Category: NBA

Headline Sports podcast with Barbara Mason: Giants Pence says he understands the move; NBA news from Orlando

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San Francisco Giant outfielder Hunter Pence loses the ball in the lights at Dodger Stadium and Giants starter Johnny Cueto loses his bid for a no hitter on Aug 8th’s game against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Pence was given his unconditional release Sat Aug 22 before the Angels-Giants game at Oracle Park. (sfgate.com file photo)

Headline Sports podcast with Barbara:

#1 One thing you could say about the departure of former Giants outfielder Hunter Pence he understood the move by Giants manager Gabe Kapler after Pence hit .096, started the season 0-23 and lost a fly ball in the lights at Dodger Stadium a play that broke up pitcher Johnny Cueto’s no hitter.

#2 Pence left the team with class saying that he knew the time was coming and that he knew he had to bring more to the table than what he was.

#3 Pence said that the pandemic was first and foremost concern right now over baseball that being released by the Giants is not as important as other people’s health and he was really more focused on that.

#4 Turning to the NBA after losing four straight playoff games to the Boston Celtics the Philadelphia 76ers fired head coach Brett Brown on Monday. The 76ers general manager Elton Brand indicated there will be more front office changes. Critics of Brown said that the 76ers didn’t use Ben Simmons enough.

#5 The Milwaukee Bucks who are some 1,000 miles away playing in a bubble in Orlando shared their feeling about Kenosha Wisconsin resident Jacob Blake who was shot in the back seven times by police as Blake was trying to get into his car, Blake survived but is paralyzed. The Bucks George Hill said that the police are disappointed they didn’t kill Blake because they wanted him dead and Hill added thank God he’s alive.

Barbara Mason does Headline Sports Tuesday nights at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Headline Sports podcast with London Marq: Fox NFL cuts ties with Brennaman over homophobic slurs; A look back at former Blue Jay Kevin Pillar’s gay slurs

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Former Fox NFL play by play announcer Thom Brennaman is serving a suspension with Fox Sports Ohio and the Reds broadcast network for homophobic slurs he’s apologized for. This is a photo of Brennaman during happier times (  Cincinnati Enquirer file photo)

Headline Sports podcast with London Marq:

#1 Thom Brennaman who had pretty solid job security with work at Fox doing baseball and football and his play by play work with the Cincinnati Reds has seen decades of broadcast work cave after making a homophobic slur during the Reds at Royals game in Kansas City on Wednesday. Brennaman after being suspended by the Reds and Fox baseball was let go from doing Fox football on Thursday.

#2 In another story Boston Red Sox outfielder Kevin Pillar had used the same word that Brennaman used when Pillar played for the Toronto Blue Jays on May 17 2017 on Atlanta Braves pitcher Jason Motte but like Brennaman immediately apologized for it. Pillar was suspended for two games and returned to play and the incident was quickly forgiven will Brennaman be in different situation than Pillar as he’s already been fired by Fox football broadcasts and it looks as if he will never call a game again for Fox Sports Ohio or for the Reds?

#3 Lastly on this Brennaman said he was deeply sorry for what he said on the telecast but has received criticism for what some say is insincere apology because he apologized to those who write his check out first and never mentioned the LGBTQ community.

#4 London turning to the NBA Playoffs, talk about how you see the match up between the Portland Trailblazers and the Los Angeles Lakers how surprising was it for you to see how the Trailblazers took that first game of this first round from the Lakers on Tuesday night 100-93 and in game two the Blazers just couldn’t shut down the Lakers and LeBron’s game as the Lakers win game 111-88 what was the difference these two contests in stopping the Lakers in game one and just getting beat offensively on Thursday night?

#5 Toronto Raptors team president Masai Ujiri who was pushed after the clinching game of the NBA Finals at Chase Center in San Francisco by San Francisco Sheriff’s Deputy Alan Strickland on June 13, 2019. Ujiri said he was pushed twice by Strickland because he was black and Strickland was denying him access to the Raptors’ on floor celebration after beating the Golden State Warriors. Ujiri said for no other reason he was pushed twice and told to “get the F— back ” by Strickland. At the time of the incident the Sheriff’s department said Ujiri did not display proper credentials and was being denied access to the floor. Strickland filed a lawsuit against Ujiri, the Raptors, and Maple Leafs Entertainment saying Ujiri shoved him and caused permanent injuries. Video taken from the incident is being argued by Ujiri’s attorneys that Strickland didn’t suffer any swelling and bruising as he claimed on the night of the incident at the hospital. Ujiri has filed a counter suit against Strickland and the Sheriff’s Department for assault.

Catch London on Headline Sports each Friday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Headline Sports podcast with Daniel Dullum: Lightning, Coyotes and Bruins moving up; Sun perfect but have their bubble bursted; plus more

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The Columbus Blue Jackets goalie Joonas Karpisalo (70) gets in front of the puck as Tampa Bay Lightning center Brayden Point (21) and the Jackets center Boone Jenner (38) look for the puck in game 3 of the third period Sat Aug 15, 2020 at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto. (Nathan Dennette/Canadian Press via AP)

On Headline Sports with Daniel:

1 From under the NHL bubbles: Action picks up in East and West, big wins for the Tampa Bay Lightning, Arizona Coyotes, and  Boston Bruins.

2 Bruins star goalie Tukka Rask opts out of playoffs

3 NBA: Suns are 8-0 in the bubble, fall short of making playoffs; Divac steps down as Kings GM, Dumars takes over

4 Dominoes fall: Pac-12, Big 10 cancel fall sports, NCAA cancels fall championships

5 Reds-Pirates game postponed after Reds player tests positive for Covid-19; 32 postponements in 60-game schedule

6 L.A. Kings suspend mascot actor after sexual harassment lawsuit

Daniel does Headline Sports podcasts every other Sunday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson: How Dumars will do as Kings new general manager

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Sacramento Kings general manager Joe Dumars replaces outgoing GM Vlade Divac the 2020-21 season will be Dumars first year as the Kings GM (AP file photo)

On Headlines Sports podcast with Jeremiah:

#1 Former Detroit Piston Joe Dumars is back in an elevated role this time as the Sacramento Kings new interim general manager as Dumars will be replacing Vlade Divac at the helm. Do you see the change made because Divac just couldn’t get the team to pull the trigger and get into the playoffs for instance like what happened this month going 3-5?

#2 Dumars was a special assistant to Divac last season and worked in the Pistons front office from 2000-2014 does his experience give him the knowledge to do something that Divac struggled with and get the Kings to the post season?

#3 Was this a matter of the Kings looking at Divac and saying Divac had assembled these teams since the Vivek Ranadive ownership and despite five coaching changes the Kings just couldn’t sniff post season?

#4 Ranadive said after making the change on Friday, “Joe has become a trusted and valued advisor since joining the team last year, and I am grateful to have him take on this role at an important time for the franchise.”

#5 After losing five of six games and going 3-5 after the regular season re-start did that influence Ranadive to make the change in general managers?

Jeremiah Salmonson podcasts the NBA and the Sacramento Kings Saturdays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Headline Sports podcast with London Marq: Kings win their last two games to close season; Can Warriors get high draft pick?; plus more

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Sacramento Kings’ Buddy Hield (24) defends against Los Angeles Lakers’ Talen Horton-Tucker (5) during the fourth quarter of an NBA basketball game Thursday, Aug. 13, 2020, in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (Kevin C. Cox/Pool Photo via AP)

On Headline Sports with London:

#1 London the Sacramento Kings won their last two games to close out their regular season. They defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 136-122 on Thursday although they won’t go the the playoffs winning that last game was a good note to end the season.

#2 The Kings defeated the New Orleans Pelicans 112-106 on Tuesday so Sacramento got to string two wins together after losing five of six games.

#3 Are the Golden State Warriors in rebuild? After their dismal 2019-20 season their looking for a high draft pick in the lottery. The Warriors are a 14% chance of getting a number one draft pick.

#4 This past week for the Oakland A’s had it’s twists and turns. They had a nine game win streak come to an end last Monday night in a loss to the Angels. A’s outfielder Ramon Laureano who is expected to serve a six game suspension soon for charging the Houston Astros dugout on Sunday had a spectacular game with three amazing catches and a hit for two RBIs on Wednesday.

#5 The Big 12, SEC, and the ACC will schedule non conference games for September 1st and then starting September 26th they will start the regular season. Despite other conferences in the NCAA canceling they will push on with games and people have to ask if this is such a safe idea?

London Marq does Headline Sports podcasts each Friday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Kings Take A Feel Good Win Home To Sacramento; Defeat Lakers 136-122

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Sacramento Kings’ DaQuan Jeffries, left, defends against Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James during the second quarter of an NBA basketball game Thursday, Aug. 13, 2020, in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (Kevin C. Cox/Pool Photo via AP)
By Barbara Mason
 
It’s finally come to an end for the Sacramento Kings.  It came in a Thursday morning basketball game to complete the NBA regular season.  It will be on to the playoffs for one and back home to Sacramento for the other.  The Lakers have wrapped up the number one seed in the West.  We will not be seeing De’Aaron Fox who missed Sacramento’s last game and there will most likely be limited time for LeBron James as well.  Regardless of what is or is not at stake, a win for the Kings would be a nice finish to their season.
 
The first quarter was a high scoring affair.  The Lakers led by ten points 40-30.  The Lakers called on their bench early with Howard, Cook, Smith and Waiters putting in some early minutes.  Their accumulative points were 16.  The Kings bench saw a lot of action as well with six players taking the floor.  Bodanovic had 12 points and Bjelica had 9 in that first quarter.
 
The second quarter saw much more aggressive play by the Kings and a few minutes into the second quarter the Kings trailed the Lakers by a single point.  In a little over 4 minutes Sacramento had scored almost 20 points and with 5:57 left in the half the score was tied at 50.  With four minutes left in the half  Markieff Morris entered the game for James.  The Kings led at the half 66-56 outscoring the Lakers 36-16 in the second quarter.  The Kings Buddy Hield came off the bench for 15 minutes in the first half and scored 17 points.  The Kings bench scored 34 points.  The starters played significant minutes and had 32 points.
 
The Kings continued to keep the Lakers in check outscoring them in the third quarter 41-28.  James played only 15 minutes in the game.  The Kings top scoring efforts came from Buddy Hield with 28 points and Bogdanovic with 27.  Harrison Barnes had a disappointing 3 points for the 25 minutes he was on the floor.  The final was 136-122 in favor of Sacramento. The Lakers did outscore the Kings in the fourth quarter 38-29 but it wasn’t enough to get past the Kings.
 
It was a tough run in Florida for the Sacramento Kings but this final game will make the flight home just a little easier.  There were some great performances in this game and it would have been nice to see that kind of basketball to start the season. (the shortened season that is) It also would have been nice to have Fox on the floor but the Kings are not the only team that is missing key personnel.   
 
So now the Kings and the entire league will enter the unknown as they look ahead to the 2020-2021 season.  Right now no one has a crystal ball that can predict what that is going to look like. We will just enjoy the playoffs and then cross the next bridge when we come to it.  

 

Kings Win!! After losing five of last six Sac back in win column defeat Pelicans 112-106

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Sacramento Kings’ Nemanja Bjelica, right, handles the ball against the New Orleans Pelicans during the first half of an NBA basketball game Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2020, in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (Mike Ehrmann/Pool Photo via AP)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

he Sacramento Kings were officially eliminated from playoff contention on Sunday afternoon. That did not stop the Kings from putting on a solid performance on Tuesday night picking up their second win since the re-start of the regular season 112-106 over the New Orleans Pelicans .

Speaking practically, the Kings game on Tuesday night was a meaningless contest. The Kings and their opponent the New Orleans Pelicans had already been eliminated from playoff contention. So, Tuesdays game was more or less an opportunity for second unit players to thrive.

Kings players did just that. The Kings outscored the Pelicans in the second and third quarters to carry themselves to a win in the NBA bubble. Harry Giles was a notable performance for the Kings on Tuesday night. Harry, who had played sporadically throughout the year put together a solid performance. Harry had 12 points to go with 11 rebounds. Harrison Barnes was able to score 25 points to go with eight rebounds to lead the Kings to their second win in the bubble. Jabari Parker also scored 12 points in 14 minutes of action.

The Kings have one final game before they head home for the delayed offseason. The Kings will take on the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday morning at 10:45 AM PST.

 

Headline Sports podcast with Barbara Mason: Kings playing out the string face Pelicans tonight

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Houston Rockets’ Austin Rivers (25) passes over Sacramento Kings’ DaQuan Jeffries (19) and Harry Giles III (20) during the second half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, Aug. 9, 2020, in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis, Pool)

On Headline Sports with Barbara Mason:

#1 Barbara another tough loss for the Sacramento Kings on Sunday this time to the Houston Rockets and they couldn’t hold the lead past the first quarter of play.

#2 The first thing that Kings head coach Luke Walton has to think of when in front of the bench is how he has to shut down the Rockets James Harden not an easy task seeing the Kings came into ESPN World Wide of Sports Arena having lost four of their last five games.

#3 Harden after that weak first quarter lit it up and left that first quarter as just a memory driving to the basket and taking some outside shots that got him 32 points for the game.

#4 The Rockets Austin Rivers had 41 points leading the Rockets and when you get Rivers and Harden with the hot hands the Kings would virtually need their entire line up to contribute on offense to catch up.

#5 The Kings will face their only team they defeated since the re-start of the regular season and that’s Zion Williamson and the New Orleans Pelicans on tonight can the Kings do it?

Barbara Mason does Headline Sports each Tuesday night at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Kings can’t hold lead past first quarter lose to Rockets 129-112

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Houston Rockets’ James Harden (13) shoots over Sacramento Kings’ Buddy Hield (24) during the second half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, Aug. 9, 2020, in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis, Pool)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

It was a bleak outlook coming into Sunday’s game against the Rockets. The Kings fate was no longer in their hands. With a Portland Trailblazers win the Kings would be officially eliminated from my playoff contention. That is just what happened on Sunday night. Midway through the game the Portland Trailblazers won their game and eliminated the Kings hope for a playoff spot.

The game itself was what seemed to be a typical Kings game these days. The Kings got off to a great start out scoring the Rockets 36-23 in the first quarter. The Kings did a good job taking advantage of the Rockets defensive weaknesses to build a lead. However, the game went downhill after that. The Kings were our scored 38-20 in the second to start a string of bad minutes for the Kings. The rest of the way the Kings weren’t able to do much offensively and lost the game 129-112

With the Kings officially eliminated they can turn their focus to next season and hope to give Kings fans something to cheer about.

Up next: The Kings take on the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday night at 6 PM PST.

Headline Sports podcast with Daniel Dullum: Flyers and Knights top seeds in Stanley Cup; Suns remain undefeated in the bubble; plus more

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Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Carter Hart (79) makes a save on Tampa Bay Lightning left wing Alex Killorn (17) during the first period of an NHL hockey playoff game Saturday, Aug. 8, 2020, in Toronto. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

On Headlines podcast with Daniel:

1 From under the NHL bubbles: Flyers are top seed in the East, Golden Knights are No. 1 in the West

2 Fighting is up in NHL playoffs

3 NBA: Suns are 5-0 in the bubble, T.J. Warren continues scoring binge for Pacers

4 MLB: Giants’ Johnny Cueto — close but no no-hitter; Cubs-Cardinals series postponed after more positive Covid-19 tests

5 NCAA: Mid-American Conference cancels all of its fall sports for 2020

6 If college football season doesn’t happen, NFL might play on Saturdays

Daniel does Headline Sports each Sunday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com