Kings extend Bulls’ skid to 8 games with close win

CHICAGO — The slumping Chicago Bulls may have seemed like the more desperate team, but Zach Randolph thought the Sacramento Kings needed a win just as badly.

Randolph had 25 points and 13 rebounds, Bogdan Bogdanovic scored 19 points and the Kings beat the Bulls 107-106 on Friday night, extending Chicago’s losing streak to eight games.

“Everybody’s desperate right now — especially us,” Randolph said.

It was the third road win this season for the Kings (7-15).

“It’s tough getting road wins,” Randolph said. “Any team it’s tough, trying to go into their place to get a win.

“It was a good win, a team win. Everybody contributed.”

Randolph was 12 for 19 from the field. Garrett Temple had 13 points and Willie Cauley-Stein added 10 points and four blocks for the Kings.

Jerian Grant had 17 points, while rookie Lauri Markkanen, Robin Lopez and Paul Zipser scored 14 points apiece for Chicago, which dropped to an NBA-worst 3-18.

It was the second straight night the Bulls lost by a point, although Friday’s game ended with a meaningless 3-pointer at the buzzer. Chicago’s last win was a 123-120 decision against Charlotte on Nov. 17.

“It’s pretty tough,” Denzel Valentine (six points) said. “I think tonight we just didn’t play with the same edge. I don’t know whether it was travel. We weren’t aggressive. We didn’t have the same edge as last night, so that’s what we get.”

Chicago kept it close throughout the fourth quarter. Randolph hit what turned out to be the key basket, giving Sacramento a 103-99 lead with 51.5 seconds left.

Cauley-Stein also contributed with tough defense on Markkanen down the stretch as the Bulls came up empty on three straight possessions in the final 2½ minutes.

BELOW THE RIM

The Kings and Bulls are rebuilding with a host of athletic high flyers, but Randolph, the old-school big man, controlled things with his ground game.

“How about a 36-year-old that goes and gets 25 and 13 and has one free throw,” Sacramento coach Dave Joerger said. “That’s amazing. That’s fantastic work by Zach, and we did a good job of playing off of him, too.”

STAYING POSITIVE

With the losses piling up, the Bulls’ biggest challenge might be to avoid focusing solely on the streak.

“That’s the thing we talk about with this group all the time,” coach Fred Hoiberg said. “It’s not about looking at the wins and losses. It’s about taking steps in the right direction every day. It’s about going out and competing every night and giving ourselves a chance.

“If you can look at your teammate and say you were the harder-playing team at the end of the night, whatever happens — win, loss — you can live with it.”

TIP-INS

Kings: Rookie F Justin Jackson and second-year players C Georgios Papagiannis and G Malachi Richardson were assigned to the Reno Bighorns of the G League. “It’s a developmental tool for them to be able to play,” Joerger said.

Bulls: F Bobby Portis (right arm) was scratched just before game time. … F Nikola Mirotic — sidelined with a facial fracture following a preseason fight with Portis — practiced with the Windy City Bulls of the G League for a second straight day on Friday and could be activated on Monday. “A lot will depend on how he feels (on Saturday),” Hoiberg said. “He’ll come in and get some shooting (on Saturday) and, hopefully, we give him a good workout on Sunday, and we’ll take it from there.” … G Zach LaVine (knee surgery) also practiced with Windy City on Friday. His return date remains uncertain.

UP NEXT

Kings: Visit Milwaukee on Saturday night.

Bulls: Host Cleveland on Monday night.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Nuggets beat Kings without coach and 2 starters

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — 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.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Irving, Korver lead Cavaliers past Kings

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Kyrie Irving scored 26 points, Kyle Korver added 18 in his most productive game since joining Cleveland last week and the Cavaliers tuned up for a NBA Finals rematch by beating the Sacramento Kings 120-108 on Friday night.

LeBron James had 16 points and 15 assists, Kevin Love added 15 points and 18 rebounds and Cleveland snapped a two-game losing streak before taking on Golden State on Monday in its first game at Oracle Arena since winning the NBA title there last June.

DeMarcus Cousins had 26 points and a season-high 11 assists and Rudy Gay scored 23 points for the Kings, who fell to 1-4 on their seven-game homestand.

The Cavs sent forward Mike Dunleavy, guard Mo Williams, cash and a protected future first-round draft pick to the Hawks last for Korver, a 14-year veteran whose ability to come off screens and deep range challenge defenses.

Korver shot just 2 for 10 with no 3-pointers his first two games but came up big this game, especially after Sacramento had cut a 24-point lead to eight when Arron Afflalo scored on the opening possession of the fourth quarter.

Korver responded with a 3-pointer and answered again a few minutes later after Cleveland’s lead was cut to six with his fourth 3 of the game. He shot 7 for 10 for the game, making 4 of 6 3-pointers.

The Cavs started fast behind 11 first-quarter points from Love and led by 17 points after one. The lead grew to 21 early in the second before the Kings rallied to cut it to 10.

That’s when Korver stepped up for the first time, scoring seven points during an 11-0 run that put Cleveland back in control. The Cavs scored nine points in a 59-second span to quickly turn the tide in their favor.

TIP-INS

Cavaliers: G Iman Shumpert replaced DeAndre Liggins in the starting lineup and hit three 3-pointers in the first quarter. Shumpert matched his season high with 16 points. … James got a technical in the first quarter when he argued a non-call against Gay on a blocked shot.

Kings: Cousins got called for a second foul midway through the first quarter on an illegal screen. … Sacramento has lost four straight to Cleveland. … The Kings committed 21 turnovers, giving them 57 over the past three games.

UP NEXT

Cavaliers: Visit Golden State on Monday, looking to sweep the series after their victory on Christmas.

Kings: Continue seven-game homestand Sunday against Oklahoma City.

source: sports.inquirer.net

NBA: Raptors to file protest over controversial loss to Kings

The Toronto Raptors believe they were a victim of unjust officiating, and they are letting the league know about it.

The Canada-based franchise is submitting a formal protest against the league’s decision to waive a supposed game-tying basket at the buzzer by Terrence Ross, against the Sacramento Kings on Monday.

The three-pointer was initially counted, but upon further contemplation by the NBA’s Replay Center in New Jersey, the game clock started late, since opposing player DeMarcus Cousins managed to deflect the ball on the inbound pass.

According to the team, the 25-year-old was under the assumption that he had 2.4 seconds to get a shot in. However, the review showed it took him 2.5 seconds, therefore making his basket void.

Did the @Raptors get robbed of a game-tying 3? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ pic.twitter.com/pAmRQKbuDt

— theScore (@theScore) November 21, 2016

Due to the circumstances, the Raptors are filing two protests under two grounds, according to Michael Grange of Sportsnet.

First, the team claims that the Replay Center based its judgment on a frame-by-frame video, which it said did not accurately reflect the human element of a timekeeper starting the clock.

Also, Ross made his move by gauging the in-arena clock. Any accuracies on behalf of management or officials shouldn’t penalize their player, who would have altered his shot knowing the correct time.

As of this writing, the NBA has yet to release a statement regarding the controversial incident.  Khristian Ibarrola

source: sports.inquirer.net

Kings halt Clippers' 10-game win streak

LOS ANGELES — DeMarcus Cousins had 19 points, 13 rebounds and six assists as the Sacramento Kings ended the Los Angeles Clippers' 10-game winning streak with a 110-103 victory on Saturday night at Staples Center.

"To come in their house and get a win like this is good for us," said Cousins, who had 15 points in the first half.

Rudy Gay had 18 points and seven rebounds while Omri Casspi and Darren Collison came off the bench to add 17 points apiece for the Kings (17-23), who snapped a five-game skid against Los Angeles.

Ben McLemore and Rajon Rondo had 15 and 13 points, respectively. Rondo also had 10 assists and seven rebounds.

The Clippers, who were again without center DeAndre Jordan (pneumonia) and forward Blake Griffin (partially torn left quad tendon), hadn't lost since falling 100-99 to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Dec. 21.

"We felt we had an advantage going into the game, especially with their bigs out, so we wanted to take advantage of it and get the ball into the paint," Rondo said.

"(Cousins) was able to find guys on the perimeter. He did a great job of passing the ball. We passed the ball great as a team, and we got the win."

J.J. Redick scored 22 points, hitting five three-pointers, to lead the Clippers (26-14). Center Cole Aldrich finished with 19 points and 10 rebounds and guard Jamal Crawford had 20 points.

Chris Paul, who was in foul trouble throughout the night, chipped in 15 points and seven assists.

"We don't want to take anything away from them, they played great," said Paul, who managed just four-of-11 shooting from the floor but hit three of five three-pointers in 27 minutes.

"They made shots, they moved the ball well. We knew coming in to this game that they were a high-scoring team and we never slowed them down."

The Kings used a 13-0 surge to rally from a six-point deficit for a 54-47 advantage after a three-point play by Collison with 3:13 left in the second quarter. Sacramento led 64-60 at the break.

"It's a quality win for us," Rondo said. "It's a roller-coaster season for us, but for us to put two games together in a row, get some rest the next couple of days and hopefully do the same thing (Wednesday) against the Lakers." — Reuters

NBA: Bucks coach banned one game for slapping ball from official

Milwaukee Bucks coach Jason Kidd has been suspended one game for an on-court outburst that saw him slap a ball out of a referee's hands in a game earlier this week, the National Basketball Association said on Friday.

The incident occurred while Kidd was arguing a call and resulted in a technical foul and ejection from Wednesday's game against the Sacramento Kings, which the Bucks went on to lose 129-118.

Kidd needed to be restrained by several members of his team before being escorted off the court.

Kidd, a former player who won an NBA title with the Dallas Mavericks in 2011, will serve his suspension without pay later on Friday when Milwaukee visit the Orlando Magic.  — Reuters