Kings Get Stomped By the Fourth Place Denver Nuggets 132-123

The Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) drives on Sacramento Kings forward Domantas Sabonis (11) in the first half at Ball Arena in Denver on Thu Jan 23, 2025 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

The Sacramento Kings (23-21) trailed for the entire game losing to the Denver Nuggets (28-16) 132-123 at Ball Arena in Denver. They got close in the final minutes of the fourth quarter but came up just short. Whether they were suffering from fatigue after finishing last night’s game very late; they had an off shooting night, extremely off. They were attempting some pretty wild shots and they were not dropping.

Game wrap up: Sacramento hung tight with the Nuggets through the first half of the opening 12 minutes. The Nuggets were having a lot more success from beyond the arc then the Kings with four to Sacramento’s one.

Malik Monk had two personal fouls mid-way through the quarter and had to take to the bench which was a bit of blow for the Kings. Denver really began to flex their muscle and with two minutes left in the quarter had taken a ten-point lead 36-26 prompting Doug Christie to take a third time-out. As the quarter came to end the Nuggets had a 40-31 lead. The Nuggets were doing everything right with the one exception: shots from the line were not great at 54%.

Going into the second quarter, the Kings had their work cut out for them. Denver was running on all cylinders offensively continuing to extend their lead and with under six minutes left in the quarter had taken a 58-41 lead.

The Kings were getting completely outplayed by the Nuggets offensively and defensively and Sacramento just didn’t have an answer. Denver had more defensive rebounds 18-11, more offensive rebounds 11-5 with better shooting percentages from the field and from beyond the arc. In a blink, the Nuggets had opened up an 22-point lead 70-48 leaving the Kings in the dust. At the half, the Nuggets were cruising leading 74-52.

Sacramento was unable to stop the bleeding in the third quarter and after three quarters, the Nuggets were leading 110-85. Denver finished off the third quarter with a Jokic 66-ft jumper as the clock expired. This guy continues to amaze with his 20th triple-double this season.

The Kings went on a 11-0 run to start the fourth quarter cutting the Nugget lead more than in half from 25 to 11, 110-99. Sacramento would get as close as five points but come up just short. They had finished Wednesday night’s game very late, boarded a plane for Denver and fatigue could have played into the poor showing. This game got ugly in the first half and continued well into the third quarter. Sacramento did outscore the Nuggets in the fourth quarter 38-22 but it was too little too late.

Every Sacramento starter had double figures, and Domantas Sabonis had a double double with 23 points and 19 rebounds. The high for the Kings was DeMar DeRozan with 24 points and six rebounds. The Nuggets Nikola Jokic had the game high with 35 points, 17 assists and 22 rebounds.

Game notes: Thursday night the Kings were back on the road traveling to Denver and took on the Nuggets. This was a huge challenge for the Kings and it all started with Nikola Jokic. Containing this guy was a tough call. Wednesday night the Nuggets blasted the Sixers to the tune of 144-109 and Jokic recorded his 19th triple-double of the season. It will be very difficult keeping this guy under wraps.

The Kings came into this game after beating the Golden State Warriors Wednesday night in a tight contest. The Kings didn’t get a great start in that game but came on in the fourth quarter to seal the deal 123-117. Sacramento was looking for a much improved first quarter. In the Kings last meeting with the Nuggets Dec 16, Denver came away with a one-point win 130-129.

Jamal Murray hit a game-winning jumper with 8.6 seconds left in the game. Murray will be another Nugget to keep an eye on along with Russell Westbrook and Michael Porter Jr. Denver is loaded with weapons but the Kings will have their starting lineup available and they have been playing some solid ball. Sacramento will be looking for their fourth win in a row.

Sacramento will continue on the road traveling to New York for a date with the Knicks Saturday. They will have a day off Friday and get a little rest before playing on Saturday with tipoff scheduled for 4:30pm PST. They will be looking to put this game behind them and get back on the winning track in New York.

Stanford Cardinal podcast with Michael Roberson: Cardinal host Hurricanes Saturday night at Maples Pavilion

Stanford Cardinal forward Donavon Young (2) takes a jump shot against the Miami Hurricanes at Maples Pavilion in Palo Alto on Wed Jan 22, 2025 (Stanford Cardinal X photo)

On the Stanford Cardinal podcast with Michael:

#1 Stanford Cardinal didn’t give an inch defeating the Miami Hurricane 88-51 on Wednesday night to improve their record to 13-6. The Cardinal are 5-3 and Stanford has an outstanding home record at 10-1.

#2 The Cardinal are 10-1 for the first time since 2019-20. Stanford’s Maxime Raynaud has a nation leading 16th double-double for this season. Raynaud scored 28 points, went 10-17 and 4-6 from behind the three point line, with 12 rebounds.

#3 Raynaud past Hank Luisetti who played on the 1938 Cardinal and is 25th on Stanford’s all time scoring list. Raynaud also moves past Josh Huestit class of 1914 for eighth on the all time rebounds list.

#4 Raynaud’s outing marked his 12th 20-point game of the season.

#5 The Florida State Seminoles are next up for the Stanford Cardinal on Sat Jan 25 a 4:00pm PST tip. The Seminoles lost to the Cal Bears at Haas Pavilion on Wednesday night 88-51. The Seminoles 13-6 are sixth in the ACC and are 3-3 on the road.

Join Michael Roberson for the Stanford Cardinal podcast each Thursday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Headline Sports podcast with Jessica Kwong: Can Bears coach Johnson build them up for post season?; Ichiro misses unanimous Hall election by one vote; plus more news

Former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator and current Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson will rebuild the Bears from inside out as he takes over the head coaching duties for the 2025 season (AP News file photo)

On Headline Sports podcast with Jessica Kwong:

#1 Former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator and now head coach of the Chicago Bears Ben Johnson was noted for being a play caller as offensive coordinator but can Johnson take that experience and lead the Bears to glory for the 2025 season. Can Johnson fix the Bears who finished in dead last this season with a 5-12 record.

#2 The anticipation of former Seattle Mariner outfielder Ichiro Suzuki to get a unanimous decision for the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown fell short by one vote. The ballot that did not vote for Ichiro was left blank next to Ichiro’s name out of 393 BBWAA writers who cast ballots. No matter Ichiro will be a first ballot Hall of Famer.

#3 UConn Huskies head coach Dan Hurley cussed at the refs during a time out against the Butler Bulldogs on Tuesday night saying, “Don’t turn your back on me. I’m the best coach in the (expletive) sport,” said Hurley while following the ref on the floor. There is no doubt that coach Hurley coaches with emotion and passion.

#4 The Golden State Warriors continue to struggle losing six of their last 11 games, are in 11th place in the Western Conference and are battling to try to move up and get a playoff spot. The Warriors were beaten soundly on Tuesday night 125-85 by the Boston Celtics and lost again to the Sacramento Kings 123-117 on Wednesday night in Sacramento.

#5 Big NFL Championships are coming this Sunday the Washington Commanders at the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship. In the AFC Championship the Buffalo Bills and the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium.

Jessica Kwong does Headline Sports podcasts every other Wednesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Cardinal Stave off Hurricanes 88-51, on a Chilly Late Night on the Farm

Stanford Cardinal forward Maxime Raynaud (42) drives the ball against the Miami Hurricanes Lynn Kidd center (1) at Haas Pavilion in Palo Alto on Wed Jan 22, 2025 (Stanford Cardinal X photo)

By Michael Roberson

STANFORD, Calif. — The Bay Area weather was calm and cool , as the Stanford Cardinal (13-6, 5-3 ACC) reduced the Miami Hurricanes (4-15, 0-8 ACC) to a Category 1,(88-51) inside the cozy confines of Maples Pavilion.

Miami actually got the party started, by scoring the first point of the conference contest. Senior forward Brandon Johnson converted one of two free throws, giving them their only lead. Stanford went on an avalanche of a run (7-0), then proceeded to double that push minutes later.

Stanford got the lead up to as high as 23 points in the initial half. However, the Hurricanes did produce some heavy winds, as they slightly cut into the large deficit, trailing by 13 late in the half. Junior guard Oziyah Sellers hit a three with less than a minute until recess.

The Cardinal held a 16-point lead at halftime, 37-21. Balanced scoring for the Cardinal, as only one player eclipsed the ten-point plateau. Sellers reached 10 points on his last basket of the half. Maxime Raynaud added nine points and snagged eight rebounds.

Senior center Lynn Kidd led the Canes with eight points and five rebounds. Miami seemed to feel they were still in the game at the midway point.

Miami opened the second half as if they were going to make a comeback. They made an immediate 5-0 run, putting themselves within 11 points of the Cardinal lead..Senior guard Matthew Cleveland made those points on a three-pointer and layup.

Raynaud decided that he was going to end the Hurricane comeback, and went on a personal run of his own. as he added 19 points to his first half tally and snatched four more rebounds to his total.

As the final half of the game progressed, Stanford ballooned the gap to a whopping 39 points with less than five minutes of regulation time on the clock.Miami did score nine more points in the the second half, than in the first, but unfortunately for them, the home team added 14 to their already 16-point advantage.

After 40 minutes of action, the Cardinal kept their perfect home conference record (3-0) intact, winning by 37 points, 88-51. Technically,they are undefeated in the entire Bay Area, as they won an ACC road game in Berkeley, at the beginning of conference play.

Stanford presented five players with at least ten points in the game. Raynaud led the way with another double-double, offering 28 points, 12 rebounds, two blocks and two steals. Both Jaylen Blakes and Chisom Okpara contributed 12 points and two assists each, but JB also stole the ball thrice. The aforementioned Sellers remained at ten points of production, while Ryan Agarwal scored 11 points and captured five carrums.

Miami had two players with double-digit scoring. Matthew Cleveland put up a team-leading 23 points, while Lynn Kidd chipped in ten points and seven rebounds for the South Florida visitors.

Stanford will next be in action Saturday, January 25, hosting Florida State at 4:00 PM PT, on the ACC Network. Miami heads across the Bay to Berkeley on the same date to face California at 5:30 PM PT, on ESPNU.

Kings Outlast Warriors After Lackluster First Half 123-117

Sacramento Kings forward DeMar DeRozan (10) takes a shot over the Golden State Warriors guard Dennis Schroder (71) in the second half at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Wed Jan 22, 2025 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

Wednesday night, the Sacramento Kings (23-20) outlasted the Golden State Warriors (21-22) 123-117 after a lackluster first half of basketball. DeMar DeRozan had a 19 point third quarter and finished the game with 32 points. The Kings have not lost a game at home since Doug Christie became interim Head Coach. Every starter for Sacramento had double figures in a sparkling second half of basketball.

Game recap: The Kings got a bit of a slow start in the opening 12 minutes of play. The Kings finally got it together and going into the second quarter Golden State had taken a 24-20 lead. The Warriors continued to stay on top of the Kings hitting over 52% from downtown while the Kings were struggling at only 38%.

Sacramento was yet to heat up from beyond the arc in fact the Kings starting lineup was struggling to hit their stride at all. With a little over seven minutes left in the half, the Warriors had taken an 13 points lead 44-31.

Doug Christie was forced to take a timeout looking to stop the bleeding. The Kings were missing far too many open shots continuing to drag offensively. The Warriors took a 17 point lead into the locker room at the half 65-48.

By halftime Domantas Sabonis was the only King in double digits with 14 points and the Warriors Andrew Wiggins and Stephen Curry each had 12 points. Golden State had outscored the Kings 41-28 in the second quarter.

Going into the second half, Sacramento needed a much improved offensive effort. They were protecting the ball well with only five turnovers but were falling flat from beyond the arc as well as points in the paint. They were also struggling coming away with only two offensive rebounds.

Mid-way through the third quarter the Kings made a push cutting the Warriors 17 point lead to ten 64-74. With 4:21 left in the quarter, Sacramento still trailed by ten points 69-79. Domantas Sabonis clocked another double double with 18 points and 14 rebounds with nearly four minutes left in the third quarter.

All of the Kings starters with the exception of De’Aaron Fox had double figures. Fox was really struggling only hitting six points and one rebound. The Kings continued to trail by ten points looking to get into single digits.

With under two minutes left in the quarter the Kings had indeed cut the Warriors lead to single digits 80-85. Warriors Head Coach Steve Kerr called a time-out with 1:14 left in the third. The Warriors had eight turnovers in the third quarter alone in eleven minutes of ugly basketball. As the third quarter came to an end this game was tied at 85 and the Kings had erased a 17 point half-time Warrior lead. DeMar DeRozan had scored 19 third quarter points.

The Kings started the fourth quarter by taking their first lead since the early moments of the first quarter 87-85. The Warriors answered right back with a slew of three’s taking back the lead 99-92. Golden State had hit 19 three’s to the Kings eight.

Sacramento answered and took a six point lead with 6:44 left in the game but the Warriors came roaring back with a couple more three’s and the game was tied once again. With 1:30 left on the clock the Kings had a 117-113 lead and this game was going down to the wire.

With 1:07 left in the game clutch player De’Aaron Fox gave the Kings a 119-113 lead. The final was 123-117 in favor of Sacramento in a game of constant fourth quarter lead changes.

After a slow first half, the Sacramento Kings really turned it on. DeMar DeRozan had the game high with 32 points and 5 rebounds. Domantas Sabonis had a double double with 26 points and 18 rebounds.

De’Aaron Fox had a couple of clutch shots in the final minutes of the fourth quarter finishing with 14 points and five rebounds. Malik Monk had 20 points and Keegan Murray finished with 13 points in one amazing second half of basketball.

The Warriors did a great job containing De’Aaron Fox in the first three quarters but he turned in eight points in the final quarter as Sacramento won their third game in a row.

The Warriors had a banner night from beyond the arc hitting 22 but it was just not enough to get past the surging Kings.

Game recap: Wednesday night a Northern California battle took place at Golden 1 Center between the Kings and the Warriors. The Kings are currently in seventh place in the Western Conference after climbing out of a 12th place position. The Warriors sit in 11th place.

The Warriors took the court without the services of Draymond Green and Jonathan Kuminga on Wednesday. Green is dealing with a mild calf strain and Kuminga is suffering from a lateral right ankle sprain. The Kings played this game without injury. Sacramento continued their win streak at home not having lost a game under interim coach Doug Christie. They picked up their third win in a row and their ninth win out of 11 starts.

There will not be a whole lot of down time for Sacramento after Wednesday night’s game. They hop on a plane Wednesday night heading out to Denver for a matchup with the fourth place Nuggets Thursday night. Tipoff for that game is scheduled for 6:00 PM. The Kings will be in search of their fourth win in a row.

G League Action: Kings maintain lead to close out Lakers 112-99

Forward Isaac Jones (3) led the Stockton Kings in scoring with 18 points to help defeat the visiting South Bay Lakers at Adventist Health Arena in Stockton on Wed Jan 22, 2025 (Stockton Kings X photo)

By William Espy

STOCKTON–The Stockton Kings returned home after a big win over the Santa Cruz Warriors to take on the South Bay Lakers on Wednesday. The Kings came away with a 112-99 win improve to 9-2 and in first place in the Western Conference.

The Lakers got out to an early lead, but the two teams went back-and-forth never allowing them to truly pull away. After a few minutes, both teams struggled to get a stop and the lead changed hands multiple times.

Eventually, the Kings would get the lead on a Jon Elmore three-pointer, which Elmore followed up with a couple of free throws, giving Stockton a two-possession lead for the first time in the game. Elmore and Isaac Jones were dominant early on, as halfway through the first they combined for 21 of the Kings’ 23 points.

The Lakers brought it back to within a single point with roughly five minutes remaining in the first frame, and ultimately ended up tying it off of a free throw by Sir’Jabari Rice. They’d be unable to regain the lead though, and once the Kings extended their lead back to six points, the Lakers were forced to take a timeout. At the end of the first, the Kings led 36-33 after a high-scoring start to the night.

Momentum shifted in the second quarter, as the Lakers found themselves in the lead halfway through. They had bounced back and were up 47-41 after a strong start on both ends of the court. Although the Kings’ offense woke up a bit in the second half of the frame, the Lakers kept the lead heading into half-time with a score of 54-50.

The Lakers were never able to pull away to start the third quarter, and eventually, a three from Elmore would give the Kings the lead once again with six minutes remaining. From there, they’d maintain the lead for the rest of the third. Dexter Dennis threw down an emphatic dunk to give the Kings an 80-74 lead heading into the final quarter.

Isaac Jones was able to extend Stockton’s lead to double digits just a minute into the fourth quarter, but the Lakers weren’t going to give up easily. Within 20 seconds, the lead was already cut in half and it was anybody’s game.

Within a minute, the Lakers were back within a single possession. The Kings didn’t get discouraged though, and momentum was quickly back in their favor as they put the lead back up to 92-84 and South Bay was forced to take a time out to cool Stockton’s run.

From there, the Lakers would occasionally make it a bit closer but they were unable to take the lead. The Kings would maintain their lead and walk away with a 112-99 win, in big part due to Isaac Jones’ 35 point performance.

Barracuda snap losing streak in 4-3 shootout win over Coachella Valley Firebirds

The San Jose Barracuda host the Coachella Valley Firebirds at Tech CU Arena on January 22, 2025 in San Jose, California. (Photo by Kavin Mistry/San Jose Barracuda)

By Madison Montez

SAN JOSE- Coming into Wednesday’s game, San Jose snapped their three game losing streak defeating the Coachella Valley Firebirds 4-3 at Tech CU Arena. Both Danil Guschin and Thomas Bordeleau drew back into the lineup after missing the last series. Before the game, San Jose and Anaheim made a trade sending Justin Bailey to the Ducks and Pavol Regenda to the Sharks. Regenda made his San Jose Barracuda debut Wednesday night.

Coachella got started early scoring 1:04 into the first. Logan Morrisson scored his tenth of the season, assisted by Lleyton Roed and Daniel Sprong. San Jose tied it at 12:18 after Bordeleau picked up a loose puck and passed it to Poturalski who scored his 17th of the season. Ethan Cardwell picking up the secondary assist.

San Jose took the lead at 9:40 of the second with 20 seconds left in four on four action. After a couple back-to-back passes between Jimmy Schuldt and Colin White, Schuldt scored his third of the season. Frisch registering the secondary assist after tipping the puck to Schuldt.

Coachella answered back at 14:00 when the fifth ranked powerplay took advantage of their fourth opportunity. Jani Nyman beat Dell’s left side and scored his 16th goal of the season. Nikolas Brouillard and Brandon Biro registering the assists.

26 seconds later, Coachella retook their lead when Max Lajoie scored his third of the season, Ty Nelson and Luke Henman registering the assists.

Scoring his first of the season of the season, Jack Thompson tied the game at 3-3 at 13:05 of the third. Donavan Houle and Colin White registering the assists. White with his second assist of the night.

Regulation wasn’t enough as the game went into overtime. Overtime wasn’t enough and the game went into a shootout. San Jose sent out Danil Guschin and Lucas Carlsson who made both of their shots. Dell also denied both Firebirds and San Jose walked away with the win, snapping their three game losing streak.

THREE STARS OF THE GAME:

  • 1. Lucas Carlsson, GWG
  • 2. Colin White, 2A
  • 3. Jack Thompson, 1G

The Barracuda will be back in action on Saturday hosting the Toronto Marlies for the first time at home. The last time these two teams faced off was on November 24th when San Jose split the series, winning in a shootout. Danil Guschin scoring in regulation and also in the shootout t secure the win.

Golden Bears upend Seminoles 77-68 for ACC victory

Cal Bears forward Joshua Ola-Joseph (1) looks astonished with forward Lee Dort (34) in the background as Cal defeated the Florida State Seminoles at Haas Pavilion on Wed Jan 22, 2025 (Cal Bears X photo)

By Daniel Dullum

Wednesday, January 22, 2025

California used the offensive efforts of Jeremiah Wilkinson, Rytis Petraitis and Mady Sissoko to upend Florida State 77-68 in Atlantic Coast Conference men’s basketball Wednesday at Haas Pavilion.

Wilkinson scored 18 points for the Golden Bears (10-9 overall, 3-5 ACC) while Sissoko and Petraitis each registered a double-double. Sissoko had 14 points and 13 rebounds, while Petraitis finished with 12 points and 13 boards. Joshua Ola-Joseph scored 14 points and DJ Campbell chipped in with ten points.

Sissoko’s dunk put Cal up 69-59 with three minutes to play. Then Daquan Davis and Jamie Watkins scored inside to pull the Seminoles (13-6 overall, 4-4 ACC) to within six with 1:20 remaining. Cal maintained its lead by going 8-for-8 at the free throw line.

Earlier in the second half, Jerry Deng’s dunk gave Florida State a 51-49 lead at the 12-minute mark. But the Seminoles went cold, missing 11 consecutive shots while being held to eight points in a nine-minute stretch.

While FSU struggled, the Golden Bears scored 18 points, building a 57-55 lead with 4:30 to play.

Watkins led the Seminoles with 18 points, Malique Ewin contributed 16 points and 10 rebounds, and Deng finished with 11 points.

While FSU visits Stanford on Saturday, Cal hosts Miami (Fla.), also on Saturday.

Cal Bears WBB podcast with Morris Phillips: Cal battles Stanford on the Hill Thursday

Cal Bears center Michelle Onyiah (0) takes a shot over the Wake Forest Demon Deacons forward Kennedy Moore (15) at LVJM Coliseum in Winston-Salem NC on Sun Jan 19, 2025 (Cal Bears photo)

On the Cal Bears WBB podcast with Morris Phillips:

#1 Cal Bears who are Cal is 17-3, 5-2, 11 scheduled games remaining, nine against teams below them in the ACC standings and 11-0 at Haas Pavilion.  Marta Suarez led with 16 points with nine assists, Ioanna Krimili and Lulu Twidale scored four three pointers and both finished with 14 points on Sunday in Cal’s 67-55 win over the Wake Forest Demon Deacons (7-12) in Winston-Salem NC.

#2 Michelle Onyiah scored ten points and grabbed ten rebounds with her fifth double-double of the season.

#3 Krimili was aggressive in getting the basketball early scoring their first eight points for a 10-2 start that put Cal in front 23-19 for Cal’s first lead four minutes in the second quarter and never look back.

#4 Morris, after getting crushed by Duke 72-38 on Thursday how important was it for them to turn around on Sunday and get that win against Wake Forest to end their road trip to Tabacco Road?

#5 Cal tips off against their cross bay rival the Stanford Cardinal (10-8) Thu Jan 22 for a 7:00pm PST start. The Cardinal are 13th in the ACC. Stanford has almost been flawless at home with a 9-1 record. Do you see the Bears not being intimidated and getting business done or could it be a battle for them at Maples Pavilion?

Join Morris Thursdays for the Cal Bears podcasts at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

MLB podcast with Michael Duca: Ichiro’s Hall of Fame induction was never in doubt; Sabathia and Wagner elected to Hall of Fame; plus more news

The Seattle Mariners right fielder Ichiro Suzuki makes a leaping catch to rob the Cleveland Guardians Carlos Santana of a hit in the bottom of the fourth inning at Progressive Field in Cleveland on Thu May 17, 2012. Ichiro was voted into the MLB Cooperstown Hall of Fame on Tue Jan 21, 2025 (AP News photo)

On the MLB podcast with Michael Duca:

#1 Michael not only did former Seattle Mariner Ichiro Suzuki was voted in for enshrinement but all the talk was that he missed getting unanimously voted in by one vote.

#2 One of the highlight achievements of Ichiro’s career was that he surpassed George Sisler’s single hit season record on Oct 1, 2004 with his 258th hit.

#3 Michael, take about Vallejo native and newly Hall of Fame inductee former New York Yankee pitcher CC Sabathia who retired at the age of 44 pitching from 2001 to 2019. Winning 251 games with an ERA 3.74.

#4 Former Houston Astros pitcher Billy Wagner was voted into the Hall of Fame on his tenth and final Hall of Fame ballot wining by 82.5%. Wagner was 47-40 career with an ERA of 2.31.

#5 To close out this segment since were talking about Hall of Famers who made it let’s talk about maybe the one player you could think of that has not and is not in the Hall of Fame that you personally feel deserves to be in the Hall of Fame?

Michael Duca is a MLB analyst for http://www.sportsradioservice.com