Category: NBA

Golden State Warriors podcast with Barbara Mason: Warriors back into the swing of things after big win over Bucks

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Golden State Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins, center, throws down between Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, left, and forward Jordan Nwora (13) at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Sat Mar 12, 2022 (AP News photo)

  1. Saturday night the Golden State Warriors took on the reigning World Champion Bucks.  What challenges did they face in in this game?

2. Although superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 31 points in this game it was just not enough to get past the Warriors.

 3.Klay Thompson had his struggles off and on since his comeback but Saturday saw  an electric performance beating the Bucks.  Not only Thompson but Jordan Poole also had a light’s out game.

4. It was a very cool night for Stephen Curry who only scored eight points in the game but with the depth of this roster it was no problem.  Curry didn’t really get a chance to shoot being double teamed all night.

5. Tonight the Warriors take on the Washington Wizards who sit in 11th place in the Eastern Conference and have a lot to play for.  How will the Warriors handle this contest.

Barbara Mason does the Warriors podcasts each Monday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Jazz reserve Clarkson unstoppable as Jazz defeat Kings 134-125

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Utah Jazz forward Bojan Bogdanovic (44) wins the battle for a rebound against Sacramento Kings forward Trey Lyles (41) in Salt Lake City on Sat Mar 12, 2022 (AP News photo)

By Daniel Dullum
Saturday, March 12, 2022

A big night from De’Aaron Fox wasn’t enough for Sacramento on Saturday, as Jordan Clarkson scored a career-high 45 points off the bench for Utah in a 134-125 win for the Jazz in Salt Lake City.

Clarkson’s effort helped offset the absence of Jazz players Rudy Gobert and Mike Conley while setting a Jazz franchise record for most points scored by a reserve. Clarkson has had four games with more than 40 points off the bench.

Clarkson made all eight of his 2-point attempts, all eight free throws and made seven 3-pointers.
Bojan Bogdanovic and Donovan Mitchell were next for the Jazz with 26 and 25 points, respectively. Mitchell had six assists and two steals, and center Hassan Whiteside – filling in for Gobert – grabbed a career-high 21 rebounds to go with 12 points.

Fox paced the Kings with 41 points, 11 assists, two steals and three rebounds. Harrison Barnes scored 18 points, followed by Davion Mitchell with 14, Trey Lyles with 13 and Chimezie Metu with 12. Richaun Holmes was the Kings’ top rebounder with six boards.

Clarkson sank three free throws to give Utah its largest lead at 111-95, But the Kings responded with an 11-0 run, capped by a Mitchell layup, to pull within 111-106.

However, Sacramento was unable to stop Clarkson and Donovan Mitchell and could get no closer. The Kings have lost four games in a row.

The Jazz outrebounded Sacramento 44-33 and shot 56 percent from the field and 39 percent behind the arc.

The Kings host Chicago on Monday night.

Warriors Handle the World Champs 122-109; Thompson takes Bucks by the horns scores 38 points

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The Golden State Warriors Klay Thompson (right) goes up against the Milwaukee Bucks Bobby Portis Jr (left) at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Sat Mar 12, 2022 (AP News photo)

Warriors Handle the World Champs 122-109

By Barbara Mason

Saturday night the Golden State Warriors (46-22) took on the defending champion Milwaukee Bucks (42-26). The talk of the town is the strength of the Bucks. Superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo leads the Bucks and is coming off a crazy performance Wednesday night against Atlanta with 34 points. His has an incredible supporting cast with Kris Middleton, Bobby Portis, and Jrue Holiday.

The Warriors have some super strengths themselves with the Splash Brothers Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins and Jordan Poole off the merit of his excellent bench play averaging almost 24 points a game in his last five games.

Kevon Looney rounds out the starting roster. Looney has been great defensively in the absence of Draymond Green. Monday night Green is expected to be back on the court for Golden State.

Giannis got into some early foul trouble in the opening quarter and sat out the final six minutes of the first quarter. The first 12 minutes of this game were hotly contested. The teams started trading three’s and after the first quarter this game was tied at 28.

The second quarter really heated up for the Warriors as Thompson hit three consecutive shots from downtown. After six minutes in the second quarter the Warriors were lighting up the court as Thompson continued to hit three’s and the Warriors had taken a 50-41 lead.

At the half the Warriors had scored 38 points in the quarter, 17 of them coming from Thompson giving Golden State a 67-58 lead. The game had been tied six times in the half.

Thompson had 21 points in the half for the Warriors and for the Bucks the team leader after two quarters was Antetokounmpo with 17. With Curry attracting so much attention from the Bucks Thompson and Poole had a lot of open looks that they were taking full advantage of. The Warriors had an exceptional first half and would have to repeat it through two more quarters.

The Warriors would take an early 17 point lead in the third quarter, the largest of the game for Golden State. After two minutes the Warriors had a 20 point lead blistering the Bucks from the three point line.

Golden State continued to lead after three quarters 103-84. Every time the Bucks made a move, the Warriors would answer. After three, Thompson had 31 points closely followed by Poole with 30 points.

In the early fourth quarter Thompson had his high score since his returned to action with 36 points. The Warriors had only three turnovers so far in this game. Ball control, energy, effort and execution won this game for Golden State. Thompson finished with 38 points and Poole with 30. Andrew Wiggins really picked it up scoring 21 points.

The Warriors dominated throughout the second half. Curry had a season low in this game but his teammates picked up the slack to bring this one home, 122-109 Golden State has now won three games in a row.

Monday night the Warriors welcome back Green as they take on the Washington Wizards. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 PM as Golden State will be looking for a fourth win in a row.

Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson: Kings hope to get back on winning track against Jazz Saturday

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The Denver Nuggets DeMarcus Cousins (4) drives the ball against the Sacramento Kings Justin Holiday (left) at the Ball Center in Denver on Wed Mar 9, 2022 (AP News photo)

On the Kings podcast with Jeremiah:

#1 In the first quarter, it was the Nikola Jokic show for Denver and the Trey Lyles show for the Kings. Jokic started the game by scoring 15 points in the first quarter as his counterpart at the center position Trey Lyles scored 12.

#2 In the second quarter, Nikola Jokic coninued to pour it on the Kings scoring nine points to get his total at halftime to 24 points.

#3 The Kings defense struggled to contain the Nuggets at large as they allowed them to score 31 points in the second quarter. On the other hand, the Kings offense didn’t pick up the slack on the offensive end.

#4 In the fourth quarter the Kings weren’t able to get the job done. It was a nail biting finish, but the Kings came up short by the final of 106-100.

#6 The Kings are in Utah on Saturday night to face the Jazz. The Jazz recently made headlines they donated 32,000 nights to Ukrainians at Air B N B. If the Ukrainians are looking for lodging they can check in free of charge.

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

Warriors Survive With a High Octane Finish against Nuggets 113-102

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A late second half basket by the Golden State Warriors Jordan Poole gets Stephen Curry (30) excited against the Denver Nuggets at Chase Center in San Francisco on Thu Mar 10, 2022 (AP News photo)

Warriors Survive With a High Octane Finish against Nuggets 113-102

By Barbara Mason

Thursday night the Golden State Warriors (45-22) took on the Denver Nuggets (40-27) in a game that screams deja vu. if you said hey didn’t we just play these guys Monday night the answer would be a resounding yes and the Warriors lost that one. They didn’t lose on Thursday night with a 113-102 win.

So here are the Warriors back in Denver for a second time in less than a week. The Warriors will have to find a way to contain Nikola Jokic. The Nuggets are currently in a tie for fifth place and a single game out of fourth place. They have a lot to play for in tonight’s game as does Golden State. The Warriors would like to get back into second place in the standings.

The Warriors had a fast start in this game and as expected Jokic was a huge presence throughout the quarter. The Warriors held a slim lead after the first quarter 30-29. The Nuggets came on strong in the second quarter winning it 31-21 and taking a 60-51 halftime lead.

The first two quarters were hotly contested. The Warriors were allowing too many open and uncontested Nugget looks which contributed to the Denver half time lead.

The Nuggets had taken a 14 point lead in the third quarter after the first four minutes of play. Momentum was clearly on their side. As we have seen so many time in the past however, momentum can turn on a dime. The Warriors waged a comeback as the quarter came to an end taking the lead in this game 88-84.

The fourth quarter was a high-octane affair for both teams. The Warriors led through seven minutes of the quarter. The Nuggets made a comeback tying up the game at 98. Denver would go one to take a slim lead before Jordan Poole iced the game.

Poole shot two from downtown with 54 seconds left on the clock and Golden State had survived a very tough challenge. They won this game.

Stephen Curry had a great game with 34 points and was five of 12 from downtown. Off the bench the hero of the game Jordan Poole had 21 points and was four of seven from downtown including the two critical shots in the final minute of the game. Golden State displayed some great defense especially in the fourth quarter.

Jokic was not hitting three’s tonight which made things awfully hard on Denver. The Warriors defense had a lot to do with the missed Jokic shots. He would finish with 23 points and zip from three point range.

This was a gritty, gutsy game that Golden State played, especially down the stretch. They did not fall apart, making critical baskets when desperately needed. The Warriors are now in second play tied with the Memphis Grizzlies in the Western Conference.

This is a second win in a row for the Warriors and they hope to string a third on Saturday against the Milwaukee Bucks at Chase Center. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:30 PM.

Kings make run at Nuggets in third quarter but can’t catch Denver 106-100

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Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic makes for the hoop against Sacramento Kings center Alex Len (right) at the Golden One Center in Sacramento on Wed Mar 9, 2022 (AP News photo)  

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings (24-44) were back in action on Wednesday night in Sacramento. The Kings welcomed the Denver Nuggets (40-26) into town. The Kings last played on Monday night which turned into an ugly blowout to the New York Knicks. The Kings played a solid first half against the Knicks, but fell apart in the second half to lose the game 131-115.

On Wednesday, the Kings were hoping for a different outcome against the formidable Denver Nuggets. The Nuggets beat the Kings 106-100 on Wednesday night. Lets take a look on what led to this result.

In the first quarter, it was the Nikola Jokic show for Denver and the Trey Lyles show for the Kings. Jokic started the game by scoring 15 points in the first quarter as his counterpart at the center position Trey Lyles scored 12. The Kings were outscored 31-29 in what was a competitive first quarter. The second quarter got ugly for the Kings.

In the second quarter, Nikola Jokic coninued to pour it on the Kings scoring nine points to get his total at halftime to 24 points. The Kings defense struggled to contain the Nuggets at large as they allowed them to score 31 points in the second quarter. On the other hand, the Kings offense didn’t pick up the slack on the offensive end.

The Kings scored 21 points in the second quarter to take a 63-51 deficit into halftime. Trey Lyles had a quiet second quarter but led the Kings in the first half with 14 points. The Kings were within striking distance if they could get back on track on the defensive end.

In the third quarter, De’Aaron Fox had his best quarter of the game. De’Aaron scored nine points in the third to lead all scorers. Nikola Jokic was hot on his heels but only managed seven points, Overall the Kings outpaced the Nuggets by the toon of 26-17 to get the game into toss up territory for either team to win. Could the Kings win the fourth and beat the favored Nuggets?

In the fourth quarter the Kings weren’t able to get the job done. It was a nail biting finish, but the Kings came up short by the final of 106-100. The Kings fought hard in the final quarter, but Nikola Jokic proved too much to overcome.

The Kings were outscored 26-24 in the final quarter as they just couldn’t edge the Nuggets. Nikola Jokic showed why he was the MVP of the league last year and is the leading candidate this season. Jokic finished with an impressive 38 points and 18 rebounds. For the Kings, De’Aaron Fox led the way scoring 32 points and adding ten assists.

Up Next: The Kings will look to rebound in their next games on Saturday against the Utah Jazz in Utah.

Golden State Warriors podcast with David Zizmor: Warriors were playing so bad they almost needed Will Ferrell’s help

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Actor Will Ferrell takes some practice shots Rick Barry style in front of Golden State Warrior guard Stephen Curry before their game against the Los Angeles Clippers at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Tue Mar 8, 2022 (AP News photo)

On the Warriors podcast with David:

#1 Actor Will Farrell took his act to the floor of Chase Center in San Francisco and took pre game practice with Golden State Warriors (44-22) superstars Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry. It must have work Golden State had a five game losing streak going and all that laughing and getting loose helped the Warriors defeat the Los Angeles Clippers (34-33) Tuesday night 112-97.

#2 Dave, talk about that surprising top three of scorers for the Warriors on Monday night Jonathan Kuminga with 21 points, Klay Thompson and Jordan Poole both finishing with 20 points.

#3 It’s off to Denver and the Nuggets (39-26) who are playing in Sacramento tonight and will face the Warriors on Thu Mar 10th at Ball Arena in Denver. The Nuggets have now won nine out of their last ten games and got a big win over the Warriors on Monday night 131-124. The Warriors will be really going after the Nuggets on Thursday night.

Join David each Wednesday for the Warriors podcast at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Warriors Break Five Game Losing Streak Beating Clippers 112-97

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The Golden State Warriors find that old magic again as Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) scored on the Los Angeles Clippers forward Marcus Morris Sr at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Tue Mar 8, 2022 (AP News photo)

Warriors Break Five Game Losing Streak Beating Clippers 112-97

By Barbara Mason

Tuesday night the Golden State Warriors (44-22) were back at Chase Center to take on the Los Angeles Clippers (34-33). Now, more than any other time this season, there is no place like home for this team.

They have lost nine of their last 11 games and they desperately need a win. As we approach the post-season, nothing is going to come easy for the Warriors and they will have to dig deep and fight for every game.

Never mind who is in what place in the standings. The Warriors just need to get back into the rhythm that they played with earlier in the season and the rest will take care of itself. Energy, execution and effort will be critical for Golden State going forward.

Tuesday night the starting roster welcomed back Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Andrew Wiggins. Kevon Looney and Moses Moody round out the starting roster. Moody has really been putting on a show lately. Last night he finished with 30 points against the Nuggets: a brilliant game for the 19- year old.

After one quarter while the offense for the Warriors was mediocre without a single shot from downtown, the defense held the Clippers to 26% shooting. The score was tied after the first 12 minutes at 17.

The long ball did not drop for Golden State in the first quarter but they dropped a couple to start the second quarter. The Warriors started to make a move on Los Angeles as the quarter wore on taking a 43-26 lead.

The Warrior defense was outstanding and the offense was right on their heels. It was an outstanding quarter for Golden State going off offensively leading at the half 54-36 in this final game against the Clippers in the regular season. The Warriors continued their defensive assault on the Clippers holding them to 27% shooting in the second quarter.

Golden State kept their foot on the pedal through the third quarter leading 86-61 heading into the fourth quarter. They had held the Clippers to 29% through three quarters. You could not have asked for more offensively or defensively.

Heading into the fourth quarter memories still linger from the Mavericks game that saw Golden State relinquish a 21 point lead to lose the game.

The Warriors had a 29 point lead in the final quarter of this game that was reduced to an 11 point lead with under 15 minutes left in the game. Down the stretch the Warriors needed to finish this game strong.

Golden State finished off the Clippers 112-97 to snap their losing streak. The Warriors got some exceptional work from Jonathan Kuminga with 21, Curry and Poole both with 20 points.

They held the Clippers to 35% shooting; Golden State had six players with double digits. The Warriors needed to start this game with a strong defensive effort and they did just that. The Warriors did a great job defending one on one in this game.

As if Curry hasn’t broken enough records, he now owns the most steals in franchise history with 1363.

It’s now back on the road for the Warriors to take on the Denver Nuggets yet again. They lost to Denver just this past Monday 131-124. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00.

Kings suffer brutal loss in grand fashion to Knicks 131-115

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New York Knicks forward Julius Randall (30) gets the throw down against the Sacramento Kings in first half action at Golden One Arena in Sacramento Mon Mar 7, 2022 (AP News photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings were back in action on Monday night. The Kings last played against the Dallas Mavericks in Dallas on Saturday night. It was a brutal loss for the Kings as the NBA admitted after the fact that the officials missed two critical calls down the stretch.

The Kings lost that game 114 to 113. On Monday night, the kings welcomed in the New York Knicks to Golden One Center in Sacramento. Tip off was set for 7:30 PM PST. Unfortunately, the Kings weren’t able to get the win and lost in grand fashion 131 to 115.

In the first half the Kings looked like they were going to run away with the game. The Kings office was firing on all cylinders as the Knicks offense struggled to put the ball in the basket. The Kings managed to score 33 points in the first quarter as the Knicks only scored 17 points.

In the second quarter the kings didn’t dominate but they held the Knicks back from taking a lead. The Knicks that scored the Kings 31 to 30 in the second quarter. The Kings would go into halftime with a 63 to 48 lead.

Leading the way in the first half was Domantas Sabonis and Harrison Barnes who each had 13 points for the Kings. RJ Barrett lead the way in the first half for the Knicks with 15 points. The Kings would look to continue the strong play in the second half.

In the second half, it was a disaster for the Kings. Julius Randle absolutely went on a tear for the Knicks. The Kings were out scored 44 to 24 in the third quarter. It was a shocking display of poor defense from the Kings and limited shotmaking; a complete reversal from what we had seen in the first half. it wasn’t any better in the fourth quarter.

The final 12 minutes saw the kings be out scored 39 to 28 to Seal the loss 131 to 115. It was a terrible second half of basketball for the Kings that would have hoped for a better showing after a strong first half.

It was an alarming defensive display but at some point the cap needed to be tipped to Julius Randle. Randle finished the game with 46 points dwarfing the performance of De’Aaron Fox who scored 27. The Kings couldn’t match the intense offense from the Knicks in the second half.

Up Next: The Kings stay home to face the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday at 7 PM PST in Sacramento.

Gutsy Warriors Fall Short To Denver 131-124;Golden State takes fifth straight loss

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Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, right, gets the ball away as Golden State Warriors forward Juan Toscano-Anderson, center, and center Kevon Looney try to put pressure on Jokic at the Ball Center Arena in Denver on Mon Mar 7, 2022 (AP News photo)

Gutsy Warriors Fall Short To Denver 131-124

By Barbara Mason

Monday night the Golden State Warriors (43-22) took on the Nuggets (39-26) in Denver. The Nuggets come into this game riding on an nine of ten winning streak. They are playing red-hot ball right now after an overtime win last night against the New Orleans Pelicans. The Nuggets captured a 131-124 win over the Warriors at the Ball Arena in Denver on Monday night.

The Warriors come into the game without four of their best players on the court. Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Andrew Wiggins are out for this game resting. They are waiting on word regarding Draymond Green.

The starting roster for the Warriors were Kevon Looney, Moses Moody, Jordan Poole, Juan Toscano-Anderson, and Damien Lee. The Warriors will have to limit the turnovers especially against a team that is playing so well right now and they will have to try to contain big man Nikola Jokic.

The Warriors had a nice start in the first quarter taking an early lead 14-9. The Nuggets starting forcing a few turnovers and Denver quickly caught up and took a 34-24 lead with 1:11 left in the first 12 minutes Denver took a 40-31 lead after one quarter.

Moses Moody led the Warriors shooting with 15 points and the rest of the Golden State starters had 11 combined points. Denver had shot at 70% in the opening quarter which could prove a problem if they continued at that pace.

The Warriors were able to pull to within five points in the second quarter and were doing their best to hang around in this game. Although the Nuggets continued shooting well, (at 62% in the quarter) the Warriors continued to handle business.

They trailed by a couple at the half 71-69. The efficient offensive effort for the Warriors was great. Moses Moody finished the half with 22 points and Kuminga had 12 off the bench. Poole got really hot in the second quarter with 11 points.

The Warriors continued to hang in the game. After three quarters they trailed 104-101. Golden State was putting on a feisty, gutsy show refusing to back down. Going into the fourth quarter mental lapses by the Warriors turned the tables. Denver was making them pay for any mistakes they committed.

The Warriors got within four points after trailing by double digits mid-way through the quarter. It was no surprise when the Nuggets turned to Jokic down the stretch. Golden State gave the Nuggets all they could handle but just came up short. The final was 131-124 in favor of Denver.

Golden State has to be proud of the effort that they put into this game. Poole had 32 points and Moody finished with 30 points. Kuminga had 16 points. Looney had 11 rebounds. The Warriors now sit in third place in the Western Conference.

Tuesday night the Warriors are back at it taking on the Los Angeles Clippers at Chase Center. It will be great to be back home if only for one game. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 PM.