Lots of scoring Kings outduel Grizzlies 138-133 for Kings 3rd straight win

Sacramento Kings guard Malik Monk (left) drives past Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaylen Wells (center) and the Kings Domantas Sabonis (11) in first half action at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Fri Jan 3, 2025 (AP News photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings were back in action on Friday night inside the Golden 1 Center. The Kings have been navigating a very tumultuous time. Over the past few weeks, the Kings endured six straight losses, fired their head coach, and appointed Doug Christie as interim head coach to lead the team on the court.

Both the organization and the fanbase have been facing significant challenges lately. On Friday, they welcomed the Memphis Grizzlies, who entered the game with a 23-11 record, while the Kings stood at 15-19.

Amidst a forgettable stretch, the Kings were determined to turn the page. The game also marked the NBA debut of guard Devin Carter, who had been sidelined since the draft due to shoulder surgery. Tip-off against the Grizzlies was set for 7 PM PST. The Kings defeated the Grizzlies 138-133 on Friday night.

In the first quarter, the Kings’ offense exploded in a performance of epic proportions, scoring an impressive 46 points. Trey Lyles led the charge with 11 points, while Malik Monk added ten. The high-flying offense brought back memories of the 2022-2023 season. Although Memphis also started strong, they managed only 32 points. The Kings took a commanding lead heading into the second quarter.

In the second quarter, the Kings continued to press the Grizzlies, but Memphis responded with an offensive eruption of their own, scoring 40 points. The Kings contributed 32 points in the second quarter, maintaining a slim lead of 78-72 at halftime.

Malik Monk led the Kings with 17 points in the first half, followed by Trey Lyles with 14. Jaylen Wells paced the Grizzlies with 16 points. Defense was nearly nonexistent, as both teams combined for a staggering 150 points in the first half. It was clear that whichever team stepped up defensively in the second half would likely secure the victory.

In the third quarter, the game slowed as both teams tightened up defensively. The Kings were outscored 28-24 by the Grizzlies. De’Aaron Fox led the Kings with five points in the quarter, while Sacramento native Jaylen Wells guided Memphis with 11 points. The Kings’ lead was trimmed to just two points, 102-100, setting the stage for a nail-biting final quarter.

In the fourth quarter, the Kings did just enough on defense to secure the win. Outscoring the Grizzlies 36-33, Sacramento held on for a hard-fought 138-133 victory. While the defensive effort wasn’t stellar, the Kings managed to find a way to win—a quality that has often eluded them this season. Christie echoed this sentiment postgame, stating: “We are gonna do some learning defensively. We still have to keep growing, but it’s always good to win while you’re learning. Tonight, we were able to do that.”

The Kings were led by Malik Monk, who finished with 31 points. Jaylen Wells was the top scorer for Memphis, contributing 30 points in the contest. The Kings improved to 16-19 on the year as the Grizzlies fell to 23-12.

Up Next: The Kings will travel an hour west to face the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center in San Francisco on Sunday at 5:30 PM PST.

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: Artificial Intelligence in Sports Broadcasting

Genius Sports Broadcasting could be a new voice taking over humans doing voice overs and use a robot for AI in voice over broadcasting situations which could put tens of thousands out of work that work in broadcasting (image from Linkedin)

Artificial Intelligence in Sports Broadcasting

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

Today, AI helps coaches and players make strategic decisions and adjustments during games. Team executives, referees, and judges are using AI to their advantage. But how about in the media world, especially broadcasting?

The NFL is currently working with data specialists Genius Sports, working directly with a consumer streaming service. Data-driven to tell new stories to viewers so they can understand more about what they are watching. In other words, AI will tell you what you are watching if you cannot figure it out.

AI is more intelligent than you, everybody else, or so they believe. The NFL and Stats stream adds player name, location, speed and box score player stats to a live video feed. All in real-time. WOW!

Can Artificial Intelligence replace sports announcers? Not yet. However, jobs that are most likely to go the Dodo way are as follows (all by 2030) will be automated: cashiers, telemarketers, data entry clerks, and customer service agents.

Some human analysts believe that advances in AI’s data analysis and decision-making capabilities could affect some white-collar jobs, such as legal assistants and financial advisors.

AI can now effectively imitate or duplicate your voice, using just a short audio sample to learn your speech patterns and create a synthetic voice that sounds remarkably like you; this is often referred to as “voice cloning” and can be done with increasingly sophisticated AI tools, allowing anyone to generate speech seemingly spoken by you, even if they are not you.

AI will likely bring a lot of litigation. As they replicate your voice without your consent, you can file a lawsuit because using it without permission can violate your right to public and privacy laws or if the generated voice is used commercially or in a way that harms your reputation.

A simple example of Artificial Intelligence. Let’s say you search the internet for simple medical advice; you will see Medical organizations, hospitals, doctors, clinics, and so on give you their opinions. In that same article, you will also see the AI opinion on your topic of interest.

Artificial Intelligence is here to stay. The future will dictate whether it will help or hinder regular humans, but it poses an interesting situation. If you are not confused, here is the official definition. Humans are not considered artificial, which means man-made or created by humans.

Humans are a naturally occurring species on Earth, meaning they are not considered artificial by definition. In simpler terms, we created AI, and maybe they will destroy us in the end. Happy New Year!

Amaury Pi Gonzalez does News and Commentary podcasts Tuesdays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson: Kings face second place Grizzlies tonight at Golden 1

The Philadelphia 76ers forward Guerchon Yabusele (left) defends against the Sacramento Kings forward Domatas Sabonis (right) in the first half at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Wed Jan 1, 2025 (AP News photo)

On the Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson:

#1 De’Aaron Fox scored 35 points and looked like his old self again as the Sacramento Kings were lights out with a win over the Philadelphia 76ers 113-107 at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento.

#2 It was the second win in a row for Sacramento after suffering a six game losing streak. What would you point to that even for these two games got the Kings to turn it around?

#3 The Kings Domantas Sabonis had a big night with 17 points, 21 rebounds, five assists, and DeMar DeRozan scored 18 points.

#4 The Kings were down by 14 points in first half action but caught up and tied the ball game up at 57-57 at the half. For one brief fleeting moment the Sixers took a 107-98 lead with 3:15 left but the Kings took over for the rest of the game.

#5 The second place Western Conference Memphis Grizzlies are in Sacramento tonight. The Grizzlies have won seven of their last ten games. It’s going to be a test of wills for the Kings if they want to make it three wins in a row on tonight in Sacramento.

Join Jeremiah for the Kings podcasts each Friday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

G League action: Kings with strong performances up and down the line up clobber Hustle 118-94

Guard Dexter Dennis (9) gets an easy lay up for the Stockton Kings against the Austin Hustle at AdventistHealth Arena in Stockton on Thu Jan 2, 2025 (Stockton Kings X photo)

By William Espy

The Stockton Kings hosted the Memphis Hustle in their first game of 2025. The Kings played a strong defensive and offensive game and outlasted the Hustle 118-94 at AdventistHealth Arena in Stockton.

The Kings were assigned top prospect Devin Carter as well as center Orlando Robinson prior to the game, both of whom were in the starting lineup.

Carter, whose first game with Stockton was marred by fatigue, played a team leading 33 minutes, tied with guard Mason Jones. In just his second professional game, Carter recorded a double-double, grabbing 12 boards and putting up 17 points, going 6-15 from the field.

Dexter Dennis, who was coming off of the bench with Carter in the lineup, had a phenomenal offensive performance. He went 8-13 from the field, and 5-10 from three-point range. He also made an impact defensively, leading the team in +/- with +23.

A hot start put the Kings in the lead early, as they outscored the Hustle 27-12 in the first quarter. They further improved their lead in the second, when defense appeared to go out the window. Stockton scored 39 points, allowing only 26 from Memphis.

The trend continued when the Kings outscored Memphis in the third quarter as well, this time by a much narrower margin, 27-26. Heading into the final frame, Stockton had a significant 93-64 lead. They weren’t able to sweep all four quarters though, as the Hustle scored 30 in the fourth compared to 25 for Stockton. It didn’t matter to the Kings though, as they walked away as the victorious ones.

Over the course of the night, Memphis had six players reach double digits for points but they weren’t getting enough from their secondary players. Ultimately, with only their starters and one bench player getting on the scoreboard, it was far from enough to defeat the Kings.

The Kings improved to 3-0 on the season, while Memphis will continue to look for their first win, falling to 0-3.

Strong performances up and down the lineup, on both sides of the court, led to Stockton walking away with a decisive 118-94 win over Memphis.

The Kings will now go on the road for the first time in the regular season as they’ll face the Rip City Remix in a back-to-back for their next games.

NHL podcast with Len Shapiro: Slavin gets game winning goal for Hurricane; Rangers Quick stops 32 shots to edge Bruins 2-1; plus more news

The Carolina Hurricanes center Sebastian Aho (20) and Florida Panthers left wing Matthew Tkachuk (19) scuffle as linesman Tommy Hughes tries to break it up in the second period at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise (AP News photo)

On the NHL podcast with Len Shapiro:

#1 Jaccob Slavin got the game winning goal for the Carolina Hurricane in the third period at 7:30 to break a 1-1 tie which the Hurricane won by a final score of 3-1.Slavin’s wasn’t without a battle as there was a pile up in front of the net as the Hurricane’s Jesperi Kotaniemi slid into Florida Panther goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky who was down at the crease in front of the net when Slavin made a rebound shot from the left circle for the goal.

#2 The New York Rangers edged the Boston Bruins 2-1 at Madison Square Garden. The Ranger goaltender Jonathan Quick was able to stop 32 shots and the Rangers snapped a four game losing streak. It was career win 399 for Quick and it was Quick’s first win since Nov 30th. If Quick wins his next game he will pick up his 400th win and become the first US born goalie to win 400 games.

#3 The Washington Capital Alexander Ovechkin scored his career 871st goal. Ovechkin needs just 24 more goals to catch Wayne Gretzky to become the number one goal scorer of all time. In spite of Ovechkin’s goal the Capitals lost in a shootout to the Minnesota Wild when Matt Boldy scored the game winner as the Wild took a 4-3 win.

#4 The Detroit Red Wings Jonatan Berggren scored a game winning goal with 36 seconds left in the third period to edge the Columbus Blue Jackets 5-4 at Nationwide Arena in Columbus on Thursday night. The win improves the Wings win streak to three games. Alex DeBrincat scored and had two goals to contribute to the Red Wings cause.

#5 The Toronto Maple Leafs Bobby McMann scored twice as the Leafs defeated the New York Islanders 2-1 in New York. The Leafs Joseph Woll stopped 32 shots. The win marks the second time in a week the Leafs have defeated the Isles and the Leafs have now won three times in four games against the Islanders.

Len Shapiro does the NHL podcasts each Friday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Sharks Start 2025 New Year Strong Against Tampa with 2-1 win

Mario Ferraro waves to the crowd at home at SAP Center after scoring the second goal during the game against Tampa Bay Lightning on Jan 2, 2025 (Sharks Media)

New Year is here so is a new chance to win a game as the Sharks hosts for final time this season Tampa bay with a win at home.

By: Fernando Abarca

SAN JOSE, CA –– The 2024 did not end on a good note for the San Jose Sharks. They suffered another loss on New Year’s Eve against the Flyers at home, while the Tampa Bay Lightning fell on the same boat as they suffered a horrible loss of 6-2 against the Montreal Canadiens. Both teams are going to try to start the new year sharp. The Sharks bounced back and edged the Lightning at SAP Center 2-1 on Thursday night.

It was also the return of Andrei Vasilevskiy, who returned to be behind the net after missing most of the season so far.

Tampa Bay was expected to start the game taking control due to its position in the standings and its team with better depth, but that was not the case. San Jose had control of the puck on several occasions tonight and was a team that played to steal the puck from Tampa Bay.

Tampa Bay had good chances to score in the 1st Period, but none went into the net.

San Jose, on the other hand, found its way to put the first one on the board. Tyler Toffoli showed a magical play, dribbling with the puck and scoring a goal that put the Sharks in the lead in the final minutes of the first period.

The first goal set the momentum for the Sharks for what later on would be a win for the Teal, that needed it so much. In the 2nd Period, it was plagued by penalties and, of course, the tension between both teams. Both Mario Ferraro (SJ) and Mitchell Chaffee (TB) got a penalty for fighting in retaliation for hitting Nikolai Kovanlenko.

At 07.05 of the game, Mario Ferraro showed heart and nailed the 2nd goal for the Sharks, leaving the score 2-0, but just minutes before the end of the period, Anthony Cirelli put the first one for the visitors. During the 3rd period, there were no goals, but Tampa did show itself in moments of desperation, the performance of the goaltender, Yaroslav Askarov was one to remember, Askarov gave everything for the team statistically speaking.

Tampa was aggressive, but San Jose found a way to maintain its composure and game spirit, an attitude that had not been shown for a while by a team that has been battered by losses in recent weeks.

With this victory, San Jose started the year on the right foot and with the desire to add more victories in the games to come. San Jose has another date at home here at the SAP Center against the New Jersey Devils on Saturday at 1 pm.

Cal Bears WBB podcast with Morris Phillips: Cal tips off ACC schedule at Clemson Thursday

Raise your hand if you want a win, the Cal Bears defeated the Temple Owls at Temple University on Sun Dec 22, 2024 for Cal’s seventh straight win in a row. The Bears face the Clemson Tigers on Thu Jan 2, 2025 at Clemson. (Cal Bears photo)

On the Cal Bears podcast with Morris Phillips:

#1 Morris, the Cal Bears have moved up in the AP to number 25 and in the USA Today coaches’ poll at number 20. The way their playing it’s not too surprising?

#2 The Bears (13-1, ACC 1-0) are on a seven game winning streak. This is the best start for Cal since the 2016-17 season.

#3 Cal resumes their ACC docket when they battle the Clemson Tigers on Thu Jan 2 a 4:00pm PST. The Tigers have won three of their last five games. If Cal were to win this game it would give them their best start in school history.

#4 This will be the first time Cal and Clemson have hooked up since the 1990-91 season. Both teams have played twice previously with Cal winning both games.

#5 In Cal’s last game against the Temple Owls on Sun Dec 22 had 50 rebounds which was the most for the Golden Bears since Dec 16, 2022 against UC San Diego when they pulled down 52.

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

Kings string back to back wins defeat Sixers 113-107 at Golden 1

Sacramento Kings guard DeAaron Fox (5) takes the ball against the Philadelphia 76ers forward Caleb Martin (16) in the first half at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Wed Jan 1, 2025 (AP News photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings were back in action on Wednesday night, fresh off their Monday victory against the visiting Dallas Mavericks. On Wednesday, the Kings hosted the Philadelphia 76ers at the Golden 1 Center, with tip-off set for 7 PM PST. The Kings emerged victorious, defeating the 76ers 113-107 to improve their record to 15-19 for the season. Meanwhile, Philadelphia dropped to 13-18 in the 2024-2025 campaign.

The first quarter saw the Kings start off somewhat flat. Defensively, they struggled to contain Paul George, who racked up an impressive 14 points in the opening period. The Kings’ three-point shooting was not much of a factor, as they converted just one of four attempts from deep. Domantas Sabonis led the Kings in scoring for the quarter with eight points. The 76ers outpaced the Kings, finishing the first quarter with a 30-25 advantage.

In the second quarter, the Kings played with increased urgency and sharper execution. They outscored the 76ers 32-27, highlighted by a buzzer-beating three-pointer from De’Aaron Fox to tie the game at 57-57 going into halftime. The Kings positioned themselves well for the second half by stepping up their intensity. Fox led all Kings scorers at halftime with 16 points, while Paul George led the 76ers with 20 points in the first half.

The third quarter proved challenging for the Kings, as the 76ers seized control. Philadelphia outscored Sacramento 32-23 in the quarter, taking a commanding 89-80 lead heading into the fourth. Paul George continued his stellar play, bringing his total to 30 points through three quarters, as the Kings struggled to find answers defensively.

The fourth quarter, however, was a different story. The Kings responded with a spirited 15-0 run to close out the game. Their defensive intensity surged, allowing them to secure critical stops and swing the momentum in their favor. Sacramento outscored Philadelphia 33-18 in the final period to clinch the 113-107 win.

De’Aaron Fox was unstoppable, finishing the game with an outstanding 35 points on an exceptionally efficient 13-of-16 shooting. Notably, Paul George, who had been dominant through three quarters, was held scoreless in the fourth.

After the game, Kings HC Doug Christie expressed his approval of the team’s performance, stating, “Super, super proud of our guys. That is the type of fight that we expect on a night-to-night basis.”

Up Next: The Kings remain at home to face the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday at 7 PM PST.

Carlsson scores twice to defeat the Gulls 4-3 in the first ever New Years Day matchup

Luke Grainger (57) and Josh Lopina (10) fighting for the puck during their game on Wednesday January 1st at Pechanga Arena (Via SDGullsAHL/x)

By Madison Montez

SAN JOSE- In the first New Year’s Day matchup in San Jose Barracuda history, San Jose defeated the San Diego Gulls in overtime 4-3 at SAP Center. Lucas Carlsson with two goals, one being the game winner in overtime.

In a great effort by Ethan Cardwell to out-skate the Gulls in their zone and grab the puck, Lucas Carlsson netted his 6th goal of the season at 12:24 of the firsrt. Cardwell registering the primary assist and Thomas Bordeleau with the secondary assist, Bordeleau now has 100 points in his career. On a turnover by Tristen Robins at 19:21, Samuel Colangelo tied the game at 1-1 netting his 12th goal of the season assisted by Jan Mysak.

After keeping the puck in San Jose’s zone, the Gulls took a 2-1 lead, their first of the game. Nikita Myatovic kept the puck on his stick, scoring just his second goal of the season, assisted by Roland McKeown and Tristan Luneau at 17:31 of the second.

Snapping a 15 game score-less drought, Tristen Robins netted his fourth goal of the season to tie the game at 2-2 at 3:40 of the third. Jack Thompson and Scott Sabourin registering the assists. Lucas Carlsson was called for a tripping penalty which gave Jan Mysak the opportunity for a penalty shot. Jan Mysak scored, giving San Diego the lead once again.

A minute and 17 seconds later, Donavan Houle scored his sixth of the season assisted by Ethan Frisch and Filip Bystedt to tie the game at 3-3 at 9:11 of the third.

Regulation wasn’t enough for the two teams as the game went into overtime. At 3:29, Ethan Cardwell dropped the puck for Lucas Carlsson who waited for a second to catch Calle Clang off balance and scored his second goal of the night to secure the win 4-3.

THREE STARS OF THE GAME:

  • 1. Jan Mysak 1G, 1A
  • 2. Lucas Carlsson 2G
  • 3. Nico Myatovic 1G

The Barracuda will be back in action on Saturday January 4th to host the Colorado Eagles for a two game series. The last time these two teams faced off was on November 10th where San Jose avoided the sweep. Houle, Frisch, Poturalski, and Robins (2) all registering goals in the 5-3 win.

Stanford Cardinal MBB podcast with Michael Roberson: Cardinal couldn’t keep up in second half against Clemson in 85-71 loss

Clemson Tigers guard Jake Heidbreder (3) takes a jump shot against Stanford Cardinal guard Oziyah Sellers (4) at LittleJohn Coliseum at Clemson on Wed Jan 1, 2025 (Clemson Tigers photo)

On Stanford Cardinal podcast with Michael Roberson:

#1 The Clemson Tigers Chase Hunter scored 22 points, Chauncy Wiggins scored 17 points his most for the season as the Tigers gave no space to the Stanford Cardinal in the second half of the game for a 85-71 win.

#2 Hunter was hard to defend for the Cardinal and just shutting him down a bit could have made a huge difference as the Cardinal were beaten by 14 points and Hunter had 22 points.

#3 The game was all tied at 52-52 with 14:37 left in the ball game when the Tigers turned the tables going on a 10-0 run which pretty much put Stanford behind the eight ball.

#4 What hurt the Cardinal were the turnovers as Stanford allowed 16 turnovers which converted into 25 points.

#5 Up next for the Cardinal the Pittsburgh Panthers next Sat Jan 4 for a 3:30pm PST tip in Pittsburgh. The Panthers are fourth in the Atlantic Coast at 11-2 and have won four in a row. The Panthers could be a hand full for the Cardinal this Saturday?

Michael Roberson does the Stanford Cardinal podcasts each Thursday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com