Category: NBA

Sacramento Kings game wrap: Blazers put game out of reach with 26 point win 125-99 over Kings

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The Sacramento Kings power forward Nemanja Bjelicia (8) and center Hassan Whiteside (20) look helpless watching the Portland Trailblazers Damian Lillard (0) dunk on them Sat Jan 9, 2021 at Golden One Center in Sacramento (theintelligencer.com photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

The Sacramento Kings were coming into Saturday nights game looking to change the trajectory of their season. The Kings have been struggling lately. They have been on a stretch of games that one part of the team has faltered late in games. The Kings were set to welcome in the Portland Trailblazers on Saturday night at 7 PM PST. That warm welcome was upended by the Trailblazers getting a 24 point win over the Kings 125-99 at Golden One Center in Sacramento.

In the Kings previous game on Friday night in Sacramento, they were trampled in the second half by the Toronto Raptors in the second half. The Kings were leading at halftime, but the defense and offense fell apart in the latter half. De’Aaron Fox and Harrison Barnes led the way for the Kings but it wasn’t enough as the Raptors registered a convincing 144-123 win.

In the first half of Saturday’s game, it wasn’t pretty for the Kings. They were out scored 38-24 in the first quarter as CJ McCollum put the Blazers on his back scoring 12 points. In the second quarter, it was more of the same. The Blazers continued to torch the Kings as they outscored them 28-23 in the second quarter to take a 66-49 lead. CJ McCollum finished the half with 16 points and Harrison Barnes had eight points leading the Kings.

In the second half, the Kings continues to falter. The point spread after the third quarter had grown to 27 points. The Kings at this point had a very small chance of winning. CJ McCollum put up 16 points in the third quarter to take over the game.

That propelled the Blazers to a 93-69 point lead heading into the final quarter. I’m the fourth, the Kings were outscored again 33-30. That put the Blazers in front for good with a final of 125-99. It was a good old fashioned blowout. The Kings top scorer was Marvin Bagley at 15 points. CJ McCollum led the Blazers with 37 points.

The Kings will need to go back to the drawing board and evaluate what they need to do in order to start winning. The Indiana Pacers pay the Kings a visit on Monday Dec 11th at Golden One for a 7:00pm tip. The Kings have lost five of their last six games and the Pacers have won five of their last eight games.

Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson: Kings need to play all four quarters; Couldn’t hold lead on Raptors in second half

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The Sacramento Kings including guard Buddy Hield (24) tried to keep the pressure on the Toronto Raptors Fred VanVleet (23) but VanVleet and the Raptors poured it on in the second half of the game on Fri Jan 8, 2021 at Golden One Center in Sacramento for the win (AP News photo)

On the Kings podcast with Jeremiah:

#1 The Sacramento Kings held their own at the start of Friday night’s game at Golden One Center with a 74-71 lead and it looked like the Kings had a shot to get a win against a struggling Toronto Raptors team.

#2 The Raptors came out in the second half and held the Kings to just 29 points in the third quarter and 20 points in the fourth quarter as the Raptors came away with a 144-123 victory.

#3 The Raptors had six players in double figures with Fred VanVleet who led Toronto with 34 points.

#4 The Kings De’Aaron Fox led with 23 points also had six players in double figures but that second half defense by the Raptors didn’t allow enough offense for the Kings to try and keep up with the Raptors who just simply pulled away.

#5 The Kings go back to the drawing board again tonight at Golden One this time against the Portland Trailblazers tonight who have lost seven of their last ten games. The last time the Kings and Trailblazers met the Kings won it 121-106 on Sun Dec 13th in Portland.

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

Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson Sat Jan 9, 2021 by Sports Radio Service | Free Listening on SoundCloud

 

Sacramento Kings game wrap: Kings fall apart in second half against struggling Raptors 144-123

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The Sacramento Kings guard Tyrese Halliburton (0) gets a hand on the ball against the Toronto Raptors power guard Fred VanVleet on Fri Jan 8, 2021 game at Golden One Center in Sacramento (AP News photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

The Sacramento Kings (4-5) were back in the win column entering play on Friday night. Two days earlier the Kings beat the Chicago Bulls (4-5) on Wednesday night by a final of 128-124. It wasn’t the cleanest game this season for the Kings, but it was nonetheless a victory.

On Friday, the Kings were set to take on another opponent. The Toronto Raptors (2-6) were headed to town. The Raptors have struggled this season. They came into Sacramento with a dismal 1-6 record on the season. The Kings were looking to take advantage of this and get themselves back above the .500 mark. The game was set for 7 PM PST. It would be for not as the Raptors looked like they reverted back to their old championship days with a 144-123 crushing over the Kings.

In the the first half, the Kings played well. The Kings were able to put up 43 points on a scrambled Toronto defense. The Kings defense didn’t hold up well either as the Raptors scored 35. In the second quarter, the Kings weren’t able to score as many points putting up 31 points. The Raptors scored 35 points to shrink the King lead. The Kings led 74-71 headed into halftime. Harrison Barnes had 16 points so far the most in the game.

In the second half, the Kings were destroyed. In the third quarter the Kings were out scored 40-29. In the fourth, the Kings were out scored 33-20. That is about the story. The Kings defense fell apart and the offense couldn’t pick it up.  De’Aaron Fox led the Kings with 23 points, and Fred Vanvleet led the Raptors with 34 points.

Up Next: The Kings will play a back to back as the Portland Trailblazers come to town on Saturday. The game is set for 7 PM PST.

Curry leads Warriors in thrilling comeback victory over Clippers 115-105

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Golden State Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins (22) celebrates with guard Stephen Curry (30) after Wiggins made a 3-point shot against the Los Angeles Clippers during the second half of an NBA basketball game in San Francisco, Friday, Jan. 8, 2021.Tony Avelar/AP News photo

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors faced the Los Angeles Clippers for the second time in three days Friday night. The Clippers won the first game and were hoping to beat the Warriors again.

The Clippers are loaded with talent. Many people around the NBA think they will be a contender for the NBA title. They dominated the first quarter of play Friday night. They won the second quarter to finish the first half with a 14 point advantage.

They increased the lead to 20, 83-63 with three minutes left in the third quarter. Behind Golden State’s Stephen Curry and Eric Paschall, the Warriors went on a 52-20 run to earn a comeback victory 115-1105.

In the first half, the Clippers excelled on both ends of the court. Paul George made four threes in four tries. He finished the first half with 17. Kawhi Leonard knocked down 11, and he connected on two threes in two attempts.

The Clipper defense continued to throttle the Warrior offense. Stephen Curry was the only Warrior in double figures with 14 points. The Clips won the first quarter 30-22, and the second 35-31 to lead by 14 , 65-51 at the end of the first half.

The Clippers made two three-pointers to start the third quarter to lead by 20, 71-51. Steph made a couple of shots to cut the deficit to 15. The Clippers regained the 20 point lead 83-63.

It was at this point, LA must have thought the game would be in the win column. Curry had other thoughts. Curry, who was held to 13 points Wednesday night, went on a tear. He tallied 19 points as the Warriors went on an 18-2 run to finish the quarter trailing 87-81.

The Warriors started the final stanza with a 6-0 run to tie the game at 87. LA scored a bucket to go ahead 89-87. Eric Paschall scored a deuce to tie it at 89. Paschall then connected on a three pointer to put Golden State ahead for the first time since early in the first period. The teams tied again at 97.

Brad Wanamaker knocked down a three, and the Warriors led 100-97. They would not relinquish the lead. Andrew Wiggins, Curry, Draymond Green, and Wanamaker all made buckets to propel the Warriors to the win. The Warriors finished the game on a 52-20 run in the last 15 minutes of play to stun the Clippers 115-105.

Game Notes and stats: With the win, the Warriors improve to 5-4 for the year. The Clippers dropped to 6-4.

 Curry had another fantastic performance Friday night. He had a double-double with 38 points, 11 assists, and two rebounds. Curry was 13 for 24 from the floor, and he made nine threes in 14 tries.

Andrew Wiggins had 16 points and six boards. Andrew made two threes. Eric Paschall, who led the charge in the fourth quarter, had 12 points and six boards. No other Warrior was in double figures. However, Damian Lee, Mychal Mulder, Brad Wanamaker, Kelly Oubre, Jr., and Kent Bazemore came through with big plays to help win the game.

The Warriors meet the Toronto Raptors Sunday night at the Chase Center. The game will start at 5:30 pm.

Clippers defense shuts down Curry and Warriors for 108-101 win

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The Los Angeles Clippers Patrick Beverly (21) defends Golden State Warrior Stephen Curry (30) on Wed Jan 6, 2021 at Chase Center in San Francisco in their first of two meetings this week. (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors faced another team with aspirations to win the NBA championship this season. They had to face the Los Angeles Clippers coached by Tyron Lue. The Clips, still smarting from being eliminated by the Denver Nuggets in the playoffs last year, wanted to show everyone that they are a title contender.

Kawhi Leonard and Paul George are the team leaders. Their game plan was not to let Stephen Curry get easy shots and shut him down from three-point range. Their game plan worked as Curry could not his game going at all.

The Clippers defense held Curry to 13 points. He made one three in six tries, and he was two-for-four from the free-throw line. It was tough to think that Curry could miss two free throws in a game, but it happened. The game was close until halfway through the fourth quarter when the Clippers pulled away to win 108-101.

Neither team put on an offensive show in the first quarter. The Warriors defense held the Clippers to 21 points. On most nights, the Warriors would be ecstatic with such a performance. However, on Wednesday night, the Warriors offense floundered as they put a measly 15 points on the board to trail 21-15 after the first 12 minutes of play. 

The Warriors offense woke up in the second quarter. They outscored the Clippers 36-31 to close within one point 52-51 at the half. Eric Paschall, relishing his role coming off the bench, helped the Warriors get close. 

In the third quarter, The Warriors came back to take the lead 61-60 for the first time in the game. The lead didn’t last long as Los Angeles finished the quarter with a six-point advantage 83-77. The Warriors fought back to tie the game at 93.

Draymond Green committed a flagrant foul to send Kawhi Leonard to the charity stripe for two free throws and possession of the ball. Leonard made both free throws and was fouled again. He made both free throws to put LA ahead 97-93. The Clippers then made three threes to make put them ahead 106-97. They held on to win 108-101.

Game Notes and Stats: With the loss, the Warriors are 4-4 for the year. The Clippers are 6-3. 

Andrew Wiggins and Eric Paschall led the Warriors with 19 points each. Wiggins was 8-for-12 from the floor, and he connected on two threes. Paschall’s 19 points were a season-high, and he has scored in double figures for the sixth straight game. James Wiseman had ten points and four rebounds. Steph finished with 13. No other Warrior was in double figures.

The teams meet Friday night again at the Chase Center. The game will start at 7 pm.

Kings snap 3-game losing skid with 128-124 win over Bulls

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Photo credit: sportsbookwire.usatoday.com

By Ana Kieu

SACRAMENTO — The Sacramento Kings kicked off a seven-game homestand on Wednesday night, hosting the Chicago Bulls at the Golden 1 Center.

The Kings looked to snap their three-game losing skid, but it wasn’t going to be an easy task as the Bulls brought a two-game winning streak, including a come-from-behind win 111-108 over the Portland Trail Blazers, into the Golden 1 Center. Both teams exchanged leads and ties throughout the game, but the Kings came out on top with a 128-124 win.

After a scoreless 40 seconds, Richaun Holmes collected a pass from Harrison Barnes and hit a 2-pointer to get the Kings on the board 2-0 at 11:20 of the first quarter. Patrick Williams made a pair of free throws to help the Bulls tied the game at 18 with 4:43 left in the first. Thaddeus Young missed a 3-point attempt, Chicago had a shot clock violation that resulted to the clock being set to 2.2 seconds, and Sacramento got an offensive rebound for a 28-25 lead at the end of the first.

Richaun Holmes threw down a dunk to open the scoring just nine seconds into the second quarter. Holmes added a pair of free throws and made a finger-roll layup to give the Kings a 34-27 lead at 10:09 of the second. Harrison Barnes hit back-to-back 3-pointers in a span of 30 seconds, and Sacramento took a 10-point lead with 8:29 left in the second. Coby White put on a scoring clinic and recorded his 1,000th career point, while Zach LaVine made a driving layup late in the second; but the Kings still led by three points, 62-59, at halftime.

The Kings opened the second half with a bang. Harrison Barnes made a driving layup to give the Kings a 64-59 lead 13 seconds into the third quarter. After Chicago went on a 10-2 run and made it a 1-point game, Sacramento took a timeout with 2:58 left in the third. There were four ties before the third came to an end and the teams were tied at 93 entering the last 12 minutes of the game.

The Bulls took an early 95-93 lead on Patrick Williams’ layup to start the fourth quarter. The Kings responded with Tyrese Haliburton’s layup and Nemanja Bjelica’s 3-pointer and led by three, 98-95, at 10:28 of the fourth.

The Kings challenged Marvin Bagley III’s shooting foul, but the replay review confirmed that the call stood and Sacramento was charged with a timeout at 10:15 of the fourth. The game remained a tight contest, but Buddy Hield nailed a 25-foot 3-pointer to put the Kings up 123-119 with 38.3 seconds left in the fourth. Tyrese Haliburton made a step-back jump shot and Nemanja Bjelica made a free throw to seal the Kings’ win.

The Kings improved to 4-4. Richaun Holmes led all scorers with 25 points.

The Bulls fell to 4-5. Coby White led all scorers with 36 points.

The Kings host the Toronto Raptors on Friday, January 8 at 7 pm PT.

Golden State Warriors podcast with David Zizmor: Are Clippers just as potent as those Raptor teams were with Kawhi?

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The Los Angeles Clippers Kawhi Leonard walks off the floor getting assistance from the Clippers trainer after getting hit against the Denver Nuggets on Fri Dec 25, 2020. Leonard and the Clippers are in Golden State tonight Wed Jan 6, 2021 at Chase Center in San Francisco to take on the Golden State Warriors (AP News photo)

On the Warriors podcast with David:

#1 There was no cooling off Golden State Warrior (4-3) Stephen Curry on Monday night who lead the Warriors with 30 points against the Sacramento Kings (3-4) in a 137-106 win.

#2 Going back to Sunday night the Warriors against showed off their offensive prowess with Curry having the best night of his career scoring 62 points against the visiting Portland Trailblazers (3-4) in a 137-122 win.

#3 The LA Clippers (5-3) are in tonight at Chase Center with Kawhi Leonard, Kawhi was a key player when he was with the Toronto Raptors does Kawhi carries that same key player status as he comes into tonight’s game?

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

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

 

Sacramento Kings game recap: Kings can’t get even in range of Warriors in 137-106 loss

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The Golden State Warriors Stephen Curry (30) totaled 30 points against the Sacramento Kings on Mon Jan 4, 2021 at Chase Center in San Francisco (AP News photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

The Sacramento Kings have faltered a bit of late. After starting the season 2-0, the Kings have lost three of the last four and had a record of 3-3 entering play on Monday night.

The Kings opponent on Monday was the Golden State Warriors. The Warriors, were coming off a win the day before against the Portland Trailblazers. In that game, star Point Guard Stephen Curry put on a show with a career high 62 points. The Kings were fortunate to be catching him on a different night. However, that does not mean he isn’t an intimidating threat and with that said the Kings drop their fourth game of the season at Golden State 137-106 on Monday night.

The Kings last game was against the Houston Rockets. The Kings lost two consecutive games to them as they look to find some consistency. Harrison Barnes has started the season off at career clips and was looking to be a factor in getting the Kings back on track.

In the first half of the game, the Warriors went up big in the first quarter. They outscored the Kings 37-20 as Curry put up 11 points. De’Aaron Fox had eight points to start the game. In the second quarter, the lead for the Warriors only continued to grow. The Warriors outscored the Kings 31-28 in the second quarter and entered halftime with a 20 point 68-48 lead.

In the second half, it didn’t get any better for the Kings. They were outscored in the third 32-27, and 37-31 in the fourth. The Warriors would continue to ride the wave to a 31 point drubbing of the Kings.  Curry led the way for the Warriors with 30 points. The Kings Harrison Barnes was the bright for the Kings scoring 18 points. The Kings as a group only shot 37.5% from the field. That is no way to attempt to win. The Kings will look to pick up the offensive pace and tighten up the defense in their next game.

Up next: The Kings will take on the Chicago Bills on Wednesday at 7 PM PST in Sacramento.

 

 

Warriors rout Kings 137-106; Curry leads with 30 as Golden State goes wire to wire

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Lots of happy Golden State Warriors Kevon Looney (5), Stephen Curry (30) and Kent Bazemore standing behind Curry. Curry finished the night with 30 points against the Sacramento Kings on Mon Jan 4, 2021 at Chase Center in San Francisco (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

San Francisco- For the second game in a row, the Warriors put 137 points on the board to rout the Sacramento Kings 137-106 at the Chase Center. The Warriors led wire-to-wire. They went on an 8-0 run to start the game. The Warriors put the pedal to the metal as they attacked the basket on offense, and their defense stifled the Kings’ offense.

The Warriors playing their third game in four nights, did not look tired as they ran the court. They had the motion game working as they recorded a season-high 41 assists. They shot 52% from behind the three-point arc. They connected 23 times in 43 tries. 

In the first quarter, the Warriors, behind Stephen Curry’s 13 points finished the period leading 37-20. Draymond Green connected on his first three early in the quarter. Kelly Oubre, Jr. made the first of four threes to make it 8-0 minutes into the game. 

The Warriors won the second quarter 31-28 to finish the first half leading by twenty 68-48. Curry paced the Warriors with 23 points. De’Aaron Fox had 11 for Sacramento. Former Warrior Harrison Barnes had nine, and big Hassan Whiteside finished with eight. 

The Warriors continued to pound the Kings in the third quarter. Oubre made a couple of threes to help increase the Warrior lead to a 25 point advantage 100-75.

Warriors’ head coach Steve Kerr did not play Curry, Green, Oubre, and Wiseman in the fourth quarter. Wiggins was the only starter still playing. The Warriors’ second unit kept the pressure on the Kings. They outscored Sacramento 37-31. Bench players Eris Paschall, Jordan Poole, Mychal Mulder, and rookie Nico Mannion finished the game. Mannion made his NBA debut Monday night. The Warriors won by a final of 137-106.

Game Notes and Stats: With the win, the Warriors are now 4-3 for the year. The Kings drop to 3-4. The Warriors have now scored 30 or more points in eight consecutive quarters. 

Eric Paschall had his fifth straight game with double figures. Draymond Green finished with five points, five rebounds, and five assists.  Curry had another big night with 30 points, nine boards, and eight assists.

Curry made five threes in 12 tries. Kelly Oubre, who had a tough time making a three-point shot in the first six games, connected four times in six attempts. He finished the night with 18 points. He was a force on both ends of the court.

Andrew Wiggins had 16. Wiggins proved that he could be a playmaker as he recorded five assists. James Wiseman, playing just 17 minutes, had ten points and five rebounds. Eric Paschall had 14, Kevon Looney 11, and Mychal Mulder 12. Mulder was four for four from three-point range.

De’Aaron Fox and Harrison Barnes led the Kings with 18 each. The Warriors defense held Buddy Hield to just ten points. Hield made two threes that extended his streak to 73 consecutive games making a three-pointer. 

The Warriors shot 52.9% from the floor and 53.5% from beyond the three-point arc. The W’s held the Kings to 39% from the floor and 28.6% from three-point range. 

The Warriors meet the Los Angeles Clippers Wednesday night at the Chase Center. The game will start at 7 pm.

NBA podcast with Barbara Mason: Warriors looking to improve offense; Curry lights out as they face Kings tonight

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Golden State Warriors Damion Lee (right) pours it on Stephen Curry (30) during their game against the Portland Trailblazers at Chase Center in San Francisco on Sun Jan 3, 2021 (AP News photo)

On the NBA podcast with Barbara:

#1 The Golden State Warriors who lost to Brooklyn and Milwaukee put some doubts in the minds of those who follow the team that they aren’t exactly the playoff bound team they were in years past. Then they got wins in Chicago and Detroit and lost a tough game to Portland on Saturday night.

#2 How tough is it for the Warriors to have to play three out of four games Saturday, Sunday and Monday it can take a lot out of a team.

#3 The Warriors Draymond Green says rookie center James Wiseman is going to be a formidable star in the league. Wiseman certainly has contributed a lot since joining Golden State.

#4 The Sacramento Kings are coming off a couple tough loses to the Houston Rockets. They lost to the Rockets on Thursday 122-119 on New Years eve and lost to them again on Saturday night 102-94. On Saturday the Rockets had four scorers in double figures and John Wall lead with 28 points.

#5 The Kings had five scorers in double figures on Saturday night but fell short of catching the Rockets. The Kings De’Aaron Fox led with 23 points, Harrison Barnes 19, and Buddy Hield with 17 points.

Join Barbara each Monday for Headline Sports at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

NBA podcast with Barbara Mason Mon Jan 4, 2021 by Sports Radio Service | Free Listening on SoundCloud