Category: NBA

Golden State Warriors podcast with David Zizmor: Warriors look to pick up third win in row against slumping LeBron and Lakers

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The Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) makes for a fast break on the Sacramento Kings Justin Holiday (9) at the Golden One Center in Sacramento on Sun Apr 3, 2022 (AP News photo)

#1 Dave, after losing four straight games the Golden State Warriors (50-29) got key wins against the Utah Jazz and the Sacramento Kings (29-50). How much of a relief did this have to be for the club considering they had lost those three games and were without Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson.

#2 Despite not having Curry and Thompson the Warriors got some offense from forward Andrew Wiggins who led with 25 points and guard Jordan Poole who finished behind Wiggins with 22 points.

#3 The Warriors host the Los Angeles Lakers (31-47) on Thursday night at Chase Center. The Lakers are having troubles of their own with seven loses of their last eight games. The Lakers are on a eight game loss streak losing their last game to the Denver Nuggets (47-32) 129-118 at Crypto Arena on Sunday night.

Join David Zizmor throughout the NBA postseason for the Golden State Warriors podcasts each Wednesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Sacramento Kings podcast with Morris Phillips: Shooting that killed six, injured 12 take precedence before Sunday’s game

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Fans and players of the Golden State Warriors and Sacramento Kings prior to the game stand in a moment of silence to remember those who were killed or injured on Sun Apr 3, 2022’s shooting in downtown Sacramento just blocks away from the Golden One Center in downtown Sacramento. (photo by the Sacramento Bee)

On the Sacramento Kings podcast with Morris:

#1 Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr addressed the media before Sunday’s game at the Golden One Center in Sacramento. Kerr’s whose father was gunned down in Beirut in 1984 talked about the shooting that took place before Sunday’s game in Sacramento where six were killed and 12 were injured saying that everyone is crushed before the start of the game about what took place.

#2 Morris you and I have taken to those same streets near the Golden One Center many times, for example on Ninth between K Street and J Streets in downtown Sacramento and the neighborhood is rough after dark the Kings have one more home game left but it certainly puts fear into those who travel to downtown for business or pleasure.

#3 To the game on Sunday night the Sacramento Kings (29-50) who had won four of their last five game previous to Sunday’s game were totally broadsided by Golden State (50-29) in a 19 point loss. The Kings were defeated by a Warrior team that played without stars Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson.

#4 Morris the Kings had a tough time defending the Warriors Andrew Wiggins with a team leading 25 points, followed by Jordan Poole 22 points, and former King Nemanja Bjelica with 19 points.

#5 Morris, the Kings will face the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday night, the Pelicans have won four of their last six games. They took a tough loss to the Los Angeles Clippers in their last game 119-100. How do you see the Pelicans and Kings matching up on Tuesday?

This is Morris’ last Kings podcast for the 2021-22 season and he will be doing the San Francisco Giants podcasts starting next Monday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Golden State Warriors podcast with Barbara Mason: How Warriors missed Thompson’s presence in Sacramento on Sunday

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The Golden State Warriors Klay Thompson celebrates a great offensive night on Sat Apr 2, 2022 at Chase Center in San Francisco sat out Sun Apr 3, 2022 in Sacramento due to a management injury (AP News photo)

On the Golden State Warriors podcast with Barbara:

#1 Barbara, the Golden State Warriors didn’t have the use of Klay Thompson due to a management injury. Watching the contest in Sacramento on Sunday night could you see a difference with Thompson out of the line up.

#2 There is no doubt with a Thompson and Curry out of the line up the Warriors have to lean on scorers Jordan Poole and Andrew Wiggins to provide for offense.

#3 In the Warriors game on Saturday you couldn’t tell that Thompson had any injury issues he was lights out scoring 36 points.

#4 As you could see from their game against the Utah Jazz a huge difference when Thompson is in the line up they got a four point win against a good club.

#5 The Kings are a team that has been on the move lately before Sunday’s game they had won four out their last five. They narrowly lost the the Phoenix Suns on Sun Mar 20th they’re a team that the Warriors had own in the past.

Join Barbara Mason for the Golden State Warriors podcasts Mondays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Sacramento Kings game wrap: Kings brief two game win streak comes to an end in 109-90 loss to Golden State

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Sacramento Kings guard Davion Mitchell (15) takes a shot against the Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) in the second quarter at the Golden One Center in Sacramento on Sun Apr 3, 2022 (AP News photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings (29-50) were back in action on Sunday evening. The Kings had last played on Friday as they took in the Houston Rockets for the second time in as many games.

The Kings wrapped up the five-game road trip with a win on Houston on Friday 122-117. On Sunday, the Kings welcomed the Golden State Warriors (50-29) to Golden One Center with tip-off set for 6 PM PST. The Warriors beat the Kings at home 109-90 on Sunday night…

In the first quarter, it was a plodding start for the Kings. The Kings only scored 14 points on the Warriors in the first quarter. However, that wasn’t the only bad news for the Kings.

The Warriors offense got off to a quick start when they put up 28 points on the Kings in the first quarter. The Kings would need to act fast in the second quarter if they wanted to keep the game close.

In the second quarter, It didn’t get much better for the Kings. The Warriors offense was still firing on all cylinders, and the Kings defense couldn’t contain them. The Kings offense did pick up the pace scoring 28 points in the second quarter.

Unfortunately, the Warriors dropped 34 points on the Kings in the second quarter. The Kings would dig themselves into a 62-42 deficit going into halftime to a Warriors team without Stephen Curry or Klay Thompson. In the first half, Andrew Wiggins led the Warriors in scoring with 15, while Damian Jones scored eight points for the Kings.

In the third quarter, the Kings played their best quarter so far. The Kings outscored the Warriors in the third quarter, 29-19, as they got a little momentum heading into the final quarter.

Throughout the game, the difference had been the Kings three-point shooting compared to the Warriors. The Warriors made almost half of their three-pointers while the Kings were lucky to make 1-10. As a result, the Kings went into the fourth quarter trailing 67-81.

In the fourth, the Kings would show heart but ultimately lose the game 109-90. The Kings did get within seven points of the Warriors down the stretch in the fourth quarter. However, after a bad pass from Damian Jones, the Kings lost their momentum, and the Warriors took the game over to seal the deal.

The difference in the game was three-point shooting as the Warriors made 16-34 attempts. On the other hand, the Kings only made 7-33. The Warriors were led in victory by Andrew Wiggins, who scored 25 points, as Harrison Barnes had 18 points to lead the Kings.

Up Next: The Kings take on the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday at 7 PM PST to wrap up the home schedule for the Kings this season.

Golden State Warriors game wrap: Warriors win critical games over the weekend defeat Kings 109-90 in Sacramento

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Golden State Warriors guard Damion Lee (1) reacts after taking a finger to the eye while being defended by Sacramento Kings guard Josh Jackson (55) second quarter at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Sun Apr 3, 2022 (AP News photo)

Warriors Win Critical Games Over the Weekend defeat Kings 109-90

By Barbara Mason

Saturday night the Golden State Warriors clinched a playoff berth after winning a thriller against the Utah Jazz 117-113. The Warriors did not even take the lead in this game until late in the fourth quarter and turned the table on Utah to win the game.

Sunday night the Warriors (50-29) took on the Sacramento Kings (29-50) they played for the win and for the best possible spot in the playoffs. It’s all about Western Conference seeding right now. The Jazz and the Mavericks are threatening to pass the Warriors who currently reside in third place in the conference.

The Mavericks trail Golden State by a half game and so Sunday’s game had a lot of importance especially with the Mavs winning an earlier game against the Bucks. The Warriors had a good arms distance lead for most of the game over the Kings in the 109-90 win at the Golden One Center in Sacramento.

The Warriors played Sunday without Klay Thompson who they rested after the 36 point performance against Utah Saturday night. The tenacious Gary Payton II started in the game. Throughout the first quarter Green and Poole played limited minutes after their play Sunday.

This gave the young guys a chance to play with Jonathan Kuminga, Juan Toscano, Damion Lee and Nemanja Bjelica playing some of the first quarter. The Warriors led after one 28-14.

The Warriors would extend their lead to 62-42 at the half. The bench was doing a great job in the second quarter. Both Bjelica and Kuminga finished the second quarter with 12 points apiece. Bjelica also had nine rebounds so the depth of the Golden State roster was on parade with Lee turning in five points and three rebounds as well.

The brilliant play of the bench allowed Draymond Green and Jordan to get some rest after the tough matchup against the Jazz. Golden State had displayed some great defense as well as offense. Not a single King player had double digits after two quarters of play.

At the end of the third quarter the Kings had made a bit of a push trailing 81-67. Former Warrior Harrison Barnes was the only King with double digits having 16. The Kings were playing hard but were no match for Golden State.

The Warriors had to watch out for Sacramento in the fourth quarter. The Kings continued to push and pulled within seven points with six minutes left in the game. Turnovers and missed shots were giving the Kings some life. After the scare Golden State pulled it back together and extended their lead back to 14, 102-88. The Warriors win the game.

Wiggins would be the high score for the Warriors with 25 points and Poole had his 17 game in a row with 20 plus points. He finished with 22 points. The Warriors certainly answered the call over the weekend winning two critical games and showing up offensively and defensively Bjelica had 19 points and 12 rebounds in this game in one of his best games all season. The Warriors will get a nice rest not playing again until Thursday night.

As mentioned above the Warriors will be taking on the Los Angeles Lakers Thursday. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 PM.

Warriors Battle Past Jazz 111-107; Snap four game skid at Chase

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Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson (11) gets up over Utah Jazz forward Bojan Bogdanovic (44) for a two point attempt at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Sat Apr 2, 2022 (AP News photo)

Warriors Battle Past Jazz 111-107

By Barbara Mason

As the Golden State Warriors (49-29) head into the final games of the season there is a lot still up in the air for the Warriors. The team will be without Stephen Curry for the remainder of the regular season (four more games left).

It’s not what the team wanted to hear but Curry is still aiming for getting healthy going into the playoffs although he did admit that this was not the ideal way for any team to end a season.

Head Coach Steve Kerr recognizes that the most important thing right now is having Curry healthy for the start of the playoffs regardless of where Golden State finishes in the standings. Still a lot is still to be determined when it comes to matchups and it will no doubt change before season’s end. Curry will be re-evaluated at the end of the regular season.

Tonight the Warriors took on the fifth place Utah Jazz (46-32). This game is huge for both teams. The Jazz currently stand in fifth place in the Western Conference and Golden State is in third place with the Mavericks nipping at their heels in fourth place a half game behind the Warriors.

The Warriors will need a fast paced game. They will need to be patient and be aggressive and above all protect the ball. Turnovers killed the team last Wednesday against the Suns with 21. This has to turn around. The Golden State defense is coming around but the offense has a ways to go.

The Jazz took an early lead after the opening quarter 30-23. The Warriors offense continued to struggle going four of 13 from outside. Utah had the momentum through the first quarter and in the early minutes of the second quarter. Utah’s Donovan Mitchell had 11 points in the first quarter and Klay Thompson had seven points but started to heat up in the start of the second quarter.

Four Minutes into the second quarter the Jazz were totally dominating the game leading 47-28. The Jazz had a monster advantage and it would be an uphill climb for Golden State. The Warriors needed stops but also some far better offense.

Golden State started getting stops but also struggled with empty possessions and turnovers. With two minutes left in the half the Warriors had cut a 21 point Jazz lead to 13 and they did this in two minutes.

The game was turning around offensively in favor of the Warriors. The effort and energy of Golden State was improved in the late second quarter and they would need more of that in the second half. The Warriors also had 11 first half turnovers and they cannot continue on this path. Utah had a 58-45 half time lead.

At 3:50 left in the third quarter the Warriors got within single digits of the Jazz.79-70. After three quarters the Warriors had cut the Jazz lead to six.

As the fourth quarter wore on it became apparent that the Warriors just could not keep pace with Utah or could they? Everything turned around with 5:37 left in the game and it appeared that yes they could keep up with the Jazz.

Three straight stops and three shots from downtown made all the difference in this game. The Jazz lead had shrunk to four 103-99. The Warriors had a ball game. With 3:31 left in the game the Warriors had their first lead of the game 105-103. Golden State had a 18-0 run and 20 from downtown in this game.

It came down to a one point game and under two minutes left on the clock. The Warriors needed to close this game out. Chase Center was on their feet in this playoff like atmosphere. With 7.8 left in the game the Warriors led 109-106 and Draymond Green was at the free throw line. Golden State finished this game 111-107. The 30th win at Chase was one to remember.

“I am incredibly proud of him,” said Thompson of Poole who finished with 31 points. Thompson himself had 36 points in this crazy game. “I could feel that I was going to have a big night in the weight room. Not in the first half, not my best half but I kept shooting. What a way to snap out of this streak we had,” Thompson said in regards to their four game losing streak. “I am just incredibly proud of everyone who played tonight. It took a lot of grit and mental fortitude,” he said.

Sunday night the Warriors travel to Sacramento to take on the Kings in a game that they not only need to win but should win. Thompson eluded to the fact that they should beat the Kings. The Warriors expended a lot of energy in this Jazz game but they will be riding in on an incredible high after tonight’s win. Tipoff is scheduled for 6:00 PM.

Kings win fourth in five games defeat Rockets 122-117

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The Sacramento Kings Harrison Barnes (40) goes high above the Houston Rockets Kevin Porter Jr (3) but is grabbed by Porter on the arm for a foul in first half action at the Toyota Center in Houston on Fri Apr 1, 2022 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Sacramento Kings (29-49) continue to roll with their second straight win over the Houston Rockets (20-58) completing the two game series at the Toyota Center on Friday night 122-117. The Kings also defeated the Rockets on Wednesday night by four points 121-118. The loss on Friday was the Rockets third straight defeat and the Kings have now won four of their last five games.

Onto Friday, the Kings Harrison Barnes led with 25 points. It’s rare to have on the schedule but the two teams met for the second time in three days in Houston. The Kings Damion Jones had himself a good game with 17 points, 17 rebounds, and six blocks, Donte DiVincenzo played 30 minutes got 19 points, nine assists and nine rebounds.

The Kings  Chimezie Metu scored 18 in 27 minutes, but it was Barnes who had the hot hand with ten out of 16 shooting from the field and hitting four three pointers. All around Kings head coach Alvin Gentry was satisfied with the Kings play, “I thought everybody contributed, and when we needed a stop or a basket, different guys did it for us,” Gentry said. “We had guys stepping up, and I think that’s the main thing. It was a really good team win.”

The Kings will try to keep it going at the Golden One Center in Sacramento when they return to play the Golden State Warriors (48-29) on Sunday for a 6:00 pm PDT tip. Like the Miami Heat who were in a slump when the Kings came into Miami the Kings got trounced 123-100 on Mon Mar 28th.

The Warriors are not in the best of moods and have lost four straight games before defeating the Utah Jazz on Saturday night. The Warriors had lost to the powerful Phoenix Suns 107-103 last Wednesday. The Suns Mikal Bridges and Devon Booker both led with 22 points. The Warriors also have lost their star player Stephen Curry for the next five games meaning the rest of the regular season and have shown they’ve been badly handicapped by his absence.

Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremaiah Salmonson: Kings and Rockets close out two game set tonight at Toyota Center

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Sacramento Kings guard Davion Mitchell (15) throws down on Houston Rockets forwards Usman Garuba, left, and Kenyon Martin Jr., right, at the Toyota Center in Houston on Wed Mar 30, 2022 (AP News photo)

On the Kings podcast with Jeremiah:

#1 Jeremiah, the Sacramento Kings (28-49) have won three out of their last four games beating such teams as the Indiana Pacers, Orlando Magic, and the Houston Rockets. The Kings also gave the Phoenix Suns fits March 20th only to lose to them by three points.

#2 On Wednesday night the Kings last game against the Houston Rockets (20-57) in Houston Davion Mitchell, Damian Jones and Trey Lyles each scored 24 points and that’s the kind of offense the Kings need to win games.

#3 The Rockets gave the Kings a run for their money with each team trading off double digit lead and narrowing it down in the fourth quarter in the four point 121-118 win for the Kings.

#4 Mitchell in his rookie year said he hopes the Kings can keep this kind of momentum up and be competitive next season. See what head coach Alvin Gentry has done over this last month how impressed are you by what he’s done with the team?

#5 Jeremiah, the Kings visit the Rockets one more time to close out this two game series in Houston. The Kings and Rockets went back and forth on Wednesday night do you see them pretty much doing the same for tonight’s game in Houston?

Join Jeremiah Fridays for the Sacramento Kings podcasts at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Suns edge Warriors in a Shootout 107-103; Fourth loss in a row for Golden State

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Golden State Warriors Klay Thompson driving to the basket gets the ball knocked out of his hands by the Phoenix Suns Devin Booker (1) at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Thu Mar 30, 2022 (AP News photo)

Suns Edge Warriors In a Shootout – 107-103

By Barbara Mason

Wednesday night the Golden State Warriors (48-29) took on the best team in the NBA, the Phoenix Suns (62-14).

With Stephen Curry still on the sidelines the Suns were highly favored. The way this game started in the opening quarter all signs pointed toward another Sun road win. They jumped out to a quick 12-2 start. The starting roster for the Suns is a litany of stars. Chris Paul, Devon Booker, Jae Crowder, Mikal Bridges and Deandre Ayton. A formidable starting lineup. There was no stopping the number one team in the NBA as the Suns won in a close game 107-103 at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Thursday night.

After trailing for much of the first quarter the Warriors started to heat up and after the opening quarter the Suns held a slim 32-29 lead.

Both teams would trade the lead in the second quarter. The Suns continued to lead at the half 50-48. Despite having 14 turnovers in the first half the Warriors were hanging in this game holding the Suns to 36% shooting and only 19% shooting three’s. They had to maintain that defense in the second half.

Much of the Warriors success was due to the shooting of Jordan Poole who had 20 points in the first half. Andrew Wiggins had ten points and Golden State was waiting on Klay Thompson to come to the party. He finished the half with six points and no rebounds with one assist.

The third quarter was a wild wild west shootout with the Warriors taking a seven point lead that quickly dissolved. The Suns had a slim 77-75 lead after three. The Warriors had continued the great defense that they played with in the first half.

The fourth quarter saw a series of ties in the early minutes. The Warriors had 20 turnovers and too many empty possessions. Despite that Golden State refused to go away. With 7:30 left in the game the score was again tied at 86.

The Suns would take a 96-93 lead with 2:59 on the clock. With the great defense that Golden State had played with in this game, they needed their offense to really step up in the final minutes. Draymond Green had key play after key play in this game and was a big reason that the Warriors were still hanging around with every chance to take this game. At two minutes what else, a tie game.

The Suns had a two point lead at the half, a two point lead after three quarters and this game was up for grabs. The Warriors led 101-100 with 39.8 seconds left in this game. The Warriors needed a stop and a little offense and this game could be a wrap.

Golden State came up just short losing by four points. Empty possessions and 20 turnovers spelled disaster for the Warriors. The Warriors did so many great things in this game and it was a tough loss for them.

Poole finished the game with 38 points and this game was a great improvement over their last road trip. This was a great effort for the Warriors and they really looked like contenders in the upcoming playoffs.

The Warriors will have a few days to rest up before taking on the Utah Jazz Saturday night. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:30 PM.

Kings Squeeze Past the Rockets 121-118

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Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green, right, gets the basketball around Sacramento Kings forward Justin Holiday (9) at the Toyota Center in Houston Wed Mar 30, 2022 (AP News photo)

Kings Squeeze Past the Rockets 121-118

By Barbara Mason

Wednesday night the Sacramento Kings (27-49) took on the last place Houston Rockets (20-56). This is a game that the Kings should be able to handle despite the fact that De’Aaron Fox has been ruled out with a hand injury.

Fox has been having a great season although once again the Kings will miss the playoffs. Sacramento has not seen a postseason since 2006. This is the longest drought of any team in the NBA. The Kings carried on without Fox tonight picking up their third win in their last four games at the Toyota Center in Houston 121-118 in a nail biter.

It has been another disappointing season for the Kings. Sacramento was active in February at the trade deadline. They added the two-time All-Star Domantas Sabonis. We may not see Fox or Sabonis reach their potential this season.

Head Coach Alvin Gentry all but confirmed that these guys are finished for the season. So between the hand injury for Fox and a bruised left knee for Sabonis it only makes sense for these guys to look ahead to next season. These two players could provide a lethal partnership but it looks as if that will be put on hold until 2022-23.

It was a great start for the Houston Rockets leading after the first quarter 39-28.

The Kings trailed by as much as thirteen points in the second quarter. The Rockets seemed to have the momentum until something within the Kings began to click. Sacramento turned the momentum completely around taking the lead 72-66 at halftime.

With three minutes left in the half they had tied the game at 57. The Rockets began missing and the Kings began hitting shots, blocking shots and forcing turnovers. Damian Jones had 17 points and both Davion Mitchell and Trey Lyles had 16. Harrison Barnes had a quiet half and the team would need him in the third and fourth quarters.

The Kings made a move in the third quarter leading by 11 but squandered it all away leading by a slim margin 104-103 as time elapsed in the quarter. Fouls and turnovers had turned the tide in favor of the Rockets. The Kings had some work to do to close out this game.

The fourth quarter was a tough one for both teams. In the first six minutes only four points were scored between both teams combined. With 5:30 left in the game the score was tied at 108. The score remained tied for the next two minutes.

With 1:11 left in the game the Kings took a 117-113 lead. This game would go down to the wire. With 10.4 left on the clock the Kings had a 119-118 lead. Two free throws from Trey Lyles and the Kings survived the challenge from the Rockets.

The Kings starters had a great game with Lyles, Jones and Mitchell each turning in 24 points and Harrison Barnes had a much improved second half with 13 points.

Next up for the Kings as they march toward the end of the season will be another matchup with Houston on Friday. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:00 PM.