Category: NBA

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

Kings lose third in a row to Bucks 133-127

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Milwaukee Bucks forward Khris Middleton, right, takes a shot against Sacramento Kings center Richaun Holmes at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee on Sat Jan 22, 2022 (AP News photo)

Kings Lose Third In A Row To Bucks 133-127

By Barbara Mason

Flashback Wednesday: After losing a very disappointing game Wednesday against the Detroit Pistons, the Sacramento Kings (18-30) traveled to Milwaukee to take on the Bucks (30-19). The Kings led in the Piston game by nine points with 2:34 left on the clock.

In the NBA two and a half minutes is a lot of time however the Kings did not score a single point for the rest of the game and the Pistons took full advantage. The Kings had two turnovers, three missed shots and a foul in those final two minutes. They needed to finish the game and they were unable too. This has been a problem for the Kings this year, finishing games.

Saturday night in Milwaukee: On Saturday night the Kings face a huge challenge taking on the fourth place Bucks at Fiserv Forum. They will have Tyrese Haliburton back on the court for this game a plus for Sacramento. There is bad news as well because De’Aaron Fox has been ruled out with an ankle injury. This is a tough loss for Sacramento, losing their leading scorer.

The Kings had a nice start winning the first quarter 35-27. Their lead did not last very long and mid-way through the second quarter the Bucks heated up taking the lead. At the half the Bucks led 62-54. Harrison Barnes led the shooting for the Kings with 14 points in the first half. He was the only King in double digits so far in the game.

The Bucks took their second quarter momentum into the third quarter extending their lead by as much as 15 points. The Kings would cut that deficit in half trailing after three quarters 94-86. Milwaukee’s Chris Middleton and Jrue Holiday led the Bucks in scoring, Middleton with 20 and Holiday with 18.

The Kings continued to hang around and got to within three points with under two minutes left in the game. That was as close as Sacramento would get losing their third game in a row 133-127.

The Kings got some great play from their starters. Harrison Barnes finished with 29 point, Tyrese Haliburton with 24, and Terence Davis had 22. All of their starters had double digits.

Tuesday the Kings will be playing the Boston Celtics at TD Garden. Tipoff is scheduled for 4:30 PM PT.

Golden State Warriors game wrap: Curry hits game winner to beat Rockets 105-103

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Curry Hits Game Winner to Beat Rockets 105-103

Things to do and places to go for Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry, left chases after the basketball after committing a foul on Houston Rockets guard Kevin Porter Jr. (3) at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Fri Jan 21, 2022 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

The Warriors (32-13) were still reeling from the loss last night to the Pacers when they went right into a back-to- back game against the Houston Rockets (14-32). The Rockets are a young team with amazing energy featuring Christian Wood and Kevin Porter Jr. The Warriors came away winning a thrilling just getting by the Rockets 105-103 at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Friday night.

Houston had a miserable start to the season but have picked it up and have won three of their last four games. Friday night the Rockets were aiming to make it four wins of their last five games at the expense of the Warriors.

After Thursday night’s game Golden State was looking to protect the ball and execute. Turnovers and miserable execution were their undoing.

The Rockets started the first quarter with amazing energy, and a strong fast start. They led30-24 after one. The ball movement for Golden State was sluggish and the turnovers horrendous.

In the second quarter it was more of the same for Golden State. They had 12 turnovers in the half and Houston scored 17 points off those turnovers. Execution was awful with the Warriors only scoring 43 points in the first half.

Playing this poorly against the worst defensive team in the league was not going to win many games. Houston’s Wood and Porter Jr. had really good quarters to start this game both with 12 points in the half. Houston led 54-43 after two quarters.

Forty-three points in a half for the Warriors is unimaginable for a team that customarily scores well over a hundred points a game. Golden State had a lot of work to do in the second half.

Golden State started the third quarter with more turnovers and they had to start taking this game possession by possession. Trailing by 15 points Stephen Curry and company needed points and stops. Mid-way through the quarter the Warriors got those points and those stops trimming the Rocket’s lead to 63-62.

The Warriors kept their foot on the pedal and with some greatly improved execution managed to stay on pace with Houston. After three quarters this game was about as tight as a game could be tied at 76. Golden State won the quarter 33-22.

The Warriors three’s were falling in the fourth quarter but they desperately needed stops. The shots that Houston was missing in the third quarter started hitting in the final quarter. It would come down to execution and stops in this game.

Houston started taking more three’s than Golden State and they were making them. With the score tied at 103, the Warriors had 5.1 seconds left to win this game. (There was exactly 5.1 on the clock in last night’s game) The baby-faced assassin Curry hit a two and the Warriors won 105-103 in this marathon. It was crunch time and Curry came through as he has so many times in the past.

Kevon Looney would finish with 12 rebounds. Curry had two pts which included the game winner and Jordan had twenty points. It just was another game winner for Curry. The entire team had to grind it out and they did just that.

Sunday the Warriors take on the Utah Jazz with a 5:30 PM tipoff.

Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson: Kings start five game road trip Saturday in Milwaukee

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Sacramento Kings guard De’Aaron Fox (5) is fouled by Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) at the Golden One Center in Sacramento on Wed Jan 19, 2022 (AP News photo)

On the Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson :

#1 The Sacramento Kings (18-29) just simply melted down in their 133-131 loss to the Detroit Pistons (11-33) on Wednesday night. The Pistons Corey Joseph shot a game winning shot with 25.9 seconds left as the Pistons topped an 11-0 comeback win.

#2 Joseph who formerly played for the Kings at the guard position who dealt to the Pistons at the trade deadline last season scored 19 points and had nine assists on Wednesday night.

#3 Pistons head coach Dwane Casey said the Pistons show resilience saying these are the dog days before the All Star break and the team has be ready to go and that they found a way to defeat the Kings.

#4 The Kings Terrance Davis led Sacramento with 35 against the Pistons and scored 14 of them in the fourth quarter. The Kings De’Aaron Fox followed up with 27 points, eight assists, and six rebounds.

#5 The Kings now face the Milwaukee Bucks (28-19) who have been on a slight struggle losing six of their last nine games. The Kings have lost eight of their last 11 games and start this five game road trip Saturday.

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

Pacers Shock Golden State 121-117 in OT; Warriors lose six of last nine games

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Golden State Warriors Stephen Curry (left) and Klay Thompson (right) go over some strategy to try and defeat the Indianapolis Pacers at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Thu Jan 20, 2022 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

Pacer’s Shock Golden State 121-117

Thursday night the Golden State Warriors (32-13) had their 400th sell-out as they took on the Indiana Pacers (17-29). The Pacers are at the end of a back to back and unfortunately for Indiana they are four players short. They did have a win over the Lakers last night but lost a number of players in that game including Caris Levert who shot for 30 points.

The Pacers had their hands full in this game against the NBA leaders in defensive efficiency. The Pacers have lost ten of their last twelve games and with so many players sidelined a win will be a stretch for Indiana.

In the first quarter, the Pacers were able to keep up with Golden State. They came out with a lot of energy and would have to work hard to sustain that energy. Jonathan Kuminga had a great start to this game and continues to amaze. He was 5-6 from the free-throw line. Kevon Looney has had 10+rebounds in his last three game and already had four in the first quarter as did Kuminga. The Warriors led after one 30-23.

Despite being depleted the Pacers continued to play hard into the second quarter. The largest lead that the Warriors were able to establish was eight points. Coach Kerr gave a lot of minutes to the bench and after two quarters five bench players had entered the game. Kevon Looney had 9 rebounds and 9 points in the first half leading the team to a 63-55 half-time lead.

At 8:26 in the third quarter the feisty Pacers took the lead for the first time in the game 68-66. 14 turnovers in the game, too many of them in the third, did the Warriors no favors. After three quarters this game was tied at 83. A lot of credit to Indiana who looked nothing like a team who’s roster was depleted.

It got to be very tense in the fourth quarter. The Pacer’s Goga Bitadze was ejected with his second technical in a close encounter with Gary Payton. The Warriors continued with the turnovers giving the Pacers a four point lead 100-96 with under six minutes left in the game. Golden State had to start protecting the ball. As the quarter came to an end this game would go into overtime with the score tied 110 apiece.

More turnovers in overtime, and momentum in favor of the Pacers gave Indiana the shocking win 121-117. It was a tremendous effort by the Indiana Pacers. They took the perimeter away from Golden State taking away a lot of those three point attempts. The Warriors were even missing open three point attempts.

Stephen Curry finished the game with 39 points and once again Looney had a 10+rebound game and 13 points. There were just too many missed open shots and turnovers. This was one of the most difficult losses for the Warriors this season.

Tomorrow night the Warriors will be taking on the Houston Rockets. Tipoff is schedule for 7:00 PM.

Sacramento Kings podcast with Tony Renteria: Kings latest loss close but not good enough to beat Detroit

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Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) drives past Sacramento Kings guard De’Aaron Fox (5) at Golden One Center on Wed Jan 19, 2022 the Kings play the Milwaukee Bucks on Sat Jan 22, 2022 (AP News photo)

On the Kings podcast with Tony R:

#1 Tony, the Sacramento Kings (19-28) played a close game against the Detroit Pistons (10-34) on Wednesday night at Golden One but just couldn’t get past them for the loss 133-131.

#2 The Pistons who have one of the worse offenses in the league had five players in double figures and Saddiq Bey led the way with 30 points.

#3 The Kings were favored to win against the Pistons but lacked just enough depth to finish it. The Kings were certainly missing Tyrese Haliburton who was out of the line up as of three days ago with Covid 19 protocols.

#4 The win for Detroit was their tenth win of the season and they’re just getting into double figures for the win column but were able to off set the Kings and win by just two points.

#5 The Kings take on the mighty Milwaukee Bucks (28-19) on Sat Jan 22 in Milwaukee and if the Kings had a handful against the Pistons the Bucks should win this one by ten or more. Tony what’s your take on this Saturday’s game in Milwaukee.

Join Tony R for the Kings podcasts each Thursday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com