Phoenix Suns

Kyle Ramos

The Kings were able to overcome a slow start during their first preseason game in Portland en route to a comeback victory over the Trail Blazers in overtime. Now in their second contest in a row on the road, the Kings will be trying to keep the positive momentum going against the Phoenix Suns.

The Suns enter the 2015-16 season with a similar core to what they featured last year, with the dynamic backcourt of Eric Bledsoe and Brandon Knight leading the way.

In the offseason, Phoenix added some quality talent including veteran center Tyson Chandler and forward Mirza Teletovic. The Suns also used their 13th overall pick in the draft to select Kentucky’s Devin Booker, who is widely considered to be one of the best three-point shooters in his draft class.

The Kings won three of the four matchups between the teams including both games in Phoenix - one of which was a double overtime thriller.

Another win also came by way of a DeMarcus Cousins game-winning buzzer-beater, something that the Suns became very familiar with last season. On five occasions in the 2014-15 season, Phoenix lost games decided by last-season shots.

The Kings will face the Suns four more times this season with the first matchup coming on Nov. 4 in Phoenix.

One player to watch for the Suns will be point guard Eric Bledsoe, a player known for his tenacious defense and explosive ability to get to the rim. Bledsoe will match up against another former Kentucky Wildcat Rajon Rondo and preseason opener standout Darren Collison.

Another position to watch will be the shooting guards off of the bench for both teams, as the Suns will likely use rookie Devin Booker in the second unit and the Kings will likely do the same for Marco Belinelli, who’s red-hot second half powered the Kings to their first win of the preseason on Monday. Both Belinelli and Booker are known for their shooting strokes, so this matchup could lead to a potential three-point battle.

While the Kings roster contains three players hailing from the University of Kentucky (Rondo, Cousins and Willie Cauley-Stein), the Suns have four of their own who are former Wildcats including: Bledsoe, Brandon Knight, Booker, and Archie Goodwin.

In theory, this means that we could see up to seven UK alumni on the court at the same time during this game.

Fans can tune-in at 7 p.m. PDT to watch on NBA League Pass or listen on the radio to Sports 1140 KHTK.

kings-look-to-build-on-opening-win

Kings Look to Build on Opening Win

Steven Wilson

On a night in which DeMarcus Cousins was awarded his official NBA All-Star jersey, the Kings big man again allowed his on-court performance to have the final word.

With 2.5 seconds to play in regulation and the game knotted at 83, Cousins caught the inbound pass from Ben McLemore, took one dribble, faked left, pivoted right and pulled up for a 19-foot jumper over the outstretched arm of Markieff Morris.

By the time the buzzer had sounded, Cousins’ shot sank true!

Highlight: DMC Game-Winning Buzzer-Beater

In his final home contest before the All-Star break, DeMarcus Cousins – joined by Kings General Manager Pete D’Alessandro, Fan Hall of Famer Barbara “Sign Lady” Rust and Kings Advisor to the Chairman Chri Mullin – was presented with his Western Conference NBA All-Star jersey in a ceremony at center court.

No. 15 will don the black and red threads at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, Feb. 15 in his first All-Star game. Tip-off of the annual showcase, which will be telecast on TNT, is set for 5:30 p.m. PST.

Prior to tip-off on Sunday, the Kings joined the basketball community in honoring Hall of Fame Coach Dean Smith, who passed away on Saturday.

Sacramento players and coaches joined Mayor Kevin Johnson and more in paying tribute to the legendary coach, too.

Listen to Jason Ross Call the Game-Winner

Sacramento departs for a two-game Midwest road trip, featuring contests in Chicago (Tuesday at 5 p.m.) and Milwaukee (Wednesday at 5 p.m.) on Comcast SportsNet California, before a week-long rest for All-Star festivities.

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Boogie’s Buzzer-Beater Sinks Suns

Looking to end a three-game losing streak and beat a division rival, Sacramento plays host to Phoenix tonight with redemption in mind.

Last time the Suns were in town they escaped with a 115-106 victory. Now, DeMarcus Cousins, Ben McLemore and the Kings look to retake the series lead and get back in the win column.

Broadcasts: TV – CSNCA/NBATV
Comcast - 34 / 721
Dish - 452 / 9574
Dish Hopper – 412-40
DirecTV - 698-1
AT&amp;T - 768 / 1768Radio – KHTK Sports 1140 AM

All eyes will again be on Isaiah Thomas as he returns to Sleep Train Arena for the second time since joining the Suns during the offseason. Thomas was the 60th selection by the Kings in the 2011 NBA Draft and played three seasons in the purple and black.

The last time Thomas visited Sacramento he dropped 17 points to help lead Phoenix to victory. In the pair's first meeting of the season on November 7, 2014, Sacramento held IT to just three points as the Kings held on for a double-overtime win.

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Preview: Kings (17-32) vs. Suns (29-23)

Looking for its second-straight win at home, Sacramento hosts Phoenix tonight in a much-anticipated matchup. The Suns, who have won four-consecutive games, open a four-game road trip tonight, while the Kings open a two-game homestand before hitting the road. Tonight’s game also marks the return of former Kings guard Isaiah Thomas, who tallied three points and four assists in 17 minutes of action in his first tilt against Sacramento in Phoenix.

Broadcasts: TV – CSNCA
Comcast - 34 / 721
Dish - 452 / 9517
Dish Hopper – 412-35
DirecTV - 698-1
AT&amp;T - 768 / 1768
SonySixRadio – KHTK Sports 1140 AM

All eyes will be on Isaiah Thomas as he partakes in his first meeting against his former team in Sacramento tonight.

After averaging career numbers last season in a Kings jersey with over 20 points and 6 assists per game, Thomas signed as a free agent with division-rival Phoenix. Now, Sacramento will face their former point guard in a Friday night bout.

“IT is a great player,” said Ray McCallum. “We know he’s going to come in here like he always does and be aggressive and play in attack-mode. So for us, we just have to do a good job of containing him, limit his shots and limit his touches.”

Thomas is part of a three-headed monster that returns to full health this week with the return of Goran Dragic.

“They have a good team − they have three good point guards,” admitted McCallum. “So it’s going to be a good matchup, a fun game and it’s definitely going to be something we’re looking forward to.”

McCallum has had some memorable matchups against the Suns in his short career, including this dunk in a game last season.

Over the past ten games, DeMarcus Cousins has tallied at least 22 points marking the longest such stretch of his career. Against Golden State, the big man scored a game-high 22 points, grabbed eight rebounds and dished six assists. The eight boards was the first time Boogie hasn’t collected double-digit rebounds since Nov. 9. He has recorded 14 double-doubles this season and leads the Kings in scoring, rebounding and blocks per game.

“He’s been banged up a little bit, but from everything I’ve heard, he’s fine,” said Corbin after practice this week. “The back-to-back was tough for him the other night, but we cut his minutes down some. But it was tough for all of us.”

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Preview: Kings (12-16) vs. Suns (16-14)

sacjwise

Stuggling with sickness much of the day, Rudy Gay was finding it difficult to get into a groove come game-time.

Although the star forward was 4-for-20, his running mate DeMarcus Cousins had fouled out in the fourth quarter, and his team was trailing by one with less than a minute to play in double-overtime, his coach knew what was coming.

“That’s what great players do” stated Head Coach Michael Malone following the game.

Rudy would score on a baseline jumper with 1:07 remaining to put his team up for good and Sacramento would get three consecutive defensive stops to close the game and walk away with the W.

How the team got to that point was a testament to its fortitude in the early season.

The Kings have hung their hats on the defensive end through the first five games of the regular season.

Phoenix would test that early as the squad in orange would shoot 68 percent in the first quarter and lead by 11 at the quarter break. Benefitting from the purple and black’s five miscues in the first frame, the Suns would score 10 points while seemingly living in the paint.

Losing defensive lead Darren Collison in the first three minutes with two fouls hurt, but backup Ramon Sessions helped stem the tide, scoring five points in his first 12 minutes of action.

Sacramento responded in the second quarter trimming the lead to four within the first three minutes. Once again, Carl Landry provided a fantastic spark off the bench, tallying six points and four rebounds. Ending with 12 points and eight rebounds.

Cousins recorded his first basket with 7:57 remaining in the second quarter. But, the Suns would keep pressure on the visitors, pushing the lead back to 10 midway through the frame.

Sactown would then lean on another key component of their early success, free throws, to get back into the game.

A 9-0 run to cut the lead to one with less than two minutes remaining as “Big Cuz” continued to rack up fouls on his opponents. No. 15 would go on to take 10 of the team’s 19 first half free throws.

Turnovers would continue to hurt the Kings in the third quarter, as well as Goran Dragic. “The Dragon” scored 10 points in the frame, utilizing high pick-and-rolls to get into the teeth of the Kings defense for layups and free throws. Ultimately, Sacramento would trail by 11 points heading into the final frame.

Sacramento’s defense would then return to form. DMC, Rudy and Co. held Phoenix to six points in first seven minutes of fourth quarter. Tying the game with 4:55 remaining on two Boogie free throws.

After trailing by 11 entering the fourth quarter, Sacramento held Phoenix to 11 total points in the fourth. But a former Kings guard had the chance to win it at the buzzer.

Isaiah Thomas would only see 17 minutes of game action against his former team but Head Coach Jeff Hornacek looked to the former UW product to produce some of his Pac-10 tournament magic.

Thomas, tightly contested by Ray McCallum, missed a potential game-winner and the two squads headed to overtime.

In the first overtime, Phoenix would race to a quick seven-point lead, led by consecutive Eric Bledsoe layups and a P.J. Tucker three-pointer.

Collison responded with back-to-back layups to trim the lead to 3 and Ben McLemore would add a pair of free throws to bring Sacramento even closer.

With 42 seconds remaining DC7 would draw a foul on Bledsoe but the lead guard would make only one-of-two, sending it to a second overtime.

In a back and forth extra frame the Kings would lean on the late heroics of Rudy and the steady scoring of Collison to secure the win and the best team start in over a decade.

kings-cool-suns-in-double-ot

Kings Cool Suns in Double-OT

Flashback to the final week of September during the Sacramento Kings official Training Camp − Coach Michael Malone is on the sideline in front of the team’s branded backdrop surrounded by media members. When asked about the importance this week will have on the season, he ponders the question before responding.

“[Training Camp] isn’t just about offense, defense and X’s and O’s,” said the Kings leader at the time. “The more important thing is relationships and building a bond and a trust with each other.”

Six weeks later, the team looks impeccable with a 4-1 record following back-to-back wins over the Denver Nuggets, the second in convincing fashion. After a 28-win season in 2013-14, the Kings have looked like a new team so far this year and the turnaround has been impressive.

It has taken time for Sacramento’s front office to piece together this now tight-knit group − a squad with fight, heart and a never-say-never attitude.

“We’re definitely a team that’s trying to change the culture of this organization,” said forward Carl Landry, “to get it back on track, where this team once was. We just have to take it step-by-step and day-by-day.”

Some teams may relish in the fact their team is 4-1, but these Kings are different. They recognize the continued need for improvement. While still enjoying a hard-earned win, each player is responsible for bringing a tireless work ethic to practice every single day.

“We’re hungry,” admitted Landry. “Every practice, we’re trying to get better. Every game, we want to continue to win. We know it’s not a sprint − it’s a marathon. We have to continue to take it game-by-game.”

Wednesday’s comfortable win over the Denver Nuggets not only gave Sacramento its first 4-1 start since the 2001-02 season, but it gave the Kings a little breathing room heading into a tough four-game road-trip.

“Thank goodness we’ve been able to start the way we have and build a 4-1 cushion,” said Head Coach Michael Malone after practice on Thursday. “We talked about that on Media Day in our team meeting. We wanted to have a great month of October so we could try to steal some games early, knowing that our schedule is very demanding.”

Over the next week, the purple and black will face Phoenix, Oklahoma City, Dallas and Memphis, teams with a combined record of 12-7 and 11-3 if you remove the Thunder’s 1-4 mark.

“I think it’s going to be a great test,” Malone continued. “Any time you go up against the likes of Phoenix, Memphis, OKC, Dallas, you’re going to have a great understanding of where you’re at [as a team] when you come back.”

Boasting one of the best center-small forward combos in the game, the Kings will be counting on DeMarcus Cousins and Rudy Gay all year long. The dynamic duo has been stellar through five games averaging a combined 48.4 points and 16.8 rebounds per game.

Rudy and DMC are also leading the charge off the court and in the locker room showing leadership and poise even through adverse times. Their guidance has created a close bond between everyone on the team.

“The guys have come together − we have a tremendous group,” said Coach Malone. “I’ve noticed a significant change with DeMarcus and Rudy and how vocal they’re being and how positive they’re being even if maybe we’re going through a rough time during a game − there’s a lot of positive feedback.”

After the home opener − a loss to Golden State − the Kings remained calm. Instead of panicking, the team responded with four-straight wins, including victories over Portland and Los Angeles. A large part of that is due to the veteran leadership on the team.

“You can see it on our bench during the game,” said Malone. “Our bench is up, our bench is in to the game and like we always say, it’s amazing what can be accomplished when no one cares who gets the credit − we all just want to win and I think guys are checking their egos at the doors.”

In all, Sacramento has nine players with at least five years of experience in the NBA. Although they haven’t played a full season together, the core of the Kings is a close-knit group of young and talented young men.

“We have a good mix right now [of veterans and young guys],” said Malone. “When you see guys up and supporting their teammates throughout the game, I think that bodes well for your team’s camaraderie and chemistry.”

kings-notes-changing-the-culture

Kings Notes: Changing the Culture

sacasingh

SACRAMENTO, CA – The Sacramento Kings announced today a new partnership with the Green Sports Alliance (GSA), a nationally acclaimed non-profit organization dedicated to helping sports teams, venues and leagues enhance their environmental performance. 

“We’re proud to join the Green Sports Alliance – it’s one more step on our journey to building the greenest arena in the greenest state in America,” said Kings President Chris Granger. “The Kings are committed to environmental sustainability because it’s the socially responsible and fiscally prudent path to take. Energy efficiency measures will help us save money, which we can reinvest into community programs, and recycling materials from the Downtown Plaza will find new life in projects throughout Sacramento.”

In joining the Alliance, the Kings and Sacramento will become part of a national network of top professional and collegiate sports teams and entertainment and sports facilities who have pledged a commitment to measuring their environmental performance, developing strategies and goals to reduce their impact and monitoring their progress. Alliance members include NBA teams like the Miami Heat, Portland Trail Blazers and Phoenix Suns, as well as top sports facilities like the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, Staples Center in Los Angeles, and Verizon Center in Washington, DC.

"The Sacramento Kings have shown great industry leadership in making a clear and public commitment to environmental sustainability," said Green Sports Alliance Executive Director Martin Tull. "We look forward to the opportunity to work with the Kings as an Alliance member to learn from their existing facility operations and help apply advanced environmental strategy to the planning and design of the new arena."

Going forward, a team of ESC sustainability advisors will identify and pursue specific strategies and initiatives to promote green design, construction and operations at the facility. GSA, and its vast member network, will provide additional support to the Kings advisors and initiatives. A wide range of ideas is already under consideration, including:

The Kings will be featured presenters at the 2014 Green Sports Alliance Summit on July 21-23 in Santa Clara, CA, which brings together more than 600 industry stakeholders to share and discuss environmental practices and proven solutions that help to advance the green sports movement.

Today’s announcement also represents the latest in a series of activities undertaken by the Kings to develop a robust green and sustainability agenda for the new ESC.

The Kings will release a full sustainability agenda on the ESC, called the “Sacramento ESC GreenPrint” at a later stage in the project.