Kings predictions: Joerger, Divac on hot seat and more

Kings beat writers Jason Anderson and Noel Harris make their predictions for the 2018-19 season:

Anderson: Some of the young players show significant improvement from last year and continue to develop over the course of the season. De’aaron Fox, Marvin Bagley III and Harry Giles III look like future stars in the team’s new run-andgun game. Buddy Hield and Bogdan Bogdanovic emerge as two of the NBA’S most lethal 3-point shooters. Willie Cauley-stein has a career year, showing he can dominate the paint consistently enough to warrant a contract extension, even if the team thinks twice before giving it to him. The Kings probably fall short of the playoffs in a loaded Western Conference, but they prove to be far more entertaining than expected. In the words of the “Vladfather”: “Super team, just young.”

Harris: The Kings are not expected to end their postseason drought, which is the NBA’S longest at 12 seasons. What would be great for Sacramento is to see the young nucleus improve on the court. Their roles become more defined as the team learns to play together while finding ways to win. The Kings were 5-0 in one-point games and 3-0 in overtime last season. They build on that success in close games,

GREEN BAY, Wisc. – Aaron Rodgers’ fourth-quarter comeback ability wrecked what had all the makings of a 49ers upset Monday night.

The 49ers couldn’t hold a second-half lead as Rodgers guided the Packers to a 33-30 victory at Lambeau Field. Mason Crosby’s 27-yard field goal as time expired capped off the comeback and sent the 49ers (1-5) to their fourth straight defeat.

Rodgers helped the Packers overcome a 30-23 deficit in the final two minutes, including a 16yard touchdown pass to Davante Adams with 1:55 remaining.

The Packers (3-2-1) pulled off the winning drive with several key plays, including one in which a Deforest Buckner thirddown sack was nullified by a Richard Sherman illegal-contact penalty. Rodgers followed with a 21-yard scramble to the 45, and a few completions later, he set up Crosby for the winning kick.

While Rodgers racked up 425 passing yards (25 of 46, two touchdowns, no interceptions), C.J. Beathard was enjoying a bounce-back performance after losing his first two starts upon replacing the injured Jimmy Garoppolo. Beathard finished with a dud, however, as a thirddown heave resulted in a Packers interception at the 10-yard line, leading to Green Bay’s winning drive.

Beathard was 16 of 23 for 245 yards with two touchdowns and the lone interception. His scoring strikes both went to Marquise Goodwin for the first twotouchdown game of his six-year career, scoring on 67- and 30-yard passes before halftime.

Running backs Matt Breida (14 carries, 61 yards) and surprise understudy Raheem Mostert (12 carries, 87 yards) had their way with the Packers most of the