Author: Sports Radio Service

Barracuda power play shoots down Roadrunners in 4-0 shutout win, split series

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San Jose Barracuda forwards Cole Cassles (#60) and Nathan Todd (#45) celebrate Cassels goal in the second period during the Barracuda’s 4-0 win at Tech CU Arena on Sunday MAR 24, 2024. (San Jose Barracuda)

by Marko Ukalovic

SAN JOSE — The San Jose Barracuda scored three power play goals and goalie Eetu Makiniemi stopped all 27 shots he faced in a 4-0 shutout victory over the Tucson Roadrunners on Sunday afternoon at Tech CU Arena.

San Jose split their weekend series with its second win in three games. Tucson fell back down to earth as they have lost two of their last three games. It was only the third time the Roadrunners have been shutout this season.

The Barracuda (20-30-9-2) drew first blood late in the first period with its first power play goal of the game. Kyle Rau threw the puck in front of the crease as the puck laid loose in front of a sea of traffic. Danil Gushchin dug out the puck and buried it into the back of the net for his 15th goal of the season at the 18:36 mark.

Tucson (36-21-3-2) only generated six shots in the opening frame that was dominated by San Jos who outshot them by eight with a 14-6 margin.

San Jose doubled its lead with its second power play goal late in the second period. Gushchin led a rush up the ice and sent a pass far side over to Cole Cassels along the right slot. Cassels wrist shot deflected off a Roadrunner defender through the five-hole of Roadrunners goalie of Dylan Wells for his ninth goal of the season at the 17:35 mark.

Oskar Lindblom scored the ‘Cuda’s third unanswered goal, an even strength one, just before the halfway mark of the third period. Shakir Mukhamadullin centered a pass through the crease as Lindblom’s first attempt was saved by Wells. The veteran forward cleaned up his own rebound for his eighth goal of the season at the 8:47 mark.

Tucson was never able to establish any offensive rhythm as they were busy going to the sinbin throughout the game as they took nine penalties, most of them undisciplined, that allowed San Jose to have a sustained forecheck.

Ethan Cardwell got back on the scoring sheet with San Jose’s third power play goal of the game just under three minutes later. Tristen Robbins sent a no look rink wide pass over to Cardwell who blasted a one-timer past Wells for his team-leading 19th goal of the season at the 11:37 mark. Cardwell has goals four of his past five games.

Things became chippy in the final two minutes of the game with two fights and a total of nine players between both teams given 10-minute misconducts with 1:53 remaining. There was a total of 148 combined penalty minutes between the two teams.

Makiniemi (8-8-0-3) had a relatively easy afternoon as he earned his third shutout of the season with his 27 saves. Wells (8-5-2-1) made 36 saves on 40 shots in the losing effort.

GAME NOTES: San Jose finished 3-for 9 on the power play. Tucson was 0-for-5.

San Jose is now 2-4 against Tucson in the season series.

The Three Stars of the Game: 1) Gushchin 2) Mukhamadullin 3) Makiniemi.

Who let the dogs out? The Barracuda had their annual Pucks and Paws Day as 3,982 showed up with their canine friends.

UP NEXT: San Jose concludes their four-game homestand when they host the Ontario Reign on Wednesday 3/27 at 7:00pm at Tech CU Arena.

Headline Sports with Charlie O: Can Ohtani interpreter stay in Japan avoid extradition?; Ex-O’s owner Angelos dead at 94 great accomplishments; plus more news

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Former Los Angeles Dodgers interpreter Ippei Mizuhara (left) and Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani no longer will be working together after Mizuhara was fired by the Dodgers for allegedly massive theft of Ohtani’s money for gambling (photo from ESPN)

On Headline Sports with Charlie O:

#1 Charlie, how bad of a look is it for baseball to have Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter allegedly stealing some $4.5 million from Ohtani to use it to gamble with an illegal bookmaker with Ohtani’s name on it. The big question is from the face of the story and everything we know does it look like or appear that Ohtani could have had a hand in this scandal based on the money transfers being in Ohtani’s name? Ippei Mizuhara the interpreter reportedly has said that Ohtani didn’t have anything to do with gambling which is being investigated by the US Attorney’s office.

#2 Baltimore Orioles former owner Peter Angelos has passed away at age 94. He oversaw an Orioles organization that had it’s highs and lows but the one thing everyone will remember him by his when got the plans together in the early 90s to build Camden Yards which opened in 1992. It was the ballpark that started other major league franchises to want a new ballpark for themselves. Angelos commandeered the idea of having the Orioles play a exhibition series against the Cuban National team in Havana Cuba on March 28, 1999. It was the first time that any team from the US played in Cuba since 1959. Later that season the the same two teams met again on May 3 at Camden Yards.

#3 The Philadelphia Phillies Bryce Harper who hasn’t played in a exhibition game since Mar 14th was in the line up against the New York Yankees yesterday. Harper had been out with sore back. Harper played in a simulated game on Friday and got in the line up on Saturday. Harper had back spasms last season.

#4 The San Francisco Giants announced that they will begin looking for a new PA announcer to replace the popular Renel Brooks Moon who had been the Giants PA announcer for 24 seasons. The Giants plan to rotate PA announcers during the season until they settle on someone they will hire. The Giants said they couldn’t reach a deal with Renel and sources say she wasn’t rehired because she was outspoken on social injustice issues.

#5 The Oakland 68s and the Last Dive Bar two Oakland A’s fan groups have voice their displeasure regarding the Oakland A’s cutting the usual opening night parking lot time from four hours down to two hours. The A’s say that the expect a low attendance for Thu Mar 28th and that opening the lot for four hours before the game would not be necessary. The 68s and the Last Dive Bar call the A’s decision “mind games” and a deliberate way to cut into their parking lot boycott that they planned.

Join Charlie O for Headline Sports each Sunday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Ebobisse’s late goal heroics give Earthquakes first win of the season 3-2 over Sounders

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San Jose Earthquakes players celebrate a goal scored by Cristian Espinoza during their 3-2 victory over the Seattle Sounders at Pay Pal Park on Saturday MAR 23, 2024. (San Jose Earthquakes)

by Marko Ukalovic

SAN JOSE — Something had to give on a cloudy night in Silicon Valley.

On a night when both teams were looking to put a one in the win column, Jeremy Ebobisse scored the game winning goal in the 82nd minute as the San Jose Earthquakes defeated the Seattle Sounders 3-2 on a rainy Saturday evening at Pay Pal Park in the 16th edition of the Heritage Cup.

San Jose earned its first win of the season after beginning the season losing its first four matches. Seattle has lost two of their first four matches.

“It felt great, especially for the players,” said Quakes head coach Luchi Gonzalez. “The players have been fantastic in terms of trying to get better. We obviously have been disappointed with the results. We know that it hasn’t bounced our way, but we saw early in the week in competing and with their energy and in their belief. Together they showed that determination.”

Gonzalez made major lineup changes for the first time this season as he replaced his starting midfield with Alfred Morales, Jackson Yueill and Niko Tsakiris. Preston Judd replaced Ebobisse in the starting lineup at striker and William Yarbrough got his first start of the season in goal replacing Daniel in his Earthquakes debut.

San Jose (1-4-0) drew first blood in the 42nd minute. Yueill centered a ball into the box that hit off the head of defender Bruno Wilson over to a crashing Vitor Costa who slid kicking the ball into the net past Sounders goalkeeper Stefan Frei for his team-leading second goal of the season.

“It’s something we’ve been working, more so crashing the box. We want to be visible in the box. We want to be optimistic that the ball is going to bounce there. It wasn’t exactly the ball I was trying to put there but it was a good moment for him (Costa) to score and be in that position,” Yueill said.

The Earthquakes needed just a minute later to double its lead. Judd dribbled in from the left wing, hesitated, then shot the ball on Frei. The Sounders’ captain initial save bounced out to the middle where Cristian Espinoza cleaned up the rebound into an empty net for his first goal of the season.

The ‘Quakes had all the momentum in their favor as they controlled the possession for the majority of the first half and were rewarded late with the two goals as they headed into the intermission riding high.

Seattle (0-1-2) cut the lead in half when they were awarded a penalty in the 70th minute by referee Gabriele Ciampi when he called Paul Marie for a foul inside the box when he pushed down Yéimar Gómez from behind. Two minutes later Raúl Ruidíaz finished off the penalty by getting Yarbrough to go down before chipping the ball into the middle of the net for his team-leading second goal of the season.

The Sounders scored the equalizer in the 81st minute. Cody Baker centered a ball from the right sideline deep into the box where an unmarked Danny Musovski headed the ball into the back post for his first goal of the season.

Ebobisse, who came into the game as a substitution five minutes earlier, set up his own heroics as he sent out a pass over to Jack Skahan along the right flank. Skahan went around a Sounders defender before centering the ball into the box where a sliding Ebobisse buried into the net for his first goal of the season.

“We all want to be on the field, and we are going to make the most of it when we are on it. It does not mean you don’t have each other’s backs. The situation on the field is for one striker. Even if you want to be the best for yourself, you have to acknowledge when things are going right,” Ebobisse said.

Yarbrough finished the match with five saves on seven shots to earn his first victory in a Quakes kit. Frei made four saves on seven shots in the losing effort.

GAME NOTES: San Jose finished with two corner kicks. Seattle had eight.

The Quakes and Sounders FC, both founded in 1974 and originally members of the North American Soccer League (NASL), are celebrating their 50th anniversaries this season.

San Jose is now 15-15-9 all time against Seattle and is undefeated in their last four matches.

The Quakes’ first two goals happened 1:36 apart, which is the quickest span in MLS this season, eclipsing the previous mark of 2:02 by Austin FC against Philadelphia Union on March 16.

Attendance for the match was 16,109.

UP NEXT: San Jose returns to the road when they take on the Houston Dynamo on Saturday 3/30 at 5:30pm at Shell Energy Stadium.

Sharks give up five unanswered goals to Chicago in 5-4 overtime loss

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Photo courtesy of San Jose Sharks. Thomas Bordeleau and his teammates celebrate his goal (taken on 3/23/24).

By Titus Wilkinson (@TitusWisme)

The Sharks continued their home stand against the other worst team in the league the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday night.

The hometown kid Devin Cooley would be getting his first start at SAP Center as he was in between the pipes. Cooley had played one game for the Sharks previous to this one also against Chicago where he gave up four goals in a loss.

For the Blackhawks, it was veteran Peter Mrazek in goal who heading into this one had a 3.09 GAA and .904 SV%.

There was only one goal scorer in the opening period and it was Thomas Bordealeau who lit the lamp twice.

The first one came on the powerplay off a beautiful tip out front by Bordealeau who got his fifth of the season.

Later in the period, Bordeleau ripped one top shelf around a Chicago defender extending their lead and putting him on hat-trick watch.

The Blackhawks had to feel deja vu in the second period as this time it was Fabian Zetterlund scoring a goal on the power play and even strength. The even-strength goal would come just 16 seconds in as he ripped one past the glove of Mrazek. The second goal came just over a minute later as William Eklund fead Zetterlund an incredible pass backdoor giving Fabian his first career 20-goal season.

After these four goals unfortunately for San Jose it would be all downhill.

It started with Ryan Donato who shoveled home a rebound past Cooley cutting the Sharks lead down to three.

A little later in the period, Tyler Johnson found himself wide open in front of the net and deposited home a pass from Donato.

San Jose was almost able to get a response in the third but Mrazek who has consistently been one of Chicago’s best players robbed Bordeleau of his hat-trick goal.

Chicago would then cut San Jose’s lead down to one as this time Seth Jones found the back of the net.

It looked like the Sharks were gonna be able to hold out until with just a little under a minute left Phillip Kurashev stuffed home his 15th of the season tying the game up at four. Kurashev had easily been one of Chicago’s best scorers as of late as he had 12 points in his past ten games heading into this one.

That meant overtime was next and Chicago wasted absolutely no time ending it just 18 seconds in as Jones wristed home his second of the game and robbed Cooley of his first career win.

The three stars of the game were: 1st: Ryan Donato 2nd: Fabian Zetterlund 3rd: Seth Jones

The shots in the game favored Chicago 31-30 San Jose dominated on the power play going 2/4 while the Blackhawks went 0/2.

San Jose will look to bounce back on their home ice against Dallas a team they have also blown big leads to. That game will be played on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.

Bay FC loses in close battle to Washington 2-1 at Audi Field in DC

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Bay FC went all out against the Washington Spirit in a razor close game at Audi Field in Washington DC on Sat Mar 23, 2024 (Bay FC photo)

By William Espy

Bay FC visited the nation’s capital, Washington D.C, to take on the Washington Spirit at Audi Field. It was the home opener for the Spirit, who started their season in Seattle with a loss to the Seattle Reign and were looking to bounce back.

Bay FC on the other hand, started the season with a win against Angel City FC in Los Angeles. Their manager Albertin Montoya stuck with the 4-3-3 which worked well for them last time out, while Washington’s interim manager Adrian Gonzalez Morales countered with a 4-2-3-1 formation. The Spirit bounced back in with a one goal 2-1 win over Bay FC.

Bay FC Starting XI: Proulx, King, Beattie, Menges, Dydasco, Bailey, Anderson, Castellanos, Camberos, Blade, Oshoala

Washington Starting XI: Kingsbury, Krueger, Butel, McKeown, Carle, Hershfelt, Sullivan, Hatch, Bethune, Rodman, Sarr

Washington brought out quite a bit of pressure early, as they got a quality scoring chance less than a minute into the game. Bay FC would open the scoring though, as Dorian Bailey scored from the center of the box off of a pass from last game’s goal scorer Asisat Oshoala in the 11th minute.

Bailey spent five seasons with the Spirit before being acquired by Bay FC during the winter. Despite playing quite a few games with their organization, she was unable to score a goal in each of the last three seasons. Often regarded as a defender by the Spirit, Bailey is playing more of an offensive role with her new team. Oshoala almost scored one of her own in the 13th minute but hit the bar.

The former member of FC Barcelona has been a major contributor for Bay FC so far this season, and although she was unable to score in this game, she’s probably going to find the net more often than she misses this season.

Bay FC continued to apply pressure for the next ten minutes but were unable to extend their lead to two. After Scarlett Camberos was caught offside in the 21st minute, the Spirit started launching an attack which ended with a goal by Hal Hertshfelt from the right side of the box.

Trinity Rodman found her wide open, as she had been able to get behind Bay FC defender Savy King and Lysianne Proulx had no chance of saving the well-placed shot. It was Hershfelt’s first career NWSL goal in only her second career game, as she was selected by the Spirit in the first round of the 2024 draft.

For Bay FC, it was the first goal they had conceded since joining the league as well. Following the goal, momentum swung in Washington’s favor as they were able to maintain possession for the next few minutes and turned it into a couple more scoring chances.

Proulx faced a big test in the 34th minute, as Ouleymata Sarr took the ball from the defense in Washington’s offensive third of the pitch and got a shot off from just outside the box, as she has in most cases this season though, Proulx came through and made the save.

In the 36th minute, Casey Krueger collided with her teammate Hershfelt and went down with an apparent head injury. After a three-minute delay, she left the pitch under her own power and was eventually subbed off, with Anna Heilferty coming into the game. Due to the injury, officials would add six minutes of stoppage time but the game would head to halftime tied 1-1.

Neither team was able to get an advantage early in the second half, there was an occasional scoring chance but a lot of time was spent attempting to break through the defense on both ends. Bay in particular was maintaining considerable possession time, but were unable to get set up in the offensive third and were often regrouping in their own half of the pitch.

In the 58th minute, Deyna Castellanos took a hard foul after making contact with two Spirit players but would remain in the game. Just a few moments later, Rodman would be booked, the second yellow card of the game, the first was given to Camberos in the 48th minute.

Looking to break the tie, Washington took off their striker Sarr for Brittany Ratcliffe who had started in their two previous matches. In the 65th minute, Washington got the best opportunity of the half so far, when Croix Bethune hit the crossbar, if it were slightly lower it would’ve undoubtedly been the go-ahead goal.

In the 68th minute, Bay FC made their first substitution of the night as Jen Beattie was replaced by Alyssa Malonson on defense. At that point, momentum was certainly in the favor of the Spirit and Montoya hoped adding some energy to the backline could help settle things down a bit.

It did help, as Bay maintained possession in the offensive third a little more after the substitution, but the half was still scoreless when Rachel Hill replaced Cambreros in the 76th minute for Montoya’s second substitution of the night.

Injury struck again in the 83rd minute for the Spirit, as Rodman went down with apparent leg cramping and although she wanted to remain in the match, Courtney Brown took her spot for the remainder of the night.

Since Washington had used their three windows, they were done with substitutions for the night after Brown came on. In the 88th minute, Castellanos went down with an injury in the middle of play for Bay FC but she ended up remaining in the game.

The officials granted five minutes of stoppage time, and the game remained tied 1-1 after 90 minutes. That would change in the 95th though, as Bethune scored shortly after a set piece to give the Spirit a 2-1 lead and the victory. It was a heartbreaking first loss for Bay FC who could’ve easily walked away with a point on the road, but now they’ll look to bounce back in their home opener next weekend.

William Espy is a Bay FC beat writer for http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Kings Win Cliff-Hanger Beating Orlando 109-107

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The Sacramento Kings guard Malik Monk (0) takes the ball against the Orlando Magic center Mortiz Wagner (21) in the first half at the Kia Center in Orlando on Sat Mar 23, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

After losing a game to the worst team in the NBA Thursday night, the Sacramento Kings (40-29) went on to beat one of the best Saturday night. The Kings beat the Orlando Magic (42-28) in a crazy game where there were insane lead changes numbers-wise. The game went right down to the wire with the Kings coming out on top 109-107. This was not a game for the faint of heart. It was a great and badly needed win for the team.

Saturday evening the Kings traveled to Orlando for a matchup with the Magic. The Kings lost a shocker to the Washington Wizards Thursday night 109-102. Whether they took the Wizards lightly which hardly seems the case or they were just off their game, they cannot afford losses this late in the season. These two teams are evenly matched so fans were in store for a real barn burner.

The first half was close from start to finish. As the two teams headed to the locker room after the first two quarters the Magic had a slim lead 56-54. After the first 12 minutes, the Kings had a 27-26 lead. The Magic went on to win the second quarter 30-27 and thus the halftime lead 56-54. This game had proven to be as close as expected.

The Kings fought for the third quarter winning it 27-25 and this game was knotted at 81. The Kings made a move in the fourth quarter. Keegan Murray was having a monster game making 6 of 7 from beyond the arc.

De’Aaron Fox was needed to provide his fourth quarter magic as the clock wound down to under four minutes with Sacramento leading 99-94. The Kings had hit 15 triples so far in this game.

The Magic had pulled to within three points several times during the final minutes of this game with Sacramento fighting to hang onto the lead. With 21.2 seconds left on the clock, the Magic had taken the lead 107-106.

Orlando’s Jalen Suggs fouled Fox who hit both free throws and Sacramento took back the lead 108-107 with two seconds left in the game. Orlando went on to foul Keon Ellis who hit one of two free throw and that was the game. The Kings had won a nail-biter 109-107 against one of the best in the NBA.

Fox had the high for the Kings with 31 points and Domantas Sabonis had yet another double double, his 66th this season. This one was his 53rd in a row tying Kevin Love for the longest streak. Sabonis finished with 21 points. Murray had a terrific game with 22 points going 6 of 7 from downtown. Ellis continues to play lights out with 19 points improving with every game.

“Heck of a win for our guys. They put pressure on the rim and they had a huge size advantage. I thought our group showed resilience and we rebounded well,” said Head Coach Mike Brown after the game. “When you are not shooting well, you have to defend. We won the possession game in a tough environment,” he said.

Monday night the Kings return home to Golden 1 Center to take on the Philadelphia 76ers. Tipoff for that game is scheduled for 7:00 PM.

Roadrunners third period offense enough in 3-1 win over Barracuda

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San Jose forward Tanner Kaspick (#41) pinned Tucson Roadrunners defenseman Vladislav Kolyachonok up against the boards during the Roadrunners 3-1 win at Tech CU Arena on Saturday MAR 23, 2022. (San Jose Barracuda)

by Marko Ukalovic

SAN JOSE — The Tucson Roadrunners scored three unanswered goals in the final 21 minutes to defeat the San Jose Barracuda 3-1 on Saturday afternoon at Tech CU Arena.

San Jose has lost four of its past five games. Tucson has won five of its past six games.

San Jose (19-30-9-2-47 points) drew first blood 48 seconds to start the game. Danil Gushchin picked up his own rebound before centering the puck into the middle where Brandon Coe beat Roadrunners goalie Matthew Villalta with a low wrist shot for his 10th goal of the season.

It was the quickest San Jose has scored a goal to open a game.

Tucson (36-20-3-2-77 points) despite having two power plays could not put a dent in the scoreboard even though they outshot San Jose 16-12 in the first period.

‘Cuda goalie Magnus Chrona, who made his first since being sent back down to the Barracuda, made two big saves in the first five minutes of the opening frame, including robbing Milos Kelemen of a point-blank chance right in front of the crease.

The second period featured a couple of close calls. First, Cole Cassels muffed on an empty net bid where the puck ended up in the glove of Villalta five and half minutes into the second period. Then Ben McCartney breakaway attempt hit off the post at the halfway mark.

San Jose weren’t able to capitalize on 64 seconds of a 5-on-3 power play opportunity with under six minutes remaining in the middle frame as Tucson’s penalty kill were able to kill off both penalties.

Tuscon evened the score with a power play goal late in the period. Jan Jenik skated between two ‘Cuda defenders before finding Josh Doan in the left slot and Doan roofed home a wrist shot past Chrona for his team leading 26th goal of the season at the 19:36 mark. It was Doan’s 10th power play goal, which leads all rookies in the AHL.

The Roadrunners gained its first lead of the game early in the third period. Jenik cruised down the left side boards as he left a drop pass for Colin Theisen who skated in a beat Chrona with a wrist shot top shelf for his sixth goal of the season at the 5:10 mark.

Kolyachonok iced the game for Tucson with an empty net goal from inside his own blueline 1:27 remaining in the game for his eighth goal of the season.

Villalta (26-15-3-3) finished the game stopping 32 of the 33 shots he faced to earn his 26th win of the season. Chrona (5-14-4) made 35 saves on 37 in the losing effort.

GAME NOTES: San Jose finished 0-for-3 on the power play. Tucson was 1-for-3.

San Jose is 1-4 in the season series with Tucson.

Ethan Cardwell had his three-game goal streak snapped.

The Three Stars of the Game: 1) Doan 2) Coe 3) Villalta.

UP NEXT: San Jose and Tucson conclude their two-game weekend series on Sunday 3/24 at 3:00pm at Tech CU Arena.

San Jose Sharks podcast with Mary Lisa: Sharks host Bedard and Blackhawks tonight at SAP Center

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Chicago Blackhawks star Connor Bedard (98) gets congratulations from the Chicago bench after scoring a second period goal at the Honda Center in Anaheim on Tue Mar 12, 2024 (AP News photo)

On the SJ Sharks podcast with Mary Lisa:

#1 Let’s face it everybody wants to see the Chicago Blackhawks Connor Bedard on Saturday night at SAP Center. It doesn’t matter that both the Blackhawks and Sharks are both dead last in their respective divisions the Blackhawks are a draw and fans want to see Connor Bedard.

#2 Bedard is having a rookie season with 21 goals, 33 assists, and 54 points. No telling how many goals and assists he would have if he didn’t get the broken jaw earlier this season but he’s no doubt having a great year.

#3 Bedard also won the Stellar Player of the week Award twice so far this season so that pretty much indicates that Bedard will no doubt be a mega star in the NHL and a huge impact for the Blackhawks.

#4 Meanwhile the San Jose Sharks have lost six straight games and they suffered a tough loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday night. The Sharks tied the Lightning in the first period and they hoped to capitalize but the Lightning struck right back scoring three unanswered goals in the third period to shut down the Sharks.

#5 The Sharks are back the the drawing board again looking for that 17th win of the season as they face the Blackhawks at SAP Center in San Jose. The Blackhawks are 19-46-5 and the Hawks have lost two straight games going into this game tonight.

Mary Lisa does the San Jose Sharks podcasts Saturdays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Pacers Offensive Effort Spurs Win Over Golden State 123-111

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Golden State Warriors forward Trayce Jackson Davis (32) drives against the Indiana Pacers forward Pascal Siakam (43) in the first half at Chase Center in San Francisco on Fri Mar 22, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

The Golden State Warriors (36-32) had a lot of trouble containing the Indiana Pacers (39-31) Tyrese Haliburton as they dropped their Friday night game at Chase 123-111. Haliburton dropped two triples, one a buzzer-beater to end the second quarter and another buzzer-beater to end the third. The Pacers took off in the fourth quarter and there was no looking back for Indiana. The final was 123-111.

Game recap: At the end of the first quarter this game was tied up at 38. It was indeed a hotly contested quarter of basketball. The Warriors guard Stephen Curry had a great quarter finishing with 13 points and his first quarter play pointed to a hot night for the superstar.

Both teams were shooting at 50% from beyond the arc and both teams were protecting the ball with only three turnovers between the two teams. Both teams displayed some amazing defense as well as offense.

Several minutes into the second quarter the Warriors had created some separation leading 48-41. If the first quarter was any indication the Pacers would push any lead that Golden State took.

The Warriors came up with some solid defense and continued to push their lead. Mid-way through the quarter Golden State continued to hold onto a ten point lead 58-48 and their defense was really disrupting the Pacers offense.

The Warriors had established a 12 point lead that the Pacers erased in the final two minutes of the quarter. With a one-point lead 64-63 the Warriors were hanging on with under two minutes until the half.

The Warriors had pushed the lead out to 67-63 with seconds left in the first half of play. The Pacers were not done as Haliburton hit a three-point buzzer beater to end the half with Golden State leading 67-66. The Pacers had erased a 12 point Warrior lead and Golden State would have their work cut out for them in the second half of play.

Both Curry and Klay Thompson (off the bench) finished the first half with 15 points apiece. They were both on course for some great numbers. Golden State was controlling the pace but needed more stops.

Most of the stats for these two teams were as close as they could possibly be. The Warriors would try to continue to contain Haliburton in the second half. The Pacers had three of their starters in double digits with Pascal Siakim leading the pack scoring 13 points with Haliburton close behind with 11 points. The second half of the game would have all the makings of an intense battle between two playoff bound teams.

The tables turned in the third quarter as the Pacers took their largest lead of the game 77-72 at 7:23. The Warriors pushed back as they attempted to take back the momentum trailing by a single point 77-76.

Every time the Warriors challenged in the second half, the Pacers came right back and more often then not they came back with a triple. The Pacers had flipped this game by 22 points leading at 4:55, 89-79 in a strong Indiana turnaround.

The Warriors offense had slumped as the Pacers continued to extend their lead to 91-79 with under four minutes left in the quarter. Indiana came unleashed leading 100-85 with under a minutes left in the third as the Golden State offense continued to struggle.

The incomparable Haliburton ended the third quarter the way he ended the second; with a buzzer beating triple. Indiana had built a 102-88 lead going into the fourth quarter.

The Warriors looked disconnected and you could see the frustration etched on Curry’s face as the fourth quarter got underway. The Warriors had to make a push now or never because the Pacers were not letting down, they refused to go away.

The Warriors were 15 of 41 from downtown and that makes winning awful tough. At 6:37 the Warriors were in the bonus and they had a real shot provided they got some offense going. The Pacers offense faltered and with the Warriors flying all over the court hitting shots, the door had opened up for Golden State.

They had cut the Pacer lead to 116-109 with 3:07 left in this wild game. The Warriors had to be near perfect for the remainder of the game. They were not. Golden State fought so hard in the final quarter but it was the horrendous third quarter that did them. The final was 123-111. To make this even worse Chris Paul got ejected near the end of the game in a case of clear frustration. The Pacers were now 5-0 at Chase.

The hot start for Curry cooled in the second half. He had 13 points in the first quarter but only 12 points for the remainder of the game. The Warriors were 14 of 46 from downtown and Golden State continues to struggle at home. Golden State will be on the road for seven of their next eight games. The good news is that they have been a lot better on the road this year than they have been at home.

Game notes: Friday night the Warriors lost the Pacers to Chase Center in an east meets west matchup. The Pacers are currently in sixth place in the Eastern Conference and the Warriors are fighting to stay in playoff position hanging onto tenth place.

The Warriors ultimate goal is of course to move up in the standings. The Pacers are 43% three point shooters and Golden State needed solid defense to guard against that. It was very well hotly contested game but in the end the Warriors lost by 12 points. The Warriors have now lost five of their last ten games.

After this disappointing loss the Warriors head out on the road. Sunday the Warriors will take on the Minnesota Timberwolves looking for a more productive offensive effort. This will be another challenging game taking on the power house Timberwolves. Tipoff for this game is scheduled for 4:00 PM.

Oakland A’s relocation podcast with Daniel Dullum: A’s meet with Coliseum Authority next week on April 2

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Oakland A’s officials are to meet with the Oakland Coliseum Joint Authority on Tue Apr 2, 2024 at the Oakland Coliseum (AP News file photo)

On the A’s Relocation podcast:

On the A’s podcast with Daniel:

#1 Sources are saying the Oakland A’s are no longer accepting comments from fans or the public on what their plans are for financing the Las Vegas Tropicana and other than the artists rendition of the Sydney Opera House ballpark people want to see the blue prints.

#2 Also it was reported that the Las Vegas community, businesses, and casinos who have been approached about becoming minority owners of the A’s have not taken the bait and have expressed no interest in entering a business with the A’s after observing how the stadium project has been handled.

#3 The A’s have tuned off their X comments page so the public cannot write to them with questions and comments as to what is happening with the relocation of the A’s. As of yet the A’s still have not decided where they will play for the 2025-27 seasons and have a scheduled meeting with the Oakland Coliseum Joint Authority on Tue Apr 2.

#4 Daniel with there being no tangible renderings and blue prints to back it up and no financing since the unveiling of the Sydney Opera House style ballpark A’s fans in both Las Vegas and Oakland are trying to find out what the A’s plans are and have not got a response.

#5 Vegas fans and the business community are really getting turned off after a Wall Street Journal article came out with a headline that read “The Oakland A’s have plans for a new home in Vegas. Now they need a plan to get there.” As this drags out and there is no financing things are becoming more doubtful if this will ever get off the ground.

Daniel does the Oakland A’s Relocation podcasts each Friday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com