Tag: Sacramento Kings

Denver Nuggets at Sacramento Kings odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Saturday’s Nuggets at Kings NBA matchup, with NBA betting odds, picks and best bets

The Sacramento Kings (7-10) entertain the Denver Nuggets (13-3) Saturday with tip-off coming just after 5 p.m. ET at the Golden 1 Center. We analyze the Nuggets-Kings odds and lines, with NBA betting advice and tips around the matchup.

Place a legal sports bet on this NBA action or other games at BetMGM.

Nuggets at Kings: Key injuries

Nuggets

  • C Bol Bol (foot) out

Kings

  • SF Trevor Ariza (groin) out
  • PF Marvin Bagley III (thumb) out
  • PG De’Aaron Fox (ankle) out
  • PF Richuan Holmes (migraine) probable

Nuggets at Kings: Odds, lines, picks, and betting tips

NBA odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full set of today’s betting odds. Odds last updated Saturday at 6 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Nuggets 110, Kings 102

Moneyline (ML)

The Nuggets have started off the season winning 13 of their first 16 contests. Denver is 5-1 on the road and 7-2 overall against the Western Conference. This is a Nuggets team that has won six straight and nine of 10.

The Kings are 4-3 at home but have lost two straight and three of four.

Hence, our pick is with the NUGGETS (-189).

New to sports betting? A $10 wager on Denver returns a profit of $5.29 with an outright win.

Line/Against the Spread (ATS)

The Kings are 4-3 at home ATS and 11-6 overall on the season. Meanwhile, Denver is just 8-7-1 overall and 3-2-1 on the road while allowing 0.2 points per game below the cover line. This becomes a razor-thin pick but the feel is that Denver can pull this off late via the foul line.

Back DENVER (-4.5, -106). The Nuggets will cover and win by five or more points on Saturday evening.

Over/Under (O/U)

The projected total is set at 203.5. Denver and Sacramento average less than 110 points per game typically but one of them will come close or hit 110 on Saturday Finally, Sacramento’s injuries may help Denver push a bit more offensively. It is why we are picking the OVER (-129) on a low projection.

A $10 bet here on the over returns a $7.75 profit.

Want some action on this game? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips and advice, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @ChrisWasselDFS and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Sacramento Kings at Boston Celtics odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Monday’s Sacramento Kings at Boston Celtics sports betting odds and lines, with NBA betting picks, tips and best bets.

The Sacramento Kings (7-8) face the Boston Celtics (11-4) Saturday night with tip-off coming just after 7:30 pm ET at TD Garden. We analyze the Kings-Celtics odds and lines, with NBA betting advice and tips around the matchup.

Place a legal sports bet on this NBA action or other games at BetMGM.

Kings at Celtics: Key injuries

Kings

  • SF Trevor Ariza (groin) out

Celtics

  • PG Kemba Walker (neck) doubtful

Kings at Celtics: Odds, lines, picks, and betting tips

NBA odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full set of today’s betting odds. Odds last updated at 2 p.m. ET.

Prediction

Celtics 114, Kings 104

Moneyline (ML)

The Celtics have dropped two straight while the Kings have won seven of their last 10 games following an 0-5 start. Boston will be without its starting point guard but it has a lot more depth than Sacramento.

The Celtics are 5-0 at home and have been solid for the most part, especially in closing out games.

Our pick is with the CELTICS (-278).

New to sports betting? A $10 wager on Boston returns a profit of $3.60 with an outright win.

Line/Against the Spread (ATS)

The Kinds’ recent run has them up to 9-6 against the spread but Boston is 3-1-1 ATS at home and 3.6 points per game above the cover line. The Kings are 5-3 ATS on the road but still 2.1 points below projections. It shows they can be blown out on occasion.

Back BOSTON (-5.5, -129). The Celtics will cover and win by six or more points.

Over/Under (O/U)

The projected total is set at 204.5. The Celtics average 110.7 points per game. The Kings average 105.5 points per game. Take the OVER (-115) on a low projection.

A $10 bet here on the over returns an $8.70 profit.

Want some action on this game? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips and advice, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @ChrisWasselDFS and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Report: Kyrie Irving is out Friday against the Sacramento Kings

Kyrie Irving will miss his fourth straight consecutive game Friday night due to a right shoulder impingement.

The Brooklyn Nets will be without All-Star guard Kyrie Irving on Friday night against the Sacramento Kings, per the New York Post’s Brian Lewis.

Irving is out with a right shoulder impingement injury that has sidelined him the previous three games.

When Irving doesn’t play this season, the Nets are 2-1. With Irving being new to the team, there will be an adjustment period when it comes to creating new chemistry.

Irving is a different guard compared to former Nets guard D’Angelo Russell. Irving feeds on isolations; Russell thrives in making plays in the pick-and-roll.

Still, Irving has been the Nets’ leading scorer this season, averaging 28.5 points per game on 44.4% shooting from the field.

And while Irving is averaging a career-high 7.2 assists, he remains one of the top isolation scorers in the game. According to NBA.com, Irving is averaging 3.5 points in isolation on 3.5 field goal attempts. Spencer Dinwiddie is the Nets’ best scorer after Irving, but he’s not shooting a quality percentage from the field at 41.4%.

 

At 6-8 through 14 games, the Nets have had a slow start to the season. They’re ranked 18th in field goal percentage (44.7) and 22nd in 3-point field goal percentage (34.0).

Overall, it’s going to take time for the Nets and Irving to jell, as the offense is slightly different compared to when Russell was at the helm.

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AD block on Barnes clean but missed foul on LeBron in win over Kings

The Los Angeles Lakers came out with a win on Friday night but the NBA’s last two-minute report said they missed an offensive foul by James.

The Los Angeles Lakers escaped with their third straight victory on Friday night after squeaking out a 99-97 victory over former coach Luke Walton and the Sacramento Kings. A huge block by Anthony Davis appeared to be the most controversial play of the night as he made a little contact with Kings forward Harrison Barnes, but the NBA’s review of the last two minutes from Saturday found something else wrong with the end of the game.

According to the league, LeBron James should have been called for an offensive foul on what would be a game-winning foul call on Barnes with five seconds left. James would make both free-throws and win the game for the Lakers.

The NBA has focused in on offensive players initiating contact with their off-arm all season long, calling several players who use that move for offensive fouls. The Lakers certainly got a little lucky on Friday with the call considering how much they’ve tried to call it, but it’s also somewhat of an accepted truth that officials usually let things go in the closing moments of a game.

Anthony Davis’ big block at buzzer proves pivotal in pushing Lakers past Kings

Anthony Davis’ big block on Harrison Barnes at the buzzer proves pivotal in pushing Los Angeles Lakers past Sacramento Kings.

Anthony Davis is dominating the paint defensively for the Los Angeles Lakers this season. Despite missing a game against the Golden State Warriors earlier this week, Davis is leading the NBA with 33 blocks on the year. He is the only player in the league averaging as many as three blocks per game as well, and none of those rejections would prove to be more critical than the one he offered last night.

With 5.5 seconds remaining, the Lakers were clinging to a 99-97 lead over the Sacramento Kings as Bogdan Bogdanovic inbounded the ball while being guarded by LeBron James. Harrison Barnes would receive the inbounds pass, fake a hand-off back to Bogdanovic, and attack the right block for a layup. Just as Barnes made his move to the basket, Davis darted over from the opposite side of the paint and fully extended with two hands to devour the shot attempt as the game clock expired for his fourth block of the night.

“The one thing we wanted to do was force him inside the 3-point line,” LeBron James said while describing the final defensive sequence of the game on Friday. “Two didn’t hurt us, they make a two we call a timeout to see if we can win the game, if not go into overtime.

“So we played it to perfection by making him go inside the line. Then when you have a shot-blocker the caliber of A.D. protecting the rim, it just made it a lot tougher on Harrison.”

The Lakers are now leading the NBA as a team with 7.3 blocks per game which is an improvement of nearly two blocks per night over last season. That work around the rim has not only helped build a 10-2 record thus far–which is currently the best in the Western Conference–but also a league-leading defensive rating of 99.8 that appears to be sustainable moving forward.

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LeBron: Luke Walton did ‘as great a job as you could’ coaching Lakers

Luke Walton was back in Los Angeles with his Kings, and LeBron James only had nice things to say.

Luke Walton coached the Lakers last year, and it went, uh, not great. In LeBron James’ first year with the team, the Lakers failed to make the playoffs.

This offseason, Walton departed, along with half the young team, who were sent to New Orleans in a package that brought back Anthony Davis. The Lakers hired Frank Vogel to take over, and the Lakers now sit at 10-2 on the season after another win over the Kings on Friday night.

The coach of the Kings? Luke Walton.

After the game, LeBron was asked to reflect on his time with Walton, and was thoughtful in his praise of the young coach.

James pointed out that the Lakers were in contention right until Christmas time, when the team lost several key players to injury, and the season fell apart as the younger players failed to come together.

Via USA TODAY Sports:

James contended that Walton “did as great of a job as you could under the circumstances.” The Lakers missed a combined 210 games last season due to injuries, most notably to James, Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram.

Walton also had kind words to say.

“To be back in your old building and go against a team you used to coach and play for, it’s exciting,” Walton said. “It sucks we didn’t come with the outcome we wanted. But I’m very pleased with the effort and the way that we played the game.”

The Kings got off to an 0-5 start, but have won four of the last six and now look like a team that can hang in the West.

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LeBron James hits clutch free throws to put Lakers past Kings

The Los Angeles Lakers earned their third straight victory thanks to 29 points and 11 assists from LeBron James on Friday night.

LeBron James had 29 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to their third-straight victory — a 99-97 win over the Sacramento Kings on Friday night. Thanks to a valiant effort from an undermanned but energetic Kings squad, the Lakers barely escaped.

Seven straight points from Bogdan Bogdanovic brought the Kings to 97-97 with just under 20 seconds left, leaving the Lakers and James with the final possession. The Kings’ Harrison Barnes was called for a reach-in foul on James with 5.5 seconds left. James made both free throws, leading to a final play for the Kings. Barnes couldn’t convert on the final lay-up attempt to send the game to overtime, however, thanks to an incredible defensive stop by Anthony Davis.

For much of the early going in Friday’s matchup, the Lakers appeared a little sluggish. But the Lakers closed the half with a fury, capped off by a dunk from James over Kings forward Nemanja Bjelica. Following the half, the Lakers rode that momentum and amassed a four-point lead after three quarters.

James was the catalyst for the Lakers all night long, scoring more than usual while assisting at his regular league-leading rate. With Davis back in the lineup, James once again enjoyed an efficient source of assists offensively and the safety blanket defensively that The Brow provides.

Still, even though the two stars played well, they were unable to pull away from a scrappy Kings team that came into Friday having won four of their last five games. The Kings had a lead midway through the fourth quarter, putting the Lakers on their heels on their home court.

James came out firing in the early going of the final period.

Up by three points, James missed a 3-pointer for the Lakers and then Howard was called for a loose-ball foul with 3:54 remaining. Richaun Holmes made two free throws to cut the lead to one, which was followed by a Lakers basket.

The Kings went to Holmes again, who was guarded by Alex Caruso, but drew a three-point play on LeBron James to tie the game at 90 with 3:25 left. A 3-pointer by Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who had a huge fourth quarter, put the Lakers ahead. Caldwell-Pope had scored four points after three quarters but finished with 16 points.

 

 

LeBron James throws down incredible dunk on Kings forward Bjelica

Lakers F LeBron James was called washed in some corners but he reminded everyone just how explosive he can be with a dunk against the Kings

The Washed King is here to remind challengers that he is still liable to posterize takers looking to block a ferocious dunk from LeBron James. In the Los Angeles Lakers’ Friday night matchup against the Sacramento Kings, James had an incredible dunk against the Kings.

James has led the NBA in assists over the first 11 games of the season and he has led the Lakers to the NBA’s best defense over that same time. For much of the early going on Friday, the Lakers were a little sluggish. But the they closed the half with a fury, capped off by the dunk from James over Kings forward Nemanja Bjelica.

James is one of the greatest dunkers of all time even though he has never participated in an NBA dunk contest. His ability to finish in games, and through traffic, may be the greatest we’ve ever seen. Friday night, approaching age 35, he showed another example of delivering special moments with astonishing regularity.

Lakers look to win third straight as they host short-handed Kings

The Los Angeles Lakers welcome the Sacramento Kings for their first meeting of the season.

The Los Angeles Lakers are back on the court Friday night as they prepare to host a short-handed, yet scrappy Sacramento Kings squad as L.A. looks to go on another win streak.

After starting the season 0-5 and one of the most disappointing teams in the NBA to open the season, the Kings have won four of their last five games and won their most recent one without star point guard De’Aaron Fox. They’ve been without Marvin Bagley since the first week of the season with a fractured right thumb and the Fox injury came earlier this week, robbing them of their best player.

Nevertheless, they stayed on a roll with a home win against a struggling Portland Trail Blazers squad even without Fox. Forward Bogdan Bogdanovic poured in 25 points off the bench and might be the biggest threat the Lakers have to consider on the offensive end.

Shooting guard Buddy Hield will also present a challenge to the Lakers with his movement away from the ball and his ability to shoot the ball from deep spots on the floor. Harrison Barnes can also take advantage of switches if he gets smaller players on him in the post, though the Lakers size might take that away tonight.

The Kings aren’t good, but they certainly aren’t as bad as their start. While the Lakers have been rolling, they can’t take them lightly. And seeing as they are coached by former Lakers coach Luke Walton, they’ll likely be a little motivated to dominate against a mostly unheralded group.

Report: Anthony Davis probable, KCP questionable for Friday vs. Kings

The Los Angeles Lakers will likely get Anthony Davis back in the line-up when they host the Sacramento Kings on Friday night.

The Los Angeles Lakers should get back one of their key players when they host former head coach Luke Walton and the Sacramento Kings on Friday night at Staples Center.

Anthony Davis is officially listed as probable, meaning he has a 75% chance to play, according to Kyle Goon of the Southern California News Group. However, while the Lakers will likely get back Davis on Friday they will likely be without reserve guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope who is questionable after turning his ankle in the closing moments of Wednesday’s win over the Golden State Warriors. However, getting Davis back will likely be more than enough against a Kings group missing De’Aaron Fox.

While the Caldwell-Pope injury was concerning, the Lakers did get some solid contributions from other players who will have to step in for however long KCP has to sit out. Quinn Cook played nearly 25 minutes while Alex Caruso eclipsed 27 minutes on Wednesday.

Caldwell-Pope’s absence will call for more minutes from the Lakers younger guards, but Caruso, Cook and even Troy Daniels have proven they can step in to produce in a pinch at various points so far this season.

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