Author: rxslugger

Retired pharmacist who now has a career as a sports writer and broadcaster

Bay Area Panthers: The Smallest Yard

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Bay Area Panthers in huddle against the San Diego Strike Force at SAP Center in San Jose on Sat Apr 20, 2024 (photo by Lauren Smith)

Title: The Smallest Yard
By: Lauren Smith

It is every young kid’s dream to make it pro and play on the big stage. Holding the Lombardi Trophy with your family and teammates next to you as you achieve one of the greatest victories of your life. But that is sadly not the reality of every kid’s dream.

It often ends in injury or lack of talent due to the huge pool of players that can be selected. According to the AS USA, “just over 16,000 [players] are draft-eligible, which is only 1.6% of that college player pool [from that]…only 259 players will be drafted.

That is a minuscule 0.016% of the draft-eligible NCAA pool” (AS USA). It is even smaller when you think about how many young kids play flag or tackle football. According to these statistics, an average person is more likely to get their car stolen, get admitted to Harvard, lose something in the mail, or even become a millionaire than they are to make it pro.

What sets these athletes apart? How do the ones who go pro compare to those playing in high school or who are expected to play in college? Do their habits and rituals differ, making one better than the other, or is it just luck of the draw?

Saint Francis High School’s Jackson Cahoon was the first to be interviewed about his year-round habits and routines when it comes to playing football. Jackson is a three-star junior, the 136th-ranked linebacker in California, with offers from the Air Force Academy, Army, Florida International University, Sacramento State, and San Diego State University.

He gave a little insight into the schedule that he follows religiously throughout the off-season to stay in shape and ready. It consists of a morning lift before school, where he then attends his classes for the day. Immediately after the school day ends, he goes to Overtime Performance, a training facility and program in San Jose, where he works on speed training and strength. After that, he goes home to work on schoolwork and fuel up for the same the next day.

Each day, the regime changes slightly to encompass all the aspects of football that he needs to master to stay at the top of his game. Something mentioned that was important to him was his recovery. Jackson said that “always stay[ing] flexible is the number one thing.

Always stay on top of what you are eating, sleeping, and drinking; that also plays a huge factor in it. Playing smart too, by putting yourself in the proper positions so you can avoid injury or getting hurt.” He also talked about the impact of his father’s college football career and how it has helped him develop the football IQ to help get him out of dangerous situations so he can stay on the field as long as possible.

Jackson Cahoon’s fellow teammate has a very similar training regiment, with one major difference: he is training to play at the University of Idaho come fall. Christopher Quinonez is a rising freshman attending the University of Idaho as an offensive lineman.

He was a three-time letter winner, a two-year varsity starter, and a senior leader in the offensive linemen group. During the off-season, he competed in wrestling as a form of off-season exercise. His training consists of a 5:30 am wakeup to get a morning lift before school, followed by film watching and practice that ends around 6:30–7 p.m. “Practices at the high school level help you realize that you have to manage your time wisely because of how late they end.”

Post-practice, Quinonez fueled up with dinner, where he calculated his total macros for the day. He said that he tried to eat “about 215 grams of protein a day, and then I try to stay under 5,000 calories,” but with his offer from the University of Idaho, he has been put on a meal plan to increase his weight up to 265 pounds for the upcoming season.

When asked about how he focuses his workouts and training, Quinonez talked about how he likes to balance both weakness-focused training and the overall skill-building required for his position. “I tend to focus on both, but I try not to focus on certain things because nothing is perfect and everything could be improved.

I feel like it’s different for other positions than offensive linemen because we have it somewhat simple with our techniques.” These skills are often built during the offseason for Quinonez since rigorous training during the season could overload the muscles leading to a higher injury risk.

For his upcoming debut with the Vandals, he has been sent a specific regimen to follow. “The only outside of school facility that I go to is City Sports, and I just do a push or pull with a mix of cardio every session. I have been trying to increase my hang power clean so I could improve my explosiveness when I am making a block or blowing through someone.”

Quinonez’s chances at playing professional ball increase as he makes his college debut. When asked about how he would approach getting drafted, he said that he would take his future journey “one step at a time [because] you never know what could happen.” As of right now, he is looking forward to playing with his new team and seeing where the road takes him.

On Saturday, April 20, the Bay Area Panthers played the San Diego Strike Force. After the game, a couple of the players were willing to share their football journey and habits to see how they compared to those of high-level high school players.

Darin Hungerford is a linebacker for the Bay Area Panthers after finishing his college career at Kean University. He has just been signed to the team 2 days before the game after playing two years in the German Football League.

In high school, he started building his habits and routines with a focus on stretching, performance, and strength training. “You build all of those good habits then, it is going to carry you far and take you to the next level.” As he has gotten older and advanced to higher levels in his career, Hungerford said that he does not recover as fast, so the main focus within his training is recovery and maintenance.

He often focuses on agility to build speed and endurance or what he called “twitchy” reflexes; whereas kids in high school work on power and strength.

When posed the question, 7on7’s or tackle football, Hungerford replied with tackle football due to the fun vigor of the game. He did touch on the idea of 7 on 7’s being a great starting point for young football players. “It gives them the excitement to run around with their friends, have a good time, and just play the game.”

One of the most important things that Hungerford said was crucial to his game was diet. He said that it could “make or break you.” Putting bad things in your body will break it down over time which could lead to injury, weight gain, muscle loss, and poor performance. His final statement was targeted towards young athletes as he wanted them to build good healthy habits so they could reach their dreams.

Next, we talked to another linebacker by the name of B.J. Taufalele. Taufalele went to Weber State and played for the Frisco Fighters before coming to the Bay Area Panthers. In comparison to the training he does now, Taufalele said the high school workload was pretty much the same except for what his training focuses on.

In high school his training consisted of strength building whereas now it is more about maintaining a healthy body. He said that the consistency of practice and training remained the same throughout his career and that is how he was able to level up his game.

Upon reflection of the transition between different stages in his career, he said the switch from high school to college his schedule stayed the same but the speed of the game changed. Similarly, the jump from college to professional is an even quicker switch. “The biggest thing coming from high school to college was in high school I could sit there and eat McDonald’s every single day and go out and there and ball. As soon as I hit college, I started doing that and I started gaining weight and losing muscle.”

Taufalele wished he started dieting at a younger age and understood its importance as it is crucial to his game now. “If you are listening to this and are in high school you should definitely start dieting now.”

Last but certainly not least was Felix Harper, the Bay Area Panthers Quarterback. He is an Alcorn State Graduate, former Cleveland Browns player, two-time All-American SWAC player, and a finalist for the 2019 HBCU Player of the Year.

In his high school years, Harper worked with a specialized quarterback coach, Andrico Hines. Coach Hines helped Harper learn coverages, reads, footwork in and out of the pocket, and film study. Harper was extremely grateful for his coach who would work with him every day, even on weekends, to help Harper rise to the next level and build his overall skills.

Due to the helpful coaching from Hines, Harper felt he learned at a young age how to read coverages and adapt to situations all from film study with his coach. As Harper moved to play college ball, he said the process was humbling and difficult but appreciated the grind. His goal was to be “1% better each and every day and enjoy and love the process” as it helped him become the person he is today.

During the transition from college to professional he kept the same mentality of trying to be 1% better every day and focused on his progress, not on those around him. Similar to all the other professional players, Harper also talked about how diet was an extremely important part of the game. “Whatever you put in your system is what you get out of it.” He went on to add that water was also extremely important which people do not consider a lot of the time.

Overall the comparison between high school and professional players is very similar with some key differences. One major difference is diet. One of the high school football players interviewed said that he tracks his macros and what he eats relatively closely, while the other does not.

On the other hand, all of the professional players echoed the same message: diet is your performance. Good foods have a high possibility of increasing your performance, stamina, and energy. On the other hand, bad foods are more likely to tank performance and overall health.

These small differences create yards of gap between the best athletes and those who fall short. The habits of high school athletes are a good start but not as extreme as those who are playing professional sports. The majority of training, mentality, likes, and dislikes about football are very similar.

Each of the players think that training your body for explosiveness and recovery is extremely important in such a contact-heavy sport. All of these players’ bodies take a beating and by giving your body time to heal and recover, you can help better yourself and your performance.

There is not much that sets these athletes apart except the smallest difference or hole in a player’s routine. There is not a big margin for error and that error can be detrimental to a young player’s career in the future. One missed workout or stretch can be the small difference between being able to play professional ball or staying at the high school level.

Bay Area Panthers come from behind to win a thriller defeat Strike Force 53-50

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The scoreboard says it all as the Bay Area Panthers defeated the San Diego Strike Force by three points in a thriller at SAP Center in San Jose on Sat Apr 20, 2024 (Bay Area Panthers X photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg and Lauren Smith

SAN JOSE–If you have never been to an arena football game, I am here to tell you that you are missing out on a fun experience. It’s entertaining with much action, and the fans are fantastic. There is lots of scoring, interceptions, recovering a fumble in the end zone, some defense, and missed extra points, and it is a joy to watch.

Each team has eight players, three offensive linemen, and five players eligible to carry the ball. Defense is at a premium. It is wide-open football. Also, the SAP Arena is known for its loud noise. The fans, mostly young and enthusiastic, were cheering so loud I thought I was at a Sharks’ game.

The Bay Area Panthers defeated the San Diego Strike Force 53-50. Each team came into the game with a 3-0 record. The play in the first half was fast and furious. Felix Harper’s pass was intercepted on the Panthers’ first offense play. Not to worry, fans.

The Strike Force fumbled on their first play, and the Panthers recovered for the score. San Diego tied the game. Both teams missed the extra point after the touchdown. The Score was 6-6. The Panthers intercepted a pass for their second tally. San Diego had to settle for a field goal. The Panthers led 13-9. The Panthers kept the pressure on the San Diego defense. Bay Area went ahead 19-9.

San Diego answered with a touchdown. to make it 19-15. The Panthers increased the lead with two more scores to lead 31-15. San Diego countered with a TD and a two-point conversion to trail 31-23 with just one minute left in the half. The Panthers’ offense did not fail, and they scored with seven seconds left. The Panthers lead 38-23 at the end of the first half.

The Strike Force drew first blood in the second half. The Panthers’ defense let a San Diego wide receiver get past them, and the pass was on the mark for a touchdown. The extra point was good. The Panthers lead 38-30. The Panthers answered with a TD. The Kicker missed the extra point.

Bay Area leads 44-30 with 7:54 left in the third quarter. As mentioned above, the game is played at a frantic pace. San Diego closed the gap to seven points as they scored with 3:09 left. The Panthers are clinging to a seven-point advantage, 44-37. There was no more scoring in the third quarter.

The Panthers’ first drive of the fourth quarter stalled at the 10-yard line. The Kicker made the field goal to make it a 47-37 game. San Diego needed three plays to get into the endzone for another touchdown. The extra point was blocked. The Strike Force’s defense stiffened.

The Panthers had to kick from their end zone, and the kick was blocked and recovered on the Panthers’ six-yard line. San Diego scored on the first play. The extra point could have been better, but San Diego had their first game lead, 50-47. With 31 seconds left, the Panthers got a first down due to a penalty.

They got the ball to the Strike Force’s seven-yard line with 24 seconds left. A running play got the ball to the four-yard line. Harper could not find a receiver, so he ran the ball into the end zone for the score. They failed to make the extra point.

The Panthers lead 53-50 with 13 seconds left on the clock. The Panthers’ kickoff was returned to the Strike Force’s five-yard line. The noise level is off the chart. San Diego has to go 45 yards with ten seconds left. San Diego’s attempt for a field goal was not good. The Panthers win 53-50 to improve to 4-0 for the season.

After the game, I had the opportunity to talk with three Panther players. They knew time was running out, but they were confident they would pull out the win, and they did. Many of these young men may not make it to the NFL. They love the game of football, and they had a lot of fun playing arena football. Their next home game is on May 4th at the SAP Arena. The game will start at 6:056 pm.

New Orleans Pelicans beat Kings, 105-98, to advance to first round of playoffs

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The New Orleans Pelicans center Jonas Valanciunas takes a shot over Sacramento Kings forward Domantas Sabonis (10) in the first half of the NBA Play In game at Smoothie King Arena in New Orleans on Fri Apr 19, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Sacramento Kings, fresh off a huge thumping of the Golden State Warriors last Tuesday night, were beaten by the New Orleans Pelicans. The Pelicans’ star forward, Zion Williamson, suffered a leg injury in the loss to the Los Angeles Lakers Tuesday night. The Pelicans are now the eighth seed in the Western Conference and will face the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday night in OKC. The Lakers are the seventh seed and will play the defending NBA Champions, the Denver Nuggets. The Pelicans were in control for most of the game defeating and knocking out the Kings of the post season with a 105-98 play in win at Smoothie King Arena.

The Kings had met the Pelicans five times during the regular season. The Pelicans won all five. In one game, with Williamson injured, the Pelicans put 130 points on the board to beat the Kings. The Kings had two key players out with injuries. Malik Monk, a great coming off the bench, and Kevin Huerter, a good three-point threat, would not dress for the game.

The Kings hoped that Keegan Murray could play as he did against the Warriors. Murray put 32 points on the board and made eight threes. Rookie Keon Ellis, who was undrafted from the University of Alabama, scored fifteen against the Warriors, and his defense slowed down Stephen Curry’s efforts last Tuesday night.

One of the keys to the Pelicans’ win was their bench. The Pelican bench outscored the Kings’ bench 34-12. The Pelicans had three bench players in double figures. Larry Nance, Jr had 13, Naji Marshall,11, and Jose Alvarado 10. The Kings’ Damion Mitchell had ten for Sacramento.

The Pelicans and Kings started the game with a highly competitive first quarter, with the Kings managing to edge ahead with a 24-22 win. However, the Pelicans’ offense came alive in the second quarter, scoring 32 points and holding the Kings to just 21 points. This strong performance allowed the Pelicans to finish the first half with a 54-45 lead, a lead they would maintain for the rest of the game.

The Kings won the second half 53-51, but it was not enough to overcome the nine-point first-half deficit. De’Aaron Fox led the Kings with 35 points. Fox was an offensive force, but he could do it alone. The Kinks’ Domantis Sabonis had a double-double with 23 points and 14 rebounds.

Sabonis showed off his passing skills as he recorded seven assists. Former Warrior Harrison Barnes tallied 17 points. Keegan Murray had a tough night. He was brilliant against the Warriors last Tuesday. He was a dud on Friday night in New Orleans. Murray scored 11 points and made two three-pointers and seven tries. Keon Ellis, who played so well against Golden State, did not score a point. 

Brandon Ingram led the Pelicans with 24 points. The Pelicans’ big man, Jonas Valanciunas, had a double-double with 19 points and 12 boards. Trey Murphy added 16. The veteran guard, C.J. McCollum, tallied seven. Even with McCollums’ off-night, the Pelicans had enough firepower to beat the Kings.

The playoffs start on Sunday. The Pelicans face the OKC Thunder, the Lakers play the Nuggets, the Minnesota Timberwolves tip off against the Phoenix Suns, and the Los Angeles Clippers play the Dallas Mavericks.

In the Eastern Conference first round, the Boston Celtics will play the Miami Heat, The New York Knicks will see the Philadelphia 76ers, The Milwaukee Bucks will go against the Indiana Pacers, and the Cleveland Cavaliers will battle the Orlando Magic.

It had to be a crushing defeat for the Kings. The Kings had a year to think about their loss to the Warriors last year, who beat them in the seven-game series. The Warriors and the Kings will be in the playoffs this year. The Kings’ front office will have to assess their roster and make moves to get them back into the playoffs next year. 

Look who’s back: Ruiz returns belts homer A’s beat Cardinals 6-3

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Oakland A’s Esteury Ruiz slugged a two run homer in the bottom of the third inning against the St Louis Cardinals to help pace Oakland to a three run 6-3 victory over the Cardinals at the Oakland Coliseum on Wed Apr 17, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

OAKLAND–The A’s beat the visiting St. Louis Cardinals 6-3 on getaway day. The A’s sent Paul Blackburn to the hill Wednesday afternoon. Blackburn had not allowed a run in 19 and 1/3rd innings to start the season. Blackburn added three more innings to his record, holding the Cardinals scoreless for the first three innings.

The Cardinals plated three runs in the fourth to snap his streak. The A’s rallied in the fifth to regain the lead. The A’s bullpen did not allow a hit or a walk after taking over for Blackburn with two out in the sixth. The A’s won the game 6-3.

The A’s drew first blood in the bottom of the third. The Cardinals’ starter, lefty Steven Matz, walked rookie Max Schuemann to start the inning. A’s centerfielder, Esteury Ruiz, lined a shot over the left field wall to give the A’s an early 2-0 lead. It was Ruiz’s second big fly of the young season.

The Cardinal offense ignited in the top of the fourth, setting the stage for an exciting comeback. Lars Nootbaar led the charge with a single, followed by a single from Nolan Arenado, sending Nootbar to third. Cardinals’ DH Willson Contreras doubled, driving in Nootbar, and Arenado stopped at third. Blackburn struck out Nolan Gorman for the first out. Catcher Ivan Herrera added a single to drive in Arenado and Contreras to the excitement. The Cardinals surged ahead, leading 3-2 midway through the third inning.

The A’s demonstrated their resilience and strategic play in the bottom of the fifth, reclaiming the lead. Singles by Tyler Nevin and Zack Gelof set the stage, putting men on first and second with no outs. A’s catcher Shea Langeliers showcased his strategic thinking with a ground-rule double to drive in Nevin. Gelof would have scored, but the ball got stuck under the wall in center field.

Gelof had to go back to third. Abraham Toro’s ground out allowed Gelof to score, and Langeliers scored on a sacrifice fly, solidifying the A’s lead at 5-3 in favor of Oakland.

The A’s added another run in the bottom of the sixth. With two out, Ruiz reached on a fielder’s choice and stole second. A’s right fielder Tyler Nevin singled to drive in Ruiz with the sixth run of the game. The A’s led 6-3 after six.

The A’s bullpen did not allow a hit after starter Paul Blackburn exited in the sixth inning. The A’s win 6-3.

“The job our bullpen did again today [is] a reflection of the season so far,” said Manager Mark Kotsay. “Overall, [it] was a really solid day for our pitching staff.”

Game notes: With the win, the A’s are 8-11. The A’s are 7-4 after a 1-7 start. The Cardinals fall to 9-10.

Paul Blackburn was the winning pitcher. He is now 2-0 for the year. His line was five and 2/3rds innings, allowing three runs and six hits. Cardinals starter Steven Matz was the losing pitcher. His record is 1-1.

“It was kinda one of those days where [I] didn’t really have anything, I felt like,” said Blackburn. “[However], I kept the boys in it, the offense came through, and we were able to get a win. Anytime you get a win, it’s a good outing.”

“Overall, he managed the game as Paul does,” said Kotsay. “Ultimately, he gave us a chance to win, like he’s done all season. He grinded it in that last inning to get through it.”

The Line score for Oakland was six runs, ten hits, and no errors. The Line score for St. Louis was three runs, six hits, and no errors.

Oakland’s hitting stars were Ruiz, Nevin, and Langeliers. Ruiz blasted a 412-foot home run in the third to give the A’s a 2-0 lead. Nevin had a double and two singles. Langeliers’ double helped the A’s score three runs in the fifth.

The A’s used four relievers: T.J. McFarland, Austin Adams, Lucas Erceg, and Mason Miller. Miller earned his fourth save of the season.

The time of the game was two hours and 30 minutes, and 9,551 fans watched the Green and Gold pick up their eighth win.

“We’re playing great baseball right now,” said Blackburn. “The energy has been I think at [an] all-time high right now for us. It’s not just coming from guys [playing every day]. It’s coming guys that are on the bench…..it’s coming from everyone. It’s definitely a group effort right now, and it shows. The come-from-behind wins that we’ve had this year, it gives us a lot of confidence moving forward. [When] we do get down, it’s not like we don’t have a chance. We’re fighting out every at-bat, we’ve thrown the ball well, we[‘ve] hit the ball well and [we’ve played] good defense. We’re playing some really good baseball right now.” 

“I haven’t been here too long, but [there] doesn’t seem to be any egos,” said Nevin. 

The A’s are off on Thursday as they are on their way to play the Cleveland Guardians in Cleveland for three games starting Friday night. Joe Boyle (1-2, 5.68) will pitch for Oakland. Triston, McKemzie (1-2, 6.23) will be on the mound for Cleveland. The game will start at 4:10 pm.

Golden State Warriors Play In wrap up: Kings demolish Warriors 118-94 end Warriors’ season

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Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson (11) takes an off balance shot against the Sacramento Kings forward Harrison Barnes (right) in the second half at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Tue Apr 16, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors, the tenth seed in the Western Conference, had to play the ninth seed, the Sacramento Kings, at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento. The winner of the game would play the loser of the game between the Los Angeles Lakers and New Orleans Pelicans.

The Warriors played well on the road and were 16-4 in the last 20 games away from the Chase Center. The Kings were seeking revenge as the Warriors beat them in the first round of the 2023 playoffs.

That loss to the Warriors left a bad taste in the mouths of the Kings’ players. The Kings got their revenge as they blew away the Warriors to earn the right to play the Pelicans on Friday night in New Orleans. The final score was 118-94. 

The Warriors had one of their worst games in the 2023-2024 season. The Warriors committed too many turnovers in the first half. Their defense was non-existent. The offense went to sleep. Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson put five points on the board in the first half. Curry made the five points. Thompson was scoreless.

Warriors fans counted on Thompson and Curry to lead the charge in the second half. That did not happen. Curry finished with 22 points. Curry did not make a basket and finished the game scoreless. I don’t remember Thompson being held to zero points in a game. The margin of victory over the Warriors was the largest since 2006. 

The Warriors led 8-6 early in the first quarter. The Kings went ahead 11-8 and never relinquished the lead. Sacramento finished the first quarter leading 31-22. The Kings led by 14, 48-34. The Warrior’s offense began to click, and they closed the deficit to four points at the end of the first half. The Kings led 54-50.

The Warriors made a run early in the second half to trail by one, 56-55. The Kings’ fans were starting to squirm. The Warriors, famous for owning the third quarter, had the tables turned on them. The Kings’ offense came to life. Keegan Murray continued to make shots. Murray had 14 points in the first quarter and four threes in the first half and continued hitting shots from downtown. Sabonis continued to clog the middle and block shots. Sabonis finished with 16 points and 12 rebounds. 

The Kings won the third quarter 37-26 to lead by 15, 91-76.

The rout was on. Sacramento continued to stop the Warrior offense. Domantas Sabonis, Harrison Barnes, Murray, and D’Aaron Fox made key buckets. The Warriors’ offense went to sleep. The game was over when the Kings led 105-86 with 5:29 left to play.

Game Notes: The Warriors’ season is over. Many people are now speculating about the team’s future. Thompson will be a free agent. Thompson had expressed interest in finishing his Hall of Fame career with Golden State. Hopefully, the Warriors’ management and Thompson can agree soon.

Other players may be elsewhere next year, including Andrew Wiggins, Chris Paul, Dario Saric, and Kevon Looney. Wiggins’s scoring went down this year. Wiggins is owed a bundle of money, and the Warriors may trade him to reduce payroll.

The veteran playmaker Chris Paul is 38 years old. Letting Paul seek employment elsewhere will also reduce payroll significantly. Saric was relegated to the bench due to Trayce Jackson-Davis’s improvement at the center position.

Saric earned a little, but he probably did better elsewhere. Kevon Looney was the starter at the center spot early in the season. The Warriors’ head coach adjusted his rotation later in the season. Looney became a fixture on the second unit. Looney never complained and stayed ready even though his minutes on the court were diminished. 

Murray led his team to the Friday night game against the Pelicans. Murray finished the game with 32 points and connected on nine threes. Former Warriors Harrison Barnes added 17. Keon Ellis, an undrafted rookie from Alabama, had 15 points and made three threes. Fox added 24. Malik Monk, who torched the Warriors, was unavailable due to an injury. The Kings’ Kevin Huerter was also unavailable.

The Warriors will now watch the playoffs from their homes.Curry will play for the United States at the Olympics in Paris, France, this summer.

It was a remarkable season. The Warriors needed help finding their rhythm early in the season. They lost games when they had big leads heading into the fourth quarter. They got into gear when Kerr put Jackson-Davis into the second unit.

Thompson, a starter for his entire career, was sent to the bench. Thompson responded by getting back to the player of old. Jonathan Kuminga raised his game to a higher level. Brandin Podziemski, picked 19th in the first round, exceeded expectations. Podziemski played well on both ends of the court. Moses Moody, fighting for playing time, will be someone the Warriors will play more next year. Moody gave the Warriors a spark in the third quarter. 

The Warriors played better on the road this season. They won two more games than they did last year. The competition in the Western Conference has caught up with the Warriors. The OKC Thunder finished as the one seed in the Conference.

The Denver Nuggets, with Nikola Jokic, are preparing to repeat as NBA Champions. The Minnesota Timberwolves are right behind those two teams in talent. The Wolves are built around Anthony Edwards, Rudy Gobert, and Karl-Anthony Towns. The Houston Rockets are on the rise. 

The Kings beat the Pelicans on Friday to become the eighth seed. If they win, they will face the number one seed, the OKC Thunder. 

That’s it for the season. It was very interesting to watch the Warriors in 2023-2024. Let’s hope they draft some players to return them to the top.

Adios

Warriors grind out win over Blazers 100-92 at Moda Center

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Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) goes up against the Portland Trailblazers forward Justin Minaya (left) in the first half at the Moda Center in Portland on Thu Apr 11, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors defeated Portland Trailblazers on Thursday night at the Moda Center 100-92. Both teams were grappling with significant player absences. Portland’s head coach, Chauncy Billips, a recent inductee into Basketball’s Hall of Fame, had to contend with several key players on the injured list. The Warriors were in a similar predicament, with Draymond Green, Klay Thompson, and Gary Payton II unable to take the court on Thursday night. 

The Warriors have won 16 of the last 20 games on the road and eight of the last nine. The Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers, and Sacramento Kings are in a dogfight for the last three playoff spots. The Lakers did not play on Thursday. The Kings played the New Orleans Pelicans, and a Kings loss and Warriors win meant the three teams would be tied with identical records.

The Pelican beat the Kings, and the teams are tied in the standing with a record of 45-45. The Warriors own the tiebreaker over the Lakers and split the season series with the Kings. The Warriors have two games left to play. They face the Pelicans at the Chase Center on Friday night and end the regular season against the Utah Jazz on Sunday.

The understaffed Blazers gave the Warriors a run for their money for three and a half quarters. The Blazers took an early lead in the first quarter, going up 17-10. The Warriors struggled to find their rhythm, with the offense sputtering for the first six minutes of the game.

However, back-to-back threes by Jonathan Kuminga and Stephen Curry turned the tide, bringing the score to 19-18 in the Warriors’ favor. The quarter ended with the Warriors holding a slim two-point lead, 24-22.

The Warriors and Blazers refused to let their opponent get a big lead. The lead changed hands several times. The Warriors won the quarter by two points to lead 49-46 at the end of the first half. Curry and Kuminga paced the Warriors’ offense with 11.

Andrew Wiggins added ten. The Blazers’ big man, Deandre Ayton, had 15. Rookie guard Scoot Henderson added 12. The Warriors committed ten turnovers in the half. The Blazers scored ten points off the turnovers. The Blazers outshot the Dubs 53-38 in the half. The Warrior defense held the Blazers to 32% from the floor. 

The battle continued in the third period. Neither team would give an inch. The Blazers won the quarter by two points to trail by one, 75-74, heading into the fourth quarter. The first six minutes of the fourth and final period was a dogfight.

The Blazers looked to have the upper hand as they led by six 85-79. The Warriors got their offense working, and their defense was terrific. The Warriors went on a 21-7 run to win the game 100-92. The Warriors were ahead 92-86 after Kevon Looney made a key bucket.

There was 3:23 left to play. Looney then made a steal. He got the ball to Curry, and Curry made a superb pass to Brandin Podziemski. Podziemski made the bucket, and the Warriors went on to win 100-92. 

Game Notes: With the win, The Warriors are 45-35. The Blazers fell to 21-59.

The Warriors had four starters in double figures. Curry led the offense with 22 points, seven boards, and eight assists. Curry made five threes. Kuminga had 19, Andrew Wiggins 15, and Trayce Jackson-Davis had 10 points, eight rebounds, four assists, and four blocked shots.

Podziemski and Kevon Looney each had nine points. Looney pulled down eleven rebounds. Moses Moody finished the night with eight points. The Blazers took 20 more shots than the Warriors. The Warriors scored 36 field goals in 77 tries, which was good for 46.8% from the floor. The Warriors’ defense held the Blazers to 36% from the floor. The defense also made eight steals and blocked 13 shots. 

The Warriors host the New Orleans Pelicans at the Chase Center on Friday night. The game will start at 7 p.m.

Rangers snap A’s three-game win streak 6-2 at Globe Life Field

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Oakland A’s hitter Shea Langeliers hits into a ground out in the top of the third inning against the Texas Rangers as Rangers pitcher Cody Bradford, catcher Johah Heim, and plate umpire Ramon De Jesus looks on at Globe Life Field in Arlington on Wed Apr 10, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Texas Rangers halted the A’s modest three-game winning streak on Wednesday night at Globe Life Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The game was dominated by the Rangers’ lefty starter, Cody Bradford, who went six innings, allowing one unearned run, to secure his third win of the young 2024 season.

The Rangers emerged victorious with a 6-2 score on Wednesday. On the other hand, the A’s Ross Stripling, who had a stellar performance last Wednesday against the Red Sox, was handed his third loss of the year. Stripling struggled, conceding three runs in the first and three more in the fourth.

The A’s took an early lead in the first inning. A’s DH Abraham Toro started the inning with a single. However, the game took a turn when Bradford struck out Zack Gelof for the first out. J.D. Davis hit a ground ball to Rangers’ third baseman Josh Smith, whose throw to second base went into right field.

This error allowed Toro to stop at third, and Davis advanced to second. The A’s Shea Langeliers, who had a remarkable performance with three home runs on Tuesday night, was unable to replicate his success and struck out. The A’s Tyler Nevin, son of the former LA Angels skipper Phil Nevin, capitalized on the opportunity and singled to drive in Toro, scoring the A’s first run.

The Rangers, defending their 2023 World Series Championship, have a lineup with guys who can rake. Stripling knew that it would be tough getting these guys to make outs. In the first, Stripling retired the first two hitters, Marcus Semien and Corey Seager.

The next hitter, the Rangers’ budding star, Evan Carter, doubled. Stripling walked Adolis Garcia. Josh Smit made up for his error in the first by singling to drive in Carter to tie the game. Garcia went third, and Smith went second on the throw to home plate.

The next hitter was catcher Jonah Heim. The A’s made one of the worst trades in recent memory when they sent Heim to the Rangers for shortstop Elvis Andrus. Heim became an All-Star catcher with the Rangers, and Andrus was cut adrift by the A’s last year. Heim singled driving in Garcia and Smuth. The Rangers led 3-1 after the end of the first inning.

Things went south for the A’s in the bottom of the fourth. The Rangers’ first baseman, Jared Walsh, who loved to torment the A’s when he was with the Los Angeles Angels, walked to start the frame. The Rangers’ DH Travis Jankowski beat out a bunt to put men on at first and second with no out.

Marcus Semien hurt his old team with a double to drive in the Rangers’ fourth run. The A’s walked Seager to load the bases. As A’s shortstop Nick Allen nailed Jankowski at home, Evan Carter reached on a fielder’s choice. The bases were still loaded. Adolis Garcia singled to drive in Semien and Seager. The Rangers led 6-1.

Bradford went six in 2/3rds innings. He allowed five hits and one run, which was unearned.

The A’s Zack Gelof homered in the top of the eighth, leading off the game. The A’s did not score again, and the Rangers won 6-2.

Game Notes-With the loss, the A’s are 4-8. The Rangers improved to 7-5. Cody Bradford was the winning pitcher. Ross Stripling was the loser.

Gelof homered for the second time this season. Rookie Darell Herniaz singled in the eighth to record his first Major League hit.
Langeliers, who homered three times Tuesday night, was the first A’s catcher to homer three times in a game. The last A’s catcher to achieve that feat was Mickey Cochrane, who did it in 1925. That was 99 years ago, fans. Baseball is a game that can humble any player. Langeliers was hitless Wednesday night, and he struck out twice.

The A’s finish the road trip on Thursday. They will then meet the Rangers for a day game that starts at 11:10 a.m PDT the A’s will start JP Sears (0-1 ERA 8.68) he’ll face the Rangers Jon Gray (0-0 ERA 6.14). The A’s return home to host the Washington Nationals Friday night.

Warriors’ 26 threes propel them to win over Los Angeles Lakers 134-120

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Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) takes a jump shot between the Los Angeles Lakers Austin Reaves guard (15) and forward LeBron James (23) at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Tue Apr 9, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitellberg

Two of the NBA’s most formidable teams clashed in Los Angeles Tuesday evening. The Lakers, winners of nine of the last eleven games, were determined to secure a win over the Warriors despite their key player Anthony Davis’s absence due to an eye injury. The Warriors, winners of seven of the last eight, were equally eager to win the season’s series. The Lakers’ resilience was evident as Jaxson Hayes, all seven feet of him, stepped up to start in place of Davis. 

The Warriors are 16-4 in their last 20 road games. With the win Tuesday night, they are 25-11 since January 30th. 

The Warriors beat the Lakers 134-120 on Tuesday night. Warrior fans saw the team make 26 threes in the game, a season-high for the Warriors in that department. The Warriors team record is 27 threes. Draymond Green connected five times from downtown, Stephen Curry made six threes in six tries, and Klay Thompson had five threes.

LeBron James returned to action after being out with the flu. He made his presence felt as he led the Lakers with 33 points and eleven rebounds. Not bad for a thirty-nine-year-old man.

The Warriors won the first quarter 38-29. Draymond Green(six), Thompson (8), and Brandin Podziemski (!0) were the key players in the quarter. The Warriors made seven threes and shot 58% from the floor. The Lakers mounted a comeback early in the second quarter to trail by three, 42-39.

Andrew Wiggins hit two threes to propel the to Warriors a 16-2 run. The Warriors made eight threes in the second period to finish the first half leading 71-60. Green and Thompson each had 15. Curry had 11. Wiggins scores ten points, all in the second period. Brandin Podziemski added ten. LeBron had 14, and Austin Reaves had 13.

The Warriors defense kept the Lakers at bay all through the third period. Former Warrior D’Angelo Russell made a couple of threes to ignite the Laker offense. The Lakers closed the gap to five, 85-80, but the Warriors kept making plays to lead by seven, 96-89. Podziemski made a three to start a 10-0 run to end the quarter. The Warriors led by 17, 106-89.

The Lakers did not go down without a fight. They started the fourth quarter on a 9-0 run to trail 106-98. Chris Paul connected on a three, and the Lakers failed to defend Curry. Curry was alone behind the three-point line and did not miss.

The Warriors lead 112-100. The Lakers were toast. With a score of 130-117, head coach Steve Kerr pulled his top players from the floor and inserted the guys who usually sit on the bench. The Warriors won the game 134-120.

Game Notes: With the win, the Warriors are 44-35 with three games left. The Lakers dropped to 45-35. They have two games left on the schedule.

The Warriors had six players in double figures. Klay Thompson paced the attack with 27. Steph Curry had 23, Wiggins 17, Green 15, Podziemski 13, and Chris Paul 11. Draymond Green had a double-double. Green made ten assists, along with his 15 points. Gary Payton II had nine, Jonathan Kuminga eight. 

LeBron mJa, ed led the Lakers with 33 points, 11 assists and seven boards. Austin Reaves had 22, Russell 14, Dinwiddie 12, Jaxson Hayes 11, and Rui Hachimura, 20 

The Warriors play the Portland Trailblazers on Thursday night at 7 p.m. The ‘Warriors’ last two games will be against the New Orleans Pelicans and the Utah Jazz.

Red Sox beat A’s 1-0 to complete three-game sweep; Loss is 6th out of last 7 games for Oakland

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Oakland A’s pitcher TJ McFarland gives up the intentional pass to Boston Red Sox hitter Trevor Story (foreground) to load the bases with one out in the top of the eighth inning at the Oakland Coliseum on Wed Apr 3, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg and Stephen Ruderman

OAKLAND- The Boston Red Sox beat the Oakland A’s 1-0 Wednesday afternoon to complete a three-game sweep. The A’s have lost six of the seven games played this season. The pitching for both teams was excellent—the game’s only run came in the fourth inning.

The A’s starter, Ross Stripling, pitched well enough to win.“Strip was great. [He] pounded the zone…..I think the biggest difference this outing from his first was he actually crowded some guys with his sinker, which is a good sign. Obviously, he’s a guy that’s gonna keep hitters off balance. He did a great job today…..It was a great outing for him.” said A’s manager Mark Kotsay.

The A’s had their chances but could not get a hit when needed. They threatened to score in the fifth, seventh, and ninth innings. They failed all three times. Each team’s bullpen held the opposition scoreless. The game summary follows below.

The Red Sox drew first blood in the top of the fourth inning. Stripling had the Sox under control for the first three innings. With one out in the fourth, Singles by Triston Casas, Matsataka Yoshida, and Cedanne Radaela loaded the bases.

Second Baseman Emmanuel Valdez’s fly ball to short right field drove in Casas with the first run of the game for Boston. The A’s mounted a threat in the bottom of the fourth. With one out, A’s third baseman, J D Davis, doubled to deep center field—Sox pitcher Nick Pivetta Struck out Seth Brown on a 95 Mile-per-hour four-seam fastball.

The next hitter, Brent Rooker, mired in an early season slump, blasted a ball Ceddanne Rafaela caught at the 400-foot sign. The Red Sox lead 1-0 after four. Kotsay said the A’s simply got beat by good pitching, “We know those first five games weren’t clean games. These last two games were clean; they were competitive. We had a chance to win both games. That’s the type of baseball that I was expecting us to play. We had opportunities with the bases loaded. We also got a couple balls dead center that is this park seem not to go anywhere…..the at-bats [today] were better, even though we didn’t score…..the Red Sox’ bullpen has got it going right now, [and] it was a challenge.”

In the bottom of the fifth, the A’s loaded the bases with one out. Singles by Tyler Nevin, his first Major League hit, Nick Allen, and Ryan Noda gave the A’s a chance to put some runs on the board. The next hitter, Zack Gelof, hit into a 6-4-3 to end the inning.

The Red Sox loaded the bases in the eighth inning. Lefty T.J. McFarland was on the hill for the A’s. McFarland retired Abreu for the first out. Jarren Duran singled. It was Duran’s fourth hit of the day. Rafael Devers doubled to put men on at second and third.

The A’s issued Sox shortstop Trevor Story an intentional walk to load the bases. The threat ended when Triston Casas grounded into a 4-6-3 double play to end the inning. The Sox still lead 1-0 halfway through the eighth. The Red Sox dodged a bullet in the eighth; with one out, Zack Gelof singled.

Story fielded J J Bleday’s ground behind second base. Trevor stepped on second to get the out on Gelof. Story’s throw to first to complete the double play went awry, and Bleday went to second on the error. Sox reliever Chris Martin could not field Davis’s ball. Bleday went to third on the play. Martin struck out Seth Brown to end the inning.

The A’s had a chance to tie the game in the bottom of the ninth. With one out, Red Sox closer Kenley Jansen walked Shea Lamgeliers and Lawrence Butler. Pinch hitter Abraham Toro hit into a fielder’s choice. Langeliers went to third on the play. All the A’s needed to tie the game was a hit. Jansen ended the A’s thoughts of tying the game when he struck out Ryan Noda to preserve the win for the Red Sox. The Sox win 1-0.

Game Notes: With the loss, the A’s are 1-6 to start the 2024 season. Boston improved to 5-2. The Line score for Oakland was no runs, eight hits, and no errors. Boston’s line was one run, ten hits, and two errors. The Winning pitcher was Nick Pivetta. Pivetta lost his first start 1-0 and won his second start 1-0.

Kenley Jansen recorded his second save. The A’s Ross Stripling pitched well for the A’s. Stripling went seven innings, allowing eight hits and one run. Stripling did not walk a batter and struck out three. Stripling threw 85 pitches, 61 for strikes. Stripling is now 0-2 for 2024.

The game lasted two hours and 21 minutes. There were 6,436 fans in attendance. The A’s are off on Thursday. They will start JP Sears and the Tigers have not yet decided on a starter in Detroit on Friday. The game will start at 10:10 a.m.

Warriors win thriller beat Dallas Mavericks 104-100

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Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) celebrates guard Klay Thompson (11) in the second half at Chase Center in San Francisco on Tue Apr 2, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors (41-34), winners of their last four road games, returned home to face the Dallas Mavericks (45-30). The Mavs were also on a roll, having won seven straight. Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving are the Mavs’ scoring leaders. The Warriors came away with another win defeating the Mavericks on Tuesday night at Chase Center 104-100.

Doncic averages 34 points a game, and Irving averages 25 points a game. The Warriors’ game plan was to stop those two superstars and hope the defense could come through in crunch time. Dallas’ coach, who went to St. Joseph’s High School in Alameda and two years at Cal, wanted his team to put the clamps on Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson.

Both teams played wonderful defense. It was like a playoff game Tuesday night. There were several ties and several lead changes. The winner would not be determined until late in the game. The Warriors kept attacking the rim late in the game. The Mavs were called twice for goaltending. The Warriors held on to win 104-100.

The Mavs started strong, sinking three three-pointers to open the game. However, the Warriors, led by Andrew Wiggins’ impressive seven-point contribution in the first quarter, fought back to tie the game at 14. A crucial basket from Chris Paul at the end of the period gave the Warriors a narrow 28-27 lead. 

The Mavs led 34-28 when the Warriors went on a 19-2 run to lead 47-34. Dallas came roaring back. The Mavs finished the first half with a 15-2 run to tie the game 49-49. Doncic, with 17, and Kyrie Irving, with 12, punished the Warriors’ defense to force the tie.

The Mavericks started the third quarter with a 10-2 run to lead 59-51. Andrew Wiggins made two threes and two two-point buckets to tie the game 61-61. The Mavs scored the next seven points to lead 68-61. Behind Moses Moody’s two threes and buckets by Curry and Wiggins, the Warriors tied the game at 71-71. The Warriors outscored the Mavs 9-2 to finish the third quarter leading 80-74.

Each team knew a six-point lead was relatively easy to overcome in the fourth quarter. Could the Warrior’s stop Doncic and Irving? Would Thompson and Curry play well in the last 12 minutes? Would the bench players rise to the occasion? The Warriors answered all the questions in the affirmative.

Thompson started the quarter by making a steal and a three-point basket. Brandin Podziemski connected from downtown. Chris Paul and Wiggins each made a basket, and the Warriors led 90-79. Dallas responded with a 13-2 run to tie the game 92-92.

Thomson made a two-point bucket to stall the Dallas offense. Green made the next two baskets to put the Warriors ahead 98-92 with 1:48 left to play. Green made the defensive play of the night when he made a steal and then put the ball through the hoop at the other end to give the Warriors an eight-point lead 100-92.

Kyrie Irving hit a three, closing the gap to five points. Wiggins made it 102-95. The Mavs’ J P Washington connected from downtown to trail by four 102-98 with 25.9 seconds left. The Mavs’ strategy was to score quickly and then foul.

The Mavs blocked Thompson’s layup attempt, and Irving scored at the other end to make the score 102-100. The fans were biting their nail and were hoping the Warriors would find a way to win the game. The Mavs then fouled Thompson in the backcourt.

Thompson, was 92% from the free-throw line) cooly sunk two free throws. There was just 10.3 seconds left to play. Warrior’s head coach, Steve Kerr, made sure that his players knew not to foul anyone attempting to make a three-point shot. The Warriors’ defense met the challenge. Dallas was not able to get a shot off before the buzzer sounded. The Warriors win a thriller 104-100.

Game Notes: The Warriors are now 41-34 with the win. The Warriors have seven games left and have a three-game lead over the Houston Rockets for the tenth spot in the Western Conference. The Rockets lost to Minnesota Wednesday night and are 38-37.  

The Mavericks’ record is now 45-30. The Warriors extended their winning streak to five games, snapping the Mavs’ seven-game win streak.

The Warriors had six players in double figures. Andrew Wiggins led the Warriors with 23 points. Thompson and Paul each had 14. Curry had 13. Moses Moody had 12. Moody made four threes. Green added 11. 

The Warriors shot 44.6% from the floor. Each team made 15 threes. With the smallest team in the NBA, the Warriors outrebounded the bigger Mavs 57-48. 

Doncic led the Mavs with 30 points. Doncic also had a triple-double. Doncic pulled down 12 boards and had 11 assists. Irving finished with 27. P J Washington recorded 20 points, and he made three threes. Daniel Gafford was the only other Maverick in double-figures with ten. 

The Warrior bench outscored the Dallas Bench 39-13. 

The Warriors are back on the road again. The Warriors play the Houston Rockets Thursday night and then play the Mavericks again Friday night in Dallas.