Unbelievable! Amazing! Jaw-dropping! Spectacular! In sports writing, superlatives are greatly overused. Heck, even The Court Jester abuses the Queen’s English occasionally! In this case, however, I think not! After being down 58-37 at the half, being outshot from the floor 60.5 percent to 31.8 perccent in the first half and only scoring 12 points in the second quarter, it looked like another lackluster Kings performance would etch another loss in the standings Thursday evening. Not so fast, my pretty! After a day of showing Coach Paul Westphal the door, elevating assistant Keith Smart to the position full-time and holding a players-only film study session before the game, the Kings ca

Here We Whimper? Is this really what we fought to keep this spring? Is this why we dished up more hoop heart and dedication than Sacramento has seen in nearly a decade? Is this why we had the rallies, the signs in our homes and businesses, the cheerleading, and above all, the renewed hope? Two things right off the bat. One, I hope I’m wrong about this. Two, I don’t claim to be an expert in the X's and O's of basketball, and I know even less about scouting and player development. I’m coming from the perspective of an average fan here. But it’s average fans like me that the Sacramento Kings are banking on to fill Power Balance Pavilion’s seats next year, and looking ahead, to hopefully f

DeMarcus Cousins sat in front of his locker space exhausted, the effects of a long first season etched in his face and his left shoulder donned in black tape as if held on by Super Glue. At least he wasn’t bleeding this time. After putting up 17 points, collecting nine rebounds, dealing out six assists and setting a personal high with five steals, it’s understandable why - nearing the end of his rookie campaign - Cousins could barely find the energy to speak to reporters after the game. “Even though we are not having a great season and everyone knows we are not going to the playoffs, the fan support is unbelievable,” said a soft-spoken Cousins. “They stick with us through thick and thin

In a slack game of basketball at Power Balance Pavilion, the Sacramento Kings lost to the Philadelphia 76ers Friday night, falling behind from the very to beginning to lose 80-102. Within minutes of the opening toss-up it was obvious the Kings couldn't hit their stride as they moved the ball around with sloppy passes. It didn't take long for head coach Pete Westphal to call a timeout and break the Sixers’ small lead of 12-9. From that moment on, the Sixers were ahead the entire game. Though the Kings weren't that far behind at the end of the first quarter, the Sixers pulled even farther ahead fairly swiftly and kept it that way. The Kings had their moments in the second quarter. At time

After starting out 2-0 during this tough stretch of games, the Kings are working their way through the home part of the journey hoping to rack up some good wins against good teams before going on the road again. The Utah Jazz were in town with their 3-9 record in their last 12 games and appeared to be ripe for the picking. Unfortunately, it was the Jazz that did the harvesting, as they held on to upend the Kings 107-104 on the strength of Deron Williams’ court magic and Al Jefferson’s play around the rim. Utah came out firing with Jefferson (23 points, 3 steals), the offensive powerhouse acquired in the offseason, was having his way with DeMarcus Cousins on the block. Jefferson’s great f

Going into the game, Sacramento was missing a few big men: Jason Thompson (sprained ankle) and Hassan Whiteside (knee strain), and then Darnell Jackson right before halftime in a freak incident. You would think the Kings would have had no chance in matching up with the daunting Boston Celtics, the team with the best record in the NBA. You would be wrong, as for most of the game the Kings were in it and even pushed back almost every time the Celts pushed them. If it wasn’t for Ray Allen’s fiery halftime locker room speech, the Kings may have prevailed. In the end, in a tough, physical game, The C’s from Beantown got by the hometown Kings, 95-90. It was the first time this tough season th

Despite leading and outplaying the Portland Trail Blazers (23-20) for much of the game, the Sacramento Kings (9-31) lost 94-90 in overtime on Wednesday night at Arco Arena. The Kings were on fire out of the gates, limiting Portland to only one field goal on six attempts in the first four minutes of play, but the silver lining may reside in what appeared to be a fully recovered Tyreke Evans. Evans seemed to have little trouble slashing to the basket, a sign that a series of recent foot injuries may finally be behind him. Kings Head Coach Paul Westphal used Evans for just over 45 minutes, and the sleek shooting guard contributed 16 points, eight assists and three steals. Evans is current

Tonight's contest between the Sacramento Kings and Denver Nuggets marks the first-ever “Kings for the Community Night,” as over 600 tickets to the game were donated by Kings players and the team’s basketball operations staff for local youth and special groups to enjoy the NBA experience. Throughout the 2010-11 regular season, more than 6,000 tickets will be donated to deserving children and groups in the Sacramento region through the 2010-11 “Kings for the Community” program, made possible by the Kings along with presenting partners Wells Fargo and U.S. Army. Groups attending the 2010-11 “Kings for the Community Night” include: Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Greater Sacramento Area, Fost

With the worst record in the association, the Sacramento Kings were just looking for improvement in the showdown with the Atlanta Hawks. There was improvement throughout the game in the team’s collective effort and hustle, coach Paul Westphal said afterward. But even with Tyreke Evans and DeMarcus Cousins scoring 31 of the team’s 39 fourth quarter points, it was not enough to get a home win as the Kings fell to the Hawks, 108-102. The strength of Atlanta guards Jamal Crawford and Joe Johnson, who combined to make 60 points in the game, was too much for the Kings. Early on, it was the rebirth of longtime fan favorite Mike Bibby (9 points, 10 boards, 4 assists) as he easily found ways to

It was the first home game of the new year. A fresh start. A new beginning. A chance to recapture the home team magic. As the opponent was another revamped version of the run-and-gun Suns, the Kings would have their hands full trying to keep Phoenix's mad bombers at bay. With some great defensive pressure in the final quarter and the outstanding play of rookie DeMarcus Cousins – playing like a larger version of last year’s rookie of the year, Tyreke Evans – the Kings provided another fantastic fourth-quarter comeback and held on to beat the Suns 89-84 at Arco Arena on Sunday evening. It was a slow start for the Kings as the Suns’ Mickael Pietrus (7 points, 4 rebounds) and Steve Nash (20

If you were at Arco Arena Wednesday night, you might have thought the Kings had just won a NBA Championship. A thrilling midcourt shot at the buzzer by Tyreke Evans sent the place into a massive frenzy, ending the Kings' eight-game skid with a 100-98 win over the Memphis Grizzlies. After strong showings by DeMarcus Cousins (21 points, 16 rebounds) and Beno Udrih (24 points, 4 rebounds), it looked like yet another disappointing fourth-quarter loss for the Kings. O.J. Mayo gave the Grizzlies a 98-97 lead with a difficult fadeaway jumper with 1.5 seconds remaining to seemingly seal the deal. Then the impossible happened as Evans took the next inbound pass and raced to midcourt, jumping into

Please don’t kill the messenger. Yes, the story is one you’ve read before. One you’ve read way too often this hoops season. The Sacramento Kings carry a lead into the final quarter and suddenly the offense stops moving and the team seemingly forgets it’s true mission: Beating a team they should beat on the home floor. After a back and forth battle, the Kings give another game away as the offense stalls and the players look like they abruptly forget how to execute the essentials as they lose to the visiting Milwaukee Bucks 84-79 on Thursday night. This was the first game for the team after Coach Westphal decided to start Samuel Dalembert instead of DeMarcus Cousins after the “choke sign

Mama said there’d be days like this. During the long NBA season, there are games where a team will come up short but still feel they’ve played a good game. Saturday’s Kings game against the Mavericks was one of those games. Close — oh so close — but no cigar. In a game where the Sacramento Kings led most of the way until the final moments, the home team couldn’t get off the game-tying shot in time as they let a nine-point lead with 5:24 left in the game slowly disappear, and the Dallas Mavericks pulled out the win 105-103 at Arco Arena. Tyreke Evans (25 points, five boards and eight assists) played possibly his best overall game of the young season by hitting open shots, including three

Could the Kings start a season 2-0 for the first time since 2000? That was the question on every Kings fan’s mind entering the game in New Jersey as the Kings took on the Nets (1-0). Unfortunately, the answer for those nonstop cheering Kings fans back home was no as the Kings faltered at the end by having too many big men in foul trouble and missing big shots. The Kings lost a close one 106-100. Even though the Kings scored the first bucket, a long jumper by DeMarcus Cousins, it was the Nets who started the quarter hot as Carl Landry missed several shots and seemed out of sorts until he was substituted halfway through the quarter. Brook Lopez, the young outstanding center for the Nets,

With two of last year’s promising rookies – Minnesota’s Jonny Flynn and last year’s Rookie of the Year Tyreke Evans – not suited up, the first game of the season seemed to hinge on their replacements. Francisco Garcia handled the shooting guard duties for the missing Evans and Luke Ridnour the point guard responsibilities for Flynn, who is recovering from hip surgery. Even though both came through for their respective teams, it was the Kings who finished off the Timberwolves 117-116 to win a road game that went down to the wire. Garcia finished with 22 points, three rebounds, four assists, three steals and hit both of his three attempts. Garcia had 21 of his 22 by the end of the third,

The wait is over. The off-season is behind them. The up-and-coming Kings are primed and ready to pounce on opponents this season, giving weight to the slogan – Here We Rise. The Sacramento Kings take to the hardwood Wednesday in their season opener as they travel to Minnesota to face the Timberwolves, embarking on a three-game road trip. HERE – Sactown is their home Even following year after year of speculation that the team will somehow abandon our little town for the riches of Las Vegas or the South Bay or even back to the familiar Kansas/Missouri border has never materialized, the arena situation and the current economic crunch continues to put the topic back in the spotlight and det

With the Kings down Beno Udrih and Samuel Dalembert out and the small forward position up for grabs, Coach Paul Westphal is still searching for a winning starting lineup. The Golden State Warriors held it close for three quarters Tuesday, but it was the Kings who secured their second preseason win by pulling away in the final period to win 116-97 at Arco Arena. The Kings had six players scoring in double figures and a balanced rebounding effort making for a solid fourth quarter. A three-point lead at the beginning of the fourth quarter turned into a 22-point lead late in the game thanks to a strong defense and converting turnovers into points. Both teams had stretches of sloppiness, eac

As part of the NBA Cares campaign, “Paint the Town,” the Sacramento Kings will be greeting fans throughout the Sacramento region Saturday, October 16 and Sunday, October 17 to thank them for their support in advance of the 2010-11 Kings season. The entire Kings training camp roster, members of the Sacramento Kings Dance Team, Slamson and the Kings Breakers will interact with the Sacramento community at various locations. Fans are encouraged to attend and players will be available to greet and interact with fans. Additionally, the Kings Karavan, a Kings-branded bus, will be on display at select locations and exciting Kings prizes will be awarded to Kings fans on-site. Following is the fu

The new-look Kings took the hardwood on Tuesday against the Phoenix Suns for the first exhibition game of the year and came away with a 109-95 victory against their Western Conference rivals. It was a time to let Head Coach Paul Westphal see how the younger guys have improved and give him a chance to figure out who will be on his final roster. For the fans, it was a time to have renewed enthusiasm. A time to see the future. A time for hope once again. For the players, it was and a chance to bang on someone else besides each other. For the training camp hopefuls who wandered into town a few weeks ago, it was a chance to prove they belong. And at the end of the day, most everyone seemed

It all began just like any other training camp gathering. The players hit the floor to do some stretching, jogging and even doing the “monster walk” to get flexible and be ready to bang some bodies. It was a day like any other day this past week. Except this time, there was a major difference. The practice had been moved out of the Kings’ practice facility and over to Arco Arena. Oh, and one more thing. There were people watching – lots of people. The Sacramento Kings raised the curtain on their new-look team on Sunday for all to see for the first time since making some major acquisitions and building their team with draft picks in the off season. It was the first scrimmage held this y