NBA 2K

awhedbee

-- Winning Player to Select Charity Beneficiary to Receive $100,000 Donation in Support of Coronavirus Relief Efforts --

Sacramento Kings forward Harrison Barnes will participate in the “NBA 2K Players Tournament,” an NBA 2K20 gameplay tournament between 16 current NBA players. Beginning Friday, April 3 on ESPN and ESPN2, players will compete in a single-elimination, player-only tournament on Xbox One. The winner will be crowned the ultimate NBA 2K20 champion and select a charity beneficiary to receive a $100,000 donation from 2K, the NBA and the NBPA in support of ongoing coronavirus relief efforts.

“I am excited for this opportunity to play basketball, a game that I love, in the virtual form and to provide entertainment to fans worldwide during this time of uncertainty,” said Sacramento Kings forward Harrison Barnes. “This unique opportunity allows us to use our platform to give back and donate to organizations providing vital services during this pandemic.”

Based on players’ seeding – which is determined first by NBA 2K rating, second by tenure – players will go head-to-head online in NBA 2K20. Prior to the tournament beginning, every player will choose eight of today’s NBA teams, each of which can only be used once. If a mirror match is set, the away team is awarded first choice of team. Rounds one and two will be single elimination, with the semifinals and finals running best of three.

Player Seeding*:
1. Kevin Durant, Brooklyn Nets (96)
2. Trae Young, Atlanta Hawks (90)
3. Hassan Whiteside, Portland Trail Blazers (87)
4. Donovan Mitchell, Utah Jazz (87)
5. Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns (86)
6. Andre Drummond, Cleveland Cavaliers (85)
7. Zach LaVine, Chicago Bulls (85)
8. Montrezl Harrell, LA Clippers (85)
9. Domantas Sabonis, Indiana Pacers (85)
10. Deandre Ayton, Phoenix Suns (85)
11. DeMarcus Cousins (81)
12. Michael Porter Jr., Denver Nuggets (81)
13. Rui Hachimura, Washington Wizards (79)
14. Patrick Beverley, LA Clippers (78)
15. Harrison Barnes, Sacramento Kings (78)
16. Derrick Jones Jr., Miami Heat (78)

*Participating players subject to change.

“We're thrilled to partner with the NBA and NBPA to bring basketball back to fans throughout the world and to help those in need during these uncertain times,” said Jason Argent, 2K Senior Vice President, Sports Strategy and Licensing. “Entertainment, especially sports, has the ability to bring communities together – including athletes, fans and families – and we hope that everyone will enjoy the tournament.”

“We are excited to tip off the first ‘NBA 2K Players Tournament’ in partnership with the NBPA and 2K, continuing an ongoing effort to stay connected with NBA fans around the world, while also giving back in this time of need,” said Matt Holt, NBA SVP of Global Partnerships.

“This tournament offers a unique opportunity for our players to compete with one another while also supporting their philanthropic efforts and engaging with their fans,” said Josh Goodstadt, EVP of Licensing for THINK450, the commercial arm of the NBPA. “We are excited to work with 2K and the NBA to bring this experience to life for the entire NBA community.”

Tournament coverage begins April 3 at 7:00 p.m. ET on ESPN, with a matchup between Jones Jr. (16) and Durant (1) tipping off at 7:30 p.m. ET. Jones Jr. and Durant will each play as one of their pre-selected teams, with Jones Jr. choosing from the Boston Celtics, Brooklyn Nets, Dallas Mavericks, LA Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, Milwaukee Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers, and Durant choosing from the Brooklyn Nets, Chicago Bulls, Dallas Mavericks, Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets, LA Clippers, Oklahoma City Thunder and Utah Jazz.

Additional matchups will air through April 12. Every tournament game will debut on either ESPN or ESPN2, while also streaming on the ESPN App and running on NBA.com, the NBA App, and 2K and NBA social channels including Twitter (@NBA2K, @NBA), Twitch (@NBA2K, @NBA), YouTube (@NBA2K, @NBA) and Facebook (@NBA2K, @NBA). Fans can follow NBA 2K, NBA and NBPA for tune-in information, game commentary and game highlights, and they can join the conversation with #NBA2KTourney.

Tune-In Schedule:Round 1Friday, April 3: ESPN
7:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. ET: NBA 2K Players Tournament Preview Show
7:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. ET: Derrick Jones Jr. (16) vs. Kevin Durant (1)

Friday, April 3: ESPN2, 8:30 p.m. – 11:30 p.m. ET

Sunday, April 5: ESPN2, 12:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. ET

Quarterfinals
Tuesday, April 7: ESPN2, 7:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m. ET

Semifinals &amp; FinalsSaturday, April 11: ESPN, Timing to be announced.

sacramento-kings-forward-harrison-barnes-to-go-head-to-head-with-nba-players-in-first-ever-nba-2k-players-tournament-on-espn-and-espn2

Sacramento Kings Forward Harrison Barnes to Go Head-to-Head with NBA Players in First-Ever “NBA 2K Players Tournament” on ESPN and ESPN2

Kyle Ramos

Sacramento’s preseason is close to wrapping up with just two contests on the road remaining until the regular season officially commences next Wednesday.

The first foe that the Kings will encounter on this trip is the Los Angeles Clippers, a team which has seen some major roster changes during this offseason.

With a new look for L.A., we took to NBA 2K18 to get a feel for how this preseason matchup might go on Thursday night.

After a back-and-forth affair in the simulation, the Kings ultimately fell to the Clippers 104-98. Sacramento battled back from a double-digit deficit at halftime, but a 31-point fourth quarter helped Los Angeles eventually pull away in the end.

Despite the loss, Skal Labissiere posted a strong effort with 23 points and nine rebounds, as did Willie Cauley-Stein with his 13 points and 15 rebounds.

The new Los Angeles guard combo of Patrick Bevelery and Milos Teodosic played a big role in the contest, with Beverly logging 14 points, five rebounds, and three assists, with Teodsic logging a double-double of 11 points and 11 assists.

Though the simulation did not favor Sactown in this go around, the squad will have the chance to take home a W on enemy grounds before heading into the preseason finale against Golden State on Sunday.

Last time the team suited up at Staples Center, they overcame one of the biggest late fourth quarter deficits in League history.

nba2k-preseason-preview-kings-vs-clippers

NBA2K Preseason Preview: Kings vs Clippers

Sacramento split their first two preseason matchups, both against the San Antonio Spurs, and will look to rebound in their third contest against the Los Angeles Lakers.

Though the Lakers will be sans two key players in rookie Lonzo Ball and center Andrew Bogut, this meeting between heated rivals is sure to produce some entertaining results.

Our simulation in NBA 2K18 reflected as such, with the Kings taking home a narrow and thrilling 109-107 victory. The contest came down to the wire, with Sacramento topping L.A. in the final seconds after Buddy Hield drove to the basket and was fouled with just 0.8 seconds remaining. No. 24 knocked down the ensuing free throws and the Lakers missed the final heave as the buzzer sounded.

The game-winning free throws capped a 20-point day for Hield, who also recorded five rebounds and three assists. Sactown’s rookies also came up big, as De’Aaron Fox pitched in 16 points and eight assists along with a steal and Justin Jackson scored 10 points while making two of his three attempts from beyond the arc.

Leading Los Angeles was Jordan Clarkson with 17 points and five assists, with rookie Kyle Kuzma pitching in 15 points of his own. Julius Randle also notched a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds.

These two young teams will meet on Sunday evening on neutral ground with the game taking place in Las Vegas. With the amount of young talent involved, there’s plenty of reason to believe that this game could mirror the results of the 2K simulation.

The contest will air at 6 pm PT on ESPN and will be the first opportunity for the Young Kings to showcase their talent on primetime in 2017-18.

nba2k-preseason-preview-kings-vs-lakers

NBA2K Preseason Preview: Kings vs Lakers

In May, the NBSA announced a professional NBA 2K league featuring Sacramento and 16 franchises around the Association.

In preparation for the inaugural season, the Kings have created accounts across social media for fans everywhere to keep in touch with the latest updates from the esports team, as well as gain behind-the-scenes access, live streams, simulations and more.

Additionally, as the team is in the early stages of being assembled, these accounts will be a go-to source for news and information on tryouts for the NBA 2K squad.

The accounts can be found and followed below:

kings-gaming-launches-social-channels

Kings Gaming Launches Social Channels

nbaplatformservices

Willie Cauley-Stein: Kings Media Day with Rachel DeMita

willie-cauley-stein-kings-media-day-with-rachel-demita

A fresh look and an exciting offseason has Sacramento buzzing in anticipation for the future.

The newest release from popular sports video game franchise NBA2K features gameplay that allows players to run their own NBA franchises.

We fired up our console and simulated all 82 games of the upcoming season with exciting results.

The Kings stumbled a bit out of the gates, posting a 3-4 record in the first month of the season. This was followed by an up-and-down next couple of months where Sactown had several stretches of losses followed by almost equal winning streaks to balance out its record to 17-19 at the end of 2017.

January and February were also marked by fluctuating streaks for the purple and black, who would parlay a three-game winning streak at the end of the season into a dead even record of 41-41 and, more importantly, a coveted playoff spot as the No. 8 seed in the competitive Western Conference.

During the regular season, Sacramento notched notable victories over strong teams around the Association, including the Washington Wizards, Toronto Raptors, Minnesota Timberwolves, Boston Celtics, and San Antonio Spurs.

The first round of the postseason pitted the Kings against their Nor Cal rival Golden State Warriors. In four games, however, the defending champions were able to get by Sacramento, ending a promising season for the Kings.

George Hill led the way for Sactown’s scoring, logging 15.8 points per contest to go with averages of 5.5 assists and 3.3 rebounds. Close behind Hill was second-year guard Buddy Hield, recording 15.4 points per contest of his own and leading the team in three-point shooting with an impressive mark of 40.1 percent from downtown.

Here is a breakdown of Sacramento’s record month-by-month during the simualtion.

October - 3-4
November - 7-7
December -7-8
January - 7-7
February - 5-6
March - 9-7
April - 3-2

kings-season-simulated-by-nba-2k18

Kings Season Simulated by NBA 2K18

For several seasons, the Sacramento Kings and Minnesota Timberwolves engaged in heated battles, many of which were centered around two of the best big men in the game in Chris Webber and Kevin Garnett.

Though they were fierce competitors on the hardwood, KG recently stated that Webber was one of his major influences as a basketball player. In a sneak peek video for NBA 2K, Garnett was revealed to be one of the guest commentators in the latest installment of the video game.

In the footage, KG is asked about his earliest influences, to which he responded with a list of players he looked up to.

“Magic Johnson, obviously Michael Jordan, and then Chris Webber,” said Garnett. “When I first met Webb, I was a little bit star struck. Him and Michael Jordan, and Shaq, a little bit.”

The full video as well as one of the first glimpes of NBA 2K18 gameplay can be viewed below.

garnett-names-webber-as-major-influence

Garnett Names Webber as Major Influence

Shahbaz Khan

With the 2016-17 regular season rapidly approaching, Kings.com took to the sticks to simulate the team’s inaugural season at Golden 1 Center.

The team opened the simulation with a 21-point road win in its first game of the regular season versus the Phoenix Suns.

Despite struggling in the early months, Sacramento rebounded by winning 12 of its 15 December contests, including a season-high seven-game winning streak. The Kings sat in the eighth seed at the All-Star Break, with 25 wins and holding a slim half-game lead over the New Orleans Pelicans.

The two teams traded between the eighth and ninth spots in the Western Conference until the final week of the season, where both teams sat at 39 wins with three games remaining in the regular season. New Orleans won two of its final three regular season games, while Sactown dropped two, finishing with a 40-42 record and a ninth place finish. New Orleans’ 41-41 record was enough to net them the final spot in the playoff race, finishing a game above Sactown.

DeMarcus Cousins earned an All-NBA First Team bid while averaging 27.1 points, 12.4 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game, also finishing fourth in MVP voting. Arron Afflalo and Rudy Gay combined for 35 points per game while Ty Lawson dropped a team-high eight assists per contest.

Month by month, the team recorded the following records:
October - 1–3
November - 2–13
December - 12–3
January - 7–8
February - 5–6
March - 10–6
April - 3–3