Kings make it two wins in a row with 112-103 win over Suns

Photo credit: @NBCSKings

By: Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The Sacramento Kings came into Saturday night’s game feeling good. After defeating the Dallas Mavericks two days ago, the Kings were looking to make it two in a row. The Pheonix Suns, who aren’t having a good season, have been playing better as of late and were looking to be a formidable opponent for the Kings. Tip-off was set for 7 PM Saturday night in Sacramento.

In the first quarter, it was all Suns. More specifically, it was all Devin Booker. Booker went on an absolute terror in the first quarter. He was 6-for-10 from the floor, scoring 15 points in the quarter. The next closest scorers were Nemanja Bjelica and Deandre Ayton with six points apiece. The Kings struggled to score all quarter, only putting up 19 points on 25 tries. On the other hand, the Suns scored 32 points on 24 attempts. The Kings didn’t seem to have much energy in the opening minutes of the game. In order to stay close, the Kings needed to pick up the energy going into the second quarter

In the early minutes of the second quarter, it appeared the Kings were headed for another disastrous quarter. However, with some key contributions from Buddy Hield and Harrison Barnes, the Kings were able to lead by three with 1:33 remaining in the half with the Suns on top 48-45 Suns. At this point, the Kings looked to get greedy and grab the lead before going into halftime. Unfortunately, the Kings were unable to do so. A couple of baskets from the Suns led to a 53-47 lead going into halftime.

The Kings had to play with more energy in the second half if they wanted to come back and win at home. The Kings did just that in the third quarter. They came out of the locker room looking energized. The Kings scored 32 points in the quarter compared to the Suns’ 22. The Kings appeared to have put their first-half woes behind them and were ready to battle the game to the end with the Suns. Going into the final quarter, the Kings were ahead 79-75.

In the fourth quarter, both teams seemed determined to come away with the win. The Kings and Suns went back-and-forth in the early minutes of the quarter. It was so close that it was 110-97 in favor of the Kings with only 2:40 remaining in the game. The Kings were less than happy with the referees in the final quarter. Notably, Marvin Bagley, who hacked on a layup attempt, but it was a no call. The Kings regrouped with roughly 90 seconds left and went back to work. The play that sent the crowd into a frenzy was De’Aaron Fox’s dunk in transition after he stole the ball on a pass attempt. The Kings won 112-103.

Up Next: The Kings travel to LA to take on the Lakers on Sunday at 7 PM PST.

Kings close out homestand with wire-to-wire win over Suns 117-104

Photo credit: @SacramentoKings

By: Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO — The last time the Phoenix Suns and Sacramento Kings faced off it was not a pretty ending for the Kings. The Kings went from having a double-digit lead to losing the game to the worst team in the NBA this season. The Kings who were playing a rare day game in Sacramento were looking to flip the script from last time.

In the first quarter, the Kings were off to a good start offensively putting up 33 points in the first. Leading the Kings were Nemanja Bjelica with 8 points, Marvin Bagley with 8 points, and De’Aaron Fox with 5 points. The Suns, on the other hand, managed to score 23 points in the first. Leading the Suns in scoring at this point was Devin Booker with 8 points. The new Kings also were able to get time in the game in the first. Harrison Barnes played just over 9 minutes and Alec Burks played almost 3 minutes. After the first, the Kings led the Suns 33-23.

In the second quarter, the Kings continued the scoring narrative that put them up in the first. By the end of the second, the Kings would have three players in double-digit scoring. Buddy Hield and De’Aaron Fox had 10 points while Marvin Bagley led the Kings with 12 first-half points. The Suns’ leading scorer was Devin Booker who had 15 first-half points. Along with the Kings’ double-digit lead, they had a pair of flashy plays in the first half. De’Aaron Fox drove down the lane and slammed it home in the second quarter. Not to mention Marvin Bagley’s impressive alley-oop that he put down with authority. Going into the second half, the Kings were beating the Suns 63-44.

In the third quarter, the Kings didn’t seem to be firing on all cylinders. They were outscored by the Suns while putting up 24 points in the third. The Suns managed to put up 28 points in the third to inch closer to the Kings. In the third, the game began developing the feeling of slight deja vu from the game earlier this year against the Suns. We all remembered what happened in that game when the Kings blew a huge lead and lost. So going into the fourth with the Kings leading 72-87 they looked to stop that narrative.

In the fourth quarter, they stopped that narrative emphatically. They Kings scored 30 points in the fourth to secure their 30th victory of the season. For the Kings, the leading scorers were Marvin Bagley who scored 32 points, Buddy Hield with 18 points, and De’Aaron Fox with 17 points.

The Suns’ leading scorer was Devin Booker, who managed to drop 27 points in defeat. The final in the game was the Kings’ 117 and the Suns’ 104.

The Kings head to the Mile High City Wednesday to take on the Denver Nuggets. Tipoff set for 6:00 pm PT.

Kings defeat Hornets 104-97 for second straight win

Photo credit: @NBCSKings

By: Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO — The Sacramento Kings welcomed the Charlotte Hornets to Golden One Center Saturday night. For the Hornets, this was the second night of a back-to-back after playing the Portland Trail Blazers in Portland, Ore. The Kings were coming off a lopsided game in which they defeated the Detroit Pistons 112-102 in Sacramento The Kings were looking to get back on a roll to try to make it a winning streak against the Hornets. The tip-off was set for 7:00 PM PST.

In the first quarter, the Kings came out strong. Though, the usually reliable Buddy Hield wasn’t having much luck, De’Aaron Fox, Bogdan Bogdanovic, and Willie Cauley-Stein were more than capable to pick up the slack. Those three combined to score 21 points and lead the Kings to an early first quarter lead. For the Hornets, the leading scorer was Kemba Walker with 10 points. The Kings had a 35-29 lead after the first.

In the second quarter, the Kings and Hornets traded point for point, but in the end, Charlotte gained the lead, thanks to great performances from Kemba Walker, Jeremy Lamb, and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist in the first half. The Kings, on the other hand, struggled in the last minute of the quarter to lose the lead before the half. Hield and Bogdan Bogdanovic were the most effective in the half, combining for 25 points. The Hornets took a 59-57 lead at halftime.

In the third quarter, the Kings came to play and scored 25 points compared to the Hornets’ 17. The Kings also played great defense, forcing the the Hornets to turn the ball over 17 times. Marvin Bagley was playing exceptionally good defense under the rim and on the offensive glass. The score was 82-76 after three quarters.

In the fourth quarter, the Kings attempted to create a little separation but the Hornets weren’t having it. However, the Kings managed to get the score in their favor 102-94 with a minute remaining. At this point, it was the Kings’ game to lose, but they managed to put up 22 points in the fourth to secure the victory 104-97.

The Kings’ leading scorers were Bogdan Bogdanovic (22 points), De’Aaron Fox (21 points), and Buddy Hield (21 points). The win improved the Kings to 22-21 on the season, and with the loss, the Hornets fell to 19-23.

The Kings continue their homestand Monday as they’re set to host the Trail Blazers at 7:00 PM PST.

Kings use team effort to down Pistons 112-102

Photo credit: @SacramentoKings

By: Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO — The Sacramento Kings were back home on Thursday night to host the Detroit Pistons. For the Kings, they desperately needed a win to bounce back from the worst loss of the season. On Tuesday, the Kings had a 21-point lead going into halftime. However, those points would not hold up against the worst team in NBA as the Kings would lose the game 115-111. The Pistons came into Thursday nights game also coming off a tough loss to the LA Lakers 113-100. The tip-off was set for 7 PM PST.

In the first quarter, the Kings came out strong. Lead by De’Aaron Fox and Buddy Hield for a combined 15 points the Kings scored 34 to take an early lead. The Pistons, on the other hand, seemed to being the same game that cost them in LA. The Pistons’ sluggish play on the second day of a back to back wasn’t unexpected, but disappointing nonetheless. Blake Griffin, the Pistons’ arguably best player, was out for a rest day which showed early on.

In the second quarter, it was more of the same from both sides. The Kings managed to put up 31 compared to the Pistons’ 27–three of which came at the buzzer to end the first half. Notably good performances for the Pistons in the first half were Stanley Johnson and Langston Galloway, who combined for 17 points. For the Kings, they had five players who had eight or more points for the half. Those five were Iman Shumpert, Willie Cauley-Stein, Buddy Hield, De’Aaron Fox, and Yogi Ferrell. The first half ended with the Kings up 65-48.

Headed into the third, the Kings clearly had the advantage, and they didn’t waste it. The Kings didn’t do enough to further the lead, but they were able to keep the game exactly where it was going to the half. The Kings and Pistons both scored 26 points to keep the Kings 17-point lead intact. Through the third, the leading scorer in the game was Hield with 18 points. Heading into the fourth, the game appeared to be everything but over with the Kings leading 91-74.

In the fourth, that prediction would come true. The Kings managed to score 21 points to put the Pistons in the ground for the second straight night in California. The Kings played well coming off a tough loss to the Suns earlier in the week. Hopefully, this signals a rebound from the poor basketball the Kings have been playing of late as they look to get back on track. The Kings now sit at 21-21 while the Pistons drop to 17-23.

The Kings host the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday night at 7:00 PM PST.

Kings battle to the end with the Warriors, but lose 130-125

Photo credit: @SacramentoKings

By: London Marq

SACRAMENTO — The Golden 1 Center was hopping on Friday night as the Warriors traveled in to Sacramento looking to bounce back after a 20-point loss at the hands of Kawhi Leonard and the Raptors. Entering play, less than 20 days from the New Year, and the Sacramento Kings are over .500, currently in the eighth spot in the Western Conference. The Kings haven’t been this well placed to contend for a playoff spot since Ron Artest was on the team in 2006. The Kings looked to keep the Cinderella Story alive and keep the Warriors in the loss column.

The Warriors only had Dubs on their mind as they jumped out to 9-4 lead early. The lightning fast Kings are second in the league in pace, but had trouble hitting on all cylinders in the opening quarter. Kevin Durant led the charge for Golden State with 11 points, and the Baby-Faced Assassin Steph Curry was right behind him as he poured in 9 points. The Kings we able to keep it close. They were able get the Warriors in foul trouble early, scoring 10 from the line. Nemanja Bjelica led all Kings early with 10 in the first, and the Warriors would have a 4-point advantage, 42-38 going into the second.

It was much of the same in the second and the Warriors would take a 12-point lead into halftime. But things began to heat up in the third quarter, as the Kings starts started to gain some momentum. Fox had 11 points in the third quarter, and Hield Bjelica both dropped in 8 in the quarter as well. This is when the Kings started to play their brand of basketball, but they were not help out at all by the refs. There were several atrocious calls against the Kings, which slowed their progress.  In the stand’s fans roared with fury watching the replays. It’s a sight that’s become all too familiar in Sacramento. Even still the Kings would close the gap to 6, 103-97, going into the final quarter.

The Kings came out in the fourth with a purpose. Finding their stride, they came out with a 15-2 run to start the fourth and playing solid defense. They would begin to hit on all cylinders and they would take the lead. With 5 minutes to go in the game they would have 10-point lead.  However when you have 4 All-Stars on your team, as the Warriors do, magic just seems to happen. The Warriors would steal this game from the Kings on a 17-2 run to end the game.

Warriors’ leaders
Durant: 33 points, 8 assists, 8 rebounds
Curry 35 points, 6 assists, 7 rebounds

Kings’ leaders
Hield: 27 points, 2 assists, 4 rebounds
Fox: 25 points, 9 assists,  6 rebounds

Final
Warriors 130, Kings 125

Late rally pushes the Warriors past the Kings to win a thriller 130-125

Photo credit: @warriors

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors traveled to Sacramento to face the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center on Friday night. The Kings, who had been at the bottom of the league for years, are now becoming a much tougher opponent. They are built around guard De’Aaron Fox and Buddy Hield. Willy Cauley-Stein is playing the best basketball of his career and Nemanja Bjelica helps out from the forward position.

The Kings’ coach is Dave Joerger, who used a slow-paced offense when he was at Memphis. He now has guys who can run, and the Kings play a fast tempo type of game. The Warriors also like to run, and they did just that as they started out strong, but had to come back from a 10-point deficit with 3:03 left in the game to beat the Kings 130-125.

Both teams played offense in the first half. The defense was nowhere to be found as the Warriors scored 76 points in the first half and led the Kings 76-64 after the first 24 minutes of action.

The Kings won the third period as they outscored the Warriors 33-27 to finish the period trailing 103-97. The Warriors’ offense ground to a halt in the fourth quarter as the Kings kept the pressure on and led 123-113 with 3:03 left. The Warriors’ big three of Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Kevin Durant went on a 10-0 run to tie the game at 123. Fox made a bucket to give the Kings the lead 125-123. The Warriors scored the last 7 points of the game to stun the Kings, and the Kings fans went home shaking their heads in disbelief as the Warriors snatched victory from the jaws of defeat once again.

Game Notes and Stats: The Warriors had four starters in double figures. Steph Curry led the team with 35, Kevin Durant had 33, Klay Thompson 27 and Kevon Looney added 10. Draymond Green was a monster on defense with 14 rebounds and 10 assists for another double-double. The Warriors’ bench tallied 23 points. Jerebko was the leader with 8.

The Kings’ Buddy Hield led his club with 27. De’Aaron Fox had 25, Willie Cauley-Stein 22, and Nemanja Bjelica added 18.

The team stats were almost identical. The Warriors were 44-for-96 from the floor, while the Kings came in at 45-for 96. Each team made 15 3s. The Warriors made 7 more free throws than the Kings, which turned out to be the difference in the game. The Warriors outrebounded the Kings 60-42. The Warriors committed 18 turnovers

The Warriors improved to 20-10, and the Kings are now 15-13.

Up Next: The Warriors return home to face the Memphis Grizzlies Monday night at Oracle Arena. Game time is at 7:30 pm PST.

Kings down Timberwolves 141-130, improve to 15-12

Photo credit: @SacramentoKings

By: Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO — I said in late October that if the Kings remained at or near a split record through November, I would be excited about this season. Well, the Kings have not disappointed! Monday night’s win over the Chicago Bulls improved the Kings’ record to 14-12 this season. I had an idea this was possible, but didn’t truly believe it would happen. The Kings aren’t the best team in the Western Conference. The Kings aren’t even the best team in their respective division. However, the Kings are much better than last year and dramatically more entertaining. The Kings and their fans headed into Wednesday night’s game looking to build off of their 3-1 road trip. The tip-off was set for 7 PM PST against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Golden 1 Center.

The Kings started the game out the game on a high note. After about 2 minutes of play, the Kings led the Timberwolves 8-4. Through the first quarter, the Kings would be in control the majority of the time. The Kings finished the first with De’Aaron Fox leading the way with 9 points. Andrew Higgins led the T-wolves with 12 in the first quarter of play. After one, the Kings led the T-wolves 35-31.

The second quarter was more of the same. Sacramento wasn’t playing around when they decided to score 28 more points and hold the T-wolves to 19. The Kings clearly had momentum on their side going into halftime. Nemenja Bjelica led the Kings in scoring going into the half with 12 points. Andrew Wiggins led the T-wolves with 14 first-half points. Notably, the Kings shot at a 57.1% FG clip while the T-wolves shot 50% FG.

Going into the third, the Kings came out of the locker room with a 13-point lead. That came into jeopardy when the T-wolves scored 11 unanswered points to bring the game to a score of 63-61. For the rest of the quarter, the game stayed relatively the same. Both teams traded back to back baskets. When the third was all said and done… The Kings led 96-92 going into the fourth.

In the fourth, the Kings would go on a terror early on. That run would ultimately propel the Kings to victory by the score of 141-130. Nemenja Bjelica led the Kings with 25 points. Amongst others, Buddy Hield, and Bogdan Bogdanovic had notable performances with 20 points apiece.

Up Next: The Kings stay home to face the Golden State Warriors on Friday night at 7 PM PST.

Kings drop third straight, 133-121, to the Clippers

Photo credit: @SacramentoKings 

By: Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The last time the Sacramento Kings played was on Sunday. The last time the Los Angeles Clippers played was on Wednesday. The logical conclusion to draw would be that the Kings would come out fresh and the Clippers would appear to be sluggish. The opposite happened was true on Thursday night at the Golden 1 Center. The Clippers came out in full force, scoring 42 points in the opening quarter. The Kings managed to put up a respectable 26 points, but it was no match for the offensive outburst by the Clippers. The Kings would have to cool down the red-hot Clippers in the second quarter to stay in the game.

The Kings would do just that. Led by Bogdan Bogdanovic and De’Aaron Fox the Kings were able to rally the game closer. After the half, the Kings would be down only by three points 71-68.

In the third, we started nearly even with both teams looking for a leg up! The Clippers would hold onto a slight advantage. Both teams went back and forth shooting baskets and drawing fouls. When it was all said and done, the Clippers extended the lead to 101-93. At this point, the leading scorers were Marvin Bagley (18), De’Aaron Fox (17), and Bogdan Bogdanovic (16) for the Kings. For the Clippers, Tobias Harris led the way with 21 points through three quarters.

Unfortunately for Kings fans, that glimmer of hope wouldn’t last long. The Clippers would go on a roll to score 32 and put away the Kings 133-121.

Perhaps overshadowing the game was the developing story of Dave Joerger and Brandon Williams feud. It was widely reported earlier in the day that Dave Joerger told Brandon Williams to leave shoot-around on Thursday afternoon. This stemming from the rumors that Joerger and Williams have had disagreements on various decisions regarding the Kings for a while now. Keep an eye out on Sports Radio Service for updates on this developing story.

Up Next: The Kings stay home to play the Indiana Pacers on Saturday at 7:00 PM PST.

Kings bounce back with 121-110 win over the Timberwolves

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

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.