Kings win 104-101 in Memphis to stay alive in the playoff race

Kings win in Memphis @NBC CA

by Charlie O. Mallonee @Espn1320

The Sacramento Kings were written off for dead just weeks ago. Marvin Bagley III has been sidelined with a midfoot sprain, and there is no timetable for his return. Richaun Holmes – who had been playing at a high level filling in for Bagley – has been out due to a shoulder injury, and there is no estimate for his return to the lineup.

Luke Walton felt he had to shake up his starting lineup in order to generate more offense. Buddy Hield was sent to the bench to become the sixth man and Bogdan Bogdanovic became a starter. To everyone’s amazement, that move worked and has paid big dividends.

The Kings also unloaded two expensive players that were not producing the way they had hoped. Trevor Ariza plus two other players were sent to Portland in exchange for Kent Bazemore and Anthony Tolliver. Bazemore had played for Luke Walton in Los Angeles and the coach had high hopes for him. Bazemore has been a productive addition coming off the bench for Sacramento.

Dewayne Dedmon – who had requested a trade – was shipped out to Atlanta for Jabri Parker and Alex Len. Parker is still working his way back from injury, but Len is starting to have an impact in the middle for SAC.

Just when it looked like the Kings had gone into a “wait until next year mode” – the team has surprised everyone by becoming a contender for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

A Big Win on Friday night

Nine days ago, the Kings beat the Memphis Grizzlies 129-125 in Sacramento. That win made everyone who covers the Kings feel like there was a glimmer of hope for Sacramento in the playoff picture. Everyone was afraid to say anything because the Kings have let the fans down so many times in the past.

Sacramento began a four-game road trip after that victory over the Grizzlies. The Kings won games in LA against the Clippers. They beat the Warriors in San Francisco. SAC came close to beating OKC on their homecourt.

The game on Friday night was the back end of a back-to-back set on the road – the toughest game for a road team to win. Memphis is desperately trying to hold on to the eighth and final playoff slot in the West. The odds were definitely against the Kings.

Game flow

The Grizzlies came out of the chute strong, and it looked like the Kings were in real trouble as they trailed 30-21 at the end of the first quarter.

Sacramento was able to shake off the cobwebs in the second period and began to dominate the game. They outscored Memphis 29-17 in the second. As the teams went to the locker rooms at halftime, the Kings held a 50-47 lead over the Grizzlies.

The Kings played well in the third quarter outscoring the Grizzlies 31-28 to take an 81-75 lead into the final 12 minutes.

Luke Walton always talks about how NBA games get close in the final six minutes of the game. Friday night was no different. The Grizzlies cut the Kings lead to just one point with 10.9 seconds to go in the game. Buddy Hield hit two key free throws to give Sacramento a three-point lead and the 104-101 win.

The Playoff Race get tighter

The Grizzlies have now lost five consecutive games and now have four teams breathing down their necks for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

The Kings record is now 25-34, and they are just three games out of the eighth and final playoff slot.

Kings top performers

De’Aaron Fox – who sat out the game in OKC with an abdominal strain – led the Kings scoring attack with 25 points and he added five assists.

Nemanja Bjelica was Sacramento’s top rebounder with 11 and made it a double-double game by scoring 13 points.

Harry Giles III had a huge game putting up 16 points and grabbing five rebounds.

Up next

The Kings return home to host the Detroit Pistons on Sunday at 3 PM.

 

Kings end their road trip with a 121-109 win in Atlanta

Graphic: @SacramentoKings

By Charlie O. Mallonee

There are three things you need to remember about the Kings victory over the Hawks on Friday night:

1. Sacramento just finished a three-game road swing to the Eastern time zone and finished with a 2-1 record. That is something this team – that experienced a “stutter-start” to the 2019-20 season – can build on to turn fortunes around quickly.
2. The Kings reached the 3 wins mark before the Golden State Warriors (2-7).
3. Harry Giles III returned to action for the first time this season and H20 could play a key role for the Kings while they wait for Marvin Bagley III to heal.

It was a “nail-biter” in the 4th quarter

The Kings dominated the first half. They held a 63-47 lead at halftime, but no one thought that the Hawks would just roll over and play dead in the second half.

Atlanta served notice in the third period that they still thought that they could win the game by outscoring the Kings 36-28. Trae Young led the charge for the Hawks scoring 16 points and dishing out four assists. Young was on fire and the rest of his team followed his lead. Sacramento held a 91-83 lead after 36 minutes of play.

The Hawks continued their assault until they cut the Kings lead down to just one point with 9:03 left to play in the game. Bogdan Bogdanovic turned it around for SAC. “Bogi” hit a 26-foot, 3-point jump shot to give the Kings a 4-point lead and the momentum that had them build up a lead as large as 18 points down the stretch.

The Kings won the 4th quarter 30-26 with Bogdanovic scoring 11 points for Sacramento. The Kings went 7-for-9 from 3-point range and were a perfect 5-for-5 from the free throw line in the final period. That is how games are won.

Let’s hear for the SAC bench

The Sacramento starting five scored 70 points on Friday night. The Atlanta starters also scored 70 points. The difference in this game was the scoring of the players off the bench.

The Kings bench outscored the Hawks second unit 51-39. The Kings used five players off their bench:

• Bogdan Bogdanovic scored 20 points hitting 6 of his 9 shots from the floor. Five of his field goals were 3-point baskets.
• Trevor Ariza was also on fire from behind the arc. He went 5-for-7 from the field and four of his buckets were 3-pointers.
• Harry Giles III played just over seven minutes, but the important thing is that he played. Giles scored four points, grabbed a rebound and had one block shot. You could see the enthusiasm on his face at being able to be on the court and in the middle of the action.

The Hawks (3-5) are young and dangerous 

The Hawks may well be where the Kings were two years ago. They are amassing talent and preparing to build a team that will be a force for five to seven seasons to come. Their current stars are:

• Trae Young who scored a game-high 30 points and made it a double-double night by dishing out 12 “dimes”. He is the real deal.
• Jabari Parker – who is in his first year with the Hawks – scored 25 points and added eight rebounds.
• Kevin Huerter was the key man off the bench for Atlanta by putting up 17 points in almost 30 minutes on the floor.

Up next

The Kings have a nice break as they will be off until Tuesday night when they will host the Portland Trail Blazers.

The Hawks will hit the road and will face the Trail Blazers in Portland on Sunday night.

Kings crush the Bulls 129-102 on St. Patty’s Day

Bagley shoots over Lopez Photo: Charlie O. Mallonee

by Charlie O. Mallonee

The Sacramento Kings broke up a three-game losing streak on Sunday by devouring the hapless Chicago Bulls 129-102 before a delighted sellout crowd at the Golden 1 Center. After returning home from a very disappointing four-game road trip that saw the team pick up just one victory, the young Kings were in need of something to put a smile back on their faces. There were plenty of smiles after the game on St. Patrick’s Day.

Kings head coach Dave Joerger said, “… they do work so hard, it’s fun to see them get the result that does make them feel good.”

The teams played a tough first quarter that saw seven lead changes and four ties. It appeared that the Bulls had arrived ready to put up a fight on Sunday.

Sacramento was trailing 23-21 with 6.7-seconds to go in the first quarter. Bogdan Bogdanovic brought the ball up the court while watching the clock, took a step back behind the 3-point line, and sank a 26-foot shot to give the Kings a 24-23 lead at the end of the first period.

The Kings would never trail in the game again.

The bigs crash the boards Photo: Charlie O. Mallonee

Why did the Kings win?

1. Sacramento was ready for a win, and they came out willing to work for it. Dave Joerger revealed after the game that their plan was to work the for a shot in the paint early in the possession (four to six seconds) then start looking for open shots outside if layups were not available. The Kings outscored the Bulls 80-56 in the paint.
2. The Kings shot the basketball very well in the contest. They shot 52.4-percent (54/103) overall and 34.8-percent (8/23) from 3-point land. They also converted 13-of-16 (81.2%) or their free throw attempts. Poor free throw shooting had hurt them on the road trip.
3. The Kings also banged on the boards. Sacramento out-rebounded Chicago 48-39. They also outdid their opponent on the offensive glass 15-10. The Kings scored 23 2nd chance points to 15 for the Bulls.
4. Sacramento continued to take very good care of the basketball as they turned it over just 12 times (13 CHI points) while the Bulls turned it over 20 times (25 SAC points).

Top Performances

Bogi challenges Lopez Photo: Charlie O. Mallonee

Kings

• Marvin Bagley III played an amazing 21-minutes of basketball (we believe the minutes restriction from his knee injury is still in place). He scored a game-high 21-points by shooting 9-for-14 from the field and going a perfect 3-for-3 from the charity stripe. MB35 also grabbed nine rebounds and dished out two assists.
• The other young big – Harry Giles III – also played 21-minutes. H20 scored 16 points while shooting 8-for-14 in the contest. He also hauled in six rebounds, added three assists and blocked three shots.
• And those other guys: De’Aaron Fox scored 17 points, Buddy Hield, 16, Harrison Barnes 15, Willey Cauley-Stein 9, Bjelica 8, and Bogdanovic 8.
• All 13 players on the active roster saw playing in the game on Sunday.

Chicago

• Zach LaVine was the leading scorer for the Bulls with 18 points. You may remember that Kings tried to get LaVine in the off-season, but the Bulls matched the Sacramento offer to keep talented guard in Chicago.
• The real star for the Bulls is “tankathon”. Chicago is 19-52 on the season and their real goal is to finish with the best chance to get the number one pick in the NBA Draft Lottery in June. Right now, they have the fourth worst record in the league and have a 12.5-percent chance in Zion Williamson sweepstakes. It is tough to be too motivated when you know your team’s goal is to be “the biggest loser”.

Import Milestone

The Kings record improved to 34-35 after the win on Sunday. That is most wins for Sacramento since back in 2007-08 when the team won 38 games. The prognosticators at FiveThirtyEight.com predict that the Kings will win 39 games this season.

Bjelica hits the corner three Photo: Charlie O. Mallonee

Up Next

The Kings are off until Tuesday night when they will face the much improved and playoff-bound Brooklyn Nets at the Golden 1 Center.

Chicago traveled to Phoenix after the game and will play the pesky Suns on Monday night.

No brotherly love in Philly: Sixers beat the Kings 123-114 on Friday night

Photo/Graphic: @NBCS

by Charlie O. Mallonee

The road to the NBA Playoffs just became a long, uphill battle for the Sacramento Kings after they lost to the Philadelphia 76ers 123-114 on Friday night to wrap up a four-game road trip. The Kings will return home having won just one of those four games. At a bare minimum, Sacramento needed to go 2-2 on the trip.

Sacramento is now two games under .500 with a record of 33-35. The team is 3-7 over their last 10 and has lost three consecutive games. The Kings are mired in ninth-place in the Western Conference 6.0 games behind the LA Clippers and Utah Jazz who are tied for seventh-place. With just 14 games remaining in the season, time is running out for the Kings unless they can go on an incredible multiple game winning streak.

The Kings played better basketball on Friday than they did on Thursday night in Boston. They improved their performances from the free throw line and from behind the 3-point line. Sacramento took care of the ball turning it over just nine times.

It is not often that a team improves its play in the second game of a back-to-back set on the road.

Why did the Kings lose?

Photo: @NBCS

1. They played a better team. The Philadelphia 76ers are a talented team that should go deep into the Eastern Conference Playoffs. All five of the Sixers starters scored in double figures with Ben Simmons being the low scorer with 18 points.
2. The Sixers shot 50.5-percent from the field. It is very difficult to win when your opponent shoots over 50-percent for the contest.
3. Philadelphia won the battle at the free throw line converting 24-of-27 (88.9%) opportunities. It does need to be noted that the Kings dramatically improved their free throw shooting performance over Thursday night by sinking 19-of-24 (79.2%) of their chances from the charity stripe.

Kings top performers

• Marvin Bagley III was not the Kings leading scorer, but he did score 15 points in just over 20 minutes of playing time. His playing time is being limited after missing five games from suffering a knee sprain. Dave Joerger said after the game that he hated to take him out, but he knows there is no reason to risk rushing MB35 back into longer minutes.
• Harrison Barnes continues to show why the Kings would like him to exercise his player option on his 2019-20 contract or request to talk to management about long-term options. Barnes recorded 16 points, six rebounds and three assists versus the Sixers.
• Harry Giles III put up 12 points in just over 18 minutes on the floor. H20 shot 6-for-9 from the field and pulled down four rebounds. He also dished out four assists.
• Other contributors: De’Aaron Fox 16 points, Buddy Hield 14, Willie Cauley-Stein 13 points and seven rebounds.

Philadelphia performers

Photo: @NBCS

• Jimmy Butler was the leading scorer in the game with 22 points. He also added seven assists and six rebounds.
• Joel Embiid put a double-double in the book scoring 21 points and grabbing 17 rebounds. He is just a force on the defensive glass.
• Tobias Harris continues to show why the Sixers made a trade to get him as he scored 19, made seven rebounds and distributed four assists.
• JJ Redick put 19 up on the board. Redick went 4-for-9 from downtown.

Up next

The Kings traveled back to Sacramento after the game and will have Saturday off. Sacramento returns to action on Sunday at 3:00 PM when they will host the Chicago Bulls at the Golden 1 Center.

The Sixers head out on the road and will have to face the “Greek Freak” and company in Milwaukee on Sunday afternoon.

 

The Kings pull one out of the fire as they beat the Heat 102-96 on Friday night

DWade’s last game in Sac included a jersey exchange Photo: @SacramentoKings

by Charlie O. Mallonee

Kings head coach Dave Joerger summarized the game on Friday night with one word — discombobulated! With two new players in the rotation and two key players traded to other teams, getting into sync was difficult for the Kings on Friday night.

Sacramento took their first lead of the contest with 1:21 to go in the game. Buddy Hield converted the second of two free throw opportunities to give his team a 97-96 lead. The Kings scored the final six points of the game to make the final score 102-96 to give them their 29th victory of the season.

Both teams had shooting and turnover problems

The Kings struggled early in the with their shooting. In the first period, they shot just 24.0-percent (6/25) overall and hit just 2-of-7 (28.6%) of their 3-point field goals. Sacramento also turned the ball over five times.

The Kings’ shooting percentage improved from there. Although it never was spectacular– 41.1–percent for the game. They cut down on the turnovers, finishing with 14 that resulted in 11 Miami points.

Miami’s poorest shooting streak came in the fourth quarter. The Heat shot just 25-percent (6/24) from the floor and hit just 1-of-9 (11.1%) from downtown. They turned the ball over six times in the final period that became nine Sacramento points.

The Heat shot 43.2-percent for the game and recorded 20 turnovers (22 SAC points). Those turnovers led to their demise.

Dave Joerger was happy to come away with a win

Dave Joerger was happy that #SacramentoProud beat the #MiamiHEAT 102-96 but called it a discombobulated game! It took a while for the #SacramentoKings to get into gear but then they managed to go on a 19-2 run at the end of the game to earn the W. #HeatNation #NBA pic.twitter.com/ZUTRSjKUpg

— Charlie O Mallonee (@Charlieo1320) February 9, 2019

Harrison Barnes who just joined the Kings made his first start on Friday night

Barnes who was traded to the Kings from the Dallas Mavericks started in his first game in a Sacramento uniform. The veteran forward scored 12 points, grabbed seven rebounds, and dished out two assists in just over 36 minutes of playing time. Barnes went 2-for-4 from 3-point distance and was a perfect 4-for-4 at the free throw line.

Harrison Barnes put on a new uni & stepped into the #SacramentoProud starting lineup. Barnes scored 12 pts & grabbed 7 reb in 36-plus min on the floor. He was happy to get win over the #MiamiHEAT 102-96 Fri night. #SacramentoKings #HeatNation #NBA pic.twitter.com/OnW6C1A4sy

— Charlie O Mallonee (@Charlieo1320) February 9, 2019

Buddy Hield had an important night on the floor and in the huddles

Buddy Hield posted a game-high 23 points in the Kings winning effort. He hit 8-of-16 shots overall and went 4-for-9 from behind the 3-point arc. Hield converted 3-of-4 opportunities at the free throw line.

Coach Joerger said the man who kept #SacramentoProud going in the huddles was #BuddyBuckets. Hield scored a game-high 23 pts with 7 dropping in the crucial 4th qtr. There is no doubt that Hield is ready to be the leader during this time of transition. #SacramentoKings #NBA pic.twitter.com/MLD5Pji6pl

— Charlie O Mallonee (@Charlieo1320) February 9, 2019

Other Kings contributors

Kings celebrate the win over the Heat Photo: @SacramentoKings

• Bogdan Bogdanovic scored 16 points, hauled in five rebounds, made four assists and added two assists.
• De’Aaron Fox added 12 points, four steals, and three assists.
• Harry Giles III was very productive in his 16-plus minutes of playing time. He booked 10 points, three rebounds, and one steal.
• Coach Joerger was quick to point out that Willie Cauley-Stein had a very strong game on defense to go with his seven points, seven rebounds, and three blocked shots.
• Newcomer Alec Burks recorded nine points in just over 14-minutes on the floor. He also had four rebounds, one assist, and one steal.

More Sacramento Team Stats

• The Kings had a good night at the charity stripe as they hit 19-of-25 (76%) opportunities. Both the number of attempts and conversion percentage showed improvement.
• The Kings were outrebounded 49-46.
• SAC distributed 18 assists and turned the ball over 14 times.
• The team had a total of 11 steals and five blocked shots.
• The Heat outscored the Kings 50-48 in the paint.
• The Kings won the battle of 2nd Chance Points 17-6.
• Sacramento also won with speed scoring 19 Fast Break Points to 8 for Miami.

The best performances by the Heat

• Josh Richardson scored a team-high 21 points to go with four assists and three blocked shots.
• Hassan Whiteside was especially productive scoring in the first half and scored 17 points to with 19 rebounds in the game.
• Dwyane Wade overcame a nasty fall in the first quarter to go on and score 15 points and dish out four assists in his final appearance in Sacramento.

Up next

The Kings (29-26) will have Saturday off – no practice. They will return to action on Sunday afternoon when the Phoenix “Tankers” — I mean Suns — come to Sacramento to wrap up the longest homestand of the season.

The Heat (25-28) have a date with Golden State Warriors on Sunday.

The Kings feast on some home cooking as they crush the Hawks 135-113

By Charlie O. Mallonee

The Sacramento Kings returned to their home court on Wednesday night after going 2-6 on their longest road trip of the season. The team was in need of a rowdy home crowd and a big win.

Things started off rough

The Atlanta Hawks entered the game with a 16-33 record, but they did not start the game like a team that is in 12th place in the Eastern Conference. The Hawks opened up a 20-10 lead at the 6:36 mark in the first quarter as they were shooting near 70%. It appeared that the Kings were going to be in for a real fight as they opened their longest homestand of the season.

The Kings second unit stepped on the court and put some life into the game. By the time the buzzer sounded at the end of the first 12 minutes, Sacramento held a 32-31 lead.

The Kings made a statement in the second quarter

The Kings decided not to lift their foot off the accelerator in the second quarter. The team came out kept the pace fast and continued to score at will. They outscored the Hawks 35-22 in the quarter.

Sacramento outscored Atlanta 24-4 in the paint. They scored eight second chance points to none for the visitors. The Kings won the battle of fast break points 7-0.

Marvin Bagley III led the Kings scoring with nine points while Yogi Ferrell added seven. Hawks rookie Trae Young pace his team with 11 points.

At the half, Sacramento held a 67-53 lead over Atlanta.

The Kings poured it on in the third

I’m Harry Giles – get out of my way! Photo: @SacramentoKings

Sacramento smelled the victory and decided to put the game away in the third quarter. Harry Giles III led the way for the Kings as he scored 12 points in just over 10 minutes on the floor. Giles went a perfect 6-for-6 shooting in the period.

Bogdan Bogdanovic scored 10 points in just under eight minutes of playing time. “Bogi” hit 3-of-5 shots including one 3-pointer. He also went a perfect 3-for-3 from the free throw line to go along with his three assists.

The Kings outscored the Hawks 38 to 27 in the period and led the game 105-80 after 36 minutes of play.

The fourth quarter was “garbage” time

That is really not a fair description of the final 12 minutes because there were players who received an opportunity to play that have not had the chance to see the court for a while. All 13 active players on both benches saw playing time in this game.

When the final buzzer sounded, the Kings had won the game 135-113. Sacramento is now 26-25 on the season and is tied for ninth place in the Western Conference with the Lakers just two games out the eighth and final playoff spot.

Atlanta now has a record of 16-24 and is eight games out of the playoff race in the Eastern Conference.

Kings Top Performances

Buddy Hield scored 18 points Photo: @SacramentoKings

• Harry Giles III scored a team-high and a career-high 20 points in the game. He shot an impressive 10-for-12 in the game and added seven rebounds.
• Marvin Bagley III had a double-double game scoring 17 points off the bench to go with 12 rebounds (five offensive rebounds).
• Buddy Hield put 18 points in the book. He went 6-for-11 shooting, including going 4-for-8 from behind the 3-point line.
• Bogdan Bogdanovic recorded 16 points and added seven assists.

Atlanta leaders

Could Linsanity come to SAC? Photo: @ATLHawks

• Rookie Trae Young scored a game-high 23 points and dished out eight assists.
• John Collins put up 14 points and pulled down seven rebounds.
• Alex Len scored 13 points off the bench hitting 6-of-10 shots.
• Jeremy Lin, who has been mentioned as a possible trade target for the Kings, scored 11 points.

Key numbers

• Points in the Paint: Kings 76, Hawks 40
• Second Chance Points: SAC 19, ATL 8
• Fast Break Points: Kings 25, Hawks 8
• Biggest lead: Sacramento 29, Atlanta 10

Up Next

The Kings will be back in action on Saturday night when they will host the Philadelphia 76ers at the Golden 1 Center. Philly is 33-18 on the season and currently is in third place in the Eastern Conference.

The Hawks travel to Utah and will play the Jazz on Friday night.

Kings fall to Jazz 133-112 on Sunday night in SAC

By Charlie O. Mallonee

The Sacramento Kings faced a major uphill battle on Sunday night at the Golden 1 Center. They had played their butts off in Oakland on Saturday night only to lose to the Golden State Warriors 117-116 with less than one second remaining in the game.

The team then had to travel home and get ready for a 5 PM game on Sunday against the Utah Jazz. Let’s change that to the very angry Utah Jazz.

Sacramento had played the Jazz in Salt Lake City last Wednesday and embarrassed the Utah squad in front of their home fans by handing them a 119-110 loss. You must remember that the Jazz were a playoff team last season and to be beaten at home by a bunch of upstarts like the Kings is something that is not supposed to happen in the NBA.

The Jazz entered the contest with revenge on their minds.

Back-to-back games
NBA teams hate back-to-back games because they often spell disaster for them. The games on Saturday and Sunday were the Kings fifth back-to-back set of the season. They were 4-5 in those games coming in the contest with the Jazz. They had swept one series, split two series and been swept once.

The Kings needed to win on Sunday night to prevent being swept in a back-to-back series for the second time this season. They lost to the Jazz 133-112 and have now been swept twice in a back-to-back series.

Kings could not take advantage of a break
The Kings (10-10) knew before the start of the game that Utah’s star guard Donovan Mitchell would not be in uniform on Sunday. Mitchell who averages 20.6 points per game is usually the “heart and soul” of the Jazz offense. His absence did not guarantee the Kings a win, but it should have given them an advantage to exploit. They were unable to do so.

Coach Dave Joerger even warned the media before the game that Utah had a deep bench that was very capable of making up for Mitchell not being in the lineup. He was correct.

Things started well for SAC
The Kings jumped out to a 7-0 lead but things went downhill from there. Coach Dave Joerger did not mince words about what he saw from his team.

Coach Dave Joerger was very straightforward about the #SacramentoProud 133-112 loss to #UtahJazz on Sun. #TakeNote was bigger & more physical. We – #SacramentoKings – over-dribbled the ball. #SacKings #SACTOWN #UTAatSAC #NBA #KAHISPORTS pic.twitter.com/QKeWxukrAe

— Sports Radio Service (@SportsRadioSrvc) November 26, 2018

• The Jazz outscored the Kings in the paint 66-52
• Utah scored 17 second Chance Points to Sacramento’s 9
• The Kings did win the battle of fastbreak points 13-12
• The Jazz shot 53.3% (49/52) for the game while the Kings shot 47.1% (40/85)
• UTA out-rebounded SAC 49-36
• The Jazz dished out 30 assists while committing 19 turnovers (23 Kings points)
• The Kings recorded 20 assists and turned it over 17 times (23 Utah points)

De’Aaron Fox on the loss to the Jazz

We just didn’t have it – we didn’t bring it today. That’s How De’Aaron Fox analyzed #SacramentoProud performance vs #UTAatSAC on Sun. This member of the #SacramentoKings was not happy about the loss. #TakeNote #SacKings ##NBA pic.twitter.com/lvvzWaAHed

— Sports Radio Service (@SportsRadioSrvc) November 26, 2018

• Kings high scorer was Bogdan Bogdanovic with 20 points in his first start of the season
• De’Aaron Fox scored 13 points while dishing out 3 assists and adding 3 steals

Rookie Marvin Bagley owned the fact that team was sluggish after playing so hard on Saturday night vs GSW. #SacramentoProud #SacramentoKings #SacKings #UtahJazz #TakeNote pic.twitter.com/Vx27XpPcGC

— Sports Radio Service (@SportsRadioSrvc) November 26, 2018

• Marvin Bagley III scored 18 points and grabbed 6 rebounds
• Harry Giles III put up 10 points, hauled in 8 rebounds and added 6 assists in just under 20 minutes of playing time

Utah Jazz leaders

• Ricky Rubio was the Jazz unlikely leading scorer. The point guard hardly ever shoots yet on Sunday he shot 11-for-16 from the floor and went 2-for-3 from behind the 3-point arc. He scored 27 points while distributing 5 assists and adding 7 rebounds.
• Rudy Gobert posted a double-double with 18 points and 15 rebounds. This was his 18th double-double of the season
• Joe Ingles was quiet for much of the game and then suddenly had 18 points

Up next

• The Jazz (9-11) will be back in action on Monday night when they host the Pacers in Salt Lake City
• The Kings are off until Thursday night when they will welcome Clippers to the Golden 1 Center
• The Jazz and Kings will meet one more time this season in SLC on April 5, 2019

California Classic tips off in SAC Monday night featuring Kings, Warriors, Lakers and Heat

Graphic: @SacramentoKings

by Charlie O. Mallonee

Sacramento — The inaugural California Classic NBA basketball showcase began play on Monday night at the Golden 1 Center. The six-game classic is an opportunity for the four teams to prepare for the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.

Breaking news almost overshadowed the games

DeMarcus Cousins is now a Warrior

As the Warriors and Heat were preparing for the first game of the evening’s doubleheader, news broke that former Sacramento Kings star and current free agent DeMarcus “Boogie” Cousins had signed a one-year, $5.3-million contract with the Golden State Warriors.

There was a definite buzz that came over the arena as news of the signing spread among the fans. Leave it to “Boogie” to try and steal the Kings thunder.

The good news — it did not take long for the fans to forget about Cousins and start concentrating on basketball.

Kings two “Dukies” made their debut in front of the hometown crowd

Bagley III and Giles III getting ready for the California Classic Photo: @SacramentoKings

The Kings number one draft pick (number two overall) Marvin Bagley III was one of the starting forwards versus the Lakers in the second game on Monday night. He was joined on the front line by center and former Duke player Harry Giles III. Giles was “redshirted” last season while he completed bi-lateral rehabilitation.

The number two lottery selection in the NBA Draft is expected to be an immediate impact player, so the near-sellout crowd was ready to Bagley perform right from the opening tip. The word about Giles and his performance in workouts was so positive that many fans could not wait to see him in actual competition.

The two former Blue Devils did not disappoint.

Bagley III scored his first points at 6:58 in the first quarter when he hit a seven-foot fadeaway shot. Giles III got into the act 24-seconds later when he finished a fastbreak with a layup off an assist from Frank Mason. Giles started the fastbreak opportunity when blocked a 3-point shot attempt by Moritz Wagner.

Not to be outdone, Bagley III came back seconds later with a monster dunk on a fastbreak of his own. About a minute later, Bagley would sink a 26-foot 3-point shot. Yes, the big home crowd was going wild.

Frankly, my focus for the majority of the game was on Bagley III and Giles III. We had not had a chance to see the two players in action and this was a chance to really focus on their skills.

What did we learn about Harry Giles III?

First, Harry Giles III is a very tough, physical player. After being out for an entire season, there was a possibility he could have been a bit cautious getting back into action. The exact opposite happened. Giles looked like a man who was hungry to get into action and mix it up.

Giles III played physical with and without the ball. He left no doubt that he was on the floor for any Laker that had to play against him on Monday night. Giles III committed six personal fouls (players get 10 this time of year) in the game and some of them were very physical.

Giles III scored 13 points shooting 6-for-10 from the floor. He hit 1-of-2 3-point shots. Even though he played a very physical game, Giles III did not go to the free throw line once in 25-minutes of playing time. He grabbed three rebounds, had one steal and one blocked shot.

It was a nice professional debut for Mr. Giles III.

That’s one happy Harry Giles III #HGizzle1 after playing in his 1st game for #SacramentoProud! He not only played- he helped lead #SacramentoKings to a win over #Lakers 98-93. Giles scored 13 pts. #TheFutureIsNow #NBASummerLeague pic.twitter.com/Lti1JP18m1

— Sports Radio Service (@SportsRadioSrvc) July 3, 2018

Marvin Bagley III is going to be a tough guy on the court

The Kings top draft choice made his presence known early in the game. He is not shy. Bagley III is into the game and very demonstrative about it. He is very active on the floor and does not appear to have any fear about mixing it up with opposing players.

At one point in the game, Bagley III made a move to the basket leading with his right shoulder. He did not make the shot but did go to the line to shoot free throws. The defender was left clutching his chest in pain after taking “the bump” to clear him out before Bagley III made his move to the hoop.

Bagley III posted 18 points in just under 26 minutes on the floor. He shot 6-for-11 overall and hit 1-of-2 from downtown. Bagley — who has not been know as a great free throw shooter — went 5-for-6 from the charity stripe. He also hauled in six rebounds and blocked three shots.

In his first professional game, Marvin Bagley III performed as advertised, and that is a good thing.

The #SacramentoKings #1 #NBADraft pick Marvin Bagley III played his 1st pro game Mon night helping #SacramentoProud beat #Lakers 98-93. #MB3FIVE scored 18p/6r/3blks. MB3 lived up to his billing in this game. The big crowd loved it! #NBASummerLeague #CaliforniaClassic pic.twitter.com/zFfEcRp9zf

— Sports Radio Service (@SportsRadioSrvc) July 3, 2018

Oh by the way … the Kings won the game

The Lakers can only watch as the Kings put the ball through the twine Photo: Charlie O. Mallonee

The Kings beat the Lakers 98-93 on Monday night. It is important to remember that the rosters of these teams are made up of first-year players, rookies, G-League players and undrafted free agents. These are young players that the teams want to get experience plus players they may be considering for “two-way” contracts or for their G-League teams.

De’Aaron Fox — who will not play in the Las Vegas Tournament — was the leading scorer for Sacramento. He recorded 23 points, had eight rebounds, dished out six assists and made three steals. Fox shot 9-for-15 from the field but went just 1-for-6 from long-range. He went to the free throw line six times and converted five of those opportunities.

Frank Mason also had a very good game for SAC scoring 16 points. He hit 4-of-7 shooting and sank 2-of-3 from 3-point range. Mason also took advantage of the free throw line dropping in 6-of-7 shots from the line.

The Lakers were led by Moritz Wagner and Josh Hart who each scored 23 points in the contest. Svi Mykhalliuk added 15 points of his own.

This contest also featured two technical fouls charged to the Lakers. A Flagrant 1 Foul charged to Frank Mason and an ejection to one of the Lakers leading scorers — John Hart.

These young players have a great deal on the line, so they are willing to play with reckless abandon.

Golden State vs. Miami

The Warriors Damian Jones grabs one of his six rebounds Photo: Charlie O. Mallonee

The Heat and the Warriors played in the first game of the doubleheader on Monday night. Golden State won the game 79-68. Kendrick Nunn led the Warriors scoring attack with 19 points to go along with 11 rebounds. Derrick Jones, Jr. was the leading scorer for the Heat and the game. He also recorded a double-double posting 24 points and 11 rebounds.

The schedule for Tuesday night

The Lakers and Heat will faceoff at 6:00 PM. The Warriors and the Kings will meet in the nightcap will tip-off at approximately 8:00 PM.