Category: NBA

Kings Unable to Finish off Pistons Losing 133-131

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Detroit Pistons guard Cory Joseph (18) dribbles past Sacramento Kings guard Terence Davis (3) at the Golden One Center in Sacramento on Wed Jan 19, 2022 (AP News photo)

Kings Unable to Finish Off Pistons Losing 133-131

By Barbara Mason

Wednesday night the Sacramento Kings (19-28) took on the Detroit Pistons (10-34) at Golden 1 Center. The Pistons have one of the worst offenses in the league and a loss to Detroit would be a huge disappointment for the Kings.

Sacramento is favored in this game but they would be missing Tyrese Haliburton who is on Covid 19 protocol as of two days ago. Haliburton is now the 12th King player to enter the protocol and he will be missed.

After one quarter the Pistons had grabbed the lead 33-26. Despite fouling all over the place Detroit had managed to outplay the Kings in the quarter.

The Pistons led by as many as nine points in the second quarter. Mid-way through the quarter the Pistons already had 14 fouls giving the Kings 23 free throws scoring on 17 of them. Neither team had played all that well through the first quarter and into the second quarter. Midway through the quarter, the Kings were able to take the lead 43-41. At the half, the Kings held a slim lead 71-66, winning the second quarter convincingly 45-33.

De’Aaron Fox was the high score leader in the half for the Kings with 18 points closely followed by Terence Davis with 17. Saddiq Bey was the only Piston in double digits with 17. In the later minutes of the half, the Kings finally got something going offensively to catch the Pistons and take the lead.

In the third quarter the Kings extended their half time five point lead to a ten point advantage. The Pistons would not go away and they chipped away in the later minutes of the quarter trailing by a single point 95-94 with 2:54 left on the clock. As the third quarter came to an end the Pistons had taken the lead 105-103.

The Kings took back the lead in the fourth quarter after trailing by a couple of points to end the third quarter. Detroit just kept on threatening and the Kings would have to pull out all the stops to win this one. Harrison Barnes and Marvin Bagley III started hitting shots giving Sacramento a 130-120 lead with 2:47 left in the game. This game was going down to the wire.

With a minute and a half left in the game the Kings had a nine point lead that they just could not maintain. Missed shots, turnovers and fouls lost this game for Sacramento in a sloppy finish. The final was 133-131 in favor of the Pistons.

The high score for the Pistons was Saddiq Bey with 30 points. The Kings had six players with double digits, the high from Terence Davis with 35 points.

The Kings will have a major challenge coming up when they play the Milwaukee Bucks Saturday night. Tipoff is scheduled for 4:00 PM.

Headline Sports podcast with Jessica Kwong: Prescott sorry for giving credit to Cowboys fans for throwing garbage at officials; Seahawks retooling ask to talk to Denver defensive coordinator; plus more

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Dallas Cowboys fans throwing garbage and trash at NFL officials and Cowboy players after the Cowboys loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Sun Jan 16, 2022 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington (Daily Snark news photo)

On Headlines podcast with Jessica:

#1 “Credit to them. Credit it to them” Famous last words from Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott after learning fans were not throwing trash and garbage at his teammates but rather to officials on Sunday after the loss to the 49ers blaming officials for not spotting the ball in time as time ran out and the Cowboys were eliminated from the post season. Prescott had since apologized on Tuesday for what he said.

#2 The Seattle Seahawks front office kept busy this week as they fired their defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr and defensive passing game coordinator Andre Curtis in what was the worst season for the Seahawks in more than ten years under head coach Pete Carroll. The Hawks have asked permission to speak with the Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Ed Donatell.

#3 According to head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers Mike Tomlin all options are on the table as his starting quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is presumed not to be returning for the 2022 season after 18 seasons as starting quarterback Roethlisberger will most likely be hanging it up and Tomlin will be searching for a new quarterback for next season.

#4 Golden State Warriors minority owner Chamath Palihapitiya (polly who said 15 minutes into an interview on Saturday that “Nobody cares about what’s happening to the Uyghurs, OK?” Palihapitiya continued saying “I’m telling you a very hard, ugly truth, OK, of all the things that I care about, yes it is below my line.” The Uyghurs Muslims are being are reportedly being persecuted and suffering from genocide in China according to the US Government. The Warriors embarrassed by the comments are reportedly keeping themselves away from Palihapitya and his remarks and sources say Palihapitya share of the team could be bought out depending on how much the team has to do damage control over the remarks.

#5 Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving re-enforced his no Covid 19 vaccine stance telling the media on Tuesday that his life outside of basketball is his choice not be vaccinated. Irving is not eligible to play in Brooklyn his home building the Barclay Center where the vaccine shot is mandated to be able to play.

Join Jessica for Headline Sports every other Wednesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Warriors Back On Track With Win Over Pistons 102-86

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Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) goes for the jump shot against the Detroit Pistons guard Corey Joseph (18) at Chase Center in San Francisco on Tue Jan 18, 2022 (AP News photo)

Warriors Back On Track With Win Over Pistons 102-86

By Barbara Mason

After a most discouraging four game road trip, the Golden State Warriors (32-12) are back home for a seven game home stand. The Warriors lost three of the four games they played on this road trip. They lost to the Timberwolves, the Bucks and the Grizzlies: the only win being a punishing victory over the Bulls 138-96. Well they got another win punishing the Detroit Pistons (10-33) on Tuesday night at the Chase Center in San Francisco 102-86.

There is a lot of good news for the Warriors in tonight’s game. Of course being home is a plus, but the team will also have not only Stephen Curry back on the court but also Gary Payton II.

Payton’s status was upgraded from questionable to probable. He shared duties off the bench with Jordan Poole for extended minutes. The prediction for this game gives the Pistons less than a ten percent chance to win the game.

In the absence of Draymond Green, Jonathan Kuminga got the chance to start in this game tonight. He has earned it and will now get the experience of starting with Curry and Klay Thompson. He needed to continue to run the floor and keep it simple. He has been playing at a very high level and hopes to continue at the same pace against the Pistons.

After one quarter the Warriors had established a nice lead 33-22. They were shooting at 52% and had knocked down 6 of 10 from downtown. Andrew Wiggins had 9 points and Kevon Looney already had 8 rebounds in 9 minutes of play.

At the the half the Warriors led 66-38. The splash brothers had combined for 31 points, 21 of them from downtown. Thompson had a new high in a half with 17 points since returning to action. The Pistons Isaiah Stewart shot for 14 shots but his team just could not keep up with the Warriors. The ball movement, the three’s, the efficiency, and ball control were all working for Golden State.

Although the Pistons made a move in the second half it was too little too late. This game was all but finished at half time. The Warriors had built a tremendous lead that was insurmountable. The final was 102-86. The Warriors had won their 19th home game of the season.

Kuminga had his first double double of his career in this game. He finished with 10 rebounds and 12 points. Thompson had his best game yet since his return finishing with 21 points. Thompson certainly looks nothing like a player that has missed two plus years of basketball. It is nothing short of amazing. It was great to see the splash brothers back in action again. All in all the entire roster had a nice game after a tough stretch last week.

Thursday night the Warriors will play the Indiana Pacers in their only meeting at Chase. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 PM

Golden State Warriors podcast with Barbara Mason: Towns carries Timberwolves to finish line to beat Golden State

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Minnesota Timberwolves leading scorer center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) takes a shot over Golden State Warriors forward Otto Porter Jr. (32) at the Target Center in Minneapolis on Sun Jan 16, 2022 (AP News photo)

On the Warriors podcast with Barbara:

#1 Barbara, the Minnesota Timberwolves Karl Anthony-Towns was the key difference in the Timberwolves win over the Golden State Warriors on Sunday night at the Target Center 119-99 scoring 26 points and getting 11 rebounds.

#2 The Timberwolves Jaylen Nowell (17 pts) and Malik Beasley had (16 pts) both combined for five three pointers in the second half also making a big difference in beating Golden State.

#3 The Warriors allowed the Timberwolves to score 40-19 against them in the closing 16 minutes of the game and the defense simply looked out of place compared to other games where the Warriors had success.

#4 The Warriors who were without Stephen Curry and Draymond Green really depended on Jordan Poole (20 pts) and Jonathan Kuminga (19 pts) the Warriors dropped their fifth game out seven on Sunday.

#5 The Warriors trail the Phoenix Suns by 2 1/2 games in the Western Conference, Klay Thompson had 13 points on Sunday how much will the Warriors be leaning on Thompson on night when Curry and Green are out of the line up like they were Sunday?

Join Barbara Mason for the Warrior podcasts each Monday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Weary Warriors Lose to Minnesota 119-99; Golden State has now lost five of last seven

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Talk of the Towns, the Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) is thrilled after scoring against the Golden State Warriors at the Target Center in Minneapolis on Sun Jan 16, 2022 (AP News photo)

Weary Warriors Lose to Minnesota 119-99

By Barbara Mason

After crushing the Eastern Conference leading Chicago Bulls Friday night, the Golden State Warriors (31-12) played their last road game of this current series against the Minnesota Timberwolves (21-22) Sunday night. The Timberwolves froze out Golden State on Sunday night at the Target Center 119-99

The team will continue to play without Draymond Green who is expected to miss the entire month of January, a major loss for Golden State. The Warriors will also be missing Stephen Curry and Gary Payton in this game.

Curry suffered a hand injury in the game against the Bulls and Payton is dealing with back tightness. Three invaluable players not taking the floor will be a challenge for Golden State. The good new for the Warriors is the depth that they have on their roster. Klay Thompson will more than likely see more minutes in the absence of Curry and Payton.

After the first quarter, the Timberwolves led by the score of 30-22. The Timberwolves had scored twenty points in the paints while the Warriors were relying heavily on shots from downtown which were not dropping.

The Warriors needed to start hitting more mid-range points in the second quarter. Golden State was able to hold D’Angelo Russel to three points in the quarter and Anthony Edwards was held scoreless.

The Warriors were playing a very nice defensive game and none of the team was in foul trouble so there were some good things going for Golden State. In the later minutes of the quarter Anthony Edwards finally hit a shot from downtown.

This was one player that you did not want to get involved in the game. He can really dominate when he gets going. The three’s were not hitting for the Warriors going 5 of 22 as those woes continued.

As the quarter came to a close the Warriors had made a nice surge. They trailed by the score of 56-53 but had really starting heating up. Jonathan Kuminga and Thompson both had 11 points for the half. For the Timberwolves the high score was Karl-Anthony Towns with 13, the only Minnesota player with double digits

Knowing that the Warriors are a second half team the question would be do they have enough legs to finish off Minnesota. The Warriors would take the lead mid-way through the third quarter 68-64. The Warriors continued their great ball movement and defensive effort attacking the basket in the third quarter in a very tight game.

Minnesota got their first double digit lead of the game at the end of the third quarter. The Warriors had worked hard in the quarter to take the lead but the Timberwolves denied shot after shot with some great defensive play. Minnesota led 91-81.

This game was very tight through the third quarter but it all turned around in the fourth quarter and it was all Minnesota. Some questionable calls in the third quarter seemed to take the air out of the Warriors sails and it all seemed to fall apart.

It was a tough stretch for Golden State with Steve Kerr getting a technical in the midst of it. With under eight minutes left in the game Minnesota had taken a 105-84 lead.

This was a tough loss for Golden State. They had a rough time knocking down shots and the Minnesota 19-1 run in the fourth quarter just did the Warriors in. One of the bright spots for Golden State was the 19 shots from Jonathan Kuminga. The Warriors now come home, regroup and get that energy back. Right now there is no place like home for the Golden State Warriors.

The seven game home stand could not come at a better time. They will be taking on the Pistons Tuesday night with the tipoff scheduled for 7:00 PM. We will be waiting to hear of the status of Payton and Curry and will hopefully be seeing them take the court on Tuesday.

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