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.

Sportstalk podcast from Il Fornaio Ristorante in downtown Sacramento on Monday, September 23, 2019

Photo credit: ilfornaio.com

Cast: Charlie O Mallonee (host and Oakland A’s beat writer), Jeremiah Salmonson (Sacramento Kings reporter), Morris Phillips (Cal Bears reporter), Tony the Tiger Hayes (SF Giants columnist), London Marq (San Jose Earthquakes & Sac Kings reporter), Jeremy Harness (PGA Golf reporter), and Lee Leonard (Producer).

Podcasting from the wonderful and tasteful Il Fornaio Restorante at the Wells Fargo Center on 400 Capital Mall in downtown Sacramento. Our thanks to our host, General Manager Don McNerney, and the wonderful staff at Il Fornaio. You can cater your next event here at Il Fornaio in downtown Sacramento offering pickup 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.

On the Sportstalk discussion, the Sacramento Kings’ Luke Walton is looking for Bogdan Bogdanovic and Buddy Hield, who are both vying for minutes on the floor. Walton says both players compliment each other well. Hield had led the Kings with 20.7 points, five rebounds, 2.5 assists, and shot 42.7 from three-point land. Bogdanovic had offseason surgery last season missed the first 11 games of the Sacramento’s 12. Hield had 14.1 points, 3.8 assists, and 3.5 rebounds and shot 36 percent.

Vlad Divac, who was inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame, was noted for his flopping during his playing days and was a big man that helped the Kings during his playing days and later became the team’s general manager. Divac is hoping to bring the Kings to the postseason this year. Marvin Bagley averaged 7.6 points in 25.3 minutes and has pulled down 10.8 rebounds in 36 minutes. Bagley finished last assist percentage at 5.9.

Mumbai India will be the site of the Sacramento Kings’ preseason oasis. The Kings will open with the Indiana Pacers on Friday, October 4th and Saturday, October 5th, then on Thursday, October 10th vs. the Phoenix Suns, Monday, October 14th vs. the Utah Jazz, and in Melbourne, on Wednesday, October 16th, which closes their Mumbai road trip.