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.

 

Headline Sports podcast with London Marq: Brady starts to look for a new team; Severino the first Yankee out with injury; plus more

lasvegasjournalreview.com photo: Simulated photo of Tom Brady as he would like as quarterback for the Las Vegas Raiders

On Headline Sports with London:

#1 This will be the first time in quarterback Tom Brady’s career that he will be a free agent to choose what team he will go to.

#2 The New York Yankees continue to have those beginning of the season injuries as Yankees pitcher Luis Serverino will have Tommy John surgery on his elbow and will be out for the rest of the season

#3 The Olympic games in Tokyo are under threat from the Coronavirus epidemic. The IOC is close to canceling the games scheduled for July 24th

#4 The Sacramento Kings have won three straight game as they face Oklahoma City and Memphis. Although the Kings are unlikely to make post season they’re playing some consistent ball right now.

# 5 Spring training is here as the Giants will be looking at prospects that have shown their ability to hit many say they Giants will not be competitive this season.

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

 

31 point rallies in third and fourth quarters by Thunder set back Kings 112-108

photo from newsday.com: Oklahoma City Thunder center Steven Adams (12) shoots between Sacramento Kings’ Harrison Barnes (40), Kent Bazemore (26), Buddy Hield (24) and Yogi Ferrell (3) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Thursday, Feb. 27, 2020, in Oklahoma City

By Jeremiah Salmonson

The Sacramento Kings were going into Oklahoma City feeling good. They were on a three-game winning streak and poised to compete against a surprisingly upstart Oklahoma City Thunder team. However, the Kings would be without starting guard De’Aaron Fox. Fox has been dealing with a myriad of nagging injuries and the abdominal discomfort held him out of action on Thursday night. The tip-off was set for 5 PM PST in Oklahoma City.

The first half went just the way the Kings wanted it. The Kings shot 47.8% from the field and a great 41.2% from deep. The Kings scored 27 in the first and 34 in the second compared to 25 and 25 respectively from the Thunder. The Kings would lead by 11 at 61-50 going into the half.

The Thunder scored 45.7% from the field in the first half shooting 35.3% from deep. The Kings received stellar play in the first half from Harry Giles as he scored 15 points in 12 minutes. The only issue is that Harry picked up three fouls in the half. Danillo Gallinari scored 12 points to lead the Thunder in the first half.

In the second half, things began to crumble. The King’s shot-making evaporated late in the third and the Thunder went on a long 13-0 run. The Kings kept the Thunder from taking a dominant lead but the 11 point lead they took into the second half was gone.

One of the worst aspects of this was what happened next. The Kings got themselves into the penalty in just over two minutes and that would prove to be the difference in the game. The Thunder scored 31 points in both the third and fourth quarters to down the Kings 112-108. The Kings scored 21 and 26 in the third and fourth quarters respectively which was not enough to overtake the resurgence of the Thunder.

Leading the way for the Thunder in victory was Danillo Gallinari who had 24 points followed by Shae Gilgeous-Alexander who had 20 points. For the Kings, Harrison Barnes led the way with 21 points followed by an outstanding performance by Harry Giles who finished with 19 points.

Up Next: The Kings fly to Memphis to take on the formidable but struggling Memphis Grizzlies tomorrow. Tip-off is set for 5 PM PST in Memphis.

Headline Sports with Tony Renteria: Bickerstaff take over coaching reigns in Cleveland; NFL to add more playoff teams; plus more

cavsnation.com photo: New Cleveland Cavaliers head coach JB Bickerstaff will take over the coaching duties after former head coach John Beilein resigned

On Headline Sports with Tony R:

#1 The Cleveland Cavaliers John Beilein resigned as head coach and replaced him with JB Bickerstaff who is the son of former NBA head coach Bernie Bickerstaff who coached around the league for many years.

#2 The NFL are adding more playoff teams will this be a matter of making the post season more competitive or is the NFL just milking that much more

#3 The Kings have won four of their last seven games and host the Memphis Grizzlies on Thursday night at Golden One Center their coming off two tough loses to Milwaukee and Dallas

#4 The players in baseball are ready to riot as MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred is under pressure by the players to take the World Series Trophy back from Houston and officially cross the Astros off as the 2017 World Champions

#5 The sign stealing scandal has dominated baseball so much its all anyone talks about will fights with the Astros turn the average fan off and they’ll go somewhere else?

Tony Renteria talks Headline Sports each Thursday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Headline Sports with Barbara Mason: LSU tops Clemson 42-25 for Championship game; NFL Playoffs previews: plus more

yahoo.com photo: LSU quarterback Joe Burrow (8) had a record night in the NCAA Championship throwing for 463 yards and six touchdowns Monday night against the Clemson Tigers

On Headline Sports with Barbara:

#1 It was the battle of the Tigers and only one Tiger would finish on top. The LSU Tigers got a huge victory over the Clemson Tigers 42-25 in the NCAA Championship behind LSU quarterback Joe Burrow who threw for 463 yards and five touchdowns no wonder LSU won it.

#2 We’ll start with the NFC Championship coming this Sunday. The Green Bay Packers are coming to Santa Clara with quarterback Aaron Rogers. The Packers in a close game against the Seattle Seahawks will face the 49ers. The last time the two teams met were in November and the 49ers won convincingly 37-8.

#3 In the AFC Championship the Kansas City Chiefs made offensive work of the Houston Texans 51-31 on Sunday. The Chiefs will host the Tennessee Titans in the AFC Championship. The Titans shocked the football world on Saturday with a 28-12 win over the Baltimore Ravens.

#4 The Golden State Warriors continue to slide this time to the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday 122-102. It was the eighth consecutive loss for Golden State.

#5 The San Jose Sharks (21-23-4) fall off the tracks tonight with a 6-3 loss to the Arizona Coyotes (26-18-5) in Glendale. The Coytotes and Sharks were tied in the third period 3-3 but the Arizona went on a three goal rally and that was the difference.

Barbara Mason does the Headline Sports podcasts each Tuesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Grizzlies maul Warriors in second half send Golden State down to eighth straight loss 122-102

Memphis Grizzlies center Jonas Valanciunas, top, shoots between Golden State Warriors forward Glenn Robinson III (22) and guard D’Angelo Russell (0) in the second half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, Jan. 12, 2020, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Brandon Dill)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors, who have played well in their last four games. were hoping to snap their seven-game losing streak Sunday. They were facing a young Memphis Grizzlies in Memphis.

The Grizzlies, like the Warriors, are a young team. They, however, have turned their season around and were able to win their fifth game in a row by a score of 122-102. The oldest player in the Grizzlies’ starting lineup was 29-year-old Jae Crowder.

The Warriors welcomed back D’Angelo Russell to the starting lineup Sunday. Russell missed six games due to a right shoulder contusion when he ran into the Dallas Mavericks’ Luke Doncic in December.

Neither Damion Lee nor Ky Bowman was available as they are close to the limit of games that they can play in the NBA as they have two-way contracts. Lee is expected to sign a deal soon that would give remove the two-way status.

With Lee and Bowman out, the Warriors started D’Angelo Russell and Alec Burks at guard. Omari Spellman, who has been in double-figures the last four games, made his second career start in the NBA.

Spellman had the unenviable task of having to stop the Grizzlies big center, Jonas Valanciunas. Valanciunas hails from Lithuania and is six-feet eleven inches tall and is a force in the middle. The other player that is making a difference for Memphis is the rookie, Ja Morant. Morant, who played his college ball at Murray State, is averaging 18 points a game and, at the moment, is the odds-on favorite to be Rookie of the Year in the NBA.

The Warriors and the Grizzlies played a very competitive first 24 minutes. In the first half, the lead changed six times. The Warriors made five threes in the first quarter and kept pace with the Grizzlies. D’Angelo Russell had some trouble making his shots as he showed a little rust after missing six games. The Grizzlies finished the first quarter with a 27-26 lead.

Memphis increased the lead to nine 39-30 early in the second quarter. Russell started to make shots. Russell got hot and finished the first half with 18 points. Each team scored 33 points in the second period, and Memphis retained their one-point lead at the end of the first half.

The third quarter was a different story. Over the last five years, the Warriors used to own the third quarter. They would go on the attack and put teams away. On Sunday night, the tables were turned. It was the Grizzlies that owned the quarter.

The Warriors could not stop Jonas Valanciunas. The big center helped the Grizzlies dominate. He grabbed eight offensive rebounds. He made layups. He even made a three-point shot. Memphis stopped the Warriors offense cold in the third quarter.

The Warriors scored just seven points in the first six and one-half minutes pf play in the quarter.  Memphis outscored them 35-17 to finish the period with a 19-point advantage 95-76.

The Warriors played better in the final stanza. Eric Paschall and D’Angelo Russell did what they could, but it was too little, too late. Memphis won the quarter 27-26 and the game 122-102.

Game Notes and Stats- With the loss, the Warriors lost their eighth in a row and are 9-32 for the season. Memphis won their fifth in a row and are now 18-22. Memphis, if the playoffs were to start now, own the eighth spot in the Western Conference.

The Warriors had five players in double figures. Russell led Golden State with 34 points, seven rebounds, and four assists. Russell made five threes in nine tries. Jordan Poole and Alec Burks each had thirteen. Poole made four threes. Omari Spellman had 12 points, four assists, and has made three threes in three tries. Paschall finished with ten.

Jonas Valanciunas had a monster double-double. Jonas knocked down 31 points and pulled down 19 rebounds. Memphis outrebounded The Dubs 60-47. They ripped down 18 offensive boards. The Warriors had 12. Jaren Jackson, Jr. had 21, Ja Morant 11. The Memphis bench added 47 points. Bench players Grayson Allen had 11, Tyus Jones 11, and De’Anthony Melton 10.

The Warriors return home to face the Dallas Mavericks Tuesday night at the Chase Center. The game will start at 7:30 pm.

 

 

 

Kings end drought beat Grizzlies 128-123; Fox and Hield lead in scoring

@ NBA Media Ventures

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–The Kings have already hit rock bottom. They are now just lingering at the bottom of the ocean on the ocean floor. Unfortunately, that’s really the only way to put it. The Kings are looking for anything to build on at this point. Having lost 8 straight, the Kings entered into Thursday nights game desperately needing a win. The opponent was the Memphis Grizzlies who were 13-21 coming into the game. The tip-off was set for 7 PM PST at Golden One Center.

In the first, the Grizzlies got off to a roaring start. They shot 58% overall and 55% from deep to take a commanding 42-26 lead over the Kings. The Kings managed to put up 26 points on 43% overall and 33% from deep. Jaren Jackson Jr. showed up in a big way for the Grizzlies dropping 14 points on 5-7 shooting in the first. Leading the way for the Kings in the first was Buddy Hield who scored 12 points. The Kings would need to right the ship in a hurry before they let this game too out of reach.

In the second, the Kings took the lead about as quickly as the Grizzlies got it in the first. The Kings erupted for 37 points in the second quarter and held the Grizzlies to 18 points to take a 63-60 lead going into halftime. Richuan Holmes dropped 13 points in the second alone to lead the Kings in the first half with a total of 15 points. De’Aaron Fox also played well in the first half putting up 10 points. The Kings would hope to keep things going in the second half to snap their eight-game losing streak.

In the third, the Kings defense fell flat again. Like the first quarter, the Kings weren’t able to control the Grizzlies offense. The Grizzlies scored 37 points. So far in the game is was the tale of two quarters. The Kings managed to score 27 points but gave up the lead 97-90 going into the final quarter. The Kings only hoped they could replicate what they did in the second quarter in the final twelve minutes of action.

In the final quarter, the Kings battled back and the game was tied with 7:08 left. The Kings had put themselves in a position to win, and they did just that. The Kings snapped their eight-game losing streak by scoring 38 points in the fourth to win 128-123. The Grizzlies managed to score 26 points in the fourth but it wasn’t enough. Leading the way for the victorious Kings was De’Aaron Fox who scored 27 points followed by Buddy Hield who scored 26. For the Grizzlies, Ja Morant led the way with 23 points.

In a game the Kings desperately needed to win, they managed to pull it out. It wasn’t pretty, but they got it done. The Kings improved to 13-22 on the year. Don’t look now but the Kings are still only two games back of the eighth seed. All hope is not lost Kings fans.

Up Next: The Kings stay home to take on the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday evening at 7 PM PST.

Sacramento Kings podcast with Charlie O: Kings fall short to Rockets 113-104; Fourth consecutive loss for Sacramento

photo from sacbee.com: Sacramento Kings guard Buddy Hield (24) shoots over Houston Rockets guard Russell Westbrook (0) for three-points during a game at Golden 1 Center on Monday, Dec 23, 2019 in Sacramento

On the Kings podcast with Charlie O:

#1 Coming off three straight road loses the Sacramento Kings (12-18) played host to the Houston Rockets (21-9) at Golden One Center in Sacramento and yet lost another game 113-104.

#2 The Rockets had 16 points to the Kings 25 in the fourth quarter and still the Kings never held the lead in the game and never got that burst on the scoreboard. The Kings are missing a number of their offensive plays to stay a step ahead of their opponents.

#3 The Rockets got top scoring from James Harden 34 pts and Russell Westbrook 28 pts who have pave the way to the win

#4 De Aaron Fox and Richaun Holmes led the Kings with scoring Fox with 31 and Holmes 12. Fox carried the weight of the team and the Kings fell nine points short.

#5 After their last win to the Golden State Warriors the Kings have now lost four straight and host the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday night

Join Charlie Tuesdays for the Kings podcast at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

 

 

The Kings lose the final game of their road trip in Memphis 119-115

Buddy Hield goes for the steal @NBC CA

by Charlie O. Mallonee

The Sacramento Kings had to fly home from Memphis licking their wounds after losing the final three games of their four-game road. On Saturday night, the Kings dropped the final game of the road swing to the Grizzlies 119-115. The game was never as close as the final score might imply.

Lead Changes

There were three lead changes in the game; however, the Kings never held the lead after the first quarter of the game. The largest lead of the game for Sacramento was seven points. The Grizzlies biggest lead was 17 points.

Memphis held a 10 point lead – 60 to 50 – at halftime.

By the end of three quarters, the Grizzlies were up 91-78 over the Kings.

The Kings made a big charge in the final period as De’Aaron Fox scored 14 points while Memphis went 12 players deep to rest their starters. Sacramento outscored the Grizzlies 37-28 the fourth quarter but came up four points short of winning the game when the final buzzer sounded.

3-point baskets made the difference 

The Grizzlies hit 15 of 35 attempts (42.9%) from downtown in the game versus the Kings.

The Kings shot just 30.6% (11-for-36) from behind the arc in the contest which ultimately led to their downfall.

The charity stripe was unkind to SAC

The Kings went to the line 24 times but hit only 18 shots.

The Grizzlies went 24-for-29 from the charity stripe. Those six points proved too big when the final horn sounded.

Sacramento

• Harrison Barnes led all scorers with 25 points in the game.
• De’Aaron Fox – who got the start in the game – finished with 22 points.
• Richaun Holmes put up a double-double putting in 18 points and hauling in 12 rebounds.
• Marvin Bagley III also had a double-double game with 11 points and 11 rebounds.

Memphis

• Jaren Jackson Jr. was the Grizzlies leading scorer with 18 points.
• Jae Crowder recorded a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds.
• Dillon Brooks scored 16 points.
• Ja Morant and Grayson Allen both scored 13 points in the contest.

Up next

The Kings return home to host the very tough Houston Rockets on Monday night.

The Grizzlies will host the San Antonio Spurs on Monday night.

Morant’s big night sparks Grizzlies’ win over struggling Warriors 110-102

Photo credit: @GrizNationCP

By Daniel Dullum
Sports Radio Service
Monday, December 9, 2019

Ja Morant celebrated his return to the Memphis lineup Monday by scoring 26 points while dishing out seven assists, as the Grizzlies handed Golden State its 20th loss of the season with a 110-102 decision at Chase Center.

Morant, the second overall selection in the 2019 NBA Draft, also had two rebounds and a steal after missing the last four games with a sore back. It was the Grizzlies’ second win in their last 11 games.

Dillon Brooks was next on the Grizzlies scoring list with 17 points, followed by Jaren Jackson with 16, Grayson Allen scored 15 off the bench, and Jonas Valanciunas had 13 points and 10 rebounds.

D’Angelo Russell and reserve Alec Burks each scored 18 points to lead the Warriors (5-20), followed by Willie Cauley-Stein with 17. Draymond Green scored16 points and Omari Spellman added 10. Russell also struggled from the field, hitting 6 of 22 shots.

Cauley-Stein and Glenn Robinson III each grabbed eight rebounds and Burks had seven, as Golden State held a 46-42 rebounding edge. However, the Warriors also shot 38 percent for the game.

Memphis (7-16) led 54-47 at halftime, but the Warriors stayed close throughout the second half. The Warriors had pulled to within 106-100 with just over a minute to play, but Morant finished a drive through the lane with a dunk that silenced the crowd.

Some good news for the Warriors: Jacob Evans III, who has been on the shelf since Oct. 28 with a strained left hip, played nine minutes against the Grizzlies.

On Wednesday, Golden State hosts the New York Knicks in a matchup of two of the NBA’s charter members. The Knicks, who fired coach David Fizdale and assistant Keith Smart last Friday, are the only team with a worse record than the Warriors.