Recap

Sydney Zuelke

Throughout the month of May and beyond, the Sacramento Kings are dedicated to celebrating and honoring Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage. Over the course of the month, the Kings developed programming aimed at addressing Asian Hate and how to be an ally, having an open conversation with leaders in the space, supporting Sacramento’s AAPI-owned businesses, and highlighting local AAPI artists and community leaders.

Advancing Racial Equity Through Candid Conversations

As part of the Sacramento Kings efforts to highlight Asian American &amp; Pacific Islander Month, the team hosted another Diversity &amp; Inclusion Council Team Member Forum via Microsoft Teams on Tuesday to discuss their rich heritage, cultural values and today's struggles of the AAPI community.

The panel included Roger Chung, Chair of Ethnic Studies Department at Laney College, Michelle Woo, Co-Founder of For Freedoms, Erin Yoshi, Art-Based Community Strategist and Lauren Oto, Communications &amp; Membership for Sacramento Asian Pacific Chamber of Commerce.

We were honored to celebrate AAPI employees of the Kings throughout the month.

Supporting Sacramento’s AAPI-Owned Businesses

Sacramento is home to so many AAPI owned businesses. Golden 1 Center proudly highlighted local business owners on the verts throughout the month.

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Recap: Kings Celebrate AAPI Heritage Month

Tracee Jay

On October 21st, the Sacramento Kings in partnership with the Milwaukee Bucks, Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx, Indiana Pacers and Fever, Dallas Mavericks and Wings, and Cleveland Cavaliers hosted the third Team Up for Change summit, designed to unite, inspire and activate in and around our communities.

The teams continued in their Team Up for Change efforts by hosting a Week of Action!

From October 22nd to the 28th, the Kings organization engaged young adults ages 14-24 through a variety of activations in collaboration with community organizations and local leaders devoted to empowering the next generation.

The week kicked off with Team up with Sac State.

This event was a social justice and activism panel, where Sacramento State students acquired tips and strategies for effective activism and learned how to get involved deeper in their community.

The Kings teamed up with the Food Literacy Center to distribute recipe kits to students at Leataata Floyd elementary school and their families. Kings Team Members volunteered to hand out kits, and gave out some Kings swag as well!

The Week of Action continued with, Team Up for Teens with Sol Collective.

In partnership with Sol Collective, the Kings helped distribute Sol CARES teen kits. These kits were designed by youth for youth to support each other through these difficult times. Each box is themed, from movie nights to self-care, and the boxes are aimed at bringing joy to young people and remind them that Sol and Sacramento CARE!

The first round of youth were nominated by community members and they ,inturn, have a chance to nominate the next group of teens to receive the gift. The joy of sharing and caring will continue through the end of the year!

Through a series of videos, Sacramento Kings players and coaches thanked their mentors as part of MENTOR CA’s #ThankYourMentor campaign, which launches in November.

Following up, was the career exploration panel.

The Sacramento Kings and College Track collaborated to bring local Sacramento high school students a Virtual Career Exploration and Passion Finding Workshop.

Kings Chairman and Owner Vivek Ranadivé welcomed students and shared his career journey from Bombay to the NBA. Additionally, his son Andre Ranadivé and his wife shared stories and insights with students on their career pathways. Also, Kings staff members from a range of departments gave students insights on their positions within the organization and answered questions about keys to their success and more.

In addition to the Week of Action, the team also launched a two-part online content series focused on continuing the conversation around civic engagement, social inequity and allyship.

Sacramento Kings Vice President of Kings Academy and Professional Development Galen Duncan hosted a two-part panel discussion addressing social justice, allyship, voting and more. He was joined by Player Development Coach Rico Hines, Player Development Assistant Coach Lindsey Harding, Player Development Assistant Coach Bobby Jackson, Head Athletic Trainer Joe Resendez, forward Jabari Parker, guard-forward DaQuan Jeffries and guard Kyle Guy.

While the Week of Action is coming to a close, the Kings commitment to making a change in our community is ever-flowing. Be on the lookout for more community events in the future!

For more information on Team Up for Change, visit Kings.com/TeamUpForChange

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Team Up For Change: Week of Action and Content Series Recap

Benedict Tagle

Thanks to a red-hot opening frame, in which Utah jumped out to an 11-0 lead and ultimately led by as many as 20, the Kings found themselves in an early hole.

The Jazz made 60 percent of their shots, including a blistering 50 percent from long distance.

The next frame saw a quick shift in momentum. Thanks to a 12-0 run lead by the backcourt Ty Lawson and Ben McLemore, the Kings closed the quarter on a 20-4 run. The purple and black outscored the Jazz by 13 points in the second period, cutting the gap to just seven points.

McLemore tallied all 17 of his first half points in the quarter, making up more than half of the team’s output in the frame.

The third quarter saw more of an even game, with the two teams exchanging baskets. Both teams made at least 50 percent of their shots from the field. Although, cutting the lead to two, Utah finished the frame on an 11-4 run.

The Jazz continued their momentum into the final frame, starting the quarter with an 8-2 run and would never look back.

Utah capped off a wire-to-wire victory, winning 112-82. They had six players finish in double digits, led by Gordon Hayward's 20 points. The Kings were led by McLemore, who scored 22 points.

The Kings now head to New Orleans for their final matchup of the season against the Pelicans on Friday night.

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Ben's Stellar Half Not Enough Against Jazz

Shahbaz Khan

Seventy-two points by the Kings reserves made the difference in an emotional post All-Star Game victory over Denver. With three new faces, a revamped starting lineup and a sold-out Golden 1 Center, Sactown leaped to a fast-paced start thanks to their bigs. The trio of Kosta Koufos, Skal Labissiere and Willie Cauley-Stein combined for 20 of the team’s 29 first quarter points, rebounding from an early eight-point deficit.

By the second frame, the Cauley-Stein show was in full swing. The Kentucky product converted 5-of-8 field goal attempts en route to an 11-point quarter. Trill showed off an array of moves throughout the period and more importantly, the game – displaying an impressive handle, soft touch and mid-range jumper. Meanwhile, rookie Buddy Hield entered and immediately contributed for the Kings, scoring seven second quarter points while showcasing his smooth shooting stroke. Holding Denver to just 6-of-17 from the floor, Sacramento built off a narrow advantage to pull away by as many as 20 prior to halftime.

The momentum would carry over into the final half, with Sactown holding onto their double-digit lead for most of the final 24 minutes. Ben McLemore stepped in with eight third quarter points, Tyreke Evans returned to the team to score eight in the final frame and No. 00 scored 10 in the second half to complete the W.

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Young Kings, Bench Thrive in Victory

Setting the tone early, Sacramento jumped out to a 10-0 run led by their defense. Coinciding with that, the Kings forced three turnovers in the first three minutes of action. Cleveland’s double-digit deficit was short lived, as the reigning champions responded with a 22-3 run to build their own nine-point advantage.
 Garrett Temple’s 10-point opening frame kept the team within striking distance though, trailing by just four heading into the ensuing quarter. It was in the second quarter that Kings rookie Malachi Richardson hit on 4-of-5 field goals to spark Sacramento, earning his career-high in points in the process. Leading the comeback charge alongside Richardson was Darren Collison, who also scored nine to lead the team with a dozen at the halftime break.
 
Hitting on 14-of-19 from the field in the third, Cleveland’s three-point shooting turned around the contest. By quarter’s end, the Cavs flipped a six-point halftime deficit into a three-point lead. Fifteen of the Cavs third quarter points came from beyond the arc, where LeBron James made an impact. Last year’s Finals MVP generated 18 of Cleveland’s points, scoring on 10 and assisting on three field goals.
 
Trailing by 10 with seven minutes remaining, the Kings fought on with an 11-0 run to take the lead with just 2:39 to go. A back-and-forth affair ensued, with Sacramento pushing the Cavs to overtime.
 
Finding themselves trailing by five halfway through the overtime period, DeMarcus Cousins and Collison took over. The duo combined for six points in the waning two minutes to tie the game at 112.
 
With 30 seconds left, the Kings went on to deal Cleveland its final blow. Boogie, posted on the elbow with a double team arriving, kicked the ball out to an open Arron Afflalo, who calmly sank the game-winning three.
 

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Kings Dethrone Cavs in the Clutch

Allowing 38 points in the first 12 minutes of play, Sacramento found themselves trailing by double digits by quarter’s end. Pistons forward Jon Leuer excelled in the frame, shooting 6-of-6 for 15 points to lead Detroit. While the Kings shot 55 percent from the floor, five turnovers allowed the Pistons to build their early lead.

Energized by the play of Ty Lawson, Matt Barnes and Willie Cauley-Stein, Sactown quickly found themselves on the comeback trail. The trio combined for 24 points in the second quarter alone. Meanwhile, held to just 1-of-5 in his first stint, DeMarcus Cousins rebounded with nine points in the ensuing frame to earn the team a three-point advantage at halftime.

Garrett Temple and Darren Collison sparked the team on a run in the third quarter on perfect 5-for-5 shooting and a combined 14 points.
Their performances extended the squad’s lead to the biggest of the contest heading to the final frame.

Clutch performances by Lawson and DMC sealed the deal, while notable fourth quarter contributions came from Malachi Richardson and Matt Barnes.

Sacramento finished with 52 bench points, led by Lawson and Cauley-Stein. Combined, the duo outscored Detroit’s reserves 31-30.

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Complete Effort Snaps Pistons Streak

Jonathan Santiago

The Sacramento Kings gave the Miami Heat all they could handle Tuesday night. Despite playing a gritty game, the Kings were unable to outpace the Heat, falling 108-96 in South Beach.

Following an off scoring night in Atlanta, the Kings were carried by the efforts of Rudy Gay and DeMarcus Cousins. Gay secured a double-double, finishing with a season-high 30 points and 12 rebounds.  Meanwhile, the Kings All-Star center scored 13 of 30 points in the fourth quarter before fouling out with seconds remaining in regulation.

The Kings were unable to slow the Miami Heat backcourt, as Goran Dragic finished with a near triple-double - 25 points, eight assists and eight rebounds - and Dion Waiters scored 20.  Heat guard Tyler Johnson also played a crucial role in Miami’s win, tallying 22 points on 7-of-11 shooting off the bench.

The Kings have Wednesday off before returning to action on Thursday against the Orlando Magic. Tip-off from Amway Center is set for 4 p.m. PT.  Fans can catch coverage of the game on Comcast SportsNet California, Sports 1140 KHTK Radio and the Kings + Golden 1 Center app.

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Kings Unable to Outlast Heat in OT

The Sacramento Kings may have fell short against the San Antonio Spurs.  But that didn’t take away from the magic that filled the air inside the Golden 1 Center Thursday night.

Fans came out in full force for the first ever regular season contest to take place inside the brand new arena.

“These guys are pros and they’ve been in a lot of big games,” Head Coach Dave Joerger said following the game.  “But to live in this community you feel that love.  And I think it goes a long way for the pride that we want to go out and play with every night.  You really get out there and you feel that, so it’s very positive.”

Cousins led the way for the Kings, finishing with a game-high 37 points and 16 rebounds.  The effort was a milestone for the 26-year-old center, who racked up his 60th career, 30-plus point outing of his career.

Sacramento held their own against the a seasoned Spurs ball-club, limiting San Antonio to 6-of-18 shooting from behind the arc.  The Kings kept the contest close by getting to the free throw line, shooting an impressive 32-of-38 from the charity stripe in their Golden 1 Center Debut.

The Kings get some rest before returning to action Saturday night in Sacramento against the Minnesota Timberwolves.  Fans can follow coverage the game on Comcast SportsNet California, Sports 1140 KHTK Radio and the Kings + Golden 1 Center app.  Action tips off at Golden 1 Center at 7:30 p.m. PT.