Tag: Sacramento Kings

Fox leads the Kings to a 102-94 victory over the Knicks at MSG

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By Jessica Kwong

The Sacramento Kings rallied in an early game Saturday—starting at 9 a.m. PST—to beat the worst team in the Eastern Conference, the New York Knicks, at Madison Square Garden.

Sacramento beat New York 102-94, led by De’Aaron Fox’s 30 points, 5 rebounds and 8 assists. It was not an easy win, with the Knicks dominating with energy to start and leading by as many as 15 points in the first quarter. The Kings were able to cut the Knicks’ lead to 30-23 by the end of the quarter and kept the home team to 16 points in the second quarter and ended the half up 48-46.

The game was tied at 68 points with three-and-a-half minutes left in the third quarter. Sacramento’s Buddy Hield then scored 5 points and the Kings went on a 12-0 run and took a 80-68 lead at the end of the third.

But in the final period, the Knicks went on a 11-0 run and captured a 89-87 lead halfway through. In the last six minutes, Fox made 12 points, including two triples, to take the victory.

“It was a gritty win for us,” Kings head coach Dave Joerger said. “It wasn’t always pretty, but we’re happy to get out with a win.”

Hield scored 19 points and 4 rebounds, Nemanja Bjelica had 13 points and 10 rebounds and Harrison Barnes had 11 points and 8 rebounds.

The Kings are now 33-32 and ninth in the western conference, behind the San Antonio Spurs, who have a track record of pulling through.

Joerger acknowledged that his team may not make the playoffs, but gave the players props for how far they’ve come and how Sacramento has embraced them.

“It does feel good because we’re not where we’re going to be, we’re not where we want to be, but we sure are having fun,” Joerger said. “We’re developing players and guys are getting along great and it’s just a really good vibe, and the city of Sacramento’s on fire right now and we’re having a great time.”

The Kings continue their four-game road trip on Monday against the Washington Wizards. Tip-off is at 4 p.m. PST.

Sacramento Kings podcast with Charlie O: Knicks were a no brainer, Celtics will be a tougher task on Wednesday night

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On the Kings podcast with Charlie O:

#1 The Los Angeles Clippers got a seven-point win over the Sacramento Kings (33-31) 116-109 on Saturday night in another game that was a cliff hanger.

#2 On Monday night, the Kings host the New York Knicks and the Kings held a ten-point lead over the Knicks for most of the game. It showed how well they were coached to hold such a lead.

#3 The Knicks are struggling this season at 13-51 for the Kings. It was like taking candy from a baby at Golden One on Monday night.

#4 The free throws made the difference for Sacramento 81.5% and for New York 60.0%

#5 On Wednesday, March 6th, the task doesn’t get easier as the Kings host the Boston Celtics (38-26).

Sacramento Kings podcasts with Charlie O is heard each Tuesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Kings In No Mood For Losing: Beat Knicks and Stay Above .500

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By Morris Phillips

SACRAMENTO — The Kings are still in the Western Conference playoff race, but nothing states that fact better than a win.The Kings were fortunate enough to survive the pesky New York Knicks on Monday at Golden 1 Center.

Sacramento never trailed after the first quarter, but they never felt comfortable, even the last minutes of the fourth when the Knicks were still in range, and capable of stealing the middle stop of their three-game road trip.

“We didn’t make the shots that we usually make but we were able to get them to turn the ball over,” De’Aaron Fox said. “They usually don’t do that.”

Fox was one of five double-digit scorers for the Kings, who didn’t play a great deal of defense, but kept the pace, and shared the basketball against the team with the NBA’s worst record. 

While the Knicks have been atrocious in losing 22 of 25, the Kings have been downright frustrated, losing 5 of 6, with all the losses by seven points or less. Moreover, their playoff chances have dwindled as a result, but their disdain for falling below .500 at this late date in the season by losing to a beleaguered opponent at home may have been their biggest motivational factor on Monday.

Now their hope is that same motivation carries them in their game against the free-falling Celtics on Wednesday, then again in the rematch with the Knicks in Madison Square Garden on Saturday.

Regardless the Kings face and uphill battle trying to catch the Clippers and Spurs for the coveted, eighth spot. Both teams won Monday, keeping their edge over Sacramento at three games.

Kings fall short, lose 116-109 to Clippers

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By: London Marq

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — With the 7th seeded Los Angeles Clippers headed into town, Sacramento would have a chance to help their own cause, trying to move up from the No. 9 spot in the West. Tension is high. The playoffs are in sight and the young Sacramento Kings are feeling the pressure. Having played and lost 3 games, the Clippers already made this game feel all the more important. A win would bring them closer to the 8th seed and the added confidence of overcoming a challenge.

The Kings had trouble scoring in the beginning of the game. Willie Cauley-Stein, Harrison Barnes, and Bogdan Bogdanovic — all of whom only scored 6 points between them in the first. De’Aaron Fox scored on a lone free throw before picking up two early fouls and being forced to sit. Los Angeles would lead by 10 at one point but as the quarter closed the Kings would make a push. Behind 8 first quarter points from Buddy Hield, the Clippers only held a 3-point advantage going into the second quarter.

Staying hot to start the second, the Kings would regain the lead with 8:43 left in the third. Harry Giles had strong night off the bench, working around the rim for 6 points in the second giving him 10 points at halftime. Giles finished the night with 15 points. Foul trouble continued to plague Sacramento as they committed 6 fouls in the second, allowing LA to keep the game close with free throws. However, Fox made up for his absence in the first with exceptional playmaking. He had some sweet dimes, racking up 6 assists in the second quarter alone. He finished with a 12-point, 12 assist double-double.

The Kings began the second half with a four-point 56-52 lead, but allowed 35 points in the third quarter as LA went on a run to retake the lead. From that point on in the game the Clippers were in control. Leading by as much as 13 points, LA played a tough brand of basketball that Sacramento had trouble coping with. Montrezl Harrell gave Sacramento the trouble he has all season with his high-energy brand of play. Harrell was a beast around the rim and ended the game with 15 points. After the game, Kings coach Dave Joerger described the Clippers as more physical and more experienced. It showed as the Kings were outrebounded 42-38, committed 25 fouls and allowed LA to score 24 points from the line.

The final score was 116-109 as the Kings fell to the LA Clippers. It was a tough blow for the Kings as a team trying to make the playoffs. They still have a chance to obtain the elusive 8-seed and Harry Giles knows it. Stoic after a loss, but staying focused on the schedule ahead of the team, saying, “We need to make sure we win. Win, win, win.”

Coach Joerger said this loss hurt, but when thinking about the big picture, he felt positive about the future. Whether he’s talking about next season or their playoff prospects, he’s right the Kings have a lot of positives ahead of them despite this loss.

The Kings are playing with house money — no one expected them to be in this position at this point in the season. They are playing close, competitive games against tough opponents. The Kings will try to get back on track with some significant and favorable matchups ahead of them, including playing the Knicks twice over the next seven days and road trip to the eastern conference. If the Kings want to make the playoffs, they need to capitalize now. They don’t have time to lose.

FINAL: Clippers defeated the Kings 116-109.

UP NEXT: Kings host the New York Knicks on Monday, March 4th at 7:00 pm PST.

Fun Without Winning One: Kings compete in overtime loss to the league-leading Bucks

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By Morris Phillips

SACRAMENTO–When you compete this hard–for 48 minutes and overtime–it’s the last thing you want to hear.

But there was Eric Bledsoe, basking in the glow of hand delivering the road win for Eastern Conference-leading Bucks, and wanting to say something conciliatory towards the Kings after one of the best, and most competitive games in the NBA this season.

Again, it was the last thing the disappointed Kings wanted to hear.

“Even if they don’t make it this year–even if they do–they’ve got a bright future,” Bledsoe said of the promising Kings.

Yeah, that’s nice, Eric, but what the Kings really would have appreciated was a season-transforming win. After a stretch of five games against the some of the league’s best teams, the Kings have just one win, hardly the qualifications for ending the NBA’s lengthiest, playoff drought dating back to 2006.

“That’s what happens when you’re trying to make the playoffs, you go through some bumps and bruises, but we have to keep fighting and keep grinding,” said Buddy Hield, who led Sacramento with 32 points.

On the night the Clippers lost at Utah, and the Lakers got past the Pelicans at home, the Kings may have played the best basketball, but fell two games out of the coveted, eighth spot in the Western Conference.

The Kings didn’t shoot well, or shut down a Bucks’ attack that improved at the trade deadline with the addition of Nikola Mirotic, but they did protect the ball, hit the offensive glass and put up a whopping 118 shots. That effort paid off in the fourth quarter when the Kings wiped out a 13-point deficit and propelled themselves into overtime.

“They made several runs at us. … Just really impressed with their young players and with the job coach Dave is doing. They have a hell of a future ahead of them,” said Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer.

But the Kings reached overtime at a disadvantage without rookie standout Marvin Bagley, who was injured running into a hard screen in the middle of the floor that left him with a knee contusion. Bagley will have an MRI examination today to determine the severity of the injury.

The Bucks also reached overtime without their biggest star, Giannis Antetokounmpo, who was limited to 24 minutes due to a sore knee that forced him to miss Milwaukee’s previous game. But Bledsoe and Malcom Brogdon both hit big shots in the extra session to secure the win for the Bucks.

The Kings have an estimated 12 percent shot to make the playoffs, and overcome their most likely outcome of 41-41. Eleven of the Kings’ 22 remaining opponents currently have winning records, and their schedule is measurably tougher than the Clippers and the Spurs schedules.

Winning 45 games is still the goal, as that’s where the Clippers project as the most likely eighth-seeded team in the West. The Kings would need to win 14 of 22–which would be their hottest stretch of the season–to reach 45 wins.

Headline Sports with London Marq: Arenado signs second largest MLB deal; Harper still waiting to sign; Cowboys’ Gregory suspended indefinitely; plus more

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On Headline Sports with London Marq:

#1 The Colorado Rockies’ Nolan Arenado signed a eight-year deal at $250 million. He does have an opt-out year when he turns 30 in three years from now. They really are counting on Arenado to be their cornerstone.

#2 Bryce Harper continues to be a free agent waiting for that longterm deal a payout that would top the San Diego Padres’ Manny Machado’s $300 million deal. Harper is looking in the neighborhood of $350 million and ten years. Will he get a deal done soon?

#3 Dallas Cowboys pass rusher Randy Gregory has been suspended indefinitely for substance abuse. Gregory played two games in 2016, suspended for the whole season in 2017, played 14 games in 2018 and was second in sacks with the Cowboys. Gregory’s attorney says he can make it back in 2019.

#4 The Sacramento Kings have lost two of their last three games, but their efforts were right there with opposing teams: the Golden State Warriors, Minnesota Timberwolves, and they beat the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Kings have another tough task when they host the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday night at the Golden One Center.

#5 The San Jose Earthquakes open the season this Saturday at Avaya Stadium against the Montreal Impact. After the rough season they had last year, the Quakes are looking to turn it around this year.

Headline Sports with London Marq is heard each Wednesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Sacramento Kings podcast with Charlie O: Is there trouble in paradise between Joeger and Hield?; Hield benched in last five minutes in Minnesota

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On the Kings podcast with Charlie O:

#1 Charlie O talks about why the Kings didn’t use Buddy Hield in the last five minutes of Monday night’s game in Minnesota. He didn’t want to talk about Hield and why he was benched at the end of the game. The question came up at the beginning of the press conference.

#2 Kings head coach Dave Joeger doesn’t like being questioned about his coaching and why he makes some of the moves that he did. Hield and Joeger got into a jawing match when they were playing Golden State.

#3 The Kings have struggled against Western Conference opponents with a 17-23 road record, but you would have never known that after watching the Kings play the Oklahoma City Thunder for a 119-116 win.

#4 Coming off the game in Minnesota and knowing Joeger’s reaction to the Hield question, will Joeger and the Kings shake the T-Wolves game off and turn the page?

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

 

45 wins? The Kings didn’t get any closer to that magic number in 112-105 loss to the Wolves

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By Morris Phillips

Sacramento Kings reporter Sean Cunningham has unearthed a significant number in the Kings’ quest to end the NBA’s longest playoff drought. It’s a number that bares watching given the team’s positioning directly in the middle of the Western Conference postseason hunt.

45, 45 wins. For the Kings, it’s going to be tantalizingly close. But they didn’t get any closer in Minneapolis on Monday.

The Kings were defenseless in the second quarter, relinquishing a double-digit lead, then trailing for the entirety of the second half in a 112-105 loss to the Timberwolves. William Bagley’s 3-pointer with 3:05 remaining got the Kings within 108-104, but they got no closer.

The Kings fell to 31-29, blowing an opportunity to assume the eighth spot by percentage points with the Spurs losing to the Nets, their seventh loss in their last eight games. Now, the Kings need a 14-8 finish–which would be the hottest stretch of their season–to reach the magical 45 wins.

“We’re growing, and it’s the level of experience that is required,” Kings coach Dave Joerger said of losing to the Wolves, a team that qualified for the 2018 playoffs on the regular season’s final day. “They’ve got a lot of older guys that have been through it.”

Based on Sacramento’s ability to beat losing teams, and inability to get past winning teams, the Kings will need a couple of surprise victories in the final 22 games to win 14 more times. Twelve of their final 22 opponents have winning records, and their schedule is more difficult than the Spurs and Clippers, the two teams closest to them in the standings.

But the Spurs are in free fall, and the Kings have already captured the tie breaker against San Antonio. While few other tie breakers figure to go Sacramento’s way, beating out the Spurs could be a realistic goal. Given that, the Kings could have used a win on Monday.

Karl-Anthony Towns led the Timberwolves with 34 points and 21 rebounds in his return from injury following a car crash last week. Towns had appeared in all 302 games in his career prior to missing the previous two.

“You don’t get a chance to realize how much you appreciate being out there,” Towns said of his return. “I’ve always wanted to be available for my teammates. But, when you sit out, you’re realizing little things you may have taken for granted.’’

Bagley did his part to neutralize the production of Towns with 25 points and 11 rebounds in just his second-ever NBA starting assignment, but the pivotal, second quarter belonged to Towns and the Wolves.

Towns scored 18 of the Wolves’ 44 points in the frame as the Kings squandered their 30-19 lead after the first quarter.

Joerger elected to bench leading scorer Buddy Hield down the stretch as his club rallied. Hield had a rough night with five turnovers while missing nine of his 16 shot attempts.

“He couldn’t hold onto the basketball and he struggled in different areas, and sometimes you have those nights,” Joerger said of Hield. “Corey Brewer was playing with some energy and it’s just one of those things.”

The Kings return to Golden 1 Center on Wednesday to face the Eastern Conference-leading Bucks at 7 pm.

NBA podcast with Jerry Feitelberg: Cousins always up for a battle when his old team, the Kings, come to Oakland

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On the NBA podcast with Jerry:

#1 Talking about the Golden State Warriors’ DeMarcus Cousins, what is it like each time he goes out and plays the Sacramento Kings, a team he was with for very long?

#2 What kind of player is Cousins today as opposed to the player he was with Sacramento?

#3 There was so much pressure on Cousins when he was a Sacramento King to do it all. Did that pressure fuel some of his anger at the media at times?

#4 One things fans in Sacramento reminisce about on Cousins is how community-oriented he was.

#5 Getting Jerry’s impressions on the Kings and Warriors meetings and how he sums up those matches when the two teams get together.

Jerry Feitelberg does the NBA podcasts each Friday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Warriors outlast Kings to win another thriller 125-123

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By Jerry Feitelberg

The Warriors, playing the first game in a week due to the All-Star break, had their hands full as they were able to stop the Kings on the last play of the game to win. The Kings, coached by Dave Joerger, are not the Kings of old. They are a good young team of gifted athletes that are on the rise. They have drafted players that are speedy, have size, and can score. They are good inside and have players that can make three-point shots. They took the 6-foot-11 forward Marvin Bagley III in the first round of the draft. Bagley was one and done at Duke, and the 19-year-old rookie is making his presence felt. Buddy Hield, De’Aaron Fox are young and improving. The Kings traded for the veteran forward Harrison Barnes. They acquired Harry Giles, who is 6-foot-10, and Alec Burks. They signed Corey Brewer to a 10-day contract. These players are making the Kings so much better. However, they were playing the defending the NBA champions, the Golden State Warriors. Thursday night’s game was the fourth and final game between the two teams during the regular season, and it was not easy for the Warriors, but they were able to hold off the Kings to sweep the season series. The Warriors won the game 125-123.

The Warriors won the first quarter 35-30. It was a fast-paced first quarter. Steph Curry and Kevin Durant led the team to the early first quarter advantage. The Kings turned the tables in the second quarter as they outscored the Warriors 32-25 to finish the first half leading 62-60. The Kings led 54-43 until the Warriors went on a 10-0 run. Steph made two three-pointers in the run to get the Warriors closer to the lead. The Kings increased the lead to six, but Durant and Klay Thompson made key buckets to get the Warriors closer.

Each team tallied 29 points in the third quarter and the score at the end of the quarter was 91-89 in favor of Sacramento. The Kings led for the entire quarter. They led by seven 91-84, but Durant scored the last five points of the period. He made a bucket to make it 91-86 and then hit a three as the buzzer sounded to close the quarter trailing 91-89.

DeMarcus Cousins scored four points to start the fourth quarter and put Golden State ahead 93-91. Cousins made two free throws and a bucket.  The Kings came back to tie the score at 96. Draymond Green made a three, but the Kings countered with a three of their own to tie at 99. The lead changed hands a couple of time and tied at 104. Curry made a three and Thompson followed with a two-point bucket to give the Warriors a 109-104 advantage. They went up by six when Curry hit another three to lead 117-111. The Kings’ Buddy Hield knocked down a three. Thompson responded with a three of his own, and the Warriors led 120-114 with 1:11 left to play. On the next play, it appeared that Green stripped Bagley driving to the basket. The referee tagged Green with a foul. Green couldn’t believe the call and he sprinted to the other end of the court to avoid being charged with a technical foul. His histrionics didn’t help him as he was charged with a technical. Bagley made all three free throws, and the Kings were still alive. Thompson made a mid-range jumper to increase the lead to five. Buddy Hield knocked down another three to make it 123-120. Hield then fouled Curry in the backcourt. Curry made both free throws. The Kings came back with another three to rail by two with 7.4 seconds left. The Warriors almost turned the ball over as Curry had trouble handling the ball on the inbound pass. Somehow, he was able to get the ball to Andre Iguodala. Iguodala was fouled attempting a reverse layup and was awarded two free throws. If Iguodala made both free throws, the game would have been over. He missed both and Sacramento took time out with 6.5 seconds to play. Their strategy was to inbound the ball to Buddy Hield and have him take a three-point shot for the win. The Kings got the ball to Hield, who was open. He did not take the shot, but opted to drive to the basket and make a mid-range jumper to tie the score and send the game to overtime. The Warriors defense rose to the challenge and the best Hield could do was shoot an airball that landed in Kevin Durant’s hands. The Warriors escaped with a thrilling 125-123 win over the Kings.

Game Notes and Stats: With the win, the Warriors improve to 42-16. The Kings drop to 30-28. The Kings are in a race with the LA Clippers and LA Lakers for the eighth spot in the Western Conference playoffs. If the Kings finish eighth and the Warriors first, the two teams will meet in the opening round of the playoffs. The Warriors outscored the Kings by just 12 points to win all four games. The Warriors would have their hands full if that were to occur.

All five Warrior starters were in double figures. Curry led the team with 36 points, six rebounds, and five assists. Curry made 10 three-point shots. It was the 14th time in his career that he made 10 or more three-point shots in a game and the fifth time this season. Durant had 28 points, 8 boards, 4 assists, and a tied a career-high with seven blocked shots. Cousins had a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds. Thompson had a tough night as he was 4 for 12 until late in the game. He finished with 18 and made two clutch threes down the stretch in the fourth quarter. Green had 12 points, 6 boards, 8 assists, and knocked down three threes in five tries.

The Kings had seven players in double figure. Marvin Bagley, coming off the bench, led Sacramento with 28 points and 14 rebounds. Buddy Hield had 19, Harrison Barnes 13, De’Aaron Fox 18, Willie Cauley-Stein 10, Bogdan Bogdanovic 14. Veteran forward Corey Brewer had 11, and he made three threes to keep Sacramento in the game.

The Warriors defense held the Kings to 43.4% from the floor. The Warriors had 6 steals and blocked 12 shots. The Warriors committed 11 turnovers in the first half and that cost them 14 points. They focused on protecting the ball in the second half and were able to limit the turnovers to four.

Up Next: The Warriors face the Houston Rockets Saturday night at Oracle Arena. The Rockets lost to the Lakers Thursday night. Game time will be at 5:30 pm.