Headline Sports podcast with Tony Renteria: Raiders need to hit the playbooks in preparation of the Texans this Sunday; 49ers host the Panthers in hopes to stay undefeated; plus more

Photo credit: silverandblackpride.com

On the Headline Sports podcast with Tony Renteria:

#1 The Oakland Raiders faced a very ready Green Bay Packers offense on Sunday as Packers quarterback Aaron Rogers threw for five touchdowns as the Raiders defense was no match for the Packers offense in the 42-24.

#2 The San Francisco 49ers may have not have scored a touchdown or set any kind of scoring records last Sunday in Washington, but they got by with three field goals kicked by kicker Robbie Gould that got the 49ers their sixth win to put them at 6-0.

#3 The Sacramento Kings opened up their regular season with a road trip in Phoenix. Is it tougher to open a season on the road or it really doesn’t make a difference?

#4 The Golden State Warriors open up their season tonight at Chase Center in San Francisco as they christen the new building for their first regular season game.

#5 Do you think the Astros get that backs to the wall feeling after dropping Games 1 and 2 at home against the Washington Nationals? The Nats are more than expected nemesis who broke it wide open in game 2 on Wednesday night.

Tony R does Headlines Sports podcasts each Thursday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Sacramento Kings podcast with Charlie O: Kings prepare for opener Wednesday in Phoenix

Photo credit: bleacherreport.com

On the Kings podcast with Charlie O:

#1 The Sacramento Kings’ preseason came to a close last Wednesday at Golden 1 Center. Kings head coach Luke Walton used the game to get a good look at some of his young prospects.

#2 One young prospect in particular Kyle Guy. He was drafted using the 55th pick.

#3 The Kings relied on Martin Bagley III in the game against Melbourne. He scored 30 points and 14 rebounds.

#4 The Kings’ Yogi Ferrell scored 5-6 from three-point land for a total of 24 points.

#5 The Kings open the regular season in Phoenix the Wednesday night. Talk about how ready the Kings are for the regular season.

Charlie O is a beat writer for the Sacramento Kings and does the Kings podcasts each Tuesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Sacramento Kings defeat Melbourne United 124-110

Photo credit: @SacramentoKings

By London Marq

SACRAMENTO–The NBA preseason is coming to a close and the Sacramento Kings played host to Melbourne United for their final exhibition game. The Kings new coach, Luke Walton, used the international tilt to get a good look at some fresh prospects such as this year’s second round pick Kyle Guy, who was drafted using the 55th pick.

That being said, Marvin Bagley was dominant in the first two frames. He scored 22 in the the opening half and nearly had a double-double with 9 boards. He would finish with 30 points and 14 rebounds. Yogi Ferrell also had a big night, going 5-6 from beyond the arc and finishing with 24 points.

Despite the efforts of Bagley and Ferrell, Melbourne United was competitive on the first half. A late second quarter run was where the Kings really started to distance themselves, going into the half with an 11-point lead. By the end of the third quarter, the Kings were fully in control and the quarter ended with a 27-point Kings advantage.

After winning their previous two games, this game will help the Kings maintain cohesion and momentum going into the regular season.

Final: Sacramento defeated Melbourne 124-110.

Headline Sports podcast with London Marq: Can Raiders make it three in a row against the Pack?; Garoppolo, 49ers take lots of confidence to Seattle this Sunday; plus more

Photo credit: @Raiders

On Headline Sports podcast with London:

#1 For the Oakland Raiders, they’re nice and rested from their jet lag after their trip to London on October 6th and a bye week on October 13th. Now they prepare to play a Green Bay Packers (5-1) team, who are coming off a 23-22 narrow edge victory against the Detroit Lions last Monday Night Football. Can the Raiders pull off their third straight win at the Frozen Tundra this Sunday?

#2 The Packers got a late field goal in the fourth quarter — a 23-yarder with just over a minute left in the game from kicker Mason Crosby after quarterback Aaron Rogers took two knees before electing to kick a field goal for the one point win.

#3 San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo has no doubts and lots of confidence going into these games, on Sunday against the LA Rams Garoppolo threw 24-33 for 243 yards and their fifth straight win 20-7.

#4 The Sacramento Kings picked up their first preseason win against the Utah Jazz Monday night with a 128-115 victory. The Kings’ Buddy Hield was all over the place with 23 points and he was the key to the offense in the Kings win.

#5 In the baseball playoffs, the Houston Astros took a 2-1 ALCS lead over the New York Yankees on Tuesday at Yankee Stadium. The Astros’ Garrett Cole threw for seven innings, four hits, five walks, and seven strikeouts.

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

Sacramento Kings podcast with Charlie O: Improved Western Conference should be a challenge for Kings this season

Photo credit: sactownroyalty.com

On the Kings podcast with Charlie O:

#1 After dropping the first two preseason games in Mumbai the Kings found themselves last Thursday at Golden 1 Center in game three of their preseason with a 105-88 win over the Phoenix Suns.

#2 With an improved Western Conference, how challenging will it be for the Kings to make a charge in the standings?

#3 Luke Walton, the Kings head coach was pleased regarding the offense on Monday night against the Utah Jazz who moved on the Jazz 128-115.

#4 The Kings offense got some help from Buddy Hield led the Kings with 23 points in Utah Monday night will you be seeing Hield leading this season.

#5 The regular season is coming. How ready are the Kings?

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

Fast And Furious: Kings run past the Jazz 128-115 in Salt Lake City

photo from sacbee.com: Kings guard Buddy Hield (24) attempts to steal the ball from Utah Jazz guard Emmanuel Mudiay, left, in the first half of a preseason game Monday in Salt Lake City.

By Morris Phillips

The Sacramento Kings have won just 21 regular season games in Salt Lake City… in 34 seasons.

Not good, but an impressive 128-115 exhibition win Monday at Vivint Smart Arena has the Kings feeling less apprehensive about their second regular season road game October 26 at Utah.

Buddy Hield led the Kings with 23 points, Marvin Bagley contributed 22 in 30 minutes of floor time. De’Aaron Fox departed early with a lower back injury.

The Kings played their fourth exhibition contest and both teams used the occasion to play their normal starters and top reserves. The Kings’ 78-point, first half came against defensive stalwarts Rudy Gobert and Mike Conley. The Kings played their trademark, fast pace and backed that with 14 made 3-pointers.

Sacramento’s defense was far more effective than it was in India, where the Kings dropped a pair of exhibitions allowing 130 points each time last week  Against the Jazz, the Kings allowed 48 percent shooting from the field.

But they benefitted from 20 turnovers and Utah’s poor shooting from the distance where they missed 26 of 35 attempts. The Kings battled the Jazz to a standstill on the glass (55 rebounds each) and put six players in double figures in scoring.

The Kings played without Corey Joseph, Trevor Ariza and Harry Giles.

The Kings conclude pre-season on Wednesday against Melbourne United at the Golden 1 Center.

Sacramento Kings game wrap: Excellent defense and Fox’s offense help in Kings’ 105-88 win

photo from sacbee.com: Sacramento Kings forward Marvin Bagley III (35) blocks a shot against the Dallas Mavericks forward Maximilian Kleber (42) on March 21, 2019 in this Sac Bee file photo.

By London Marq

SACRAMENTO — The Sacramento Kings exist in an awkward space within the NBA right now. After narrowly missing the playoffs last season, their young core is hoping to make stride forward and become a better team.

The only problem — the Western Conference is vastly improved — meaning that if the Kings hope to be playoff relevant, they will have to prove they are much better than they were six months ago. Through the first two games of the preseason, the Kings are 0-2.

On the surface, it may seem like a bad omen but there are factors to consider. Those first two games were played a world away in India so it’s hard to judge the effectiveness of the team playing with so many travel miles behind them. They are also under direction from new head coach Luke Walton, so the team may be finding ways to acclimate themselves to the new strategies being implemented. All in all, the two losses are no reason to panic.

On Thursday night, the Kings welcomed the Phoenix Suns into the Golden 1 Center for their first home preseason game. Behind some excellent defense and 18 points from De’Aaron Fox the Kings would walk away with the win, 105-88.

Defense has to be a point of emphasis for Sacramento if they hope to compete for a playoff spot in the west. If tonight was any indication of the Kings’ focus on defense, then it bodes well.

Sacramento held the Suns to just 16 points in the first quarter and 18 in the fourth while outscoring their opponents in threw of the four frames. Last year, the offense was one of the most potent in the league and the Kings were one of the most exciting teams to watch.

If they can match that with consistent effort on defense, they will compete. While one preseason win is nothing to write home about, the Kings should be using this time to gel as a unit and acclimate themselves to their new coach while playing at full speed. The Kings will face a challenge in their final preseason match versus the Utah Jazz. The regular season is just around the bend, and the Kings will have a lot to prove if they want to be considered as a contender.

London Marq is a Sacramento Kings beat writer for http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Headline Sports podcast with Tony Renteria: Commissioner’s double down talk freezes out NBA in China; Raiders play good enough to win two on the road

Photo credit: forbes.com

On the Headline Sports podcast with Tony Renteria:

#1 Tony, without a doubt, the top headline story is China’s withdrawal from doing business with the NBA because of Houston GM Daryl Morey’s tweet to stand with Hong Kong.

#2 NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said that free speech is vital and the NBA is not apologizing for Morey’s tweet. Meanwhile, China has suspended all NBA TV coverage, all NBA sponsorship, and all NBA brands in China.

#3 Talk about the Oakland Raiders’ win in London. They might have been the home team, but it’s on the road and they won their second straight game.

#4 The San Francisco 49ers remain perfect at 4-0. They face the Los Angeles Rams (3-2) in LA. This could very well be San Francisco’s biggest challenge so far.

#5 The Sacramento Kings, who returned from two preseason games in Mumbai, are back in Sacramento this Thursday to host the Phoenix Suns. No doubt head coach Luke Walton and the Kings are glad to be back and anxious to get started at Golden 1 Center.

Headline Sports podcast with Tony Renteria is heard each Wednesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Headline Sports podcast with London Marq: Will Rockets’ Morey get fired over tweet about Hong Kong?; Quakes only needed one game and couldn’t do it; plus more

Photo credit: businessinsider.com

On the Headline Sports podcast with London Marq:

#1 Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey apologized for tweeting that “We should stand with Hong Kong.” A statement that had China suspend all NBA games on state-ran TV, all NBA brands and any activities associated with the NBA because of Morey’s tweet. A source said that Morey’s job is on the line, but the Rockets’ front office has denied that Morey’s job is in flux, but stated that they don’t deny it’s a messy situation.

#2 The San Jose Earthquakes finished up the 2019 season on the outside looking in when they had the postseason by the tail and then went on to lose six straight games, including being eliminated last Sunday in Portland with a 3-1 loss. A disappointing end to say the least for Quakes head coach Matias Almeyda.

#3 The Sacramento Kings lost their first two preseason games in India to the Indiana Pacers. The Kings used most of their rookies, draft picks, and C-League prospects. The Kings return back to Sacramento on Thursday night at Golden 1 Center to host the Phoenix Suns. What will head coach Luke Walton be looking for in that one?

#4 Try hard as they may, the San Jose Sharks — who were down just by one goal 2-1 — had a shot at tying the game in the third period with the Nashville Predators, but the Preds scored three times to take a three-goal win 5-2 to beat the Sharks. Is it goaltending or is it the defense up in front giving little or no protection for goalie Martin Jones?

#5 Finally, everyone is talking about the San Francisco 49ers, a team that saw their starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo throw for 181 yards and two touchdowns in a 31-3 laugher at Levi’s Stadium on Monday Night Football.

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

Sacramento Kings podcast with Charlie O: Lots of opportunities for prospects and young players in exhibition play

Photo credit: @SacramentoKings

On the Sacramento Kings podcast with Charlie O:

#1 Charlie, just two games in India for the Sacramento Kings. They played the Indiana Pacers and lost to them twice.

#2 Lots of minutes for a lot of the players on hand for game two last Saturday. Was this designed so that those players get to experience what it’s like to play a game like this in India or were these situations where the second game called for more players to come in?

#3 For Kings head coach Luke Walton, what were some of the things he was looking for in these two games that he would apply for the regular season?

#4 Talk about some of the new Kings: Kyle Guy, Caleb Swanigan, and Wayne Gabriel.

#5 The Kings host the Phoenix Suns for their next preseason game at Golden One Center in Sacramento. It’s the Kings’ first game back in Sacramento.

Charlie O does the Kings podcasts at http://www.sportsradioservice.com