Sacramento Kings podcast with Tony Renteria: Kings on four game losing streak hope to snap it tonight against Detroit

The Sacramento Kings Harrison Barnes (right) goes to shoot over the Minnesota Timberwolves forward Juancho Hernangomez (left) on Mon Apr 5, 2021 at the Target Center in Minneapolis (AP News photo)

#1 The Sacramento Kings lost their fourth straight game to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night 116-106 at the Target Center in Minneapolis. It was a game that Kings head coach Luke Walton would liked to have ended their skid.

#2 So far this season the Kings have had three four game win streaks, a nine game losing streak, that was in February and in March they won five straight to get within one game of the Golden State Warriors for a playoff spot but now have lost four straight as they host the Detroit Pistons tonight.

#3 After the recent loss to the Timberwolves on Monday Kings forward Harrison Barnes said “there is no tomorrow” as the Kings battle to get into a playoff spot and are 12th and falling in the Western Conference.

#4 The Kings are behind Golden State by two games and the New Orleans Pelicans by a half game it’s getting late in early April as the Kings have 21 games left in the season to make due.

#5 The Pistons who are dead last for 15th place in the Eastern Conference standings tip off with the Kings tonight have won three of their last ten games. The Pistons in their most recent game were defeated by the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday night 134-119.

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

Sacramento Kings podcast with Tony Renteria Thu Apr 8, 2021 by Sports Radio Service | Free Listening on SoundCloud

Warriors win a thriller down Bucks 122-121; Curry tops scorers with 41

Milwaukee Bucks guard Donte DiVincenzo (0) is defended by Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry during Tue Apr 6, 2021 game at Chase Center in San Francisco (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors, losers of three straight games on the road, and 4-12 in their last 16 games, entered the contest against Milwaukee Bucks determined to turn things around. It was not going to be easy as the Bucks are the highest-scoring team in the NBA. However, their star player Giannis Antetokounmpo was sidelined with a sore knee. The Warriors took advantage of Antetokounmpo’s absence edging the Bucks 122-121 at Chase Center in San Francisco on Tuesday night.

The Warriors head coach wanted his team to do three things to win. The Warriors had to stop committing fouls. In the Atlanta game, the Hawks had 45 shots from the charity stripe. The second thing was to stop making turnovers. The Warriors committed 21 in one game, and they lost as a result.

The third thing was to play defense. The Warriors had played defense well earlier in the season, but the defense had gone south in the last 16 games. The lack of defense helped the Toronto Raptors send the Warriors down to their second worse loss ever.

In the game against the Bucks Tuesday night at Chase Center, the Warriors avenged Milwaukee’s blowout earlier in the season. The Bucks trounced the Warriors in the second game of the season. The Warriors had to find a way to win, and they did as they came back from a ten-point fourth-quarter deficit.

The Warriors got off to a good start early in the first quarter. The Warriors led 18-5 before Milwaukee got its offense untracked. The Bucks went on a 10-0 run to make it 18-15. Stephen Curry who finished with 41 points and Kent Bazemore paced the Warriors offense, and Golden State finished the first period with a slim two-point advantage 28-26.

The teams played a very competitive second quarter. The Warriors won by a point 25-24 to finish the first half leading 53-50. Curry and James Wiseman led the offense with 11 points each. Wiseman pulled down ten boards to have a double-double for the game. Jordan Poole, coming off the bench, added ten. Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday were the high scorers for Milwaukee with 12 and 11.

Milwaukee put the pedal to the metal in the third quarter. With the Bucks leading 57-56, the guys from Milwaukee went on a 10-2 run to lead 67-58. Milwaukee led 80-68 and appeared to be cruising to victory. Curry had other thoughts. Curry started making threes, and he brought the Warriors to within five at the end of the third quarter, 89-83. Curry knocked down 19 points in the period. 

Milwaukee behind Middleton and Holiday regained the ten-point lead 108-93. The Warriors were making baskets, but Milwaukee didn’t fold. With the score,113-103, Kelly Oubre knocked down a three. Milwaukee answered with a three of their own. Oubre hit another three to make it 116-109.

Curry made a two-pointer and a three to close the gap to two 116-114 with 2:16 to play. Milwaukee went ahead 117-114. Andrew Wiggins made a bucket to close the gap to one 117-116. With 1:26 left, Kent Bazemore put the Warriors in the lead 118-117.

The Warriors were on a 12-1 run. Curry made another basket to put the Warriors ahead 120-117. Milwaukee remained steadfast. They scored the next four points to regain the advantage 121-120 with 28 seconds left. On the next possession, the Bucks were double-teaming Curry.

The Bucks appeared to have stooped the Warriors. Kelly Oubre had other thoughts as he fought his way to the basket to score the bucket to give Golden State the lead 122-121 with 7.7 seconds left.

The Bucks called a timeout. They were inbounding the ball from the center of the court. With 7.7 seconds left, the Bucks had ample time to score the winning basket. Andrew Wiggins made the defensive play of the night. He blocked Khris Middleton’s shot, and the Warriors were able to snap their three-game losing streak.

Game Notes and Stats: With the win, the Warriors are 24-27 for the year. Milwaukee is 32-18.

Curry paced the Warriors with 41 points, six rebounds, and four assists. Curry was 14-for-21 from the floor, and he connected on five threes in ten tries. Kelly Oubre had 19 points and made four threes. Kent Bazemore had 18 points, and he connected on four three in four tries.

James Wiseman finished with 13 points and ten boards. Jordan Poole had ten, Wiggins nine, and one huge defensive gem to help save the win. Draymond Green had six points, five rebounds, and eight assists. Green fouled out with 2:08 left in the game. The Warriors shot 48% from the floor. They were 15-for-40 from downtown. On defense, the Warriors made six steals, five blocked shots, and forced 14 turnovers. The Warriors committed eleven. 

Jrue Holiday finished with 29 points. He connected on four threes. Khris Middleton had 28. Jeff Teague had 15, and Bobby Portis had a double-double with 13 points and 13 rebounds. Giannis’ younger brother Thanasis had ten.

The Warriors resume play Friday night when they host the Washington Wizards at the Chase Center. The game will start at 5 pm.

Golden State Warriors podcast with David Zizmor: Warriors on three game loss streak face Giannas and Bucks tonight

The Milwaukee Bucks Giannas Anetetokounmpo are at Golden State tonight, here Anetetokounmpo shoots over the Portland Trailblazers Robert Covington on Fri Apr 2, 2021 in Portland (AP News photo)

#1 David, Stephen Curry maybe back but the Warriors struggles continue as they are now on a three losing streak with Curry once again carrying most of the weight of the team.

#2 The Warriors in their last game lost to the Atlanta Hawks it was their second loss to the Hawks in less than a month 117-111 on Sunday they have improved their play with the return of Draymond Green but fell short.

#3 It’s the Milwaukee Bucks tonight at Chase Center in the City the Bucks are playing .500 ball in their last six games having lost three straight and now on a three game win streak. With Giannas Antetokounmpo he’s the Bucks answer to their success. How do you see tonight’s match up?

Join David for the Warrior podcasts each Wednesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Golden State Warriors podcast with David Zizmor Tue Apr 6, 2021 by Sports Radio Service | Free Listening on SoundCloud

Kings Lose Fourth In a Row 116-106

Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) is fouled by Sacramento Kings center Richaun Holmes at the Target Center in Minneapolis on Mon Apr 5, 2021 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

The Sacramento Kings have not won a game since March 31st. Since that win they have lost four games in a row. They fell to the Spurs, the Lakers, the Bucks by a single point and lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night the final score was 116-106. Prior to that they had won five games in a row. The bottom line is that they have been playing very competitive basketball.

They are 3.5 games out of eighth place and so a playoff run is not out of the question but with only about 22 games left in the regular season it’s time to really put it all out there.

Monday afternoon the Kings took on the Minnesota. Minnesota is currently in last place in the Western Conference with only 12 wins. This was a game that Sacramento needed to win.

The Kings got off to a good start and finished the first quarter leading 29-26. Although leading for most of the first half, they needed to put a lot more distance between themselves and Minnesota.

The Timberwolves just kept hanging around. There was not much help off the bench. But De’Aaron Fox had the high score for the first half with 20 points after a slow start. As the second half came to an end the Kings and the Timberwolves were tied at 55.

The second half needed a lot more offense from Hield, Holmes and Haliburton. All three of these guys need to make a difference in every game from here on out if the playoffs are in their future. As the second quarter came to an end both Fox and Hield had some nice offense setting up a promising second half.

As the third quarter came to an end the Kings and Minnesota were all knotted up at 82 and the Kings were fighting for their lives in this one.

The Kings all but fell apart in the fourth quarter. With less than five minutes left in the game they were trailing by 11points. This game was winnable and the Kings have the talent to beat the Timberwolves but again it was the defense that reared it’s ugly head. A defense that would match the offense would be a very nice thing for the Sacramento Kings. 

This is a game that Sacramento should have won. Fox finished with 31 points, Harrison Barnes with 21, and Buddy Hield with 18 points. The bench was ok and there is no explanation other then their defensive woes. Each loss from here on out takes them further and further away from any playoff hopes

The Kings will next take on the Pistons Thursday night in another winnable game against a last place team. Tipoff is at 7:00PM.

Warriors play better but results in another loss 117-111; Seventh loss in eight games

The expression on Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green face says it all as he’s looking for the basket and blocked by the Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young on Sun Apr 4, 2021 in Atlanta (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Warriors met the Hawks in Atlanta Sunday night. With Stephen Curry and Draymond Green back in the lineup, the Warriors were hoping to rebound from the humiliating 53-point loss to the Toronto Raptors on Friday. Curry and Green each had a double-double, and the team played well for three quarters.

However, most NBA games are won in crunch time. The Warriors could not handle the Hawks’ two big men, Clint Capela and Danilo Gallinari, in the fourth quarter. The Warriors held a slim one-point lead 98-97 when the Hawks went on an 8-0 run to lead 105-98. The Warriors had their small lineup on the floor, and no matter how hard they tried, they could not catch Atlanta. The Hawks prevailed 117-111.

The Warriors wanted to avenge the loss to Atlanta at the Chase Center. The teams, as mentioned above, played a very tightly contested game. The Warriors led by two at the end of the first half, 59-57. They increased the lead to three 82-79 at the end of three periods of play. They knew they had a chance to win. Unfortunately for the Warriors, the Hawks made the plays, while the Warriors didn’t. Atlanta outscored the Warriors 38-29 to win by six 117-111.

Game Notes and Stats: The Warriors lost all three games on the road trip and their record for the season stands at 23-26. Atlanta, playing well under the new head coach Nate McMillan’s tutelage, improved to 26-24. With McMillan at the helm, the Hawks have won 12 of the 16 games since he became the coach.

Curry led the Warriors with 37 points, five rebounds, and two assists. Curry made two threes in 12 tries. Green finished the night with a double-double. Green’s line was 11 points, seven boards, and 11 assists. Kelly Oubre, Jr. was second in scoring with 20, Andrew Wiggins had 16. Damion Lee led the bench with nine. 

The Warriors, as a team, shot 46% from the floor and connected on ten threes in 40 attempts. They held the Hawks to 43% from the floor. The Hawks were 12-for-32 from downtown. The big difference in the game was free throws. The Warriors were 15-for-21 from the charity stripe. The Hawks were 35-for 45 from the free-throw line. They scored 20 more points in that department than the Warriors. Those 20 points helped secure the win for Atlanta. 

The Warriors return home to face the Milwaukee Bucks at the Chase Center Tuesday night. The Bucks blew out the Warriors 132-99 in the second game of the season. Milwaukee is 32-17 for the year and is in third place in the Eastern Conference.

Sacramento Kings game wrap: Kings can’t hold off Holiday and Bucks 129-128

Milwaukee Bucks guard Jrue Holiday (21) and forward Thanasis Antetokounmpo (43) put the pressure on Sacramento Kings guard Terrence Davis on Sat Apr 3, 2021 at the Golden One Center in Sacramento (AP News photo)

The Sacramento Kings were back in action on Saturday night welcoming in the Milwaukee Bucks to Golden One Center in Sacramento. For the Kings, it was the second night of the back-to-back after playing the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night. Unfortunately for Kings fans, the Kings weren’t able to beat the Bucks. The Kings fell to the Bucks 129-128 on Saturday night.

Flashback Friday: The Kings welcomed in the Lakers on Friday night. The Lakers were down significant personnel as Lebron James and Anthony Davis were out due to injuries. However, the Kings weren’t able to take advantage of the injured group. The Kings defensive effort lacked as the Lakers blew out the Kings 115-94 in Sacramento.

Saturday game reacp: The Kings were set to take on the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday night at 7 PM PST in Sacramento.

In the first half, The Kings played hard and kept the game the game close. The Bucks outscored the Kings 31-28 in the first quarter as it was shaping up to be a track meet in Sacramento. In the second quarter, the Kings defense continued to struggle.

The Bucks again outscored the Kings in the second quarter as they managed 30 points compared to the Kings 29. Neither team had a defense that shined in the first half as both teams were pushing the pace on offense. The Kings would head into the second half down 61-57. If the Kings hoped to win the game they would need to limit the Bucks on offense.

In the second half, the Kings came to play. However, the third quarter didn’t go as planned for the Kings. Looking to jumpstart a comeback in the second half, the Kings failed to do so in the third quarter. The Kings allowed the Bucks to score 34 points in the third quarter compared to the Kings 30 points.

That would expand the Bucks lead to 98-91 heading into the final quarter of the game. In the fourth quarter, the Kings weren’t able to complete a comeback. The Kings did outscore the Bucks 37-30 but fell just short as the Bucks defeated the Kings 129-128.

It was a hard-fought battle for the Kings but they weren’t able to put together all four quarters. Leading the way for the Bucks was Jrue Holiday who scored 33 points in the victory. In defeat, De’Aaron Fox and Terence Davis scored 27 points apiece. The Kings will turn to their next game on Monday to get back on track as they have lost three in a row.

Up Next: The Kings will travel to Minnesota to take on the Timberwolves on Monday at 4 PM PST.

Kings lose to shorthanded Lakers 115-94

Photo credit: sportsbookwire.usatoday.com

By Ana Kieu

The Sacramento Kings looked to avoid a two-game losing skid with a win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night. But the Kings lost to the shorthanded Lakers 115-94 at the Golden 1 Center.

The Kings got on the board first. Richaun Holmes threw down a dunk off an assist by Harrison Barnes. The score was 2-0 Kings just 14 seconds into the first quarter. De’Aaron Fox made a step back jumpshot to give the Kings a 12-9 lead with 6:39 left in the first quarter. Harrison Barnes made a pair of free throws and the Kings led by one, 28-27, with 28.1 seconds left in the first quarter. Montrezl Harrell wrapped up the quarter with a free throw. The Lakers were on top 29-27.

The Lakers took a 31-27 lead to start the second quarter. Talen Horton-Tucker made a driving layup just 15 seconds into the second quarter. Horton-Tucker added a two-point shot off an assist by Markieff Morris for a 33-27 lead at 11:15. LA, however, went in a scoring frenzy. Morris made a jumper with 28.2 seconds left in the second quarter. The Lakers took a 65-53 lead into the locker room at halftime.

The Kings made it a 10-point game on Harrison Barnes’ dunk off an assist by Buddy Hield at 11:17 of the third quarter. Although Sacramento picked up the pace, LA maintained a double-digit lead throughout the third quarter. Talen Horton-Tucker made a driving layup with 3.7 seconds left in the third quarter. The Lakers wrapped up the third quarter with a 91-76 lead.

Talen Horton-Tucker made a pair of free throws to give the Lakers a 93-76 lead at 11:16 of the fourth quarter. Alex Caruso hit a three-pointer to help the Lakers to a 20-point lead at 10:20 of the fourth quarter. The Lakers reached the 100-point mark with 9:04 left in the fourth quarter when Caruso threw down a dunk. Devontae Cacok made a driving layup for a 115-94 lead with 25.3 seconds left in the fourth quarter. The Lakers won 115-94.

LA improved to 31-18, while Sacramento fell to 22-27.

The Kings welcome the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday, April 3 at 7 pm PST.

Raptors humiliate Warriors 130-77; Siakam leads Toronto with 36 points

Toronto Raptors forward OG Anunoby (3) gets some hang time after slam dunking on the Golden State Warriors on Fri Apr 2, 2021 in Tampa Bay (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Warriors faced the Toronto Raptors in Tampa Friday night. The Warriors were hoping to rebound from a loss to the Miami Heat on Thursday. The team knew it would be a very tough task as Stephen Curry and Draymond Green were sitting out the game. Curry was in a lot of distress due to his back injury in the game against the Houston Rockets. Green sat out due to sprained finger.

Nonetheless, the Warriors felt they had a chance to beat the Raptors. Toronto has been struggling this season and entered the game with a record of 18-30. It turned out to be a night to forget for the Warrior players, coaching staff, and fans as Toronto drubbed the Warriors 130-77. 

The Warriors played well in the first quarter. The teams were evenly matched. Andrew Wiggins carried the load for the Warriors. Toronto’s Pascal Siakam and Gary Trent, Jr. led their team’s offense. The first quarter ended with Toronto holding a slim one-point advantage 27-26.

The Raptors, not known for defense and 30th in the NBA in rebounding, shut down the Warriors on both ends of the court in the second and third quarters. In the second quarter, Toronto went on a 20-1 run to lead 47-30. After Kelly Oubre made a three to start the quarter, the Warriors failed to make a field goal in the next six minutes and 30 seconds.

Toronto won the quarter 35-16 to lead 62-42 at the half. Toronto’s Pascal Siakam and Gary Trent paced the Raptors with 40 points in the first half. The Warriors, as a team, scored 40. Wiggins was the only Warrior that was able to put points on the board. He had 15 to lead the Warriors.

The nightmare continued in the third quarter. Toronto had its foot on the accelerator as they hammered the Warriors 46-14 to finish the third quarter leading by 53 points 108-53.

The Warriors had no flow to the offense. With Curry and Green in the lineup, the Warriors move the ball well. Without them, they floundered. They could not get anything going on offense. Their defense was non-existent without Draymond. The way the game was going, head coach Steve Kerr had to wonder if there was a Mercy rule.

There was no hope for a win. They still had to play the final 12 minutes of the game. Kerr sent in his reserves, and they lost the fourth quarter 22-21. Toronto sends Golden State down to one of the worst losses in team history, 130-77.

Game Notes and Stats: With the loss, the Warriors are 23-26 for the year. Toronto is 19-30

Andrew Wiggins led the Warriors with 15. The Raptors were able to double-team him in the second half and kept him from scoring. Nico Mannion and Jordan Poole each had. No other Warrior was in double figures. James Wiseman, Kelly Oubre, Jr., and Eric Paschall each had nine.

The Warriors shot 33% from the floor and were 11-for 32 from 3-point range. The Raptors mentioned earlier as not being very good on defense put up numbers that made them look like one of the NBA’s best defensive units. They had 14 steals, eight blocked shots, and forced 21 Warrior turnovers that led to 30 Toronto points. The Raptors, 30th in rebounding in the NBA, outrebounded the Warriors, 29th in that department, 57-45.

Pascal Siakam, celebrating his 27th birthday, led the Raptors with a season-high 36 points. He was 14-for-24 from the floor, and he connected on four threes. Gary Trent knocked down six threes to finish with 24 for the night. Og Anunoby had 21, Malachi Flynn 16, and Chris Boucher 10. 

The Warriors finish the three-game road trip in Atlanta on Sunday. The game will start at 4:30 pm

Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson: With LeBron and Davis out of the line up Kings odds better against Lakers tonight

The Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) throws down on the Los Angeles Lakers Andre Drummond (2) on Wed Mar 31, 2021 in the Staples Center in Los Angeles as the Lakers come visit the Golden One Center tonight against the Sacramento Kings (AP News photo)

#1 Jeremiah, LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers (30-18) who was felled by an injury on March 20th when the Atlanta Hawks forward Solomon Hill fell on his ankle resulting in a high ankle sprain. LeBron isn’t expected back in the Lakers line up until April 20th.

#2 The Lakers have lost six of their last 12 games playing .500 and another source of the Lakers lacking is the absence of Anthony Davis who is suffering from calf injury. Davis has been out of the Lakers line up since Feb 14th. With LeBron and Davis gone the team has been a .500 club.

#3 The last time the Kings (22-26) faced the Lakers was on March 3rd and the Kings won it on their home floor 123-120 and yes you guessed it LeBron and Davis were not in the line up that night.

#4 The Kings had a five game win streak up until they played game 2 of their two game series in San Antonio the Spurs 120 (24-21) and the Kings 106. The Kings shooting was was real close in the second half but it was the first half scoring by the Spurs that clinched it for them.

#5 The Lakers are coming off a tough loss to the Milwaukee Bucks (30-17) 112-97. It was too much Giannis Anteokoumpo who scored 25 and Jrue Holiday led in scoring with 28. Lakers needless to say won’t be coming in too happy facing the Kings tonight.

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

Warriors try hard still fall to Heat in Miami 116-109

Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo (13) throws down on the Golden State Warriors center Kevin Looney (5) and guard Kelly Oubre Jr on Thu Apr 1, 2021 in Miami (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Warriors started a three-game road trip on a sour note as they lost a very competitive contest to the host Miami Heat 116-109. The Heat made three deals at the NBA trade deadline in the hopes of going deep into the NBA playoffs this year. They added Trevor Ariza, Victor Oladipo, and Nemanja Bleica to strengthen their roster. The Warriors did not make any major moves. The one trade they made was to send Marquese Chriss to the San Antonio Spurs.

The Heat raced out to an early 14-4 lead in the first quarter. Andrew Wiggins led the Warriors back by making a couple of threes. Damion Lee connected on a three to give the Warriors the lead 21-19. Stephen Curry made a bucket to put Golden State up by 23-19. The Warriors finished the quarter with a slim one-point advantage 24-23. 

The teams traded leads several times in the second period. The teams were tied at 32, 37, 40, and 45. Miami went on a 10-2 run to lead 55-47. Curry made a three close the gap to two 56-54. Miami scored the last three points of the quarter to lead 59-54 at the intermission.

The Warriors played well to start the third quarter. They regained the lead 65-63 when Draymond Green knocked down a three. Miami wasn’t fazed. They led by two 77-75 when they started to pull away from the Warriors. They maintained their five-point lead heading into the fourth quarter. 

No matter how hard the Warriors tried, they could not regain the lead. The Heat’s big three of Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, and Duncan Robinson kept turning away the Warriors. Miami increased the lead to ten 110-100 with time running out. Curry made two threes, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the deficit. Miami wins 116-109.

Game Notes and Stats: With the loss, the Warriors are now 23-25 for the season. The Heat improved to 25-24.

Two of the Warrior starters were in double figures. Curry had 36 points, 11 rebounds, and three assists. Curry was nine-for 19 from the floor. He was five-for-eleven from behind the three-point arc. Draymond Green almost had a triple-double. Green’s line was 16 points, ten boards, and eight assists. Andrew Wiggins finished with 23 points, eight rebounds, and four assists. Wiggins made five threes. Jordan Poole had nine, and Kelly Oubre 8.

As a team, the Warriors shot 44 % from the floor and made 15 threes in 37 attempts. The Warriors turned the ball over 20 times to lead to 27 Miami Heat points.

The Heat had six players in double-figures. Jimmy Butler paced the Heat with 22, Duncan Robinson 21, Bam Adebayo 19, Tyler Herro 20, Trevor Ariza 10, and former Warrior Andre Iguodala 10. Andre tormented his former teammates as he knocked down two threes to help propel Miami to victory. 

The Warriors play Friday night again when they face the Toronto Raptors. The game will start at 5 pm.