Hawks in the NBA | March 27-April 2

Sacramento Kings forward Keegan Murray set the NBA all-time record for 3-pointers made by a rookie on March 29.

Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports

Mar 31, 2023; Portland, Oregon, USA; Sacramento Kings small forward Keegan Murray (13) prepares to shoot a three point basket during the second half against the Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center.

Colin Votzmeyer, Sports Reporter
April 3, 2023

Sacramento Kings forward and former Hawkeye standout Keegan Murray is the NBA’s all-time leader in 3-pointers made by a rookie.

In a league where threes dominate, Murray broke Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell’s record in a March 29 win over the Portland Trail Blazers with his 188th three. He did so shooting 40.7 percent from deep this year — the highest ever for a first-year player with more than 400 attempts.

In the win, Murray shot 3-for-7 from deep for 13 points, boosting the Kings to clinch a playoff spot and snapping the franchise’s 16-season postseason drought — the longest in NBA history. The Kings currently sit third in the Western Conference with a 47-31 record.

Despite starting the week with three points on 1-for-8 from the field in a 119-115 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on March 27, Murray added onto his 3-point streak with four more in another win over Portland on March 31 for 20 points.

But on the other end of Murray’s offense came strong defense in the backcourt. He nicked a steal and protected the rim with three blocks for the team’s defensive player of the game honor.

 

The Kings came up short on April 2, dropping a game to the 20-58 San Antonio Spurs, 142-134, in overtime. Despite the playoff clinch, Murray played 35 minutes and shot 7-of-10 from the field for 18 points.

Minnesota Timberwolves center Luka Garza may see some increased minutes this week with center Naz Reid sidelined with a fractured left wrist. The T-Wolves are trying for a confirmed spot in the play-in tournament, reserved for seeds seven through ten. They currently sit ninth in the Western Conference with a 39-40 record. 

Toronto Raptors guard Joe Wieskamp was cleared to play on March 31 after missing a week of games with a right hamstring injury. He clocked two minutes in the team’s play-in tournament-clinching win on April 2.

G League

The Iowa Wolves finished the G League season with a 9-23 record for 13th in the Western Conference. They missed the playoffs, ending the season short for former Iowa teammates Jordan Bohannon and Garza.

The Salt Lake City Stars, which former Hawkeye center Tyler Cook plays on, finished the season with a 20-12 record for fourth in the Western Conference. But they lost in the conference quarterfinal playoff game to the Sioux Falls Skyforce on March 28.

Cook scored a team-high 21 points on 10-for-14 from the field with 10 rebounds in 34 minutes.