Author: Sports Radio Service

NHL podcast Jessica Kwong: Oilers have an offense that could make them #1 in West; Will the Bruins blue line help them make a push towards the post season; plus more news

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Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers has control of the puck at Rogers Place in Edmonton on Tue Dec 9, 2025 (Canadian Press via AP News)

NHL podcast Jessica Kwong:

#1 Can the Edmonton Oilers’ red-hot offense carry them to the top of the Western Conference?

#2 Will the Boston Bruins’ revamped blue line hold up through the playoff push?

#3 Is Connor Bedard poised to break franchise rookie records for the Chicago Blackhawks?

#4 Can the Vancouver Canucks maintain their surprising early-season dominance?

#5 Will the New York Rangers’ new coaching changes spark a deeper postseason run?

Jessica Kwong does the NHL podcasts every other Wednesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Ex-Barracuda Bailey takes down his former team in Gulls 2-1 win

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San Jose Barracuda defenseman (#42) awaits the puck during the game against the San Diego Gulls at Tech CU Arena on Wednesday DEC 10, 2025. (San Jose Barracuda)

by Marko Ukalovic

Justin Bailey scored the eventual game-winning goal in the second period as the San Diego Gulls defeated the San Jose Barracuda 3-1 on Wednesday evening at Tech CU Arena.

San Jose has lost two games in a row as the closed out the homestand at 1-2. San Diego has twon two games in a row.

San Diego (9-6-6-0) drew first blood late in the first period with an even strength goal. A shot from Ryan Carpenter from close range was initially saved by ‘Cuda goalie Jakub Skarek. The rebound leaked out to the slot where Judd Caulfield beat Skarek with a wrist shot top-shelf for his eighth goal of the season at the 14:20 mark.

The Gulls doubled its lead 54 seconds to start to the second period. Sasha Pastujov slid a back door pass through the crease to Justin Bailey who buried the puck into an open net for his ninth goal of the season. Bailey played for the Barracuda back in the 2023-24 season.

San Jose (13-8-1-1) cut the deficit in half less than five minutes later. Jimmy Huntington fed the puck down low to Cam Lund behind the Gulls net. Lund made a quick move to beat Gulls goalie Calle Clang with a backhanded wraparound for his third goal at the 5:24 mark.

The blood started to boil late in the middle frame between the two divisional rivals when a clean hit by Anthony Vincent sparked a fight with Nathan Gaucherat the 13:05 mark. Then two minutes Braden Hache and Noah Warren who squared off with each other right after a faceoff at the 15:17 mark.

Caulfield scored his second goal of the contest, an empty netter, his ninth of the season with 28 seconds remaining to ice the game for San Diego.

Clang finished the game stopping 32 of the 33 pucks he faced to earn his second win of the season. Skarek made 32 saves on 34 shots in the losing effort.

GAME NOTES: San Jose finished 0-for-2 on the power play. San Diego went 0-for-1.

The Three Stars of the Game:

  1. Bailey (1G,0A)

    2. Lund (1G,0A)

    3. Clang (32 saves)

    UP NEXT: San Jose begins a five-game road trip with a weekend series versus the Texas Stars on Friday December 12th at 5:00pm at H-E-B Center at Cedar Park.

    San Francisco 49ers podcast David Zizmor: Will 49ers make easy work of 1-11 Titans in Santa Clara Sunday?

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    San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy (13) throws a pass against the Cleveland Browns on Sun Nov 30, 2025 at Huntington Bank Field in Cleveland. The 49ers could go into their bench if they overwhelm the Tennessee Titans this Sun Dec 14, 2025 at Levi Stadium (AP News photo)

    San Francisco 49ers podcast David Zizmor:

    #1 Can Brock Purdy bounce back and lead the 49ers’ offense after the bye week against the Titans’ defense?

    #2 How will Christian McCaffrey and Kyle Juszczyk be used to exploit Tennessee’s run defense — will the 49ers lean on the ground game?

    #2 With pass-rush numbers down for San Francisco this season, can Nick Bosa pressure the Titans’ quarterback enough to disrupt their offense?

    David Zizmor does the 49ers podcasts each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

    Cal Golden Bears remain perfect at home as they defeat the Dominican Penguins, 93-71

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    Dominican Penguin guard Nanik Tagore shoots a contested three pointer over California Golden Bear Justin Pippen. (Photo credits to Michael Villanueva Sports Radio Services.)

    By Michael Villanueva

    BERKELEY – The California Golden Bears welcomed the Dominican Penguins on Tuesday night at Haas Pavilion, with the game starting at 7:00 p.m. in front of another loud home crowd. The game featured two clubs that were on a roll early in the season. Dominican entered the match at 5-1, riding a two-game winning run but still looking for its first road victory since losing to Stanislaus State on November 22. Cal who is piling up wins tallied another one with a win over the Penguins 93-71.

    Cal started the game with a familiar lineup: John Camden, Chris Bell, Justin Pippen, Lee Dort, and Dai Dai Ames. Ames began the night as the Bears’ leading scorer, averaging 18.6 points per game while shooting 55% from the floor, while Pippen led the team in playmaking with 4.3 assists per game.

    The Bears came in on a five-game winning streak and stayed perfect at home, improving to 8-0 at Haas Pavilion. With both teams playing confident basketball and looking to build on their momentum, the stage was set for an interesting nonconference matchup.

    Golden Bear Justin Pippen got the game rolling on a three pointer, but things turned south real fast. The Dominican Penguins overall dominated the first half, while the Golden Bears struggled to find their offensive rhythm. Cal shot only 18% from the field, going 6-of-33, while Dominican took advantage of the Bears’ slow start with consistent execution on the opposite end. The Penguins converted 10 of their 24 shots, shooting 42% and controlling the pace for much of the game.

    Cal’s shooting struggles stretched beyond the arc, with the Bears starting 1-of-14 from deep and making only 7% of their three-point efforts. Despite their poor start, the Bears came alive in the final minutes of the half. A late 6-0 offensive surge gave them a boost and cut Dominican’s lead, sending Cal into the locker room trailing 31-28.

    The Golden Bears returned from the locker room with fresh energy, playing with significantly more urgency on both ends of the court. Their offense began to settle down as Cal upped its shooting to 36% for the half, including a surge from the perimeter, where they shot 26% from three. The defensive pressure also increased substantially, pushing the Penguins to make numerous blunders. Dominican had already committed 14 turnovers with six minutes remaining, allowing Cal to take control of the game.

    Justin Pippen fueled the Bears’ comeback, dominating the game down the stretch. He finished with a team-high 24 points on 6-of-14 shooting, including three of seven from beyond the arc. John Camden provided an important spark as well, scoring 18 points and matching Pippen’s 6-of-14 shooting effort.

    Dominican’s attack crumbled as Cal kept up the pace. The Penguins went scoreless from the field in the final five minutes, relying on free throws to keep within reach, but it wasn’t enough to slow the Bears’ momentum. Cal finished the night with a dominating 93-71 comeback win.

    Nick Medeiros led the Penguins with 16 points on 6-of-13 shooting, but Dominican couldn’t match Cal’s second-half surge.

    The California Golden Bears will return to action on December 13th, 2025 at 2pm back in the Haas Pavilion to host the Northwestern State Devils (2-7). The Bears also remain perfect at home as they are (9-1) on the season and (8-0) at home.

    Las Vegas Raiders podcast Rich Perez: Raiders need to rise out of the ashes if they want to beat Philadelphia

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    Pete Carroll head coach Las Vegas Raiders takes some hard questions from the press after the loss to the Denver Broncos on Sun Dec 7, 2025 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas (AP News photo)

    Las Vegas Raiders podcast Rich Perez:

    1. Can the Raiders take advantage of the Eagles’ recent struggles and snap their seven game losing streak?
    2. Will the Eagles’ offense — led by Jalen Hurts — bounce back after their recent turnover issues?
    3. How will Philadelphia’s running game with Saquon Barkley or A.J. Dillon) fare against the Raiders’ run defense — could it become a key factor?
    4. On defense: can Eagles pass-rushers like Jalen Carter or Jordan Davis pressure the Raiders’ (possibly backup) quarterback enough to disrupt their passing game?
    5. Which of the Eagles’ wide receivers A.J. Brown or DeVonta Smith — will step up and exploit matchups in the Raiders’ secondary?

    Rich Perez filled in for Tony Renteria who does the Raiders podcasts each Tuesdays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

    That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast: Reasons remain the same why Bonds and Clemens weren’t elected; Kent hit production gets him elected

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    Former Boston Red Sox pitcher Roger Clemens (left) and former Miami Marlins coach Barry Bonds (right) were once again denied entry to the Hall of Fame this time by the Players Committee. (Getty file photo)

    That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast:

    #1 Amaury just wanted to ask you if you not surprised that former San Francisco Giants outfielder Barry Bonds was not elected to Cooperstown.

    #2 Considering the reasons why Bonds was not elected this year were they the same reasons as before his connection with admitting during grand jury testimony that he unknowingly took steroids and his bad relationship with the media?

    #3 Fernando Valenzuela also missed election. Valenzuela was a well respected figure in the game was his denial to making it to the Hall due his overall career where some writers felt his overall career didn’t meet the typical Hall-of-Fame bar for pitchers in terms of longevity and sustained excellence.

    #4 For former New York Yankee and Boston Red Sox pitcher Roger Clemens the most given reason for Clemens rejection to being elected to the Hall of Fame was the chair of the Hall acknowledged that the committee’s decision likely mirrored many of the same “Steroid Era” concerns that affected the writers’ votes.

    #5 Talk about former San Francisco Giant second baseman Jeff Kent and his election to the Hall of Fame. Some writers state that he has the most home runs for a second baseman in MLB history with 377 in his 17 year career, high run production, and hit consistently hit for average at .290. Was Jeff Kent the best candidate out of those other players for this year’s Hall of Fame candidates?

    Amaury Pi-Gonzalez – Cuban-born Pi-González is one of the pioneers of Spanish-language baseball play-by-play in America. Began as Oakland A’s Spanish-language voice in 1977 ending in 2024 (interrupted by stops with the Giants, Mariners and Angels). Voice of the Golden State Warriors from 1992 through 1998. 2010 inducted in the Bay Area Radio Hall of fame.

    LaTerraza Mexican Restaurant 1027 2nd Street in Old Sacramento give them a call at 916-440-0874

    From the second you step in the front door, the sounds of Latin America will gently seduce your ears and continue as you relax outdoors with your favorite cocktail enjoying the view. The wonderful flavors and aromas of our cuisine will not disappoint.

    We use only the finest, freshest, local ingredients in every dish and every dish is prepared to order. Enjoy live mariachi music weekly and on special occasions, catch balet folklorico dance performances among other live entertainment. Come visit us and have a great time! Enjoy fast, friendly service, fantastic food & cocktails, music and allow us to share our beautiful Mexican heritage with you.

    LaTerraza Mexican Restaurant at 1027 2nd Street in Old Sacramento give them a call at 916-440-0874.

    Jeff Kent punches ticket to Cooperstown

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    Former New York Met and San Francisco Giant Jeff Kent addresses the media at the MLB baseball winter meetings in Orlando Fla on Mon Dec 8, 2025. Kent was elected into the Cooperstown Hall of Fame on Sun Dec 7, 2025. (AP News photo)

    By Stephen Ruderman

    Former Giants’ second-baseman Jeff Kent got his ticket to Cooperstown when the Contemporary Era Committee voted him in as the first member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 2026.

    This a well-deserved honor for Kent, who hit .290 in 17-year big league big league career from 1992 to 2008. The 16-person committee is made up of six hall-of-famers; six current and former baseball executives; and three other members of the media. 12 votes were required, and Kent got 14.

    Kent was originally eligible under the conventional BBWAA ballot from 2014 to 2023, but did not get in. So was Kent’s former teammate and adversary, Barry Bonds. Bonds, like Kent, did not get in on the BBWAA ballot.

    However, Bonds did not get in on the Contemporary Era ballot either. In fact, under a new rule, since Bonds received fewer than five votes, even though this committee will next vote in December 2028 for the Class of 2029, Bonds will not be eligible again until December 2031 for the Class of 2032.

    To make matters worse for Bonds under this new rule, if he once again fails to reach five votes in 2031, he will be permanently ineligible to get into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

    Kent remained mum on the subject of Bonds not getting into the Hall of Fame, but lavished praise on his old rival. Bonds, meanwhile, was humble in another rejection from the hall, as he congratulated Kent on getting into Cooperstown.

    The man whom Kent gave a lot of credit to was his old skipper, Dusty Baker, who may join Kent in the Hall of Fame in as little as a year from now. Kent, who originally came up as a dead-pull hitter, learned how to go the other way from Dusty.

    Kent was drafted out of Cal Berkeley by the Toronto Blue Jays in 1989, and made his major league debut in 1992. Kent was traded over to the New York Mets in the middle of 1992, and he would remain in Queens until he was traded to the Cleveland Indians in the middle of 1996.

    The Giants tapped Brian Sabean to replace Bob Quinn as the general manager at the end of 1996. One of Sabean’s first moves was to trade longtime and fan-favorite third-baseman Matt Williams to the Indians for Kent.

    Giants’ fans absolutely lost their minds over the move, but after a disastrous 94-loss last-place finish in a miserable 1996 campaign, Sabean was willing to try anything. Sabean also added J.T. Snow and a few others, and the Giants miraculously went all the way from worst to first and won the National League West in a magical 1997 season.

    Kent spent six years with the Giants from 1997 to 2002. He won the Willie Mac Award in 1998. He then beat out Bonds for the National League Most Valuable Player Award after hitting .334 in 2000, when Kent and Bonds, along with Ellis Burks, led the Giants to a memorable 97-win season—the best record in Baseball—in the first year at then-Pacific Bell Park.

    Kent had another solid season in 2001. Despite a controversial injury in 2002, he hit .313 with a career-high 37 home runs, and helped lead the Giants to just their third National League Pennant in San Francisco.

    Giants’ fans all know the story of how the 2002 World Series ended. After the Angels wrapped up their title in Game 7, Kent told the media gathered at his locker, “I feel like a loser.”

    Dusty left the Giants to go manage the Chicago Cubs after the tragic finish to 2002, and a lot of players from that team also left. One of them was Kent, who signed with the Houston Astros. In his first visit back to Pacific Bell Park in April 2003, Kent was mercilessly booed by Giants’ fans.

    The booing got even worse when Kent joined the Los Angeles Dodgers of all teams. Kent spent his final four seasons—2005 to 2008—with the Dodgers, and was even involved in a war of words with the Giants’ fiery young right-handed relief pitcher, Billy Sadler, on Aug. 9, 2008.

    Kent announced his retirement on Jan. 21, 2009. When the Giants inducted him onto the team’s new Wall of Fame on Aug. 29 of that year, he was cheered like old times, and it seemed as if he was never booed in his old ballpark.

    Kent has remained connected with the Giants’ organization since. He has shown up to spring training as a special instructor on multiple occasions, and has taken part in various ceremonies.

    Kent hopes to go into the hall as a Giant. It is not known whether the Giants will retire Kent’s old number of 21, which would be very well deserved.

    Kent had his ways, and feuded with a lot of people. While Kent was not the kind of player who hung or even became friends with his teammates, he came up with that same grin every time he stepped up to the plate, and he always put his team ahead of himself on the field. The man was a competitor who wanted to win every single time he took the field.

    In a game that has unnecessarily been made overly complicated over the last eight years, players should heed the wise words of the new hall-of-famer: “the money lies in the RBI.”

    Well said! Congratulations on the greatest honor of your life, Mr. Kent!

    That’s Amaury News and Commentary: MLB Steroids Era Committee?

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    Cover of the book Juice: Wild Times, Raging Hormones, and the Untold Story of Steroids in Baseball. In 2004 by author Jose Canseco

    MLB Steroids Era Committee?

    That’s Amaury News and Commentary

    By Amaury Pi-González

    The original committee that began voting for the Hall of Fame alongside the Baseball Writers Association of America was the Veterans Committee, established in the late 1930s and later evolving into the current system of Era Committees.

    Over the years, various committees have formed. Writers don’t vote across these committees; they vote for the standard ballot, while the designated Era Committees handle the older or post-BBWAA-eligibility players, with the Contemporary Player ballot (voted by a special committee, not all writers) being the primary path for recently retired stars.

    The Steroids era in baseball spans from the late 1980s to the early 1990s and through the late 2000s. We all (covering baseball at the time) witnessed a surge in home runs and offensive stats. Steroids were banned in 1991.

    The US Federal Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988, and then later, when Commissioner Fay Vincent’s 1991 memo to teams added steroids to the banned list. However, enforcement and testing in MLB came in the late 2000s. Not only the 2004 Senate hearings but José Canseco’s book in 2005 brought widespread awareness, as it was well publicized and many bought it, titled Juice: Wild Times, Raging Hormones, and the Untold Story of Steroids in Baseball. In 2004,

    Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, Jason Giambi, and Rafael Palmeiro faced questions and testified before the Senate Commerce Committee regarding the use of steroids, with emphasis on the BALCO scandal. Bay Area Laboratory Co-operative (BALCO) had its headquarters and operations primarily in Burlingame, California.

    During the hearings, among players who testified before the Senate Commerce Committee regarding steroid use, Rafael Palmeiro tested positive shortly after his denial, and Bobby Bonds later faced perjury charges. This was the “highlight” of the Steroids Era.

    Many people in the business of Major League Baseball have suggested including an “asterisk” when somebody from this steroids era is officially inducted into the Hall of Fame of Baseball, and there is doubt about whether they used steroids or not.

    To make it easier, I suggest they create another committee that can include a new slate of players who are not currently in the Hall of Fame but are suspected; they would not need an asterisk, because being on that list would be self-explanatory.

    That new committee will be named: “Steroids Era Committee.”

    Quote: “A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives” -Jackie Robinson, MLB Hall of Fame (1962)

    Kings Double Up Mammoth 4-2 To Open Homestand

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    Utah Mammoth Daniil (19) battles with the Los Angeles Kings Cody Ceci (5) at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Mon Dec 8, 2025 (Utah Mammoth photo)

    By Tom Walker

    SALT LAKE CITY–Los Angeles struck twice in the first period and never looked back while defeating deflated Utah.

    The Utah Mammoth (14-13-3) returned to Delta Center on Monday night to face the Los Angeles Kings (13-8-7)  following a six game road trip in which the team went 2-4-0. The road trip began on a tragic note when the father of Mammoth captain Clayton Keller passed away unexpectedly Thanksgiving night. Keller played the following day in a tough 4-3 loss at Dallas, and then again the following night in his hometown of St. Louis where the Mammoth fell 1-0 to the Blues.

    Utah would go on to lose their fourth consecutive game in San Jose, 6-3, before breaking out with a 7-0 shellacking of the Pacific Division leading Anaheim Ducks.  Following a 4-1 victory against the Canucks in Vancouver, the road trip concluded in Calgary where the Flames shut out the Mammoth 2-0. 

    Adding injury to insult, Utah forward Logan Cooley, who leads the Mammoth with 14 goals and is 3rd in points with 23, sustained a lower-body injury in Vancouver which will keep him out of the lineup indefinitely.

    When the puck dropped in the first period, Utah radio play-by-play announcer Matt McConnell officially registered his 2000th NHL game behind the microphone.  His 29-season broadcasting career began in 1993 with the expansion Mighty Ducks of Anaheim and then continued with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Atlanta Thrashers, Minnesota Wild, and in 2011 he landed with the Phoenix Coyotes which were renamed the Arizona Coyotes before the 2014-2015 season.

    When the assets of the Coyotes were sold and the team relocated to Salt Lake City, McConnell remained behind the mic for the new franchise.

    Kings forward Adrian Kempe gave Los Angeles the first lead of the game with a backhand shot at 7:50 of the first period for his 10th goal of the season, assisted by Kevin Fiala.  Just over two minutes later, Fiala assisted on a breakaway goal by Joel Armia, his 6th on the year, to put the Kings up 2-0. 

    At 11:05 of the frame, Mammoth forward Brandon Tanev had a breakaway of his own which he put into the back of the net, however the replay showed he was unquestioningly offside and L.A. held onto its two-goal lead heading into the locker room. Kings netminder Darcy Kuemper turned away all 7 Utah shots in the period, and Mammoth goalie Karel Vejmelka stopped 10 of 12.

    Utah began the 2nd period on the power play, courtesy of an interference penalty by Andrei Kuzmenko against Dylan Guenther which carried over from the first period.  Just 34 seconds into the period, as fans were still settling into their seats, Clayton Keller fed Guenther a perfect pass which he one-timed into the Kings net for his 11th goal of the season to bring the Mammoth to within one, with defenseman Mikhail Sergachev picking up the second assist.

    The goal is the fastest to begin a period so far this season for Utah.  Guenther’s 3rd power play goal of the season ties him for the team lead with Nick Schmaltz and Logan Cooley.  His 7th one-timer goal of the season also ranks third-most in the NHL.  The period would end with Kuemper stopping 5 of 6 shots, and Vejmelka turning away all 7 attempts by L.A.

    In the 3rd, Kings captain Anze Kopitar put a backhand shot past Vejmelka for his 6th goal of the season at 3:27, assisted by Kempe and Joel Edmundson, to restore L.A.’s two-goal advantage.  At 12:15 of the third, Clayton Keller brought Utah back to within a goal with a beautiful backhand top shelf shot which Kuemper had absolutely no chance to save.

    Keller’s 10th of the season was assisted by Nick Schmaltz and JJ Peterka who joined the top line in place of the injured Cooley. With Vejmelka pulled for the extra attacker, Kings forward Joel Armia scored his second goal of the game into an empty net, unassisted, to put the game away 4-2.

    Utah Mammoth forward Brandon Tanev addressed the media after the game.  “Disappointed we didn’t get the two points. That’s a team that likes to play stingy through the neutral zone, and to generate offense, you’ve got to be simple with the puck. Get pucks to the net and ultimately create traffic. I think we did a little bit of that, but we didn’t do enough at the end of the day.” Talking about what the team needs to do moving forward, Tanev said, “I think we understood that wasn’t our best tonight, even though we fought and clawed at the end there. That’s a good hockey team. At the end of the day, we need to understand what makes us successful. Work on that in practice, and then we’ve got to get back here for the next one.”

    Captain Clayton Keller commented, “Not a great first from us. They’re an experienced team. They’re structured. They defend really hard, and they made it tough on us in the first. We were able to kind of bounce back in the second. That’s one of our best second periods of the year in terms of everything. Game management and trying to outchange them and use our speed. It sucks to have that little push there and not be able to get it done.” Weighing in on what needs to be better, Keller stated bluntly, “Starting on time is obviously a big one. We’re a tough team to play against, and I think that’s the main thing from us. We know what we have to do each night. The coaches do a great job telling us how we have to play and how we can break them down and have success. Our execution was a little sloppy tonight, but as the game went on, it got a little bit better.” Talking about the third period he added, “There’s never any quit in this room. Guys play for one another. It sucks to not get the win. We did kind of push there. There are moments where we have a chance to score on the six-on-five, and we have to find a way to do it. Teams have done it to us, and that’s something over the last two years that we haven’t been able to do. That’s something that we can take away from it. Really dial that in. Practice it. Watch video. Our coaches do a great job, and it’s on us to execute and go out there and do it.”

    Head Coach André Tourigny began his post-game remarks by saying, “We obviously didn’t have the start we were hoping for, and we needed to. Against that kind of team, it is tough to create offense. I like the way we played in the second and third. I thought we competed really hard, and our effort was there; the focus was there. Unfortunately, when you have that kind of a start, I often repeat in front of you, it’s a one-goal game all the time, so you cannot give any free opportunities to your opponent. I didn’t like our start, and, like I said, a really good second and third.”  Bear continued, “I think what LA does really well is counterattack. If you mismanage the puck or if you force play, they counterattack. In the first period, we definitely gave them too much space. We let them take the middle on the rush, so they had too many entries. I think after the guys adjusted well and did a really good job at it. But they’re number one in the league at certain things, for a reason, and I think by giving them the lead, it made them play in their strength even more so that was the unfortunate part of the night, because I think the effort, as I said, was good in the second and the third.”  During morning practice one of the players commented that the team was playing too much on the perimeter. Tourigny agreed.  “I think tonight we did. But I think tonight you could see in the third and the second we went in there, in the dirty area, and we got a few tips and a few rebounds. And I think the effort from the guys was definitely there.”

    When a reporter for KSL.com noted that fans at Monday night’s game gathered to write letters to Keller after the unexpected passing of his father, Tourigny responded, “The community has a heart in the right place, there is no doubt about it.  We saw it last year when Ingram was going through a tough time, and again now they rally [for] Kells. I think when we often talk about home, how important are our fans, and how much we care and how much they care for us. I think I often talk about a relationship, I think always in tough moments you see who you can rely on.”  

    The Mammoth (14-14-3) return to the ice Wednesday for the second game of three on this homestand against the Florida Panthers (14-12-2), followed by the Seattle Kraken on Friday.

    Kings Rally But Come Up Short Losing to Pacers 116-105

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    Sacramento Kings Maxime Raynaud (42) shoots while being defended by the Indiana Pacers forward Pascal Siakam (left) and center Jay Huff (right) defend in the first half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on Mon Dec 8, 2025 (AP News photo)

    By Barbara Mason

    The Sacramento Kings (6-18) lost to the Indiana Pacers (6-18) Monday night 116-105. They trailed in the second half by 19 points and took the lead in the fourth quarter but could not finish. A slow start in the first half was a huge part of the loss.

    At halftime only one King had scored double figures. They rallied in the second half but it was too little too late. Russell Westbrook had the team high with 24 points, 12 rebounds and 14 assists. It was a tough loss for the team after beating the Miami Heat over the weekend.

    Monday night’s game was a tale of two teams who have faced struggles since the start of the season. The Kings have not gotten on track for most of the season with occasional flashes of brilliance.

    The Pacers after a most successful 2024-25 season lost their 25-year-old phenom Tyrese Haliburton in last year’s finals to a torn achilles knocking him out of the current season. On December 8th Haliburton posted a video of himself working out.

    In these clips he is shown running, dunking and lifting weights. A torn achilles typically takes between 8-to-10 months to resolve so a return this season is a wash. These two teams clashed Monday night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse and the Pacers came out with a 11 point win. The Kings are coming off a win over the Miami Heat Saturday night 127-111 while the Pacers are also coming off a nice win over the Chicago Bulls 120-105.

    Game recap: The Kings, unlike Saturday night got off to a slow start trailing after the first twelve minutes of play 35-23. It did not go much better in the second quarter as Sacramento continued to trail by double digits unable to make-up much ground.

    Offensively there was not a lot going on for the Kings as the Pacers continued to extend their lead. Sacramento continued to struggle at the line hitting only 9 of 15 for a 60% success rate. With two minutes left in the half the largest lead for the Kings had been three points while the Pacers had a 16 point advantage in the first half. Indiana took a 66-51 lead into the locker room at the half. Indiana had outscored the Kings in the quarter 31-28.

    Not a single King had hit double figures in the first half until the clock ran out on the half and DeMar DeRozan hit a seven foot two point shot for the first Sacramento player to reach double figures with 11 points.

    Zach LaVine had scored eight points and Russell Westbrook had nine points. While Sacramento still had the chance to make a game out of this contest, they would need a whole lot more offense and defense. They struggled on both ends of the court in the first half and what we saw against the Heat Saturday night had all but vanished.

    Indiana continued to dominate the pace hanging onto a 72-58 lead three minutes into the third quarter. As the quarter wore on, the Pacers started to extend their lead. Stops were hard to come by for the Kings in this game.

    With just under six minutes left in the quarter the Kings got a few stops and cut the Pacers 19 point lead to twelve 81-69 going on a 6-0 run. Four of the Kings starters had now scored double figures and continued to cut the Pacers lead now trailing by eight points 85-77 with a lot of time left in the third quarter.

    As the quarter came to an end the Pacers were clinging onto a four point lead 92-88. The Kings had to come up with a winning fourth quarter after outscoring the Pacers in the third 37-26.

    Four minutes into the fourth quarter the Pacers had a two-point lead 97-95 when the Kings Russell Westbrook hit his second three of the game. At 7:39 this game was tied at 97. Now the question loomed; could the Kings close this game out?

    Sacramento took their first lead since the first quarter at 5:38 101-100. The Pacer’s took back the lead with five minutes left in the game 103-101. The Pacers began to hit three’s with Bennedict Mathurin accounting for four of them.

    The Kings came oh so close in this game after a nice comeback but came up just short losing to the Pacers 116-105. Once again Sacramento was unable to close out the game getting outscored in the the final six minutes 19 to 4.

    The Kings had a slow first half and a disastrous final six minutes of this game. Russell Westbrook had the team high with 24 points, 12 rebounds and 14 assists. DeMar DeRozan had 20 points, and Zach LaVine finished with 16 points. Maxime Raynaud had 13 points and eight rebounds so another good one for him.

    The Kings will get some time off before they take on the Denver Nuggets Thursday night. After losing to Sacramento in late November Denver will be looking for a little payback. Tipoff for that game is scheduled for 7:00 PM.

    Whether you’re pre-gaming with the Kings or celebrating an A’s win, Cyprus Grille at the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena is your downtown go-to.

    ⚡Craft cocktails? Check.
    🔥Game-day bites? Oh yeah.
    🏟️Steps from Golden 1 Center? You bet.

    Open daily, Cyprus Grille is serving up local flavor with a front-row seat to the action. Stop by before or after the game—or make it your new downtown hangout.

    Cyprus Grille—where fans fuel up.

    📍Located inside the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena @ 300 J Street

    Happy Hour – 4pm-6pm

    Show your ticket for additional discounts when dining in.