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 >>
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 >>
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 >>
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 >>
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 >>
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 >>
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 >>
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 >>
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.