-82 after three quarters of play.

The Kings’ offense was a little rusty in the fourth quarter. The Kings should’ve made more shots to slow down the new-look Warriors. The Kings lost to the Warriors by a final score of 113-109.

The Kings fall to 2-2, while the Warriors improve to 2-1. Harrison Barnes led the Kings with 30 points. De’Aaron Fox and Buddy Hield combined to go 6-of-30 from the field and 3-of-16 from the three-point range.

Notes: Former Kings coach Jerry Reynolds lost a sister to COVID-19. Reynolds clings to hope as his son Jay battles Stage 4 cancer.

Kings guard Buddy Hield turned 28 on Thursday.

Sports Illustrated listed the Kings’ Harrison Barnes, Buddy Hield, and De’Aaron Fox in its rankings for Top Players of 2021.

Les Schwab and Slamson the Lion teamed up to deliver toys to Volunteers of America as part of the Les Schwab Toy Drive, You can donate a toy to any Les Schwab location by December 24th and enter to win Kings prizes. Check out lesschwab.com/toydrive for more information.

Up Next: The Kings take on the Denver Nuggets in the Pepsi Center on Wednesday, December 23 at 6 pm PT.

Headline Sports podcast with London Marq: Kings improved offense and defense could be the big difference for 2020-21 season

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

The new and improved Sacramento Kings led by De’Aaron Fox (5) seen in this Fri Dec 11 photo in Portland have the personnel that could push for post season. From all indications in pre season the Kings look like an improved team (AP News photo)

Headline Sports podcast with London Marq:

#1 It’s only the second exhibition season but after the Sacramento Kings split two games with the Portland Trailblazer in Portland and the Kings dominated for most of Tuesday night’s game against the Golden State Warriors at Golden One in Sacramento is the take away from that the Kings have improved and will be competitive?

#2 Bogdan Bogdanovic was dealt to the Atlanta Hawks after the Kings tried to deal him to the New Orleans Pelicans. Was it in the Kings plans not to hold onto Bogdanovic because he basically walked and the Kings really didn’t get anything for him.

#3 Last Sunday night the Kings after losing the first game of two to the Trailblazers handled the Blazers 121-106 and on Tuesday night the Kings dominated on offense and held the Warriors back on defense it’s exhibition but it could be a sign that they team is on the right path going into the season. The Kings De’Aaron Fox and Buddy Heild but lead the way in scoring.

#4 The Kings play the Warriors again on Thursday night at Golden One for the second game meeting. The Warriors have been focusing on their younger players to see what they can do, Warriors top shooters Kelly Oubre, Stephen Curry, and Andrew Wiggins provided some key offense.

#5 On Fox and Hield they both have a sense on scoring and getting that extra push for a win. They certainly got a drop on the Warriors early in Tuesday’s game.

Join London Marq for Headline Sports each Wednesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Sacramento Kings post game wrap: Kings just get by Warriors in first of two game exhibition at Golden 1 Center

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

The Sacramento Kings defense has improved as they held the Golden State Warriors in check for most of the game and ended up getting a one point win in the end at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Tue Dec 15, 2020 (warriorswire.com photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

The Sacramento Kings had a rough start to the NBA preseason. They lost the first game of two to the Portland Trailblazers in Portland and won the second game on Sunday to start the preseason schedule. The Kings were looking for a better showing as they returned home to Golden One Center on Tuesday night. They did when they had a good leads against the Warriors and in the end wound up with a one point win 114-113.

The Sacramento Kings welcomed their NorCal rival Golden State Warriors for their third preseason game. The Kings showed grit that had been missing in the first game. They managed to play defense when they had to and score when they had to.

The Kings played their best defense in the first two quarters limiting  Golden State to 47 points at halftime. The Kings managed to put up 62 points in the first half and had a nice pace going to enter the middle portion of the game.

Unfortunately for the Kings and their third-quarter woes, which had been well documented in past seasons came back to bite them just a little bit. Golden State outscored the Kings 34 to 26 in the third quarter. The Kings were able to hold on through in the final quarter, even being out paced by Golden State again. They were outscored 32 to 26 in the fourth quarter but still manage to win the game miraculously. The Kings Kyle Guy hit a game-winning buzzer-beater to give the Kings the win.

Guy finished the night leading the Kings in scoring with 20 points. It was an excellent showing for a second-year player who had been flying under the radar for Sacramento. The Kings hope he can continue this good play into the regular season.

Stephen Curry led the Warriors with 29 points.

Up next: the Kings take on the same Warriors on Thursday night at Golden One Center.

Kings nip Warriors at the buzzer win 114-113

Published on by rxsluggerLeave a comment

Despite leading Golden State with 29 points on  Tues Dec 15, 2020 at Golden 1 Center Stephen Curry and the Warriors finished just a point short in their loss to the Sacramento Kings (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors met the Sacramento Kings Tuesday at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento. The Kings’ Kyle Guy knocked down a three-point shot as the buzzer sounded to give the Kings the win 114-113.

The Warriors were without Draymond Green, rookie James Wiseman, and second-year player Eric Paschall. Warriors head coach, Steve Kerr, selected Juan Toscano-Anderson to start at strong forward in place of Draymond Green.

Other players in the starting lineup were Kelly Oubre, Jr, Andrew Wiggins, Kevon Looney, and Steph Curry. The Kings lineup included Marvin Bagley III, former Warrior Harrison Barnes, Richaun Holmes at the center position, Buddy Hield, and De’Aaron Fox in the backcourt.

The Kings, coached by former Warriors assistant Luke Walton and Warriors head coach Steve Kerr wanted to see how the players would perform as the season starts in just a week. The starters would play in the first and third quarters, and the backups would see action in the second and fourth quarters. 

As for the game,  Curry scored eleven of the team’s first fifteen points in the first quarter. Curry looked to be in mid-season form. The Warriors finished the quarter leading 27-25. The Kings won the second quarter as they outscored the Warriors 37-20 to finish the first half with a 62-47 lead. Curry led the club with 16 points in 16 minutes of action.

The Kings went up by nineteen early in the third quarter. The Warriors rallied to cut the deficit to seven at the end of the third quarter. Curry continued to play well. Kevon Looney and Marquese Chriss played well. Wiggins and Oubre made clutch buckets to help the Warriors climb back into the game. Sacramento led 88-81 at the end of three.

In the fourth quarter, Curry, Wiggins, Oubre, and Looney were on the bench. Kent Bazemore, Brad Wanamaker, Chriss, and Damion Lee led the W’s comeback. The Dubs led 113-111 with six seconds left to play. The Kings’ Kyle Guy, who was hot coming off the bench, connected with his sixth three-pointer as the buzzer sounded to win it for Sacramento.

Game Notes and Stats: Curry led the Warriors with 29 points in 29 minutes of play. Oubre and Wiggins each had 12. Chriss finished the night with 17 points, nine rebounds, and he made three threes. Bazemore and Lee each had seven. Rookie Nico Mannion saw action for the first time in his career. Brad Wanamaker finished with ten points, five rebounds, and three assists.

Buddy Hield finished with 18, De’Aaron Fox 17. Hassan Whiteside, always tough on the Warriors, had eleven points and nine boards. Kyle Guy finished with twenty points. He made six threes in ten tries.

The two teams meet Thursday night again in Sacramento. The game will tip off at 6 pm. 

Sacramento Kings game wrap: Kings turn it around for 121-106 win in Portland

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

The Sacramento Kings and Portland Trailblazers played their second pre season game in Portland on Sun Dec 13, 2020 (live over lay photo from nba.com)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

The Sacramento Kings embarked on their tune-up games on Friday night. Things did not go as planned. The Kings defense let them down big time in a loss to the Trail Blazers in Portland 127-102.

The Kings remained in Portland to rematch the Blazers on Sunday.

In the game, the Kings showed much more resilience on the defensive end of the floor. The Kings allowed the Trail Blazers to score 106 points while holding the Blazers to 22 points or less in two quarters.

The Kings didn’t allow a “meltdown quarter” like Friday night when they gave up 40 points in the first. On the offensive side of the ball, the Kings were able to score 121 points. For a 121-106 victory tally on Sunday. Richaun Holmes led the Kings in scoring by putting up 14 points. Buddy Hield led the game in assists with seven. That was an unusual sight for the Kings but something that undoubtedly helped win the game.

The Kings overall looked much better in the second game in Portland than the first. They are looking to get some sort of rhythm down before starting the regular season on December 23rd in Denver.

Keys to success for the Kings this year appear simple in my eyes. The Kings must play with pace and play good defense on the other end. The Kings have the players to knock down shots in the open court; they just need to get themselves the looks.

Next Up: The Kings will travel home to take on the NorCal rival Golden State Warriors at Golden One Center on Tuesday night. The game is set for 7 PM PST.

NBA is back Kings get clobbered by Blazers in Portland 127-102

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Sacramento Kings guard De’Aaron Fox (5) and Portland Trailblazers Damian Lillard (0) watch the play fold in front of them in Portland on Fri Dec 11, 2020 (nba.com photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

The NBA is back! Most of the teams in the league came back into action for pre season play. The Sacramento Kings would be one of those teams. The Kings on a two game visit to Portland lost the first of the two on Friday night 127-102.

Kings fans come into this season trepidatious at best. The Kings had an off-season that could be described as turbulent. They fired their General Manager Vlade Divac, signed De’Aaron Fox to a max extension, lost Bogdan Bogdanovic to free agency, and tried to repair a shattered Buddy Hield relationship. All of this had taken place since the bubble in Orlando saw the Kings fly home.

The expectations for this year are tempered. The Kings didn’t do much to get better in the offseason. They are hoping that a young core including a healthy Marvin Bagley who can make a splash in a crowded conference.

The Kings took on the Portland Trail Blazers in their first matchup of the preseason. The results weren’t great. The Kings didn’t play well on defense. They allowed Blazers to score 127 points. Carmelo Anthony led the way in scoring for the Blazers with 21 points while recently departed King Harry Giles led the way in rebounds with 14.

For the Kings, who managed to put up only 102 points received 23 of those from Buddy Hield. Nemanja Bjelica led the way with seven rebounds for the Kings. The Kings allowed the Blazers to score 41 points in the first quarter to dig themselves an early hole. The Kings look to have a better performance in their next game on Sunday night.

Next up: The Kings will take on the same Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday at 6PM PST.