Category: NBA

Rocket Blast Of Reality: Kings start slow, squander opportunity in 118-112 loss to Houston

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By Morris Phillips

SACRAMENTO–The NBA’s done its part, providing a postseason format tailored for the Kings’ shortcomings. Now the suffering ballclub has to fall in line, and provide the needed buckets and hard-earned, defensive stops to gain a spot.

Kings are you ready?

Well, not yet.

Christian Wood and Kevin Porter Jr. each scored 23 points, and the Rockets held on for a 118-112 win over the Kings at Golden 1 Center. The Kings fell 10 games below .500 with the loss and, for now, relinquished the coveted 10th spot in the Western Conference to the Spurs.

Buddy Hield led the Kings with 27 points in 30 minutes off the bench, and five others scored in double figures, but the hosts were doomed by a ridiculously poor start in which they trailed 13-0 and 21-5 six minutes in.

Struggling teams blow leads, that’s what they do, and the youthful Rockets followed suit. Their shooting, which topped 65 percent early, dipped to 48 percent at the half. The Kings got to the hoop and kept visiting to lead 60-55 at the half, and maintained a 88-85 advantage after three. Interim coach Alvin Gentry liked his team’s fight, but couldn’t ignore the residual effects of the lackluster start.

“They kept enough of a lead that it puts a lot of pressure on you to score,” Gentry said. “We created some really good shots. It’s just a matter of us knocking them down.”

The disjointed ballgame played in front of empty seats and fans wearing 49ers’ jerseys didn’t gain intensity until leading scorer De’Aaron Fox was ejected with 8:14 remaining. A video review revealed his Flagrant 2 foul for slappin at the ball as Houston’s Garrison Mathews attempted to cruise in for a layup. While Fox could legitimately claim he made a basketball play, Mathews fell awkwardly, landing on his hip with his legs taken from beneath him. Fox departed with 14 points, four rebounds and the Kings suddenly trailing by five.

Tyrese Haliburton was unavailable after it was announced earlier on Sunday that he entered COVID protocols, but the Kings got Richaun Holmes and Damian Jones back after protocols forced both into isolation and physical inactivity for a week. Marvin Bagley III couldn’t go due to shoulder soreness.

The Rockets remain last in the Western Conference but they’ve won three of their last four away from Houston’s Toyota Center. They opened the season with a win at Minneapolis, then lost 10 straight road games. Coach Steven Silas prefers what he sees now: an emerging team with youth, and time on it’s side.

“We’re not a playoff team yet but when we are this is what it’s going to look like,” Silas said. “We’re trying to learn as many lessons as we can. I was proud of them for that.”

The Kings host the Pistons on Wednesday, giving them three, consecutive home games against two of the NBA’s worst teams, but there’s no sweep to show for their scheduling luck.

Huskies snap Cardinal’s four-game victory streak, winning 67-64

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Washington guard Cole Bajema, right, looks to get an angle on defender and Stanford forward Jaiden Delaire, left, at Alaskan Airlines Arena in Seattle on Sat Jan 15, 2022 (AP News photo)

By Daniel Dullum
Saturday, January 15, 2022

Stanford saw its four-game winning streak come to an end on Saturday in Seattle, as Washington edged the Cardinal 67-64 in Pac-12 men’s basketball.

The Cardinal slipped to 10-5 overall and 3-2 in conference play.

Terrell Brown Jr. led the Huskies (8-7 overall, 3-2 Pac-12) with 25 points, followed by Jamal Bey with 17 – all in the first half. Emmitt Matthews Jr. added 11 points for Washington.

Brandon Angel tallied 13 points and Lukas Kisunas scored 10 points and grabbed 12 rebounds off the Cardinal bench, as no Stanford starter scored in double-figures.

Washington led 43-25 at halftime.

The Huskies held a 59-43 lead with 11 minutes remaining in the second half before Stanford used a 10-point run, closing their deficit to six. Daejon Davis hit a 3-pointer at 7:56 that wound up being UW’s last field goal.

Washington continued to hold on, up 65-61 with one minute to play. A pairt of Kisunas free throws pulled the Cardinal to within two, but though Brown missed a free throw with 15 seconds left, the Huskies held on for the win.

Stanford’s road trip continues on Thursday in Tucson against No. 6-Arizona.

Fox leads Kings with 27 points in 126-114 win over Rockets

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Sacramento Kings’ Tyrese Haliburton guards Houston Rockets forward Jae’Sean Tate (8) during first quarter action at the Golden One Center in Sacramento on Fri Jan 14, 2022 (AP News photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings (18-27) were back in action on Friday night. The Kings last played on Wednesday when they took on the Los Angeles Lakers. The Kings downed the Lakers 125-116 at home in a great team win.

On Friday, the Kings welcomed the Houston Rockets (12-32) to town for a two-game set. The Kings would play the Rockets on Friday at 7 PM PST and Sunday at 3 PM PST. On Friday, the Kings downed the Rockets 126-114.

In the first quarter, it wasn’t pretty for either team on defense. The Kings and the Rockets were getting basically anything they wanted at the basket. However, it was worse for the Kings. The Kings allowed the Rockets to score 41 points in the first quarter.

It was one of the worst defensive quarters of the year for the Kings. On the other hand, the Rockets held the Kings to 31 points to take an early game nine-point lead.

In the second quarter, the Kings flipped the script on the Rockets. The Kings offense had a fire lit under them and erupted for 34 points in the second quarter. However, that’s not the whole story. The Kings also dramatically improved on the defensive end.

The Kings held the Rockets to only 20 points in the second quarter as the Kings stormed back to take the lead. In the first half, the Kings were led by an explosive De’Aaron Fox, who had 18 points. The Rockets best first-half performance came from Christian Wood, who scored 15 points. As a result, the Kings took a 65-60 lead into the second half of the game.

In the third quarter, the Kings continued to play as they did in the second quarter. The Kings outscored the Rockets 33-29 in the third quarter to increase their lead. The Kings offense continued their pace for themselves in the third quarter as the defense wasn’t as sharp.

On the other hand, the Rockets picked up the pace on the defensive end but couldn’t contain the Kings offense. The Kings would need to play a clean fourth quarter to come away with a win.

In the final quarter, the Kings managed to hold onto the lead and beat the Rockets 126-114. The Kings outscored the Rockets 28-25 in the fourth quarter. It was the third straight quarter the Kings outscored the Rockets after starting the game terribly in the first quarter.

It was the Kings second win in a row as they improved to 18-27. The Kings were led in victory by De’Aaron Fox, who scored 27 points, followed by Marvin Bagley, who had 26. The Rockets best performance came from Christian Wood, who scored 26 points.

It was an excellent win for the Kings, who so often get complacent against bad teams. It appeared they did again on Friday after a terrible first quarter, but they quickly turned it around in the second.

Up Next: The Kings stay home to take on the Houston Rockets again on Sunday at 3 PM PST.

Warriors Provide Electric Play To Trounce Bulls 138-96

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Golden State Warriors guard Jordan Poole, left, dribbles against Chicago Bulls guard Ayo Dosunmu (right) at the United Center in Chicago on Fri Jan 14, 2022 (AP News photo)  

Warriors Provide Electric Play To Trounce Bulls 138-96

By Barbara Mason

After last nights game against the Milwaukee Bucks the Golden State Warriors were not entirely sure what they would be seeing from the Golden State Warriors going forward. The Bucks put the hurt on the Warriors in a blowout 118-99. At the half in that game the Bucks led by the score of 77-38.

Friday night the Warriors (31-11) took on another great team the Chicago Bulls (27-13). The Bulls are the leaders in the Eastern Conference and were probably pretty confident going into this game especially seeing what the Bucks had done to Golden State last night. Going into the game the Bulls were favored by four points.

We knew that it was just a matter of time before the Warriors shook off the funk they were in. We know what this team is capable of. What we saw in this game was a reversal of fortune. Golden State totally cleaned up the turnovers and the shooting in this game was a thing of beauty.

After the first quarter the Warriors led 37-28. In the second quarter it was the Warriors who took a significant lead into the locker room 78-47. Instead of giving up 77 points in the first half, Golden State scored 78 points.

Andrew Wiggins had 20 points at the half followed by Jordan Poole with 15. Jonathan Kuminga and Stephen Curry both had double digits. With only two turnovers in the game and 11 of 24 from downtown plus shooting at 57% it was clear that the Warriors were on a mission.

The Warriors had held the Bulls to 45% shooting and forced eleven turnovers which turned into 21 points for Golden State. There was a bit of a scare in the second quarter when Curry fell on his hand and favored his wrist for a bit.

He was able to shake it off and it appeared that he suffered no ill effects from the fall. Going into the third quarter the Warriors kept the pressure on the Bulls. Four of the Warriors starters had shot in double digits mid-way through the quarter.

Kevon Looney had a double double with 11 rebounds and 10 points. It was an amazing turnaround for the team. It was Warrior basketball at it’s finest. It was all Warriors through three quarters. When they should have been fatigued from back to back games, the Warriors were sharp and refreshed and showing not a sign of lethargy or weariness.

As the third quarter came to an end the Warriors were still tearing it up 112-72 for a 40 point lead.

In the fourth quarter it was Jonathan Kuminga who was attacking the rim like a pro shooting for 23 points. This was as complete a game offensively and defensively as one could ask for. In the fourth quarter Curry went to the locker room to have his hand evaluated. He returned without a wrap on his hand and appeared to be just fine. The final was 138-96 in a blowout.

Off the bench Kuminga had 25 points in an excellent game, his best of the season. Starters Poole had 22 and Andrew Wiggins had 21. They finished with only seven turnovers.

“We needed this win, it was important. We’ve got to be strong and show them what we are about,” said Wiggins after the game. “We have a lot of guys who can dominate,” he said.

The Warriors will be taking on the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday to end their road trip. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:00 PM. Golden State will head home after this game for a 7-game home stand.

Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson: Rockets come calling at Golden One on Friday night vs. Kings

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Los Angeles Lakers guard Russell Westbrook (0) attempts to get past Sacramento Kings guard Davion Mitchell (left) at Golden One Arena in Sacramento on Thu Jan 13, 2022. The Kings open a two game set starting Fri Jan 14, 2022 against the Houston Rockets in Sacramento (AP News photo)

On the Kings podcast with Jeremiah:

#1 The Houston Rockets (12-31) pay a visit to Golden One Arena to face off with the Sacramento Kings (17-27). Jeremiah, the Kings are coming off a win against the Los Angeles Lakers (21-21) from Wednesday night 125-116 how much confidence will that build for the Kings facing Houston Friday night?

#2 Jeremiah, talk about some of the top scorers from each team from the Rockets Christian Wood whose averaging 17.2 points per game and for the Kings De’Aaron Fox who is averaging 20.0 points per game.

#3 The Kings coming into Friday night’s game are 12-19 against the Western Conference. They had a five game losing streak going before they defeated the Lakers on Wednesday night.

#4 The Kings need more help they have lost five out of their last 21 games when they were behind by ten or more points.

#5 Tonight is the first of a two game series with the Rockets in Sacramento, tonight being the first game and Sunday afternoon at 3:00PM concluding the series. Seeing the same team twice will that be an advantage for the Kings?

Join Jeremiah Salmonson for the Kings podcasts each Friday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Bucks cruise past Warriors 118-99; Golden State has now lost four of last five games

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Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry attempts to find a teammate to pass to against the Milwaukee Bucks’ Bobby Portis and Wesley Matthews at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee on Thu Jan 13, 2022 (AP News photo)

Bucks Cruise Past Warriors 118-99

By Barbara Mason

It is not a happy time for the Golden State Warriors (30-11) of late. In their last four games they are at the bottom of the NBA for offensive rating, points per game and three-point FG.

They are averaging 95.5 points per game, they are shooting 25% from downtown and the offensive rating is 95.5. Very un-Warrior-like play; they are struggling right now immersed in a true winter chill. That chill continued like frozen bricks as Golden State lost their fourth out of five games 118-99 to the Milwaukee Bucks (27-17).

Thursday night the Warriors were facing yet another challenge traveling to Milwaukee to play the Bucks. The world champs are led by superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo and once again Golden State will be missing Draymond Green out with a left calf issue. He is doubtful for the remainder of their road trip. This is a big loss for Golden State; taking the court without the defensive prowess and leadership that Green provides.

The Bucks came into the first quarter in a perfect start for Milwaukee. They established an early lead 37-21. In the early part of the second quarter the Bucks were shooting 62% to the Warriors 37% and Golden State was getting drummed out of the building.

They were four of 20 from downtown, missing open shot and had those turnover issues once again. It seemed that the Bucks could hardly miss a shot in the first half. They led 77-38 at the half and continued to shoot 62% while the Warriors could only manage 27% shooting by the end of two quarters.

Not a single Warrior had double digits at first half’s end while the Bucks had four players, Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, Bobby Portis and Grayson Allen shooting at will practically unable to miss. These guys were going crazy having the time of their lives at the expense of Golden State. It was an unbelievable deficit going into the third quarter.

Mid-way through the third quarter two Warriors finally reached double digits. Stephen Curry and Andrew Wiggins had 10 and 14 respectively. By third quarters end the Warriors had cut their deficit to 97-72. They had really dialed their game up winning the third quarter 34-20. While it was too little too late it was certainly a positive in an otherwise disastrous game for the Warriors.

The Warriors went on to win the fourth quarter outscoring the Bucks in the second half by 20 points. When you allow 77 points in the first half odds are that you have little to no chance to come away with a win.

Curry, Wiggins, and Klay Thompson all had double digits and off the bench Jonathan Kuminga had a great game with 15 points in 19 minutes. He continues to improve and is showing a lot of promise,

The Warriors continue their road trip taking on the Chicago Bulls Friday night. Tipoff is schedule for 4:30.

Kings bounce back to defeat Lakers at Golden One 125-116

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Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (6) gets a pass off by Sacramento Kings guard De’Aaron Fox (5) and center Alex Len (25) at the Golden One Center in Sacramento on Wed Jan 12, 2022 (AP News photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings were back in action on Wednesday night in Sacramento. On Monday, the Kings last played and lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers 109-108. It was a tough loss for the Kings, who had the chance to win the game with the final shot.

However, De’Aaron Fox missed the last shot as the Kings lost. On Wednesday, the Kings welcomed Lebron James and the Los Angeles Lakers to town. The Kings had played the Lakers tough this year and were hoping to win against the rival from Los Angeles. The Kings won the game by the final of 125-116 against the Lakers. 

In the first quarter, the Kings defense got off to a rough start. The Kings allowed the Lakers to score 34 points to put themselves in an early hole in the first quarter. Fortunately for the Kings, the offense got off to a decent start. The Kings scored 29 points in the first quarter to trail the Lakers by only five after the first. However, the Kings would need to tighten up the defensive end to stay in the game long term. 

In the second quarter, it was rough early for the Kings. The Kings started the second, struggling to score the basket and allowing the Lakers to get pretty much whatever they wanted. However, the Kings turned up the intensity towards the end of the second as they began driving more to the basket and taking fewer perimeter shots. The Lakers outscored the Kings 33-32 in the second quarter to marginally increase their lead going into halftime.

The Lakers were led in the first half by Lebron James, who had 17 points. The Kings strongest first-half performance came from De’Aaron Fox, who scored 14 points. Nevertheless, the Kings trailed the Lakers, heading into halftime 67-61. 

In the third quarter, it was all Kings. That pretty much sums up the quarter perfectly. The Kings had an offensive outburst as they scored 40 points in the third quarter to take the lead on the Lakers. On the other hand, the Lakers only scored 23 points in the third to put themselves behind the Kings 101-90 heading into the fourth quarter. Could Lebron James and the Lakers come back to defeat the Kings? We found out in the final 12 minutes. 

In the fourth quarter, the Kings played tough. The Lakers outscored the Kings in the final quarter 26-24, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the Kings surge in the third quarter. The Kings defeated the Lakers by the final of 125-116 and improved to 17-27 on the season.

The Lakers dropped to 21-21 on the year as Lebron James couldn’t bring his team back to victory. However, Lebron James led the game in scoring with 34 points. The Kings leading scorer was De’Aaron Fox, who scored 29 points for the Kings. It was an excellent win for the Kings with an electric crowd behind them at Golden One Center. 

Up Next: The Kings take on the Houston Rockets on Friday at 7 PM PST in Sacramento.

Morant Leads Grizzlies To Win Over Warriors 115-108

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Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant (12) shoots against Golden State Warriors center Kevon Looney (5) and forwards Andre Iguodala (9) and Andrew Wiggins (22) in Memphis on Tue Jan 11, 2022 (AP News photo)

Morant Leads Grizzlies To Win Over Warriors 116-108

By Barbara Mason

Tuesday night the Golden State Warriors (30-10) took on the red-hot Memphis Grizzlies (29-14). Memphis is riding on a nine-game winning streak and they will make the Warriors work for this game. They are led by Ja Morant one of the best point guards in the game today. The absence of Draymond Green would be a factor in this game. So a lot of tough challenges in this game for Golden State.

The Warriors were outplayed in the first half. The ugly turnovers were an issue and the three points shooting was almost non-existent. Golden State was three of 13 from downtown. The Warriors have been struggling offensively especially from long range and the Grizzlies have a solid offense and defense that turned the Warriors away shot after shot.

Many of the turnovers from Golden State were due to the unrelenting defense of Memphis. With the Grizzlies leading 59-51 and under one minutes left in the half, the Warriors wanted to make a small run before the clock ran out. At the half. the Warriors had cut an 18 point deficit to eight.

The points off of the 12 Warrior turnovers were hurting them while the Grizzlies were fueled by three point shots the entire half. Ja Morant finished the first half with 18 points. Going into this game we all knew he was going to be a handful and he certainly was in the first half.

Stephen Curry had 12 points and Andrew Wiggins finished the half with ten. In the third quarter the Warriors had to limit those turnovers and do their best to contain Morant.

The Warriors started the third quarter with two steals and just like that had cut the Grizzlies lead to 59-56. Golden State came alive in the second half and the three’s starting dropping giving the Warriors a 71-66 lead. Midway through the third the game had totally flipped.

We saw a different defense from the Warriors in the third quarter and Memphis starting missing those long balls. As the quarter began to run out the two teams began trading the lead. The Warriors led after three quarters 90-87.

The Grizzlies led for much of the fourth quarter by the slimmest of margins. At 6:15 Memphis led 103-99. With both Curry and Klay Thompson on the sidelines this game was in jeopardy. With 4:39 left in this game the splash brothers came in to finish the game.

The hottest team in tne NBA would try to hold off the Warriors with 2:48 left on the clock. A missed three by Golden State and Ja Morant finished off the Warriors 116-108.

The Grizzlies took 100 shots in this game to the Warriors 80, not a winning formula The turnovers killed Golden State giving Memphis their tenth win in a row. The Warriors fought hard in the second half but it was the first half deficit that lost this game for Golden State. Points off turnovers were disastrous for the Warriors.

The Warriors will now head off to Milwaukee to take on the World Champs Thursday. The tipoff is scheduled for 4:30 PM.

Queeta Provides A Boost: Rookie impresses, but Kings suffer heartbreaking 109-108 loss to Cleveland

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By Morris Phillips

SACRAMENTO–The Kings’ inconsistencies are so far reaching, they intersect with everything the faltering club touches. In this case, the first NBA basket for rookie Neemias Queta was muddied by a dubious footnote.

Queta, the rookie of Portugese decent, who was a standout center for Utah State, was rushed into duty with the Kings missing Richaun Holmes and Damian Jones (COVID protocols) along with Tristan Thompson, a late scratch with a quad issue. That left the Kings with starter Alex Len and an anxious Queta to combat the Cleveland Cavaliers’ imposing front line.

Just 30 seconds after Queta’s first quarter appearance, his nifty, jump hook in the lane gave him his initial points in the NBA. But six seconds later while the Kings’ defense took a pause, the Cavaliers’ Cedi Osman cruised in for an uncontested layup at the other end.

Monday’s fourth quarter was a mixed bag as well with Cleveland riding a 20-5 run to seize control and lead by double-digits only to see the Kings answer with a 9-0 run but come up short when De’Aaron Fox’s shot in the lane was a little long. That conclusion saddled Sacramento with a painful 109-108 loss at Golden 1 Center.

The Kings’ fifth consecutive loss came one night after the team was embarrassed in Portland by the Blazers, who were without their dynamic Lillard/McCollum backcourt. Against the Cavs, the Kings battled, only to come up short at the final horn.

Their biggest issue Monday? A lethargic start in which they missed eight of their first 10 shots and dug themselves a hole they ultimately couldn’t climb out of. But after an uninspiring start–and that issue of getting back on defense after a made basket–the embattled club played hard, and hit difficult shots.

Yes, the inconsistencies. But this time, interim coach Alvin Gentry generally seemed pleased.

“We did all we needed to do to put ourselves in position to win. We just couldn’t quite get over the hump,” Gentry said. “If you tell me that I could get De’Aaron Fox a foul-line jumpshot to win the game, I’ll take that. If we play that way night in and night out, we’ll change the direction of our team.”

The Cavaliers–also on a back-to-back–aren’t inconsistent at all. In fact, as one the league’s hottest teams, they’ve ruled the paint against all their opponents for better than a month. They were the unfortunate opponent for Golden State’s Klay Thompson’s return on Sunday, scoring a season-low 82 points. But the Kings’ porous defense immediately had Cleveland back on track; they scored their first 17 points on Monday in the paint.

Then Kevin Love got hot, pouring in 14 of his 19 points in the first half. The Kings appeared whipped at the break, trailing by 13, and not doing enough to inspire the smallest home gathering of the season.

“We were rebounding the ball, protecting the paint, doing everything that made us a good team, said Jarrett Allen, who finished with 18 points, 17 rebounds for the Cavs. “It was a huge step in the right direction.”

The Kings made it interesting in the second half by hitting 12 of their 14 3-pointers along with some blue collar work on the glass that would yield 15 offensive rebounds. The Cavs did their part in aiding the home team with 17 turnovers.

With Fox clearly laboring, likely due to a shoulder issue he’s battled, the Kings got scoring from Tyrese Haliburton and Buddy Hield. Haliburton’s three with 7:51 remaining extended the Kings only lead of significance to 94-89.

But the ensuing Cleveland run sealed it. Laurie Markkanen’s three with 2:34 remaining put the Cavs up 109-99.

Haliburton led the Kings with 21 points, 8 assists. Hield contributed 19 points while connecting of five of his eight 3-point attempts. Four other Kings scored in double figures, and Queta added 11 points, five rebounds in a career-high 24 minutes.

The Kings continue their five-game home stand on Wednesday when the Lakers visit, this time likely with the streaking LeBron James in tow. James has scored at least 30 points in 10 of his previous 11 games, with the exception being a 26-point, 7-rebound effort in a 108-103 win over Minnesota.

Golden State Warriors podcast with Barbara Mason: After 941 days of waiting Big Splashy Return for Thompson

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Klay Thompson is seen here on Mon Jan 3, 2022 taking practice shots before the Golden State Warriors host the Miami Heat at the Chase Center. Thompson debuted in his first game back in two and half years on Sun Jan 9, 2022 against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Chase Center (AP News photo)

On the Warriors podcast with Barbara:

#1 Talk about Klay Thompson’s return?

#2 Kevon Looney had an exceptional defensive game that played a great part in this win.

#3 Stephen Curry sure got back on track after two loses in a row the most the team has suffered since the season started.

#4 What are Steve Kerr’s thoughts about the return of Thompson?

#5 The next game up for the Warriors will be against the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday night in Memphis. How do you see this game?

Join Barbara for the Warrior podcasts Mondays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com