Tag: Sacramento Kings

Kings can’t pass the Buck get stomped 127-106

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nbcsports.com photo: De’Aaron Fox (5) of the Sacramento Kings drives on the Milwaukee Bucks Khris Middleton (22) at Golden One Center on Friday night

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–The Kings have been playing better of late. They are 3-1 in the new year and hoping to continue the trend after a brutal month of December. The Milwaukee Bucks were the opponent in store for the Kings. The Bucks have the best record in the NBA while the Kings are just starting to get their footing again. The tip-off was set for 7 PM PST at Golden One Center.

In the first, the Kings were flat outplayed. The Kings weren’t able to hit any of their nine three-pointers and only shot 38.1% overall from the field. The Kings mustered only 18 points in the first quarter. It was a different story for the Bucks. They shot 56% from the floor in the first and were able to put up 34 points. Leading the way for the Bucks was Eric Bledsoe who had 11 points. The Kings had four players with four points.

In the second, the Kings continued to miss shots. Thankfully for Kings fans, the Bucks couldn’t hit a three-pointer to save their lives either. The Kings shot 18% from deep in the first half while the Bucks shot a whopping 19%. Each team struggled mightily to hit from deep.

However, the Kings did manage to pull closer. The Kings scored 26 points compared to the Bucks 19 to pull within nine points. The score would be 53-44 as the teams paused for intermission. Leading the way through the first half for the Kings was De’Aaron Fox with 10 points as Eric Bledsoe dropped 17 first-half points.

In the third, The Kings rallied early. They even came all the way back and took the lead for a short minute. However, the success was short-lived. The Bucks rallied back to retake the lead and coast into the fourth quarter. The Bucks put up 37 points compared to the Kings 31 to make it a 90-75 headed to the final session.

In the fourth, there wasn’t much good for the Kings. Both teams traded buckets with each other to keep the game around a 15 point bucks lead. Unfortunately for the Kings, Harrison Barnes came up hobbling with a few minutes left in the game. It wasn’t apparently known the severity of Barnes’s right leg injury but it didn’t appear good.

Barnes hobbled off the court and the Kings couldn’t muster anything from the reserves as came in. The Kings ultimately fell to the Bucks 127-106. Leading the way for the victorious Bucks was Kris Middleton with 27 points followed by Eric Bledsoe who had 24. The Kings received good appearances form De’Aaron Fox and the aforementioned Harrison Barnes who both had 19 points.

Up Next: The Kings stay home to face the Orlando Magic on Monday at 7 PM PST.

Headline Sports podcast with London Marq: Will baseball lose it’s tax exemption status over cutting 42 minor league teams; Patriots and their future; plus more

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dodgerblue.com: Rob Manfred MLB Commissioner speaks with the media in undated file photo

On Headline Sports with London:

#1 The fight is on to stop MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred from closing up shop on 42 minor league teams. MLB could face loosing it’s tax exemption status if they drop the teams.

#2 How realistic is it that New England quarterback Tom Brady will retire from football and is this the end of the Patriots as we knew them?

#3 The Sacramento Kings ended their losing streak with a win over the Golden State Warriors Monday then the Kings turned around Tuesday and beat the Phoenix Suns in the Valley of the Sun. Can the Kings keep it going.

#4 For a long time the 49ers Joe Staley who played in only seven games this season this will be his first playoff game since 2013 when the 49ers were in it last.

#5 The Baltimore Ravens who are favorites to make the Super Bowl host the Tennessee Titans. Ravens quarterback LaMar Jackson can do a lot of things. London sets this game up for us.

London Marq does Headline Sports each Wednesday at http://www.sportsrsadioservice.com

Kings Fox and Hield help in getting big road win in Phoenix 114-103

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photo from sacbee.com: Kings guard De’Aaron Fox, center, drives between Phoenix Suns guards Ricky Rubio, left, and Tyler Johnson on Tuesday in Phoenix

By Jeremiah Salmonson

The Sacramento Kings are above .500! Well, that statement isn’t entirely true. The Kings are above .500 in the year 2020. Having won two of the first three games this year the Kings were looking to continue to get back on track against the Phoenix Suns. Tip off was set for 6 PM PST at Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix. The Kings got an 11 point win over the Suns 114-103.

In the first half the Kings battled. Harry Giles got his first start of the season and Dewayne Dedmon was active for the first time in three games as the Kings played without Richaun Holmes. The Kings managed to shoot 50% from the field and 43.7% from downtown to score 53 points in the half.

The Suns shot 51.1% from the field and a mediocre 31.5% from deep. De’Aaron Fox player great with 16 points in the half followed by Buddy Hield and his 12 points. Also not to be forgotten was Harry Giles with eight points in 11 first half minutes. Leading the way for the Suns in the first half was Deandre Ayton with 14 points almost all dunks. Right behind him was Devin Booker with 11 first half points. The Kings looked to continue the solid performance in the second half.

Early in the second half the Kings began to implode. The Kings only managed to score six points in the first seven minutes of action in the third as the Suns built a 21 point lead. Overall the Kings only managed to shoot 26% from the field compared to the Suns 55% in the third.

The Kings would need a large second half comeback to have a chance to start a winning streak. Fortunately for Kings fans, the Kings came roaring back. From the 4:25 point in the third quarter the Kings went on a 52-20 run the rest of the way to win the game 114-103. De’Aaron Fox emphatically led the Kings finishing with 27 points followed with a great performance by Nemanja Bjelica who had 19.

Dewayne Dedmon played a season high 31 minutes with 12 points. Devin Booker led the Suns with 34 points in 39 minutes of action in defeat. The Kings are now 3-1 in 2020 and looking to carry that into a solid month.

Up next: The Kings head back home to take on the Milwaukee Bucks in Friday night at 7 PM PST.

Sacramento Kings podcast with Charlie O: Kings dominate Warriors from tip to finish 111-98

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sfgate.com photo: All the Golden State Warriors could do on Monday night at Golden One Center was scramble for the basketball as seen here against the Sacramento Kings

On the Kings podcast with Charlie O:

#1 Charlie what happened to former Sacramento King Willie Cauley Stein of the Golden State Warriors  who was held to only six points

#2 The game wasn’t even close the Kings dominated from the tip to the end of the game

#3 The Kings had five players in double figures which tells part of the story of this game

#4 De’Aaron Fox and Buddy Hield both finished as the Kings top scorers with 21 points

#5 The Kings are in the Valley of the Sun in Phoenix tonight set this match for us

Join Charlie O does the Sacramento Kings podcasts each Tuesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

Kings bounce back, Holmes hurt in ragged 111-98 win over the Warriors

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By Morris Phillips

SACRAMENTO–“Wake your *ss up!”

Coach Steve Kerr’s profane directive hurled at referee Jason Goldenberg wasn’t prudent or appropriate, but it certainly fit like a glove in describing a sleepy night of basketball at Golden 1 Center on Monday night.

The Kings came in despondent, the victim of too many close losses, and left slightly less despondent, thanks to a 111-98 win over the Warriors that was stained by a potentially serious injury to Richaun Holmes.

De’Aaron Fox and Buddy Hield led Sacramento with 21 points apiece, and Trevor Ariza and Harrison Barnes each contributed 18 in a game the Kings led by 31 points in the third quarter only to see the Warriors erase more than half that lead before the final buzzer. Coach Luke Walton emptied his bench early, mindful of the Kings’ quick turnaround with a game against the Suns in Phoenix on Tuesday.

“We continued to do what we wanted to do offensively,” Walton said. “We got better and made some progress tonight.”

The win interrupted a stretch of nine losses in 10 games for the Kings, including Saturday’s two-point loss to the Pelicans in which the NBA admitted Derrick Favors should have been called for an offensive foul on the game’s final play for over aggressively setting a screen on the Kings’ Ariza that created a path for J.J. Reddick to get the basket for the game-winning layup.

Entering Monday’s game, the Kings had an NBA-worst 10 losses by five points or less.  The Warriors anemic shooting–almost from the outset–put an end to the Kings adding to that dubious total of close defeats.

The Warriors missed their first 15 3-point attempts, and scored just 40 points before the halftime break. That break was just minutes after Kerr went ballistic, frustrated with whistles that went in favor of the Kings on one end, and against the Warriors at the other. Kerr’s choice words got him tossed in short order. Ironically, Kerr opted to sit Draymond Green, after he was ejected in the Warriors’ home game on Saturday against Detroit, saying the veteran needed a mental break, caused by a draining season of losing following five straight trips to the Finals.

In getting ejected by Goldenberg, Kerr appeared to be needing that same break.

Ariza was the Kings’ catalyst early with three, first half dunks, and a pair of threes in the team’s burst that extended their lead to 15 early in the second quarter. Fox with his quickness, and Buddy Hield rediscovering his shooting stroke also put the Warriors at a disadvantage.  Then with the visitors already reeling, the Kings came up with eight made threes in the third quarter to extend the lead to 30.

“It was just to be aggressive, get to the basket, and just try to create, obviously make free throws,” Fox said.

The Kings played without Bogdan Bogdanovich, who was still suffering from the flu, and Marvin Bagley Jr., who continues to be out with a sprained foot.

Mike Bibby, the Kings’ standout point guard from the 2002 Sacramento team that reached the Western Conference finals attended the game and received a nice ovation from the crowd. Willie Cauley-Stein was greeted by a mixture of cheers and boos in his first game back in Sacramento after he signed with the Warriors in the off-season.

Holmes was injured in the third quarter, and left the court in visible pain while holding his shoulder. The 6’10” forward/center has proven to be indispensable for the Kings with his scoring and rebounding, and any prolonged absence would put the Kings in a tough spot. Holmes leads the Kings with 13 double-doubles and his constant presence has made Dewayne Dedmon expendable.

Marquese Chriss was waived following the game, a move the Warriors felt was necessary in order to free up a roster space for emerging guard Damion Lee, who is signed to a two-way contract that would limit his availability for the remainder of the season. The 22-year old Chriss is a Sacramento native, and was forced to greet his friends and family after the game following the news of his release.

 

Kings trounce Warriors 111-98 at Golden One; Warriors on a five game skid

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stlouisdispatch.com photo: Golden State Warriors Willie Cauley Stein (2) dribbles against his old Sacramento Kings teammate Buddy Hield on Monday night at Golden One Center in Sacramento

By Jerry Feitelberg

It was not a good night for the Warriors (9-29) as they played the Sacramento Kings on Monday night in Sacramento. The Kings, who had lost nine of the last 10 games, were hoping to get back on the winning track. The Warriors wanted to snap their four-game losing streak. Sacramento realized their hope and won easily 111-98. The final score did not reflect the drubbing absorbed by the Warriors.

The Warriors were missing D’Angelo Russell, Draymond Green, and Kevon Looney. Eric Paschall started in place of Green, and Ky Bowman took Russell’s spot in the lineup. The Warriors had another poorly-played first quarter.

They started well and had an early 6-0 lead. The Kings tied the score at 10 and then had their first lead 13-10. The Kings maintained the lead for the rest of the game. Sacramento went on a 12-2 run to lead 20-12. The Warriors just could not get their offense going, and the quarter ended with Sacramento ahead 26-19.

The Kings continued to play well while the W’s look flustered. The Warriors could not make a three-point shot to save their life. They tried thirteen times and missed all thirteen. It was the first time in 20 years that the Warriors would go o-for-10 or more on threes in a half.

The W’s offense could not put the ball in the basket. With six minutes played in the second quarter, they put just five points on the board. Late in the quarter, the W’s head coach Steve Kerr was tagged with a double technical. The Kings’ De’Aaron Fox was fouled driving for a basket.

Kerr argued that Fox was fouled before the shot left his hand. The referees said that the basket was a continuation of the drive. Kerr lost the argument and had to leave the game. Mike Brown handled the coaching chores for the rest of the way. The Kings won the quarter 26-21 to lead 51-40 at the end of the first half.

The Kings blew away the Warriors in the third quarter. They outscored the W’s 38-24. They led by thirty 85-55 at one point. With the score 65-44, Glenn Robinson knocked down the first three of the night. The Kings finished the third quarter in the driver’s seat, leading 91-64.

The Warriors, in the fourth quarter, found their offense. They won the quarter 34-21, but they could not overcome the 27-point deficit they faced at the start of the period. With the score 111-85, the Warriors scored the last 13 points of the game. It was not enough, and they lost their fifth in a row 111-98.

Game Notes and Stats- Glenn Robinson led the W’s with 16. Omari Spellman had 13 points and 6 rebounds. Eric Paschall had 12, Alec Burks 10, Damion Lee 8, Marquese Chriss 8, and Ky Bowman 8.  The W’s shot 39.5 % from the floor. The Warriors made 5 threes. The Kings made 15. The 30-point difference won the game for Sacramento.

Buddy Hield and De’AaronFox each had 21. Former Warrior, Harrison Barnes had 18. Trevor Ariza also had 18, and Cory Joseph finished with 12.

The Warriors’ record dropped to 9-29. Sacramento improved to 14-23. The Warriors return home to face the Milwaukee Bucks at the Chase Center. The game will start at 7 p, PT.

Kings lose by a bucket 117-115 to New Orleans

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nbcsports.com photo: New Orleans Pelicans vs. Sacramento Kings Sat Jan 4th at Golden One Center

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings finally snapped the losing streak. On Thursday, the Kings managed to beat the Memphis Grizzlies to snap the streak. Saturday night, the task at hand was the New Orleans Pelicans coming off a back to back in Los Angeles. The Kings, fresh off of a day’s rest at home, were looking to make it two in a row at home. The tip-off was set for 7 PM PST.

In the first, the Kings got off to a slow start. The Pelicans got out to a 22-8 lead with 5:18 remaining in the quarter. From there, it was all Kings. The Pelicans only added another three points as the Kings stormed back to take a 26-25 lead at the end of the first. Buddy Hield dropped eight points for the Kings in the quarter while JJ Redick led the way with eight for the Pelicans.

In the second, neither team really went on an extended run. The Kings and Pelicans traded leads and the Pelicans managed to score 27 compared to the Kings 22 in the second quarter. Buddy Hield disappeared in the second and scored no points as Harrison Barnes and De’Aaromn Fox led the way with seven points apiece. J

J Redick finished the half with 16 points and Lonzo Ball was the runner up with seven. The Kings would go into halftime down 48-52 looking to come out with better energy in the second half.

In the third, the Kings would bounce back. The Kings put up 32 points in the third over the Pelicans 24 to take an 80-76 lead into the final quarter. The Kings, who were led by Harrison Barnes and Buddy Hield who finished the third with 21 and 17 points respectively.

The Pelicans were led by Jrue Holiday who had 17 points through the first three-quarters of play. The Kings would look to finish off the Pelicans in the fourth.

In the fourth, the Pelicans started to pull away. They put up good shots in the early minutes and took back the lead from the Kings. The Pelicans had pulled away to a 14 point lead with 4:04 to play. However, the Kings managed to put together good possessions to make it a game late. Aided by Buddy Hield hitting two three-pointers, the Kings were right back in it with the game 112-109 and 31.5 seconds to play.

After a few fouls by the Kings and ensuing free throws, the Kings were down four with 5.6 remaining. Nemanja Bjelica managed to hit a wild and one three-pointer to tie the game. Unfortunately for Kings fans, what happened next was not great. The Kings had a defensive breakdown on the inbound and allowed JJ Redick to get a layup to put the Pelicans up 117-115.

The Kings then just tossed in the inbound without a timeout and time expired. The Kings lost 117-115. Harrison Barnes led the Kings with 30 points as Buddy Hield was right behind him with 24. The Pelicans leading scorer was Lonzo Ball who finished with 24 points. Ultimately the Kings were done in by the 21 turnovers they committed. The Pelicans scored 29 points off of those turnovers which was the difference in the game.

In the locker room the Kings were pretty down. It’s been an upsetting last three weeks for the Kings as they look to get back on track. They hope to do that in Mondays matchup against the Warriors.

Up Next: The Kings stay home to face the Golden State Warriors on Monday evening at 7 PM PST.

 

Kings end drought beat Grizzlies 128-123; Fox and Hield lead in scoring

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@ NBA Media Ventures

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–The Kings have already hit rock bottom. They are now just lingering at the bottom of the ocean on the ocean floor. Unfortunately, that’s really the only way to put it. The Kings are looking for anything to build on at this point. Having lost 8 straight, the Kings entered into Thursday nights game desperately needing a win. The opponent was the Memphis Grizzlies who were 13-21 coming into the game. The tip-off was set for 7 PM PST at Golden One Center.

In the first, the Grizzlies got off to a roaring start. They shot 58% overall and 55% from deep to take a commanding 42-26 lead over the Kings. The Kings managed to put up 26 points on 43% overall and 33% from deep. Jaren Jackson Jr. showed up in a big way for the Grizzlies dropping 14 points on 5-7 shooting in the first. Leading the way for the Kings in the first was Buddy Hield who scored 12 points. The Kings would need to right the ship in a hurry before they let this game too out of reach.

In the second, the Kings took the lead about as quickly as the Grizzlies got it in the first. The Kings erupted for 37 points in the second quarter and held the Grizzlies to 18 points to take a 63-60 lead going into halftime. Richuan Holmes dropped 13 points in the second alone to lead the Kings in the first half with a total of 15 points. De’Aaron Fox also played well in the first half putting up 10 points. The Kings would hope to keep things going in the second half to snap their eight-game losing streak.

In the third, the Kings defense fell flat again. Like the first quarter, the Kings weren’t able to control the Grizzlies offense. The Grizzlies scored 37 points. So far in the game is was the tale of two quarters. The Kings managed to score 27 points but gave up the lead 97-90 going into the final quarter. The Kings only hoped they could replicate what they did in the second quarter in the final twelve minutes of action.

In the final quarter, the Kings battled back and the game was tied with 7:08 left. The Kings had put themselves in a position to win, and they did just that. The Kings snapped their eight-game losing streak by scoring 38 points in the fourth to win 128-123. The Grizzlies managed to score 26 points in the fourth but it wasn’t enough. Leading the way for the victorious Kings was De’Aaron Fox who scored 27 points followed by Buddy Hield who scored 26. For the Grizzlies, Ja Morant led the way with 23 points.

In a game the Kings desperately needed to win, they managed to pull it out. It wasn’t pretty, but they got it done. The Kings improved to 13-22 on the year. Don’t look now but the Kings are still only two games back of the eighth seed. All hope is not lost Kings fans.

Up Next: The Kings stay home to take on the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday evening at 7 PM PST.

Sacramento Kings Tuesday game wrap: Clippers hand Kings 8th straight loss 105-87

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@LAClippers photo: The Los Angeles Clippers dressed up in Buffalo Braves jerseys on throw back uniform night Tuesday at Golden One Center against the Sacramento Kings as Derrick Walton Jr (10) left congratulates Landry Shamet (20)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–It was a David and Goliath matchup at Golden One Center on Tuesday at 2 PM PST. The struggling Sacramento Kings who are 12-21 on the year, went up against the mighty LA Clippers who were 23-11 on the season. The vibes were nervous, to say the least at Golden One Center as the Kings prepared to take on the Clippers and try and snap the teams seven-game losing streak.

In the first quarter, the Kings came out a bit flat. They only managed 23 points on 41.2% shooting from the field. Buddy Hield was the lone bright spot for the Kings offense in the first who scored 12 points on 4-5 shooting. The Clippers also seemed a bit flat coming out for the 2 PM contest. The Clippers managed to score 28 points on 47.8% shooting with Kawhi Leonard leading the way with 5 points.

In the second quarter, the Clippers began to extend the lead. Paul George began hitting his shots to end the half with 11 points. The Clippers scored 29 in the second to take a 57-40 lead into halftime. The Kings, led by Buddy Hield who had 12 points, managed to score 40 points in the second.

The rest of the offense with the exclusion of Richuan Holmes struggled. Holmes dropped 14 points in the first half, but the rest of the Kings were all under four points. The Kings had a lot of work in front of them to come back from a 57-40 deficit in the second half.

In the third, the Kings bounced back. They outscored the Clippers 33-31 in the quarter to slightly cut into the deficit. The Kings played fast and were able to get some easy buckets against a great defensive team. Kawhi Leonard carried the Clippers in the third scoring 14 points. The Kings continued to get stellar play from Richuan Holmes. Holmes scored 6 more points in the third to lead the Kings.

In the fourth, the Clippers put the game away. Sacramento’s shot just would not fall in the last quarter. They had a number of good looks but were unable to convert. Both teams shot 41% from the field but the Clippers shot 33% from three compared to the Kings 29%.

The Kings shot a disappointing 68% from the free-throw line compared to the Clippers 95%. That right there was your game. The Kings dropped their eighth consecutive game and to 12-22 on the year. The leading scorers for the victorious Clippers were Kawhi Leonard and Paul George with 24 and 21 points respectively. Leading the Kings in defeat was Richaun Holmes who was spectacular. Holmes scored 22 points on 8-13 shooting.

In what has been a rough season so far for the Kings, we flip the calendar to 2020. Kings players and coaches inferred to that fact postgame. Head coach Luke Walton said postgame, “It’s going to be a better year, 2020.” Shooting guard Buddy Hield echoed those sentiments in the locker room saying, “It’s go time – it’s a new year.

Were [34] games in so we have about [48] left – it’s go time. We can’t wait anymore.” For Kings fans, they hope that is true. Kings fans hope that same urgency will carry over into the new year. 2019 turned out to be a very disappointing year for Kings. Unfortunately, Kings fans have been disappointed for all of the 2010s. Here’s to a more successful decade in Sacramento for Kings fans!

Up Next: Kings stay home to face the Memphis Grizzlies on Thursday at 7 PM PST

Headline Sports podcast with Barbara Mason: The advantage Cal had playing in Santa Clara for the Red Box Bowl; Have Sharks snapped out of it?; plus more

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photo from sfgate.com: California quarterback Chase Garbers (7) scrabbles away from Illinois defensive lineman Ayo Shogbonyo (52) during the first half of the Redbox Bowl NCAA college football game Monday, Dec. 30, 2019, in Santa Clara, Calif

On Headline Sports with Barbara:

#1 How important, how big was it for Cal to get to the Red Box Bowl and get to stay in the Bay Area and play the game against the Illinois Illini as the Bears defeated the Illini 35-20.

#2 It has to be a relief for the San Jose Sharks to win a game after losing ten of their last 11 on Saturday they got to break the glass ceiling or ice below with a five goal 6-1 win over the Philadelphia Flyers

#3 Talk about the San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks in a game that was built and called “The NFC West Championship” played on Sunday afternoon

#4 The Oakland Raiders on Sunday had to beat the Broncos, then the Texans needed to beat the Titans and the Ravens needed to beat the Steelers, and the Colts needed to beat the Jaguars, and a victory by at least one of these teams Bears, Lions, Chiefs or Patriots in order to make the AFC Wild Card Playoffs it was quite a bit to ask for wasn’t of the Raiders?

#5 The Sacramento Kings last two loses were narrow in a game against the Minnesota Timberwolves they lost by just one in overtime but coughed up a lead in the 105-104 loss, then on Saturday they dropped another game at home by two 112-110 to the Phoenix Suns. The Kings have lost six straight games.

Join Barbara each Tuesday for Headline Sports at http://www.sportsradioservice.com