Author: rxslugger

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

Warriors win a thriller beat Kings 116-113 snap five-game losing streak

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The Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) is jubilant leading with 47 points over the visiting Sacramento Kings at Chase Center in San Francisco on Mon Nov 7, 2022 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors (4-7) returned home after losing five games in a row on the road trip. Their opponent Monday night was the revamped Sacramento Kings (3-6). The Kings beat Charlotte and Orlando on their road trip but lost to the Miami Heat when the referees missed a traveling violation.

Kings’ head coach, Mike Brown, has his team playing much better this season. The Kings gave the Warriors a tussle Monday before losing 116-113. Fans at the Chase Center saw Warrior guard Stephen Curry do his magic as he led his team to the win. He carried the team in the first half. Curry was at his best when things looked bleak in the fourth quarter. Curry played 37 minutes and tallied 47 points, eight rebounds, eight assists, and knocked down seven threes. It was a most impressive performance.

The Warriors head coach Steve Kerr was concerned about the Warriors failure to play defense on the road. The team had allowed over 122 points a game while losing five in a row. Kerr was trying to determine who would be in his second unit. Kerr made some changes, and his team responded with a win. 

The Warriors starting five got a good start in the first quarter. They led 27-15 about halfway through the period. Kerr made his first substitutions of the night, sending in Jordan Poole and Anthony Lamb. Jonathan Kuminga entered a few moments later. The Kings caught fire at this point. Sacramento went on a 16-2 run to finish the quarter with a two-point lead, 31-29.

Sacramento, led by Domantis Sabonis, De’Aaron Fox, and Malik Monk, extended their lead to eight, 48-40. Curry made a three and a two-pointer to close the gap to 50-45. The Warriors trailed by four when Sacramento went on a 10-4 run to end the first half with a 12-point advantage, 67-55.

De’Aaron Fox paced the Kings’ offense with 18 points. Sabonis had a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds. Malik Monk added 17. The Kings connected on ten three-point shots. The Warriors made five. Sacramento made 19 free throws in the first half. Curry had 22 points to lead the team. Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins, and Draymond Green each scored eight. 

If the Warriors hoped to win the game, they knew they had to dominate the third quarter as they have done so many times. 

The Warriors came out firing on all cylinders. They went on a 13-2 run to make it a 69-68 game. Wiggins and Thompson each made a three in the run. The Kings regrouped and fought back. Every time the Warriors closed the gap, the Kings answered with a bucket. The Warriors won the quarter by three points and trailed by nine, 88-79. 

The Warriors had to find a way to win the game. They had to stop the Kings’ offense and find a way to get someone other than Curry to make plays. Andrew Wiggins stepped up his game in the fourth quarter. Wiggins connected on a three to make it 88-82.

The Kings scored the next four points. Wiggins scored a deuce to make it 92-84. Sacramento hit a three. Curry scored a bucket and was fouled. He made the free throw. Thompson connected on a three. The Warriors trailed by five 95-90. Sacramento refused to cave.

With the score 100-92, Wiggins made another bucker. Curry followed with a three. The Warriors trailed 100-97 with five minutes left in the game. There was still plenty of time left to pull out a win. Could the defense hold down the Kings’ offense? Could they stop Sabonis, Fox, and company? The Warriors answered in the affirmative. Warriors made a three to bring the Warriors to within three 102-99. Sacramento increased the lead to five 107-102. Wiggins made another three with 2:26 left.

The Warriors trailed 107-105. Curry took charge. Curry’s two-pointer tied the game at 107. He hit a three to give the Warriors their first lead since the first quarter when they led 29-28. The Kings fought back. They hit a bucket. Curry answered with another two-point play to make it 112-109. Sacramento scored. Green scored. The Kings came back 114-113 with 25 seconds left. Curry ended the scoring when he was fouled with 1.3 seconds left. He made both free throws to ice the win for Golden State.

Game Notes: The Warriors are now 4-7, and The Kings are 3-5. The Warriors meet the Cleveland Cavaliers at the Chase Center Friday night. They play the Kings again Sunday night at the Golden 1 center in Sacramento.

The story of the game was Curry. He was magnificent in leading his team to victory. He scored 47 points, eight rebounds, eight assists, and seven threes. Wiggins had a double-double with 25 points and ten rebounds. Wiggins connected on four threes. Thompson added 16 points. Thompson made three threes. Green had 11 points, eight rebounds, and six assists. Poole scored just two points. 

The Warriors won the second half 61-46. The Kings made ten threes in the first half but only four in the second. The Warriors story was just the opposite. They made five threes in the first half and nine in the second. The Warriors shot 50% from the field and held the Kings to 40.7% 

The Kings had five players in double figures. Sabonis finished with 19 points and 14 rebounds. Fox had 28, Monk 24, Davion Mitchell 12, and Kevin Huerter 11.

Kerr said he was pleased with his team’s energy in the fourth quarter. Kerr knew the Warriors had to improve on defense as well. They did what they had to do to win and snap the five-game losing streak.

The Kings win a thriller in overtime as they beat the Orlando Magic 126-123

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De’Aaron Fox (5) scored the game winning shot at the buzzer in overtime for the Sacramento Kings to help defeat the Orlando Magic in Orlando on Sat Nov 5, 2022 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Sacramento Kings won a thriller in overtime 126-123 as they rallied from an 18-point halftime deficit to beat the Orlando Magic 126-123. The Kings, under the watchful eye of head coach Mike Brown, have played an improved style of basketball. Sacramento beat the Charlotte Hornets and lost to the Miami Heat before playing Orlando Saturday night.

In the game against Miami, a blown call cost them the game. Miami’s Tyler Herro took four steps to make the winning bucket. Brown was screaming that Herro traveled. The call stood. However, after a review by the NBA, the review confirmed that Herro had traveled.

The Kings lost a game they should have won. The Orlando Magic entered the game on a high note. The Magic beat the defending NBA Champs, the Golden State Warriors, by one point, 130-129, Wednesday night. 

The Magic got off to a good start in the first period. They finished the quarter leading by eight, 33-25. They led early 20-6, but the Kings did close the gap. Orlando outscored the Kings by ten, 32-22, to finish the first half with an eighteen-point advantage.

Sacramento took a page out of the Warriors’ playbook as they owned the third quarter. They put 36 points on the board and held the Magic to 12. The score was 83-77 in favor of the Kings. Orlando fought back and was able to overcome the Kings’ six-point advantage. The game ended, tied 106-106. 

In the overtime period, the Kings’ De’Aaron Fox scored the first six points for his team. The Magic, led by rookie Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, refused to wilt. It was nip and tuck to the finish. Fox gave the Magic a chance to win when he threw away a pass in the backcourt with 6.6 seconds left. He atoned for his sin when he connected on a three-point shot from near mid-court to win the game for Sacramento.

Game Notes: With the win, the Kings are 3-5. The Magic dropped to 2-8.

The Kings had four players in double figures. Fox led the Kings with 37 points. Domantis Sabonis had a double-double with 25 points and eleven rebounds. He added six assists to his line. Trey Lyles and Malik Monk each added 15 points. 

The Magic had four starters in double figures. Paolo Banchero led the club with a double-double. The rookie tallied 33 points and 16 boards. Franz Wagner had 31, Wendell Carter, Jr., 17, and Bol Bol, the son of former Warrior Manute Bol, knocked down 23 and pulled down seven rebounds. The Magic bench contributed only 13 points.

The Kings return to California to face the Warriors Monday night at the Chase Center. Kings’ coach Mike Brown would love the beat his old team. Steve Kerr is hoping to find the right pieces to stop the five-game losing streak. 

Warriors hold down Kings 130-125 in tale of two halves

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First half action the Sacramento Kings De’Aaron Fox (5) takes a jump shot against the Golden State Warriors Jordan Poole (left) at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Sun Oct 23, 2022 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

It was a tale of two halves as the Golden State Warriors (2-1) downed the Sacramento Kings (0-3) 130-125 Sunday night at the Chase Center. The Kings, coached by former Warrior assistant Mike Brown, gave the Warriors quite a tussle.

The Kings scored 71 points in the first half. Normally, a team that scores that many points would win the game. The Warriors didn’t even blink as they put 89 points on the scoreboard in the first half to finish the half with an 18-point advantage, 89-71.

It was the most points in a half witnessed by this reporter ever. It was the third most points in franchise history in any half and the second most in the first half. The Warriors set a franchise record by scoring 50 points in the second quarter.

The second half was a different story. The Warriors outscored the Kings 24-23 in the third quarter to lead by 19, 113-95. The Kings knew they could break down the Warriors defense. They erased most of the deficit but could not quite catch the Warriors. Sacramento put 31 points on the board and held the Warriors to 17.

The first half was something to see. The Warriors got off to an early 10-0 lead. Sacramento tied the game at 15 all. The Warriors never trailed in the first 12 minutes of play. The Kings tied the game at 17 all, 21 all, 25, and 30. The Warriors finished the quarter with a three-point lead, 39-36. 

The Warriors turned on the gas in the second quarter. Guard Stephen Curry got hot. Curry scored 21 points in the quarter and made five threes. Curry finished the first half with 28 points. Jordan Poole and James Wiseman each scored 12 points in the first half. Andrew Wiggins had 18. The Kings’ offense was paced by Domantis Sabonis, De’Aaron Fox, Keegan Murray, and Malik Monk. 

As mentioned above, Sacramento won the second quarter 54-41. The Kings served notice that they would have quite a bit of offensive firepower. Former Warriors assistant coach Mike Brown is trying to instill the Warriors’ winning ways into his new team.

The Kings are 0-3 to start the season, but they appear to be on the right track. Steve Kerr had this to say about Mike: “We played at times brilliantly, and we couldn’t sustain it,” coach Steve Kerr said. “It was closer than it should have been, but I give Sacramento a lot of credit. Mike’s doing a great job with those guys. They’re fighting, and they’re competing. They’ve had three close losses now to start the year. We let our guard down and they took advantage of it.”

Game Notes and Stats: With the win, the Warriors are 2-1. The Kings are 0-3. 

Curry finished the night with 33 points. It was his third-straight 30-point game. Curry was 11 for 22 from the floor and knocked down six threes. Wiggins tallied 24 with five rebounds and one assist. Klay Thompson had eight. Poole had 24, and Wiseman had 14.

The Kings had five players in double figures. Fox had a double-double with 26 points and ten assists. Sabonis had 19, Murray 16, and Monk 16. and Richaun Holmes 15. 

The Warriors play the Suns in Phoenix Tuesday night. The game will start at 7 pm.

Warriors second-half rally falls short lose to Nuggets 128-123

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Denver Nuggets guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, right, passes the ball while defended by Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) in first half action at Chase Center in San Francisco on Fri Oct 21, 2022 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors hosted the Denver Nuggets at the Chase Center Friday night. The Warriors opened the season with a win of the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday night. Denver lost its opener against the Utah Jazz Wednesday night. The Warriors just couldn’t hold on Friday night and were defeated by the Nuggets 128-123.

The Nuggets’ coach, Mike Malone, wanted his team to get on track by beating the Warriors. With two-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic pacing the attack, the Nuggets had the firepower to upset the Warriors apple cart. The Warriors have one of the top defenses in the NBA.

Would they be able to stop the Nuggets’ firepower? The Nuggets answered the question in the first half of the game. After a high-scoring and hotly-contested first period, the Nuggets poured in 40 points in the first 12 minutes of the game to lead 40-34.

Denver led 30-29 when they went on a 10-5 run to finish the quarter leading by six. The Nuggets, not known for great defense, held the Warriors to 18 points in the second period to finish the first half leading 70-52.

Jokic paced the Nuggets attack with 14 points. Michael Porter, Jr. had 11. Stephen Curry had 13, and Andrew Wiggins ten for Golden State. The Warriors knew they had to catch fire in the second half if they were to get the win. They played hard. They won the second half 71-58 but could not catch Denver as they lost their first game of the season 128-123.

The game was decided in the second quarter. The Warriors second unit was not effective on defense, and the offense was nothing there. The Nuggets bottled up Jordan Poole. Poole scored two points in the first half. Warriors coach Steve Kerr could not insert Klay Thompson into the game as he is limited to about 20 minutes of playing time.

The other bench players added just 15 points. Denver’s bench tallied 26. Denver shot 59% from the floor and made eight threes in 14 tries. The Warriors shot 47% from the floor but made five threes in 22 attempts. 

The Warriors knew they would have to be at the top of their game in the third quarter. Denver increased the lead to twenty before the Warriors started their comeback. They clawed back to a seven-point deficit 86-79. The Warriors started making threes.

Klay Thompson made two, and Wiggins and Draymond Green each had one. Denver refused to wilt. They finished the third quarter leading 98-88. With the first unit on the floor, the Warriors made shots. Unfortunately for them, Denver made them, too.

Curry knocked down a three, and JaMychal Green followed with a two-point bucket to close within six points, 111-105, with more than four minutes left to play. Jokic kept attacking the Warrior defense.

The big guy made a bucket and was fouled. He converted the free throw, and Denver led 116-108. Curry answered with a three. Denver scored the next five points to lead by ten, 121-111. Curry hit another three, and Poole scored two to trail by five. Denver scored to lead 123-116. The Warriors trailed 124-121 after Draymond Green made a basket.

There was hope. Was there enough time? Poole made a huge play by stealing an inbound pass and scoring to bring the Warriors within a single point, 124-123. Denver went ahead 126-123 with 13 seconds left. Denver scored the last four points of the night to win 128-123. 

Game Notes and Stats: With the loss, the Warriors are 1-1. Denver is also 1-1. 

The Warriors won the second half 71-58. Their offense came alive, but Denver had just enough offense in the second half to get the win. 

The Warriors had five players in double figures Friday night. Curry led the team with 34. Curry made five three. Wiggins had 23, Thompson 16, Draymond Green 13, and James Wiseman 11. Poole was held to seven points. Poole did record seven assists. The team shot 47% from the floor. The Warriors made ten threes in 22 tries in the second half. They were 15 for 44 for the night. 

The Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic had a triple-trouble. Jokic had 26 points, 12 rebounds, and ten assists. Bruce Brown had 20, Kentavius Caldwell-Pope and Michael Porter, Jr. each had 17 points. Pope made three threes, and Porter connected five times. Bones Hyland had 14, Aaron Gordon ten, and Jeff Gordon ten.

The Warriors have 123 points in both games played so far. One game they one, one game they lost.

The Warriors host the Sacramento Kings Sunday night at the Chase Center. The game starts at 5:30 pm.

The Warriors start the new season with a win over the Los Angeles Lakers 123-109

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Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James, left defends against the Golden State Warriors guard Donte DiVincenzo, right on Tue Oct 18, 2022 at the Chase Center in San Francisco (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors started the season with a resounding win over the Los Angeles Lakers Tuesday night at the Chase Center. The final score was 123-109. The Warriors want to win their fifth championship in nine years. They lost four or five key players after the season ended. The Warriors added Donte DiVincenzo and JaMychal Green to go along with James Wiseman, Jonathan Kuminga, and Moses Moody. 

The Warriors gave out their championship rings to the players before the start of the game. NBA commissioner Adam Silver was in the house to congratulate the players. The game was on TNT, and TNT had Shaquille O’Neal, Charles Barkley, and Ernie Johnson doing commentary.

The Warriors had guard Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, Andrew Wiggins, and Kevon Looney on the court to start the contest. The Lakers started LeBron James James, Anthony Davis, Russell Westbrook, Patrick Beverly, and Lonnie Walker.

The first quarter started slowly. As it was the first game of the year, both teams were slow to get things going. The Warriors finished the quarter leading 25-22. Things heated up in the second period. The Warriors outscored the Lakers 34-30 to finish the first half with a 59-52 lead.

The Warriors were up by 11, but LeBron James made two buckets to cut the deficit to seven. Curry paced the Warriors with 16 points. Jordan Poole, leading the second unit, added ten. Anthony Davis had 15 for LA. LeBron added 14 and Westbrook 11.

As they have done so many times in the past, the Warriors dominated the third quarter. Thompson led the way as he tallied nine points early in the period. With the score 66-58, the Warriors went on a 25-4 run to lead 91-64. The Lakers fought back and made it a 91-71 game at the end of three. The Warriors outscored the Lakers 32-19

Los Angeles went on a 22-9 run in the fourth quarter. They trailed by 13 100-87. Warriors head coach Steve Kerr called a timeout so that the Warriors could regroup. Curry and Wiggins led the offensive surge to put the game out of reach.

Wiggins made three threes, and Curry had a three, a deuce, and a four-point play to put the game away. The score was 121-104 with 1:52 left to play. Kerr allowed the bench players to finish out the game.

The Warriors played well on both ends of the court. They continued to shine on defense. They showed the NBA that they have a powerful offensive juggernaut. The fans went home happy, but was Kerr satisfied with his team’s effort? Coaches always say players have to improve.

Game Notes and Stats: The Warriors’ offensive stars were Curry, Wiggins,Thompson, and Poole. Curry finished with 33 points. Curry knocked down four three in 13 attempts. A couple of the threes came in the fourth quarter when the Lakers made a comeback.

Thompson, playing just 19 minutes, finished with a18 points. Thompson knocked down two threes. Wiggins had 20, and Poole had 12. Warrior bench players contributed too James Wiseman, JaMychal Green, and Donte DiVincenzo each had eight points. JaMychal Green and Wiseman each pulled down seven boards.

The Lakers had four players in double figures. LeBron paced the Lakers’ attack with 31 points and 14 rebounds. Davis had 27 points and six boards. Russell Westbrook had a double-double with 19 points and 11 rebounds. Kendrick Nunn added 13. The Lakers’ bench did not produce much Tuesday night.

The Warriors play Friday night again when they host the Denver Nuggets. The game will start at 7 pm at the Chase Center.

Warriors lose final preseason game to Denver Nuggets 119-112

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The Golden State Warriors Patrick Baldwin Jr (7) takes aim against the Denver Nuggets at the Chase Center in San Francisco Fri Oct 14, 2022 (@warriors photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors hosted the Denver Nuggets at the Chase Center Friday night and ended their pre season with a 119-112 loss to the Nuggets.

The Warriors were playing the fifth and final preseason game before the start of the 2022-2023 season. The Warriors, who won their fourth NBA title in the last eight seasons, will face the Los Angeles Lakers Tuesday night as they seek to win another crown.

Both teams had their projected starters on the floor to start the game. Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, Kevon Looney, and Andrew Wiggins did not play last Monday night against Portland.

The starting five had to go against Denver’s big man Nikola Jokic, a two-time NBA MVP, Aaron Gordon, Bruce Brown, Michael Porter, Jr., and Kentavius Caldwell-Pope. Jamal Murray, who missed most of last season with an injury, was not scheduled to play Friday night.

The Warriors did not play Moses Moody or JaMychal Green. Thompson did not play in the first four preseason games and was penciled in to play the first half.

The Warrior’s coaching staff wanted to see how Thompson, James Wiseman, and Jonathan Kuminga would do against the first string of the Denver Nuggets.

Both teams played well in the first quarter. Denver finished with a four-point lead, 32-28, after the first 12 minutes. Thompson knew he would shoot whenever he had his hands on the ball. The Warrior’s tried to get him open so he could take the shots. Thompson finished the first half with 17 points and made four threes.

The Warrior’s won the second quarter 36 -24 to finish the first half leading 64-56. The team played well. Kuminga and Wiseman did the bulk of the scoring for the Warriors. Curry, Jordan Poole, and Wiggins let Klay, Kuminga, and Wiseman carry the load. The Warriors led 64-56 after 24 minutes of play.

The third quarter was a different story. The Warrior’s increased the lead to 11. Denver, behind the play of Nikola Jokic, went on a 24-9 run to lead 83-78. The Warrior’s narrowed the gap to two, 86-84. Denver then went on a 10-0 run to lead 98-84. The Nuggets outscored the Warrior’s 42-20 in the third.

The Warriors let players fighting for a job on the team play the fourth quarter. The Warrior’s had Patrick Balwin, Jr, Ryan Rollins, Pat Spencer, Jerome Robinson, and Kuninga try to get the Warrior’s back in the game. The young players fought back and went on a 15-3 run to make it a seven-point deficit. The Nuggets did not fold as they cruised to the win.

Thompson, Kuminga, Wiseman, and Curry were all in double-figures. Jokic paced the Denver attack. The two teams meet again next Friday. This time the game will count. The Nuggets want to beat the Warrior’s as they lost to Golden State in the playoffs.

The Warriors will raise their championship banner before the start of the game with the Lakers Tuesday night. The players will receive their championship rings, too. The game will start at 7 pm.

Warriors, without starters, rout Portland TrailBlazers 131-98

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The Golden State Warriors come out the victors in Tue Oct 11, 2022 pre season game at Chase Center against the Portland Trailblazers (photo by @warriors)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Warriors played their next-to-last pre-season game Tuesday night against the visiting Portland Trailblazers. The Warriors did not use any of their starters in the game. Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins, Kevon Looney, Jordan Poole, and Andre Iguodala did not dress for the game.

They were on the bench cheering for the guys on the floor. Draymond Green was not in the house. Green is taking some personal time away from the club. Green will return to Thursday’s practice and will be in the line up Friday against the Denver Nuggets for the final pre season game at Chase Center. The Blazers did not play Damion Lillard or Gary Payton II.

The Warriors have seven players that will be seeing most of the playing time this season. The Warriors will have Wiseman in the second unit as a backup to Looney. Jordan Poole will be the leader of the second unit.

Golden State lost several key players and looking for their replacements. The Warriors hope that Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody, and JaMychal Green will replace Otto Porter Jr, Namenda Bjelica, and Damian Lee in the rotation. Kuninga, Moody, and Green played well Tuesday night as the W’s routed the Blazers 131-98.

Kuminga had ten points, three rebounds, and one assist in 24 minutes of action. Moody knocked down 20 points in 23 minutes of playing time. Mychal Green also had 20. Green pulled down eight rebounds and made four threes in five tries.

He had 20 minutes on the court. Wiseman had 18 points and seven rebounds. The Warriors’ Donte DiVencenzo started the game at the guard position. DiVincenzo scored two points but had four rebounds and six assists.

The Warriors appear to have 11 slots on the roster occupied. The coaching staff will have to make decisions on the four remaining spots. Several players made their case to be included on the roster. Patrick Baldwin, Jr., all six feet nine inches of him, scored six points and had three boards.

Anthony Lamb knocked down eight points in 16 minutes. Ryan Rollins had 12, and Pat Spencer finished with 11 points, five rebounds, and three assists. Ty Jerome had six points, and Lester Quinones had seven, all in the fourth quarter.

The Blazers had at least three projected starters in the lineup Tuesday night. They had Jerami Grant, Jusuf Nokic, Josh Hart, and Anfernee Simons start the game. Nokic, as usual, was a force in the middle. James Wiseman did a good job holding his own against the big man.

Nokic did score 16. Wiseman, who missed all of last season, appeared to be stronger. His play around the net has improved. His footwork is much better, and he appears ready to elevate his game this year. The scoring leader for Portland was Shaedon Sharp with 17. Grant had nine, Simons 12, Hart three, and Jared Rhoden ten.

As for the game, the Warriors led 35-34 after the first quarter. The Warriors increased the lead to 12 to finish the first half leading 68-56. Golden State blew the game open in the third quarter. They held Portland to 13 points and ended the quarter with an imposing 103-69 advantage. Portland tried to make a comeback in the fourth period, but nothing they did worked. The Warriors win 131-98.

The Warriors play their final pre-season game Friday night at the Chase Center. Their opponent will be the Denver Nuggets. The game will start at 7 pm.

Oakland A’s Preview: A’s prepare to pay a visit to Anaheim to face Ohtani and the Angels

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Instead of getting the big fly the Los Angeles Angels Shohei Ohtani flies out against the Minnesota Twins on Sep 24, 2022 at Target Field in Minneapolis. The Oakland A’s open a three game series at the Big A in Anaheim Tue Sep 27, 2022 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The A’s have nine games left to play in 2022. Oakland has won 56 and lost 97. The team is hoping not to lose 100 games, but they would have to win seven of the last nine to avoid that fate. Their record would indicate that they would win three and lose six.

They will play the Los Angeles Angels six times, three at Anaheim and the last three at home. The A’s will travel to Seattle for three with the Mariners. Those games will occur after the A’s finish with the Angels on Thursday.

The Angels had high hopes for the 2022 season. The team played well early in the year. Their season derailed when they had a fourteen-game losing streak. The Angels fired their manager, Joe Maddon, in midseason. Maddon had great success managing the Tampa Bay Rays and Chicago Cubs.

Maddon was the skipper of the Cubs when Chicago won its first World Series Crown in 2016. The Cubs ended 108 years of futility. The Angels, like many other teams, lost key players to injury. The Angels’ starting rotation did not live up to expectations.

The bullpen was a problem, too. Their three-time MVP Mike Trout spent time on the IL with a back injury. Their other MVP, Shohei Ohtani, continued to wow the baseball world with his exploits. As a pitcher, Ohtani is 14-8 and has an ERA of 2.47.

Ohtani probably is in the race for the AL Cy Young Award. As the Angels’ DH, Ohtani is hitting .271 with 34 home runs, 93 RBIs, 87 runs scored, and an OPS of .887. The AL 2022 MVP will be Ohtani or the New York Yankees’ slugger Aaron Judge. Judge may win baseball’s Triple Crown. He currently leads the league in hitting, home runs, and RBIs.

The Angels have other players that love to beat the A’s. Their second baseman Luis Rengifo had had key hits against the A’s. First baseman Jared Walsh and outfielder Taylor Ward can give the A’s headaches.

The A’s dismal season is coming to an end. The team has used 63 players. The A’s have made so many transactions in the last month. It’s a case of here today and gone tomorrow. The team will look at many new players to see if they fit into the A’s future next year.

The A’s will send James Kaprielian to the hill Tuesday night. Kap is 4-9, and his ERA is 4.43. Kaprielian had his best outing of the year last week when he went seven innings and allowed two hits. Kaprielian had made 34 prior starts without going past the sixth inning. The big righty would love to finish the season pitching well. Lefty Patrick Sandoval will go for the Angels. Sandoval is 6-9 with an era of 3.01.

Adrian Martinez pitches for Oakland on Wednesday. Martinez came to Oakland from the San Diego Padres in the trade for Seam Manaea. The 25-year-old righty from Mexicali, Mexico, is 4-5 with a high ERA of 6.10. The Angels will have Michael Lorenzen on the mound. Lorenzen is 7-6 and has an ERA of 4.78.

Thursday night’s game features lefty Cole Irvin for the A’s going against Shohei Ohtani of the Angels. Irvin has struggled a bit in the second half of the year. The A’s didn’t give Irvin a lot of run support earlier in the season. Irvin is 9-12, and his ERA is now 4.11. Ohtani is an incredible athlete. Ohtani has a fastball that can exceed 100 miles per hour. His hitting prowess was noted earlier in the preview.

Neither team will be going to the playoffs. Both teams will evaluate players who want to be on their roster for the 2023 season. Some of the A’s players to watch are Shea Langoliers, Nick Allen, Jonah Bride, Dermis Garcia, Jordan Diaz, and Conner Capel. Even though the teams won’t be in the playoffs, the fans should watch the games. Ohtani and Trout are not to be missed.

Mariners beat A’s 9-5 to win finale of three-game series; Met’s and Chris Bassitt face A’s Friday night at Coliseum

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Chris Bassitt pitcher of the New York Mets faces his old teammates the Oakland A’s Fri Sep 23, 2022 at the Oakland Coliseum for game one of a three game series. Here Bassitt pitches against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sat Sep 17, 2022 at Citi Field in New York. (AP file photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Seattle Mariners salvaged the third game of the three-game series Thursday afternoon at the Oakland Coliseum. The Oakland A’s pitching had kept the M’s offense in check on Tuesday and Wednesday. The M’s knew they needed to win. They jumped out to an early 3-0 lead.

The A’s plated five runs in the third to go ahead 5-3. The M’s refused to wilt. The M’s scored one in the fourth, three in the sixth, one in the seventh, and one in the eighth to win the game 9-5. Neither starter figured in the decision. The difference was the bullpen. The A’s bullpen gave up four runs, and the M’s bullpen stopped the A’s cold.

The Mariners, down in the dumps after losing the first two games of the three-game series, put together four hits, including two doubles and two walks, to grab an early 3-0 lead in the first inning.

The M’s Rookie of the Year candidate, Julio Rodriguez, doubled to get things going for Seattle. Mitch Haniger singled to drive in Rodriguez with the M’s first run. Martinez struck out Carlos Santana for the first out. Ty France singled, sending Haniger to second.

M’s catcher Cal Raleigh doubled to drive in Haniger, and Ty France stopped at third. Martinez walked Travis Kelenic to load the bases. France scored the M’s third run when Martinez walked Jessie Winker. The inning ended when Dylan Moore hit into a 5-4-3 double play. The M’s lead 3-0 midway through the first.

The A’s sent 11 men to the plate in the bottom of the third. They put together a rally that featured five runs, five hits, and three walks. Vimael Machin started the rally with a double. Sean Murphy singled, sending Machin to third.

Mariners’ starter, George Kirby, walked Seth Brown to load the bases. Stephen Vogt’s line drive went into the corner in right-field that cleared the bases. Kirby retired Jordan Diaz for the first out. Conner Capel walked.

Shea Langeliers followed with a double to drive in Vogt. Capel stopped at third. Nick Allen walked to load the bases. Tony Kemp singled to drive in Capel with the fifth run of the innings. The A’s led 5-3 after three.

The Mariners put their fourth game run on the board at the top of the fourth. M’s centerfielder, Jarred Kelenic, led off the inning with his fifth home run to make it a 5-4 game. 

In the top of the sixth, Seattle scored three times to retake the lead 7-5. Ty France started the rally with a triple. A’s manager Mark Kotsay replaced Martinez with lefty Kirby Snead. Jarred Kelenic doubled to drive in France with the tying run.

Kelenic went to third on a wild pitch. With two out, the A’s gave Dylan Moore an intentional walk. The strategy backfired as the left-handed hitting Dylan Moore doubled to drive in two runs to put the Mariners ahead 7-5. 

The M’s added another run in the seventh. Mitch Haniger singled and went to second on a wild pitch. Carlos Santana grounded out 4-2, and Haniger went to third on the play. Ty France plated Haniger with a sacrifice fly to left to increase the M’s lead to 8-5.

The M’s scored an unearned run in the eighth. With two out, Dylan Moore singled. Moore went to third on Shea Langaliers’ throwing error. Adam Frazier singled to drive in Moore. The M’s lead 9-5.

The A’s failed to score in the eighth and ninth. The M’s win 9-5.

Game Notes: With the loss, the A’s are now 55-95. Oakland has 12 games left to play. The M’s improved to 82-67.

The line score for Oakland was five runs, nine hits, and one error. Seattle’s line was nine runs, eleven hits, and no errors.

Mariners’ manager Scott Servais had to be pleased with the M’s bullpen. The M’s relievers kept the A’s off the scoreboard for the last six innings of the game.

A’s starter Adrian Martinez went five-plus innings. His line was five runs, six hits, two walks, and seven strikeouts. Martinez gave up the home run to Jarred Kelenic in the fourth.

The M’s Julio Rodriguez left the game in the bottom of the first with lower back tightness.

A’s veteran catcher Stephen Vogt announced his retirement at the end of the season.

The A’s will host the New York Mets for three games starting Friday night. Former A’s starter, Chris Bassitt, will be on the mound for New York. Bassitt is having a good year with a record of 14-8 and an ERA of 3.32. Bassitt would love nothing better than beating his old mates. The A’s will counter with lefty Cole Irvin. Irvin is 9-11 and has an ERA of 3.79. The game will start at 6:40 pm. 

Oakland A’s preview: Mariners and A’s open up three game series at Coliseum Tuesday night

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Oakland A’s starter JP Sears gets the call on Tue Sep 20, 2022 at the Oakland Coliseum to open the first of a three game series against the Seattle Mariners. Here is Sears pitching against the New York Yankees on Fri Aug 26, 2022 (AP News file photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

OAKLAND–The Oakland A’s have 15 games left on the 2022 schedule. For Oakland, it has been a long and difficult year. The A’s will probably finish with their worst record since 1979 when they finished 54-108. The A’s are currently 53-94. They have lost seven of the last ten and have to play two teams that will probably make the playoffs.

The A’s last fifteen games include six with the Seattle Mariners, three with the New York Mets, and six with the Los Angeles Angels. They play the first six at home against the Mariners and Mets, then go on the road to Anaheim and Seattle. They will play the Angels in Oakland for the last three games.

Let’s take a look at the series with the Mariners. Seattle will be the third Wild Card team. They lead the Baltimore Orioles by four games in the race for that slot. The Toronto Blue Jays and Tampa Bay Rays are in the first and second slots.

The Mariners will be looking to get some wins over the A’s. Seattle owns an 8-5 advantage over Oakland so far. The A’s would love to play spoiler. A’s manager Mark Kotsay will make sure his team will play hard in the series.

The players want to finish the season with a good run. It will not be easy, as Seattle has good starting pitching and an excellent bullpen. Seattle, however, is scuffling. The M’s are 4-6 in their last ten games. Teams want to finish the season with momentum on their side. The Atlanta Braves got hot near the end of the 2021 season, and that momentum carried them to a World Series crown.

The pitching matchups for the three-game series will see the A’s have lefty J.P.Sears on the mound. Sears is 5-2, with a 3.90 ERA. Sears has had a few rough outings lately, but he wants to show the A’s that he will be in their plans for 2023.

Seattle will counter with righty Luis Castillo. The M’s traded for Castillo at the trade deadline. In his time with Seattle, he is 3-1 and has an ERA of 2.37. James Kaprielian goes for the A’s on Wednesday, and Seattle will send lefty Robby Ray out to pitch. On Thursday’s day game, Adrian Martinez will be on the hill for Oakland. George Kirby will handle the pitching chores for Seattle.

The Mariners have owned the A’s the last two seasons. They have a lineup with several players that can cause damage. The M’s rookie sensation Julio Rodriguez is a candidate for Rookie of the year. Rodriguez is hitting .279 with 27 home runs and 73 RBIs. Other power hitters in the M’s lineup include Mitch Haniger, Ty France, Jesse Winker, Carlos Santana, J.P. Crawford, and catcher Cal Raleigh.

The M’s have one lefty in their bullpen, Matthew Boyd. All the other relievers are right-handed. The A’s will see these players come out of the bullpen: Chris Flexen, Matt Brash, Andres Munoz, Diego Castillo, Erik Swanson, and Penn Murfee.

The Mariners cannot afford to lose. The A’s have nothing to lose. It should be a very interesting series.