There were undeniable truths when watching the Kings lose 106-99 Tuesday night to the Los Angeles Lakers at Arco Arena before a sellout crowd of 17,361. In many ways, the defending champions were everything the Kings could hope to become. As a unit, the long, athletic Lakers knew where to go on the court, when and how to get there and what to do when presented opportunities. Following a win the night before in Oakland against the Golden State Warriors, Kobe Bryant opened the game against the Kings super-aggressively with 12 first-quarter field-goal attempts. He helped set the tone, scoring a team-high 30 points, and the rest of his team followed. The natural matchup of Bryant vs. Kings

A quick look at the statistical breakdown of a game often reveals little about how the game was won or lost. The Oklahoma City Thunder's 108-102 victory over the Kings on Sunday was explained quite fully in by the box score. The Thunder (38-24) outrebounded the Kings 45 to 33, including a 16-9 advantage in offensive rebounds. The Thunder converted that advantage into a 23-11 second-chance points margin that the Kings had difficulty overcoming. Sacramento (21-42) also hurt itself at the free-throw line. The Kings made just 15 of 24 (62.5 percent) free-throws, while Oklahoma City shot 22 of 25 (88 percent) from the line. Those factors nullified the Kings outshooting the Thunder in fi

Finishing out the month of February, rookie guard Tyreke Evans led the new-look Sacramento Kings to two straight wins against the Utah Jazz and the Los Angeles Clippers. He averaged 24.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, 7.7 assists and 1.3 steals, leading the team to a 2-1 record for the week. Although he scored 28 points and 13 assists with only two turnovers, the Kings were embarrassed by the Detroit Pistons at home, losing 101-89. Although the Kings were down by as many as 30 points late in the third quarter, Evans scored 12 points in the fourth quarter to cut into the lead. The team found out that it lost starting big man Jason Thompson to a back injury until mid-March. The Kings took an ent

 The NBA is not known for giving away opportunities. Yet that's what the Kings did Tuesday to help the Boston Celtics to a 95-92 victory. The victory didn't come without a fight, and the 14,439 fans felt the pain at Arco Arena. There have been games this season in which the Kings have missed free throws and sabotaged their efforts. However, never have they done so as blatantly as they did Tuesday night. Sacramento missed eight of 10 free throws during the fourth quarter. Six of those misses came during the final 1:32.  Kings coach Paul Westphal openly admitted his team lost the game by shooting so poorly at the free-throw line. "I don't know how to measure frustration," Westphal said

A two-point loss may look respectable, but Sacramento's 115-113 defeat by the San Antonio Spurs Tuesday night at Arco Arena was as painful as any of their recent losses. The defeat in front of 12,934 fans included a Tyreke Evans scoring burst of 13 points during the game's final 1:39, which helped the Kings close what was a 107-94 Spurs advantage with 2:23 remaining. Evans returned to action Tuesday night after missing Monday night's loss in Denver. The rookie scored a career-high-tying 32 points to lead all scorers and also had a team-high seven rebounds and eight assists. However, neither he nor his teammates could prevent the Spurs (28-19) from winning their 13th game in their past 1

When things are going well for shooters, it is said the basket looks as big as the ocean. During the fourth quarter of Sacramento's 109-88 loss to the Orlando Magic Tuesday night, the basket looked like a thimble. And one with a big, mobile, elastic-like hand in front of it. That hand belonged to Magic center Dwight Howard, whose presence and mobility played a major role in the Kings making just four of 22 field-goal attempts. That 18.2 percent fourth-quarter field-goal shooting percentage changed a 78-76 Kings lead entering the final quarter into a early walk to the parking lot for the crowd of 14,426 at Arco Arena. The Magic out-scored the Kings, 25-6, during the nine and a half minu

Before the NBA season started, many experts predicted the Sacramento Kings would be near the bottom of the league after finishing with a 17-65 record last season. This prediction came before star guard Kevin Martin and last season's top bench scorer Francisco García went down with wrist injuries. Many also criticized the pick of rookie guard Tyreke Evans, citing that he was not the point guard that the Kings needed in a point guard-heavy draft. The Kings were bashed for hiring Paul Westphal as head coach, many critics saying that he hasn't coached an NBA game since 2000, when he coached the Seattle SuperSonics (now the Oklahoma City Thunder). It was supposed to be the perfect recipe for

Right now, collectively, the Kings couldn't finish a sentence. The Kings Tuesday night staged a valiant comeback from a 20-point second quarter deficit before falling 113-109 to the Phoenix Suns before a crowd of 13,630 at Arco Arena. Sacramento thrice tied the game in the fourth quarter, but never could take the league in spite of multiple possessions. The Kings lost their fourth straight game and fell to 14-20, while the Suns, who had lost seven straight road games entering the night improved to 22-13. Kings coach Paul Westphal admitted the frustration that stems from close loss after close loss. "This 'close but no cigar' is going to end," the coach said. "I don't know when, but it'

The Kings encountered unforeseen adversity Wednesday in the form of the Philadelphia 76ers and themselves. The result was a 116-106 defeat by the Sixers before a disappointed crowd of 13,516 at Arco Arena. Sacramento was thoroughly outclassed during the game’s final three quarters and truly had no one to blame. “We weren’t ready to play,” swingman Donte Greene said. “I think we took them lightly. I know I did and that’s not the way we play.” Kings power forward Jason Thompson said his team did not play with the usual components for success. “They were getting to loose balls and it seemed (Philly) wanted it a little more than we did,” said Thompson, who finished with 15 points and 11 r

The Sacramento Kings (13-15) may have lost to an eastern conference power in the Cleveland Cavaliers (23-8) on Wednesday night, but the team's rookie guard Tyreke Evans impressed all-stars LeBron James and Mo Williams. Evans posted 28 points, 5 assists, 3 rebounds, a steal and a block in an 117-104 overtime loss to the Cavaliers. "He's a terrific young player," Williams said, who defended Evans for much of the night. "Six-foot-six-inch point guard who can handle the ball...has a quick first-step. You know he's a match-up problem waiting to happen." James always steps up to defend the opposing team's best player down the stretch, and Evans was no exception. "Tyreke's going to be a great

 Each NBA game is a test.  Some teams test for greatness; others search for legitimacy.  The Kings take legitimacy test No. 2 tonight when they host the defending world champion Los Angeles Lakers at Arco Arena.  They lost their first test when they went up against Cleveland at home in the first of a four-game homestand. They now face the Lakers before meeting Denver on Monday and Philadelphia on Wednesday.  Tonight's game is another opportunity for the Kings (13-15) to show they can consistently compete with the league's best. Sacramento lost to the Cavs, but certainly showed the ability to go head-to-head with one of the league's best teams.  Christmas day, the Lakers got spanked 10

As a sports fan watching your favorite teams throughout the years, don't you ever get that excitement and sense that you are witnessing something special?  You savor every moment, whether you watch a win on the tube, or take in the sounds and roars of the crowds live at the game.  You follow the personalities and drama unfold through every highlight, lowlight, and newspaper article.  I felt that way in the middle of the 1998-1999 season, when Kings GM Geoff Petrie assembled the greatest nucleus to ever don Sacramento Kings jerseys and take the league by storm for the next 6 seasons.  Chris Webber, Vlade Divac, J-Will, Peja Stojakovic, you know the names.  They are etched in every Sacrament

What’s up Kings fans? JT is back! This Friday and Saturday my teammates and I will be “Painting the Town Purple,” and we want to see you out in the community. I remember Paint the Town last year. It was fun to meet the fans, explore the city and see Old Sac. Old Sac kind of has that New Jersey boardwalk-type feel to it. I had some Salt Water Taffy, relaxed and had a lot of fun being around the people who support us. I met people who hadn’t seen me play, but knew who I was and came out to support the Kings. I had a good time. I took some pictures, signed some autographs and kissed some babies! It’s just good for us to get out and meet the fans, because we know everyone can’t make it to a