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Bogdan Bogdanovic (13 Points) vs Clippers

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Kyle Ramos

After a busy offseason and successful preseason, the new-look Kings will play the final home opener at Sleep Train Arena to begin their 2015-16 campaign.

The purple and black will match up against the same team they played in the team's first ever game in Sacramento 30 years ago, the Los Angeles Clippers.

Los Angeles is coming off of a run in which they advanced to the second round in the Western Conference Playoffs, only to be eliminated by the Houston Rockets. The Clippers core (Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan) remains the same, but L.A. made some notable additions to add depth, acquiring players such as Paul Pierce, Lance Stephenson, and Josh Smith.

This contest will be the first of four between the Kings and Clippers, who last season won three of four meetings against Sactown.

TV – CSNCA
Comcast – 34/721
Dish – 453
Hopper – 412-41
DirecTV – 698-1
AT&amp;T – 768/1768Radio – KHTK Sports 1140 AM

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Preview: Kings (0-0) vs Clippers (0-0)

Steven Wilson

Thanks to dominant performances from their two star players, the Sacramento Kings silenced the Clippers home crowd on Sunday afternoon as they left the Staples Center with a 98-92 victory.

DeMarcus Cousins was nearly unstoppable on offense tallying 34 points, 17 rebounds and five assists, while Rudy Gay – fresh off a 40-point game against Portland – added 25 points, seven boards and six assists of his own.

Together, the duo finished 22-for-37 from the floor, shooting an eye-popping 59-percent, as the Kings improved to 2-1 this year.

The Kings held the home team to 38-percent shooting in the game, while forcing 10 turnovers and keeping LAC from hitting a single three-point shot in the fourth quarter (0-for-12).

Finishing with his second double-double of the season and his most impressive outing this year, DMC was strong in the opening period.

The fifth-year pro scored the Kings first eight points to start the game, but the Clippers still held a 13-8 lead through the first five minutes. Eventually, the other DC got involved. Darren Collison netted a free throw before adding his first bucket against his former team with five minutes left in the first period, which tied the game at 13-all.

Fresh off a monstrous 40-point, 8-rebound outing against Portland, Gay continued his strong rhythm on Sunday. The 28-year-old tallied 10 points on 4-of-5 shooting playing nearly the entire first period.

In all, the Kings two stars began the game scoring 20 of the team’s first 25 points. The duo’s inspired play helped the Kings take a 25-19 lead heading into the second period.

Sacramento then extended its lead to nine as Nik Stauskas drained his first career triple away from Sleep Train Arena. The Clippers responded with back-to-back threes before Omri Casspi drove to the hoop for his first bucket of the game.

Sacramento’s stingy defense – which held Blake Griffin to 3-of-15 shooting in the first half – struggled in the second quarter. Despite No. 18’s bucket and a rejection from Stauskas on defense, the home team used a 17-2 run to retake the lead.

Cousins and Co. reentered the game and sparked a 12-7 run, which cut the Clippers lead to six, 51-45, at the half. The Clippers bench carried the team as they outscored the Kings reserves, 26-7, with 13 points coming from Spencer Hawes.

Although Los Angeles extended its lead to double-digits early in the third quarter as they knocked down 8-of-their-first-12 shots, the Kings found their groove and closed the quarter on an 11-5 run. The offensive burst pulled the visitors within four heading into the fourth, 74-70.

Boogie started the final period strong as he tallied six quick points and pulled his team within two, 78-76, with 10:36 remaining in regulation. The Kings stayed within reach for three more minutes before Carl Landry converted a three-point play to take the lead, 83-82.

No. 24’s basket gave the Kings their first lead since the 8:22 mark in the second quarter. The Clippers bounced right back with a DeAndre Jordan alley-oop jam, but Gay responded with a layup to retake the lead, 85-84, with 5:34 to play.

Thanks to a perfect bounce-pass from Big Cuz, JT slammed home his second bucket of the game and put his team up by four, 92-88, with less than two minutes left. The Kings extended their lead with another bucket from Thompson and a stifling defense.

The Clippers saw multiple attempts to tie the game late, but missed all 12 of their attempts from beyond the arc in the final frame as the Kings clinched the win.

Cousins wasn’t the only one to have a hot start on Sunday.

Rudy Gay tallied 10 points in the first quarter and helped his team rack up a 58-percent shooting percentage from the floor. The Kings defense was also strong holding the Clippers to 32-percent shooting in the first quarter and limiting Blake Griffin to eight points on 3-of-15 shooting in the opening half.

Sacramento held Los Angeles to just 34-percent from the field in the first half (17-for-50). Meanwhile, the Kings shot 52-percent (17-for-33), but had 11 turnovers compared to just 3 for LAC.

Much like DMC’s prevous outing against the Clippers inside Staples center when the big man scored 32 points and grabbed 12 points, Cousins was dominant against the Clippers frontcourt. 

In 34 minutes of action, Sacramento’s center tallied 34 points on 15-of-23 shooting and grabbed 17 boards, including six offensive boards.

No. 15 kept his team in the game early scoring 10 points, cleaning the glass six times and dishing out two assists through the first 12 minutes of regulation. Near the end of the first period, Sacramento’s big man found JT with a sweet dish for the two-handed jam.

In the second quarter, as the Kings offense went three minutes without a basket, Cousins was reinserted and found the bottom of the net quickly for his sixth field goal of the game.

At halftime, DMC had already recorded his second double-double of the season as he tallied 15 points and 10 boards in the opening 24 minutes.

The Kings big win helped Sacramento snap an 0-for-7 winless streak inside the Staples Center against the Clippers. 

The Kings will travel to Denver to face the Nuggets tomorrow night at 6 p.m. PST on CSNCA and KHTK Sports 1140.

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Kings Rally for Win Over Clippers

sacjwise

Kings look for second win in a row as they travel to face in-state rival Los Angeles Clippers in a Sunday matinee.

This is the first of four regular season meetings. The Clippers swept last season’s series against the Kings, 4-0. However, Sacramento leads the all-time series, 111-80, including 67-57 in the Sacramento era.

Broadcasts: TV – CSNCA
Comcast - 34 / 721
Dish - 444 / 9514
DirecTV - 698-1
AT&amp;T - 768 / 1768Radio – KHTK Sports 1140 AM

Rudy's Huge Night Lifts Kings Past Blazers

Rudy Gay was nearly unstoppable on Friday night, as Sacramento bounced back from a tough Home Opener to run past the Portland Trail Blazers 103-94.

Donning the black alternate jerseys in honor of Halloween night, Rudy was “lights out,” knocking down 13-of-19 from the field and 11-of-13 from the line.

A 15-3 run early in fourth quarter turned the Kings three-point deficit to a nine-point lead with 4:30 remaining in the quarter until Damian Lillard buried a three-pointer. Rudy would respond, as he did the entire night with a 10-foot pull-up jumper to increase his point total to a season-high 34.

Sacramento would not let the Blazers closer than six points for the remainder of the game, walking away with a well-deserved nine-point victory.

Three current Kings played for the Clippers in recent years. Forward Reggie Evans played for L.A. during the 2011-12 season, center Ryan Hollins played two seasons for the Clippers (2012-14) and guard Darren Collison donned the red, white and blue for the 2013-14 season.

Former Kings first round draft pick Spencer Hawes signed with the Clippers over the summer. Drafted 10th overall in the 2007 NBA Draft, Hawes spent three season in Sacramento. Clippers forward Hedo Turkoglu was selected 16th overall by the Kings in the 2000 NBA Draft and spent his first three seasons with the team. 12th-year forward Matt Barnes went to Del Campo High School in Fair Oaks, CA and played for the River City during the 2004-05 season./p&gt;

Along with the players, the Kings coaching staff also has many connections with their rival from the south. Kings Head Coach Michael Malone coached Clippers guard Chris Paul as an assistant in New Orleans during the 2010-11 season, along with Ekpe Udoh (Golden State, 2011-12), and Jamal Crawford (New York, 2004-05).

DeMarcus Cousins and Blake Griffin both finished the 2013-14 season ranked in the top 10 in scoring average. Cousins recorded the ninth highest average (22.7 ppg), while Griffin averaged the 4th highest (24.1 ppg).

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Game Preview: Kings (1-1) at Clippers (2-0)

On Wednesday, October 29th the Kings will tip-off their 30th season in Sacramento. The purple and black will begin the 2014-15 campaign with a big-time matchup against the in-state rival Golden State Warriors, while looking to extend an impressive 10-year winning streak in home openers.

Both teams were the only two squads in the League to feature two players from the gold-medal winning U.S. World Cup team in DeMarcus Cousins, Rudy Gay, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson.

With a handful of new faces on the team, fans from across the nation won't have to wait very long to view Sacramento’s new squad thanks to the first of seven nationally-televised appearances less than one month into the regular season.

Looking to make a statement in front of their first national audience on TNT, the Kings will square off with Derrick Rose and the Chicago Bulls inside Sleep Train Arena on Thursday, November 20th. After earning the 2011 NBA MVP, Rose missed the majority of back-to-back campaigns due to injuries, yet is expected to be back at full health this year setting up enticing backcourt matchups against Collison and Co.

After dominant performances against the Windy City last year, the Kings will look to Cousins – who shot 70.2 percent from the field during his FIBA World Cup tournament run – to lead the team to another victory at home, where Sacramento holds a slim 15-14 series lead over the Bulls since 1985.

Kings vs. Rockets | December 11, 2014 | Find Tickets &gt;&gt;

The Kings backcourt will be once again be faced with a tough task as the Western Conference boasts an incredible list of top-tier guards including Houston's James Harden, who averaged 32.5 points and 5.3 assists in four games against Sacramento in 2013-14. Last time the Rockets No. 13 was in Sleep Train Arena, the sixth-year pro shot 50-percent from the floor, amassed a season-high 43 points and connected on six long balls – all in just three quarters of work.

After that loss, Head Coach Michael Malone stated, “That’s the best team in the NBA since Jan. 1st and we [allowed] them to come in and establish their dominance very early in the game.”

The Thursday-night showdown with Houston on Dec. 11 will also showcase an interesting Summer League championship game rematch. While the Kings – led by Ray McCallum’s 29 points – were able to take home the trophy, Rockets’ rookie Nick Johnson and second-year guard Isaiah Canaan showed why they are two talented up-and-comers in today’s NBA.

Kings vs. Thunder | December 16, 2014 | Find Tickets &gt;&gt;

Five days after hosting Houston, the Kings will look to take down another Midwest powerhouse as they face reigning NBA-MVP Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and the Oklahoma City Thunder. In that game, OKC Head Coach Scott Brooks will look to extend a 10-game win streak against Sacramento, while the Purple and Black will look to repeat recent history.

Two seasons ago, the Purple and Black were able to stun Durant, Westbrook and the Thunder in a nationally-televised game on Feb. 9, 2012, mounting a 106-101 comeback victory in front of a sell-out crowd at Sleep Train Arena led by Cousins’ 19 points and nine rebounds.

Last season Ben McLemore posted promising and efficient numbers against one of the best defenders in the League – Thabo Sefolosha – averaging 13 points, 3.8 boards and 2.3 assists in four contests against the Thunder. Although Sefolosha has switched teams, McLemore's best offensive outing came against the former OKC standout this past March when No. 16 led the team with 18 points thanks to three triples and five freebies from the charity stripe.

Tuesday night’s game against Oklahoma City will also feature a special halftime ceremony for three-time NBA All-Star and Kings legend Peja Stojakovic. The two-time All-Star 3-point champion and the Sacramento-era leader in threes made and triples attempted will make his way back to the arena that once so prominently showcased his offensive prowess. This time, his #16 jersey will hang in the rafters for good.

“My time in Sacramento were the best years of my career and truly some of the best years of my life,” admitted the 37-year-old Stojakovic to the media at the time of his retirement in 2011. “I am proud of what we built in Sacramento and the connection we made with the fans and the community. Kings fans are some of the best fans in the world, and it was an honor to play for them.”

Kings vs. Knicks | December 27, 2014 | Find Tickets &gt;&gt;

Before the year ends, the New York Knicks visit Sleep Train Arena to face the Kings on NBA TV. Last season, the teams split their matchups – each posting wins in front of the opponent’s home crowd. In both, Carmelo Anthony exploded for a pair of 36-point outings, but could only lead his team to victory in Sac-Town.

Sacramento – which upset the Big Apple’s team in overtime on Feb. 12, 2014 thanks to 20 points and a late, clutch bucket from Rudy Gay – will be fresh off a contest against Phoenix. That’s good news for the home team though as No. 8 performs his best in back-to-back games. The Baltimore native’s scoring average rose to 20.1 without a break between games last season, while coincidentally, Anthony’s scoring dipped from 29.8 to 27 points per game with 0 days of rest according to Yahoosports.com.

Kings vs. Cavaliers | January 11, 2015 | Big Game Pack &gt;&gt;

LeBron James makes his first appearance in California’s capital since signing with his hometown team as the new year gets underway. The Kings will host the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday, January 11th in front of an expected sell-out crowd.

Last season - while “The King” was part of the Miami Heat - the Kings pulled off a thrilling overtime victory inside Sleep Train Arena, 108-103, thanks to 27 points from Cousins and 26 from Gay, who added a game-tying step-back jumper with 1:03 on the clock, and a big three in overtime.

Rudy’s big game against Cleveland’s No. 23 falls in line with a few of his past performances against the 4-time NBA MVP.

Sacramento holds a 21-34 record against the Wine and Gold since moving cities, including a split between the two teams last season. Despite his stellar summer – which included a World Cup MVP award – Cavs point guard Kyrie Irving struggled to find his stroke against The River City in 2013-14. The third-year pro averaged just 10 points per outing, shooting 30.8-percent from the floor and was held to 7 points (3-for-14) in 31:30 minutes of action on January 12th as Cousins and Co. earned a 124-80 rout.

Kings vs. Mavericks | February 5, 2015 | Find Tickets &gt;&gt;

Nearly one month later on February 5th, 12-time All-Star Dirk Nowitzki, Chandler Parsons and the Dallas Mavericks come to town in the final meeting of the season between the teams. Although he’s been nicknamed the “Dunking Deutschman” in the past, Nowitzki wasn’t the one dunking last year when the Mavs were in town.

That slam from Cousins ignited his team to a 112-97 victory at home to push the Kings series lead to 32-27 since 1985. Showcasing his dominance near the net, No. 15 finished 60-percent (377-for-628) of his shot attempts at the rim in 2013-14.

While DMC posted stellar numbers in last year’s series – 25.7 ppg, 9 rpg and 2.6 spg – Gay had even more of an impact. The 6-foot-8 forward led the team in scoring in the final three matchups averaging 32.3 points, 8.3 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game against Dallas. Derrick Williams added an efficient 11. 3 ppg, but the Mavs were still able to claim the series, 3-1.

Kings vs. Spurs | February 27, 2015 | Find Tickets &gt;&gt;

On February 27, 2015, the Kings will welcome the defending champion San Antonio Spurs to Sleep Train Arena. Many eyes will be on Big Cuz as he squares off with five-time NBA Champion Tim Duncan in the low-post. Sacramento’s 6-foot-11 center – who averaged 22 points and 13.5 rebounds against Duncan and the Spurs last year – is known for making his impact felt.

According to NBA.com, the former Kentucky Wildcat finished fourth in the League with a PIE (Player-Impact Efficiency) of 18.2-percent for players with at least 62 games played. Only Durant, James and Kevin Love had higher PIE’s in 2013-14 with their respective teams. Although he’s headed into his 18th season, Duncan ranked 16th on the list (15.4).

Kings vs. Clippers | March 18, 2015 | Find Tickets &gt;&gt;

In mid-March, the Los Angeles Clippers head north to face the Kings on their home court. The final matchup of the series will feature four-time All-Star Blake Griffin and last season’s League-leading rebounder DeAndre Jordan paired against the Kings frontcourt defense. The Purple and Black will lean on Cousins and 12-year pro Reggie Evans, who is known for his outstanding rebounding abilities, to help slow down the Clipper attack.

Last year, No. 30 nearly notched a double-double against LAC, cleaning the glass 12.5 times and scoring an average of 8 points in two meetings. He also ranked second in the NBA (50+ games played) with a rebounding percentage of 21.6, trailing only Andre Drummond of the Detroit Pistons. His defensive presence in the paint and his ability to limit second-chances will be crucial against the physical L.A. front.

Kings vs. Lakers | April 13, 2015 | Legends Pack &gt;&gt;

Rounding out the top matchups of the year, perennial All-Star Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers will make two appearances in Sacramento this season, most notably in the final home game of the regular season on April 13th. With raucous “Beat L.A.” chants ringing throughout Sleep Train Arena, the Kings will look to win back-to-back games against the Lakers for the first time since 2005.

On April 2, 2014, point guard Ray McCallum helped lead his team to a 107-102 victory as he tallied a career-high 27 points at a 54.5-percent shooting clip. His 12-for-22 shooting performance also included five assists and four boards in 46 minutes of action in front of the home crowd.

''Sometimes in this league the opportunity only comes once,'' McCallum told the Sacramento Bee after that game. ''I'm trying to take advantage of it. The game is definitely slowing down and I'm getting more comfortable.''

This time around, No. 3 and the rest of the Kings backcourt will be responsible for having to slow down Bryant – who enters his 19th season. Last year, L.A.'s star shooting guard missed all but six of the 82 games which led to Los Angeles’ worst season in the history of the organization.

No. 8 averaged just 13.8 points – the second-lowest mark of his career – and 4.3 rebounds per game, but if Bryant returns to form this season – like his coach predicts – then Sacramento will have to be ready.

Whether it’s Harden’s return to Sleep Train Arena or James’ one-and-only stop in Sacramento, you won’t want to miss the biggest games of the season. Secure a seat today by visiting Kings.com/biggamepack.

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Closer Look: Kings Top Matchups

As the clock struck 12:01 p.m. in New York City on June 30, Darren Collison received a phone call on the west coast.

“That meant a lot to me,” admitted the sixth-year pro, who most recently played for the Los Angeles Clippers. “It shows that a team is really trying to work with me. They were real aggressive, they told me their future, they told me their plans and I just like every part of their vision. I think they have a really bright future and I think we can do something special.”

It wasn’t long after free agency began that Sacramento’s General Manager Pete D’Alessandro was making moves. Collison – a 6-foot, 175-pound point guard from Rancho Cucamonga, California – was atop the list thanks to his shifty, fluid offensive prowess and his tenacious defensive presence. 

“We want him to be that guy that brings out the talent from everyone else, while also showing his talent and leadership in the process,” added D’Alessandro.

Collison accepted the Kings offer to move north and take over the team’s starting point guard spot. Almost immediately, No. 7 made his presence felt. He reached out to his new teammates – contacting them through a series of phone calls and text messages – made an appearance in Las Vegas at the team’s mini-camp and met with the coaches. With just a few months to establish chemistry, digest the system and learn the nuances of Sacramento, timeliness has been of the utmost importance. 

“We have a relatively young team and there’s still going to be a lot to learn – there are going to be some road blocks and it’s not going to be easy where we want to go, but I’m excited to take on that role,” admitted Collison.

Although his NBA career has made stops in four cities, the UCLA grad has been fortunate enough to be mentored by the likes of Chris Paul, Byron Scott, Jim O’Brien and Doc Rivers. Last season in Los Angeles when Paul went down with an injury for 18 games, Collison stepped in and averaged 6.5 assists per game during that span and led his team to a 12-6 record. Furthermore, Collison shot 41.7% from three and 48.1% from the field in 35 starts for the Clippers.  

Much like his new backcourt teammate, McCallum has also shined when his name was in the starting lineup. In 10 starts last year, No. 3 averaged 13.8 points, 7.3 assists and just 1.9 turnovers per matchup. At just 23-years of age, the Detroit Mercy product showed growth in 2013-14 finishing the season with eight double-digit scoring games in the final twelve contests.  

“Once you get your opportunity, you make the most of it and try to take advantage of it and run with it – that’s something I did,” stated McCallum. “I want to use that confidence and carry it over into next season as well.”

The Kings coaching staff also saw improvement from their young guard in the offseason. In six Summer League outings, McCallum averaged 12 points, 5 rebounds and 4.1 assists, yet he saved his best for last, scoring a game-high 29 points against Houston en route to Championship game MVP honors. 

Everything was going right for the Motor City native that night as he connected n 9-of-15 attempts from the floor, including a running buzzer-beating three from way beyond the arc. 