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Deron Williams to Kings? Still dead

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Deron Williams sat on the bench Wednesday as he watched his Nets win a close one vs. the Kings, a team reportedly interested in taking on his massive contract. But there was little discussion of the trade rumors because as Sam Amick reports, there's no movement.


The rumored deal would have sent D-Will and probably another piece to Sacramento for Darren Collison, Derrick Williams, Jason Thompson and possibly Nik Stauskas. The hang-up was the Kings insistence that the Nets include Mason Plumlee, which is not happening, according to many insider the organization.

Will it move forward?  Hard to know.  Absent the inclusion of Plumlee, the deal could be seen as a good one for the Nets. It would save them more than $30 million over the course of the remaining two and a half years on Williams contract.

Of the four Kings players mentioned in discussions, only Collison played well Wednesday.  He finished with 16 points and five assists, shooting 2-of-7 from three. Jason Thompson who has a reputation as an underrated defender went for four points and two rebounds and didn't put up much of a fight when the Nets front court dominated early.  Derrick Williams had six points in 11 minutes while Staukas played only seven minutes and didn't take a shot.  The overall No. 8 pick has scored only 24 points in 10 games since January 1.

What's next? Maybe nothing. As long as the Kings insist on Plumlee, nothing is going to happen, says league sources.


Kings struggling to pull themselves out of adversity

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The Kings dropped their fifth game in a row Wednesday night. DeMarcus Cousins and Rudy Gay said the team is having troubling handling adversity.

The Sacramento Kings have faced their fair share of adversity this season, and the team's fifth loss in a row Wednesday night to the lowly Brooklyn Nets just adds to the long list of their recent struggles.

Adversity is something that the Kings' two marquee players, DeMarcus Cousins and Rudy Gay, say the team has had trouble dealing with. Cousins was asked after the 103-100 loss to the Nets if he could pinpoint what the main issue is with the Kings lately.

"The effort is there, it's just not from start to finish. I think we've got to be mentally stronger when we hit adversity. Start arguing, you know, we start falling apart. We've got to stay together through good times and bad times," Cousins told Sactown Royalty. "In the beginning of the season we were winning games, guys were, you know, cheering and happy for one another and it was this and that. You know, 'I love this team.' Now, we hit a little adversity, guys score a basket, get a bucket or a stop, whatever the case may be; the bench [makes mild clapping motion]. You've got to be the same through good and bad."

The Kings, of course, kicked off the 2014-15 campaign with a 9-5 start and the fans and players alike were buzzing with excitement. Kings forward Jason Thompson said at the time that they didn't want it to just be a fluke. But after a long stretch of missed games for Cousins and the swap of Michael Malone for Tyrone Corbin at head coach, it unfortunately appears to have been just that, a fluke. The Kings have now slumped to a record of 16-26, which is 10 fewer wins than the Phoenix Suns, who have the 8th best record in the Western Conference.

Rudy Gay agreed with Cousins that the Kings are still trying to figure out how to play through adversity.

"I agree. We definitely have to learn how to do that. We have a young team. We have a very emotional team also ... we're kind of numb to the way we're playing. It's nothing, we just go out there and do it," Gay told Sactown Royalty. "Earlier in the season, it was like we were really moving the ball and we were feeling like a good team and I think we forgot what that felt like."

Gay elaborated when asked by reporters how the Kings can get that back.

"That's the million dollar question I guess, right? But it's a marathon, it's not a sprint everybody knows that. We've played one half of basketball. We played a quarter of the way good basketball, so I think we know what it's like, we just have to get back to that feeling," Gay said.

Kings point guard Darren Collison stressed the need for the team to help each other, communicate and play with defensive intensity.

"Until we figure out those three things, then we won't be a good basketball team," Collison told reporters.

These are the things that were repeatedly mentioned back in November as to why the team was playing so well.

The last time the Kings left for a long road trip, the players felt like it would be a good opportunity for them to get away for a while and bond again. After a disheartening loss Wednesday, another bonding opportunity comes in the form of a five-game road trip that begins in Golden State on Friday.

Sean Cunningham of News 10 has the video of post game comments from Corbin, Darren Collison, Gay and Cousins if you want to check that out.

Jazz family, the circle of life, and the need for patience

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Losing Wally, but adding Jellybean . . . the return of the Rocky Mountain Review . . . our next All-Star is not going to be who you think . . . winning in front of family . . . and a user poll!

Maybe this is because of my blatant non-Abrahamic upbringing, but I see everything in a series of cycles. We recently lost Wally Price (and the loads of love he received from former players young and old was nice to see), but we gained someone new to our Utah Jazz family as well.

Welcome to our strange, but fun and loving family JJB (whom I will call "Jellybean").

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We haven't talked about it yet, but the Rocky Mountain Review (the NBA Summer League that took place everywhere from Westminister College, East High, the Delta Center, and Salt Lake Community College) looks to be back. It started in 1009 with just four teams, The Portland Trail Blazers, Phoenix Suns, Sacramento Kings, and the hosts the Jazz . . . and eventually to be a 16 team even back in the late 90s. The RMR existed from '90 to 2008, and many Jazz fans have fond memories of it.

Yes, and it is coming back! Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today writes:

The Utah Jazz are hopeful the once-popular Rocky Mountain Revue NBA summer league returns to Salt Lake City as soon as the summer of 2015, three league officials familiar with the situation told USA TODAY Sports.

The people requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly until details are finalized.

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The Jazz, who also plan to play in the Las Vegas summer league, could be joined in Salt Lake City by an international team, a team of D-League players and possibly one or two other Western Conference teams who want to play in two summer leagues but don't want to send a team across the country to Orlando's summer league.

Basketball is big business in Utah. The Jazz have longed to bring back the popular fan experience, and a packed community college gym was the norm at the Rocky Mountain Revue.

- Jeff Zillgitt, USA Today, 2014

Super beat writer Jody confirms:

As does NBA writer / deity Scott Howard-Cooper:

I would like to see the Jazz have the RMR *and* also go to Vegas. But that's just me.

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It's late January, and in a few weeks we'll all be talking about the All-Star Weekend. We've had players play in the skills contest (Deron Williams and Trey Burke), had a guy win a dunk contest (Jeremy Evans is 1/2). But in recent history (post-D-Will) the Jazz have not had an All-Star. They brought in a few former All-Stars (Mo Williams, Josh Howard) who didn't play like it here. They had a few players who would later go on to success (Paul Millsap was an All-Star with the Hawks, and Al Jefferson an All-NBA 3rd team member with the then Bobcats). But this Jazz team doesn't have a star . . . just yet.

My man D'Joumbarey A. Moreau writes that we will soon . . . and it will be Derrick Favors.

Favors was destined to become a bust when he was selected as the third pick in the 2011 draft. A draft that had John Wall (No. 1), and Evan Turner (No. 2) selected before him, and Wesley Johnson (No. 4) and DeMarcus Cousins (No. 5) picked after him.

However, Favors had a different narrative in his mind, and it was the only story that mattered.

Favors has come a long way from when he was playing for his hometown team, Georgia Tech, with Iman Shumpert and unjustly getting the explosive athlete label slapped on him.

Now the 23-year-old from Atlanta is having a career year as he's averaging 16.0 points on 54 percent shooting, 8.8 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 1.6 blocks per game, all of which, besides blocks, are career highs. In addition, Favors is also one of eight players, comprised on a list made up a list of all-stars, that average at least 16 points, eight rebounds, and one block per game.

With that being said, if Favors has numbers like the competition within the league then why isn't he already recognized with his peers? Favors this season should be getting his bags packed for New York City because this year he's shown that he is an all-star worthy talent.

- D'Joumbarey A. Moreau, Hoops Habit, 2015

It's a very good read that goes into high lights, stats, and absolute facts about how the NBA is run, who gets to be an All-Star, and it's a very compelling case for our bigman. The normal thing would be to talk about how Gordon Hayward is going to be our star, but I think most of us realize that while the offense stalls without G-Time, it's very hard for this Jazz team to win without Favors. (As of right now the Jazz are winless without Favors this season, and were a tire fire without him last season as well.)

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It seems like all of our players lose their "homecoming" games. Jazz rarely win in Atlanta (Derrick Favors), have trouble in Denver (Alec Burks went to college there), look lost in Indy (Gordon Hayward), and so forth. The Jazz can't get it done in Cleveland either, meaning another lose for Trey Burke in front of his state crowd.

DB 1530 - Burke Family

(If that doesn't work here is the picture alone.)

At least he gets to see his family more, though! And I know our announcing crew would have trouble saying Burke so many times in a row without calling someone Burks in there.

Is there more pressure to win in front of your family? (Probably not if you grew up with your family calling you a loser, I guess. So I have no trouble getting the job done in Canada.)

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What do you get from other NBA / Jazz websites that you want to see here?

Poll
What SLC Dunk need to do, that other Jazz sites have, is:

  50 votes |Results

DeMarcus Cousins gets most All-Star votes for a Sacramento King since 2004 but falls short of being a starter

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The final ballots are in for the 2015 NBA All-Star game in New York and as most of us expected, Kings center DeMarcus Cousins was not voted in as a starter.  Cousins finished with 465,334 votes, 7th among Western Conference forwards and centers.  Anthony Davis (1,369,911 votes), Marc Gasol (795,121 votes), and Blake Griffin (700,615 votes) will start in the frontcourt for the West this February.  Stephen Curry and Kobe Bryant were named the starters in the backcourt.

Cousins' vote total was an increase of over 200,000 from last year's number and was also the most for a Sacramento Kings player since Mike Bibby got 483,861 votes in 2004.  Teammate Rudy Gay also finished in the top ten among Western Conference Forwards with 144,702 votes.

While Cousins was not fortunate enough to be voted into the game by fans, there is a very high possibility that he gets chosen as a reserve.  While Kobe Bryant was named a starter, he is unlikely to play due to a rotator cuff tear that he suffered Wednesday night that could end his season.  LaMarcus Aldridge is also dealing with an injury to his thumb (coincidentally enough, suffered in part thanks to Cousins).  Even without those injuries, it would still be hard to justify not selecting Cousins to the team as he's had a career-year.  Cousins is among the league leaders in Points Per Game (4th), Rebounds Per Game (3rd), Blocks Per Game (11th), and PER (5th).

The All-Star reserves will be announced a week from now on January 29th.

LaMarcus Aldridge injury: Trail Blazers star will miss 6-8 weeks with torn thumb ligament

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This is bad news for Portland.

Portland Trail Blazers star LaMarcus Aldridge has a torn ligament in his left thumb and will miss 6-8 weeks, the team announced Tuesday. The injury will require surgery.

Aldridge suffered the injury in the second quarter of Monday night's 98-94 victory over the Sacramento Kings. The injury occurred when Aldridge swiped down on the ball as DeMarcus Cousins drove to the basket.

X-rays after the game were negative, but Aldridge's hand was heavily wrapped and further evaluation showed (injury).

Along with Damian Lillard, Aldridge has been a key component of Portland's 31-11 start. Aldridge is averaging 23.2 points and 10.2 rebounds while shooting 46.2 percent on the season. The big man has also started to take three-pointers with more regularity this season, and he's making 51.2 percent of those threes on just over one attempt per game.

With starting center Robin Lopez still recovering from his own hand injury and Aldridge now out for the time being, the Blazers' frontcourt depth will be tested. Thomas Robinson and Victor Claver will man the power forward spot with Aldridge out, and Lillard will have to take on an even greater offensive burden.

It would also help if Nicolas Batum breaks out of his slump as he recovers from knee and wrist injuries. Batum is averaging just 8.9 points while shooting 38.5 percent overall and 25.8 percent from three.

Portland wraps up January with six of seven games against the Eastern Conference, but five of those six games are against East playoff teams, although the Brooklyn Nets are teetering in the final playoff spot.

LaMarcus Aldrige's injury helps DeMarcus Cousins' All-Star odds

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Injuries are always unfortunate, but there's a silver lining for Kings fans hoping to see DeMarcus at All Star weekend.

LaMarcus Aldridge is out 6-8 weeks with a torn ligament in his hand. The injury came in Monday's win against the Sacramento Kings. It's always unfortunate when a great player gets hurt. I would never celebrate an injury to a player, but the injury does have positive ramifications for the Kings.

Kobe Bryant was diagnosed with a torn rotator cuff on Thursday, which presumably opened his roster spot in the All-Star game. That in itself was a boost to Boogie's odds, but Aldridge's injury should seal the deal. Cousins may have made it anyway, and should have made it anyway, but the annual problem is too few spots for too many good players. This is especially true in the West, where other deserving players will likely still be left off the roster.

The bench selections for the All Star game will be announced next Thursday. While we're not celebrating the injury, this news should secure Boogie's selection.

Kings vs. Warriors Preview: Hello darkness, my old friend

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This is the darkest timeline.  Since Michael Malone's firing on December 13th, only the Knicks, Timberwolves and Lakers have a worse winning percentage than the Kings.  Meanwhile, the Warriors reached the 7th best record in NBA history through 41 games.  And we have to play them tonight.  In their arena.  Where they beat us by 20 a couple weeks ago. Today's action tips off at 7:30 pm on Comcast SportsNet California and on KHTK 1140.

3 THINGS TO LOOK FOR

1. It's hard to find a category the Warriors aren't among the league leaders in.  They're 4th in Offensive Rating, 1st in Defensive Rating, 1st in Pace, 1st in 3P%, 1st in 2P%, 2nd in Assists, 6th in Steals, and 2nd in Blocks.  This team gets it done on both ends of the court.

2. Try not to think that this Warriors team could be the Kings right now.  Sacramento had opportunities to draft Stephen Curry (Kings took Tyreke Evans), Klay Thompson (Jimmer Fredette), and Harrison Barnes (Thomas Flopinson).  Sigh.

3. The Warriors are 16 point favorites in this game according to Vegas. That feels low.

MATCHUP OF THE GAME

Kings fans vs. the Television Set

This game has the chance to get really bad.  The Warriors are soooooo good.  And the Kings have been soooooo bad.  The frustration among fans and the team itself has seemingly reached a boiling point, and I'm not sure how much more Kings fans can take.  If the Kings come out and play like they did against the Nets on Wednesday, they're going to lose by 50.   Even if the Kings play their best, this will be a tough game.  We just don't know what to expect from this team on a nightly basis aside from an overall feeling of disappointment.

PREGAME LIMERICK

This is the season that never ends
it goes on and on my friends
Thought we were close,
now we're morose.
This is the season that never ends.

PREDICTION

Kings 1,353,242, Warriors 0 because these predictions are a magical place where the Kings always win and everyone gets a free puppy.

Kings vs. Warriors Game Diary: Klay Thompson, we are not worthy

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I haven't done this in a while, but out of a reason to keep myself entertained during what I think is going to be a stinker of a game, I've decided to diary my thoughts as the game is happening.  Please enjoy what is sure to be a slow descent into madness.

1st Quarter: 0-0

12:00 - Derrick Williams has replaced Jason Thompson as the starting Power Forward in this game.  Off to a great start already I see.  Williams is in over Thompson ostensibly for "matchup" reasons, but Williams is not a good player.  He's not even the first player I'd choose to start over Thompson due to a matchup (that'd be Casspi).  Williams is a terrible defender, poor rebounder, non-passer and marginally ok scorer.  However, given that the Kings have Cousins, Gay, Collison and McLemore in the starting lineup, the one thing that Williams is best at isn't exactly a priority with those guys. Now that I've spent a solid paragraph ranting about this, watch Williams go out and score 30 or something.

12:00 - The Kings are pouring the first concrete at the new arena site tonight.  I have a sickening feeling that watching that concrete pour is going to be more exciting than this game.

12:00 - Speaking of the new arena, I hope that when the new arena comes that we stick with 7:00 start times and not these 7:30 slots that the Warriors and Lakers do.  Just a personal preference, but I like getting home slightly earlier.

12:00 - And we're off. Warriors win the tip.

11:32 - Pick and pop with Cousins to put Kings on top to start. Warriors answer right back thanks to a nice cut and pass by Bogut. Bogut's an underrated passer.

11:03 - 1st turnover for the Kings, good transition D by Rudy to save the basket.

10:38 - Ben McLemore with a nice pass to Collison under the basket. Ben has some decent court vision, I wish he'd use it more.

10:07 - Well then that Williams cut to the basket and feed from Rudy was pretty nice.

9:47 - Ben airballs a three. He wasn't set.  He's not very good at threes when not set.

9:28 - Two straight threes for Warriors put them up by four. They kill you with any space.

8:44 - Corbin calls timeout after the Kings fail to score or stop Warriors on three straight possessions. Warriors up 12-6.  This could get ugly quick, the Kings can't afford to give the Warriors an early lead.  I think it's time for a beer.

8:36 - A Cousins jumper where nobody else touches the ball was our call out of the timeout. It didn't go in. Warriors hit another three. Yay.

8:06 - Another Cousins Jumper where nobody else touches the ball. He missed again and Warriors score again.

7:13 - This is already so much worse than I could have thought. Two more unforced turnovers by Kings and another three by Draymond Green. Warriors have 20 with 7:13 left.

6:49 - Harrison Barnes with a very nifty up and under. He's improved nicely since his rookie season.

6:30 - Man, the Warriors play so freaking fast.  But it's controlled.  They're not playing fast just to play fast.  They know what they're doing.  Meanwhile Kings have to take another timeout as Warriors have 24 with more than half the quarter left.

6:03 - Even Quincy Miller is ahead of Casspi in the rotation now? He's in for Williams. Stauskas for Ben.

5:42 - Cousins can't get inside, settles for another jumper. An airball. Oy vey.

4:26 - Hey, Stauskas hits a three! That was nice to see. Maybe he can get some more time in this game and get something going.

3:37 - Justin Holiday checked in. He killed us last time.

3:05 - Even the Warriors failed offensive possessions look pretty. Lot of passing, quick decisions.  We just dump the ball into Cousins or Rudy and wait for them to create.  We take so long to get into our offense.

2:26 - Wow, what a take by Stauskas into the teeth of the defense and even better finish.  That's the Stauskas we want. Meanwhile we still can't guard them and they're up 15.

1:37 - Quincy with the steal and Stauskas with the putback! Bench bringing some energy.

0:57 - Darren scores and we're back in single digits thanks to a 14-5 run... so of course Curry comes back down and hits a three.

0:31 - Cousins takes it inside on Speights, gets blocked, gets the ball, goes on other side of rim and scores plus the foul.  He's remarkable.

0:00 - Man, Quincy just missed a great opportunity right at the rim thanks to a great pass by Cousins.  That would have cut it to 7.  All in all, pretty good end to the quarter to at least keep it in single digits.  They've still got a lot of work to do, especially on defense, if they hope to have a chance.  Also 7 turnovers in the quarter.  That's too many.

2nd Quarter: 25-34

11:54 - Collison scores to start the 2nd.  He and Cousins have yet to leave the game.

11:21 - Boogie cuts it to 5 with a jumper.  Kings feeling it a little bit.  Ride the momentum (at least until Bogut comes back)

10:51 - Rudy pulls up for three. Nobody else touched the ball. He missed. I hate those possessions. It was super early in the shot clock too.

10:29 - Kings get the steal and Casspi takes it right down the middle with a Euro-Step. Three point game!

9:59 - Darren Collison is bent over and Corbin has to take a timeout. Hopefully it's nothing serious.  He's limping but walking under his own power.

9:53 - Thompson comes in for first time to give Boogie a break. Surprised he played so long.

9:27 - Shaun Livingston takes it to the rim against Collison.  He's gonna be a problem with his size.

8:48 - Kings get a stop but can't secure the rebound and David Lee gets the put back and-one.  *Sigh* I feel like the Kings lead the league in defensive stops that still end up being scores for the other team.

8:41 - Rudy Gay has not been good so far.  He's got 4 assists but he can't get anything scoring wise against this defense.  The Warriors are a very tough matchup for him, even without Iguodala playing.  He just missed an easy hookshot and is frustrated.

8:41 - Ramon Sessions is in. Think it might be time for another beer. Also Cousins is back in.  Huh. Not much of a rest there.

8:15 - Rudy Gay is frustrated and just got thrown out of the game. Wow. He picked up one tech and then kept chirping and got thrown out.  Well, looks like Quincy Miller is going to play a bunch tonight.  Warriors up 13 now.

8:02 - Miller makes a nice cut and gets rewarded with a pass from Cousins.  Shot didn't go in but he got the line. I like this kid, think the Kings should keep him for the rest of the season.  He's definitely got potential.

7:38 - Cousins gets a steal and then gave it to Ramon Sessions. Sessions got blocked. Of course.

7:19 - Bogut is content to let Boogie shoot as many jumpers as he wants.  That's a good defensive possession for Golden State at this point.

7:11 - Ben's good at the set shot but he really needs to work on shooting on the move, as he misses another one of those jumpers.  That will be another step in his development.

6:18 - Boogie playing PG right now and I'm not even mad because the alternative is Sessions.

5:29 - Bogut draws a charge on Cousins there.  It was a forced drive and he lowered the shoulder.  Can't do that, especially against the savvy Bogut.  He gives Boogie more trouble than most players in the NBA.

5:07 - Fly Ben Fly! He's so fun on the fastbreak.

4:37 - Thompson gets fouled by Bogut but it's not called. Thankfully he also fouls Boogie and that one is called.  Two FTs and we can get back to single digits again if he hits both.  A better result for us since Cousins is a much better FT shooter.

4:12 - Oooh Boogie's feeling it. Takes it right at Bogut and scores.

4:04 - Jesus Steph Curry. 3 guys on him, nails the three.

3:47 - Draymond Green just outhustled three Kings for a rebound. Fortunately Curry missed off Green's pass.

3:26 - Cousins and Curry Jump Ball! Curry doesn't even jump he knows he can't win. Warriors steal the ball after anyway because of course.

2:50 - It's Miller time! He nails a corner three off the pass from Cousins. 7 point game.

2:16 - Derrick Williams is the only player around Andrew Bogut at the rim as Steph Curry passes to Bogut, and by around Andrew Bogut I mean not paying attention to him at all. Bogut dunks.

1:48 - Cousins helps too much on Curry and Curry finds Speights rolling to the rim for an easy dunk.

0:56 - Boogie to the line again.  He's already had 7 attempts in the half.  Warriors lead will be 7 if he hits both.

0:41 - Kings pretty small with Williams and Miller in the frontcourt.  Not getting much help on the glass and it's allowing second chances for David Lee and Harrison Barnes.

0:26 - THERE'S a three on the move for Ben, coming off a screen. It rattles home and cuts the lead to five!

0:00 - Kings get lucky at the end of the half. Miller gets lost on defense and leaves Barnes wide open in the corner but he misses.  Collison misses a running three point attempt at the buzzer and it's 56-51 at the half.  Not bad, all things considered.

3rd Quarter: 51-56

11:51 - Hey! A three by Collison to start the quarter! Two point game!

11:23 - And Williams scores after a Green miss from three and we're tied!

10:58 - We're ahead! Cousins scores in the post on Bogut. Either the Kings are playing better or this beer is working!

10:32 - Klay Thompson's goatee looks stupid.

10:10 - Kings go 4 on 1 fastbreak with Boogie as the PG... Turnover. Luckily Warriors turn it over right back.

9:41 - Well that didn't last long.  Warriors back on top after that Klay Thompson turnaround.

9:03 - Cousins is getting whatever he wants and gets to the line yet again.  He has as many Free Throw attempts (11) as the Warriors now.

8:40 - Man the Kings are getting lucky with some of these threes the Warriors are missing... and as I say that they hit one.

7:33 - I LOVE that Ben is actively attacking the basket this year. I'd love to see it even more.

7:12 - Kings get the steal and Derrick Williams misses a three.  Meanwhile the Warriors hit their own three and go up by two.  Why is Williams in the game again?

6:40 - Steph Curry hasn't got it going yet.  You have to think he'll heat up at some point.

6:02 - Ugh. Curry to Klay lob after Williams gets blocked by Bogut.

5:44 - Boogie is rolling.  He's got 26 already.

5:30 - Unfortunately so is Klay. Also has 26 after another 3 and 13 in the quarter so far.

5:08 - Heat check for Boogie doesn't go in.  Heat check for Klay does. 74-66 Warriors.

4:49 - Klay Thompson's goatee is still stupid.

4:35 - Miller gets to the line again off a cut.  I like this.

4:28 - Ray McCallum in the game for the first time, ostensibly to try to slow Klay Thompson down.  We'll see if it works.

4:18 - It didn't work.

3:56 - Boogie picks up his 4th foul far from the basket. Those are the ones we need him to cut out.  Corbin is rightfully upset at Cousins.

3:24 - Klay Thompson is doing everything for Warriors now.  He just set up Draymond Green for a dunk to push the Warriors lead to 11.  He's definitely an All-Star.

3:24 -

3:12 - Really weird lineup for the Kings right now.  Collison, McCallum, Stauskas, Miller, Thompson.  I'm not sure what we're trying for here.

3:03 - Klay Thompson can't miss. A well contested three rolls in after several bounces. 8 for 8 in the quarter, 6 for 6 from three.

2:30 - Another make for Klay, this time at the rim.  He's completely taken over this game. 37 points for him now. 24 in the quarter.

2:05 - ... 40 for Klay.

1:37 - ... 42 for Klay. Jesus. Kings haven't scored much during this run.

1:06 - WHAT THE HOLY SHIT. ANOTHER THREE FOR KLAY THOMPSON. 32 POINTS IN THE QUARTER. THIS IS UNREAL.

1:06 - Klay Thompson hasn't missed this quarter and is outscoring the Kings 32-19 by himself.  I'm not even mad.  This is incredible.

0:35 - ANOTHER THREE. 48. Can he go for 40 in the quarter???

0:04 - Klay hits another three after he was fouled.  Doesn't count, but if he makes free throws he has 37 in the quarter and 50 for the game.  This game was tied this quarter and Kings are about to go down by 24.  I've never seen anything like this.  Apparently Klay just broke the record for points in a quarter.  This is one of the most amazing basketball performances I've ever seen.

4th Quarter: 73-97

11:45 - Klay is human. He missed.  Warriors tipped it in anyway.

10:54 - Thompson to the line. He has 52 points on 23 shots.  That's amazing.  Meanwhile Kings continue to not be able to find a basket.

10:01 - 24 second violation... it's time to just concede this game and get the starters out of here.

9:28 - Klay Thompson is leaving the game, probably for the last time with Warriors up 30.  Getting a well deserved standing ovation.  I think the Warriors made the right call not trading him for Love this summer.

9:14 - Hey we finally hit a shot! Darren Collison loves that mid-range jumper.

8:33 - I'm still shell shocked from that performance.  Just amazing.  I hate that it had to come against my team, but I'm glad I got to see it as it happened because I don't think I'll ever see anything like that again.

8:16 - Corbin finally takes the starters out of the game after the timeout.  Ryan Hollins is trying to run the offense out of the high post.  Turnover.

7:16 - Everything's dropping for the Warriors. Speights takes a tough shot with Thompson in his face, gets fouled and the shot goes in.  Back to a 30 point game.

6:53 - Second nifty drive of the game for Stauskas.  Maybe this extended garbage time will get him some confidence.

5:54 - Sessions just ran into Jason Thompson on offense ... he's finding new and exciting ways to disappoint.

5:06 -  The Warriors garbage time lineup is still pretty damn good.

4:41 - Mo Speights is a pretty solid 3rd big off the bench and a particularly good jump shooter.

4:17 - James Michael McAdoo in the game.  Remember when that guy was a projected lottery pick?  Didn't even get drafted.

3:34 - Stauskas to Hollins alley-oop!  I like what little I've seen from Nik tonight.  Now we need to see it on a more nightly basis.

2:54 - Another jumper for Stauskas who's got 9 points now on 4-5 shooting. Maybe he can pull a Klay Thompson over final few minutes and bring us back in the game.

1:57 - People are still on the court playing basketball for some reason.

1:06 - We need some sort of running clock in these situations.

0:52 - Ryan Hollins has surprisingly good touch on jumpers and free throws.

0:14 - BOOOOOOOO Speights fouled Stauskas on the fastbreak with the game decided.  Just let this game end man.  Ah well, Nik gets a couple free throws to get to 11 points for the game.

0:00 - Final score, 126-101.  The Kings actually played surprisingly well until Klay Thompson went full thermonuclear detonation in the 3rd quarter.  Just an amazing, amazing performance.

As for the Kings, Omer will have the recap soon.  Thank you for reading.


Kings 101, Warriors 126: One for the history books

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Nothing but awe tonight for Klay Thompson, who tonight delivered one of the greatest shooting displays the NBA has ever seen

The way the Sacramento Kings have played recently, many in the Kingdom hoped that the team would just be competitive against the league-leading Golden State Warriors. Until about 8 minutes remaining in the third quarter, they got exactly that, with the score tied at 60.

Then the fireworks started.

Klay Thompson single-handedly ended the game with a veritable tsunami of scoring the likes of which hasn't been matched in NBA history. Thompson scored 37 total points in that quarter, burying every one of his 13 shots, including an NBA record NINE three pointers. He scored them in every way imaginable. Isolation fadeaways. Coming off of curls. Pulling up three feet BEHIND the three point line. Staring down defenders and just using his lightning quick release without moving. It was ridiculous. By the time the onslaught was over, the Kings were down by 24 and the game was over. Thompson ended with 52 points in the game, a Kings franchise record for an opponent in regulation.

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WHAT IS THIS EVEN

Up until that point, the game was going relatively well. DeMarcus Cousins exorcised his Andrew Bogut demons in a huge way, dropping 26 of his 28 points before Thompson's supernova. Darren Collison had 15 points total in the game and was doing a great job defending Stephen Curry, who only had 10 points on 3/11 shooting. Quincy Miller and Nik Stauskas were both really productive off the bench. Miller stepped up after Rudy Gay was ejected early, scoring 13 points, grabbing 6 rebounds and blocking 2 shots. Stauskas looked smooth offensively, scoring 11 and hitting both of his three pointers. Both teams were incredibly sloppy with really boneheaded turnovers going each way, but the Kings scrapped just hard enough to make it a game.

But it just doesn't matter anymore. Sometimes, superstar talent just drowns out everything a team can do. That happened tonight, and you have to tip your hat to the opponent. It can suck being on the wrong side of history, but with proper perspective, you just have to tip your cap and move on to the next one.

To see Klay Thompson the opponent's perspective, visit Klay Golden State of Mind.

Golden State Klay Thompsons route Kings 126-101

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Klay Thompson scored 52 points -- 37 in the third quarter alone, one of the most unbelievable stretches of basketball you will ever see.

I was all prepared to write a game story on how the Warriors shot out to an 18-point lead in the first quarter, then the Kings came back to tie it and ... then Klay Thompson happened.

52 points. 37 points in the third quarter alone, an NBA record. 50 through three quarters.

13-for-13, nine for nine on threes in the third quarter (and that doesn't even count the three he hit after the whistle).

It was NBA Jam personified. Klay Thompson's entire body was on FIRE.

It all started when the game was tied 58-58 with about nine minutes left in the third. Klay hit a jumper -- and it actually took three possessions for the Warriors to get it back to him, as Harrison Barnes and Stephen Curry missed shots. Then, he started to heat up.

Klay hit a three pointer from the top of the key. Swish. Then another three from the wing. Swish. Then the Warriors got a steal and Steph and Klay ran a perfect two-on-one that resulted in Klay's ONE HANDED SPIKE ALLEY-OOP DUNK!!!

Then another three where he dribbled around for a bit like Larry Bird before launching from 25 feet. Swish. Another triple where he bombed one in from about 40 feet. Swish. "That one was crazy," Klay said afterward.

Another three off a pin-down. Swish. Wait, he didn't score next possession; he posted up and found Draymond Green wide-open for a layup.

This team is something. Klay Thompson scores 19 points in a row and isn't selfish doing it -- he takes a break to find Draymond for a layup.

Anyway, the Kings finally took time-out. Didn't matter.

Klay caught the ball on the wing and hit a three. Attacked the rim and laid it home. Another three from the wing. Drifting foul line jumper. Another three from the corner. Swish. Swish. Swish. Swish. Swish.

Ty Corbin took another time-out. Again it didn't matter.

Elevator Doors for three. Swish. Then two free throws to finish an all-time performance. Swish and swish. 37 points in the third quarter alone, an NBA record, beating George Gervin and Carmelo Anthony's prior record of 33 points for a quarter.

He outscored the Kings 37-22 in the third by himself. Finished with 52 total, a career-high and NBA season-high.

The Warriors ended up winning handily as the bench did well, with Marreese Speights going for 15 in the fourth quarter, and the final score was 126-101. No need for the starters to close it out this time.

Golden State is 20-1 at home, with 18 straight wins at Oracle Arena. 21 straight wins with the quintet of Curry, Thompson, Barnes, Green, and Andrew Bogut. 27 wins by double digits. The top scoring offense and best defense in the NBA. 118 points per game for the entire month of January. Just absolutely unbelievable. This team is incredible.

Warrior Wonder: Klay Thompson

Duh. Anyone think he is not an All-Star now?

Up Next: Sunday vs. Boston Celtics

Last year, Stephen Curry hit a game-winner over Kris Humphries. Judging by the events of the last month, it doesn't look like Curry will need to decide the game in the last few moments again. Most likely, the Warriors will have the game decided before the fourth quarter even begins.

The Night Klay Thompson went insane

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There are no words, as clichè as it sounds. I will attempt to clumsily word what I witnessed on Friday night.

Diamond Leong of Bay Area News Group had an excellent oral history of what went down.

Tim Kawakami of San Jose Mercury News wrote up a breakdown of every single shot.

And the always superb Ethan Sherwood Strauss of ESPN capsulating what Klay Thompson has become.

And then the best of them all, Draymond Green:

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There are certain points during an event when in that exact moment, something tangibly out of reach rises up and slaps you in the face with a force of a million improbabilities, goosebumps start to form. On Friday night at Oracle Arena, in the midst of an innocuous game against the Sacramento Kings, Klay Thompson set the entire Milky Way ablaze. There's no concrete verbiage to describe the way he went about this historic outburst besides simply mentioning the "37 points in a single quarter, an NBA-record that eclipsed Wilt Chamberlain's 100-pointt night and something MIchael Jordan has never done". You even utter something insinuating this game and you will always remember the exact flavor of jelly bean you had that afternoon. Vanilla.

Klay Thompson was just a guy from Washington State too slow and unathletic to defend and create his own shot. Klay Thompson was known more as the second fiddle to Stephen Curry than an actual Splash Brother of the same ilk. Klay Thompson was a good two-way player but those were backhanded compliments meant to assuage fears over his mediocre offense. Klay Thompson should be flipped for Kevin Love. Klay Thompson is a freaking superstar.

Tonight didn't change what was gradually certain this entire season. Klay Thompson had become his own player, slowly disengaging from Curry's hip and flinging threes and hammer dunks down his own way. Friday night didn't need to combust itself into Thompson's breakout party but it was a damn nice way to do it. It started with oohs and ahhs that emanated from the crowd the instant Curry and Klay broke past the half-court line before the alley-oop. Consider that, a quarter that featured nine threes and viciously opened with a one-handed slam. This is the Klay Thompson of 2015.

On any other game, I'd talk about the Pinnacle Moment of this basketball team. Of just how great and aesthetically awesome all of this is and has been. But right now, Klay Thompson owns the Bay Area in a way that Buster Posey and Stephen Curry could. That's something. Midway through the explosion, the apoplectic throbbing mass chanted "Klay Thomp-son" over and over again. They hollered it the way they charmed Stephen Curry with "M-V-P!" chants. Minutes later, after several more roof-shattering treys, the still-drunk crowd shook their collective heads in disbelief before hyperactively stammering "Klay! Klay! Klay!"

Two different kinds of names for Thompson, a player they've loved but never intimately rooted for in this setting or admiration. An incredible night that shook the fanbase to its core, affirming Thompson as a superstar, and someone that is on his way to the stratosphere only the greats drew breath from. There are things that Klay Thompson are not and may never become. But on Friday night, and this entire season, Klay Thompson was everything.

So just sit on back, reminisce on whatever exact thing you were doing that night, and let those chills wash over you.

Downtown arena gets first concrete pour for floor foundation

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While the Golden State Klay Thompsons put the Kings' feet in concrete Friday night in Oakland, construction crews were laying the foundation for the new arena in downtown Sacramento.

The Sacramento Kings are experiencing a lot of backward momentum these days on the floor of the arena that sits at One Sports Parkway, but along L and J Streets in downtown Sacramento, much progress is being made on their future home.

The first concrete segment of the foundation for the arena's floor was poured Friday - it was the first of eight concrete pours that will take place over the next three weeks.

Here's video of the pour happening. Center court will sit near the light that is in the top middle of the screen.

By late February, the entire ground of the arena site will be filled with concrete. The Kings expect to utilize 14,000 cubic yards of concrete overall. The concrete mat slab includes 1,500 tons of steel reinforcing rebar. The future steel structure will total approximately 9,000 tons. This stage of the construction is being supplied by 100 percent Sacramento-region contractors, according to the team.

The photo below shows how Friday's pour encompassed one corner of the site.

Concrete Pour

You can see the scope of the entire project in this drone video the Kings released this week.

Representatives with the construction team said there will be steel going up in March and by summer the shell of the arena (a façade of glass and metal elements) will be visible.

We are now 177 days into the project and 616 days away from opening day (fall of 2016). Representatives for the construction team and the Kings said the project is right where they expected it to be at this time

76ers' Sunday Morning Shootaround: Royal Rumble Edition

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In this edition of the Sunday Morning Shootaround, we find Waldo, laugh at JaKarr Sampson's misfortune, and look back to when a Liberty Ballers' writer captured the gold.

In case you were wondering, that was not THE Arnett Moultrie at the Sixers-Raptors game the other night. THE Arnett Moultrie was busy scoring seven points and collecting five grown-man rebounds in the Jiangsu Dragons 106-101 win over the Bayi Rockets. That said, I'm sure that the man in the jersey is somehow related to Moultrie: Why else would you wear that abomination?

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There would normally be a joke here, but what can I say about a man who walked more in one day than I have over the past week? I just hope the Sixers sprung for an Uber to take him back home - those Marple Newtown streets are dangerous at 1 in the morning.

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Howard Eskin - radio host/intrepid reporter/fur coat model - frequently laments that he can't get an audience with Sixers' general manager Sam Hinkie. Meanwhile (back at the ranch), not only did Liberty Ballers commenter raja_leon get a picture of the Loch Ness Monster Mr. Hinkie, but he engaged the GM in a brief conversation as well.

Let me state for the record that I will never forgive Spike for showing his dad how to use Twitter. But I do understand Howard's point in that it would be nice for the GM of a team to interact with the fans more often.

On second thought...

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#TeamWHOP Forever

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If Joel Embiid and Nerlens Noel promise to bring "violence at the rim", then what would you call this Keystone Kops' routine? I haven't seen three guys fail to score like this since me and my boys went to the 1999 Lilith Fair. Strangely enough, that was only the second-most embarrassing moment of that game that involved Jason Smith.

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Rookie duties and/or pranks have had their place in the NBA for years now. A while back, the 76ers used to have their first-year players bring Chik-Fil-A to the charter plane whenever the team headed out on a road trip. As a rookie, Arnett Moultrie was forced to carry around a Monster High backpack. However, it looks as if the stakes have changed these days as JaKarr Sampson left practice to find his ride covered in heavy duty Reynolds Wrap (full video here).

  • This had to take an exceptionally long time to pull off. Props to Sixers' writer Max Rappaport for his exquisite wrapping skills (you missed a spot on the grill, though).
  • How exactly do rookie pranks work when half of the roster consists of rookies?
  • It could have been a lot worse: The Sixers could have hit Sampson with the old "popcorn in the truck" trick. Dion Waiterswas a victim back in 2013, and former Sixer Spencer Hawes assisted in doing the same to Jason Thompson when the then-Sacramento Kings' rookie failed to bring donuts to practice.
  • JaKarr Sampson is pushing an Escalade? I hope that's a month-to-month lease, buddy.

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Tanner - Warrior

And finally, we end this week's column with a belated Happy Birthday shoutout to the Ultimate Warrior/Tanner Steidel, who had a brief run as champ back in Allentown in the early '90s. Derek Bodner's birthday was also this past week (Happy Birthday, Derek!), but we were unable to acquire any incriminating pictures of him as a young child. If you could help us out on that front, please feel free to contact us at brandondaviesfanclub (at) gmail.com.

Kings vs. Knicks Preview: Sacramento looks to take a bite out of the Big Apple

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Even with how much the Kings have struggled lately, having lost 6 in a row and 8 of their last 10, the Knicks are still a team that Sacramento should beat.  New York is on a three game winning streak of their own, but those wins alone amount to almost half of their win total for the entire season.  Monday's action tips off at 4:30 pm on Comcast SportsNet California and on KHTK 1140.

3 THINGS TO LOOK FOR

1. After waiving Samuel Dalembert, the Knicks have no size in the middle to speak of.  Jason Smith (a jump shooting center) is their tallest player, and Cole Aldrich is their most physical.  DeMarcus Cousins should be able to feast on the inside against New York, and the other Kings should take advantage as well.  That means no settling for jumpers and instead using every opportunity you can to attack the basket.

2. Carmelo Anthony is back from injury and he's still one of the more dangerous players in the NBA.  While his efficiency hasn't been great this season, he's the kind of guy that could go on a big hot streak that can completely change the game.  Fresh off of Klay Thompson's historic performance, I'm sure the Kings aren't keen on letting something like that happen again.

3.  I like what I've seen from Quincy Miller so far, although he does need to do a better job of finishing around the rim.  This could be a game where he sees extended minutes again, so hopefully he can continue to make his case as to why the Kings should keep him around for the rest of the season.  Personally, I'm already sold on his potential alone but I'd still like to see more of him.

MATCHUP OF THE GAME

Carmelo Anthony vs. Rudy Gay

The Knicks don't have many options so it's up to Rudy to nullify the one they do have.  Anthony is a rich man's version of Rudy, so both players should be pretty familiar with the other's game. Anthony is bigger and more physical than Rudy, while Rudy is quicker and more athletic.  Rudy should be fresh given his early ejection last game, so hopefully he comes out motivated.

PREGAME LIMERICK

We just saw Klay go off,
my hat to him I doff.
Now the Knicks,
and their bricks,
but I hesitate to scoff.

PREDICTION

Kings 109, Knicks 107 because even against the Knicks the Kings aren't going to get anything easy.

DeMarcus Cousins' old man outfit was not for 'Uncle Drew' commercial

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Cousins, or OG Boogie Smooth, was not preparing for Uncle Drew, unfortunately.

Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins sent the Internet into speculation mode recently when he posted a photo and video of himself dressed as an old man, or "OG Boogie Smooth."

Was he filming the next installment of Kyrie Irving's "Uncle Drew" Pepsi commercials? Drew had been "searching for a big man," after all.

The unfortunate news is Cousins told us that his old man outfit was not for "Uncle Drew." But the good news is he was filming a commercial dressed as an old man that we will still see, at least in Sacramento. Cousins was working on a commercial for a local car dealership, he told Sactown Royalty. It should be coming out in the next few weeks.

Last April, Boogie Smooth revealed his fake R&B album. I am glad to hear he is back this year. Let's see what you've got OG Boogie!


Report: Kings-Knicks game postponed due to Blizzard

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Coming into New York City with a six-game losing streak, the Kings were looking for some relief against the 8-36 New York Knicks.   However, it looks like even the weather is conspiring against them.

From Grant Napear:

Ian Begly of ESPN NY also confirms:

So far there has been no official word on the game being postponed from the Kings or NBA and we will update with any news.  This is a good chance for the team to get some rest and recover in the midst of a grueling season that's gone south in a hurry.  Carl Landry is still recovering from a sprained wrist, so perhaps this extra time will allow him to come back to action sooner.

Sacramento's next game is scheduled for Wednesday in Toronto.  For those of you in the New York area, stay safe.

UPDATE:

The NBA has officially confirmed that the game is postponed.  It will now be played on March 3rd.

Kings to sign Quincy Miller to second 10-day contract

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The Kings recently took a chance on D-League prospect Quincy Miller, signing him to a 10-day contract.  Miller hasn't exactly lit the world on fire, but he's shown enough that the Kings are reportedly going to sign him to a second 10-day contract.  If they still like him after that, they'll have to sign him for the rest of the season.

Miller is averaging 7.0 points (.273% from the field), 4.0 rebounds and 1 assist, steal and block in the two games he has played for Sacramento.  He has been able to get to the line quite effectively, with 9 attempts in those two games.  While his shooting percentage isn't strong, the number of attempts (11) renders the sample size insignificant.

I've personally liked what little I've seen of Miller so far.  He's aggressive and decisive in his decision making, and he also moves well off the ball.  In last Friday's game against the Warriors, most of his points came off cuts to the basket where he got fouled or had the opportunity to score.  He had 13 points in that game against the best defense in the NBA, and most of that came before it was garbage time.

With the season essentially over in terms of end of the year relevance, trying out prospects and developing existing talent is of paramount importance to the Kings.  Miller is now a part of that, and we'll see if it lasts longer past this second 10-day contract.

Charlotte Hornets interested in Ramon Sessions

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The Hornets suffered a big blow to their playoff hopes recently as it was announced that Kemba Walker had surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his knee and is expected to miss six weeks.  Charlotte is currently 19-26 and occupying the 8th spot in the Eastern Conference race.

So where do the Kings fit into all this?  Well apparently Kings backup guard Ramon Sessions is one of the players that Charlotte is targeting to help at the PG position while Walker is out, according to Yahoo's Adrian Wojnarowski.  Sessions is well known to the Hornets front office as he played there during the 2012-13 and 2013-14 seasons before being traded to Milwaukee.

Sessions has been having a terrible year in Sacramento, and given that he's under contract for 2015-16 as well, I wouldn't be surprised if the Kings were willing to ship him to Charlotte for the mere price of expiring contracts.  They could also combine Sessions with someone like Reggie Evans to get a player like Gary Neal that could potentially help out with some of Sacramento's weaknesses while also adding another roster spot.

Whatever the case, if Sessions is attracting interest on the free agent market, I expect that Sacramento will be actively looking at those options given how poorly he has fit in with the Kings.  Whether anything gets done or not, who knows, but the trade deadline (Feb. 19th) will be here sooner than you think.

The Sacramento Kings front office is running out of time

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There is absolutely no doubt now that Michael Malone's unexpected firing was a big mistake (although the Kingsrefusal to admit so is incredibly frustrating).  The Kings have gone just 5-14 since, a record worse than that of the Philadelphia 76ers, a team that has been accused of outright tanking.  Even worse, the quality of opponent over these past 19 games has been far from the best.  The average winning percentage of the opponent over those 19 games has been just .495.  That's compared to Malone's 11-13 record against opponents with a winning percentage of .549, and his 9-6 record with Cousins against opponent winning percentage of .585.

Sacramento is currently mired in a six game losing streak that could get worse before it gets better.  Tomorrow night they play the Toronto Raptors in Toronto followed by the LeBron James-led Cleveland Cavaliers.  They end their road trip with a match against the Paul George-less Pacers, and then get a few days off before having to play the Warriors and Mavericks.  The Kings were also hurt by yesterday's game postponement against the New York Knicks, as now they have to add another game to their season-long road trip in March and create another back to back, of which they have nine over the final 39 games.

Sacramento is only set to play 16 games against teams below .500 over the final 39 games, and 23 games on the road.  Under Corbin, the Kings have gone 4-8 at home and just 1-6 on the road.  The only teams above .500 that they've managed to beat have been the Oklahoma City Thunder (a rare great win, no excuses) and the Cleveland Cavaliers (who were without LeBron James).

Something needs to be done to shake this team out of its current funk

The last two years, the Kings have managed just 28 wins, and their winning percentage in the lockout year essentially amounted to 28 wins as well (27.333 to be exact).  The team itself hasn't reached the 30 win mark since the 2007-08 season when they went 38-44.  That's a streak that didn't seem possible to continue in November given the team's hot start, and yet now it's looking more likely than ever.  Sacramento only has to go 14-25 to hit 30 wins and just 12-27 to meet last year's win total, but is it so hard to imagine that the Kings not even being able to do that anymore?  Corbin's current winning percentage as head coach, .263, only translates to a 10-29 record over the final 39 games if it keeps up, and that's not adjusting for the fact that there are more road games than home games.  If we do that, we only project to about 9 wins.

We know this team is better than that.  They proved it to us early on this season.  We have a tremendous franchise player in DeMarcus Cousins, a very good supporting star in Rudy Gay, one of the best starting lineups in terms of net rating in the NBA, and yet the team is floundering.  For those fans that care about such things, it looks exceedingly likely that Sacramento will keep their pick this year, as they're currently sporting the 8th worst record in the NBA, with Utah, Boston, Indiana, and Orlando possibly set to even leap the Kings in the standings.  Those are teams that are supposed to be much further behind in their rebuilds than Sacramento.

This trade deadline and All-Star break is immensely important for the Kings, because something needs to be done to shake this team out of its current funk.  What the team did in firing Malone was a bad case of hubris.  This management group saw the success that Malone was having with the team and figured it could have the same (or better, as Vivek and Pete both implied) success under a different, more malleable coach.  That's my personal theory as to why they fired Malone just when DeMarcus Cousins was set to come back;  if Cousins could come back soon into Corbin's tenure, then the Kings would get back to winning and everything would be alright.  It was a huge miscalculation.

This season was supposed to be about wins and losses.  If the Kings not only don't improve from last year, but on top of that, somehow get worse, that's beyond a disappointment.  By firing Malone, management bet on themselves.  It's on their shoulders now to right the ship, and quickly, or else we'll probably be looking for more than a coach come this offseason.

Raptors Set the Pace in Indy, Win 104-91

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Toronto put forth a complete effort for three of four quarters Tuesday night, and won their third straight game for the first time in 2015.

The Raptors did something tonight they've been struggling with of late. They took care of business with solid play from the whole roster against a weaker team.

Rolling into Indy on the first night of a away-home back-to-back, the Raps needed this win to keep the win streak going and set up a positive outlook for this stretch of four games in five nights. Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan looked like their old selves, as DeRozan led the team in scoring and Lowry flirted with a triple double dropping 19 points, seven boards and eight assists.

After another flat first quarter in which the Raps were out competed on both ends of the floor by the pesky Pacers squad, it was once again the bench that sparked the comeback and took control of the game. The 20-0 second quarter run showcased the best of the Raptors bench. Lou Williams was drawing fouls and knocking down free throws, (sleeveless) Terrence Ross was creating and knocking down shots on the offensive side of the ball and played competent defensively. Patrick Patterson also made some shots and held his own on the defensive glass, and even Tyler Hansbrough made a layup!

As all Raptor fans know, the third quarter has been the other weak point this season. In many games the other team has come out of the half with a fire lit under them and evaporated Raptor leads due to their lethargic play. This wasn't the case tonight, as the starters came out with their own energy and after Indy cut the deficit to single digits turned it back on and cruised through the second half.

Based off tonight, the Raptors are back in full force, and will need to keep up the level of play tomorrow as the Kings roll into town featuring legendary Raptor killer Boogie Cousins, Canadian rookie Nik Stauskas and of course, Rudy Gay.

What did you guys think of the game?

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