Tag: Keegan Murray

Warriors’ season ends with 118-94 loss to Kings in play-in tournament

The Warriors season came to an end on Tuesday night with a 118-94 loss to the Kings in first leg of the play-in tournament.

After Golden State ousted the Sacramento Kings in the first round of the playoffs last season, the Kings reciprocated on Tuesday night.

In the first leg of the play-in tournament, the Kings secured an early lead and never looked back. The Kings blasted the Warriors in Sacramento, 118-94, ending Golden State’s season in disappointing fashion.

Despite winning 9-of-10 road games in the final stretch of the season, the Warriors went ice-cold in Sacramento on Tuesday night. Steph Curry led the Warriors with 22 points on 8-of-16 shooting from the field. Curry was the only member of the Warriors to register three of more 3-pointers made against the Kings.

Klay Thompon uncharacteristically went quiet, going scoreless against the Kings on 0-of-10 shooting from the field and 0-of-6 from deep.

Golden State’s young trio of Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody provided some life. Kuminga tallied 16 points, and Moody added 16 off the bench. However, it wasn’t enough.

The Warriors had no answer for Keegan Murray on Tuesday. Murray tallied 32 points on 8-of-13 shooting from the field. The sophomore forward from Iowa caught fire from deep, hitting eight 3-pointers against the Warriors.

De’Aaron Fox added 24 points, six assists and four rebounds on the way to a 26-point win over the Warriors.

The Kings move on to play the New Orleans Pelicans with a chance to secure the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference playoffs and play the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder.

This post originally appeared on Warriors Wire! Follow us on Facebook and X! 

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NBA Rising Stars 2024: Bennedict Mathurin unanimously named MVP to lead Team Jalen to title

Pacers sophomore Bennedict Mathurin was unanimously named MVP of the 2024 NBA Rising Stars game to lead Team Jalen to the championship.

Indiana Pacers sophomore Bennedict Mathurin on Friday was unanimously named MVP of the 2024 NBA Rising Stars game to lead Team Jalen to the championship in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Mathurin produced 18 points in the opening game as Team Jalen defeated Team Tamika. He had four points, two assists and one steal in a 26-13 win in the final over Team Detlef, which consisted of seven of the top players in the G League.

While Mathurin did the bulk of the scoring in the semifinal round, Dereck Lively II had six points and Jordan Hawkins and Jalen Williams each chipped in five points in the final. Williams drained the game-winning 3-pointer to end it for Team Jalen.

The event featured four seven-player teams competing in a three-game tournament for the third straight year. The two semifinal games were played to a target score of 40, and the championship game was played to a target score of 25.

The pool of players for the game consisted of 11 rookies, 10 second-year players and seven players from the G League. The players from the NBA were selected by assistant coaches and the players from the G League were selected by the league office.

The four teams were coached by Hall of Famer Pau Gasol, Indiana Fever legend Tamika Catchings and former Pacers standouts Jalen Rose and Detlef Schrempf, who led the G League team.

Here is how the teams performed in the event.

NBA Rising Stars 2024: Full rosters revealed in draft announcement

The NBA on Tuesday unveiled the four seven-player teams for the 2024 NBA Rising Stars game.

The NBA on Tuesday unveiled the four seven-player teams for the 2024 NBA Rising Stars game on Feb. 16 as part of All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis, Indiana.

The event will feature four seven-player teams competing in a three-game tournament for the third straight year. The two semifinal games will be played to a target score of 40. The championship game will be played to a target score of 25.

The pool of players for the game consists of 11 rookies, 10 second-year players and seven players from the G League. The 21 players in the NBA will be drafted onto three teams. The seven players in the G League will comprise the fourth team.

The players from the NBA were selected by assistant coaches. The players from the G League were selected by the league office. Each team submitted a rookie ballot and a sophomore ballot featuring four frontcourt players, four guards and two additional players of any position.

Hall of Famer Pau Gasol will return as one of the four honorary head coaches for the event. Joining Gasol are Indiana Fever legend Tamika Catchings and former Indiana Pacers standouts Jalen Rose and Detlef Schrempf, who will lead the G League team.

Here are the rosters drafted by Gasol, Catchings and Rose.

NBA Rising Stars 2024: Player pool revealed for annual showcase at All-Star Weekend

The NBA on Tuesday unveiled the list of 28 players set to participate in the annual Rising Stars game on Feb. 16 at All-Star Weekend.

The NBA on Tuesday unveiled the list of 28 players set to participate in the annual Rising Stars game on Feb. 16 as part of All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis, Indiana.

The event will feature four seven-player teams competing in a three-game tournament for the third straight year. The two semifinal games will be played to a target score of 40. The championship game will be played to a target score of 25.

The pool of players for the game consists of 11 rookies, 10 second-year players and seven players from the G League. The 21 players in the NBA will be drafted onto three teams and the seven players in the G League will comprise the fourth team.

The players from the NBA were selected by assistant coaches. The players from the G League were selected by the league office. Each team submitted a rookie ballot and a sophomore ballot featuring four frontcourt players, four guards and two additional players of any position.

Hall of Famer Pau Gasol will return as one of the four honorary head coaches for the event. Joining Gasol are Indiana Fever legend Tamika Catchings and former Indiana Pacers standouts Jalen Rose and Detlef Schrempf, who will lead the G League team.

Assistant coaches from the NBA All-Star Game coaching staffs will join the honorary head coaches in coaching the Rising Stars teams. The NBA All-Star Game coaching staffs for both the Eastern and Western Conferences have yet to be determined.

TNT will televise the competition beginning at 9 p.m. EST.

14 most surprising omissions (Tyrese Maxey!) from the 2024 USA Basketball men’s player pool

Unless these players denied invitations, these are some very shocking decisions by Team USA.

USA Basketball announced a 41-athlete player pool as candidates for the Paris Olympics roster. Eventually, 12 players will make the final cut.

Among the 12 names that we initially projected to make the roster after the 2023 FIBA World Cup, 11 appeared on the first list. Those players were LeBron James, Joel Embiid, Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, Anthony Davis, Jayson Tatum, Devin Booker, Damian Lillard, Bam Adebayo, Anthony Edwards and Mikal Bridges.

A few notable All-Stars to also earn invitations include Chris Paul, James Harden, Kyrie Irving, Paul George, Jimmy Butler, Kawhi Leonard, Donovan Mitchell, Jaylen Brown, Trae Young, Jrue Holiday, De’Aaron Fox, Tyrese Haliburton, Brandon Ingram, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Jarrett Allen.

The other players were Paolo Banchero, Desmond Bane, Scottie Barnes, Jalen Brunson, Alex Caruso, Aaron Gordon, Josh Hart, Tyler Herro, Chet Holmgren, Cam Johnson, Walker Kessler, Bobby Portis, Austin Reaves, Duncan Robinson and Derrick White.

Two players who we did not include in our surprising omissions were Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green and Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant. While both of these players may have helped the team on the court, they have faced off-court issues that made invitations unlikely — plus Morant is currently injured.

Otherwise, these were the most surprising omissions from the list:

Keegan Murray enjoys record-setting Saturday night

Keegan Murray had a night for the ages on Saturday, torching the Utah Jazz with an NBA record-setting night beyond the arc.

On Saturday night, Keegan Murray reminded the world why he was named to last season’s NBA All-Rookie team and why he’s one of the league’s brightest young stars.

The Sacramento Kings forward and former Hawkeye set the NBA world on fire in a record-setting performance during Sacramento’s 125-104 win over the Utah Jazz.

Murray knocked down an NBA-record 11 straight 3-pointers en route to a career-best 47 points. The 6-foot-8, 225 pound forward finished his night with 12 made 3-pointers, two shy of Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson’s single-game NBA record set back in 2018.

Murray’s 26 points in the third quarter were a Sacramento Kings franchise record and he also became the youngest player to score 47. That mark was previously held by the legendary Kobe Bryant.

Afterwards, even Murray was saying that it truly was like his days in the black and gold.

“It kind of reminded me of my last year in college. I’d get hot and I would just black out for a little bit, and so everything would just go in. That’s kind of what happened in the third quarter,” Murray said.

The scary thing for the rest of the league? Kings coach Mike Brown is convinced Murray is only going to keep getting better.

“He’s just barely scratching the surface because he’s been asked to do something that he’s never been asked to do at the highest level. With his work ethic, his determination, his skill set and all that other stuff, he’s got a chance to be a high-level player in a lot of different areas. Everybody’s just seeing a little bit of it now, so there’s a ton of room to grow, for sure,” Brown said.

Naturally, social media was positively glowing about Murray’s historic night.

Steph Curry reacts to Kings’ Keegan Murray’s 47-point performance vs. Jazz

After Kings wing Keegan Murray knocked down 12 3-pointers on his way to a 47-point effort against the Kings, Steph Curry chimed in with a reaction.

While Steph Curry was leading the Golden State Warriors to a much-needed victory over the Brooklyn Nets, another player in Northern California was putting together a career performance. Sacramento Kings wing Keegan Murray caught fire against the Utah Jazz for 47 points.

Murray couldn’t miss from beyond the arc, hitting a scorching 12 3-pointers on 15 attempts in only three quarters. The former Iowa Hawkeye hit an NBA-record 11 consecutive triples against the Jazz. Murray tallied 26 of his career-high 47 points in the third quarter.

After Curry wrapped up the Nets in San Francisco, he was asked about Murray’s performance in his postgame press conference on Saturday night. The two-time MVP praised the Kings’ breakout shooter.

Watch Curry’s reaction to Murray’s sharpshooting against the Jazz via @NBCSWarriors on X, formerly known as Twitter:

Murray became the seventh player in NBA history with 12 made 3-pointers in a single contest. Murray finished two made 3-pointers short of Klay Thompson’s NBA-record 14 3-pointers in a single game.

This post originally appeared on Warriors Wire! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter! 

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Twin brothers Keegan, Kris Murray swap jerseys after first NBA meeting

Twin brothers Keegan and Kris Murray faced off for the first time in the NBA when the Kings hosted the Trail Blazers on Wednesday.

Twins Keegan Murray and Kris Murray faced off for the first time in the NBA when the Sacramento Kings hosted the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday.

Keegan and the Kings picked up the 121-118 victory in overtime to improve to 3-4. He produced nine points, seven rebounds, three assists, two blocks and one steal in 31 minutes of work in their first of three games against the Trail Blazers.

Kris made just his third appearance of the season in the contest. He logged nine minutes and recorded one block during his time on the court, which came, as fate would have it, against his brother.

“He is going to hear about it at Thanksgiving,” Kris said.

Heading into the matchup, there was some uncertainty whether Kris would play. He is outside the rotation, but with the team dealing with injuries, Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups turned to him.

Kris is a guy we believe in, and have high hopes for him and our future. It was just his turn, and it just so happened that he was playing against his brother, so, of course, I’m a coach that has a heart, and I wanted that to be a special moment for him and his family.

The contest on Wednesday was the first time Keegan and Kris have squared off against each other at any level of basketball. They have been together at every stop of their careers, with the two most recently teammates in college at Iowa.

Their parents, Kenyon and Michelle, were at the Golden 1 Center to witness the matchup. Watching them play each other was nerve-wracking, Kenyon said on NBC Sports California.

“Obviously, I wanted to support both of them,” Kenyon said, wearing a Trail Blazers shirt under a Kings zip-up hoodie. “My wife was a little more of the neutral girl tonight, but it was fun. I think it is just part of the story. For them to be able to be here and have the opportunity to not only play in the NBA but to play against each other was really cool as a family.”

The twins played two seasons together with the Hawkeyes before Keegan left to become the fourth pick by the Kings last year. He was named to the NBA All-Rookie first team and set the all-time 3-point record by a rookie in a season (206).

Kris was a consensus third-team All-American last season and was the only player to average at least 20 points, seven rebounds and one block with at least 65 3s. He was drafted 23rd by the Trail Blazers, one spot ahead of the Kings.

They were nearly reunited again, too.

After the draft, Brian Windhorst of ESPN reported the Kings were interested in drafting Kris to pair with Keegan. With their player off of the board, the organization ultimately traded their pick to gain cap flexibility.

The past year was, essentially, the longest they have been apart from each other. They linked up over the summer and trained together before the draft before Kris joined the Trail Blazers.

Despite the distance between them, they still keep in contact daily.

“We talk every day, regardless of if we’re playing against each other or not,” Keegan said, via Sean Cunningham of Fox 40. “We communicate and FaceTime every single day. Usually, we don’t even talk about basketball stuff. We talk about life and stuff like that.”

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Why Mike Brown surprisingly loved Keegan Murray hurling expletives at the Kings coach

Keegan Murray had an unusual way of owning up to his mistake

Second-year Sacramento Kings star Keegan Murray is already well on his way towards becoming one of the best shooters in the NBA. He drilled 41.1 percent of his shots from behind the arc in his rookie season (on 6.3 attempts per game) and looks ready to surpass that this year with an average of 9.7 attempts through three games.

Simply put, Murray has an elite jump shot and the Kings want him using it more.

So you can imagine the frustration of Sacramento coach Mike Brown when Murray passed up an open three-pointer and got called for traveling on Sunday night against the Lakers. The coach immediately shouted for Sasha Vezenkov sub in for Murray.

But before Brown could yank Murray, the small forward found himself in the exact same spot with the ball on the next possession and let the three fly without hesitation. He sank the shot, naturally, but it’s what Murray did next that couldn’t help but make Brown smile: he turned around and yelled “[expletive] you” at his coach.

After watching the sequence play out, Vezenkov walked back to the bench with a laugh. The way Brown talked about the interaction shows just how much he enjoyed the moment.

The Kings went on to beat the Lakers 132-127 in overtime with Murray pouring in 17 points. It could’ve been 20. Brown probably won’t let him forget that — even if Murray heard the message loud and clear in the moment.

NBA schedule 2023-24: The top rookie matchups of the season

The 2023-24 season features several highly-anticipated matchups among the rookie class

The NBA released the 2023-24 season schedule for every team on Thursday after previously unveiling the in-season tournament schedule this week.

The regular season will tip off on Oct. 24 with the Denver Nuggets hosting the Los Angeles Lakers in the first game of a doubleheader on TNT. The Nuggets, as the defending champions, will receive their rings before the contest. Phoenix will visit Golden State in the second game.

The schedule features several highly anticipated matchups, including the debut of No. 1 pick Victor Wembanyama with the San Antonio Spurs on Oct. 25. The contest against the Dallas Mavericks will air on ESPN and is one of 19 nationally televised games for the Spurs.

Of course, the dates for some other key matchups were also unveiled in the schedule announcement on Thursday. The season will feature plenty of intrigue throughout the rookie class.

Here are some of the top rookie matchups for the 2023-24 season.

Note: This list is different from the top Wembanyama games.