Category: NBA

Warriors Beat Nets In a Thriller 110-106; No KD to face old teammates

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The Brooklyn Nets Kyrie Irving (left) can still share a joke after losing to the Golden State Warriors and Klay Thompson (right) at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Sat Jan 29, 2022 (AP News photo)

 Warriors Beat Nets In a Thriller 110-106

By Barbara Mason

Saturday night on prime TV the Golden State Warriors (37-13) took on the Brooklyn Nets (29-20). The Nets will be shorthanded playing without Kevin Durant and James Harden. The Warriors will continue without the brilliant defense of Draymond Green although the team has really displayed some pretty impressive defense in his absence.

The main threats that the Warriors will face from the Nets will be team leader Patty Mills and Kyrie Irving. Big Red Blake Griffin will be a weapon off the bench for the nets. Andrew Wiggins and Jordan Poole off the bench have been having a great home-stand and with the leadership of Stephen Curry will give Brooklyn a fight. The Warriors would hold off Brooklyn 110-106 at the Chase Center in San Francisco.

After trailing by six points to start the first quarter the Warriors got going leading after 12 minutes 31-20. The Nets were able to not only tie the game in the second quarter but take a four points lead. Wiggins and Poole were having a great first half and the Warriors were able to take back the lead, ahead by seven after two quarters of basketball 54-47.

Wiggins finished the first half with 17 points and was three of five from downtown. Poole had ten points off the bench with a couple from downtown himself. Mills and Irving each had 11 points in the half.

The Warriors led by as much as 19 points in the third quarter. As the quarter came to an end the Nets went on a 20-4 run and trailed Golden State by a single basket 78-76 and the Warriors had a real fight on their hands. “They need to make better decisions” said Head Coach Steve Kerr in reference to the shots that Curry and Klay Thompson had been taking in this game.

The Nets were not going away and the Warriors needed to contain Irving who had 25 points through three quarters. Mid-way through the fourth quarter the game was all tied up at 93. The Warriors had ten turnovers in the game a few of them in the critical fourth quarter.

This hotly contested game would go down to the wire. With 9.0 left on the clock the Warriors had the lead 107-106 and the ball. Thompson would shoot two free throws to end the Nets hopes for a win.

This was an amazing performance by both teams. Irving had 32 points and Mills with 24 points. This was another loss for Brooklyn in a string of losses. For Golden State it was another impressive last minute win.

The Warriors cooled off mid-way through the fourth quarter but finished it off Warrior-style. Wiggins finished the game with 24 points for the high score. Curry had 19 points heating up in the second half and both Porter and Thompson had 16 points. After struggling through three quarters Curry and Thompson turned it on when it really counted knocking off the Nets.

This finishes off the Warriors home-stand. They will head out on the road to take on the Houston Rockets Monday night. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:00 PM.

Sacramento Kings podcast with Morris Phillips: Kings enter 76ers lair in Philadelphia and try to end five game skid

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Los Angeles Lakers’ Anthony Davis, left, tried to get one over against the Philadelphia 76ers’ Joel Embiid, right, at the Wells Fargo Center on Thu Jan 27, 2022. The Sixers will host the Sacramento Kings on Sat Jan 29, 2022 in Philadelphia (AP News photo)

On the Sacramento Kings podcast with Morris Phillips for Jeremiah Salmonson:

#1 It’s been a tough road for the Sacramento Kings (18-32) as they face off with the Philadelphia 76ers (29-19) on Saturday night at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. The Kings have lost five straight games. I know it’s a tough task but Kings head coach Alvin Gentry can only try and motivate the team to try and get this one Saturday to end the streak?

#2 The two last games for the Kings were barnburners for the Boston Celtics and Atlanta Hawks. The Kings lost to the Celtics 125-75 on Tuesday and another loss to the Hawks on Wednesday night 121-104 neither were close games.

#3 On Wednesday night it was announced before the game in Atlanta that Kings guard Terence Davis had injured his right wrist on Tuesday night against the Celtics at TD Garden when he fell hard on the wrist, Davis has been listed as out with the injury indefinitely.

#4 On offense for the Kings on Wednesday night Harrison Barnes had 28 points and Davion Mitchell had 20 points were the two leading scorers but it just wasn’t enough to catch the Hawks.

#5 The Kings now tip off with the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday night. The 76ers no doubt a worthy opponent have won seven of their last ten games and defeated the Lakers last night 105-87. The Sixers Joel Embiid was the top scorer with 26 points do you see the Kings having their hands full on Saturday night?

Morris Phillips was filling in for Jeremiah who took the day off join Jeremiah Fridays for all the Kings podcasts at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Warriors close out game to top Wolves 124-115

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Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) shoots between Minnesota Timberwolves forward Anthony Edwards (1) and forward Jarred Vanderbilt (8) at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Thu Jan 26, 2022 (AP News photo)

Warriors Close Out Game to Top Wolves 124-115

By Barbara Mason

Thursday evening the Warriors (36-13) took on the red-hot Minnesota Timberwolves (24-24) at Chase Center. If the season ended today the Wolves would be the seventh seed and the Warriors the second. The Warriors cooled off the Timberwolves with a 124-115 win.

The first quarter had all the makings of a very competitive game with both teams hitting threes from the get go. Both Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Otto Porter were hitting from outside. The Warriors were seven of 8 from downtown with under three minutes left in the quarter.

Andrew Wiggins joined in the fun going two of two from beyond the arc. While inside shooting was not falling for Golden State, it was raining three’s for the Warriors. Minnesota has forced the most turnovers in the league and Golden State experienced this first hand in this game. After 12 minutes this game was tied at 29.

The second quarter was a wild one. Minnesota was winning from the free throw line but the Warriors were winning from three point range. Minnesota had brought their A game tonight. Ball movement was insane from Golden State in the second quarter, even more so than usual.

The Wolves led at the half 61-57. Minnesota had five fouls but the Warriors had 15 which was troubling. In foul trouble for Golden State was Kevon Looney with four and Porter with three.

Karl-Anthony Towns was on fire for the Timberwolves scoring 23 in the first half and he got the Warriors in foul trouble. Wiggins and Thompson were the only Warriors in double digits. The Warriors would have their work cut out for them in the second half.

They would have to slow Karl Anthony; this would be key in the final quarters of this game. Golden State would need to clog up the paint; this is where Minnesota was hurting the Warriors. Golden State was shooting 48% and the Timberwolves 46% after two quarters.

As the third quarter came to an end the Warriors were really rolling. They contained Anthony clogging up the lane forcing Minnesota to take more three’s that were not falling. Minnesota had 6 from downtown while the Warriors had 16. Golden State stopped fouling taking a 95-81 lead into the fourth quarter.

The Timberwolves cut the Warriors lead in half before Golden State took back control leading by nine points with seven minutes left in the game. This game was going down to the wire with Towns heating back up and giving the Warriors all sorts of trouble.

The splash brothers came to the rescue giving the Warriors a 115-104 lead with four minutes left in the game. Although the Timberwolves made a run in the early fourth quarter Golden State would close out the game 124-115.

Curry was back with a monster game shooting for 29 points. Thompson had another high game since coming back with 23 points. “We know we haven’t been playing our best the past three weeks, but we dug ourselves out of it,” said Curry after the game.

This matchup had all the intensity of a playoff game giving us all a glimpse of what we can expect in the post- season.

Saturday night the Warriors will be playing the Brooklyn Nets at Chase Center. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:30 PM.

Sacramento Kings podcast with Tony Renteria: Davis out with wrist injury for Kings; Kings head to Philadelphia against Sixers Saturday

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Detroit Pistons guard Cory Joseph (18) drives to the basket as Sacramento Kings guard Terence Davis (3) on Wed Jan 19th at the Golden One Center in Sacramento. The Kings announced on Wed Jan 26, 2022 that Davis will be out indefinitely with right wrist injury (AP News photo)

On the Kings podcast with Tony R:

#1 Big loss for the Sacramento Kings (18-32) as they announced after Wednesday night’s game against the Atlanta Hawks that Kings guard Terence Davis will be out indefinitely with a injured right wrist. Kings head coach Alvin Gentry says the Kings medical staff are exploring all kinds of treatments to get Davis back in the line up.

#2 It was in Boston when Davis took a hard fall test revealed that Davis had damaged tendons and they’ll miss Davis out of the line up whose been averaging 10 points for the Kings.

#3 Tony the Kings are on a five game losing streak after loses to such teams as the Houston Rockets, Detroit Pistons, Milwaukee Bucks, Boston Celtics, and Atlanta Hawks, tough teams with nothing else for the Kings to do but to play them and see what the outcome will be.

#4 Former King Bogdan Bogdanovic scored 18 points and came off a knee injury and  Onyeka Okongwu also came off the bench and scored 18 points after the Hawks had a slow start against the Kings on Wednesday night to surpass and get a substantial win.

#5 The Kings face the Philadelphia 76ers (28-19) on Sat Jan 29th at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. The Sixers have won seven out of their last ten games and the Kings are trying to snap a five game losing streak. It’s a tall order for the Kings as they face the 76ers on Saturday.

Join Tony Renteria each Thursday for the Kings podcast at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Kings Drop Fifth In a Row To Atlanta 121-104

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Atlanta Hawks guard Bogdan Bogdanovic (13) drives against Sacramento Kings guard Buddy Hield (24) at State Farm Arena in Atlanta on Wed Jan 26, 2022 (AP News photo)

Kings Drop Fifth In a Row To Atlanta 121-104

By Barbara Mason

Wednesday night the Sacramento Kings (18-32) took on the Hawks (22-25) in Atlanta at State Farm Arena. Lately the Hawks have making some noise winning four games in a row and are just a single game behind the Washington Wizards for the 10th seed in the Eastern Conference.

The Kings come into this game after getting pummeled by the Boston Celtics Tuesday night by the score of 128-75. Losing by 53 points this was the second worst loss in any NBA season by any team.

Between the loss that the Kings just suffered and the high level that the Hawks are playing at especially on defense this could be a huge challenge for the Kings. They need to put the Celtic game behind them and look forward to Wednesday’s game, it was not to be for the Kings who lost again for their fifth straight game this time to the Hawks 121-104.

The Kings had a nice first quarter leading 33-21 but it all came crashing down on them in the second quarter. The twelve point lead they held in the first quarter was gobbled up by the ferocious shooting of the Hawks.

That coupled with shutting down the Kings offense gave the Hawks the lead at half-time 67-50. The Hawks won the second quarter 46-17. The Kings had led by twelve after one quarter and then trailed the Hawks by 29 points in the second quarter. That was a huge point swing and the second half looked especially ominous for Sacramento.

The Kings were still without De”Aaron Fox but despite that, the Kings were being outplayed by Atlanta. Sacramento is going downhill at a rapid clip and there doesn’t really seem to be much they can do about it. They could be headed for their fifth loss in a row tonight.

The Kings got close in the third quarter but with such a steep deficit it was a tall order to try and catch the Hawks. Sacramento trailed 94-74 going into the fourth quarter.

The Kings had a very competitive second half but it is so tough to reside behind the eight ball that was the first half.

Harrison Barnes led the Kings with 28 points. The Hawks leading scorers were Bogdan Bogdanovic and Onyeka Okongwu both with 18 points.

This fifth loss for the Kings continues their downward spiral that seems to have no end. They desperately need De”Aaron Fox back on the court and hopefully his return will be sooner rather than later.

Saturday night the Kings are back at it taking on the 76ers in Philadelphia. Tipoff is scheduled for 4:30 PM.

Shamrock Shakedown: Kings fleeced from the opening tip, lose 128-75 to the Celtics

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By Morris Phillips

Down 60 to the Celtics, the Kings rallied to lose by 53.

It’s a story lead that NBA sportswriters get one opportunity in a career to utilize. Think about it. When’s the last time you saw one of the league’s 30 franchises completely disappear from the scoreboard?

December 2. Okay, that night, the emerging Memphis Grizzlies eviscerated the COVID-decimated Thunder, 152-79, which ranks as the biggest blowout in the 75-year history of the league.

But the Kings’ ragged outing at TD Garden in which coach Alvin Gentry said “we basically got our ass kicked,” now ranks as the 25th most lopsided margin of defeat in NBA history. That’s undeniably distinctive… in a negative sense.

“They made shots, we couldn’t make nothing,” Richaun Holmes conceded. “They didn’t have much resistance from us so it was just an old-fashioned whooping.” 

Jaylen Brown scored 15 of his 30 points for the Celtics in the first quarter, which topped the Kings, who trailed 38-13. The margin grew to 33 at halftime, 42 points after three, and briefly hit 60 in the fourth as the Boston reserves took on the appearance of the Harlem Globetrotters.

The Kings were without De’Aaron Fox and elected not to play center Alex Len, but that left them with their other 13 most significant producers who shot 30 percent from the floor and 18 percent from three. Effort, or lack thereof, played a huge role in the thrashing as the Celtics enjoyed a 67-45 advantage on the glass, and every concession was made to insure the Celtics had access to the best available scoring opportunities. The Kings allowed 56 points in the paint, and 17 offensive rebounds to contribute to that cause.

“We had very little ball movement, very low assists and they were able to force us into some tough shots because we were always on the shot clock,” Gentry said.

Josh Richardson needed far less analysis to explain the Celtics’ abundance of easy baskets, which officially produced just 12 fast break points.

“I mean, first the Kings had a tough shooting night,” Richardson said. “I think that’s part of it.”

Actually a big part.

The win is the Celtics second biggest by point margin in their long, winning history. The Kings have actually had three, worse losses in the Sacramento era. The worst was a 150-91 drubbing by the Run TMC Warriors in 1991. They also lost to the Bucks by 56 in 1985, and by 55 to the Suns in April 1989.

The Kings fell to 18-31 on the season, and they’re as many as three games out of the coveted 10th spot in the Western Conference for the first time this season. They’ve dropped 17 of 24, with a game at Atlanta up next on Wednesday night.

Warriors Blow Dallas Off the Court 130-92

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Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) takes it to the basket against Dallas Mavericks forward Maxi Kleber (42) at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Tue Jan 25, 2020 (AP News photo)

Warriors Blow Dallas Off the Court 130-92

By Barbara Mason

The Golden State Warriors (35-13) had yesterday off to catch their breath after barely beating the Utah Jazz on Sunday. Tonight they take on another power house, the Dallas Mavericks (27-22) led by Luca Doncic.

The good news for Golden State is that Klay Thompson has been cleared to play after missing last Fridays game against the Rockets and Sunday’s matchup against the Jazz. Despite missing Thompson the Warriors won both of those games, each of them by a single basket. Having Thompson back will bring a lot of energy to tonights game, creating yet another weapon that the Mavericks will have to defend.

The Warriors jumped out into the lead and by the end of the first quarter led 29-20. The quarter was close and it was not until the final 90 seconds that the Warriors began to extend their lead. The Warriors really started to pull ahead in the second quarter and by the half led 63-51.

There was a tough break in the half when Tim Hardaway Jr came down hard on his foot and was helped off the floor. He had brought a lot of energy for Dallas scoring ten points in ten minutes and losing him was a blow for the Mavericks.

After evaluation Hardaway’s injury was a broken metatarsal. The Mavericks were doing their best to take Stephen Curry out of the game. Curry was still able to play around defenders scoring 11 points in the first half. Klay Thompson also had 11 points in the half, three of them from downtown.

The Warriors were having a great offensive game against one of the best defensive teams in the league. Through three quarters the Warriors were shooting 55%. They finished the third quarter leading 97-78. Second chance points and bench points were a big part of this lead for Golden State.

Going into the fourth quarter the Mavericks would do their best to have a run at the Warriors. Considering the energy that Golden State was playing with it would be a major challenge for Dallas. The Warriors would have a 7-0 run to start the final quarter.

With five minutes left in the game for all intensive purposes this game was over. The Warriors had rendered the Mavericks helpless and there was not a thing that Dallas could do about it. The final was 130-92

There is a lot of talk about the slump that Curry is in right now but there is more to Steph than his electric shots. What about the shots he is creating for his team mates, what about his 7 assists and 9 rebounds. There is more to Curry than his shooting ability, a whole lot more.

This was a complete win offensively and defensively for the Warriors from the starters right down to the bench. Everyone contributed. 71 points came off the bench and double digits from four starters. Curry finished with 18 points and off the bench Jonathan Kuminga had 22 points followed by Jordan Poole with 17 points. Kevon Looney continued his brilliant defensive play with 9 rebounds.

On Thursday night the Warriors will take on the Minnesota Timberwolves. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 PM

Golden State Warriors podcast with Barbara Mason: Klay Thompson and Draymond Green injury updates; plus more

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Golden State Warriors guard Jordan Poole (3) takes a shot against Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert (27) in the first half at the Chase Center on Sun Jan 23, 2022 (AP News photo)

On the Warriors podcast with Barbara:

#1 Talk about Draymond Green and Klay Thompson’s injury updates.

#2 The Warriors really started hitting those threes and limiting the turnovers against the Jazz.

#3 The Warriors will be meeting the Jazz again Feb 9. This could be an even tougher game than Sunday’s game was.

#4 Next up for the Warriors will be the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday. How do you see this game.

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

Warriors edge Jazz 94-92

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Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry, left, tries to get the ball to the basket against Utah Jazz guard Mike Conley at the Chase Center on Sun Jan 23, 2022 (AP News photo)

Warriors Edge Jazz 94-92

By Barbara Mason

After winning a buzzer beater courtesy of Stephen Curry Friday night against the Houston Rockets, Golden State (34-13) was back at Chase hosting the Utah Jazz (30-17) on Saturday night. This will be a tough game for the Warriors and they cannot afford the turnovers and the missed open shots that we have seen lately. The Warriors would just get by the Jazz 94-92.

The Jazz will play without Donovan Mitchell tonight out on concussion protocol but will have Rudy Gobert available despite some ankle soreness. Mike Conley is playing probably the best of his career and so the Warriors will have their hands full.

Both of these teams depend heavily on shots from downtown. The Warriors have recently struggled with three point shots and will need to start making those starting tonight against Utah. The Jazz are the highest scoring team in the league and will give Golden State a run for their money.

The first quarter was a high energy start from both teams. The Warriors led at the end of one 33-29. The Warriors were shooting at 54% and the Jazz 53% in this evenly matched game. The Warriors had four from downtown and the Jazz shot five.

Damien Lee had a crazy first half going 4 of 5 from downtown. Early in the second quarter the Warriors had taken a ten point lead 39-29. Damien Lee was a big part of this Golden State lead. The Warriors were moving the ball beautifully keeping the Utah defense off balance. What hurt Golden State were the empty possessions. The Jazz fought back to pull within two points and nothing about this game was going to be easy for either team.

Both teams were playing at a high level and as expected it was raining three’s for both teams. At the half the Warriors led by a single point 55-54. The Warriors shot ten from downtown and the Jazz had seven from beyond the arc. Lee was the Warriors point leader with 12 points and the Jazz’s Bojan Bogdanovic led with 15 points.

The Warriors needed to slow down Bogdanovic in the second half. They were protecting the ball having only four turnovers in the first half. This was a great first half for Golden State but there was still a lot of ball to be played.

It would prove to be a wild second half going right down to the wire. With eight seconds left on the clock the Jazz took a shot trying to tie up this game but the Warrior defense denied Utah. Golden State would win their second game in a row 94-92. The Warriors only scored eleven points in the fourth quarter but managed to come away with the win. The Jazz had a low scoring fourth as well with 17 points but just came up short.

Every starter for Golden State shot double digits, Poole being the high score with 20 points. Bogdanovic was the high for Utah with 21 points. This was a great win for the Warriors. The three’s starting dropping and the turnovers were kept to a minimum. This was exactly what the Warriors needed to win this game and they sure delivered.

Tuesday night the Warriors will take on the Mavericks at Chase. This will be another tough team with a lot of talent and it will be another exciting game. It seems as if Golden State really rises to the occasion when it comes to elite teams. Can the Warriors make it three in a row? We will find out Tuesday night. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 PM.

Clutch free throws by Angel lift Cardinal past ASU 79-76

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Stanford guard Michael O’Connell (5) and forward Brandon Angel (right) share congratulations in the second half chase of a 15 point run to catch the Arizona State Sun Devils at Maples Pavilion in Palo Alto (AP News photo)

By Daniel Dullum

Saturday, January 22, 2022 Brandon Angel sank three free throws with 1.1 seconds remaining, helping Stanford snapped its two-game Pac-12 men’s basketball losing streak Saturday with a 79-76 win over Arizona State at Maples Pavilion.

With 1:28 remaining, the Sun Devils’ DJ Horne connected on a 23-foot 3-pointer, tying the game at 74-all. Twenty-seven seconds later, Angel hit a pair of free throws to put Stanford back in the lead at 76-74.

After the Sun Devils committed a turnover, ASU’s Jalen Graham fouled Harrison Ingram, who missed two free throws with :20.3 left. Graham later made a 9-foot jumper with :07.5 to play, tying the game at 76-all.

Six seconds later, Graham fouled Angel on a 3-point attempt, and the Cardinal sophomore from San Diego sank all three free throws.

Angel and Michael O’Connell led Stanford (11-6 overall, 4-3 Pac-12) with 16 points each. Angel made three 3s and was 7 of 7 at the foul line; O’Connell was 5 of 8 from the field, 4 of 4 on free throws and had three assists and three steals. Ingram finished with 13 points 10 rebounds and three assists.

Horne tossed in a game-high 18 points to lead the Sun Devils (6-10, 2-4), followed by Graham with 16 points and six rebounds, Marreon Jackson with 12 points and Jay Heath with 11 points.
The Cardinal shot 38 percent from the field (19 of 50), outrebounded ASU 36-30 and forced 16 turnovers. ASU made 31 of 59 shots (53 percent) and forced 18 Stanford turnovers.

Stanford travels to Los Angeles next weekend, visiting Southern California on Thursday and UCLA on Saturday, Jan. 29