Category: NBA

Kings fall to Sixers 125-108; Kings have lost two of last five games

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By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings have been playing great since the All-Star break. The Kings are only 3.5 games behind the Memphis Grizzlies for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. The Kings looked to continue that success at home against a banged up Philadelphia 76ers team. Tip-off was set for 7PM PST at Golden 1 Center.

In the first half, the Kings really struggled to find their shot. The Kings spent most of the first half down double digits as the 76ers made the majority of their three point shots. For a traditionally poor three point shooting team, the 76ers managed to shoot 47.4% (9-19) from downtown in the first half. In contrast, the Kings only managed a 25% (2-8) clip from deep.

That discrepancy alone was enough to put the Kings behind the eight ball going into the second half down 53-63. Leading the way for the 76ers was Tobias Harris who had 19 first half points. De’Aaron Fox led the Kings in the first half with 13 points.

In the second half, the Kings continued to struggle. The 76ers outscored the Kings 33-27 in the third while the Kings couldn’t get stops. The Kings went on a few runs but ultimately couldn’t make up any ground. The Kings would start the 4th down double digits at 96-80.

In the fourth, it was more of the same for most of the quarter. The Sixers were hitting shots while the Kings weren’t and not getting stops. The Kings went on a 16-2 run in the middle of the quarter to get within six points but in the end it wouldn’t matter.

The Kings would fall to the Philadelphia 76ers by a final 125-108. It was a disappointing game for the Kings who had been playing so well of late. They would look to Saturday in Portland to get back on track.

The leading scorer for the 76ers was Tobias Harris who had 28 points. For the Kings, De’Aaron Fox led the way with 23 points and Buddy Hield was right behind with 22 points in the game.

Up Next: The Kings head to Portland to take on the Trailblazers on Saturday night.

Headline Sports with London Marq: Fox amongst top scorers in Sacramento; Warriors Curry back from injury; plus more

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yahoo.com file photo: Sacramento Kings De’Aaron Fox

Headline Sports with London Marq:

#1 The Sacramento Kings have won five of their last six games and they’ve been getting help from some of their top scorers De’Aaron Fox, Bogdan Bogdanovic, and Buddy Hield.

#2 The Golden State Warriors Stephen Curry has recovered from the broken hand and played last night against the Toronto Raptors. It’s been a long time waiting but Curry whose been on a 58 game absence is really looked forward to getting back in the line up.

#3 The Oakland A’s pitcher Jesus Lazardo has been picked as No.4 for ESPN’s Top 100 prospects this season. Lazardo pitched in six games for the A’s last season and had an ERA of 1.50

#4 The rivalry between the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants continues in Wednesday’s game the Dodgers Justin Turner was hit by a Giants pitch in the knuckles and Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw threw and hit Giants catcher Rob Brantly and after the inning as third base coach Ron Wotus was running off the field he said something to Kershaw and Kershaw started yelling towards Wotus until the umpire had stepped in front of Kershaw

#5 The San Jose Earthquakes got a crucial tie last Saturday against Toronto FC to open the season when the Quakes Chivas de Guadalajara got a free kick that sailed into the upper left hand corner that got the Quakes the draw 2-2

Join London for all the Headlines each Friday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

Curry returns, Warriors play well still lose to Raptors 121-113

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By Jerry Feitelberg

San Francisco- The Warriors superstar, Stephen Curry, returned to action after missing 58 games due to a broken hand. His presence on the court electrified the fans.

The Warriors, with the worst record in the NBA, had to play the defending NBA champion Toronto Raptors. Many people around the NBA thought the Raptors would not have a good season as their star player, Kawhi Leonard, left the team to play for the LA Clippers.

Under the tutelage of their coach, Nick Nurse, the Raptors own the second-best record in the Eastern Conference. The Raptors entered the game with a record of 43-18. Stars such as Serge Ibaka, Kyle Lowry, Norman Powell, and Pascal Siakam are the new nucleus of the Raptors. Neither Marc Gasol or Fred Van Vleet was available to play Thursday night. The W’s Draymond Green and Kevon Looney did not play.

The Raptors entered the game as prohibitive favorites. The Warriors, on the other hand, felt that they could compete with the champs. They had won two of the last three they played, and Curry was back. Head coach Steve Kerr said that Curry would play about 25 to 28 minutes.

The Warriors had a 9-7 lead early in the first quarter.  Curry played for about six minutes and did not score. The Raptors led 18-12 about midway through the period. The Warriors stayed with them for the rest of the period. Eric Paschall, Damion Lee, and Mychal Mulder led the Warriors offense. The quarter finished with Toronto leading 32-27.

In the second quarter, the Raptors increased the lead to 10 39-29. Curry scored his first points of the night when he made a bucket and was fouled on the play. The Raptors, behind Norman Powell’s hit hand, increased the lead to 14 49-35. Curry hit a three-point shot that sent the crowd into delirium. The Warriors clawed their way back.

The Warriors behind Curry and Damion Lee cut the lead to five 56-51. The Raptors went on a 7-0 run, but Andrew Wiggins knocked a three to end the second quarter. The Raptors won the period 30-28 and led the W’s 62-55 at the end of the first 24 minutes of play.  Steph Curry, in his 14 minutes of playing time, recorded 11 points, three rebounds, four assists, and he connected on two three-point shots Damion Lee had 12, Marquese Chriss nine, Eric Paschall eight, and Andrew Wiggins six. Toronto’s Norman Powell knocked down 17 points in the second quarter and finished the half with 23. Kyle Lowry was second with ten.

In the third quarter, The Warriors ambushed the Raptors. Over the past few seasons, the Warriors owned the third quarter. This season, it has been the reverse. Opponents have killed them this year. Thursday night, the Warriors looked like the Warriors of old. They won the quarter 33-27 to finish trailing 89-88, heading into the final stanza.

Damion Lee and Curry led the charge. Curry was making magic for Golden State once again. He made behind-the-back passes to his teammates for scores. He made another three and drove to the basket. The Warriors had the lead 85-83. Toronto regained the lead as Powell knocked down two -three-pointers to put them back in the lead.

In the fourth quarter, it sounded like the days of old at the Oracle Arena. The fans were chanting “Warriors, Warriors.” The Warriors did the best they could, but Toronto started to pull away. The Warriors tied the game at 95.

Toronto forced three straight turnovers, and they increased the lead to five 100-95. The Raptors were leading 111-102 when Curry re-entered the game. The Warriors rallied to close the deficit to two 113-111. The Raptors’ Pascal Siakam scored to make it 115-111.

Curry countered with a bucket to make it 115-113. The fans were chanting MVP, MVP, MVP. The Warriors would not score again. The fans, with 1:34 to play, were on their feet as they gave the Warriors a rousing, standing ovation. It is rare to have fans shaking the house, knowing the team is about to lose. The Raptors scored the last six points of the game to win 121-113.

Game Notes and Stats- With the loss, the Warriors went 14-48.  Curry was on the floor for 27 minutes. He scored 23 points, had seven rebounds, and seven assists. He made three threes in ten tries. Damion Lee had 23 points. five boards, three assists, and he made five threes.

Wiggins tallied 21 points, eight rebounds, two assists, and three threes. Marquese Chriss had a double-double with 17 points and 12 boards. Eric Paschall finished with 16 points, four rebounds, and eight assists. The Warriors shot 42% from the floor. They connected on 14 threes in 50 attempts. They moved the ball well as they recorded 34 assists. The W’s outrebounded the Raptors 52-39.

Norman Powell had a career-high 37 points to lead the Raptors. Kyle Lowry had 26, Siakam, 15, Og Anunoby 14, Serge Ibaka 13, and Terrence Davis 10. It was the seventh win in a row for Toronto.

The Warriors host the Philadelphia 76ers Saturday night at the Chase Center. The game will start at 5:30 pm.

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: No High Fives at games?

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No High Five at games?

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

Amaury Pi-González

Teams are now taking precautions and sending directives with recommendations on how to handle the spread of Coronavirus The NBA sent a memo to all teams advising them,they should opt for fist bumps instead of high-fives, they also suggested that players do not borrow items from fans like pens and markers to sign autographs.

The memo also says they(the NBA and players union)are closely monitoring the Coronavirus situation,specially consulting with the CDC (Center for Disease Control) in Atlanta.

The NCAA, NHL have been addressing this worldwide epidemic.In Chicago the Chicago State University men’s basketball team will not travel to two regularly schedule Western Athletic Conference games this week,plus,it’s women team will not host two games,citing spread of Coronavirus -said the school.

Major League Baseball has no plans yet to cancel games,however Commissioner Rob Manfred announced MLB is establishing an “internal task force” to coordinate all efforts”working with medical people,local and national as well as making sure all players are seeing by team doctors and are up-to date with regular flu vaccinations.

At this time there is no vaccination for this Coronavirus, although the CDC and WHO (World Health Organization) as well as the Federal Government continues to explain that they are working on a vaccine.

The 2020 Olympics this July in Tokyo,Japan are still on, according to organizers and their respective committees.

The flu has already killed 10,000 across the US,that is the regular flu,not the Coronavirus,which as of today has killed just a handful of people all in Washington State.

Disaster Avoided: Kings survive awful, third quarter, beat Wizards, 133-126

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By Morris Phillips

SACRAMENTO–Maintaining relevance as the NBA’s 17th best team with a record seven games below .500 with just 20 games left in a 82-game season isn’t easily attained, especially for the forgotten Kings, who haven’t been on the postseason landscape since 2006.

But the Kings’ stretch of 12 wins in 17 games has turned heads, not to mention stolen attention from Zion Williamson and the Pelicans, who are fashioning themselves as the NBA’s most intriguing, non-playoff team. So how do the Kings keep the buzz down the stretch?

Don’t take games–or quarters within games– off. Beating the Wizards on Tuesday pointed to what a disciplined feat that would be.

“Offensively we had ball movement, body movement, we played unselfishly. We came too soft in the third quarter, we lost the momentum, but we also have to be proud of the guys … to fight back, get momentum back and find a way to win,” said assistant coach Igor Kokoskov, who assumed head coaching duties when Luke Walton was ejected for the first time as Sacramento’s coach.

The Kings hovered above the clouds in a 76-point, first half that had the Wizards reeling. Then the Kings’ momentum and 27-point lead evaporates as Bradley Beal and the Wiz caught fire. Walton was dispatched after growing irate over a missed foul call on Cory Joseph. And the fourth quarter commenced with the Kings in need of an immediate response.

“We did a pretty good job of closing the game,” said De’Aaron Fox, who paced Sacramento with 31 points. “The third quarter was just bad for us all around. The other three quarters I think we played pretty well.”

In the good stretches, the Kings shared the ball, and attacked the basket as Kokosov noted. Seven Kings finished in double figures in scoring, and the team shot 56 percent from the floor. But NBA games are relentlessly competitive, and Washington–in keeping with their own playoff aspirations–made a run.

“In the second half, the coach lit a fire up under us and we came out to be the team we should have been the whole game,” said Beal, who scored 35 points, the 19th consecutive game he’s scored at least 25. “I think we got the message for sure.”

 

Warriors stun Nuggets in Mile-High city 116-100

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photo from sfgate.com: Golden State Warriors Andrew Wiggins (22) looks to make a pass as Denver Nuggets Will Baton lll (5) defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game Tuesday, March 3, 2020 in Denver

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Warriors, with only nine players available, marched into the Pepsi Center in Denver and stunned the highly-favored Denver Nuggets 116-100. The Warriors, without Draymond Green, Kevon Looney, Steph Curry, and Klay Thompson, did not look anything like the championship club that went to the NBA finals the last five seasons.

Three of the players, Mychal Mulder, Dragan Bender, and Chasson Randle are on 10-day contracts. For Randle, the former Stanford star, it was his first game in the NBA as a Warrior. Warriors’ head coach Steve Kerr fielded his 34th different starting lineup Tuesday night.

The W’s had to face the Nuggets, coached by former Warrior assistant coach Mike Malone, with the fourth-best record in the NBA 41-19. The Warriors did not have a true point guard in the lineup. The Warriors had to find a way to get to the rim as the Nuggets had a bigger team. Denver featured big Nikola Jokic on the first unit, and then, another seven-foot giant, Mason Plumlee, on the second unit.

The Warriors jumped out to an early 9-2 lead in the first period. The Nuggets didn’t panic and the first period was very competitive. The Warriors finished with a slim one-point advantage 26-25. The second quarter was a different story.

Denver, with Plumlee and Jokic clogging up the middle, took control of the game as they outscored the Dubs 33-23 to finish the first half leading by nine 58-49. The Warriors Andrew Wiggins was the only player in double figures with ten.

Mychal Mulder was second with eight, Dragan Bender eight, Eric Paschall seven, and Jordan Poole had five. Jamal Murray paced Denver with 14. Plumlee had 11, and Jokic had ten points and 12 rebounds. The Warriors went into the halftime break trailing by nine. The Warriors made ten threes to stay in the game. The Nuggets controlled the boards in the first half. They had 17 second-chance points and tallied 34 points in the paint.

Denver’s Paul Millsap was on fire to start the second half. Millsap’s efforts led the Nuggets to a 14-point lead 70-56. With the score 77-65, it looked as if Denver was going to run away with the game. It was at this point, however, that the Warriors, behind Andrew Wiggins, Dragan Bender, Eric Paschall, And Jordan Poole, caught fire. They went on a 17-4 run to finish the third quarter leading 82-81.

Jordan Poole made three consecutive three-point shots to propel the Warriors into the lead. Poole’s last three came as the buzzer sounded to end the third period. The Warriors outscored the Nuggets 33-23 to erase the nine-point halftime deficit.

The Warriors, feeling confident after the surge at the end of the third period, played well to start the fourth period. The offense was led by Poole, Bender, Wiggins, and Paschall. The Warriors played well on defense. The Nugget fans could not believe what they were seeing.

The lowly Warriors, with the worst record in the NBA, were beating the team with the fourth-best record in basketball. They could not comprehend what was happening. When the Warriors needed a bucket, they found Eric Paschall. When Paschall was bottled up, they found Marquese Chriss.

They moved the ball well. Warrior fans have to keep in mind that these guys have not played together for any length of time. Andrew Wiggins has fit in well since coming over from Minnesota. Mychal Mulder and Dragan Bender looked like seasoned pros.

Jordan Poole has played exceptionally well in his last ten games. Marquese Chriss, the eighth pick in the 2016 draft, has shown the Warriors that he belongs in the NBA. The Warriors outscored the Nuggets 34-19 in the period to finish the game with a well-earned 116-100 victory.

Game Notes and Stats- With the win, the W’s improve to 14-48. The W’s have 20 games left on the schedule. The team is hoping to have Steph Curry in the lineup Thursday night when the play the NBA  Champions, the Toronto Raptors, at the Chase Center.

Andrew Wiggins led the W’s with 22 points, ten rebounds, ten assists, and he connected on five threes. Rookie Eric Paschall finished with 22 points, five boards, five assists, and two threes. Marquese Chriss 16 points, five rebounds, Dragan Bender 14 points, five rebounds, two assists, two threes. Jordan Poole 15 points, six assists, five rebounds, and he made four three in six tries.

The W’s shot 51% from the floor, and they made 18 threes in 41 attempts. The Nuggets made three threes in 20 tries. The Warriors moved the ball well as they frequently found the open man. They recorded 31 assists in the game.

The Nuggets outrebounded the W’s 53-35. However, the Warriors excellent three-point shooting negated any advantage that the Nuggets had. Paul Millsap, with 18, led the Nuggets’ scoring. Plumlee and Jokic each had 16. Jokic had just one rebound in the second half and finished the night with 13. Will Barton, who scored 31 the last time Denver played the Warriors, was held to 18. Jamal Murray ended the night with 14.

The Warriors return to the Chase Center to host the Toronto Raptors Thursday night in San Francisco. The game will start at 7:30 pm.

 

Headline Sports podcast with Barbara Mason: Cal on roll have won three of last four; Cardinal on four game win streak; plus more

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The Cal Bears Matt Bradley (20) takes a fade away shot against the Colorado Buffaloes D’Shawn Schwartz (5) last Thursday night at Haas Pavilion

Headline Sports podcast with Barbara Mason:

#1 The one game that stands out for the Cal Bears is the loss they took against the Washington Huskies getting walloped 87-52. That got Cal head coach Mark Fox to regroup and the Bears came out and won their next two games against some tough schools Utah and Colorado.

#2 The Stanford Cardinal got a huge win over the Colorado Buffaloes 72-64. The Cardinal are No.21 and got help from leading scorer Bryce Wills who played with a sore ankle and led with a key lay up and 19 points in the win on Sunday.

#3 San Francisco Giant catcher Buster Posey feels like he’s back into the swing of things and a good example of that is when he went yard after hitting a two run home run in the third inning of a spring training game on Sunday against San Diego. He’ll be crucial for the Giants line up.

#4 While sitting on the bench and waiting to get the okay to return to action Golden State Warriors Stephen Curry is hoping to get back in the line up for Golden State from his broken bone in his left hand.

#5 It was almost like a one on one contest when the New Orleans Pelicans Zion Williamson who finished with 35 points against the Los Angeles Lakers LeBron James with 34 in the Lakers win over the Pelicans 122-114 on Sunday.

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

 

Beal scores 34 to pace Wizards in win over Warriors 124-110 at Chase Center

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sfgate.com photo: Washington Wizards guard Shabazz Napier (5) shoots in front of Golden State Warriors forward Dragan Bender during the first half of an NBA basketball game in San Francisco, Sunday, March 1, 2020.

By Jerry Feitelberg

San Francisco- The Golden State Warriors, playing their second game on consecutive nights, fell to the visiting Washington Wizards 124-110 Sunday evening at the Chase Center. The Warriors were hoping to win their second in a row. They beat the Phoenix Suns Saturday night in Phoenix. Their hopes were dashed by the Wizards’ Bradley Beal and Davis Bertrans.

For the second night in a row, the Warriors were down to eight players. Jordan Poole returned to action, but Draymond Green, Ky Bowman, and Kevon Looney did not play.

Both teams were competitive in the first two-quarters of play. The Wizards won the first period by seven points 35-28. The Warriors won the second quarter 29-28 to finish the first half trailing by six 63-57. The Warriors thought they had a chance to win with a strong third quarter.

That did not happen. The third quarter went to Washington 31-19, and now the W’s trailed by eighteen heading into the fourth quarter. The W’s won the fourth quarter by four, but it wasn’t enough. The Wizards win 124-110.

Game Notes and Stats- The Warriors’ record dropped to 13-48. They have 21 games left on the schedule. The Wizards improved to 22-37. Neither team will be in the playoffs this season.

The Warriors had six players in double figures. Andrew Wiggins led the team with 27 points, six rebounds, and two assists.

Wiggins is eager to finally play with Curry and see how “that’s going to open up the floor for everybody else.”

“It will make a big difference, especially for people who can drive and attack the basket because Steph attracts a lot of attention,” Wiggins said.

Eric Paschall, Jordan Poole, and Mychal Mulder each had 17. Damion Lee had 12. Marquese Chriss finished with a double-double.

Bradley Beal had quite a night for Washington. He had 34 points, eight assists, made seven threes, and had five steals.  Beal has scored at least 25 points in a franchise-record 18 straight games. Davis Bertrans, the third-year player from Latvia and coming off the bench, tallied 29. Rui Hachimura, the first Japanese player in the NBA, had 18 points and eight rebounds. Thomas Bryant had 12.

It was the first win on the Warriors’ homecourt in six years.

Steph Curry missed his 56th straight game since breaking his hand. Curry was hoping to play Sunday night, but Warriors’ head coach felt he needed more scrimmage time. The hope now is Curry returning Thursday night. Curry will practice with the Santa Cruz Warriors on Monday. Wizards coach Scott Brooks enjoys watching the West Coast games when his team is done out East — and he has missed Curry.

“I’m sure he was intimidated by the defense our team has been playing this year. He didn’t want no part of it,” Brooks joked before the game when asked about Curry’s imminent return. “It would be exciting for not only his fan base, his coaches, and team to have him out there.

He’s one of the greatest players to ever play, one of the greatest shooters to ever play and causes so many problems for opponents. He makes shots that are almost impossible to go in, and you have to be next to him whenever he crosses half court, which opens up the floor for the other players to drive. He’s been missed by the whole basketball world. … You could turn on games at 10 o’clock at night, and you get a lot of basketball, and he’s always been fun to watch.”

The Warriors meet the Denver Nuggets in the Mile-High City Tuesday night. The game time will be at 6:30 pm. They return home to face the defending NBA Champion Toronto Raptors Thursday night at the Chase Center. That game will start at 7:30 pm.

Kings over match Pistons 106-100 at Golden One; Fifth win in six games for Sactown

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seattletimes.com photo

By Jeremiah Salmonson

The Kings are back home. Following a solid 3-1 road trip for the Kings, they were set to return home for the next seven of eight games. The first matchup would be the Kings against the rebuilding Detroit Pistons. Tip-off was set for 3PM PST on Sunday at Golden 1 Center.

In the first half, it was truly a tale of two teams. The game started with the Pistons going on a 18-1 run to open the game.

At one point in the first the Kings would be down 21 points. Luke Walton pulled all the starters except Harrison Barnes during the meltdown looking for some sort of spark. A few minutes later he got that spark from Harry Giles.

Giles hustle and intensity not only got the Kings going but brought the Golden 1 Center crowd to life. The Kings roaring back to get within one point going into halftime. Unfortunately, Derrick Rose fell prey to an ankle injury after a missed jump shot. Rose was questionable to return the rest of the way. You hate to see an injury, but a big break for the Kings. The Kings headed into half down 51-50.

In the second half, the Kings came out strong. The Kings took their first lead of the game in the first possession of the third quarter and never looked back. The Kings took the lead and managed to hold on to win the first game back from a long road trip.

It wasn’t pretty, but the Kings were able to get the job done by a final of 106-100. For the Kings they were led in victory by De’Aaron Fox who managed to drop 23 points.

Following Fox was Buddy Hield who scored 19 points even on an off shooting night. Also, he might not show up in the scoring stats but Alex Len was maybe the most impactful of all in this game. Len finished with eight points, 13 rebounds, and five blocks. In defeat, the Pistons were led by Christian Wood who finished the game with 20 points and 12 rebounds.

The Kings will use a much needed day off at home before taking on the Washington Wizards on Tuesday night. Tip-off is set for 7PM PST.

Warriors upset Suns to snap eight-game losing streak 115-99

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photo from sfgate.com: Golden State Warriors guard Damion Lee (1) drives past Phoenix Suns center Deandre Ayton (22) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020, in Phoenix.

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors, down to eight healthy players, found a way to beat the Phoenix Suns Saturday night 115-99. Draymond Green was out with left knee soreness, Jordan Poole and Ky Bowman were out with ankle injuries.

Warriors’ head coach Steve Kerr had to figure out another starting lineup. He inserted Dragan Bender and Juan Toscano-Anderson at forward and guard. Andrew Wiggins returned to action after suffering back spasms last Thursday. Eric Paschall, Kevon Looney, and Mychal Mulder were the only players to come off the bench.

The Suns easily won the first quarter 41-28. They took an early lead, and the Warriors played catchup for the first 12 minutes of play.  The Warriors offense picked up in the second quarter. The Warriors outscored the Suns 33-24 to finish the first half trailing 65-61.

The Warriors trailed for most of the third period. They were able to tie the game at 72. The Suns could not get their offense going at all in the period. The Warriors went on 16-0 run to finish the period leading 92-81. The Warriors won the third quarter 31-16.

The Warriors continued to hold the Suns’ offense in check as they held them to just 18 points. The Warriors did not fold down the stretch and finished with the win 115-99.

Game Notes and Stats- The Warriors had two former first-round picks of the Suns in their starting lineup Saturday. Marquese Chriss, number eight, and Dragan Bender, number four, in the 2016 draft had to enjoy beating the team that let them go.

Chriss finished the night with 11 points, nine rebounds, and three assists. Bender had 13 points and eight boards. Rookie Eric Paschall, thriving coming off the bench, led the team with 25 points, three boards, and four assists. Damion Lee had 20, and Kevon Looney added ten.

Mychal Mulder, on a ten-day contract and playing in his second NBA game, had 14 points and six rebounds. Andrew Wiggins finished with 17 points, seven rebounds, and five assists.

Steve Kerr had this to say about his team’s performance: “The joy in that locker room right now, the relief, everybody’s smiling and happy and excited “Our team’s played hard all year and competed, but at times has been out-manned. So every win becomes sweeter.”

The Suns, trying for the eighth spot in the Western Conference, had to wonder how they could have lost at home to the lowly Detroit Pistons and the Golden State Warriors.

They did lose Kelly Oubre Jr. to a torn meniscus. However, injuries are part of the game, and the Suns need someone to step up and fill the void. That did not happen in the last two games. Devin Booker led the Suns with 21, Deandre Ayton 20, Mikal Bridges 15, Elie Okobo 14, and Dario Saric 11.

The Warriors shot 47% from the floor. Phoenix shot 41%. The Warriors out rebounded the Suns 49-40. The Warriors recorded 30 assists. For a team with so many new players, the stat had to please the coaches. The Warriors defense forced the Suns to commit 19 turnovers. The Warriors turned the ball over just ten times.

The Warriors announced that their team leader, Steph Curry, will not play Sunday against the Washington Wizards. Curry will play on Sunday in Santa Cruz for the G-League Warriors. Steve Kerr wants him to get some additional conditioning before returning to the NBA grind.

The Warriors meet the Washington Wizards at the Chase Center Sunday night at 5:30 pm.