Author: Sports Radio Service

Sacramento A’s report: A’s Springs loses no hit bid in 7th blank Yanks 1-0

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Sacramento A’s pitcher Jefferey Springs takes aim on the New York Yankees lineup in the first inning at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx on Wed Apr 9, 2025 (AP News photo)

By Jessica Kwong

NEW YORK.— Sacramento Athletics starting pitcher Jeffrey Springs carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning in a 1-0 win over the New York Yankees on Thursday afternoon – their first series victory at Yankee Stadium in a decade.

The game was runless until the seventh, when Tyler Soderstrom singled on a sharp line drive to right fielder Aaron Judge and Max Muncy scored, putting the A’s up 1-0.

Springs did not allow a hit from 22 batters before giving up a single to Ben Rice in the seventh. Afterward, he said that he “honestly didn’t realize it was the seventh inning already.”

“I was an inning behind for some reason,” said Springs. “Obviously was trying to get one out, two out, three outs and then reset and do it again. Yeah, obviously trying to be efficient, trying to get quick outs and go as deep as possible in the game and then you know you look up and it’s seven innings.”

A’s manager Mark Kotsay complimented “another great quality start from Jeff” and said he “mixed pitches really well today.” He added that Springs is “just a different guy from last year” and “feeling really confident right now.”

Springs and relief pitchers Justin Sterner and Hogan Harris combined for the team’s first shutout of the season.

“To come into New York – it was a tough game, first game of the series – and to fight these two games and come out with the series win, again I think these guys are really coming together as a group and it’s showing out there on the field right now,” Kotsay said.

A’s first baseman Nick Kurtz said: “It’s kind of what we came in here to do… We started the year not great and we knew what we could do and I feel like now we’re showing it.”

Brent Rooker was injured on a first-inning swing and left with back pain. He said he was feeling “alright” with some soreness and tightness on his right side and will undergo further imaging on Friday.

The Athletics (4-7) are 2-1 in their six-game road trip that continues with a three-game series against the New York Mets (7-5) starting on Friday. The A’s named RHP JT Ginn (0-0 ERA 5.14) who will face Mets right-handed pitcher RHP Clay Holmes (2-0 ERA 1.42). First pitch at Citi Field is at 4:10 p.m. PT.

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. 

Sacramento A’s game wrap: A’s come back to edge Yanks 3-2 to even series in the Bronx

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Sacramento A’s catcher Shea Langeliers (23) congratulates pitcher Jon Kuhnel (right) after defeating the New York Yankees in the bottom of the ninth inning at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx on Wed Apr 8, 2026 (AP News photo)

By Jessica Kwong

NEW YORK.—The Sacramento Athletics rallied to beat the New York Yankees 3-2 at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday night and tied the three-game series.

Brent Rooker hit a sacrifice fly off David Bednar that sealed the game for the A’s after four innings of a 2-2 tied score.

In the first inning, Cody Bellinger singled on a fly ball to left fielder Tyler Soderstrom and Trent Grisham scored, putting the Yankees up 1-0.

Then Shea Langeliers challenged a pitch result and the call on the field was confirmed, allowing J.C. Escarra to walk and Aaron Judge to score, and boosting New York up 2-0.

In the fourth inning, Jeff McNeil singled on a ground ball to Bellinger and Lawrence Butler scored, and the A’s trailed the Yankees 2-1. On a wild pitch by WIll Warren, Max Muncy scored and tied the game 2-2.

In the ninth, Rooker went out on a sacrifice fly to center fielder Trent Grisham and Nick Kurtz scored, giving Oakland the win.

A’s starting pitcher Luis Severino in his third start of the season allowed two runs in five innings without recording a decision.

“I know I got the stuff to go through a good lineup, so I decided to fight, go out there against a great lineup, a team that has been in the playoffs many years, so I’m happy,” said Severino.

Right-handed pitcher Joel Kuhnel tossed a perfect ninth and recorded his first save of the season, which was his first since 2022. Kuhnel didn’t make the Opening Day roster but was called up on Tuesday and said he felt “really relaxed, honestly.”

“Coming up, just really felt at home,” he said. “No weird first-day jitters because I was around a bunch of guys I didn’t know. So, I felt really good and really relaxed.”

A’s manager Mark Kotsay said of Kuhnel: “He’s only got one save in his career, and to come in that moment there with a one-run lead and get three outs, it says a lot about just the grind that he’s put in to get back here in the big leagues.”

Kotsay added that the bullpen “did a great job.”

The A’s (4-7) are 1-1 in their six-game road trip which will continue in the Bronx on Thursday. First pitch for their last game of the series against the Yankees (8-2) is at 10:35 a.m PDT. Sacramento’s LHP Jeffrey Springs (1-0 ERA 2.38) will face New York’s LHP Ryan Weathers (0-0, ERA 4.30).

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. 

Sharks’ Playoff Hopes Stumble as McDavid Powers Oilers to 5-2 Win

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Macklin Celebrini #71 of the San Jose Sharks between plays in the first period against the Edmonton Oilers at SAP Center on April 8, 2026 in San Jose, California. (Mandatory Photo Credit: Kavin Mistry/NHLI via Getty Images)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SAN JOSE — On Wednesday night, the San Jose Sharks faithful filed into the stands in anticipation of the team’s matchup against the Edmonton Oilers. There was an air of optimistic anxiety in the building as the Sharks entered the game three points back of the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference with just six games to go in the season.

The Sharks, after all, are ahead of schedule. Regardless of whether San Jose makes or misses out on the playoffs, the season has to be seen as a success by the fans, ownership, and management. Yet, Sharks fans are desperate for another shot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Sharks have not seen the playoffs since the 2018-19 season, when they lost to the St. Louis Blues in the Western Conference Final, which led to the full rebuild of the club.

The anxiety in the Tank quickly turned to angst as the Oilers defeated the Sharks 5-2 behind a Connor McDavid two-assist, three-goal game to lead Edmonton.

In the first period, the Sharks got off to a quick start as Macklin Celebrini found the back of the net on a wrister from Dmitry Orlov and Will Smith. It was Celebrini’s 42nd goal of the season. The goal came on a power play after the Oilers were hit with too many men on the ice. After the Sharks took the early lead, Edmonton answered right back with a goal of their own, scored by Connor McDavid and assisted by Evan Bouchard and Vasily Podkolzin. It was an effective answer from the Oilers as they gained the momentum right back after the Sharks seized it. However, Edmonton wasn’t done yet in the first period. The Oilers scored a second goal, by Vasily Podkolzin, from Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Connor McDavid.

Trailing 2-1 heading into the second period, the Sharks failed to reclaim the momentum. However, the Oilers came out in the second period and scored a quick goal at the 16:27 mark of the period. Jack Roslovic found the back of the net on a nice backhand shot from Connor McDavid to give the Oilers a 3-1 advantage. It was Roslovic’s 21st goal of the season and Connor McDavid’s third point of the game at that point. The Sharks answered right back as Kiefer Sherwood tipped in an Alex Wennberg shot for the goal. It was Sherwood’s 23rd goal of the season and sixth goal for the Sharks as Wennberg and William Eklund were credited with the assists.

From that point on, it was all bad news for the Sharks.

Connor McDavid took over the game for the rest of the second period, scoring two more goals to pull the Oilers ahead by three heading into the second intermission. McDavid’s third goal of the game came on a wrister at the 16:07 mark of the period that was assisted by Evan Bouchard and Mattias Ekholm. McDavid’s final goal of the game came at the 6:47 mark of the second period on another wrist shot. It was good for a McDavid hat trick and his 47th goal of the season. McDavid’s goal was assisted by Jack Roslovic, which was his second point of the game.

In the third period, nothing happened for either team. The Sharks looked dejected and gassed, and the Oilers seemed to keep the Sharks out of their zone well in the final frame. The Sharks had only four shots on goal the entire third period and ultimately fell to the Oilers 5-2 at home.

The Sharks were led in defeat by Macklin Celebrini and Kiefer Sherwood, who each scored goals in the game.

For Edmonton, it was a legacy-type performance from their best player, Connor McDavid. McDavid finished the game with five points on three goals and two assists. Other notable performances came from Vasily Podkolzin and Jack Roslovic, who each finished the game with two points of their own, while Ryan Nugent-Hopkins added a point.

When it was all said and done, the Sharks trailed the Oilers in shots on goal 14-26 as Edmonton nearly doubled the Sharks’ chances on net.

With the loss, the Sharks fell to 37-33-7 and sit with 81 points, which is three points behind the Nashville Predators (84) for the second wild-card spot.

The Sharks will travel to Anaheim on Wednesday evening to take on the Ducks at 7 p.m. PST on Thursday at Honda Center.

SF Giants game wrap: Back-to-back shutouts nets Giants series win over Phillies; SF’s Mahle blanks Phils 5-0 at Oracle Wednesday

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San Francisco Giants Rafael Devers slugs an RBI single agianst the Philadelphia Phillies in the bottom eighth at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Wed Apr 8, 2026 (AP News photo)

Wednesday, April 8, 2026

Oracle Park

San Francisco, California

Philadelphia Phillies 0 (6-6)

San Francisco Giants 5 (5-8)

Win: Matt Gage (1-0)

Loss: Aaron Nola (1-1)

Time: 2:29

Attendance: 36,106

By Stephen Ruderman

SAN FRANCISCO–After the Giants’ bullpen blew late leads on Sunday and Monday, the Giants shut out the Phillies in back-to-back games to get a massive series win against one of the best teams in Baseball. Wednesday, Tyler Mahle and the Giants’ bullpen shut out the Phillies 5-0.

The Giants suffered a devastating loss to open the series Monday night, as the bullpen blew a 4-0 lead, and the offense only got two hits in the final five innings of the game. They then bounced back nicely Tuesday night with a big 6-0 win behind a strong start by Robbie Ray. I get that it was only April 7, and that there is really no such thing as a must-win game this time of the year, but the Giants truly needed that win last night.

Tyler Mahle took the ball on another gorgeous day at Oracle Park, and survived a jam in the top of the first inning. Aaron Nola went for the Phillies, and the game quickly turned into a pitcher’s duel.

Mahle wasn’t dominant, as he had to work out of another jam in the top of the third, but he was still solid, as he gave up just three hits over five and two-thirds shutout innings. Nola, on the other hand, was dominant, though he had to work through a jam in the bottom of the fourth.

The Giants had runners at first and second with two outs in the bottom of the sixth for Rafael Devers. To be honest, I didn’t have much faith that Devers would come through. He froze like a statue on a fastball right on the inside corner in the bottom of the fourth, and grounded into a 4-6-3 double play to end the bottom of the fourth. Just before I was able to tell Sportstalk podcaster Bruce Magowan, who was sitting next to me in the press box, that Devers would pop up all over himself, he hit a three-run home run to straightaway center.

Now, it was up to the Giants’ bullpen to hold the lead. Matt Gage, who finished the top of the sixth, was back out for the seventh. Gage retired the first man he faced, but after Otto Kemp lined a pinch-hit single to right, Tony pulled Gage for Caleb Kilian.

I didn’t particularly like the move, and when Kilian walked Trea Turner on four pitches to get Schwarber up to the plate as the tying run, I was certain that we would see a Schwar-bomb end up somewhere in the South Bay. I was already wrong about Devers in the sixth. Much to my pleasant surprise, Schwarber struck out, and Harper grounded out to second. Kilian did his job. The inning was over, and the shutout was still intact.

Blade Tidwell threw a 1-2-3 inning in the top of the eighth, and the Giants tacked on two more runs against Jose Alvarado in the bottom of the eighth. Erik Miller was the guy for the top of the ninth, and he threw a 1-2-3 inning to close it out.

Matt Gage got his first big league win, and Aaron Nola took the loss.

The Giants improve to 5-8, and considering the fact that I expected them to be 3-10 after these first two weeks, I am ecstatic.

The Giants will now head back on the road for a three-city swing through Baltimore, Cincinnati and Washington, D.C. I have no clue why they are going to another metropolitan area in between their two series in the Beltway. I have tried making my own Major League Baseball schedules in the past, but it is one of the most difficult jigsaw puzzles to solve.

Anyway, the Giants begin a three-game series against the Orioles at Camden Yards on Friday. RHP Landen Roupp (1-1 ERA 4.22) will go for the Giants, and RHP Shane Baz (0-0 ERA 4.09) will go for the Orioles.

First pitch will be at 7:15 p.m EDT. in Baltimore, 4:15 p.m PDT in San Francisco

Headline Sports podcast Bruce MacGowan: Taking a look at the progress of Giants manager Tony Vitello

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San Francisco Giants manager Tony Vitello is all smiles after defeating the New York Mets at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Thu Apr 2, 2026. (AP News photo)

Headline Sports podcast Bruce MacGowan:

#1 Talk about Tony Vitello Giants manager and how he’s getting things worked out since that rather tough first week he had to start off the season.

#2 Bruce goes over the line up card for the Giants and how he disagreed with the order of the line up.

#3 NL West one of the tougest in baseball next to the Eastern Division in the American League.

#4 The Giants have a big questions in their bullpen whose ever heard of Ryan Boruki?

#5 Bruce, when the Giants traded Mike Yastrzemski, Camilio Doval and Tyler Rogers did that take part of the soul of the Giants when that deal went down last season?

Bruce MacGowan is a podcast contributor at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

San Francisco Giants podcast Stephen Ruderman: Ray pitching with a lot of consistancy for SF

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San Francisco Giants starter Robbie Ray had a great outing pitching shutout ball for six plus innings giving up three hits and seven strikeouts against the Philadelphia Phillies at Oracle Park in San Francisco Wed Apr 8, 2026 (AP News photo)

San Francisco Giants podcast Stephen Ruderman:

#1 The Giants got a pitching performance once again from starter Robbie Ray who went 6.2 innings, three hits, three walks, and seven strikeouts in the Giants shutout of the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday.

#2 It seems like when Ray is starting a lot of the guys really perform a little extra behind Ray not to say they don’t that for the other starters.

#3 Talk about how concerned manager Tony Vitello is about the starting rotation and the bullpen?

#4 Also talk about the bullpen and with Ryan Boruki, Erik Miller, Matt Gage, JT Brubaker, Caleb Killan, Blade Tidwell, Keaton Winn and Ryan Walker.

#5 Matt Chapman and Willy Adames has swung the bat better. They’ve swinging hitting the ball the opposite way which they have been doing constantly which they need to be doing,

Stephen Ruderman is a San Francisco Giants staff writer at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Golden State Warriors podcast David Zizmor: Warriors hold on to be at Kings 110-105; Curry cans 17 points on return

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Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) takes a jump shot against the Sacramento Kings forward Precious Achiuwa (9) during the first half at Chase Center in San Francisco on Tue Apr 7, 2026 (AP News photo)

Golden State Warriors podcast David Zizmor:

#1 David the anticipated return of Stephen Curry after missing 27 games scored 17 points the Golden State Warriors (37-42) win over the visiting Sacramento Kings (21-59) 110-105 at Chase Center on Tuesday night.

#2 The Warriors were aware of the Kings Maxime Raynaud who can be effective from anywhere on the floor led Sacramento with 17 points.

#3 Next up for the Warriors another meeting with the Kings this time in Sacramento on Fri Apr 10th with a 7:00pm PDT tip. This one will be at Golden 1 do you see Curry’s return almost a sure win for Golden State in Sacramento?

David Zizmor does the Golden State Warriors podcasts each Wednesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

NBA podcast Michael Roberson: Lakers Doncic and Reaves out with injuries to kick off post season; Nuggets Jokic triple double Brunson a force in the post season; plus more news

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Los Angeles Lakers Luka Doncic (pictured) is listed out with a grade 2 hamstring injury and Austin Reaves (not pictured) is out with a grade 2 oblique muscle injury. They are expected to miss the post season according to reports. (Getty photo)

NBA podcast Michael Roberson:

#1 How does Los Angeles Lakers Luka Dončić’s and Austin Reaves injuries impact the Western Conference playoff race and potential Finals contenders? (Consider how tightly packed teams like the Lakers, Nuggets, and Rockets are right now.)

#2 Which late-season performance is more impressive: Denver Nuggets Nikola Jokić’s triple-double dominance or Jalen Brunson’s clutch game-winner—and why? (Think about MVP narratives vs. clutch impact.)

#3 Are the Houston Rockets legitimate contenders in the West, or are they benefiting from favorable matchups and timing? (Use their current form and matchup vs. the Suns as context.)

#4 Can the Boston Celtics sustain their late-season surge into a championship run, and what factors make them especially dangerous? (Focus on Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, and team chemistry.)

#5 Will Shaquille O’Neal’s new professional dunk league enhance basketball culture or distract from the NBA product?

Join Michael Roberson for NBA podcasts weekly at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Utah Mammoth game wrap: Utah Strikes Oil In Franchise First 6-5 Win Over Edmonton

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Utah Mammoth center Clayton Keller (9) shoots the winning goal 33 second into the overtime stanza to help defeat the visiting Edmonton Oilers at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Tue Apr 7, 2026 (AP News photo)

Utah Mammoth Game Wrap: The Mammoth have scored 25 goals over the past four games in their playoff push.

By Tom Walker

SALT LAKE CITY–The Utah Mammoth (40-30-6) returned to Delta Center Tuesday night following a successful three-game sweep of games against Pacific Division teams in Los Angeles, Seattle, and Vancouver, scoring a minimum of six goals in each of the victories. The Mammoth came away with a 6-5 win over the Pacific Division’s best the Edmonton Oilers Tuesday night.

In their win against the Canucks, Utah became the third team in NHL history to win 40 games in their second NHL season, joining the Vegas Golden Knights and Seattle Kraken.The offensive surge couldn’t have come at a more opportune moment heading into the home stretch of the regular season. 

Though the Mammoth have been holding down the top Wild Card slot in the Western Conference for some time, a number of conference rivals remain in the hunt for the postseason, and Utah is not yet mathematically guaranteed to punch their card to make a Mammoth playoff debut. Utah went 1-3-0 on the previous homestand, and will now play five of their remaining six regular season games at home.

Squaring off against the Mammoth on Tuesday night were the Edmonton Oilers (39-29-9) who currently share the Pacific Division lead with the Anaheim Ducks, and who entered the contest a perfect 5-0-0 against Utah since the former Arizona Coyotes were rechristened as a new franchise in Salt Lake City.

Mammoth forward JJ Peterka got things going for Utah less than two minutes into the contest with his 24th goal of the season, a slap shot, assisted by Ian Cole and Michael Carcone. Before the goal announcement could even be completed, the Oilers tied things up 11 seconds later on a backhand by Edmonton forward Curtis Lazar, his fourth of the year, assisted by Adam Henrique and Matthias Ekholm.

It would only get worse for the Mammoth from there. With Clayton Keller in the penalty box for high-sticking against Curtis Lazar, Connor McDavid showed why he remains one of the game’s elite forwards, blowing effortlessly through the Utah defense and putting the puck past Karel Vejmelka for his 44th goal of the season, assisted by Evan Bouchard and netminder Tristan Jarry. 

At 14:43 the Oilers made it 3-1 on the 19th of the year by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, assisted by Kasperi Kapanen, which is where things concluded as the two squads headed to their respective locker rooms. Jarry turned away 10 of 11 Utah shots while Vejmelka surrendered three goals on seven shots by the Oilers.

Utah settled down a bit in the second period, keeping Edmonton at bay for the first half of the frame, and then at 10:28 forward Nick Schmaltz got the Mammoth to within one with his 29th goal of the season, assisted by Clayton Keller and Lawson Crouse.

With a little more than four minutes remaining, Logan Cooley brought Utah back the rest of the way, scoring his 23rd goal of the season on a slap shot, assisted by Dylan Guenther and Sean Durzi. Unfortunately for Utah, for the second time in the game, the goal announcement could not be completed before the Oilers immediately went ahead 4-3 on Vasily Podkolzin’s 18th goal of the season, assisted by Darnell Nurse and McDavid.

Making matters worse, with less than two minutes left in the period, MacKenzie Weegar went to the sin bin for hooking against McDavid.  But rather than surrendering another goal on the power play, Schmaltz came through shorthanded for his second goal of the night and 30th on the season to even the score at 4-4, with John Marino and Alexander Kerfoot picking up the assists. 30 goals and 40 assists for 70 points are a new career high for Schmaltz, who signed an 8-year $64 million contract extension in March. The Mammoth flipped the script from the opening frame, this time outscoring Edmonton 3-1, with Vejmelka stopping 11 of 12 Oilers shots and Jarry turning away 7 of 10 by Utah.

Edmonton regained the lead 5-4 at 2:09 of the third period when Colton Dach registered his fifth goal of the season, assisted by Trent Frederic and Jason Dickinson, but Utah wasn’t done yet.  At 12:56, the Mammoth came back to tie the score for the third time in the game when Alexander Kerfoot, who was camped out in front of the Oilers net, tipped in a shot from Sean Durzi for his sixth goal of the season, with the additional helper to Michael Carcone, to make the score 5-5 and send the game to overtime.

Just 25 seconds into bonus hockey, Matt Savoie was whistled for tripping against Logan Cooley to give Utah a 4-on-3 power play.  The Mammoth wasted no time taking advantage of the opportunity, with captain Clayton Keller netting the game winner eight seconds later to give Utah its first franchise victory over Edmonton, a possible first round playoff opponent. Keller’s 26th goal of the season was assisted by Mikhail Sergachev and Dylan Guenther.

In the locker room, Schmaltz commented on the intensity level of the game, “It was pretty high. We kind of know where we stand and where they stand. These points are so valuable. We want to get that X by our name, as fast as we can. So we’re doing everything we can, and we’re battling every night, and two points is huge, especially against that team.”

Keller added, “I think we stuck with it all game, obviously being down 3-1, and I still feel like we were playing good hockey. A couple of bounces here and there, but just part of the way that we stuck with it. We had a big push in the third. We were playing our style of hockey. We get the goal there, and then we keep pressing. We don’t sit back and back up. It’s a good step in the right direction, and still got some games left, so it’s a huge win.” Of his linemate’s 30 goals, Keller said, “You guys know, I think the world of him. Him as a player and person and just so gifted, fast, skilled, thinks the game at such a high level, and has such a good stick. There’s so many things about his game that people don’t recognize or truly appreciate as much as all of us do in this room, and just how good he is. That’s huge for him, for sure. He’s got that sneaky little wrister, and he’s good in tight. He’s got good hands. That’s great to see him get that, and I don’t think that’s the ceiling for him honestly.”  On coming back from behind three separate times, the captain said, “I think just pressing when we were down. It still felt like we had lots of confidence all game. We never had that span of being down on ourselves, or whatever it may be. We just kept rolling it over and trusting that it would turn and I think that’s something that we’ve gotten better at as the year has gone on, so good on us.”

Head Coach André Tourigny was all smiles beginning his post-game session with the media, repeating a refrain from earlier in the season, “are we entertained?”  Talking about the lines of Schmaltz and Cooley containing McDavid, Bear commented, “those two lines shared McDavid all night long. I think they did a really good job … they played really well against 97, so I think they played a complete game.” Explaining why he started the overtime period with Cooley on the ice, Tourigny added, “I didn’t want somebody who couldn’t skate with McDavid. And he had the fire in his eyes; I got this, I got this. I said, ‘Hey, don’t take chase, don’t worry.’ He didn’t really even want to hear me. He was kind of just, just put me out there and don’t worry. He drew the penalty, and we scored on that. So, proud of the young guy.” On the team’s resiliency, Bear added, “People talk about going over the hump, and this and that; those guys want to win. They want to perform, and sometimes that gets in our way, because wanting to get a result sometimes makes you focus on the wrong thing. You need to focus on the process, but those guys have always been driven to achieve great things. They want to be a championship team. They know there’s growth to get there, but I never doubt their resiliency as a team, and they believe in each other. I like the fact that they believe in each other. They know we’re a good team and we can achieve good things together, so there’s a strong belief.”

Next up for Utah (41-30-6) on Thursday are the Nashville Predators (37-31-10), who shut out the Anaheim Ducks 5-0 on the road Tuesday night to leapfrog the Los Angeles Kings into the second Wild Card spot in the Western Conference.  

Sac Kings game wrap: Kings Comeback Effort Falls Short in 110-105 Loss to Warriors

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Dylan Cardwell #32 of the Sacramento Kings dribbles the ball during the game against the Golden State Warriors on April 7, 2026 at Chase Center in San Francisco, California. (Mandatory Photo Credit: Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SAN FRANCISCO — The Sacramento Kings were back in action on Tuesday night against the Golden State Warriors at the Chase Center. The Kings were squarely out of the playoff picture when they took on the playoff-hopeful Warriors. The Warriors are guaranteed the 10th spot in the Western Conference as they attempt to make a playoff run with Steph Curry having returned from injury.

On Tuesday, the Kings played with a highly depleted lineup that was missing the likes of DeMar DeRozan, Russell Westbrook, Keegan Murray, and Zach LaVine. The Kings only had nine players available in the game. The Warriors were back in tow with Steph Curry, albeit off the bench in his second game back from injury. In a tough-fought game, the Kings fell to the Warriors 110-105 on Tuesday night.

In the first quarter, the Kings played the Warriors tough as they managed to outscore them 26-25 in the game’s opening 12 minutes. Maxime Raynaud and Daeqwon Plowden led the Kings’ offensive efforts in the first quarter as they scored seven and six points, respectively, to open the game. On the Warriors’ side, Pat Spencer led the scoring with seven points in the opening frame.

In the second quarter, the Warriors dominated and created significant separation from the Kings. De’Anthony Melton led the way for the Warriors with 12 second-quarter points as they outscored the Kings 41-27. Steph Curry trailed slightly behind Melton as he powered the Warriors in the second quarter with 11 points of his own. The Kings, who scored 27 points in the quarter, were led in scoring by Doug McDermott and Nique Clifford, who scored eight and five points, respectively.

The Kings went into halftime trailing the Warriors 66-53 after the first half of play in San Francisco.

In the third quarter, the Kings outplayed the Warriors in all aspects of the game and began a comeback attempt after being down 13 heading into halftime. The Kings outscored the Warriors 28-19 in the third quarter to come within four points and make it an 85-81 game heading into the fourth. Killian Hayes and Maxime Raynaud led the charge for the Kings, scoring eight points each in the quarter. Gary Payton II led the way for the Warriors, adding six points in the third.

In the fourth quarter, the Kings continued to push. However, De’Anthony Melton and Brandin Podziemski each scored seven points in the final frame to keep the Kings at bay. The Warriors outscored the Kings 26-25 in the final quarter to take home the win by the final of 110-105. Precious Achiuwa and Doug McDermott each added eight points in the final frame to keep the Kings in it. The Kings failed to come back and win the game, but it was not without fight and positive trajectory for the young group led by Doug Christie.

“It’s one of the gratifying things [watching players grow] that as you watch your players… we watch film, we talk about certain things and you get in practice, we work on certain things, and to watch them take that to the floor and do it is absolutely huge,” Doug Christie said.

“I think that they’ve faced adversity many, many times,” Doug continued. “And previously I thought they would drop rope and put their heads down, letting the game get away from us instead of continuing to fight. But all the little things that we talk about… super gratifying.”

Dylan Cardwell and Killian Hayes were some of the standouts for the Kings in the loss on Tuesday.

Cardwell finished with eight points, nine boards, and three blocks in the game. He had a large impact on the court in his nearly 26 minutes, which also included a scary incident with Draymond Green later in the game where they bumped knees. However, he stayed in the game after appearing to be in visible pain and finished the game.

“It was just me and Draymond knee to knee,” Dylan said after the game. “Just fighting for a rebound, so we were both hurt, whatever. But I got over it.”

Dylan, who seems to have found his timing again on the court after his return from his ankle injury, spoke on his process of getting back to form.

“That was my first ever… missing games in my whole entire life. The most games I missed in college in a row was one, I missed two games in five years, so that was my first time really sitting out for a while. So I had to give myself a little grace in returning, and now I feel more active… it just took a couple games for me to get back to where I was at.”

Killian Hayes had 18 points and four steals in the game to help the Kings in their comeback efforts. Dylan was excited to see Hayes performing at a high level and showing what they believe he can do on a regular basis.

“It is nice to see him all over the stat sheet,” Cardwell said of Hayes. “And then he’s a great defender. He is a great teammate, so I’m really happy for him.”

Killian spoke after the game about his role and the keys to his success that come from Doug Christie.

“He [Doug Christie] wants me to be aggressive defensively, picking up, getting deflections and things like that,” Hayes said after the game. “And on offense, just get the guys going and be aggressive as well.”

With the Jazz and Kings both losing on Tuesday, the Kings remain tied with the Jazz for the fourth-worst record in the NBA. The final two games of the season will determine the lottery odds for the draft later this summer.

The Kings will return home to take on the Warriors again on Friday at 7 p.m. PST at the Golden 1 Center.

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.