Category: NBA

NBA Playoffs podcast with Joe Hawkes: Bucks stop Nets on defense for game 4 win 107-96 tie series 2-2

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The Brooklyn Nets Kyrie Irving steals the ball away from the Milwaukee Bucks Khris Middleton in game 4 in the first half on Sun Jun 13, 2021 in Milwaukee (AP News photo0

On the NBA Playoffs with J Hawkes:

#1 The Milwaukee Bucks (2-2) held the lead for most of game 4 over the Brooklyn Nets (2-2) to end up tying the series at 2-2. This was a must win for the Bucks and they did with some great offensive play.

#2 One thing the Bucks didn’t want to do is go down 1-3 but tying the series pretty much give Milwaukee a new look on the series.

#3 Giannis Antetokounmpo lead all scorers and the Bucks and he’s been the big key for the Bucks all along to get them this far.

#4 How surprising is it for you to see a loaded Nets team with Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and Blake Griffin get held down on scoring and talk about how long Irving could be out with today’s ankle injury?

#5 Net and Bucks tip off for game 5 on Tue Jun 15th in Brooklyn this will give either team a chance to go one game up at the Barclay Center.

Join J Hawkes for NBA Playoffs podcasts each Sunday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: Will Warriors deal Wiseman to bring in more talent?

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Golden State Warriors center James Wiseman seen here taking a shot against the Phoenix Suns DeAndre Ayton on Thu Mar 4, 2021 in Phoenix. Wiseman has been in recent discussions about whether the Warriors will keep him on the team or not (AP News file photo)

Amaury Pi-González

Just because the Golden State Warriors were eliminated prematurely by the Memphis Grizzles doesn’t mean they have to overhaul the team. They still have Stephen Curry who at 33 still one of the best players in the world. But they could use another efficient point guard to help the team during those minutes that Curry is not on the court.

Curry is a Hall of Fame player, but even Oscar winners need a supporting cast to make a movie worth the time and effort and hopefully a return on investment. James Wiseman is a young center still learning and with the potential of really helping this team that does need more help on rebounds.

Wiseman at 7′ 1″ could be trade-bait. I like Wiseman and believe he is going to be one of the top centers in the NBA in a couple of years. The Warriors said they are not going to trade him and they expect him to play with them next season, however, I am not too sure of that.

Especially because of his youth and enormous potential James Wiseman is a player that many teams are attracted to and could bring high returns to the Warriors.

When it comes to rebounds, the Warriors are not one of the best teams in the league. The Warriors could be one-trade-away from returning as an elite team in the NBA. Will they pull the trigger? A big question today is: What is the trade value of Wiseman?

There is not much clarity on this, the Warriors organization will have to make that decision, to “trade or not to trade”. One thing for sure is that shooting guard Klay Thompson should come back next season and hopefully most of the troops (like power-forward Draymond Green, who finished third for the NBA defensive player of the year) will be healthy and ready to contend again for another NBA title. This could be a key off-season for the Golden State Warriors.

The Golden State Warriors were one of the few teams in the NBA to first broadcast in Spanish during the 1990’s together with the Miami Heat, Chicago Bulls, Houston Rockets and Dallas Mavericks.

Amaury Pi-González was the first and only Spanish play by play broadcaster to date, for the Warriors, over KIQI 1010AM La Grande 1010 in San Francisco.

NBA Playoffs podcast with Joe Hawkes: Hawks edge Sixers 128-124 in game 1; Clippers advance to next round defeat Mavs in game 7, 126-111

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The Atlanta Hawks Trae Young (11) who led in scoring takes a jump shot in the second half of play against the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia in game 1 on Sun Jun 6, 2021 (AP News photo)

On the NBA Playoffs with J Hawkes:

#1 Joe, the Atlanta Hawks (1-0) are really showing what a powerful successful team they are with a first game victory over the Philadelphia 76ers (0-1) 128-124 on Sunday at the Wells Fargo Center.

#2 The Hawks Trae Young is over having pop corn spilled on him in New York during the first round of the playoffs and was spilling baskets against the Sixers leading in team scoring with 35 points which all counted in a four point first game win.

#3 Game two is Tuesday night in Philadelphia the Hawks Young has been leading scorer, Bogdan Bogdanovic was second in scoring with 21 and Kevin Huerter was third in scoring with 15. For the 76ers Joel Embiid top scorer on Sunday with 39 and four 76ers finished in double figures. Joe how do you get a read on game 2?

#4 It wasn’t even close the LA Clippers had offensive control, they had ball possession and the Mavericks certainly were struggling to shut down the Clippers shots.

#5 Joe talk about Leonard Kahwai 28 points and Marcus Morris 23 points and the Clippers heading to the next round of the playoffs.

Join Joe each Sunday for the NBA Playoffs podcast at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

NBA Playoffs podcast with Joe Hawkes: A look at Knicks-Hawks, Sun-Lakers, Nets-Celtics, Clippers-Mavericks

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The Atlanta Hawks forward John Collins (20) is fouled trying to make a basket by the New York Knicks forward Taj Gibson (67) on Sun May 30, 2021 in Atlanta in game 4 of the NBA Playoffs (AP News photo)

J Hawkes on the NBA podcast takes a look at today’s playoffs games:

#1 New York Knicks 96 @ Atlanta Hawks 113 game 4 Atlanta leads the series 3-1

#2 Phoenix Suns 100 @ Los Angeles 92 Lakers game 4 series is tied 2-2

#3 Brooklyn Nets @ Boston Celtics game 4

#4 Los Angeles Clippers @ Dallas Mavericks game 4

Joe Hawkes does the NBA podcasts each Sunday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

NBA Playoffs podcast: Joe Hawkes takes a look at today’s playoff action

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On the NBA Playoffs with J Hawkes:

#1 Washington Wizards 118 @ Philadelphia 76ers 125 (game 1)

#2 Los Angeles Lakers 90 @ Phoenix 99 game 1

#3 Atlanta Hawks 107 @ New York Knicks 105 game 1

#5 Memphis Grizzlies @ Utah Jazz game 1

Join Joe for the NBA Playoffs throughout the post season for the NBA Playoff podcasts at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Warriors’ season ends lose heartbreaker in overtime to Grizzlies 117-112

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Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors looks down at the floor as the Warriors were eliminated by the Memphis Grizzlies in the NBA Western Conference Play In game at Chase Center in San Francisco on Friday May 21, 2021 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors (0-2) lost a heartbreaker Friday night to the Memphis Grizzlies (2-0) 117-112. The Warriors lost by three to the Lakers Wednesday night. Had they won the game, they would have been the eighth seed and play the Utah Jazz this Sunday. Could the Warriors rebound?

Did they have enough gas left in the tank to take down the young and hungry Memphis team? The Warriors beat the Grizzlies last Sunday 113-101, and the team was confident they could beat Memphis again. Unfortunately for Golden State, Memphis figured out a way to beat them.

The Grizzlies’ young stars Ja Morant and Dillon Brooks led Memphis to the playoffs. They gave the Warriors all they could handle. Golden State didn’t quit as a late surge in the fourth quarter forced the game into overtime.

The Grizzlies got off to a great start. They were leading 24-14 when Steph Curry went on a personal 10-2 run to bring the Warriors within two, 26-24. Jordan Poole hit a three to give the Warriors a short-lived lead 27-26. Memphis regained the lead to finish the first quarter leading 30-29. 

Things did not go well for the Warriors in the second quarter. Memphis started the quarter on a 15-9 run. They increased the lead to 15, 57-42. The Warriors Stephen Curry made a three, and Jordan Poole made a two-point basket to close within ten, 59-49.

The Grizzlies answered with a three to finish the first half leading 62-49. The Grizzlies outscored the Warriors 32-20 in the period. The Warriors continued to have problems handling the ball. They turned the ball over nine times in the first half to give the Grizzlies 13 points. Curry led the Warriors with 17. No other Warrior were in double figures. The Grizzlies’ bench outscored the Warriors bench 25-11. 

The Warriors’ defense came to life in the third quarter. The Warriors held the Grizzlies to 16 points while scoring 24. The Grizzlies’ Dillon Brooks hounded Curry all night long. Curry and Andrew Wiggins helped the Warriors fightback to finish the third quarter trailing by five, 78-73.

The fourth quarter would be a nailbiter. Memphis upped the lead to nine 97-88 with less than three minutes left in the game. The Warriors went on a 9-0 run tie the game 97-97. Draymond Green, Jordan Poole, and Curry all made key plays on the 9-0 run. Memphis went ahead by two 99-97 with 55 seconds left.

Andrew Wiggins made a bucket to the game 99-99. Memphis had the ball with 33.2 seconds left. The Warriors defense came up with the stop. The Warriors had 9.2 seconds left to make a basket and win the game. They could not score, and the game went into overtime.

Memphis scored the first bucket in OT. Wiggins tied it with a two-pointer to tie the game at 101-101. Curry scored a basket to put the Warriors in the lead 102-101. The Grizzlies’ Grayson Allen connected on two three-point shots to make it 107-103.

Green and Poole made baskets from downtown to give the s the Warriors advantage, 109-107. The Grizzlies’ Xavier Tillman made a three. Ja Morant made two more buckets to put the Grizzlies in the driver’s seat 114-109 with four seconds left. Poole hit a three to cut the lead to two, 114-112. With two seconds left in the game and Memphis had the ball. Desmond Bane scored the final three points of the game. Memphis wins 117-112.

Game Notes and Stats: The Warriors’ season ended Friday night. The Warriors lost key players to injuries. Klay Thompson will return to action next season. He suffered an Achilles tendon injury in November and worked hard to get back into playing shape.

Rookie center James Wiseman suffered a knee injury, Kelly Oubre, Jr wrist, Eric Paschall hip flexor. The Warriors were down to eight players. Curry had an amazing season and is now a candidate for the NBA’s MVP award. Jordan Poole showed that he could be an offensive threat coming off the bench. Poole was sent down to the G-League. He found his game.

Andrew Wiggins played well on both ends of the court this year. Green, a finalist for Defensive Player of the year, excelled as a point guard. He was third in the league with assists, averaging about nine per game. 

Curry led the Warriors with 39 points. He was 13-for-28 from the floor and connected on six threes. Andrew Wiggins had a double-double with 22 points and ten boards. Green did everything he could to help the Warriors effort. He finished the night with a triple-double.

The Warriors usually never lose when Green has a triple-double. It was the second time in his career that the team lost when he achieved his goal. His line was 11 points, 16 rebounds, and ten assists. Poole had 19, Kent Bazemore ten.

As a team, the W’s shot 44.7% from the floor. They made 12 threes.

Ja Morant led Memphis with 35 points. Dillon Brooks had 13, Jarret Jackson 10. The Memphis bench outscored the Warriors bench 40-27. 

The Warriors committed 21 turnovers. Memphis scored 22 points off those turnovers. 

So, the season ends for Golden State. The team played well down the stretch. Curry was amazing. The team may not be going to the playoffs this year, but there is great anticipation for next season when Thompson, Wiseman, Paschall, and Oubre return. They were fun to watch.

Lakers outlast Warriors win thriller 103-100; Play in with Grizzlies on Friday night

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Los Angeles Lakers LeBron James forward (23) tries to take a shot against the Golden State Warriors forward (95) Juan Toscano-Anderson during the first half of the NBA Western Conference Play In game on Wed May 19, 2021 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors and the Los Angeles Lakers met to decide the seventh seed in the NBA’s Western Conference. The defending NBA champions had a rough season as two of the superstar players, LeBron James and Anthony Davis, missed significant playing time due to injuries.

The injury bug also affected the Warriors. Golden State lost Klay Thompson for the season, and Kelly Oubre, Jr. is sidelined with a wrist injury. Rookie James Wiseman went down with a knee injury and was done for the year. The Warriors were down to using eight players. The task was monumental. The Lakers blew out the Warriors in two of three games played in the regular season.

Steph Curry has a history of not shooting well in Staples Arena. Was it possible the Warriors could find a way to beat the Lakers and become the seventh seed? The Warriors pulled out all the stops, but it was not enough as they fell to the Lakers 103-100 Wednesday night.

The Lakers will face the Phoenix Suns in the first round of the playoffs. The Warriors return home to play the Memphis Grizzlies Friday night at the Chase Center. The winner will be playing the Utah Jazz in the first round of the tournament. 

The Warriors raced out to an early 15-4 lead in the first quarter. The Lakers, as so many teams in the NBA have done, put two players on Stephen Curry. The Lakers wanted the other four players on the court to beat them. The Lakers were much bigger than the Warriors. Anthony Davis, Andre Drummond, and LeBron James had the height advantage over Kevon Looney, Draymond Green, and Andrew Wiggins. The Warriors were excellent on defense, and they finished the first quarter leading 28-22.

In the second quarter, Curry hit three threes. They held the Lakers to 32% from the floor. Jordan Poole and Juan Toscan-Anderson knocked down threes to propel the Warriorss to a ten-point lead 52-42 with seconds left to play in the first half.

Curry knocked down his third three when he connected as the buzzer sounded to end the first 24 minutes of play. The Warriors led 55-42. Curry led the Warriors with 15. Wiggins had nine, Juan Toscano-Anderson eight. The Lakers’ Alex Caruso paced LA with 12. The Warriors held the Lakers’ big three scorers, James, Davis, and Dennis Schroder, to 13 points total.

After the halftime intermission, the Lakers came out determined to change the outcome of the game. LA went on a 14-2 run to start the third quarter to close with a single point 57-56. The Warriors regrouped as Curry, Kent Bazemore, and Kevon Looney made crucial buckets to put the ‘s ahead by nine 73-62.

The Lakers fought back. LeBron James hit a three to make it 76-73. Anthony Davis threw down a deuce to close within one, 76-75. Curry countered with a three. The Warriors finished the quarter with a two-point lead 79-77. The Lakers outscored the Warriors 35-24 in the third period. The Laker defense forced eight Warrior turnovers that led to 12 points for LA. The Warriors knew they had to play better in the fourth quarter if they hoped to be the seventh seed. 

Things did not go well for the Warriors at the start of the final stanza. The Lakers rolled off an 8-0 run to lead for the first time in the game 85-79. The Warriors fought back to tie the game 91-91. The Warriors regained the lead 96-95 when Jordan Poole connected on a three. The teams tied again 100-100 with 1:21 left to play. LeBron James hit a three-pointer just before the 24-second clock went off the put LA in the driver’s seat. The Lakers’ defense stopped the Warriors to win 103-100.

Game Notes and Stats: The Warriors will face the Memphis Grizzlies Friday night at the Chase Center. The Warriors beat the Grizzlies 113-101 last Sunday night. The winner of Friday Night’s game will face the number one seed, the Utah Jazz, in the playoffs. The loser is done for the year. 

Curry finished the night with 37 points, seven rebounds, and three assists. He was 12-for-23 from the floor, and he connected on six threes in nine tries. Andrew Wiggins finished with 21. Kent Bazemore and Jordan Poole each had ten. Draymond Green finished with two points, nine rebounds, and eight assists. Kevon Looney pulled down 13 boards. 

The Warriors shot 44% from the floor, and LA shot 40%. The Warriors made 15 threes, and LA knocked down ten. The Lakers’ defense helped LA win the game. They had 15 steals, seven blocked shots, and forced 20 Warrior turnovers. The Warriors committed five in the first half. The Lakers earned 29 points off the turnovers. The Lakers also had the advantage from the free-throw line. They outscored the Warriors 19-11 in that department. 

Anthony Davis led the Lakers with 25 points. He had five in the first half. Davis also had a double-double with 12 rebounds. LeBron James finished the night with a triple-double. He scored 22 points to go along with 11 boards and ten assists. Other Lakers in double-figures were Alex Caruso, 14, Dennis Schroder, 12, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope ten.

The battle for the right to play Utah will start at 6 pm at the Chase Center in San Francisco. 

Golden State Warriors podcast with David Zizmor: Will LeBron’s ankle sprain be a factor in Wednesday night play in game?

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Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) as seen here playing against the New Orleans Pelicans on Sun May 16, 2021 will face the Golden State Warriors at Staples Center in Los Angeles for the Play In game Wed May 19, 2021 (AP News photo)

On the Warriors podcast with David:

#1 Because the Los Angeles Lakers LeBron James has had the high ankle sprain and has been reportedly not been 100% how effective will he be against the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday night at Staples Center?

#2 The Warriors Stephen Curry for a lot of this season had been carry the load for the Warriors and his offensive nights scoring some 30 points or more and getting into the 40 point range has been nothing short of amazing.

#3 Dave as you look at this play in game how do you see these two teams matching up on Wednesday night in the Southland?

Join David Zizmor for the Golden State Warriors podcast Wednesdays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Utah Jazz Crush the Kings In Season Finale 121-99

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The Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert (27) throws down on the Sacramento Kings at Golden One Center in Sacramento on Sun May 16, 2021 (AP News photo)

Utah Jazz Crush the Kings In Season Finale 121-99

By Barbara Mason

Sunday evening the Sacramento Kings took on the first place Utah Jazz. It has been a very long season for the team and now they find themselves playing in their last game of the 2020-21. They will be playing for pride and the chance to knock the Jazz out of top seed position.

Sacramento will take the court in this final game of the season without De’Aaron Fox, Harrison Barnes and Tyrese Haliburton. Taking on the Jazz without these guys was a huge challenge.

The Kings played a good first quarter and led at the end of it 28-25. The Jazz were just getting warmed up and at the half led 64-49. Utah was just getting warmed up.

By the end of the third quarter the Jazz had complete control of this game leading 97-73 Utah was cruising and it was easy to see why this team is the number one seed in the Western Conference.

The Jazz finished off the Kings in the fourth quarter sailing to a 121-99 win. The Jazz will head off into the playoffs and the Kings will focus on where the team is headed next season.

Damian Jones had the high score for the Kings finishing with 19 points. Buddy Hield had 13. Terence Davis had 20 points off the bench playing 32 minutes.

The season may be over for the Sacramento Kings but the future of so many of their players remains bright. I really see an improved Kings in the 2021-2022 season. I predict more than 31 wins, a whole lot more, as well as a breakthrough into next year’s playoffs.

Barbara Mason, Jeremiah Salmonson, Charlie O, Ana Kieu, Marko Ukalovic, and Tony Renteria covered, podcasted, or analyzed the Sacramento Kings for the 2021 season for http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Curry pours in 46 points leads W’s to sixth win in a row 113-101

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The Golden State Warriors forward Kent Bazemore offers guard Stephen Curry a drink to cool off from his 46 point night against the Memphis Grizzlies at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Sun May 16, 2021 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors (39-33) played the final game of the regular season Sunday afternoon at the Chase Center in San Francisco against the Memphis Grizzlies (38-34). The teams were tied with identical season records 38-33. The winner of the game would be the eighth team in the Western Conference.

The loser would be the ninth. In the new NBA play-in format, the eighth team plays the number seven. The winner of that game becomes the number seven seed and will face the second-best team in the conference in the first round of the playoffs.

The loser will face the winner of the game between number nine and number ten. The loser of that game is done for the season. The winner meets the loser of number eight or number seven. The winner then becomes the eighth seed and faces the team with the best record. The whole play-in formula sounds confusing, but after Sunday’s game, things are a bit clearer. The Warriors helped explain what will happen as they beat the Grizzlies 113-101.

The Warriors, led by Stephen Curry, had to find a way to slow down the Grizzlies in the fourth quarter. The Warriors ended the third quarter leading by 17, 86-69. The Grizzlies had bottled up Curry in the first half. They held him to 13 points, and they trailed at the end of the first half, 55-49. Curry came to life in the third quarter when he put 17 points on the board. The Warriors seemed to be on their way to an easy victory.

However, the Warriors have to be wary of a fourth-quarter letdown. The Grizzlies’ young star, Dillon Brooks, went on a personal 8-0 run to make it 86-77 game. Curry made a three and a deuce to put the W up 91-79. The Grizzlies put their offense into overdrive as they continued to put points on the board while stopping the Warriors on defense.

They tied the game at 91-91, finishing a 22-5 run. The question at this point was this: can the Warriors regroup and find a way to win? The question was answered when Dillon Brooks fouled Draymond Green. Brooks, who covered Curry like a blanket, was gone.

Green made the two free throws to make it 93-91. Memphis responded by going ahead 97-95. The Warriors’ Jordan Poole started a 14-0 run with a three. Andrew Wiggins scored to give the Warriors the lead 100-97. Curry showed the Grizzlies why he is the best shooter in the game. Curry made three consecutive threes to give Golden State a 12-point lead 109-97. The Grizzlies were toast. They could not catch Golden State. The Warriors win 113-101.

Game Notes and Stats: The Warriors will face either the Portland Trailblazers or the Los Angeles Lakers Wednesday night. A Laker loss and a Portland win will send the Warriors to Portland. If the Lakers win, the Warriors will face the Lakers at the Staples Center. If the Warriors win the play-in game, they will be the seventh seed. If they lose, they will host the winner of the game between Memphis and San Antonio for the eighth seed.

Curry joined Michael Jordan as the only two players 33 years or older to win the NBA scoring title. Curry finished the season with an average of 31.8 points per game. Curry finished the night with 46 points. It was the 11th game this season with 40 or more points. It was the 38th game with 30 or more points. 

Curry had help from Green, Andrew Wiggins, Jordan Poole, and Juan Toscano-Anderson. Green’s line was 14 points, nine boards, and nine assists. He almost had a triple-double. Wiggins had a double-double- with 21 points and ten rebounds. Wiggins continued to be consistent on both ends of the court.

Poole had 15. The Warriors shot almost 50% from the floor. They connected on 15 threes. Curry knocked down nine of the 15 threes. Quite a performance for the two-time NBA MVP. The Warriors outrebounded the taller Grizzlies 52-48. The Warriors recorded 26 assists on 41 made field goals. The only ugly stat was the 19 turnovers.

The Grizzlies’ Jonas Valenciunas paced his club with 29 points and 16 rebounds. Dillon Brooks had 18, Ja Morant 16, Kyle Anderson 10, and Jaren Jackson 14. The Grizzlies shot 43% from the floor, and they made six threes in 25 attempts.

The Warriors won their sixth game in a row to finish the season 39-33. The Grizzlies are 38-34. The Warriors’ next game is Wednesday night, either in Portland or Los Angeles.