By MICHAEL WAGAMAN
Associated Press
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) -- Blake Griffin says he's fully recovered from the concussion he suffered last weekend and marveled at how his Los Angeles Clippers have maneuvered their way around a series of injuries to key players this season.
Griffin is just as impressed with how much the club has gotten from unheralded teammates like Tyrone Wallace, who spent most of the season in the G League before joining the Clippers for his NBA debut this month.
Wallace intercepted a pass at midcourt and drove in for a dunk with 10.9 seconds left, moments after what appeared to be a costly turnover by Lou Williams, and the Clippers held off the Sacramento Kings 121-115 on Thursday night after blowing a 14-point lead in the fourth quarter.
"Guys made big plays when we needed them," Griffin said. "Guys that weren't even on an NBA roster at the beginning of the season are coming up and making big plays like they've been in the league for years. That's awesome to see."
The Clippers, who lost DeAndre Jordan to a sprained left ankle in the second quarter, won their third straight over the Kings this season and their 11th in a row at Sacramento.
"It's tough. You just keep dropping guys every game," Los Angeles coach Doc Rivers said. "Every game someone is stepping in for us, too, and that's the blessing."
Williams finished with 30 points and six assists, one night after scoring a career-high 50 against defending champion Golden State. Griffin had 18 points, 12 rebounds and six assists in his return to the lineup, and Montrezl Harrell scored a season-best 25 - including 16 in the second quarter when Los Angeles put up 43 points.
The Clippers led 106-92 early in the fourth before the Kings rallied to go ahead 113-112 on Bogdan Bogdanovich's layup with 2:10 remaining.
Griffin followed with a 3-pointer and Williams later scored on a short jumper, but the Kings pulled to 117-115 on George Hill's free throw with 24.9 seconds left.
Williams then committed a turnover at midcourt when he threw a pass to Sacramento's Kosta Koufos, but Wallace saved his teammate when he stole the ball back and drove in for a dunk. Wesley Johnson added two free throws to seal the win.
"Normally bigs don't want to push the ball up so I kind of just sat there and waited a little behind the guard," Wallace said. "I figured (Koufos) was going to look to pass it. He just turned and threw the ball without looking, so I knew I had an opportunity to get the steal. I had the whole court in front of me."
Bogdanovich scored 22 points, and Koufos had 14 points and 14 rebounds. Hill added 21 points but missed two free throws in the final 70 seconds.
"We've got to start games and play with a lot more effort, a lot more aggressiveness, a lot more motor," Kings coach Dave Joerger said.
Williams had 21 points in the first half, including nine in the final 1:33 of the second quarter after the Kings had trimmed a 14-point deficit to 60-58.
The Clippers also got a lift from Harrell, who made all seven of his shots in the period.
That was important after Jordan limped off the court with an ankle injury after scoring on a dunk with 5:15 left in the first half.
"That's par for the course for our team this year," Griffin said. "One guy comes back, one guy has to go out."
GRIFFIN'S HEALTH
Griffin shot 5 of 14 and was 2 for 7 from beyond the arc in his return from a concussion he suffered last Saturday. "Fine head-wise and all that," he said. "I just felt like I was a little off rhythm-wise."
TIP-INS
Clippers: Harrell's 16 points in the second quarter were two more than he had the entire game against Golden State.
Kings: Bogdanovich had four fouls in the first half. ... Frank Mason was diagnosed with a partial tear of the plantar fascia in his right foot. He is expected to miss four weeks. Mason was injured Dec. 31 against Memphis.
UP NEXT
Clippers: Play at Houston on Saturday.
Kings: Play at Oklahoma City on Saturday.
Showing posts with label Sacramento Kings. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sacramento Kings. Show all posts
Friday, January 12, 2018
Wednesday, January 10, 2018
Double-doubles by Randle, Ball push Lakers past Kings 99-86
By DAN GREENSPAN
Associated Press
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The return of Lonzo Ball has the Los Angeles Lakers running again, and that emphasis on tempo is turning into wins.
Julius Randle had 22 points and 14 rebounds, Ball added 11 rebounds and 11 assists, and the Lakers defeated the Sacramento Kings 99-86 on Tuesday night.
Brook Lopez scored 18 points and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope had 16 for the Lakers, who have won two straight following a nine-game losing streak.
"That's kind of our best basketball at this point right now, getting out in transition," said Brandon Ingram, who had 15 points and five rebounds.
With Ball leading the charge, the Lakers were at their most effective when pushing the ball up the court, and they picked up where they left off after tying a franchise record with 42 fast-break points against Atlanta on Sunday. They had a 35-8 edge on the break this time, and Ball's 11 assists were his most since the rookie sustained a shoulder injury that sidelined him for six games. He finished with five points.
"He creates our pace for us," Lakers coach Luke Walton said. "He makes winning plays for us. He gets other people easy shots, so he impacted the game on both ends of the floor and was a big part of why we won tonight."
Walton was not sated by the win, however. He was unhappy with the Lakers' 26 turnovers and a lackadaisical attitude after going on a 19-0 run in the first quarter. Fueled by eight points from Ingram and seven from Randle, who had 13 points and five rebounds in the first half, Los Angeles took an 18-point lead, its largest of the night.
But the second unit let Sacramento right back into the game, and the Lakers were only up 31-27 at the end of the quarter.
"We're trying to play a certain way and have a certain standard," Walton said. "We've been struggling. We will take a win when we can get it, but it just doesn't feel the same way as when you play the game the right way throughout."
Bogdan Bogdanovic scored 19 points off the bench for the Kings, who have lost five of six. De'Aaron Fox had 15 points and Buddy Hield scored 13.
Kings coach Dave Joerger thought fatigue did his team in following a 107-100 loss to San Antonio on Monday. Sacramento shot a season-worst 34.5 percent from the field (30 of 87).
"It's just that time of year where you have to keep grinding away," Joerger said. "We made too many mental mistakes, made some really bad turnovers that are just head-scratchers. The guys are getting better, and we'll just keep plugging away."
LONG-RANGE LOPEZ
Los Angeles opened an 84-74 lead going into the fourth quarter, closing the third on a 22-10 run. Sacramento started the second half with a 14-3 surge to take an eight-point lead before Lopez hit three 3-pointers. Lopez then missed from long range on what he admitted was a heat-check shot, but Ball was under the basket for a putback.
Lopez finished 5 of 8 from 3-point range.
"They made the last run and just kind of sustained it," Fox said.
REARRANGING FOR RANDLE
Randle spent most of the season using his superior athleticism to get the better of backup centers and power forwards as a scorer. Walton wants him to be just as willing to pass when driving down the lane now that Randle is becoming a more regular presence in the starting lineup.
The growing pains were evident, with six assists and six turnovers against the length of Zach Randolph and Willie Cauley-Stein.
"Tonight he had moments where he was great at it and there were moments where he over-penetrated and we got in trouble," Walton said.
TIP-INS
Kings: G George Hill missed his third straight game to be with his wife, who is pregnant.
Lakers: Ball had his ninth career double-double. ... Randle had his eighth double-double of the season.
UP NEXT
Kings: Host the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday night.
Lakers: Host the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday night.
Associated Press
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The return of Lonzo Ball has the Los Angeles Lakers running again, and that emphasis on tempo is turning into wins.
Julius Randle had 22 points and 14 rebounds, Ball added 11 rebounds and 11 assists, and the Lakers defeated the Sacramento Kings 99-86 on Tuesday night.
Brook Lopez scored 18 points and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope had 16 for the Lakers, who have won two straight following a nine-game losing streak.
"That's kind of our best basketball at this point right now, getting out in transition," said Brandon Ingram, who had 15 points and five rebounds.
With Ball leading the charge, the Lakers were at their most effective when pushing the ball up the court, and they picked up where they left off after tying a franchise record with 42 fast-break points against Atlanta on Sunday. They had a 35-8 edge on the break this time, and Ball's 11 assists were his most since the rookie sustained a shoulder injury that sidelined him for six games. He finished with five points.
"He creates our pace for us," Lakers coach Luke Walton said. "He makes winning plays for us. He gets other people easy shots, so he impacted the game on both ends of the floor and was a big part of why we won tonight."
Walton was not sated by the win, however. He was unhappy with the Lakers' 26 turnovers and a lackadaisical attitude after going on a 19-0 run in the first quarter. Fueled by eight points from Ingram and seven from Randle, who had 13 points and five rebounds in the first half, Los Angeles took an 18-point lead, its largest of the night.
But the second unit let Sacramento right back into the game, and the Lakers were only up 31-27 at the end of the quarter.
"We're trying to play a certain way and have a certain standard," Walton said. "We've been struggling. We will take a win when we can get it, but it just doesn't feel the same way as when you play the game the right way throughout."
Bogdan Bogdanovic scored 19 points off the bench for the Kings, who have lost five of six. De'Aaron Fox had 15 points and Buddy Hield scored 13.
Kings coach Dave Joerger thought fatigue did his team in following a 107-100 loss to San Antonio on Monday. Sacramento shot a season-worst 34.5 percent from the field (30 of 87).
"It's just that time of year where you have to keep grinding away," Joerger said. "We made too many mental mistakes, made some really bad turnovers that are just head-scratchers. The guys are getting better, and we'll just keep plugging away."
LONG-RANGE LOPEZ
Los Angeles opened an 84-74 lead going into the fourth quarter, closing the third on a 22-10 run. Sacramento started the second half with a 14-3 surge to take an eight-point lead before Lopez hit three 3-pointers. Lopez then missed from long range on what he admitted was a heat-check shot, but Ball was under the basket for a putback.
Lopez finished 5 of 8 from 3-point range.
"They made the last run and just kind of sustained it," Fox said.
REARRANGING FOR RANDLE
Randle spent most of the season using his superior athleticism to get the better of backup centers and power forwards as a scorer. Walton wants him to be just as willing to pass when driving down the lane now that Randle is becoming a more regular presence in the starting lineup.
The growing pains were evident, with six assists and six turnovers against the length of Zach Randolph and Willie Cauley-Stein.
"Tonight he had moments where he was great at it and there were moments where he over-penetrated and we got in trouble," Walton said.
TIP-INS
Kings: G George Hill missed his third straight game to be with his wife, who is pregnant.
Lakers: Ball had his ninth career double-double. ... Randle had his eighth double-double of the season.
UP NEXT
Kings: Host the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday night.
Lakers: Host the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday night.
Tuesday, November 21, 2017
Nuggets beat Kings 114-98 without coach and 2 starters
By MICHAEL WAGAMAN
Associated Press
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Will Barton didn’t know Mike Malone was suspended by the NBA until the Denver Nuggets coach informed him as Barton got on the team bus to head to the arena.
“I thought he was joking,” Barton said. “I told him we’d hold it down for him.”
Minus their coach and two starters, the short-handed Nuggets did just that — and only 24 hours after losing by 21 points to begin their three-game road trip.
Barton and Trey Lyles made two 3-pointers apiece during a big run in the third quarter, and Denver pulled away to beat the Sacramento Kings 114-98 on Monday night.
Barton finished with 25 points, six rebounds and five assists in his third start this season for Denver, which also was without injured starters Paul Millsap and Wilson Chandler.
“Given the circumstances, I’ll take it,” said Nuggets assistant Wes Unseld Jr., who coached the team while Malone stayed back at the team hotel. “The minute (we) got in here from the team bus they knew it was a task at hand. We were under adverse circumstances and had no other option than to pull it together.”
Malone served a one-game NBA suspension for making contact with a referee in Sunday’s loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. Denver also was missing Millsap, who sprained his left wrist against the Lakers, and Chandler (lower back pain).
After a sluggish first half, Denver pulled away in the third quarter following a 19-7 run late in the third quarter sparked by the long-distance shooting of Barton and Lyles. The Nuggets shot 15 of 32 beyond the arc and led by as many as 22 in the final period.
“That third quarter we were real patient and sound, ran our sets and got going,” Barton said. “Anytime you’re missing two starters, impact guys like that, it’s going to take a while.”
Nikola Jokic added 16 points and 14 rebounds, and Gary Harris scored 20 for the Nuggets.
George Hill and Kosta Koufos scored 16 points apiece to lead six players in double figures for Sacramento. The Kings, who had won their three previous home games against the Thunder, 76ers and Trail Blazers, have lost five of six overall.
“Athletically, (the Nuggets) go and get balls and jumped over the top of us and did some of those kind of things,” Kings coach Dave Joerger said. “We’ve got to be more physical. We were a step slow in the second half.”
BARTON COMES UP BIG
Barton shot 9 of 15 and made a season-high five 3-pointers on six attempts from beyond the arc. “He wasn’t an aggressive scorer but he was a playmaker for us,” Unseld said. “Down the stretch he controlled the game.”
WHAT WENT WRONG
Joerger thought his team played hard throughout the game but rookie guard De’Aaron Fox wasn’t so sure. Asked if the Kings let up in the second half when the Nuggets got on their roll, Fox said: “It felt that way. But it’s happened before, we’ve got back before. It’s just something if we go down, we’ve got to pick it up even more. You have to pick up your effort when things are going south.”
TIP-INS
Nuggets: With Millsap and Chandler out, Unseld went to a three-guard lineup but the offense sputtered in the first half with 11 turnovers. Denver did a much better job after the break and pulled away. . The Nuggets dominated the offensive rebounding (14-5) and converted that into a 19-6 advantage in second-chance points.
Kings: Zach Randolph had 12 points and six rebounds in his third consecutive start at center. ... Buddy Hield missed his second straight game with a sore right ankle.
UP NEXT
Nuggets: Play at Houston on Wednesday. The Rockets have won four straight against Denver.
Kings: Host the Lakers on Wednesday. The teams split the season series in 2016-17.
Monday, October 30, 2017
Wall, Wizards lead early and roll past Kings 110-83
By MICHAEL WAGAMAN
Associated Press
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Two consecutive fourth-quarter meltdowns put the Wizards in a hole on their current road trip. It also set the stage for Washington’s most lopsided win of the season.
A defense that forced 20 turnovers and an offense that set a season high with 17 3-pointers helped, too.
John Wall scored 11 of his 19 points in the first quarter and had nine assists, Otto Porter Jr. had 16 points and the Wizards beat the Sacramento Kings 110-83 on Sunday.
“It was probably the best that we’ve played on both ends of the court,” Washington coach Scott Brooks said. “Hopefully we can continue that trend.”
The 27-point victory kept the Wizards out of the record books. Washington’s first five games were decided by five points or fewer; no team had ever opened the season with six.
Wall made it a moot point early by making his first four shots, including three 3-pointers, as Washington jumped to a 13-0 lead that was never threatened.
“I haven’t been shooting the ball well so far this season,” Wall said. “If I make shots, teams are willing to live with that instead of letting me get into the paint and get to the basket. If I’m able to knock down shots on a consistent basis it makes our team a lot better and it makes us tougher to guard.”
Bradley Beal added 15 points on 6-of-11 shooting for Washington after being fined $50,000 by the NBA earlier in the day for his role in a fight with Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors on Friday.
The Wizards were up 63-32 at halftime, had a 36-point advantage early in the third quarter and prevented the Kings from getting closer than 27 the rest of the way.
Mike Scott added 13 points and Kelly Oubre Jr. had nine points and seven rebounds to help Washington snap a two-game losing streak.
Beal was surprised to be playing at all. The veteran guard expected to be suspended after the fight with Green late in the first half of Friday’s 120-117 loss to the Warriors. Beal and Green received technical fouls and were ejected from the game.
“I was really happy I wasn’t suspended,” Beal said. “I knew I was going to get fined one way or the other. It is what it is. Now I can put this behind me.”
While Beal played, Washington was without forward Markieff Morris and guard Carrick Felix. Both received one-game suspensions for coming off the bench during the fight.
Not that it mattered.
The Kings shot 27.9 percent in the first half and trailed by double digits for the final 43 minutes.
“Once they got on us, our young guys got a little frantic and then the wheels kind of came off,” Kings coach Dave Joerger said.
Brian Bogdanovic scored 15 while Kosta Koufos added seven points and 10 rebounds for Sacramento.
ALL THOSE 3s
Of the 85 shots attempted by Washington, 34 came from beyond the arc. That accounted for 40 percent of the Wizards’ shooting. The 17 made 3-pointers were one shy of the franchise record. “We were aggressive off the dribble and they did a good job of closing in their defense,” Beal said. “Then we take full advantage of making the extra pass and getting guys shots.”
TIP-INS
Wizards: Washington’s 35 points in the opening 12 minutes were their most in any quarter this season. ... The day off probably benefited Morris, who is still on the mend from sports hernia surgery. The Wizards’ bench combined for 45 points.
Kings: Sacramento missed its first nine shots and 13 of 16 to begin the game. ... Zach Randolph and George Hill were given the day off by Joerger.
UP NEXT
Wizards: Host Phoenix on Wednesday night.
Kings: Travel to play the Pacers on Tuesday night. Sacramento hasn’t won in Indiana since Dec. 23, 2015.
Associated Press
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Two consecutive fourth-quarter meltdowns put the Wizards in a hole on their current road trip. It also set the stage for Washington’s most lopsided win of the season.
A defense that forced 20 turnovers and an offense that set a season high with 17 3-pointers helped, too.
John Wall scored 11 of his 19 points in the first quarter and had nine assists, Otto Porter Jr. had 16 points and the Wizards beat the Sacramento Kings 110-83 on Sunday.
“It was probably the best that we’ve played on both ends of the court,” Washington coach Scott Brooks said. “Hopefully we can continue that trend.”
The 27-point victory kept the Wizards out of the record books. Washington’s first five games were decided by five points or fewer; no team had ever opened the season with six.
Wall made it a moot point early by making his first four shots, including three 3-pointers, as Washington jumped to a 13-0 lead that was never threatened.
“I haven’t been shooting the ball well so far this season,” Wall said. “If I make shots, teams are willing to live with that instead of letting me get into the paint and get to the basket. If I’m able to knock down shots on a consistent basis it makes our team a lot better and it makes us tougher to guard.”
Bradley Beal added 15 points on 6-of-11 shooting for Washington after being fined $50,000 by the NBA earlier in the day for his role in a fight with Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors on Friday.
The Wizards were up 63-32 at halftime, had a 36-point advantage early in the third quarter and prevented the Kings from getting closer than 27 the rest of the way.
Mike Scott added 13 points and Kelly Oubre Jr. had nine points and seven rebounds to help Washington snap a two-game losing streak.
Beal was surprised to be playing at all. The veteran guard expected to be suspended after the fight with Green late in the first half of Friday’s 120-117 loss to the Warriors. Beal and Green received technical fouls and were ejected from the game.
“I was really happy I wasn’t suspended,” Beal said. “I knew I was going to get fined one way or the other. It is what it is. Now I can put this behind me.”
While Beal played, Washington was without forward Markieff Morris and guard Carrick Felix. Both received one-game suspensions for coming off the bench during the fight.
Not that it mattered.
The Kings shot 27.9 percent in the first half and trailed by double digits for the final 43 minutes.
“Once they got on us, our young guys got a little frantic and then the wheels kind of came off,” Kings coach Dave Joerger said.
Brian Bogdanovic scored 15 while Kosta Koufos added seven points and 10 rebounds for Sacramento.
ALL THOSE 3s
Of the 85 shots attempted by Washington, 34 came from beyond the arc. That accounted for 40 percent of the Wizards’ shooting. The 17 made 3-pointers were one shy of the franchise record. “We were aggressive off the dribble and they did a good job of closing in their defense,” Beal said. “Then we take full advantage of making the extra pass and getting guys shots.”
TIP-INS
Wizards: Washington’s 35 points in the opening 12 minutes were their most in any quarter this season. ... The day off probably benefited Morris, who is still on the mend from sports hernia surgery. The Wizards’ bench combined for 45 points.
Kings: Sacramento missed its first nine shots and 13 of 16 to begin the game. ... Zach Randolph and George Hill were given the day off by Joerger.
UP NEXT
Wizards: Host Phoenix on Wednesday night.
Kings: Travel to play the Pacers on Tuesday night. Sacramento hasn’t won in Indiana since Dec. 23, 2015.
Tuesday, October 24, 2017
Booker, Suns top Kings 117-115 for 1st win
By JOSE M. ROMERO
Associated Press
PHOENIX (AP) — On his way out of Phoenix’s locker room Monday night, Devin Booker popped his head into the coaches’ office to congratulate interim coach Jay Triano.
The Suns had a perfect response to a rough time for the franchise.
Booker scored 22 points, including two free throws with 9.8 seconds to play, and Phoenix beat the Sacramento Kings 117-115 for its first win of the season in its first game under Triano.
Booker called Monday a must-win game. Phoenix fired coach Earl Watson on Sunday and guard Eric Bledsoe was sent home Monday morning after he sent out a tweet over the weekend that left the impression he no longer wanted to play for the Suns.
“Everything that happened in the last 24 hours should have been eye-opening to us,” Booker said. “I’m proud of the team how we responded. Came out and fought.”
Phoenix shot 54.5 percent from the field and held on after Sacramento rallied in the final period. Marquese Chriss scored 19 points, and Mike James finished with 18 in his first career start.
“I’m happy for our players,” Triano said.
The Kings have dropped three of four to begin the season. Garrett Temple matched a career high with 23 points, and rookie De’Aaron Fox had 19.
The Suns led by double digits for much of the fourth quarter, but Temple hit back-to-back 3-pointers to make it 112-110 with 1:20 to play. Then Fox tied it with a layup.
James looped a high-arching left-handed layup over two defenders with 14.8 seconds to go, putting the Suns back in front. Temple drew a foul at the other end but made one of two free throws, and the Suns’ Troy Daniels made a foul shot with 5.1 seconds left.
“I work on that a lot actually, like every day,” James said of his shot.
The Kings had one last chance, but Temple missed a 3 at the buzzer.
“I felt it was in. I felt I rushed it a little more than I should have,” Temple said. “I had a little more time left. You make some, you miss some.”
With Triano directing the team from the sideline, the Suns raced out to a 22-point lead, making 14 of 20 first-quarter shots.
“They came out firing, we knew they would,” Kings coach Dave Joerger said.
Chriss scored 10 points in the first 12 minutes. But the Kings got as close as five in the second quarter and trailed 59-51 at halftime, with former Suns draft pick Bogdan Bogdanovic scoring all 12 of his points in the second in his NBA debut.
MOVING ON
Triano changed up what had been the Suns’ starting five for the first three games under Watson. Booker, T.J. Warren and Tyson Chandler remained in while Chriss and James made their first starts of the season.
“I just want to be on the floor, period,” Chriss said. “Being able to get in my flow early helped me.”
Triano said he hadn’t slept much and was running on adrenaline.
“We’re going to learn on the fly and I’m going to stop the game,” he said. “If I use all timeouts to teach, I’m going to use all timeouts to teach.”
TIP-INS
Kings: Joerger said he has known Triano for some time via basketball circles. “He’s an incredible basketball mind,” Joerger said. ... G-F Vince Carter became the sixth NBA player to play against the Suns in his 20th season or later. ... Sacramento got 78 points from its reserves.
Suns: Triano got a quick embrace from Carter just before tipoff. The two were together in Toronto 14 seasons ago. ... F Jared Dudley saw his first action of the season, playing five minutes.
UP NEXT
Kings: Host New Orleans on Thursday.
Suns: Host Utah on Wednesday night.
Associated Press
PHOENIX (AP) — On his way out of Phoenix’s locker room Monday night, Devin Booker popped his head into the coaches’ office to congratulate interim coach Jay Triano.
The Suns had a perfect response to a rough time for the franchise.
Booker scored 22 points, including two free throws with 9.8 seconds to play, and Phoenix beat the Sacramento Kings 117-115 for its first win of the season in its first game under Triano.
Booker called Monday a must-win game. Phoenix fired coach Earl Watson on Sunday and guard Eric Bledsoe was sent home Monday morning after he sent out a tweet over the weekend that left the impression he no longer wanted to play for the Suns.
“Everything that happened in the last 24 hours should have been eye-opening to us,” Booker said. “I’m proud of the team how we responded. Came out and fought.”
Phoenix shot 54.5 percent from the field and held on after Sacramento rallied in the final period. Marquese Chriss scored 19 points, and Mike James finished with 18 in his first career start.
“I’m happy for our players,” Triano said.
The Kings have dropped three of four to begin the season. Garrett Temple matched a career high with 23 points, and rookie De’Aaron Fox had 19.
The Suns led by double digits for much of the fourth quarter, but Temple hit back-to-back 3-pointers to make it 112-110 with 1:20 to play. Then Fox tied it with a layup.
James looped a high-arching left-handed layup over two defenders with 14.8 seconds to go, putting the Suns back in front. Temple drew a foul at the other end but made one of two free throws, and the Suns’ Troy Daniels made a foul shot with 5.1 seconds left.
“I work on that a lot actually, like every day,” James said of his shot.
The Kings had one last chance, but Temple missed a 3 at the buzzer.
“I felt it was in. I felt I rushed it a little more than I should have,” Temple said. “I had a little more time left. You make some, you miss some.”
With Triano directing the team from the sideline, the Suns raced out to a 22-point lead, making 14 of 20 first-quarter shots.
“They came out firing, we knew they would,” Kings coach Dave Joerger said.
Chriss scored 10 points in the first 12 minutes. But the Kings got as close as five in the second quarter and trailed 59-51 at halftime, with former Suns draft pick Bogdan Bogdanovic scoring all 12 of his points in the second in his NBA debut.
MOVING ON
Triano changed up what had been the Suns’ starting five for the first three games under Watson. Booker, T.J. Warren and Tyson Chandler remained in while Chriss and James made their first starts of the season.
“I just want to be on the floor, period,” Chriss said. “Being able to get in my flow early helped me.”
Triano said he hadn’t slept much and was running on adrenaline.
“We’re going to learn on the fly and I’m going to stop the game,” he said. “If I use all timeouts to teach, I’m going to use all timeouts to teach.”
TIP-INS
Kings: Joerger said he has known Triano for some time via basketball circles. “He’s an incredible basketball mind,” Joerger said. ... G-F Vince Carter became the sixth NBA player to play against the Suns in his 20th season or later. ... Sacramento got 78 points from its reserves.
Suns: Triano got a quick embrace from Carter just before tipoff. The two were together in Toronto 14 seasons ago. ... F Jared Dudley saw his first action of the season, playing five minutes.
UP NEXT
Kings: Host New Orleans on Thursday.
Suns: Host Utah on Wednesday night.
Friday, July 14, 2017
Recap: Smith Jr. leads unbeaten Mavs past Kings
Joel Bartilotta, RotoWire
Dennis Smith Jr.’s strong shooting performance led the No. 3-seeded Dallas Mavericks to an 83-76 victory over the No. 19-seeded Sacramento Kings in Las Vegas Summer League second-round playoff action on Thursday evening at Thomas and Mack Center.
The Mavericks (4-0) established the tone early by building a 23-15 first-quarter lead, an advantage that had grown to 41-31 by halftime. The Kings (1-4) were much more proficient offensively in the second half, as evidenced by their 45 points over the third and fourth periods. However, they lost the turnover battle by a 16-11 margin and ultimately fell short despite outperforming Dallas in all three shooting categories and rebounding. The 64-54 edge that the Mavericks entered the fourth quarter with – which grew to as much as 73-60 at the 6:32 mark of the period -- was key, as the Kings couldn’t get any closer than within five points, which came with 21.9 second remaining.
Smith, the Mavericks’ 2017 first-round pick, posted 25 points (7-15 FG, 4-8 3Pt, 7-9 FT), seven rebounds, two assists and three steals. Johnathan Motley posted 15 points, three rebounds and an assist to lead the bench. Carrick Felix, a 2013 second-round pick of the Cavaliers, tallied 11 points, one rebound, one assist, one steal and one block. Brandon Ashley managed nine points, four rebounds, an assist and a block. Dorian Finney-Smith followed with eight points, seven boards, two assists and two steals. Corey Webster was productive in a reserve role as well with eight points, three rebounds, two assists and two steals. Yogi Ferrell was notably scoreless over 27 minutes, coming up empty on 10 field-goal attempts. He did supply five rebounds, two assists and a steal.
First-round pick Justin Jackson paced the Kings with 25 points, which he supplemented with four rebounds, four assists and two steals. Luis Montero followed with 13 points, nine boards, a steal and a block. Jack Cooley paced the reserves with 10 points while adding three rebounds and a block. Promising second-year big man Georgios Papagiannis contributed a full line of six points, eight rebounds, two assists and two blocks. Naz Mitrou-Long registered eight points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals. JaKarr Sampson, who boasts 147 games of NBA regular-season experience, mustered eight points, seven boards, one assist, four blocks and one steal in 20 minutes off the bench.
The Mavericks now move on to a Saturday quarterfinal matchup against the No. 6-seeded Boston Celtics.
Dennis Smith Jr.’s strong shooting performance led the No. 3-seeded Dallas Mavericks to an 83-76 victory over the No. 19-seeded Sacramento Kings in Las Vegas Summer League second-round playoff action on Thursday evening at Thomas and Mack Center.
The Mavericks (4-0) established the tone early by building a 23-15 first-quarter lead, an advantage that had grown to 41-31 by halftime. The Kings (1-4) were much more proficient offensively in the second half, as evidenced by their 45 points over the third and fourth periods. However, they lost the turnover battle by a 16-11 margin and ultimately fell short despite outperforming Dallas in all three shooting categories and rebounding. The 64-54 edge that the Mavericks entered the fourth quarter with – which grew to as much as 73-60 at the 6:32 mark of the period -- was key, as the Kings couldn’t get any closer than within five points, which came with 21.9 second remaining.
Smith, the Mavericks’ 2017 first-round pick, posted 25 points (7-15 FG, 4-8 3Pt, 7-9 FT), seven rebounds, two assists and three steals. Johnathan Motley posted 15 points, three rebounds and an assist to lead the bench. Carrick Felix, a 2013 second-round pick of the Cavaliers, tallied 11 points, one rebound, one assist, one steal and one block. Brandon Ashley managed nine points, four rebounds, an assist and a block. Dorian Finney-Smith followed with eight points, seven boards, two assists and two steals. Corey Webster was productive in a reserve role as well with eight points, three rebounds, two assists and two steals. Yogi Ferrell was notably scoreless over 27 minutes, coming up empty on 10 field-goal attempts. He did supply five rebounds, two assists and a steal.
First-round pick Justin Jackson paced the Kings with 25 points, which he supplemented with four rebounds, four assists and two steals. Luis Montero followed with 13 points, nine boards, a steal and a block. Jack Cooley paced the reserves with 10 points while adding three rebounds and a block. Promising second-year big man Georgios Papagiannis contributed a full line of six points, eight rebounds, two assists and two blocks. Naz Mitrou-Long registered eight points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals. JaKarr Sampson, who boasts 147 games of NBA regular-season experience, mustered eight points, seven boards, one assist, four blocks and one steal in 20 minutes off the bench.
The Mavericks now move on to a Saturday quarterfinal matchup against the No. 6-seeded Boston Celtics.
Saturday, July 8, 2017
Reports: Vince Carter lands one-year deal with Kings
Free agent Vince Carter agreed to a one-year, $8 million deal with the Sacramento Kings on Thursday, according to multiple media reports.
At 40 years old, Carter is the NBA's oldest active player.
Last season with the Memphis Grizzlies, Carter averaged 8.0 points and 3.1 rebounds in 24.6 minutes per game.
The eight-time All-Star ranks 22nd on the league's all-time scoring list with 24,555 career points.
Carter, the fifth pick in the 1998 draft, was the 1998-99 Rookie of the Year with the Toronto Raptors. He subsequently played for the New Jersey Nets, Orlando Magic, Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks and Memphis.
For his career, Carter is averaging 18.2 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.3 assists.
At 40 years old, Carter is the NBA's oldest active player.
Last season with the Memphis Grizzlies, Carter averaged 8.0 points and 3.1 rebounds in 24.6 minutes per game.
The eight-time All-Star ranks 22nd on the league's all-time scoring list with 24,555 career points.
Carter, the fifth pick in the 1998 draft, was the 1998-99 Rookie of the Year with the Toronto Raptors. He subsequently played for the New Jersey Nets, Orlando Magic, Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks and Memphis.
For his career, Carter is averaging 18.2 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.3 assists.
Thursday, July 6, 2017
Reports: Vince Carter lands one-year deal with Kings
Free agent Vince Carter agreed to a one-year, $8 million deal with the Sacramento Kings on Thursday, according to multiple media reports.
At 40 years old, Carters is the NBA's oldest active player.
Last season with the Memphis Grizzlies, Carter averaged 8.0 points and 3.1 rebounds in 24.6 minutes per game.
The eight-time All-Star ranks 22nd on the league's all-time scoring list with 24,555 career points.
Carter, the fifth pick in the 1998 draft, was the 1998-99 Rookie of the Year with the Toronto Raptors. He subsequently played for the New Jersey Nets, Orlando Magic, Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks and Memphis.
For his career, Carter is averaging 18.2 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.3 assists.
Wednesday, April 12, 2017
Hield, Lawson lead Kings past Suns, 129-104
Associated Press
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) It took nine seasons and 551 games. Now Ty Lawson finally has the triple-double that eluded him for years.
Buddy Hield scored a career-high 30 points and Lawson had his first career triple-double, getting 22 points, 12 assists and 11 rebounds to lead the Sacramento Kings to a 129-104 victory over the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday night.
A veteran guard who has resurrected his career with a solid first season with the Kings, Lawson said he's come close to getting a triple-double multiple times. Yet each time it was the rebound total that was holding him back.
Inserted back into the game in the fourth quarter, Lawson grabbed his 10th rebound to ignite a fast-break dunk by Skal Labissiere. Lawson was hugged by teammates moments later after the Suns called a timeout following 11 unanswered points by the Kings.
"The ball was bouncing my way early and I was trying to be aggressive overall, getting into the paint," Lawson said. "If it (triple-double) happened it happened. Coach put me back in. He wanted me to have it."
The Kings never trailed, scoring the game's first nine points, leading by 19 at halftime and keeping a double-digit lead the entire second half. It helped that Phoenix never got going offensively, shooting just under 30 percent in the opening half and 37.6 percent overall.
The Suns closed the season with 14 losses in 16 games and finished with the second-worst record in the NBA. They had a second consecutive 50-plus loss season, missing the playoffs for the seventh straight time.
"We still have a lot of talent, we can grow together and gain experience," said Marquese Chriss, who had 22 points. "We've had a tough season, long road trips, and many back-to-backs. It's just another game. We just have to keep growing, moving forward, and try your best."
Ben McLemore, Willie Cauley-Stein and Georgios Papagiannis all had 13 points for the Kings. The Kings snapped a two-game losing streak, beating the Suns for the third time in four games this season.
Following the trade of DeMarcus Cousins at the All-Star break, the Kings took a new direction and have focused on the development of younger players, including three rookies. Sacramento has 11 straight losing seasons with zero playoff appearances.
"We just wanted to go out with a huge impression, something to look forward to next season," said Hield, who had 15 points in the fourth quarter. "The energy tonight felt real good, like opening night again.
"I just can't wait to work this summer and get better, get to know the guys better, the coaching staff, so we can all connect."
Tyler Ulis had 27 points and six assists for Phoenix, which gave leading scorer Devon Booker the night off on its final game of the season.
TIP-INS
Suns: Chriss grew up in Sacramento and was drafted by the Kings last June but his rights were traded that day to the Suns. ... Phoenix missed 22 of 30 3-point attempts.
Kings: Georgios Papagiannis got in a shoving match late in the first quarter with Dragan Bender, and Chriss also intervened. All three players received technicals. The technical on Papagiannis was the first for the Kings since Cousins departed the team. ... The Kings are 8-16 since the Cousins trade.
GAY UNDECIDED ABOUT NEXT SEASON
Veteran Kings forward Rudy Gay tore his Achilles tendon and only played 30 games this season. He said the rehab is ahead of schedule and he's anxious to get back in the gym. However, Gay is an unrestricted free agent and isn't sure if he will be returning to the Kings next season.
"It's one thing at a time. I think I've been doing well just worrying about my injury," he said. "I'm going to stick with that and let the people I pay to handle it."
UP NEXT
Suns: No more games remaining.
Kings: Conclude the season on the road Wednesday night against the Clippers.
Saturday, April 8, 2017
Randle, Brewer help Lakers edge Kings 98-94
By STEVE DILBECK
Associated Press
LOS ANGELES (AP) – Maybe you can't win for losing, but the Los Angeles Lakers may find you can lose by winning.
The Lakers have picked an odd time to suddenly start playing their best basketball since the start of the season, beating the Sacramento Kings 98-94 Friday night for their third consecutive victory.
While some scream for them to tank at the season's end to finish behind the Phoenix Suns for the second-worst record in the NBA and improved odds in the lottery, the young Lakers (24-55) are instead seemingly learning how to win close games.
"We don't believe in (tanking)," said forward Julius Randle. "The basketball gods would come back to haunt us."
Randle led the Lakers with 25 points, consistently driving aggressively to the basket. His motivation wasn't hurt by having his old college basketball coach, Kentucky's John Calipari, at the game.
But the biggest play of the night was turned in on the defensive end by forward Corey Brewer.
The Lakers were leading 94-92 with 5 seconds left when guard Buddy Hield tried to inbound the ball. Brewer was guarding the inbound pass. Hield lazily tried to throw the ball over Brewer, standing just a couple feet in front of him, and Brewer simply jumped up and snagged the ball.
He was fouled and made both free throws.
"I have to do a better job inbounding the ball," Hield said. "I have to use my deception better."
The Kings had five players score in double figures, but it wasn't enough to overcome 23 turnovers.
Skal Labissiere led Sacramento with 19 points, while Hield had 17. Darren Collison added 15 points and 10 assists, Willie Cauley-Stein scored 14 points and Georgios Papagiannis had 10 points and 10 rebounds off the bench.
Brandon Ingram joined Randle in double figures for the Lakers with 14 points, while D'Angelo Russell had 13 points and Jordan Clarkson 12.
TIP-INS
Kings: Sacramento is apparently unconcerned with how its play will impact its own lottery chances. The Kings entered Friday having won four of their last six and tied with the Timberwolves for seventh-worst record in the league. Said Kings coach Dave Joerger: "There's no tanking here."
Lakers: Had won only 22 games all season, but Wednesday surprised the Spurs in San Antonio with a 102-95 win. Said Lakers coach Luke Walton: "It's sports. It's odd (but) we beat the Golden State Warriors by 20 earlier this season."
BLOCKING OUT
The Kings outrebounded the Lakers 15-6 in the first quarter but were outrebounded the rest of the way 36-25 (14-5 offensive boards). Said Joerger: "They threw us around in the paint and got 16 offensive rebounds. . We have to do a better job of protecting the rim."
KIDS LEARNING
The Lakers have struggled to finish close games all season, but particularly after trading leading score Lou Williams to Houston on Feb. 21. Their three consecutive victories, however, have been by 4, 7 and 5 points. Said Walton: "They seem to be more comfortable. I hope it's from the opportunity they've had and not because it's the end of the season and there really isn't any pressure on us."
UP NEXT
Kings: Will have their improved play of late tested Sunday when they host the Rockets. Houston has won 11 of the last 12 against the Kings, including all three this season.
Lakers: Host the Timberwolves Sunday, a team that beat them by 15 points a week ago in Minnesota. Timberwolves have gone 8-6 against the Lakers after a 22-game skid.
Associated Press
LOS ANGELES (AP) – Maybe you can't win for losing, but the Los Angeles Lakers may find you can lose by winning.
The Lakers have picked an odd time to suddenly start playing their best basketball since the start of the season, beating the Sacramento Kings 98-94 Friday night for their third consecutive victory.
While some scream for them to tank at the season's end to finish behind the Phoenix Suns for the second-worst record in the NBA and improved odds in the lottery, the young Lakers (24-55) are instead seemingly learning how to win close games.
"We don't believe in (tanking)," said forward Julius Randle. "The basketball gods would come back to haunt us."
Randle led the Lakers with 25 points, consistently driving aggressively to the basket. His motivation wasn't hurt by having his old college basketball coach, Kentucky's John Calipari, at the game.
But the biggest play of the night was turned in on the defensive end by forward Corey Brewer.
The Lakers were leading 94-92 with 5 seconds left when guard Buddy Hield tried to inbound the ball. Brewer was guarding the inbound pass. Hield lazily tried to throw the ball over Brewer, standing just a couple feet in front of him, and Brewer simply jumped up and snagged the ball.
He was fouled and made both free throws.
"I have to do a better job inbounding the ball," Hield said. "I have to use my deception better."
The Kings had five players score in double figures, but it wasn't enough to overcome 23 turnovers.
Skal Labissiere led Sacramento with 19 points, while Hield had 17. Darren Collison added 15 points and 10 assists, Willie Cauley-Stein scored 14 points and Georgios Papagiannis had 10 points and 10 rebounds off the bench.
Brandon Ingram joined Randle in double figures for the Lakers with 14 points, while D'Angelo Russell had 13 points and Jordan Clarkson 12.
TIP-INS
Kings: Sacramento is apparently unconcerned with how its play will impact its own lottery chances. The Kings entered Friday having won four of their last six and tied with the Timberwolves for seventh-worst record in the league. Said Kings coach Dave Joerger: "There's no tanking here."
Lakers: Had won only 22 games all season, but Wednesday surprised the Spurs in San Antonio with a 102-95 win. Said Lakers coach Luke Walton: "It's sports. It's odd (but) we beat the Golden State Warriors by 20 earlier this season."
BLOCKING OUT
The Kings outrebounded the Lakers 15-6 in the first quarter but were outrebounded the rest of the way 36-25 (14-5 offensive boards). Said Joerger: "They threw us around in the paint and got 16 offensive rebounds. . We have to do a better job of protecting the rim."
KIDS LEARNING
The Lakers have struggled to finish close games all season, but particularly after trading leading score Lou Williams to Houston on Feb. 21. Their three consecutive victories, however, have been by 4, 7 and 5 points. Said Walton: "They seem to be more comfortable. I hope it's from the opportunity they've had and not because it's the end of the season and there really isn't any pressure on us."
UP NEXT
Kings: Will have their improved play of late tested Sunday when they host the Rockets. Houston has won 11 of the last 12 against the Kings, including all three this season.
Lakers: Host the Timberwolves Sunday, a team that beat them by 15 points a week ago in Minnesota. Timberwolves have gone 8-6 against the Lakers after a 22-game skid.
Tuesday, April 4, 2017
Mavericks, Kings play out string but stay focused
Stats, LLC
SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- The Dallas Mavericks and Sacramento Kings won't have much on the line when they tip off Tuesday night at the Golden 1 Center, but the coaches and players for both teams insist that won't be noticeable.
"We're playing to win. I'm never going to not play to win," Dallas guard Wesley Matthews told the Dallas Morning News. "That's what this room is like, too. We love basketball, and that's what we're here to do."
The Mavericks (32-44) arrive for their only game this season in Sacramento's new area fresh off elimination from the playoffs for the first time since the 2012-13 season. They will miss the postseason for only the second time since the end of the 1999-2000 campaign.
Missing the playoffs is nothing new for the Kings (30-47), who will sit out the party for the 11th consecutive season. But they aren't playing with the effort that such a lousy history might suggest.
On Saturday, Sacramento overcame a 16-point deficit to beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 123-117.
"Just keep attacking," Kings guard Ty Lawson said after the game. "It's mental."
The Kings are looking to the future. They received a mental boost to that end Monday, when guard Buddy Hield was named the Western Conference Rookie of the Month.
Hield was the focal point in Sacramento's trade of All-Star center DeMarcus Cousins to the New Orleans Pelicans at the All-Star break.
"He's been working hard, trying to learn a new place and how to play in the league, and he's improving," Kings coach Dave Joerger told the Sacramento Bee. "He had one of his better games against Minnesota."
Hield, who scored 22 points against the Timberwolves, has averaged 14.1 points and shot 48.3 percent from the field in March. He also canned 42.5 percent of his 3-pointers and made a rookie-best 37 3s, adding this award to the one he captured in December with the Pelicans.
The Kings are 6-14 since the Feb. 19 trade but 3-2 in their past five.
"My role has changed, more of a scoring mentality," Hield told the Sacramento Bee. "(I'm) trying to figure out how to lead this team to wins, and that's the reason why the ownership ... brought me here, to try to get some wins."
The Mavericks already are assured of their first losing season since 1999-2000 and will fail to win 40 games for the first time in a full season going 20-62 in 1997-98. They selected Dirk Nowitzki with their first pick in the draft after the '98 disaster, and would pick ninth in this draft if the season ended, and they aren't seeking to move up.
"We have a lot of pride in this locker room," forward Harrison Barnes told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. "We have vets who played in this league a long time -- won championships -- and we have younger guys who are trying to make a name for themselves ... and trying to get established.
"And to kind of throw it in and say, 'Oh, we're just not going to really care,' ... and get blown out every night ... is not the culture that we're trying to build."
Nowitzki is questionable to play against the Kings, as is former Sacramento guard Seth Curry. Nowitzki left Sunday's game against Milwaukee with a sore Achilles tendon. Curry aggravated a left shoulder injury against the Bucks.
Dallas will be playing the fourth game on a season-high five-game road trip, which will end Wednesday at the Los Angeles Clippers.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- The Dallas Mavericks and Sacramento Kings won't have much on the line when they tip off Tuesday night at the Golden 1 Center, but the coaches and players for both teams insist that won't be noticeable.
"We're playing to win. I'm never going to not play to win," Dallas guard Wesley Matthews told the Dallas Morning News. "That's what this room is like, too. We love basketball, and that's what we're here to do."
The Mavericks (32-44) arrive for their only game this season in Sacramento's new area fresh off elimination from the playoffs for the first time since the 2012-13 season. They will miss the postseason for only the second time since the end of the 1999-2000 campaign.
Missing the playoffs is nothing new for the Kings (30-47), who will sit out the party for the 11th consecutive season. But they aren't playing with the effort that such a lousy history might suggest.
On Saturday, Sacramento overcame a 16-point deficit to beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 123-117.
"Just keep attacking," Kings guard Ty Lawson said after the game. "It's mental."
The Kings are looking to the future. They received a mental boost to that end Monday, when guard Buddy Hield was named the Western Conference Rookie of the Month.
Hield was the focal point in Sacramento's trade of All-Star center DeMarcus Cousins to the New Orleans Pelicans at the All-Star break.
"He's been working hard, trying to learn a new place and how to play in the league, and he's improving," Kings coach Dave Joerger told the Sacramento Bee. "He had one of his better games against Minnesota."
Hield, who scored 22 points against the Timberwolves, has averaged 14.1 points and shot 48.3 percent from the field in March. He also canned 42.5 percent of his 3-pointers and made a rookie-best 37 3s, adding this award to the one he captured in December with the Pelicans.
The Kings are 6-14 since the Feb. 19 trade but 3-2 in their past five.
"My role has changed, more of a scoring mentality," Hield told the Sacramento Bee. "(I'm) trying to figure out how to lead this team to wins, and that's the reason why the ownership ... brought me here, to try to get some wins."
The Mavericks already are assured of their first losing season since 1999-2000 and will fail to win 40 games for the first time in a full season going 20-62 in 1997-98. They selected Dirk Nowitzki with their first pick in the draft after the '98 disaster, and would pick ninth in this draft if the season ended, and they aren't seeking to move up.
"We have a lot of pride in this locker room," forward Harrison Barnes told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. "We have vets who played in this league a long time -- won championships -- and we have younger guys who are trying to make a name for themselves ... and trying to get established.
"And to kind of throw it in and say, 'Oh, we're just not going to really care,' ... and get blown out every night ... is not the culture that we're trying to build."
Nowitzki is questionable to play against the Kings, as is former Sacramento guard Seth Curry. Nowitzki left Sunday's game against Milwaukee with a sore Achilles tendon. Curry aggravated a left shoulder injury against the Bucks.
Dallas will be playing the fourth game on a season-high five-game road trip, which will end Wednesday at the Los Angeles Clippers.
Sunday, April 2, 2017
Hield's 22 points lead Kings to 123-117 win against Wolves
By BRIAN HALL
Associated Press
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) The Sacramento Kings were ending a grueling stretch of five games in seven nights with a long back-to-back from New Orleans to Minnesota.
Getting 66 points from the bench helps overcome tough travel.
Buddy Hield tied a career high with 22 points, going 4 of 6 from 3-point range, and the Kings' reserves dominated Minnesota's in a 123-117 victory on Saturday night.
Reserve point guard Ty Lawson had 21 points and 11 assists. Langston Galloway added 17 points and Aaron Afflalo scored 16 to lead the Kings' 66-26 advantage in bench points.
"I commend our second group coming in and giving us that energy because we really needed, especially on a back-to-back and the stretch that we're on," center Willie Cauley-Stein said. "That was much-needed for us because it could have easily went the other way and got real ugly."
The Kings recovered after losing by 28 points a night earlier at New Orleans against former Kings star DeMarcus Cousins. Sacramento shot a season-high 56.4 percent to win for the sixth time in 15 games since trading Cousins on Feb. 21.
"It's a struggle playing five games in seven nights," coach Dave Joerger said. "This was tough. It was a good test for our young guys to mentally fight through."
Andrew Wiggins scored 32 points for Minnesota, which had won five of its previous six homes games. A game after scoring a career-high 33 points, Ricky Rubio had 11 points on just 1-of-10 shooting, and added 13 assists.
Karl-Anthony Towns had 26 points and 11 rebounds for the Timberwolves.
"We didn't do what we needed to do," Towns said. "It's as simple as that. We didn't keep them out of the paint. We also let them hit too many 3s. That comes from ball pressure and doing the little things in our defensive scheme."
The Kings looked like weary road travelers early, as Minnesota had another quick start with 31 points in the first quarter. Sacramento had nine turnovers in the first and shot 43.8 percent.
The bench got the Kings back in the game and then Sacramento took control with a 26-9 run at the end of the third and start of the fourth. Lawson scored 12 points in the second half and was 11 of 14 from the free-throw line in the game.
TIP-INS
Kings: Tyreke Evans, Kosta Koufos and Garrett Temple were ruled out for planned rest. ... Cauley-Stein had 15 points and 10 rebounds for his fifth double-double of the season - all since the All-Star break. ... Sacramento is 15-25 on the road, including two wins in Minnesota.
Timberwolves: G Zach LaVine was chosen the Flip Saunders Legacy Award recipient. The award, named after Minnesota's former coach, recognizes excellence in community service and is voted on by the team's players. ... Rubio had his third straight double-double and 22nd of the season. ... The Wolves are 19-20 at home this season.
HIELD HITTING
Given a chance for more minutes since being traded for Cousins, Hield has responded. The rookie entered the game averaging 13.9 points and shooting 48.5 percent from the field and 41.0 percent from 3 in his 19 games with Sacramento.
Saturday was his fifth 20-point performance and third with the Kings.
"I think that's Buddy Hield's best game as a pro," Joerger said. "Whether he made shots or not, he's learning to do the other things; when we help, when we don't. Some of it is just learning to be a pro and some of it is learning how we do it in Sacramento. I thought he did a really nice job."
DEFENSIVE SLIDE
Minnesota won nine of 13 games in February and early March and seemed to be adjusting to coach Tom Thibodeau's defensive approach. The Wolves held opponents under 100 points in seven of the 13 games.
The 123 points scored by Sacramento was the fourth time an opponent reached that mark in the past eight games.
"We've got to keep working at it," Thibodeau said. "I thought our starters got us off to a good start and our bench came in and we had reckless fouls. We had some tough shots. ... We've got to straighten that out."
UP NEXT
Kings: Return home to play the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday.
Timberwolves: Finish the homestand on Monday against the Portland Trail Blazers, a makeup of the March 6 postponement because of condensation on the court.
Associated Press
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) The Sacramento Kings were ending a grueling stretch of five games in seven nights with a long back-to-back from New Orleans to Minnesota.
Getting 66 points from the bench helps overcome tough travel.
Buddy Hield tied a career high with 22 points, going 4 of 6 from 3-point range, and the Kings' reserves dominated Minnesota's in a 123-117 victory on Saturday night.
Reserve point guard Ty Lawson had 21 points and 11 assists. Langston Galloway added 17 points and Aaron Afflalo scored 16 to lead the Kings' 66-26 advantage in bench points.
"I commend our second group coming in and giving us that energy because we really needed, especially on a back-to-back and the stretch that we're on," center Willie Cauley-Stein said. "That was much-needed for us because it could have easily went the other way and got real ugly."
The Kings recovered after losing by 28 points a night earlier at New Orleans against former Kings star DeMarcus Cousins. Sacramento shot a season-high 56.4 percent to win for the sixth time in 15 games since trading Cousins on Feb. 21.
"It's a struggle playing five games in seven nights," coach Dave Joerger said. "This was tough. It was a good test for our young guys to mentally fight through."
Andrew Wiggins scored 32 points for Minnesota, which had won five of its previous six homes games. A game after scoring a career-high 33 points, Ricky Rubio had 11 points on just 1-of-10 shooting, and added 13 assists.
Karl-Anthony Towns had 26 points and 11 rebounds for the Timberwolves.
"We didn't do what we needed to do," Towns said. "It's as simple as that. We didn't keep them out of the paint. We also let them hit too many 3s. That comes from ball pressure and doing the little things in our defensive scheme."
The Kings looked like weary road travelers early, as Minnesota had another quick start with 31 points in the first quarter. Sacramento had nine turnovers in the first and shot 43.8 percent.
The bench got the Kings back in the game and then Sacramento took control with a 26-9 run at the end of the third and start of the fourth. Lawson scored 12 points in the second half and was 11 of 14 from the free-throw line in the game.
TIP-INS
Kings: Tyreke Evans, Kosta Koufos and Garrett Temple were ruled out for planned rest. ... Cauley-Stein had 15 points and 10 rebounds for his fifth double-double of the season - all since the All-Star break. ... Sacramento is 15-25 on the road, including two wins in Minnesota.
Timberwolves: G Zach LaVine was chosen the Flip Saunders Legacy Award recipient. The award, named after Minnesota's former coach, recognizes excellence in community service and is voted on by the team's players. ... Rubio had his third straight double-double and 22nd of the season. ... The Wolves are 19-20 at home this season.
HIELD HITTING
Given a chance for more minutes since being traded for Cousins, Hield has responded. The rookie entered the game averaging 13.9 points and shooting 48.5 percent from the field and 41.0 percent from 3 in his 19 games with Sacramento.
Saturday was his fifth 20-point performance and third with the Kings.
"I think that's Buddy Hield's best game as a pro," Joerger said. "Whether he made shots or not, he's learning to do the other things; when we help, when we don't. Some of it is just learning to be a pro and some of it is learning how we do it in Sacramento. I thought he did a really nice job."
DEFENSIVE SLIDE
Minnesota won nine of 13 games in February and early March and seemed to be adjusting to coach Tom Thibodeau's defensive approach. The Wolves held opponents under 100 points in seven of the 13 games.
The 123 points scored by Sacramento was the fourth time an opponent reached that mark in the past eight games.
"We've got to keep working at it," Thibodeau said. "I thought our starters got us off to a good start and our bench came in and we had reckless fouls. We had some tough shots. ... We've got to straighten that out."
UP NEXT
Kings: Return home to play the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday.
Timberwolves: Finish the homestand on Monday against the Portland Trail Blazers, a makeup of the March 6 postponement because of condensation on the court.
Wednesday, March 29, 2017
Jazz hope to continue upward trend vs. Kings
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SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- A little bit of rhythm from Rodney Hood has the Utah Jazz playing more spirited tunes than they were over the weekend.
Getting back to the playoffs for the first time in five seasons will do that, too.
So would the return of their leading scorer.
Forward Gordon Hayward and his 21.3 points per game are questionable for Utah's game Wednesday against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center. That's about the only downer news since the team cleared the air Monday after controversial comments by center Rudy Gobert about the inconsistency in effort from some of his teammates.
Gobert beat the Kings 110-109 in overtime earlier this month with a last-second tip-in in Utah's only other visit to Sacramento this season. That loss only momentarily slowed Utah's climb from a 25-win team in 2013-14 into a playoff team for the first time since 2011-12.
The Jazz (45-29) didn't need Tuesday's 108-100 home victory over the New Orleans Pelicans to complete that part of the ascent -- that happened when Denver lost to New Orleans on Sunday -- but it showcased some of the reasons why they aspire to bigger things.
Rodney Hood scored 20 points, and his legs seemed as fresh and healthy as they've been all season in just his fourth game back after experiencing right knee soreness. Hood also has missed time with a right hamstring strain, a right knee hyperextension and a bone bruise to the right knee. He shot 7-for-16 against New Orleans.
"It's hard to play and then not play, especially if you're a player that needs rhythm -- a shooter, a scorer," Utah coach Quin Snyder told the Salt Lake Tribune. "It takes you a while to get yourself back in a groove."
The Jazz might argue that they're not grooving yet. The win over New Orleans marked only their second in six games following a 20-9 stretch that catapulted them to the top half of the Western Conference. Utah leads the Los Angeles Clippers by 1 1/2 games in the quest for the fourth playoff slot and home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
Such aspirations seem a long way off for the Kings (29-45), who nonetheless can take inspiration in a future sense from Utah's fast rise and in an immediate sense from two straight last-second victories.
"Winning helps everybody," Sacramento second-year center Willie Cauley-Stein said. "It's not just the young dudes; it's the old dudes, too, because losing gets old."
The Kings stopped their losing ways by outscoring the Clippers 22-3 in the final 5:38 of a 98-97 victory on Sunday. A night later, guard Darren Collison sank two free throws with 5.7 seconds remaining for a 91-90 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies.
The latter victory also was significant in that the Kings rallied after squandering an 85-78 lead late in the final quarter.
"We're really locked in on defense," Cauley-Stein said. "I think we're starting to trust each other, that we're going to be in those spots to help each other, and it's starting to show a little bit. So it's only going to get better the more and more we keep on playing together."
How that will manifest over the summer remains under watch, as does the team's front office. The Kings issued a statement to two media outlets Monday that it won't hire former Philadelphia 76ers general manager Sam Hinkie, reportedly the target of Kings owner Vivek Ranadive.
For now, the organization also continues to say publicly that it has no plans to hire anybody above general manager Vlade Divac.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- A little bit of rhythm from Rodney Hood has the Utah Jazz playing more spirited tunes than they were over the weekend.
Getting back to the playoffs for the first time in five seasons will do that, too.
So would the return of their leading scorer.
Forward Gordon Hayward and his 21.3 points per game are questionable for Utah's game Wednesday against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center. That's about the only downer news since the team cleared the air Monday after controversial comments by center Rudy Gobert about the inconsistency in effort from some of his teammates.
Gobert beat the Kings 110-109 in overtime earlier this month with a last-second tip-in in Utah's only other visit to Sacramento this season. That loss only momentarily slowed Utah's climb from a 25-win team in 2013-14 into a playoff team for the first time since 2011-12.
The Jazz (45-29) didn't need Tuesday's 108-100 home victory over the New Orleans Pelicans to complete that part of the ascent -- that happened when Denver lost to New Orleans on Sunday -- but it showcased some of the reasons why they aspire to bigger things.
Rodney Hood scored 20 points, and his legs seemed as fresh and healthy as they've been all season in just his fourth game back after experiencing right knee soreness. Hood also has missed time with a right hamstring strain, a right knee hyperextension and a bone bruise to the right knee. He shot 7-for-16 against New Orleans.
"It's hard to play and then not play, especially if you're a player that needs rhythm -- a shooter, a scorer," Utah coach Quin Snyder told the Salt Lake Tribune. "It takes you a while to get yourself back in a groove."
The Jazz might argue that they're not grooving yet. The win over New Orleans marked only their second in six games following a 20-9 stretch that catapulted them to the top half of the Western Conference. Utah leads the Los Angeles Clippers by 1 1/2 games in the quest for the fourth playoff slot and home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
Such aspirations seem a long way off for the Kings (29-45), who nonetheless can take inspiration in a future sense from Utah's fast rise and in an immediate sense from two straight last-second victories.
"Winning helps everybody," Sacramento second-year center Willie Cauley-Stein said. "It's not just the young dudes; it's the old dudes, too, because losing gets old."
The Kings stopped their losing ways by outscoring the Clippers 22-3 in the final 5:38 of a 98-97 victory on Sunday. A night later, guard Darren Collison sank two free throws with 5.7 seconds remaining for a 91-90 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies.
The latter victory also was significant in that the Kings rallied after squandering an 85-78 lead late in the final quarter.
"We're really locked in on defense," Cauley-Stein said. "I think we're starting to trust each other, that we're going to be in those spots to help each other, and it's starting to show a little bit. So it's only going to get better the more and more we keep on playing together."
How that will manifest over the summer remains under watch, as does the team's front office. The Kings issued a statement to two media outlets Monday that it won't hire former Philadelphia 76ers general manager Sam Hinkie, reportedly the target of Kings owner Vivek Ranadive.
For now, the organization also continues to say publicly that it has no plans to hire anybody above general manager Vlade Divac.
Tuesday, March 28, 2017
Collison leads Kings to 91-90 win over slumping Grizzlies
By JEFFREY WEIDEL
Associated Press
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) This was no feel-good road trip for the Memphis Grizzlies, who had another loss to contemplate on a long flight home.
Darren Collison scored 23 points and made two crucial free throws in the closing seconds to help the Sacramento Kings hand the slumping Grizzlies their fourth consecutive defeat, 91-90 on Monday night.
A veteran team hoping to play well down the stretch in preparation for the playoffs, the Grizzlies are struggling instead. They sit seventh in the Western Conference, 2 1/2 games behind sixth-place Oklahoma City, which roared back late to defeat Dallas on Monday.
The Grizzlies have lost nine of 13 overall and have eight games left in the regular season.
"We're frustrated, obviously. Each game (on the road trip) has been different. We've had good and bad games, even in the losses," Mike Conley said. "Tonight we felt like we should have won. We really needed it."
The Grizzlies played without leading rebounder and second-leading scorer Marc Gasol, who missed his second consecutive game with a strained left foot. He's missed just five games this season after playing only 52 a year ago due to a broken right foot.
The victory was the second straight for the Kings, both over playoff-bound teams. Sacramento rallied from an 18-point deficit in the final five minutes to defeat the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday.
"This was a game they needed. I know it's tough without Marc, but this was maybe our last stand for the year as far as you're not going to see all our veterans play together for the rest of the season," said Kings coach Dave Joerger, who spent the previous three seasons as Memphis' head coach. "We just tried to wear them down and try to be the young, energetic team. We got two wins against two really good playoff teams."
Conley had 22 points and nine assists for the Grizzlies. Zach Randolph added 17 points and 15 rebounds, and Brandon Wright scored 11.
Randolph hit two free throws with 32.9 seconds left, giving the Grizzlies a 90-89 lead. But then Collison made both free throws to put the Kings up by one with 5.7 seconds left. Randolph missed an open 3-pointer with a second left that would have won it for Memphis.
"The look was good. It was just a little too hard," Randolph said.
Buddy Hield had 14 points for the Kings, and Willie Cauley-Stein contributed 12 points and nine rebounds. Kosta Koufos fouled out late in the game and had 11 points.
The Kings are 5-12 since trading DeMarcus Cousins at the All-Star break.
"It's always good when you win and the spirits are high in here. Losing gets old," Cauley-Stein said. "So even for the old guys, the veterans, to get that win is special. We're really locked in on defense and we're starting to trust each other. It's starting to show and it's only going to get better."
The Grizzlies went cold in the third quarter, missing 17 of 24 shots and getting outscored 23-19. They trailed 74-68 entering the fourth.
CAN MEMPHIS TURN IT AROUND?
Memphis has a favorable schedule in its final eight games. The Grizzlies have six home games, including the final four to conclude the regular season. Five of the games are against teams with losing records. But coach Dave Fizdale is frustrated, just like his players.
"The whole trip was a real disaster mentally for us," he said. "It's really frustrating for me right now as a coach because it's not anything effort-wise. The last three games I thought we really competed our tail off."
TIP-INS
Grizzlies: A veteran of 18 seasons, Vince Carter got a rare start. He had seven points in 28 minutes. ... Filling in for Gasol, Randolph made his fifth start of the season.
Kings: The organization issued a statement regarding rumors earlier in the day about hiring Sam Hinkie as general manager. "It's not true. Somebody is trying to create something. Everything is fine here," Kings owner Vivek Ranadive said during halftime." ... Arron Afflalo was not with the team for personal reasons. Tyreke Evans was given a rest and didn't play.
UP NEXT
Grizzlies: Host the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday, a team fighting for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
Kings: Another challenging home game Wednesday against playoff-bound Utah.
Monday, March 27, 2017
Kings rally from 18 down in fourth to stun Clippers 98-97
By TIM LIOTTA
Associated Press
LOS ANGELES (AP) Willie Cauley-Stein knew who to credit for his first game-winning basket.
"Basketball gods," he said.
Cauley-Stein made a follow shot with two seconds left to cap the Sacramento Kings' rally from an 18-point, fourth-quarter deficit for a 98-97 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday night.
He had been called for an offensive foul against Chris Paul on the Kings' previous possession.
"That wasn't a foul. I think he flopped," Cauley-Stein said. "And then they gave it back to us. I end up getting my first game-winner. I think it was meant to be like that."
With the Kings' rally still one point shy at 97-96, Buddy Hield rebounded Jamal Crawford's missed 3-pointer and fired a length-of-the-court pass to Ben McLemore, whose layup attempt over two Clippers was too hard, bouncing off the rim to Cauley-Stein, who put it back up and in.
"I just remember taking off and seeing Ben had dunk, layup, whatever, and then the only thing I'm thinking is if this ball comes off I've just got to grab it and put it up," Cauley-Stein said, "and it just came right into my hands."
Down 85-67 early in the fourth, the Kings rallied while Blake Griffin, Paul and DeAndre Jordan were resting to pull within 94-85 on Hield's 3-pointer with 3:22 left.
Hield later hit a pair of 3-pointers nine seconds apart, the second after Griffin's errant inbounds pass, pulling the Kings to 96-93 with 2:10 to play.
Griffin made one of two free throws with 1:57 left before the Kings cut it to 97-96 on Langston Galloway's 3-pointer with 1:23 to play.
"We didn't lose hope," said Darren Collison, who led the Kings with 19 points. "I've been on a lot of winning teams, and the chemistry is not as good as on this team. People don't know how hard it is to be in our shoes and come to work every single day. To be together still, and still have fun, says a lot about this team."
Hield made his three late 3s after making just two of eight shots.
"I just stayed confident, found a good rhythm and made a few," Hield said. "It was fun seeing Willie's shot go down and getting the win."
The Kings snapped a four-game losing streak and won for only the third time in 15 games.
Jordan had 20 points and 11 rebounds for the Clippers, with Paul adding 17 points and nine assists. Griffin finished with 17 points.
The Clippers have lost 10 of their last 19 games, and fell a game behind Utah for fourth place in the Western Conference with nine games remaining in the regular season.
"They got it going, and you just try and hold on," said Paul, who missed a 21-foot jumper at the buzzer. "It's a bad loss, probably the worst one in the regular season in my career."
Sacramento beat the Clippers for only the fourth time in their last 22 meetings.
TIP-INS
Kings: Skal Labissiere drew the tough defensive assignment against Griffin and committed five fouls in 16 minutes before being taken out early in the third quarter. ... Collison made his first eight shots before missing a 3-pointer with 4:28 left in the third quarter. ... The Kings play four of their remaining nine games against teams currently above .500.
Clippers: Coming off a 17-point fourth quarter en route to a game-high 28 points in a victory over Utah on Saturday, Crawford went 0 for 5 in the first half against the Kings. ... The Clippers played without J.J. Redick, who injured his right ankle when he stepped on a basketball in the game against Utah on Saturday.
SCHEDULE QUIRK
The Clippers played the second game in a rare back-to-back, with both games with a 12:30 p.m. local start.
"This is one of those games when I saw two 12:30 games, I don't want that," Clippers coach Doc Rivers said. "But we couldn't get it changed."
UP NEXT
Kings: The Kings play the Memphis Grizzlies at home Monday night in the second game of a back-to-back. Sacramento is 4-12 in such games this season.
Clippers: Are home Wednesday night against the Washington Wizards, who have not beaten the Clippers in Los Angeles in their last eight tries.
Saturday, March 25, 2017
Warriors win sixth straight, beat Kings 114-100
By MICHAEL WAGAMAN
Associated Press
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) – On a night when the Warriors were uncharacteristically off while shooting from the perimeter, they made up for it with the type of ball movement that has become the norm for coach Steve Kerr's team.
With the regular-season winding down, it's just another encouraging sign for a Golden State squad trying to secure home-court advantage through the playoffs.
Stephen Curry had 27 points, seven rebounds and a season-high 12 assists, and the Warriors beat the Sacramento Kings 114-100 on Friday night.
"We didn't have the 3-point game going tonight, but I liked the fact that everybody was sharing," Kerr said. "Some nights, Steph's only going to have a handful of them and some nights like tonight he gets 12. It doesn't matter to me as long as the ball's moving and as long as we're taking care of it."
Draymond Green added a season-best 23 points with eight assists, while Ian Clark scored 10 points to help the Warriors improve to an NBA-best 58-14. Golden State has won six straight since its season-high three-game losing streak.
Both teams struggled offensively most of the game until the Warriors hit their stride and pulled away in the second half.
Green led the surge with back-to-back 3-pointers in the third quarter, while Curry made three 3s in the fourth. Both men also excelled passing the ball.
Golden State finished with 37 assists, a franchise-record 44th time this season the Warriors have had 30 or more in a game. The previous record of 43 was set last season.
"That's when we're at our best, when the ball's hopping and everybody gets involved," Curry said. "Thirty-seven assists ... that's pretty crazy considering we missed 21 3s. That's how we create good-to-great shots, with our ball movement."
Curry and Klay Thompson - Golden State's Splash Brothers - went a combined 12 of 32 from the floor. Curry missed six of his first eight shots beyond the arc before making 3 in the final period.
Buddy Hield scored a career-high 22 points with eight rebounds and seven assists, while Ty Lawson scored 20 for Sacramento. The Kings have lost four straight and are 3-12 since trading leading scorer and rebounder DeMarcus Cousins to New Orleans during the All-Star break.
"We showed signs that we could play with those guys," Hield said. "We pushed them to the max. Once we get all the young guys playing together and with our vets, I think we can do something special. We're still learning."
Golden State's fifth consecutive lopsided win came at the start of a favorable home stretch. The Warriors increased their lead to 2 1/2 games over San Antonio for the best record in the NBA, and play seven of their final 10 regular-season games at Oracle Arena.
Green's night salvaged a mostly sloppy game by both teams. The Warriors and Kings combined for 34 turnovers and 31 fouls. Golden State also let a 20-point lead in the third quarter get cut to 11 at 99-88 early in the fourth before pulling away for its 14th win in the last 15 games between the teams.
WEST COLLECTS
David West of the Warriors played at Xavier and he was more than happy after the Musketeers won in the Sweet 16 a day earlier, particularly since it came against Arizona - Kerr's alma mater. The two men had a bet on the game beforehand. "I didn't have to say a thing," West said. "I just collected."
TIP-INS
Kings: Sacramento's 21 turnovers were one shy of their season high, set against the Lakers on Dec. 12. ... Tyreke Evans, Darren Collison and Anthony Tolliver were given a planned day off.
Warriors: Kerr has 198 career wins as the Warriors coach. ... Kevin Durant (knee) will accompany the team on its upcoming trip to San Antonio before being reevaluated by doctors on Wednesday. "He's doing quite well," Kerr said. Durant received a thunderous ovation from the Oracle crowd when he was shown on the scoreboard in the third quarter. ... Golden State ended the first quarter on a 16-4 run, highlighted by Shaun Livingston's backcourt steal and behind-the-back bounce pass to Green for a layup.
UP NEXT
Kings: Travel to play the Clippers on Sunday afternoon. Sacramento has lost two of three against Los Angeles this season.
Warriors: Host Memphis on Sunday. Golden State dropped the first two games against the Grizzlies earlier this season before a 122-107 road win on Feb. 10.
Associated Press
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) – On a night when the Warriors were uncharacteristically off while shooting from the perimeter, they made up for it with the type of ball movement that has become the norm for coach Steve Kerr's team.
With the regular-season winding down, it's just another encouraging sign for a Golden State squad trying to secure home-court advantage through the playoffs.
Stephen Curry had 27 points, seven rebounds and a season-high 12 assists, and the Warriors beat the Sacramento Kings 114-100 on Friday night.
"We didn't have the 3-point game going tonight, but I liked the fact that everybody was sharing," Kerr said. "Some nights, Steph's only going to have a handful of them and some nights like tonight he gets 12. It doesn't matter to me as long as the ball's moving and as long as we're taking care of it."
Draymond Green added a season-best 23 points with eight assists, while Ian Clark scored 10 points to help the Warriors improve to an NBA-best 58-14. Golden State has won six straight since its season-high three-game losing streak.
Both teams struggled offensively most of the game until the Warriors hit their stride and pulled away in the second half.
Green led the surge with back-to-back 3-pointers in the third quarter, while Curry made three 3s in the fourth. Both men also excelled passing the ball.
Golden State finished with 37 assists, a franchise-record 44th time this season the Warriors have had 30 or more in a game. The previous record of 43 was set last season.
"That's when we're at our best, when the ball's hopping and everybody gets involved," Curry said. "Thirty-seven assists ... that's pretty crazy considering we missed 21 3s. That's how we create good-to-great shots, with our ball movement."
Curry and Klay Thompson - Golden State's Splash Brothers - went a combined 12 of 32 from the floor. Curry missed six of his first eight shots beyond the arc before making 3 in the final period.
Buddy Hield scored a career-high 22 points with eight rebounds and seven assists, while Ty Lawson scored 20 for Sacramento. The Kings have lost four straight and are 3-12 since trading leading scorer and rebounder DeMarcus Cousins to New Orleans during the All-Star break.
"We showed signs that we could play with those guys," Hield said. "We pushed them to the max. Once we get all the young guys playing together and with our vets, I think we can do something special. We're still learning."
Golden State's fifth consecutive lopsided win came at the start of a favorable home stretch. The Warriors increased their lead to 2 1/2 games over San Antonio for the best record in the NBA, and play seven of their final 10 regular-season games at Oracle Arena.
Green's night salvaged a mostly sloppy game by both teams. The Warriors and Kings combined for 34 turnovers and 31 fouls. Golden State also let a 20-point lead in the third quarter get cut to 11 at 99-88 early in the fourth before pulling away for its 14th win in the last 15 games between the teams.
WEST COLLECTS
David West of the Warriors played at Xavier and he was more than happy after the Musketeers won in the Sweet 16 a day earlier, particularly since it came against Arizona - Kerr's alma mater. The two men had a bet on the game beforehand. "I didn't have to say a thing," West said. "I just collected."
TIP-INS
Kings: Sacramento's 21 turnovers were one shy of their season high, set against the Lakers on Dec. 12. ... Tyreke Evans, Darren Collison and Anthony Tolliver were given a planned day off.
Warriors: Kerr has 198 career wins as the Warriors coach. ... Kevin Durant (knee) will accompany the team on its upcoming trip to San Antonio before being reevaluated by doctors on Wednesday. "He's doing quite well," Kerr said. Durant received a thunderous ovation from the Oracle crowd when he was shown on the scoreboard in the third quarter. ... Golden State ended the first quarter on a 16-4 run, highlighted by Shaun Livingston's backcourt steal and behind-the-back bounce pass to Green for a layup.
UP NEXT
Kings: Travel to play the Clippers on Sunday afternoon. Sacramento has lost two of three against Los Angeles this season.
Warriors: Host Memphis on Sunday. Golden State dropped the first two games against the Grizzlies earlier this season before a 122-107 road win on Feb. 10.
Thursday, March 23, 2017
Antetokounmpo's 32 points lead Bucks over Kings 116-98
By ASSOCIATED PRESS
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) Wary of a letdown on the finale of a six-game trip, Giannis Antetokounmpo took it upon himself early to make sure that the Milwaukee Bucks would be departing for home with a smile on their faces.
Antetokounmpo had a huge first half and finished with 32 points, 13 rebounds and six assists for the streaking Bucks, who cruised to a 116-98 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday night.
The win moved the youthful Bucks into a tie with Indiana for the sixth spot, one game behind fifth-place Atlanta in the tight Eastern Conference playoff race. The Bucks have been the NBA's hottest team the past three weeks, winning 10 of 12 games.
A highly athletic forward, Antetokounmpo had a fabulous first half with 22 points, nine rebounds and five assists. The Bucks produced an explosive 44-26 second quarter, led 69-50 at halftime, and the Kings never got the lead under 12 points the remainder of the game.
"I wanted to come out and set the tone," said Antetokounmpo, who made 12 of 22 shots and seven of 10 free throws. "It was a back-to-back game and we needed it badly so we could end our road trip positively."
There have been plenty of positives lately for the Bucks. The victory put the Bucks above .500 for the first time since Jan. 15. Milwaukee struggled near the midpoint of the season, losing 12 of 14. But the Bucks have a 14-5 record since Feb. 10.
The Bucks concluded a six-game trip with two straight victories and had a 4-2 record.
"It would have been easy to overlook this game. It's what we call a trap game," Bucks coach Jason Kidd said. "We saw the scores (both Indiana and Atlanta lost). So for us to end this (night) in sixth shows we're playing good basketball at the right time."
Greg Monroe had 15 points for the Bucks, who have won two straight and four of five. Mirza Teletovic and Khris Middleton had 13 points each and Malcolm Brogdon had 12. Milwaukee made 16 of 35 3-point attempts.
Skal Labissiere drew the early assignment of trying to slow down Antetokounmpo and the rookie found it quite challenging.
"He's a really good basketball player and he can do a lot of different things from the perimeter. It was good learning experience," Labissiere said. "It was my first time, I think, actually guarding him. I think Matt (Dellavedova) was setting screens from him and that was the first time I ever seen that. The Bucks have a unique style of play."
Rookie Buddy Hield had 21 points and Tyreke Evans added 18 for the Kings. Arron Afflalo and Garrett Temple had 12 points each.
The losing continues for the Kings, who have dropped three straight, 11 of 13 and have a 3-11 record since the trade of DeMarcus Cousins at the All-Star break.
The Kings will have a losing record for an 11th straight season and the hunt for a playoff spot has become a distant memory.
"We're playing teams that are very focused," Kings coach Dave Joerger said. "Sometimes throughout the course of the season, you're going to get somebody that looks at our record and they are going to sleep on us. But right now, we're playing teams that are very focused in trying to get a seeding, and fighting for playoff spots."
TIP- INS
Bucks: Veteran Jason Terry hit two 3-pointers in the second quarter and playfully chided the crowd for booing him. He was traded to the Kings in 2014, but never played a game after expressing a desire to be traded to a contending team. ... Milwaukee shot 61 percent in the opening half and made 9 of 18 3-point attempts.
Kings: Veterans Kosta Koufos and Ty Lawson were rested and didn't play. Rookie Malachi Richardson (hamstring) remains out, but is expected to return soon. ... The Kings have dropped seven of eight at home, where they own a 14-22 record.
LOVING THE CHASE
There's no doubting that the Bucks are in the midst of their best stretch of the season. And the result is a climb up the ladder in the Eastern Conference, where they once resided in 11th place during the second half of the season.
"We're chasing right now, so there's no pressure," Antetokounmpo said. "We were 11th and now we're (tied for) sixth. We'll keep chasing and try to get even higher. We're having fun right now and playing good basketball."
UP NEXT
Bucks: After six straight road games, Milwaukee returns home and meets Atlanta on Friday.
Kings: At Golden State on Friday, where they look for a second win this season over the Warriors.
Tuesday, March 14, 2017
Kings beat Magic 120-115 to snap eight-game losing streak
By JEFFREY WEIDEL
Associated Press
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) After squandering several big leads in the past week, the Sacramento Kings were pleased to finally play well down the stretch.
Darren Collison had 19 points and 13 assists, reserve Anthony Tolliver also scored 19 points and the Kings beat the Orlando Magic 120-115 on Monday night to snap an eight-game losing streak.
Last week, Sacramento led by 28 points before a second-half collapse led to a loss in San Antonio. Two nights later the Kings led by 15 points heading into the fourth quarter before falling to Washington in overtime.
"It was great to get a win in the fashion we got it tonight by closing out the game," said Garrett Temple, one of seven players in double figures.
Tolliver scored five straight points in the closing minutes and had eight in the fourth to help the Kings improve to 2-8 since trading DeMarcus Cousins during the All-Star break. The eight-game losing streak was the longest for the Kings since the 2014-15 season.
"He got some good looks tonight and started to feel it," Kings coach Dave Joerger said of Tolliver. "We tell him his green light is very green. We want him taking shots."
The Kings had one of their best games from beyond the arc, going 16 of 30. The Kings made four 3-pointers late in the third quarter, outscoring the Magic 35-26 in the period to take a 93-84 lead into the fourth.
"We talked about how they had been shooting 3s well since the (All-Star) break," said Elfrid Payton, who had 13 points, 13 assists and 10 rebounds for his third triple-double of the season. "We got out of our rhythm in the third quarter and they made some 3s to build the lead."
Nikola Vucevic had 23 points and nine rebounds for the Magic, who dropped their third straight game. Evan Fournier made four 3-pointers and scored 21 points, and Aaron Gordon had 17.
The Magic have been in a major tailspin since owning a 15-18 record on Dec. 26. They have dropped 26 of 36 since and own the second-worst record in the Eastern Conference.
"We're giving up the 3-point line right now. The last three games we've allowed a high number of 3s going up," Orlando coach Frank Vogel said. "We have to get that under control and tonight transition defense was really hurting us."
Willie Cauley-Stein had 18 points for the Kings and rookie Buddy Hield had 17.
The Kings were in the playoff hunt before trading Cousins. Now postseason hopes are a distant memory with Sacramento 5 1/2 games in back of eighth-place Denver.
Cauley-Stein had a dunk to break a tie and Tolliver followed with another one, but Gordon responded with a 3-pointer to pull the Magic to 113-112. Tolliver's 3-pointer gave the Kings a four-point cushion with 43 seconds left.
TIP-INS
Magic: The NBA's worst 3-point shooting team was 3 of 14 in the first half, but finished 13 of 34 ... Orlando is 12-22 on the road.
Kings: Veterans Kosta Koufos and Ty Lawson had "planned rest" nights and Tyreke Evans missed the game with a sore left ankle. ... Collison and McLemore each had four-point plays in the second half.
CLUTCH COLLISON
A veteran point guard, Collison has had to adjust since the departure of Cousins. Accustomed to having the All-Star post player as the focus of the offense, the Kings now lack a major scoring threat. Sacramento has only had three 20-plus scoring games since Cousins departed.
The 13 assists were a season high for Collison, who made a pair of 3s and hit all seven free-throw attempts.
"I thought Darren Collison played a heck of a floor game. Not just scoring, but setting up Willie on some rim runs and finding guys on the open 3s," Joerger said.
UP NEXT
Magic: Get a few days' rest before playing at Golden State on Thursday.
Kings: Start three-game road trip Wednesday against Phoenix.
Associated Press
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) After squandering several big leads in the past week, the Sacramento Kings were pleased to finally play well down the stretch.
Darren Collison had 19 points and 13 assists, reserve Anthony Tolliver also scored 19 points and the Kings beat the Orlando Magic 120-115 on Monday night to snap an eight-game losing streak.
Last week, Sacramento led by 28 points before a second-half collapse led to a loss in San Antonio. Two nights later the Kings led by 15 points heading into the fourth quarter before falling to Washington in overtime.
"It was great to get a win in the fashion we got it tonight by closing out the game," said Garrett Temple, one of seven players in double figures.
Tolliver scored five straight points in the closing minutes and had eight in the fourth to help the Kings improve to 2-8 since trading DeMarcus Cousins during the All-Star break. The eight-game losing streak was the longest for the Kings since the 2014-15 season.
"He got some good looks tonight and started to feel it," Kings coach Dave Joerger said of Tolliver. "We tell him his green light is very green. We want him taking shots."
The Kings had one of their best games from beyond the arc, going 16 of 30. The Kings made four 3-pointers late in the third quarter, outscoring the Magic 35-26 in the period to take a 93-84 lead into the fourth.
"We talked about how they had been shooting 3s well since the (All-Star) break," said Elfrid Payton, who had 13 points, 13 assists and 10 rebounds for his third triple-double of the season. "We got out of our rhythm in the third quarter and they made some 3s to build the lead."
Nikola Vucevic had 23 points and nine rebounds for the Magic, who dropped their third straight game. Evan Fournier made four 3-pointers and scored 21 points, and Aaron Gordon had 17.
The Magic have been in a major tailspin since owning a 15-18 record on Dec. 26. They have dropped 26 of 36 since and own the second-worst record in the Eastern Conference.
"We're giving up the 3-point line right now. The last three games we've allowed a high number of 3s going up," Orlando coach Frank Vogel said. "We have to get that under control and tonight transition defense was really hurting us."
Willie Cauley-Stein had 18 points for the Kings and rookie Buddy Hield had 17.
The Kings were in the playoff hunt before trading Cousins. Now postseason hopes are a distant memory with Sacramento 5 1/2 games in back of eighth-place Denver.
Cauley-Stein had a dunk to break a tie and Tolliver followed with another one, but Gordon responded with a 3-pointer to pull the Magic to 113-112. Tolliver's 3-pointer gave the Kings a four-point cushion with 43 seconds left.
TIP-INS
Magic: The NBA's worst 3-point shooting team was 3 of 14 in the first half, but finished 13 of 34 ... Orlando is 12-22 on the road.
Kings: Veterans Kosta Koufos and Ty Lawson had "planned rest" nights and Tyreke Evans missed the game with a sore left ankle. ... Collison and McLemore each had four-point plays in the second half.
CLUTCH COLLISON
A veteran point guard, Collison has had to adjust since the departure of Cousins. Accustomed to having the All-Star post player as the focus of the offense, the Kings now lack a major scoring threat. Sacramento has only had three 20-plus scoring games since Cousins departed.
The 13 assists were a season high for Collison, who made a pair of 3s and hit all seven free-throw attempts.
"I thought Darren Collison played a heck of a floor game. Not just scoring, but setting up Willie on some rim runs and finding guys on the open 3s," Joerger said.
UP NEXT
Magic: Get a few days' rest before playing at Golden State on Thursday.
Kings: Start three-game road trip Wednesday against Phoenix.
Saturday, March 11, 2017
Beal scores 38 to lead Wizards over Kings, 130-122 in OT
By ASSOCIATED PRESS
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) While they search for greater defensive intensity, at least the Washington Wizards are getting victories.
Bradley Beal scored 21 of his 38 points in the fourth quarter and overtime to lead the Wizards to their fourth straight victory, a 130-122 win over the Sacramento Kings on Friday night.
The Wizards rallied from a 15-point deficit in the fourth quarter to win for the sixth time in seven games. The victory, combined with a loss by Boston, gave the Wizards the second-best record in the Eastern Conference.
Allowing struggling Sacramento to score a season-high 68 first-half points and close to 100 after three quarters was disturbing to the Wizards.
"We were flat defensively. We had 17 minutes (fourth quarter and OT) of good defense," Wizards coach Scott Brooks said. "Do that and you're playing with fire."
Beal made a pair of 3-pointers and scored 16 points in the fourth quarter, and added another 3-pointer in overtime to help Washington avoid an embarrassing loss to the Kings, who have dropped seven straight and are 1-7 since the trade of DeMarcus Cousins during the All-Star break.
Overall, Beal made five 3-pointers, hit 13 of 24 shots, converted all seven free-throw attempts, and added 10 rebounds and four assists.
"I'm happy, healthy and playing with a lot of confidence," Beal said. "I'm being aggressive and just trying to play my game."
John Wall had 25 points and 12 assists for the Wizards. Otto Porter scored 18 points and Bojan Bogdanovic had 17. The Wizards are 25-8 since Jan. 1, the NBA's second-best mark. They have won nine of 10 on the road after struggling early on away from home.
"We're not giving up. We get down, but we keep fighting, we keep battling," Brooks said. "That's a good trait to have as a ball club. I like that about us. But we have to have more urgency on defense. I'm tired of talking about it."
Willie Cauley-Stein had 20 points and 13 rebounds for the Kings. Rookie Buddy Hield and Arron Afflalo each had 18 points for the Kings. Darren Collison had 14 points and 10 assists.
It was another frustrating loss for the Kings. Two nights earlier against San Antonio the Kings squandered a 28-point lead in falling to the Spurs.
"The only way you're going to learn is through tough lessons," Afflalo said. "Obviously, that's what we are going through right now. But at the first sign of victory, when we do sustain it, and we do make those plays down the stretch, we'll remember those same tough lessons."
Afflalo scored the Kings' first six points in overtime, but a 3-pointer from Beal gave the Kings the lead for good at 124-122. The Kings didn't score in the final 2:42.
Cauley-Stein slammed home an alley-oop dunk from Collison to tie the game at 116 and Wall missed a shot in the final seconds to send the game into overtime.
Late in the third quarter, Ben McLemore scored eight straight points on two 3s and a fast-break dunk, helping the Kings take a 97-82 lead into the fourth.
TIP-INS
Wizards: Play 12 of their remaining 18 games on the road. .. Wall was called for a technical midway through the third quarter.
Kings: Hield had all of his 18 points in the opening half for Sacramento, which led 68-56. .. The Kings are 2-6 in overtime games this season, including two OT losses to the Wizards. .. Tyreke Evans, who scored 26 points in Wednesday's loss to San Antonio, was given the night off.
SCOREBOARD WATCHING
Both Wall and Beal said they were keeping an eye on the scoreboard at new Golden 1 Center and knew both Boston and Toronto had lost. The backcourt mates knew the win would move them percentage points ahead of the Celtics while moving further ahead of fourth-place Toronto, which owns the fourth spot in the Eastern Conference.
"It helps to that this beautiful arena has scoreboards everywhere, so I was able to peek over and see Boston took an L (loss) and so did Toronto," Beal said. "That's important for us in terms of seeding. It was important to get a win tonight. John and I both looked and said, `We've got to get it.' And we just turned it on in the fourth quarter."
UP NEXT
Wizards: Five-game road trip continues Saturday night game at Portland.
Kings: No rest for Sacramento, which hosts Denver on Saturday night.
Friday, March 10, 2017
Wizards on roll heading to matchup with Kings
Stats, LLC
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Maybe it’s a testament to the historic turnaround the Washington Wizards have shown this season that they aren’t focusing on the result but rather the standard to which they play.
And despite three consecutive victories, two of them to start a five-game Western Conference road trip, and a third-place standing in the Eastern Conference, the Wizards aren’t entirely satisfied with their recent contests.
“I’m happy that we’re 2-0,” Wizards coach Scott Brooks told the Washington Post after a 123-113 win at Denver on Wednesday. “But I do see definitely room for growth.”
More specifically, the Wizards coach wouldn’t mind seeing his team apply the defensive clamps a bit more effectively, starting with Friday night’s contest against the Sacramento Kings at the Golden 1 Cener.
Washington (39-24) has allowed at least 113 points in all three victories and in four consecutive games. They’ve held an opponent below 100 in only one of their past eight.
Such a trend is enough to cause concern for a team despite a turnaround that already is the greatest in NBA history. The Wizards’ victory over Denver made them the first team ever to reach 15 games over .500 after a 2-8 start to the season. They also are 24-8 since Jan. 1, the NBA’s second-best mark.
But to a man, Washington believes the defensive side of the ball must get more consistent if the Wizards are to chase down the Boston Celtics for the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. Washington beat Denver despite allowing the Nuggets to shoot 52.9 percent, and opponents are firing away at 50.8 percent clip during the winning streak.
“We just had some slippage on defense,” guard John Wall told reporters after the win over Denver. “But we did a good job of showing some maturity, showing some poise, and withstanding their runs.”
Wall and Bradley Beal continue to carry Washington’s offense, with Wall averaging 22.8 points and 10.8 assists per game, and Beal averaging 22.9 points. But Washington’s strength is its depth in the frontcourt with Marcin Gortat, Markief Morris and Otto Porter, and the three ended a recent three-game gold spell by combining for 44 points and 24 points against the Nuggets.
In Sacramento, the Wizards will see a team that will take points any way it can get them. The Kings (25-39) have lost six consecutive contests, their longest skid since November 2015, and they squandered a 28-point lead in Wednesday’s loss at San Antonio.
Sacramento, which lost 101-95 in overtime in Washington on Nov. 28, has produced a 20-point scorer in only two of seven contests and has reached 100 points just twice in that time since trading franchise forward DeMarcus Cousins during the All-Star break.
“We’ve got to play with pace,” Kings guard Darren Collison told the Sacramento Bee. “If we don’t have that pace, then we’re not going to very good. Our only chance is to get up and down the floor and try to create havoc, get into the paint and kick it out.”
One bright spot for the Kings since the trade — the play of forward Skal Labissiere. The rookie scored a career-high 15 points against the Spurs and is averaging 9.8 points and 6.5 rebounds in the past six games in which he’s received more than five minutes of playing time.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Maybe it’s a testament to the historic turnaround the Washington Wizards have shown this season that they aren’t focusing on the result but rather the standard to which they play.
And despite three consecutive victories, two of them to start a five-game Western Conference road trip, and a third-place standing in the Eastern Conference, the Wizards aren’t entirely satisfied with their recent contests.
“I’m happy that we’re 2-0,” Wizards coach Scott Brooks told the Washington Post after a 123-113 win at Denver on Wednesday. “But I do see definitely room for growth.”
More specifically, the Wizards coach wouldn’t mind seeing his team apply the defensive clamps a bit more effectively, starting with Friday night’s contest against the Sacramento Kings at the Golden 1 Cener.
Washington (39-24) has allowed at least 113 points in all three victories and in four consecutive games. They’ve held an opponent below 100 in only one of their past eight.
Such a trend is enough to cause concern for a team despite a turnaround that already is the greatest in NBA history. The Wizards’ victory over Denver made them the first team ever to reach 15 games over .500 after a 2-8 start to the season. They also are 24-8 since Jan. 1, the NBA’s second-best mark.
But to a man, Washington believes the defensive side of the ball must get more consistent if the Wizards are to chase down the Boston Celtics for the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. Washington beat Denver despite allowing the Nuggets to shoot 52.9 percent, and opponents are firing away at 50.8 percent clip during the winning streak.
“We just had some slippage on defense,” guard John Wall told reporters after the win over Denver. “But we did a good job of showing some maturity, showing some poise, and withstanding their runs.”
Wall and Bradley Beal continue to carry Washington’s offense, with Wall averaging 22.8 points and 10.8 assists per game, and Beal averaging 22.9 points. But Washington’s strength is its depth in the frontcourt with Marcin Gortat, Markief Morris and Otto Porter, and the three ended a recent three-game gold spell by combining for 44 points and 24 points against the Nuggets.
In Sacramento, the Wizards will see a team that will take points any way it can get them. The Kings (25-39) have lost six consecutive contests, their longest skid since November 2015, and they squandered a 28-point lead in Wednesday’s loss at San Antonio.
Sacramento, which lost 101-95 in overtime in Washington on Nov. 28, has produced a 20-point scorer in only two of seven contests and has reached 100 points just twice in that time since trading franchise forward DeMarcus Cousins during the All-Star break.
“We’ve got to play with pace,” Kings guard Darren Collison told the Sacramento Bee. “If we don’t have that pace, then we’re not going to very good. Our only chance is to get up and down the floor and try to create havoc, get into the paint and kick it out.”
One bright spot for the Kings since the trade — the play of forward Skal Labissiere. The rookie scored a career-high 15 points against the Spurs and is averaging 9.8 points and 6.5 rebounds in the past six games in which he’s received more than five minutes of playing time.
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