Category: NBA

Golden State Warriors podcast with Barbara Mason: Warriors drop fifth game out of six; Also Barbara’s favorite moment from the Oscar Awards

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Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson (11) goes for two against the Washington Wizards guard Ish Smith (4) at the Capital One Arena in Washington on Sun Mar 27, 2022 (AP News photo)

On the Warriors podcast with Barbara:

#1 Barbara is it pretty evident with no Stephen Curry the Golden State Warriors (48-27) have lost their way?

#2 The Washington Wizards who defeated the Warriors on Sunday 123-115 had lost four of their last eight games playing .500. a team that were the underdogs but the way the Warriors have been playing it’s a safe bet not to go near this one.

#3 The Wizards who got an eight point win over the Warriors held close leads for most of the game and hung on to defeat Golden State. The Wizards got scoring help from Corey Kispert 25 points, Kristaps Porzingis 23 points, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope who had 22 points.

#4 Warriors leading scorers Jordan Poole led with 26 points, Klay Thompson 25, Andrew Wiggins with 24, maybe they should give Draymond Green the ball more often he finished seven.

#5 Don’t get fresh with the Fresh Prince: Barbara getting off the Warriors subject you had a chance to watch the Oscar Awards tonight the highlight was when comedian Chris Rock got slapped in the face in front of a live audience on live TV by Comedian Will Smith after Rock made a joke about the Fresh Prince’s wife Jada Smith being GI Jane 2. It was a hard slap delivered by Smith right on the face of Rock who was stunned. What was more stunning is Smith dropping the F bomb telling Rock “Keep my wife’s name out of your f—–g mouth” not once but twice.

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

Again, No Second Half Surge For Warriors; Wizards 123 Warriors 115

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Washington Wizards forward Corey Kispert (24) takes a shot against the Golden State Warriors at the Capital One Center in Washington DC on Sun Mar 27, 2022 (AP News photo)

Again, No Second Half Surge For Warriors; Wizards 123 Warriors 115

By Barbara Mason

Sunday afternoon the Warriors (48-27) took on the Washington Wizards (32-42) at Capital Arena. They would play the game with the same lineup as their game against the Atlanta Hawks Friday night in a losing effort 121-110.

The Warriors had a great offensive game in the first half of that matchup but the defense was lacking and would have to be cleaned up. The Warriors couldn’t keep up dropping their second straight game to the Wizards 123-115.

The Warriors have fallen 3.5 games behind the second place Memphis Grizzlies but are 3.0 games ahead of the fourth place Utah Jazz in the Western Conference. There have been numerous scenarios of just who the Warriors could meet in the first round of the playoffs.

I believe that if you plan to win a championship it doesn’t matter who you play. You have to be equipped to beat every team in the playoffs. You have to be able to beat the best of the best.

The Wizards had a nice first quarter leading mid-way through the game 14-7. The Warriors had some open looks in the quarter but were not able to put points on the board. Their defense looked good and they needed their offense to start clicking.

Despite being outplayed in the opening quarter and shooting only 33% the Warriors were still in this game. The Wizards led 28-24 going into the second quarter and Golden State had to find their offense.

The Warriors fell behind 48-37 mid-way through the second quarter. They had to start stringing some stops together and take away the momentum that the Wizards were playing with.

Washington was confident offensively building a 51-37 lead and the Warriors needed to shut down their rhythm and make a run before the half. After trailing by 18 the Warriors made up some ground at the half. The Wizards led 59-51.

The third quarter was equally as frustrating for Golden State. Every time they got a little momentum going they would either fail to score or turn the ball over. The Warriors were 7 of 25 on three’s through three quarters. Washington continued to lead 92-81.

The fourth quarter went from bad to worse when Draymond Green was hit with a technical foul four minutes into the quarter. The Wizards were having their best three point shooting game of the season. The Warriors could not take the Wizards out of this game giving the Wizards their 30th second win of the season 123-115. For the Warriors it was simply no offense – no win.

Outscored by 24 points from behind the three point line the Warriors struggled from the get go. They did get some offensive work from Jordan Poole with 26, Klay Thompson 25 and Andrew Wiggins with 23.

Draymond Green had a tough game struggling with too many turnovers seven points, six assists and only five rebounds. It was the shots from downtown that failed Golden State. It was an ugly loss for the Warriors and Golden State had lost another game that they had no business losing.

The Warriors will finish this disappointing road trip tomorrow taking on the second place Memphis Grizzlies. This will be a very challenging game especially if they play the way that they played against the Wizards. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:00 PM.

Kings Hold Off Magic In Overtime 114-110

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Orlando Magic guard Cole Anthony, right, gets fouled by Sacramento Kings guard Davion Mitchell at the Amway Center in Orlando Sat Mar 26, 2022 (AP News photo)

Kings Hold Off Magic In Overtime 114-110

By Barbara Mason

Saturday night the Sacramento Kings (27-48) took on the Orlando Magic (20-55) at Amway Center. Neither team is playoff bound. Orlando sits at the bottom of the Eastern Conference while the Kings are in 13th place in the Western Conference. The Kings made work of the Magic picking up their 27th win of the season with a 114-110 win on Saturday in overtime.

It is hard to believe that there are only eight games left in the season. In their last meeting back on Dec 8th in Sacramento the Kings came away with a 142-130 win. The Magic were slightly favored in this game playing at home.

The Kings are coming off a win against the Indiana Pacers in a close one 110-109 last Thursday. The high scorer in this game was Davion Mitchell who shot for 25 points and had 7 assists. The rookie has really been elevating his game since moving into the starting lineup last week.

He is averaging 26.5 points and eight assists in the last two games. In the Kings win over the Pacers seven players reached double digits. The team were relying heavily on Mitchell since De’Aaron Fox will not take the court tonight with a hand injury.

The Kings got a fast start in the first quarter taking a 41-28 lead, a high scoring quarter for Sacramento. The Magic started to turn things around in their favor outscoring the Kings 34-25 in the second quarter and at the half the Kings were holding onto a slim 66-62 lead.

Davion Mitchell was carrying the load in this game scoring 20 pts though three quarters. The Magic took a slim lead after three quarters 84-81. Franz Wagner and Mo Bamba were keeping Orlando in this game.

The Kings had to contain Wagner and Bamba going into the fourth quarter. Finishing games has been a problem for Sacramento this year and they need to finish this one if they hope to win. With five minutes left in the game the Magic held a slim 98-95 lead.

With 3:36 left in the game the Magic were making a move and the Kings were having trouble defending it. With the Magic continuing to lead 105-98 and 1:14 left in the game the Kings fought back and when the quarter came to an end the score was tied at 105 and they would go into overtime. The Kings had a second chance.

With 33.2 seconds left in overtime the score remained tied at 110. The Kings would take a 113-110 lead with 12 ticks left on the clock.

The Kings would hang onto this game and finish off the Magic in overtime. This was a gutsy performance by Sacramento with once again seven players scoring in double digits, Mitchell was the high with 22 points, nine assists and seven rebounds.

The Kings will next be facing the Eastern Conference leading Miami Heat. Tipoff Is scheduled for Monday at 4:30 PM.

Atlanta Prevails Over Golden State 121-110

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Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) has a conversation official Bennie Adams during the first half at State Farm Arena Fri Mar 25, 2022 (AP News photo)

Atlanta Prevails Over Golden State 121-110

By Barbara Mason

After the incredible win against the Eastern Conference leading Miami Heat (47-27), the Warriors (48-26) took on the Hawks (37-37) in Atlanta Friday night. The young’uns played the game of their lives on Wednesday and it sure would have been fun to see them again in tonight’s game but with Klay Thompson and Draymond Green back on the court the starting roster will look different.

Chances are that those guys were pretty tired after the Magic game playing more minutes than they are used to under normal circumstances. Jordan Poole and Jonathan Kuminga would join Thompson, Green and Wiggins to start this game.

There have been ups and downs in the month of March for the Warriors so what we would see tonight was uncertain. We were soon to find out.

The first quarter was the start that we hoped for from the Warriors. Golden State was leading after the first twelve minutes 42-36. Poole and Thompson had an amazing start in this game. 42 points in one quarter was a great start for the team.

The Warriors led by as much a 11 points in the second quarter but fell behind to trail 69-67 after two quarters. Thompson and Poole continued to lead the team but there were three missed threes in the late minutes of the half. The Warriors were having a great offensive game but they needed more defense having allowed the Hawks to shoot 60% in the first half. There was some work to do in the second half.

The Warriors offense had cooled significantly in the third quarter as the Hawks took a nine point lead 86-77 mid-way through the quarter. Trae Young was making life pretty miserable for Golden State, taking over the game. The Warriors offense needed to wake up since they had pretty much gone to sleep. The offense we saw in the first quarter was no where to be found. They trailed 101-83 after three.

When it looked as if the Warriors were doomed in this game they came storming back in the fourth quarter trailing by five points with 5:12 left in the game. There were some anxious moments in the game when if looked as if Jordan Poole had been pinned with his fifth foul.

After a review it was determined that he did not foul and the Warriors would still have Poole on the floor. The Warriors desperately needed some defense and just could not produce any. The Hawks came away with a 121-110 win.

Despite Golden State overcoming an 18 point deficit to pull within three points the Hawks had just enough left in the tank to beat Golden State.

The offense in the first quarter of this game was a good one and when this game finished Thompson had scored 37 points and Poole with 24. Gary Payton II had 14 points off the bench. The third quarter was the turning point for the Warriors. The Hawks outscored Golden State in that quarter 32-16 and that spelled another loss for the Warriors.

The Warriors will continue their road trip on Sunday taking on the Washington Wizards. Tipoff is schedule for 3:00 PM.

Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson: Close win ends Kings three game loss streak over Pacers; Sac in Orlando Saturday

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Indiana Pacers guard Buddy Hield (24) passes the ball past Sacramento Kings guard Davion Mitchell (15) at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on Wed Mar 23, 2022 (AP News photo)

On the Kings podcast with Jeremiah:

#1 Jeremiah, the Sacramento Kings (26-48) got a last second tip in by Damian Jones that just got the Kings over the hump and defeated their hosts the Indiana Pacers (25-48) 110-109 on Wednesday night in Indiana.

#2 The Kings Trey Miles took a three point shot but with just 0.2 seconds left on the clock that missed and Jones jumped and tipped in the shot for the winner. Jones and the Kings have played much improved basketball of late.

#3 The Kings had lost three straight game previous to coming to Indiana and Kings head coach Alvin Gentry says the Kings have struggling on the road and winning Wednesday’s game against the Pacers was important.

#4 Gentry said he knows what Jones can do on being aggressive on the boards and Jones had a great block and got the winning tip.

#5 The Orlando Magic (20-54) have been playing .500 ball of late winning four of their last eight they lost their last game Wednesday to the Oklahoma City Thunder (21-52) 118-102 but one thing about the Magic lately you just don’t know which team is going to show up. The Magic and Kings go at it Saturday night in Orlando.

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

Finding An Edge: Kings tip Pacers ahead of the final buzzer, and get the last word on the Haliburton trade

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By Morris Phillips

In a game featuring some spirited competition, and some intentioned, pointed side glances, no one was particularly interested in saying just how important getting a win was.

Well, one guy, Sacramento’s Damian Jones, who tipped in the game-winner with less than a second remaining, didn’t hesitate to say what was on his mind. After all, that is what winners do.

“It was good to see Tyrese and Buddy. It felt good to rub it in,” Jones said after the Kings robbed the Pacers 110-109 in Indianapolis.

In a match-up that featured players traded in the second-most discussed trade deadline deal, most notably the Pacers’ Tyrese Haliburton and Buddy Hield, the Kings got the last word with the win, even if they weren’t tremendously interested in exploiting the occasion by running their mouths.

“We’ve been struggling on the road,” Kings coach Alvin Gentry said. “Just to come and find a way to win a game on the road is really important to us. It makes a statement that these guys haven’t quit. They’re still battling and do the best they can to win games.”

Along with the win, the Kings got slightly worse positioning in the upcoming draft lottery, which has flattened its odds to the point neither team will notice the difference a month from now when the ping pong balls start cycling. But the speculation regarding which team made out best vis-a-vis to the trade starts now. And with Domantas Sabonis fashioning himself as a double-double machine while rookie Davion Mitchell has more than adequately replaced Haliburton in the Sacramento lineup, the Kings aren’t looking like suckers for moving their dynamic, second-year player from Iowa State.

For one, the Kings are no longer last defensively in points allowed, the Rockets are. And the Kings’ defense was noticeable in the fourth quarter Wednesday, when they held the Pacers to 20 points. And no pointing fingers, but Haliburton missed the Pacers final shot attempt with 37 seconds left which would have put them up five. Then Hield fumbled the ball out of bounds with 14 seconds remaining, opening the door for the Kings.

This time the Kings saw the open door and walked right in. Down 109-108, the Kings saw Trey Lyles miss a 3 attempt with a couple seconds left only to see Jones tap in the careening basketball just ahead of the final horn.

“I missed a layup. Buddy had a bad turnover in the full court, obviously,” Haliburton said. “I thought we were in position to win. We just didn’t execute down the stretch.”

That the Kings had to show some grit late to secure just their tenth road victory in 35 outings wasn’t surprising. But their hot shooting first was. Without Sabonis and leading scorer De’Aaron Fox, both out with injuries, the Kings couldn’t miss, shooting 72 percent in the first quarter, and still above 61 percent at halftime, when they led 66-61.

Golden State Finishes Off Heat 118-104 end three game skid

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Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga (00) takes a shot against Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo (13) at the FTX Center in Miami on Wed Mar 23, 2022 (AP News photo)

Golden State Finishes Off Heat 118-104

By Barbara Mason

Tuesday the Warriors suffered their toughest loss yet this year. The Orlando Magic handled them 94-90 earning their 20th win this year. It was a disaster from start to the finish for Golden State. The team played soft and sloppy and quite frankly stupid for their third straight loss.

Wednesday night the Warriors (48-25) were back on the court against the Miami Heat (47-26) who are in first place in the Eastern Conference. The Warriors were without Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Otto Porter Jr. It will up to the young guys to take on the likes of Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, and Kyle Lowry. The Heat are the best three point shooting team in the league right now. The Warriors were able to beat them back with a 118-104 win to snap a three game losing streak

The Warriors have not finished a game in their last three outings. They have been awful in the final quarter of those games. They had 17 turnovers in Tuesday’s game and far too many fouls.

Starting in Wednesday’s game for Golden State will be Jonathan Kuminga, Kevon Looney, Jordan Poole, Moses Moody and Andrew Wiggins.

After falling behind by ten points in the first quarter the Warriors would fight back to tie this game up at 23 as the quarter ended. Golden State was still struggling in shots from beyond the arc making 1 of 10 but they came up with some nice defense holding the Heat to 35% shooting. Miami had 0 points in the final four plus minutes. This was a definite win for the Warriors so far in this game.

It was a crazy start in the third quarter for Golden State. They went on a 19-0 run leading 69-50 after seven minutes of play. Kuminga already had four fouls and was benched until the fourth. They had to keep him available.

As soon as Kuminga left the game the tide began to turn a bit. The 19 point Warrior lead was trimmed to eight and here came the Heat with two minutes left in the quarter. The Heat shot 26-10 after Kuminga left the game but trailed after three 81-80. The Warriors had out rebounded the much bigger Heat 34-29.

The Warriors are plus 22 when Kuminga is in the game. Both Kuminga and Bjelica started the fourth quarter, both with four fouls.

In the fourth quarter Jonathan Kuminga fouled out of the game on a play against Butler that from all appearances should have been a no call. It was a tough loss for Golden State but the Warriors continued to hang onto a 105-95 lead with 4:21 left in the game.

It was crunch time for the Warriors. Throughout this game especially in the second half the Heat players and coaches were venting their frustration at each other. The Warriors had them totally rattled and for good reason as the young guys took care of the Miami Heat 118-104.

It yet another 20 plus point game for Poole with 30 points. Kuminga, Damien Lee and Wiggins each had 22 points. So last night the Warriors suffered their worst loss this season and tonight Golden State celebrated their craziest win this season. It was an incredible effort by the Warriors.

“It feels great to win. We stuck it out and kept fighting,” said Lee after the game. “We knew we had to bring the fight. JP had a hell of a game. Whenever my number is called I have to be ready,” he said. Not only was Lee ready but the entire team contributed to this win with energy, execution and effort. This game is a good reminder of just how deep this team is.

The Warriors handled the bigger Heat players despite physical mismatches. When the Miami defense began to collapse in the fourth quarter the Warriors had the Heat right where they wanted them.

Friday night the Warriors will play the Atlanta Hawks still on the road. Tipoff is scheduled for 4:30 PM PT.

Golden State Warriors podcast with Jerry Feitelberg: Weak scoring in first and fourth quarters contribute to Warriors falling short 94-90

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Orlando Magic guard Cole Anthony (bottom), battles for the loose ball with Golden State Warriors forward Otto Porter Jr. (top) at the Amway Center in Orlando on Tue Mar 22, 2022 (AP News photo)

On the Golden State Warriors podcast with Jerry F:

#1 The Orlando Magic put it in their minds that nothing was going to get in their way including the Golden State Warriors (47-25) and true to form the Magic came away with a 94-90 victory over the Warriors on Tuesday night in Orlando the Magic now have won four of their last seven games.

#2 Jerry taking a look at the first and fourth quarters the Warriors shot poorly from the field in the first quarter getting only 17 points and in the fourth quarter with 16 points low tallies for a team like the Warriors.

#3 It’s off to Miami and the Heat (47-25) have won six of their last ten games losing their last contest 113-106 against the Philadelphia 76ers (44-27) on Monday night. Jerry, the Heat have some depth with Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, and Kyle Lowry how do you see the Warriors matching up with the Heat tonight in Miami.

Jerry Feitelberg filled in for David Zizmor for the Warriors podcast heard each Wednesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Another Upset For Golden State Losing To Orlando 94-90

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Golden State Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins, right, looks for a shot against Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner, center, and center Mo Bamba (5) at the Amway Center in Orlando on Tue Mar 22, 2022 (AP News photo)

Another Upset For Golden State Losing To Orlando 94-90

By Barbara Mason

Tuesday night the Golden State Warriors (47-25) took on the Orlando Magic (20-53). After a tough loss against the Spurs Sunday the Warriors should have a handle on playing without Stephen Curry and getting into a rhythm and flow with the rearranged lineup. It was another tough loss for Golden State 94-90 at the Amway Center in Orlando on Tuesday night.

Both teams are playing with some impressive rookies. The Warriors have Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody and the Magic have Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs. All four players are making a difference right now for their respective teams and they all have bright futures.

Again the Warriors had a slow start which would turn out to bite them in the end. The Golden State offense was MIA from the get go and the Magic took a 25-17 lead in the first quarter. This game had a disturbing similarity to the Spur game Sunday night. The Magic has only had nine wins at home this year and so a loss for the Warriors would be a disaster.

The second quarter did not go much better for Golden State trailing at the half 46-38. The Magic are a team that the Warriors should absolutely beat. These are games that the Warriors cannot afford to lose.

In the third quarter the MIA Warrior offense finally made an appearance. They outscored the Magic 36-19 and it seemed like the Warriors had found their groove.

When it seemed as if the Warriors had taken control of this game, it all fell apart. They only scored 16 points in the fourth quarter and could not buy a basket. They finished the game with 18 turnovers, they were absolutely scattered with missed open looks and empty possessions. It was an absolute collapse.

The Warriors simply cannot put themselves in a position to lose by trailing at the half to inferior teams. They had blown a 14 point lead in the third quarter. Golden State has had some great play from a number of players on the starting roster and the bench. Poole again had a 20 plus game with 26. While there were a number of the guys that had double digits the team has to do better.

Kuminga had 15 rebounds the high for the team with 14 points. The turnovers and the empty possessions are killing the Warriors. The fouls were 23 for Golden State and 14 for the Magic and the Warriors need to put a stop to this.

After the game Draymond Green addressed the media. “I think we’re playing soft and stupid. We are losing a lot of fourth quarters and that’s execution,” he said. ” No disrespect to the Orlando Magic but they are one of the worst teams. If we want to win games we got to fix this.”

It will be a tough game for the Warriors tomorrow as they take on the 47-25 Miami Heat. They have a lot to fix as Green put it and they don’t have a lot of time to do it. Tipoff is schedule for 4:30 PM.

Sacramento Kings podcast with Morris Phillips: Kings gave it their all in overtime loss to Suns on Sunday

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The Phoenix Suns Landry Shamet takes a three point shot against the Sacramento Kings in the overtime stanza for what would be the game winner at Golden One Arena in Sacramento on Sun Mar 20, 2022 (AP News photo)

On the Sacramento Kings podcast with Morris:

#1 Morris at one time during Sunday’s game against the Phoenix Suns (58-14) the Sacramento Kings (25-48) had a ten point lead in third period but with a whole fourth period left the Suns came back out scoring the Kings 27-23 to force a tie and go into overtime.

#2 The Suns Devin Booker fouled out of the game and that handicapped the Suns slightly and the Kings who tied things up at the end of the fourth period 124-124 looked as if they might have a shot at beating one of the best teams in the NBA.

#3 With 31 seconds left the Suns Landry Shamet hit a three pointer in the overtime stanza after missing an previous shot above the arc and the three pointer by Shamet proved to be the game winner.

#4 The Kings in their own right were short handed missing their key offensive star point guard De’Aaron Fox as Davion Mitchell started for Fox and scored 28 points and Domantas Sabonis had 18 points great effort tough loss for Sacramento.

#5 The Kings will tip off against the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday night at 4:00 pm PDT. The Pacers have won four of their last six games including a 129-98 win against the Portland Trailblazers on Sunday afternoon in Indianapolis. On the other hand the Kings have now lost six of their last seven games and Sunday’s game against the Suns could actually have been one of their best despite losing.

Join Morris for the Kings podcasts each Monday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com