Tag: Sacramento Kings

Sacramento Kings podcast with Charlie O: Kings on two-game skid, can only hope for the best against first place Clippers Thursday night

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Photo credit: @SacramentoKings

On the Sacramento Kings podcast with Charlie O:


#1 The Sacramento Kings did face a major uphill battle in their game against Golden State on Saturday only to lose by a point 117-116 with less than a second remaining in Oakland.


#2 The Kings, the very next night Sunday, hosted the Utah Jazz, who they played in Utah last Wednesday and defeated them 119-110. In the game Sunday, the Jazz got their revenge with a huge 133-112 victory.


#3 NBA teams hate back-to-back games because like Charlie O wrote in the postgame wrap Sunday night it spells disaster and the Kings got a taste of that in the loss to Utah.


#4  The Kings got off to a 7-0 start, but it all collapsed from there and Sacramento never saw the lead again.


#5 The Los Angeles Clippers don’t make the Kings task any easier. The Clips sit at the top of the Western Conference with a 13-6 record and come to Golden 1 on Thursday night.


Join Charlie O on the Sacramento Kings podcast each Tuesday night at http://www.sportsradioservice.com


Warriors win a thriller for a 117-116 victory over the Kings

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Photo credit: @warriors

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors and Sacramento Kings played a very close and thrilling game that went down to the final five seconds before Klay Thompson made the go-ahead bucket to win 117-116 at Oracle Arena on Saturday night.

The Kings, under coach Dave Joerger, are no longer the laughing stock of the Western Conference. The Kings entered the game with a record of 10-8. Buddy Hield, Willie Cauley-Stein, DeAaron Fox, and Marvin Bagley III are the nucleus of the Sacramento offense. The Warriors, still without Steph Curry and Draymond Green, knew that it would not be easy to beat Sacramento, and it wasn’t.

Both teams played a very competitive first period. Sacramento won the quarter 29-28. The Warriors’ Kevin Durant committed five turnovers in the first period. Nonetheless, The Warriors were down by just one point before the start of the second quarter.

The Kings continued to play well in the period. They finished the first half with a four-point lea 64-60. The Warriors ended the quarter with an 8-2 run.

In the third quarter, the Warriors took command and outscored the Kings 35-29 to hold a 2-point lead at the end of three-quarters of play. The fourth quarter would be a fight to the finish. The Kings won the quarter 23-22 and lost by a single point 117-116.

Game Notes and Stats: Kevin Durant had a double-double with 44 points, and 11 rebounds. He also recorded seven assists.

Klay Thompson had his second night in a row with over 30 points. He finished with 31 and his bucket with 5 seconds left in the game won it for the Warriors.

“I don’t know if I got fouled, but who cares I got the putback,” Thompson said. “You’ll take a game-winner any way you can get it I don’t care how ugly it is.”

Warriors’ center Damian Jones played well Saturday night. He knocked down 13 points and had 6 rebounds.

Up Next: The Warriors host the Orlando Magic on Monday, Nov. 26 at 7:30 pm PT.

Kings thankful after 119-110 defeat of the Jazz

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Photo credit: @SacramentoKings

By: London Marq 

Less than a week removed from reports that the Sacramento Kings’ front office were considering firing head coach Dave Joerger due to Marvin Bagley, the second overall pick from this year’s draft, not being in the starting lineup. The news put Kings fans and local media outlets on edge. After the best start to an NBA season in recent memory, this situation seemingly mirrored one four seasons ago when the Kings abruptly fired coach Mike Malone after starting the season 10-5. When the news broke about a possible firing of Joerger, the Kings were 8-8 with a number of meaningful wins under their belt and on pace to make a serious run to end the 12-year playoff drought.

Since then the Kings have won two games–one at home versus the triple-double machine Russell Westbrook and the Oklahoma City Thunder, and tonight, a huge win on the road against the defensive juggernaut Jazz. Kings general manager Vlade Divac announced before both of these games that Joerger’s job is safe, that the organization has complete confidence in him. That being said, nothing solves problems like winning does.

The Kings traveled into Vivint Smart Home Arena seeking revenge against the Utah Jazz, a team they have lost to earlier this season. The Kings came out like they wanted it. Two of the Kings’ surprise stars this season, Nemanja Bjelica and Iman Shumpert, each knocked down a shots from beyond the arc to open up the game, setting the tone you would want to start a game in front of a hostile crowd. De’Aaron Fox also came out of the locker room with a purpose. In the first 10 minutes, he stuffed his stat sheet with six points, five rebounds and five assists. The Kings would end the first quarter up by 13 as the Jazz failed to find a consistent rhythm.

In the second quarter, the Jazz would find some pace and the lead would be reduced to three, but they weren’t able to snag the lead as the Kings continued to play well on both sides of the ball. The Jazz were never able to get momentum as Donovan Mitchell (35 points, 3 assists) was forced to do all the heavy lifting. Buddy Hield, who seemed almost nonexistent in the first two quarters would show up right before half time with a huge three right before time expired, keeping the fire alive.

The Kings would be outscored in the third quarter, but the game remained close as Willie Cauley-Stein continued what is his hottest start to an NBA season in his young career. He would finish the game with 23 points and seven rebounds. The Jazz finally found the rhythm on offence with Joe Ingles (12 points, 7 assists) got into the mix. Despite all of the effort from the Jazz to keep the game close, they would still trail the Kings by one going into the fourth quarter, after Fox slashed to basket at the end of the third quarter to grab the lead back.

The Kings would ride that momentum and jumped out to a 17-point lead in the fourth quarter. However, a sight many Kings fans have seen before seemed to be unfolding as the Jazz began to mount a comeback, with a little bit of help from the refs. The Kings showing signs of growth, were able to fight the odds that never seem to be in their favor and hold onto the lead and mount a huge win against a strong team on the road.  

A huge win in the face of a possible coaching controversy, and the best defensive team in the NBA.They are playing intense, complimentary basketball on both sides of the ball. Something the Kings haven’t done in over a decade. Don’t look now, the Kings may be for real.

The Kings will play the Jazz in the final of three games between them this season in four days on November 25. With each team taking a win apiece, it’s sure to be quite the rematch with the winner taking home bragging rights.

The Kings defeated the Jazz 119-110. 

The Kings head to Oracle Arena to take on the Warriors on Saturday, November 24 at 5:30 pm PT.

Kings break losing skid with narrow, 117-113 home win over the Thunder

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By Morris Phillips

SACRAMENTO — Winning may be the ultimate goal, but for the emerging Sacramento Kings early wins have created expectations and differences of opinion that could in the short run derail the club’s still fragile chemistry.

The latest? A report surfaced prior to Monday’s game against Oklahoma City that the Kings’ management would consider dismissing Dave Joerger because he’s awarded playing time to the club’s veteran players at the expense of the playing time and development of the young core, specifically 2018 first-round pick William Bagley III.

Both Joerger and general manager Vlade Divac dismissed the reports prior to Monday’s game, but no denial could more effective than the Kings dispatching the Thunder, and putting an end to their two-game losing skid.

And that they did, holding on to beat the Thunder, 117-113 at Golden 1 Center.

Buddy Hield scored 25 points, and Iman Shumpert added 23, as the Kings led most of the night only to have the Thunder rally late behind Russell Westbrook in an attempt to steal the ballgame. However, Hield, Shumpert and Bogdan Bogdanovic combined for 13 made threes, including Hield’s trio of threes late that helped the Kings seal it.

“In the first half we played maybe as fast as we’ve played since at Miami (a 123-113 win on October 29). We like to play that fast but we got tired,” Joerger said. “But we kept at it and kept battling.”

Prior to the game, Joerger explained that the Kings caught the league’s attention with their five-game win streak that ended November 1. Now, teams are far more conscious about their transition defense against a younger club that would prefer to move at the NBA’s fastest pace. Then on their most recent trip out of town, the Kings saw the Rockets and Grizzlies, a pair of clubs playing at a high level.

“It is about when you catch teams at a part of a season,” Joerger said in response to his teams’ recent struggles. “We caught two teams that are locked in right now. You get to that 20-game point, and everything is get into a rhythm, and both of those teams have found their rhythm.”

According to Joerger, the five-game win streak created expectations, and the stretch of five losses in seven games that followed, created questions. The report that Bagley’s playing time is an issue is a part of that, but not one Joerger was willing to address.

“I’m not going to get into that,” he said.

Against Oklahoma City, Bagley did see a spike in his time, playing 26 minutes off the bench and coming up with 15 points, 13 rebounds, the first double-double of his NBA career. Nemanja Bjelica–the veteran whose extended playing time was referenced in the report–started for the Kings on Monday, but only played 23 minutes. Still he was effective with 12 points, eight rebounds on 5 of 6 shooting.

De’Aaron Fox struggled with his shooting, going 1 of 10, but he contributed a career-best 13 assists in a team-high 35 minutes of action.

The Kings (9-8) face the Utah Jazz on Wednesday at 6:00 pm PT in Salt Lake City.

Foxy and Fast: Kings end 14-game losing streak to the Spurs

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sacbee.com photo: Kings guard Bogdan Bogdanovic passes to a teammate as San Antonio Spurs forward Rudy Gay, right, defends Monday at Golden 1 Center. Bogdanovic led the Kings with 22 points in a 104-99 victory

By Morris Phillips

SACRAMENTO — If one element stands out–and all of them were on display Monday–in the Kings’ NBA resurgence, it’s De’Aaron Fox’s ability to shoot the basketball.

Fox’s 3-pointer with 4:38 remaining was the first of consecutive 3-pointers that put the Kings up 98-90, propelling them to a 104-99 win over the Spurs, their first win after 14 consecutive losses to the traditional Western Conference power.

Fox finished with 19 points on 7 of 9 shooting, and again was the pace leader in the Kings’ high-octane attack that kept the San Antonio defense on its heels for the majority of the night. Six of the 10 Kings that saw action scored in double figures led by Bogdan Bogdanovic with 22 points.

The Kings improved to 8-6, winning after a disappointing home loss to the Lakers on Saturday, and for now, kept their name above the line in the conference playoff stack, one-half game ahead of the Jazz, Lakers and Pelicans.

“We have to defend home, you know? We slipped up and missed one last game so this one was a must-win mentality coming in,” Willie Cauley-Stein said.

The Spurs were without Paul Gasol, Lonnie Walker IV and Dejounte Murray, but saw the return of former King Rudy Gay, who had missed the previous three games with a heel injury. The Spurs missed 21 of 31 3-point attempts in a game that was statistically even in most other categories.

“We’ve got to be able to fight through and win on the road,” Dante Cunningham said.”

Fox turned heads nationally with his triple-double on November 1, making him the youngest player in NBA history to record one with 30 points and 15 assists or better. But quietly, his overall consistency shooting the basketball may be a bigger story. After shooting 41 percent from the field, and 30 percent from three last season, Fox has seen those numbers take a significant jump (49 percent, 41 percent from three).

With Fox’s superior speed, the improved shooting makes the second-year point guard a matchup nightmare. Matched up with Bryn Forbes and Patty Mills on Monday, Fox was too much to handle for the Spurs, who fell to 7-5.

Lakers ruin the Kings’ Saturday night, winning game in Sacramento 101-86

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LAL vs SAC

By Charlie O. Mallonee

SACRAMENTO — The Kings lost the second game of a back-to-back set to the Los Angeles Lakers 101-86 on Saturday night. The loss dropped the Kings record to 7-6 for the season. The Lakers improved to 6-6 for the year. The 15-point loss was the largest margin of defeat at home for Sacramento this season.

Charlie O has the wrap up of the game:

 

Kings head coach Dave Joerger was still proud of his team in the loss:

Team leader De’Aaron Fox was very subdued when talking with reporters after the game:

Frank Mason III quietly tried to explain his team’s performance in the game:

Marvin Bagley III had a calm and mature reaction to the loss:

Charlie O has the Lakers’ stats, which were not all that impressive:

Charlie O also has the Kings’ numbers and final thoughts:

Game notes:

  • The Lakers had a season-high 59 rebounds in the contest
  • LakeShow also had a season-high 17 offensive rebounds, which led to 17-second-chance points
  • The Kings are now 4-2 in back-to-back games
  • Willie Cauley-Stein posted his fifth double-double of the season with 12 points and 12 rebounds
  • After the game, the Kings announced that Harry Giles III has been assigned to the Stockton Kings of the G-League and will play with Stockton on Sunday. That really is not a surprise. The Kings have used their G-League team to get rookies playing time in the past when they have not been able to get significant minutes with the big club. This most certainly is a temporary assignment.

Kings bounce back with 121-110 win over the Timberwolves

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Photo credit: @SacramentoKings

By: Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The Sacramento Kings came into Friday night’s game coming off their fifth loss of the year. The Kings were beaten by the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday by a final of 114-105. On Friday, the Kings looked to get back on track and beat the Minnesota Timberwolves. Based on the standings, the Kings are were favored to win the game. Prior to Friday’s game, the Kings were 6-5 and the Timberwolves were 4-8. The tip-off was set for 7 pm PST in smokey California.

The first few minutes of the game did not go as planned for the Kings. The Kings had some open looks in the first few minutes but it proved fruitless. With nearly half of the minutes gone in the first, the Kings had only three points. The Kings were able to slip the script in the final minutes of the first. They were able to put an additional 26 points on the board to bring the game within two points. After the first, the Timberwolves led the Kings 31-29.

The second quarter would prove a little more even-keeled. Other than the fact that Karl-Anthony Towns went off, the quarter was relatively quiet for the Timberwolves. Towns put a monster 29 points on the board in the first half. The Kings, on the other hand, kept pace. Led by Willie Cauley-Stein and Iman Shumpert the Kings were able to make it a 63-61 Kings advantage after two quarters. Willie Cauley-Stein had 17 and Iman Shumpert had 12.

The third quarter was the Kings’ quarter. They have proven that so far this year and they did it again on Friday. Nemenja Bjelica contributed 10 points and led the Kings to a strong third. The Timberwolves managed to score 20 points but the Kings scored 29 to expand the lead. The third quarter finished 92-81 Kings up.

The Kings were 12 minutes away from a 7-5 record. The only question was if they could hold the lead. That was in jeopardy halfway through the fourth quarter. The Timberwolves had cut the lead to eight points and clearly had the momentum. So, with 5:55 remaining in the game, Dave Joerger called a timeout. The timeout didn’t appear to do much good. The Timberwolves scored six unanswered points to make it 106-108.

With the game on the line, the Kings put up a pair of defensive stops and were able to make baskets on the other end. With two minutes to play the Kings were up 115-106. From there, the game was the Timberwolves to lose and the Kings did the opposite. The Kings managed to hold things together and pull out a 121-110 win.

The Kings improved to 7-5 and the Timberwolves fell to 4-9.

Up Next: The LA Lakers come to town for the first time in the LeBron James era. Tip-off is set for Saturday night at 7 pm PST.

Kings unable to stop Leonard, Raptors in 114-105 loss

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Photo credit: @SacramentoKings

By: London Marq

If the NBA was known for having Cinderella, worst to first type stories, the Sacramento Kings would be the early season candidate. They have played with a breakneck pace through the first 10 games in the season, with a boastful record of 6-4. It’s a marathon, not a sprint. This early in the season it looks as the Sacramento Kings are moving towards no longer being a bottom-feeder in The Association.

In their first game back in the Golden 1 Center after a successful 3-1 road trip, where they defeated Miami, Orlando and Atlanta, Sacramento played host to the Toronto Raptors. The Raptors have been on a tear to start the season, entering play on Wednesday evening at 10-1.

The Kings started strong, behind a hot quarter from De’Aaron Fox, who scored 9, including one from behind the arc. Toronto’s star guard Kyle Lowry kept pace with Fox in the first 12 minutes, scoring 8 of his own. Despite leading by 8 at one point, the Kings found themselves on the short end as the quarter expired, 29-26.

The Kings, who have made it a habit to push the ball up and down the court with speed, found themselves slowed down be the fact that they were being muscled on the boards. Three players for Toronto had double-doubles, all with 10 rebounds or more. The Kings were outscored, in every quarter except the fourth. Kawhi Leonard led Raptors were arguably helped out by some scandalous calls by the referees, seemed liable to take the wind out of the Kings sails with a bad call or two whenever they were gaining momentum.

They Kings were able to hang around, and give themselves a chance, bur would be outmatched in the end as the had been in the beginning. The season is young and promising, and Kings players and fans have a lot be excited about, despite losing to a better Toronto team.

The Raptors defeated the Kings 114-105.

The Kings continue their homestand vs. the Timberwolves on Friday night at 7:00 pm PT.

Sportstalk podcast at Il Fornaio Ristorante in Downtown Sacramento on Monday, November 5, 2018

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photo of front entrance of Il FornaioRistorante in downtown Sacramento located at the Wells Fargo Center at 400 Capital Mall

Cast: Michael Duca (Host), Morris Phillips (Cal Bears reporter), Charlie O (Sacramento Kings reporter), Jeremy Harness (PGA reporter), Jeremiah Salmonson (Kings reporter), London Marq (Kings Sports Headlines analyst) and Lee Leonard (producer). Podcasting from the beautiful Il Fornaio Ristorante in the Bolongna room at 400 Capital Mall at fourth in downtown Sacramento. Our thanks to Il Fornaio’s General Manager Patrick Diegelman, Sous Chef Rommel, Bartender Frank, Shift Supervisor Ashley, Assistant Manager Isaura Rosas, and Manager Ryan Nicholson.

You can cater your next event here at Il Fornaio in downtown Sacramento offering pick up and delivery catering services. Call (916) 446-4100 catering reservations within the next 24 hours. For banquets, Il Fornaio offers elegant and semi-private dining spaces with a wide range of specialized memos and services to match our authentic award winning Italian Cuisine for catering call 916-446-4139.

The topic on the show is the recent success of the Sacramento Kings, who are in second place and headed for first place, coming off their first victory in Atlanta since 2006 and added to their win streak at five straight. The streak ended on Sunday night against the Milwaukee Bucks who snapped their seven game win streak to the Boston Celtics.  The Kings have been getting great help from De’Aaron Fox and Marvin Bagley III. Both have been able to run something the Kings didn’t see anything like this last season. Fox is expected to be the franchise player. Fox was the difference maker when he was at Kentucky. He wasn’t the three-point king, but he can handle the pick and roll just fine.

The Kings’ Willie Cauley-Stein has been great on defense, defending against the shot and getting some good defensive rebounds underneath, Buddy Hield has been the go-to on three-pointers during this successful run. Nemanja Bjelica has been able to get room on the floor to help on offense and great offensive assisting. Harry Giles and Skal Labissiere have not been getting very many minutes. Bogdan Bogdanovic has been recovering just fine from last season’s injury and head coach Dave Joerger has been resetting the plays and now may have found the right combination to move the Kings from their predicted 30th place finish to having a contending season. Although it’s too early to tell, but what a surprising turn around it’s been.

Kings’ winning streak comes to an end in “Brew City”: Bucks beat the Kings 144-109

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Bucks Kings 5

By Charlie O. Mallonee

There are three tiers of teams in the NBA. Tier One is comprised of teams that are shoo-ins for the playoffs and one of those teams will eventually be the NBA Champion. Tier Two is made up teams that will make slots 6-8 in the playoffs and teams that will “just miss the playoffs by a game or two.” Tier Three is populated by teams that will participate in next year’s Draft Lottery without a doubt.

On Sunday in Milwaukee, the Kings faced an Eastern Conference Tier One team in the Bucks. The Kings are trying to become a Western Conference Tier Two team and are off to a good start having won five games in a row.

The Bucks did not take the Kings lightly
The Kings jumped out to an early 14-7 lead, but the Bucks were not going to have it. With 6:03 remaining in the first quarter, Milwaukee took a 17-15 lead and they would never trail again in the contest.

At the end of the first quarter, Milwaukee held a 39-30 lead. The Kings would not win a quarter in the game.

The Kings simply ran into a team with more talent than they have on Sunday. That is going often this season. This edition of the Sacramento Kings (6-4) is more talented than they have been in many seasons. They are fast, enthusiastic and positive. All indications are that this will be a very enjoyable season, but the Kings are still a Tier Three team that is trying to make the jump into Tier Two.

Kings have a surprise leading scorer
Justin Jackson came off the bench to score 22 points in just under 25 minutes of playing time on Sunday. Jackson who has been having trouble shooting from the floor shot 9-for-12 overall for the game. He made 4-of-7 from 3-point land. The Kings have been struggling at small forward and Jackson’s performance versus the Bucks had to make coach Dave Joerger very happy.

 

Top SAC performers

  • Buddy Hield: 19 points, 4 rebounds, 8-for-15 shooting (2/5 3-pointers)
  • De’Aaron Fox: 15 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, 6-for-14 shooting
  • Two-way player Troy Williams: 11 points in 15-plus minutes on the floor
  • Marvin Bagley III: 11 points, 6 rebounds, 1 blocked shot
  • Also seen on the floor for Sacramento: Harry Giles III (4 points) and Skal Labissiere (2 points)

Kings Team Numbers

  • Field Goal Shooting: 44.2% (42/95)
  • 3-pt Shooting: 38.9% (14/36)
  • Free Throw Shooting: 50.0% (11/22)
  • Rebounds: 44 (8 offense)
  • Assists: 24
  • Turnovers: 15 (21 points)
  • Steals: 6
  • Blocked Shots: 4

Key Milwaukee (8-1) Performances

  • “The Greek Freak” Antetokounmpo: Triple-double: 26 pts/15 reb/11 ast
  • Eric Bledsoe: 17 points, 6 rebounds
  • Ersan IIyasova: 15 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists
  • Nine players in double-figures
  • 56 team rebounds
  • 30 assists
  • 7 blocked shots
  • 6 steals

It’s back home for the Kings
The Kings returned to Sacramento after the game and will be off until Wednesday night when they will host the powerful Toronto Raptors (8-1) at the Golden 1 Center. The Kings next four games will be played on their home court.