Sacramento Kings Blog – Page 59 – NBA Blog

Suddenly, the Kings can score

The Kings spent 10 games trying to find their offensive flow. All it took was for Tyreke Evans to find his and, suddenly, the Kings can score.

A night after blowing a 13-point lead in the fourth quarter to Utah in Salt Lake City, the Kings came back to beat the Jazz 108-97 Saturday night at Sleep Train Arena.

And it was Evans in the middle of the flow with a season-high 27 points to go with five rebounds and a team-high five assists.

“Me being aggressive, that sets the tone,” Evans said. “And when (DeMarcus Cousins) is aggressive, that sets the tone. We’ve just got to keep doing that to be in game-winning situations and win games.”

— Reported by Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee

Kings upset listless Lakers, 113-97

The Los Angeles Lakers had talked about bringing Showtime back to the franchise when they hired Mike D’Antoni to implement his fast and flashy offense.

The curtains are still waiting to be raised on that act.

Kobe Bryant scored an efficient 38 points but Dwight Howard and Pau Gasol struggled inside, and the lethargic Lakers lost 113-97 to the struggling Sacramento Kings on Wednesday night to snap a three-game winning streak.

”If we’re going to play Showtime, my God, they just closed the whole theatre on us,” D’Antoni said. ”Showtime, are you kidding? It was Muppet Time.”

Marcus Thornton scored 23 points and Tyreke Evans had 18 to pace Kings, who had lost five straight games. Jason Thompson added 13 points and 10 rebounds to help Sacramento run away in the fourth quarter and cement the latest Lakers setback…

Bryant finished 11-of-20 shooting and Jodie Meeks had 15 points off the bench as D’Antoni lost for the first time on the Lakers bench. A night after beating Brooklyn in Los Angeles, the Lakers might’ve been bad enough to give D’Antoni a headache to go with the pain still throbbing in his surgically replaced knee.

— Reported by Antonio Gonzalez of the Associated Press

Kings losing, drawing small home crowds

The Kings have won just two of their first 10 games, their worst start in more than 20 years. Their home attendance has approached record lows, and discontent is a theme among fans, some of whom booed the team off the court after a recent loss.

The fans – once described by NBA executives as among the most loyal in the league – are dwindling. The Kings’ average crowd of 12,490 through their first six home games ranks last in the NBA and is their lowest at this point in three seasons.

Still, it remains slightly higher than the arena’s record-low average attendance of 12,050 for the first six games of 2008-09 – the season they went on to draw the fewest fans per game since moving into the building in 1988.

Fans offer a host of reasons for their frustration. They find the play on the floor uninspired, the talent lacking or the pieces mismatched. The Kings have not made the playoffs in six years, and have shown little sign of improvement early this season while stumbling to the worst record in the Western Conference.

— Reported by Matt Kawahara and Tony Bizjak of the Sacramento Bee

Kings change starting lineup, keep losing

The Kings suffered their fifth consecutive loss, 99-90, to the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday at Sleep Train Arena.

After a two-game winning streak, the Kings have fallen to 2-8. The last time the Kings had a record that bad through 10 games was in the 1990-91 season.

The new starting lineup consisted of Aaron Brooks and Tyreke Evans at guard, John Salmons and Jason Thompson at forward, and DeMarcus Cousins at center.

It was the fourth different starting lineup the Kings have used this season, but the first time coach Keith Smart changed it because of performance instead of suspensions.

Brooks replaced Isaiah Thomas, and Salmons replaced James Johnson.

— Reported by Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee

NBA suspends DeMarcus Cousins two games for confronting announcer

The Sacramento Kings’ DeMarcus Cousins has been suspended two games without pay for confronting Spurs announcer Sean Elliot in a hostile manner following San Antonio’s 97-86 over Sacramento November 9 at Sleep Train Arena, it was announced today by Stu Jackson, NBA Executive Vice President Basketball Operations.

Cousins will serve his suspension tonight when the Kings play the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center and Tuesday against Portland at Sleep Train Arena.

According to the San Antonio Express-News blog, “Apparently informed postgame of Elliott’s remarks, Cousins appeared on the court in his uniform and confronted Elliott after he and broadcaster Bill Land completed their postgame show. “I was wondering why Cousins was out there in his uniform waiting for them to finish his postgame show,” said Bill Schoening, who does the play-by-play call on radio broadcasts of Spurs games. “Then I saw them in an animated conversation out on the court. “I observed Sean walk away from Cousins and Cousins continue to talk to Sean as he left the scene, but I couldn’t hear what was being said.”

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DeMarcus Cousins reportedly confronted broadcaster Sean Elliott

Elliot criticized Cousins, who heard about it and didn’t like it

DeMarcus Cousins confronts broadcaster Sean Elliott

Apparently informed postgame of Elliott’s remarks, Cousins appeared on the court in his uniform and confronted Elliott after he and broadcaster Bill Land completed their postgame show.

“I was wondering why Cousins was out there in his uniform waiting for them to finish his postgame show,” said Bill Schoening, who does the play-by-play call on radio broadcasts of Spurs games. “Then I saw them in an animated conversation out on the court.

“I observed Sean walk away from Cousins and Cousins continue to talk to Sean as he left the scene, but I couldn’t hear what was being said.”

An NBA spokesperson said the league is aware of, and reviewing, the incident.

— Reported by Mike Monroe of the San Antonio Express-News (Blog)

NBA suspends Thomas Robinson for elbowing Jonas Jerebko

The Sacramento Kings’ Thomas Robinson has been suspended two games without pay for throwing an elbow to the neck of Jonas Jerebko of the Detroit Pistons, it was announced today by Stu Jackson, NBA Executive Vice President Basketball Operations.

The incident, for which Robinson was assessed a Flagrant Foul Two and ejected, occurred with 10:00 remaining in the fourth quarter of Sacramento’s 105-103 win over Detroit on November 7 at Sleep Train Arena.

Robinson will serve his suspension when the Kings host the San Antonio Spurs on November 9 and when the Kings play the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center on November 11.

Kings assign Tyler Honeycutt to D-League

The Sacramento Kings assigned second-year forward Tyler Honeycutt to the Reno Bighorns, the Kings’ NBA Development League affiliate, it was announced today.

The assignment is the first of the 2012-13 NBA and NBA D-League seasons, and the second for Honeycutt in his career. He was assigned last season from Jan. 2 – Jan. 22, 2012.

Honeycutt (6-8, 188, UCLA) appeared in 15 games for the Kings as a rookie last season, averaging 1.3 points, 0.9 rebounds and 5.9 minutes. In one preseason game this year, he scored two points and grabbed four rebounds in 14 minutes.

In 10 games on assignment with the Bighorns last season, Honeycutt averaged 5.9 points, 2.9 rebounds and 12.7 minutes.

Originally selected in the second round (35th overall) of the 2011 NBA Draft by the Kings, Honeycutt appeared in 59 career games for the Bruins, averaging 10.3 points, 6.9 rebounds, 1.7 blocks and 31.7 minutes.

Honeycutt, who will be available to play tonight in Sacramento, is expected to join the Bighorns in time for their 2012 NBA D-League training camp which opens on Nov. 12 in Reno.

Sacramento Kings waive Tony Mitchell, Willie Reed, and Hamady Ndiaye

The Sacramento Kings today requested waivers on forwards Tony Mitchell, Willie Reed and center Hamady Ndiaye, according to Kings President of Basketball Operations Geoff Petrie.

Mitchell, a 6-6, 210-pound forward from the University of Alabama, averaged 1.7 points (2-2 FG, 1-1 3pt), 0.3 rebounds, 0.7 assists, and 5.3 minutes per game in three preseason contests for the Kings. Mitchell played for the Kings during the 2012 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.

Reed, a 6-9, 220-pound forward from Saint Louis University, averaged 0.8 points (1-3 FG, 1-2 FT), 1.0 rebounds, and 2.8 minutes per game in four preseason games.

Ndiaye, a 7-0, 235-pound center from Rutgers, averaged 0.7 points (1-4 FG, 2-4 FT), 1.2 rebounds, and 4.8 minutes per game in six preseason contests. Ndiaye had played two NBA seasons with the Washington Wizards.

The Kings’ roster now stands at 14 players. The deadline for teams to turn in their rosters to the NBA is Monday, October 29, by 2 p.m. PDT. Sacramento opens its season on the road on October 31 at Chicago at 5:00 p.m. PDT. The Kings host Golden State on Monday, November 5 at 7 p.m. PDT in their first home game of the 2012-13 season.

7 percent of Sacramento Kings will be sold

A 7 percent share of the Sacramento Kings is about to head for the auction block.

The share held by bankrupt Sacramento developer Bob Cook is expected to be sold off, with the proceeds to be split among Cook’s creditors.

David Flemmer, the court-appointed trustee overseeing Cook’s bankruptcy, originally proposed auctioning the Kings’ stake in March.

But one of Cook’s creditors, an investment firm from Capitola called Omni Financial, blocked the sale. Omni said it was already the rightful owner of the 7 percent share after Cook defaulted on a loan.

Months of litigation ensued. Now a compromise has been worked out that would allow the sale to move forward and the proceeds to be split among three creditors. Omni would get 47 percent.

— Reported by Dale Kasler of the Sacramento Bee