Tag: Keegan Murray

Kings’ Keegan Murray to help brother, Kris, train for 2023 NBA draft

Keegan Murray revealed on Monday that he will help his brother, Kris Murray, prepare for the NBA draft.

Sacramento Kings forward Keegan Murray confirmed he will help his twin brother, Kris Murray, prepare for the 2023 NBA draft.

The Kings were eliminated by the Golden State Warriors, 120-100, in Game 7 of the first round of the playoffs on Sunday. Murray started each game of the series and averaged 9.7 points and 6.3 rebounds on 37.5% shooting from 3-point range.

He plans to help his brother over the next several weeks.

Kris Murray declared for the draft last month after averaging 20.2 points, 7.9 rebounds, two assists and 1.2 blocks as a junior at Iowa. He was named a consensus third-team All-American and was the only player to average at least 20 points, seven rebounds and one block with at least 65 3s.

On Monday, Keegan revealed his plan with Kris.

I’m going to go work out with him in the next couple of days just to get him ready for the draft, combine and workouts that he’ll have to go to. I’ve been through the circuit before. I’ve been through the pre-draft stuff. I’ve been through the NBA season so whatever I can do to help him get better and help him be more ready for the NBA is what I’ll do.

Kris is projected to be a mid-to-late first-round pick. He shares many of the same abilities Keegan has and projects to be an impact player at the next level. Teams will likely be curious whether Kris can duplicate the success Keegan had this season as a rookie.

With Keegan helping him out, Kris will have a great opportunity to improve his game throughout the pre-draft process. He will have the benefit of gaining tips and tricks of the trade from his brother and should be more than ready for what will come before the draft on June 22.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 tag=650262397]

Twitter reacts as fantastic rookie season closes for Keegan Murray

Twitter reacted as a sensational rookie season came to a close for Keegan Murray in a game seven loss against the defending champs.

This year was one that will stay in the memories of Sacramento Kings fans for years to come.

After years of being the laughing stock of the NBA, the forgotten team of California that the league wanted to move, the Kings were finally fun. Behind the star play of De’Aaron Fox, the Clutch Player of the Year, the Kings made the NBA Playoffs for the first time since 2006. New head coach Mike Brown was named the Coach of the Year, while Keegan Murray had a rookie season for the ages.

Above all, the Kings were fun this year. In front of a passionate fanbase excited to light the beam, Sacramento was the new kid on the block who played with heart. They could score all throughout their lineup, especially from deep, and just had this fun play style.

Unfortunately, though, all good things must come to an end at some point. While they were able to take the defending champion Golden State Warriors to a game seven, they just weren’t ready quite yet. In the series’ ultimate game, they couldn’t match Steph Curry’s 50-point performance or top a championship team that has been here many times before.

It’s a disappointing end to a magical season. However, it appears to be just the start. With Fox transitioning into a full-time superstar and Keegan Murray possessing a bright future, Sacramento can really become something. Here are the best social media reactions to a heartbreaking end to a fantastic campaign.

[affiliatewidget_smgtolocal]

Kings’ Keegan Murray reacts to setting NBA rookie 3-point record

On a night in which the Kings clinched a playoff berth for the first time since 2006, Murray also made some history, too.

On a night the Sacramento Kings clinched a playoff berth for the first time since 2006, rookie Keegan Murray made some history, too.

Malik Monk produced a team-high 19 points, six rebounds and six assists to lead the Kings to the 120-80 victory on the road over the Portland Trail Blazers. De’Aaron Fox added 18 points and Kevin Huerter had 17 points.

Murray produced 13 points, five rebounds and one assist; he hit three 3s. With the performance, Murray surpassed Donovan Mitchell for the most 3-pointers by a rookie in a single season in NBA history.

He stands alone at the top of the list with 188 3s.

“It was just a lot of time in the gym with my dad and my brother,” Murray told Mark Jones of NBC Sports California. “I think it just exemplifies what those two have brought to me in my life, and I am just excited that they can be a part of this.”

Mitchell broke the previous rookie 3-point record of 185 (set by Damian Lillard) during the 2017-18 season with the Utah Jazz. He averaged 20.5 points, 3.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.5 steals in 79 games on 34% shooting from 3-point range that season.

He passed Lillard in his 78th game to set the record on April 10, 2018.

Murray entered the evening needing just three 3-pointers to set the record, and the fourth pick crossed that mark with 6 minutes and 44 seconds left in the third quarter. Upon hitting it, Murray let out a small grin as the Kings’ bench erupted to celebrate the accomplishment.

Kings coach Mike Brown was happy for Murray after the game.

Breaking any type of record at the highest level in anything you do is absolutely amazing and to see Keegan do that tonight with the way he has played all year and how hard he has worked was an amazing feat. You don’t take that for granted. That is hard to do when you’re talking about something in the history of something. That is an amazing, amazing job that he has done.

Murray has been on a record-setting pace all season.

The fourth pick set the franchise record for 3s by a rookie after surpassing Bogdan Bogdanovic’s mark of 129 last month. Earlier in the season, Murray drained a 3 in 32 straight games from Nov. 25-Jan. 30, which matched the third-longest streak by a rookie in history. He passed Mitchell playing in his 74th game on Wednesday and did so with the highest percentage (40.7) ever by a rookie with at least 400 attempts.

Said Brown:

He should be applauded for many years, hopefully. He is not done with it yet. I’m just so proud of him. You’re excited for his family, friends and teammates. It is phenomenal. Hopefully, he is in the record books for the next 100 years or more because it is an amazing job watching him break that record from a phenomenal player that held it for as many years as he had. I can’t say enough about him and how deserving he is of it.

The Kings (46-30) snapped a 16-season playoff drought with the win, the longest streak in the history of the NBA and the longest active skid of any of the four major sports leagues in the United States.

It will be their 30th playoff appearance in team history.

“It is the effort the front office has put in throughout the years,” Murray said. “We’ve had really good teams, I think, throughout that 17 years and this one just exemplifies all of them. It is really cool to be on this team. We’re all excited but we all know we have a lot more to do.”

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 tag=650261570]

Keegan Murray is close to breaking the all-time rookie 3-point record

Murray is tied for the third-most 3-pointers in a season by a rookie and is closing in on Donovan Mitchell’s all-time record.

Keegan Murray is closing on setting the NBA’s single-season 3-point record by a rookie after a tremendous year shooting the ball with the Sacramento Kings.

Murray is averaging 11.9 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.2 assists on 40.4% shooting from 3-point range in 70 games this season. He is 19th in the league in 3-point percentage among players with at least 250 attempts and is first among all rookies.

The fourth pick has made 175 3-pointers this season, which is tied for the third-most in history by a rookie. He needs 13 more 3s to break the all-time mark set by Donovan Mitchell during the 2017-18 season with the Utah Jazz (187).

With 10 games remaining this season for the Kings, combined with his current average of 2.5 3s per game, Murray is on pace to break the record in approximately six games on April 2.

Murray previously set the franchise record for 3s in a season by a rookie after surpassing Bogdan Bogdanovic’s mark of 129 last month. He drained a 3 in 32 straight games from Nov. 25-Jan. 30, which was tied for the third-longest streak by a rookie in history.

Setting the all-time 3-point record by a rookie would certainly be quite an accomplishment for Murray and yet another example of how productive the 22-year-old has been this season.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 tag=650262272]

Donovan Mitchell hilariously thought Keegan Murray was still in college

Mitchell hilariously confused Keegan Murray with his twin brother, Kris, watching the Hawkeyes on Thursday.

With the NCAA Tournament in full swing, the collective basketball community is getting a crash course on some of the top players and teams in the country on the biggest stage in the game.

That includes Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell.

The All-Star caught the first-round matchup between the (8) Iowa Hawkeyes and (9) Auburn Tigers on Thursday night and hilariously thought he saw a familiar face: Keegan Murray.

Except, of course, that wasn’t him.

Mitchell shared his discovery with his 1.4 million followers on Twitter and was quickly reminded that he saw Keegan’s twin brother, Kris, on the court with the Hawkeyes. He followed up on his original tweet and corrected himself.

The two brothers played together last season in Iowa City and helped the Hawkeyes advance to the NCAA Tournament. Keegan left the team and became the fourth pick by the Sacramento Kings while Kris opted to stay one more season.

Unfortunately, the Hawkeyes were bounced early from the tournament.

The team lost in the first round for the second straight year, falling to Auburn, 83-75, on Thursday. Kris neared a double-double with 15 points and nine rebounds in the loss, capping a career year that will likely be his last in school.

Kris was named a third-team All-American by the Associated Press after averaging 20.2 points, 7.9 rebounds, two assists and one steal in 29 games. He was the only Division I player to average 20 points, 7.5 rebounds and one block with 60 3-pointers this season.

He is projected to be a first-round pick this year. He shares many of the same abilities Keegan has and projects to be an impact player at the next level. With Keegan having a strong rookie year, teams will likely be curious to see if Kris can duplicate that success.

In any case: Mitchell will soon have to face another Murray in the NBA.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 tag=650262237]

[mm-video type=video id=01gvr5eaxz0yt1szbzgn playlist_id=01f09kz5ecxq9bp57b player_id=01f1jxkahtwnvzepyp image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gvr5eaxz0yt1szbzgn/01gvr5eaxz0yt1szbzgn-7d52c8210810f09dd3819b7b32b0146c.jpg]

Kings’ Keegan Murray is on pace to break the rookie 3-point record

Murray has already set the Kings franchise record for 3s in a season by a rookie and is closing on the NBA all-time mark.

Sacramento Kings forward Keegan Murray has emerged as an excellent shooter this season and is on pace to set the NBA single-season mark by a rookie.

Murray is averaging 11.9 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.1 assists on 41.5% shooting from 3-point range in 55 games this season. He is 16th in the league in 3-point percentage among players with at least 200 attempts and is first among all rookies.

The fourth pick has already set the franchise record for 3s in a season by a first-year player as his 137 are the most ever by a rookie at the All-Star break. He is closing in on breaking Donovan Mitchell’s all-time record of 187 set during the 2017-18 season.

With 25 games remaining this season for the Kings, combined with his current average of 2.5 triples per game, Murray is on pace to surpass the 51 needed to break the record.

Murray drained a 3 in 32 straight games from Nov. 25-Jan. 30, which was tied for the third-longest streak by a rookie in history. He leads the rookie class in games with at least five made 3s (6), which is the most in team history.

He has looked to be as advertised as a top-five pick. He has emerged as a key player for the Kings and has helped the team to third in the Western Conference. He has the potential to become one of the best players from this draft class and a major franchise cornerstone in the future.

Setting the all-time 3-point record by a rookie would certainly be quite an accomplishment for Murray and yet another example of how productive the 22-year-old has been this season.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 tag=650262272]

[mm-video type=video id=01gsdysrvyk9yb4jc9xd playlist_id=01f09kz5ecxq9bp57b player_id=01f1jxkahtwnvzepyp image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gsdysrvyk9yb4jc9xd/01gsdysrvyk9yb4jc9xd-f0dd261431663e06a01ea3a14b8b3b8a.jpg]

Kings’ Domantas Sabonis calls rookie Keegan Murray special

Murray has had a strong rookie campaign this year and has impressed quite a few people along the way, including Sabonis.

Sacramento Kings rookie Keegan Murray has had a strong rookie campaign this year and has impressed quite a few people along the way, including teammate Domantas Sabonis.

Murray was among the 11 first-year players selected to the NBA Rising Stars game after averaging 11.9 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.1 assists on 41.5% shooting from 3-point range. He recently broke the team record for 3-pointers in a game by a rookie (8) and is sixth in scoring.

The fourth pick has emerged as a key player for the Kings and has helped the team to third in the Western Conference. He has often drawn praise from his peers around the league and his teammates.

Sabonis likes what he has seen from Murray.

He is amazing. He has been great all year. He is a special kid. He just broke the franchise record in 3s in like half a year. He is good. He is good and he has a lot of big things coming his way.

Murray has looked to be as advertised as a top-five pick. He has the potential to become one of the best players from this draft class and a major franchise cornerstone. The scary part is Murray hasn’t tapped into that potential and will only get better.

He is rounding into form on the court and appears to have a bright future ahead in Sacramento. Murray and the rest of the team figure to have sustained success in the league, as a result.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 tag=650261570]

[mm-video type=video id=01gsgjxf6hmfj8aqyq63 playlist_id=01f09kz5ecxq9bp57b player_id=01f1jxkahtwnvzepyp image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gsgjxf6hmfj8aqyq63/01gsgjxf6hmfj8aqyq63-bf2fc0189827971b2d93850ba6a6d436.jpg]

NBA Rising Stars 2023: Full rosters revealed in draft announcement

The NBA on Tuesday unveiled the four seven-player teams for the 2023 NBA Rising Stars game.

The NBA on Tuesday unveiled the four seven-player teams for the 2023 NBA Rising Stars competition set to take place on Feb. 17 as part of All-Star Weekend in Salt Lake City, Utah.

The showcase will feature four seven-player teams competing in a mini-tournament consisting of three games for the second straight year. Each game will be played to a final target score, meaning a game will end with a made basket or a made free throw instead of a running clock.

The pool of 28 players for the game consists of 11 first-year players, 10 second-year players and seven players from the G League. The rookies and sophomores were selected by assistant coaches, and the G League players were chosen by the league office.

The G League players will comprise one of the four teams.

The three teams from the NBA will be coached by Pau Gasol, Joakim Noah and Deron Williams. The three former players each selected seven players to their teams on Tuesday in an order determined by career All-Star appearances: Gasol (6), Williams (3) and Noah (2).

Here are the four rosters for the NBA Rising Stars competition.

As defensive woes mount, frustration boils over for Rockets coach Stephen Silas

“They’re not giving the effort on the defensive end,” #Rockets coach Stephen Silas said postgame while slamming a table. “They’re not getting after it like they’re supposed to.”

HOUSTON — When Rockets head coach Stephen Silas walked into the press conference room for a postgame interview, everyone knew he was upset after another woeful defensive effort by his team.

Gone was his usual friendly smile or upbeat mood, even in defeat.

This loss differed from the others; Silas could not keep his facial expressions or emotions from displaying it.

“The effort. The effort,” said Silas, who raised his voice an octave to display obvious displeasure with his team’s performance.

“It was getting into the body, getting over the screen, being in help, spreading the closeouts, doing what we’re supposed to do, acting as if it doesn’t matter,” Silas said. “It matters. Disappointing. These are the lessons we have to learn, I guess, and all that stuff. That’s not right. What we did tonight on that floor was not right. It’s not right.”

He was describing how the Rockets had given up 140 points in Monday’s loss to Sacramento. It was the second consecutive game Houston has allowed at least 140 points after surrendering 153 to the Thunder (most in Oklahoma City history) on Saturday.

Houston looked out of sync on defense versus the Kings, allowing back-door cuts to the basket and wide open 3-point shots.

This season, a common theme with the Rockets has been allowing an opposing player to have a season or career high in points.

On Monday night, it was no different. Kings rookie Keegan Murray scored a career-high 30 points with 24 coming off eight made 3-point shots. In his previous three games, Murray had only hit one shot in 16 combined attempts from beyond the 3-point arc.

“This team (the Kings) can score,” Silas said. “They’re right at the top of the league. But just letting guys line up wide-open 3s? Like, no, we don’t do that. We don’t do that. We’ve had a stretch of this season, these last couple of games, where this is not how we’re supposed to play, and it’s not doing all the things that we’ve been talking about all season long.”

Houston’s issue over its last two games has been an inability and lack of willingness to communicate with one another on the defensive end. Against the Kings, they were constantly in disarray, allowing their man to find comfortable, open spots on the floor to get uncontested shots. The only reason the Rockets stayed competitive for three quarters was Sacramento went through cold stretches.

“They’re not giving the effort on the defensive end,” Silas said emphatically when asked about the lack of communication. “They’re not getting after it (Silas slams the table) like they’re supposed to. They’re not getting into their man and fighting over and helping each other. Not doing what they’re supposed to do.”

Rockets guard Jalen Green, who was making his second start after being out of the lineup with a calf contusion, agreed with Silas that the lack of effort was a massive issue for him and his teammates.

“He had every right to be angry,” Green said. “His message was just, basically, we got to play harder. That’s our second game giving up that many points. He was just saying we’ve got to play harder. We can’t come out like that. Have some type of pride for ourselves. He was saying we’re doing ourselves a disservice. So, I think everyone in the locker room agreed with him. We could have played harder, especially in the second half. We just have to learn from it.”

Houston (13-41), which owns the NBA’s worst record this season, will have a chance at some redemption Wednesday when they take on the Kings again at Toyota Center. Tipoff is at 7 p.m. Central.

[lawrence-related id=110288,110281]

[mm-video type=video id=01grmeh1jfv2syg9veva playlist_id=none player_id=01eqbvq570kgj8vfs7 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01grmeh1jfv2syg9veva/01grmeh1jfv2syg9veva-0ca41e6013203e2b7a99291fe46ad548.jpg]

[listicle id=110272]

Keegan Murray puts up 30 points, breaks Kings’ rookie 3-point record

Murray snapped out of a recent slump in a major way on Monday to lead the Kings to a win over the Rockets.

Rookie Keegan Murray snapped out of a slump in a major way on Monday to lead the Sacramento Kings to a win on the road over the Houston Rockets.

Murray produced a career-high 30 points, six rebounds, two steals and one assist in 32 minutes of work in the 140-120 victory. He finished 11-of-17 from the field, including a career-high eight 3-pointers on 12 attempts.

The fourth pick is one of six rookies to score at least 30 points in a game this season. He broke the franchise 3-point record by a rookie (Rick Berry, 1989), and he is the only first-year player to hit eight in a game this season.

The performance came amid a cold streak by Murray.

He was averaging 5.6 points, seven rebounds and one assist on 20% shooting from 3-point range over his previous five games entering play on Monday. He went without a 3-point field goal twice in that span on six attempts in each of those games.

Kings coach Mike Brown was happy to see him break out of his slump.

If a guy is struggling with making a shot, you keep encouraging them to let it fly, especially if they spend time working on it. All of our guys spend time working on their shots, so I want our guys to keep shooting the basketball because they’ve shown over time that they’re really good shooters.

For us, there was never a doubt that we wanted him to stop shooting or his playing time was going to be affected — none of that was going to happen. We just wanted him to stay confident and keep letting that thing fly and eventually it was going to break.

The team certainly hopes his 30-point explosion will help him get back on track. He has emerged as a key player for the team and is a big reason the Kings are third in the Western Conference at 30-23 on the season.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 tag=650261570]