Category: NBA

Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson: Kings big surprise with win over Knicks; Now face struggling Magic in Orlando Wed

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The Orlando Magic’s guard Evan Fournier (left) tries to defend the Indiana Pacers Malcolm Brogdon (right) during Fri Jan 22, 2021’s game in Indianapolis. The Magic will host the Sacramento Kings on Wed Jan 27, 2021 in Orlando (AP News photo)

On the Kings podcast with Jeremiah:

#1 Jeremiah after four long games the Kings snap their long four game win streak beating the New York Knicks on Friday night 103-94.

#2 Just from the team morale standpoint what does this do for the Kings in getting a win over a Knicks team who came in with a four game win streak in their own right.

#3 In the third quarter the Kings held the Knicks to just 18 points which was major in holding the lead how much does that speak to their defense on Friday night.

#4 It was all hands on deck for the Kings six players finished in double figures and the Kings got scoring help from D’Aaron Fox 22 points and Harrison Barnes 21 in the Kings nine point win.

#5 Next up for the Kings they head to Orlando for a Wed Jan 27th tip off with the Magic (7-9). The Magic who have lost seven of their last eight games host the Kings who have just snapped their four game losing streak on Friday night how do you see this match up?

Join Jeremiah each Saturday for the Kings podcast at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Sacramento Kings game wrap: Kings snap four game loss streak with win over Knicks 103-94

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Its a battle for the ball between the Sacramento Kings guard Corey Joseph (left) and the New York Knicks center Nerlens Noel (right) Sat Jan 21, 2021 at Golden One Center in Sacramento (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

Friday night the Sacramento Kings (6-10) took on the New York Knicks (8-9) followed by a scheduled second game against the Knicks Sunday evening. The Knicks have had a very solid start at 8-8 and much of their success had been attributed to Head Coach Tom Thibodeau.

In six years the Knicks had gone through seven coaches and now it looks like the Knicks have found the fit that they have so desperately looked for. While it is early in the season the Knicks are looking very good.

The Kings on the other hand have had some struggles and snapped a four game losing streak at Golden One Center with a 103-94 win over the Knicks to improve their record to 6-10. This game will present a challenge for the Kings because they struggled against drop schemes, a scheme that the Knicks run more than any other type of defensive scheme.

The good news for Sacramento is that they have one of the best young cores in the league in De’Aaron Fox and Tyrese Haliburton. This duo is indeed impressive. Fox is coming off a career high 43 point and 13-assist effort while Haliburton is just 13 games into his career and already averaging 11 points and 5 assists per game.

Fox has said that Haliburton is built for this game. The maturity and skill that he plays with belies the fact that this is his rookie year. He, in fact, looked like a second or third year player. These two guys mutually admire each other and they work together with an uncanny ease and skill.

They are the bright spot on this team despite the struggles they are having. A lot was expected from both of them in this game. Another Kings player that has slipped under the radar is Richaun Holmes who is a stand-out. He is averaging 14.0 and shooting 76.9 percent. There are not many players out there that work as hard or efficiently on the offensive glass and he has a great pick-and-roll chemistry with the guards. He is another weapon that the Kings have on their squad.

The Knicks are coming in on a three game winning streak while the Kings are struggling with a four game slide losing a couple to the Clippers, and one to New Orleans and one to Portland. The Matchup predictor has the Kings with a 60.5 % edge over the Knicks at 39.5%.

This was a battle with the Kings leading at one point 23-17 in the first quarter. The Knicks began to pull a small lead as the half came to an end 54-49. The Kings Julius Randle led in scoring points with 14 after two quarters and the Kings had a nice showing from three of their starting players. Tyrese Haliburton had 13 points after a quiet start and De’Aaron Fox and Harrison Barnes both turned in a nice first half showing with 11 points for each of them.

After trailing by 5 points at the half, the Kings took a 76-72 lead to end the third quarter. The King really turned it on in the fourth quarter although the Knicks did pull close on a number of occasions. The Kings finished the Knicks off in the final minutes, in a great nine point win for Sacramento. The Kings got impressive performances from Fox with 22 points, Barnes with 21 and 16 from Haliburton.

The Kings will next take on the Magic Wednesday in a road game. Tipoff is at 4:00 in Orlando.

New York Knicks’ defense sends Warriors down to defeat 119-104

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The Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) gets some parting words in with the officials after he got ejected in the first half of the game against the New York Knicks at Chase Center in San Francisco on Thu Jan 21, 2021 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The visiting New York Knicks used their NBA best defense to stun the Warriors 119-104 Thursday night at the Chase Center. The Warriors, playing their third game in four nights, could not get their offense working against New York.

The Knicks, the lowest-scoring team in the NBA with about 101 points per game, scored 40 points in the first quarter. The Warriors scored 31 but trailed by nine after the first 12 minutes. The Warriors had to scramble to put points on the board as New York’s defense was too tough to crack.

The Warriors second unit started the second quarter. Eric Paschall tallied the Warriors first eight points. The Warriors’ defense was able to slow down the Knicks’ offense. Slowly, Golden State clawed their way back.

The Knicks led 55-50. Steph Curry knocked down a three and followed by a two-point bucket to tie the game at 55. The Warriors didn’t know at the time that it would be the closest they would come to take the lead.

New York scored the next six points to lead 61-55 with 1:04 left in the first half. With the Warriors on defense, the referees called a technical foul on Draymond Green. Green was not near anyone.

It was Draymond’s second technical, and by NBA rules, he had to leave the game. The Warriors learned that Green was yelling at James Wiseman and not the referee. Even though it was a mistake, Draymond was finished for the night.

The Warriors hoped they could get the offense going in the second half without him. The Warriors missed his presence as they looked out of sync. The Knicks were able to cruise to victory. 

The Knicks won the third quarter 26-19. Curry did not score in the quarter. New York increased the lead to sixteen in the fourth quarter. They led 97-81. The Warriors could not catch up. The Knicks win 119-104.

Game Notes and Stats: The Knicks, as mentioned above, are the lowest-scoring team in the NBA. They are the best team in the NBA as they allow just 102.7 points per game against them. They have the best three-point defense in the league, too.

The Warriors were nine-for 38 from behind the three-point arc. The referees had their whistles blowing all night. They called the teams for 55 fouls. The Knicks committed 29 and the Warriors 26. The Knicks had 41 free throws from the line and the Warriors 39. 

Curry led the Warriors with 30 points. Andrew Wiggins had 17, James Wiseman 15, Kelly Oubre, Jr. 7, Eric Paschall 12. Draymond tallied three points and had eight assists. He has one of the best basketball IQs in the game. Once he left, the Warriors offense fell by the wayside.

All five Knicks’ starters were in double figures. R.J. Barrett had a career-high 28 points. Julius Randle missed a triple-double. Randle had 16 points, 17 rebounds, and nine assists. Mitchell Robinson had 18 points and eight rebounds. Reggie Bullock, who averages 28% on three-point shots, connected on four threes. Elfrid Payton had 15. Former Warrior, Alec Burks, had 11 in helping the Knicks defeat his old club. 

With the loss, the Warriors are 8-7 for the year. The Knicks are now 8-8.

The Warriors meet the Utah Jazz in Salt Lake City Saturday afternoon. The game will start at 2 pm.

Sacramento Kings game wrap: Oh why? Can’t anyone stop Kawhi? Clippers run over Kings 115-96

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The Sacramento Kings Glenn Robinson III (30) on defense against the Los Angeles Clippers high scorer of the night Kawhi Leonard (2) on Wed Jan 20, 2021 at Staple Center in Los Angeles (AP News photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

The Sacramento Kings were back in action on Wednesday night. The Kings season thus far has been very up and down. There has been times of success and times of failure. Lately, it has been mostly failure and failed again they did this time at Staples Center to the Los Angeles Clippers 115-96.

The simplest way to put it is that the Kings are struggling. They have not been able to play any type of meaningful defense throughout the course of the game. The offense has been fine for the most part, but the opponents are scoring too easily and in too great of numbers of numbers for the Kings to overcome. The Kings were looking to get back in the win column on Wednesday night against the Clippers.

However, before we take you to the results of Wednesday’s game, let’s talk about the game on Sunday night. On Sunday, De’Aaron Fox had a sensational day managing to score 43 points to lead the Kings. Unfortunately, the Kings allowed the Pelicans to score 127 points and the Kings lost 127-123.

In the first half of Wednesday’s game, the Kings kept pace with the Clippers. They managed to  outscored the Clippers 29-25 in the first quarter. It was a positive sign for the Kings who had been destroyed by the Clippers last week when they played 138-100. In the second quarter the Kings were outscored 36-27.

It was a downward trend for the Kings headed into halftime but they could still right the ship. De’Aaron Fox had 17 points in the first half continuing his dominating performance from Sunday.
In the second half, the Kings offense completely disappeared. The only managed to score 40 points in the second half with 19 of those coming in the third and 21 in the fourth.

Meanwhile, the Clippers scored 34 points in the third and 20 in the fourth. The Kings once again melted down in the second half and couldn’t stop the bleeding. De’Aaron Fox scored 25 points in the game just behind Kawhi Leonard who had 32.

The Kings will look to Friday to turn the tide on the season.

Up next: The Kings will take on the New York Knicks on Friday night at 7 PM PST in Sacramento.

 

Warriors rout Spurs 121-99; Spurs have lost three of last nine games

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San Antonio Spurs point guard Dejounte Murray (5) drives on the Golden State Warriors Stephen Curry (30) on Wed Jan 20, 2021 in San Antonio (@FrostBank/#GoSpursGo photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors, coming off a thrilling 115-113 win over the defending NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers, blew away the visiting San Antonio Spurs Wednesday night 121-99. 

The San Antonio coach, Greg Popovich, now in his 25th year as the man in charge, was facing his pupil. Warrior coach Steve Kerr once again. Wednesday’s game was the 20th time the two coaches, mentor, and pupil squared off. Popovich led 10-9 in the games between the two coaches. The series is now tied at ten each. 

The Warriors owned the first half. Steph Curry and Draymond Green led the young Warriors to a 64-45 advantage at halftime. They played the best first 24 minutes of the season in the first half. They never trailed in the game.

They won the first quarter 36-24. The Spurs opened the second quarter with a 7-0 run. San Antonio closed to within five 43-38. It was at this point, the Warrior offense got rolling again as they went on a 16-0 run to lead 59-38.

 Curry paced the team with 20 points. Three other starters, Andrew Wiggins, Kelly Oubre, Jr., and James Wiseman, were all in double figures. The Warriors moved the ball well and attacked the basket. They played solid defense and contested San Antonio’s three-point shots. The Warriors shot 53.5% from the floor and held San Antonio to 32.7%. The Warriors made eight three in 16 attempts. San Antonio connected on three threes in 21 tries.

In the third quarter, San Antonio was not able to cut into the Warriors 19 point lead. They started to make a move when they were able to force two Warrior turnovers into four points. The Warriors answered. The Warriors maintained the 19 point advantage 90-71 at the end of three periods. 

The Warriors’ second unit started the fourth quarter. Kelly Oubre and Andrew Wiggins were on the floor with Eric Paschall, Brad Wanamaker, and Damion Lee. The Warriors put the game out of reach when Wiggins hit two threes, followed by a Brad Wanamaker three to lead 110-86. The Warriors coasted the rest of the way to a comfortable 121-99 victory.

Game Notes and stats: Curry led the team with 26 points and 11 rebounds. Rookie James Wiseman played the best game as a Warrior Wednesday night. Wiseman was on the floor for 25 minutes of action. He was eight-for 11 from the floor and ended with 20 points, six rebounds, and four assists. Andrew Wiggins had 18, Oubre 16, and Draymond Green nine. Eric Paschall had seven. Jordan Poole knocked down three threes to finish with nine. 

DeJounte Murray led the Spurs with 22. DeMar DeRozan had 15, Keldon Johnson 12, Rudy Gay 11. LaMarcus Aldridge was held to four points.

The Warriors shot 50.5% from the floor. They made 15 threes. The Spurs shot 37.6 from the floor and made four threes in 34 attempts. The Warriors outrebounded the Spurs 65-51. For the second game in a row, the Warriors recorded 31 assists that indicated they were moving the ball well and finding the open man. 

The Warriors improved to 8-6 for the season. San Antonio is now 8-7.

The Warriors host the New York Knicks Thursday night at the Chase Center. The Knicks, coached by Tom Thibodeau, are 6-7 for the season and play well on defense. Expect the Knicks to double team Curry early in the game. The game will start at 6 pm.

Golden State Warriors podcast with David Zizmor: Despite getting double teamed Curry leads Warriors in scoring against Lakers

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The Golden State Warriors Stephen Curry (30) pounds the ball down against the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center in Los Angeles on Mon Jan 18, 2021 (AP News photo)

On the Warriors podcast with David:

#1 The Warriors played a never give up game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center on Monday night getting a two point win. Some teams might be intimidated by the Lakers or the Lakers just come in a take over a game what did the Warriors do to keep up with the Lakers?

#2 The Lakers had the Warriors Steph Curry double teamed and this has been the pattern in the last few games where Curry was held to under 20 points but Curry led the team with 26 points despite getting double teamed.

#3 The Warriors are in San Antonio tonight against the Spurs. The Spurs have won six of their last eight games including their last game against the Portland Trailblazers 125-104. Dave tell us about tonight’s match up in San Antonio?

Catch David each Wednesday morning for the Warriors podcasts at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Warriors come from behind stun Lakers 115-113

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The Golden State Warriors Stephen Curry (30) has company defending him the Los Angeles Lakers LeBron James (23) and Dennis Schroder (17) on Mon Jan 18, 2021 at Staples Center in Los Angeles (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors tipped off against the defending NBA champions, the Los Angeles Lakers, at the Staples Center Monday night. The Warriors had lost their last two games against the Indiana Pacers and Denver Nuggets. Their game against the Phoenix Suns  Friday night was postponed due to Phoenix not putting eight men on the roster. The Warriors just edged the Lakers on Monday night with a 115-113 two point win. 

Thet did not have an enviable task. They had to beat the Lakers on their court in LA. With LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Marc Gasol, Dennis Schroder, Montrezl Harrell, and Kyle Kuzma, the Lakers felt they would put another win on the board. The Lakers jumped out to a 34-22 lead at the end of the first quarter. They led 34-15 until late in the quarter when the Warriors scored the last seven points to trail 34-22. 

The Warriors played better in the second period. Kelly Oubre, Jr. played well. He led the club in scoring with 16 points in the first half. Eric Paschall, coming off the bench, added nine. The Warriors cut the deficit to five 42-37. The Lakers responded by going on an 18-7 run to finish the first half leading 64-48. 

The Warriors won the third quarter 33-28 to trail by eleven 92-81 with just one quarter left to play. The Warriors climbed back into the game when they went on a 17-2 run. Andrew Wiggins made three consecutive three-point shots. Kevon Looney made a corner three, and Steph Curry followed with another three. They trailed 70-68 at this point in the game. The Lakers refused to wilt. They finished the quarter on a 13-2 run.

In the fourth quarter, the Warriors played like the five-year run team that saw them win three championships and play in five consecutive NBA finals. They played well on both ends of the court. The defense made the Lakers work to get open.

They forced turnovers. The offense came to life. Eric Paschall was a force on both ends of the court. The Lakers were leading 108-101 when Curry knocked down a deuce and was fouled on the play. He made the free throw to make it 108-104.

On the Warriors next possession, the Lakers fouled Curry again. He made both free throws to make it 108-16. When the Lakers tried to inbound the ball, Kelly Oubre caused the Lakers to commit a turnover. The Warriors tied the game on Oubre’s bucket.

The Warriors went ahead 110-108 with 2:38 left to play. It was the first Warrior lead of the night. The referees called traveling on LeBron James to give the ball back to the Warriors. They scored to make it 112-108.

The Lakers’ Anthony Davis got two back. Curry answered with a three to give the Warriors the lead 115-110 with 1:02. James made two free throws, Dennis Shroder one to make two it  turned out to be a 115-113 thriller. 

Game Notes and Stats: Eric Paschall and Kelly Oubre had season-highs in scoring. Oubre played his best game as a Warriors. Kelly finished with 23 points and four rebounds. He was a force on defense and caused the Lakers to commit several turnovers.

Paschall finished with 19 points, four rebounds, and three assists. Curry was double-teamed all night, came to life in the second half and recorded 26 points and seven assists. He connected on three threes in 12 tries.

Andrew Wiggins played well on both ends of the court. He knocked down 18 points and made three threes in a row in the third quarter. Draymond Green made two big buckets in the fourth quarter that helped secure the victory. Green’s line was seven points, eight rebounds, and nine assists. 

Dennis Shroder led LA with 25 points. LeBron had 19, Anthony Davis had a double-double with 17 points and 17 rebounds. Montrezl Harrell had 17 points and eight boards. Kyle Kuzma had a double-double with 15 points and ten rebounds.

The Warriors had their motion offense working well Monday night as they recorded 31 assists. The Warriors shot 50.6% from the floor, and they made twelve threes.

The Warriors improved to 7-6 for the year. The Lakers dropped to 11-4.

The Warriors return home to face the improved New York Knicks Wednesday night at the Chase Center. The game will start at 7 pm.

Kings fall to Pelicans 128-123 behind Fox’s 43 points

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Photo credit: @clutchsources

By Ana Kieu

SACRAMENTO — The Sacramento Kings ended their seven-game homestand by seeing a close game go up in smoke as they ended up losing 128-123 to the New Orleans Pelicans at Golden 1 Center on Sunday night.

The Kings used the same starting lineup in their seventh straight home game. De’Aaron Fox, Buddy Hield, Harrison Barnes, Marvin Bagley III, and Richaun Holmes took the court. Also, the Kings honored the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

The Kings wasted no time getting on the board. In a span of 42 seconds, De’Aaron Fox made a pullup jump shot and Buddy Hield hit a 3-pointer for an early 5-0 lead. The Pelicans responded with a dunk by Steven Adams to pull within three, 5-2, at 10:45. The Pelicans continued to pour in the points, JJ Redick hit a buzzer-beating 3-pointer, and the Kings trailed 34-25 at the end of the first quarter.

The Pelicans continued their strong play, but the Kings kept it a close game in the second half. The Kings made it a 10-point game, 37-27, when Cory Joseph hit a 2-pointer at 11:05. De’Aaron Fox hit a 2-pointer to make it a 9-point game, 67-58, with 1:37 left. The Kings trailed 67-58 at halftime.

The Kings came out to play in the second half. De’Aaron Fox opened the third quarter with a pullup jump shot and a 3-pointer in a span of 40 seconds. Fox added a step back jump shot with 28,3 seconds left. Harrison Barnes hit a 3-pointer to pull within three, 97-94, with 1.2 seconds left. The Kings trailed 97-94 through three quarters.

Despite a back-and-forth fourth quarter, the Kings kept the lead in single digits. After JJ Reddick hit an early 3-pointer, but Richaun Holmes made a pair of free throws to pull within four, 100-96, at 11:13. Buddy Hield hit a 3-pointer to pull within five, 115-110, with 5:43 left. De’Aaron Fox made a driving dunk to make it a 1-point game, 116-115, with 3:18 left.

Unfortunately, the Pelicans continued their scoring surge at the Kings’ expense. Zion Williamson went on a tear with 30 points at one point. Steven Adams made a pair of free throws to give the Pelicans a 124-119 lead with 17.9 seconds left. De’Aaron Fox hit a 2-pointer to pull within three, 126-123, with 6.6 seconds left. Nickeil Alexander-Walker added a pair of free throws to seal the 128-123 victory.

The Kings fell to 5-9. De’Aaron Fox led all scorers with 43 points, 13 assists, and 4 rebounds.

The Pelicans improved to 5-7. Zion Williamson led all scorers with 31 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 assists.

The Kings head to Los Angeles to take on the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday, January 20 at 7 pm PT.

Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson: Kings loses mounting drop seventh in nine games

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The Los Angeles Clippers Paul George drives on the Sacramento Kings De’Aaron Fox on Fri Jan 15, 2021 at Golden One Center in Sacraemento (AP News photo)

On the Kings podcast with Jeremiah:

#1 Jeremiah the Clippers showed off their offensive prowess but it was the lack of offensive in the third and fourth quarters from the Kings that hurt the most in this most recent loss for Sacramento 138-100.

#2 When a team is getting crushed in the third and fourth quarters like that does head coach Luke Walton have to go into changing up the defensive strategy?

#3 The Clippers were just loaded with talent coming into the game with that usual tandem of Kahwi Leonard and Paul George.

#4 It seemed that no matter what the Kings did on offense the Clippers would consistently pull away with a 20 point lead after losing seven of their last nine games how frustrating has that got to be for the Kings.

#5 The Kings give it another try this time they’ll face the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday night at Golden One. The Pelicans bring a five game loss streak into Sacramento. The Pelicans lost in LA on Friday to the Lakers and the last time they won a game was against the Toronto Raptors on Sat Jan 2.

Join Jeremiah for the Kings podcasts each Saturday night at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Sacramento Kings game wrap: Clippers Kawhi and George get the jump on Kings 138-100

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The Los Angeles Clippers Kawhi Leonard (2) goes in for the lay up as the Sacramento Kings Richaun Holmes (22) and Buddy Hield (24) can only watch Fri Jan 15, 2021 at Golden One Sacramento (AP News photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

The Sacramento Kings are coming off their most recent game against the Portland Trailblazers on Wednesday night at Golden One Center. It was a competitive game, but in the end the Kings fell in defeat. Ultimately, the Kings backcourt was just out matched by the likes of Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum. The Kings were looking to get back on track on Friday night.

Friday night it was a tough matchup for the Kings. The Los Angeles Clippers were coming to town. The Clippers have been playing much better this year than they finished last year. Paul George seems to be back on track after a rough season. He and Kawhi Leonard appear to have a chemistry that was lacking last year. Tip-off was set for 7 PM PST in Sacramento. The Kings dropped their seventh in nine games 138-100 with the loss to the Clippers.

In the first half, the Kings and Clippers played very competitively. The Kings scored 31 points in the first quarter compared to the Clippers who scored 34. In the second, the Kings scored 30 more points but it wasn’t enough to keep pace with the Clippers who added 35 points. Richaun Holmes led the Kings in the first half with 13, and early MVP candidate Paul George led the Clippers thus far with 20 points. Going into halftime the Clippers led the Kings 69-61.

In the second half, the Kings fell apart. In the third, they allowed the Clippers to score 37 compared to a dismal 16 from the Kings. It was a bit of a flashback for Kings fans who grew accustomed to third quarter meltdowns last year.

In the fourth, it wasn’t much better. The Kings were outscored 32-23 in the final session. The Kings will need to look to their next game to get back on track. Things could get out of hand for them really quickly if they don’t right the ship. Marvin Bagley led the Kings with 20 points and Kawhi Leonard led the Clippers with 27 points.

Up Next: The Kings welcome in the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday night at 6 PM PST in Sacramento.