Kings Fox and Hield help in getting big road win in Phoenix 114-103

photo from sacbee.com: Kings guard De’Aaron Fox, center, drives between Phoenix Suns guards Ricky Rubio, left, and Tyler Johnson on Tuesday in Phoenix

By Jeremiah Salmonson

The Sacramento Kings are above .500! Well, that statement isn’t entirely true. The Kings are above .500 in the year 2020. Having won two of the first three games this year the Kings were looking to continue to get back on track against the Phoenix Suns. Tip off was set for 6 PM PST at Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix. The Kings got an 11 point win over the Suns 114-103.

In the first half the Kings battled. Harry Giles got his first start of the season and Dewayne Dedmon was active for the first time in three games as the Kings played without Richaun Holmes. The Kings managed to shoot 50% from the field and 43.7% from downtown to score 53 points in the half.

The Suns shot 51.1% from the field and a mediocre 31.5% from deep. De’Aaron Fox player great with 16 points in the half followed by Buddy Hield and his 12 points. Also not to be forgotten was Harry Giles with eight points in 11 first half minutes. Leading the way for the Suns in the first half was Deandre Ayton with 14 points almost all dunks. Right behind him was Devin Booker with 11 first half points. The Kings looked to continue the solid performance in the second half.

Early in the second half the Kings began to implode. The Kings only managed to score six points in the first seven minutes of action in the third as the Suns built a 21 point lead. Overall the Kings only managed to shoot 26% from the field compared to the Suns 55% in the third.

The Kings would need a large second half comeback to have a chance to start a winning streak. Fortunately for Kings fans, the Kings came roaring back. From the 4:25 point in the third quarter the Kings went on a 52-20 run the rest of the way to win the game 114-103. De’Aaron Fox emphatically led the Kings finishing with 27 points followed with a great performance by Nemanja Bjelica who had 19.

Dewayne Dedmon played a season high 31 minutes with 12 points. Devin Booker led the Suns with 34 points in 39 minutes of action in defeat. The Kings are now 3-1 in 2020 and looking to carry that into a solid month.

Up next: The Kings head back home to take on the Milwaukee Bucks in Friday night at 7 PM PST.

Sacramento Kings podcast with Charlie O: Kings dominate Warriors from tip to finish 111-98

sfgate.com photo: All the Golden State Warriors could do on Monday night at Golden One Center was scramble for the basketball as seen here against the Sacramento Kings

On the Kings podcast with Charlie O:

#1 Charlie what happened to former Sacramento King Willie Cauley Stein of the Golden State Warriors  who was held to only six points

#2 The game wasn’t even close the Kings dominated from the tip to the end of the game

#3 The Kings had five players in double figures which tells part of the story of this game

#4 De’Aaron Fox and Buddy Hield both finished as the Kings top scorers with 21 points

#5 The Kings are in the Valley of the Sun in Phoenix tonight set this match for us

Join Charlie O does the Sacramento Kings podcasts each Tuesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

Kings bounce back, Holmes hurt in ragged 111-98 win over the Warriors

By Morris Phillips

SACRAMENTO–“Wake your *ss up!”

Coach Steve Kerr’s profane directive hurled at referee Jason Goldenberg wasn’t prudent or appropriate, but it certainly fit like a glove in describing a sleepy night of basketball at Golden 1 Center on Monday night.

The Kings came in despondent, the victim of too many close losses, and left slightly less despondent, thanks to a 111-98 win over the Warriors that was stained by a potentially serious injury to Richaun Holmes.

De’Aaron Fox and Buddy Hield led Sacramento with 21 points apiece, and Trevor Ariza and Harrison Barnes each contributed 18 in a game the Kings led by 31 points in the third quarter only to see the Warriors erase more than half that lead before the final buzzer. Coach Luke Walton emptied his bench early, mindful of the Kings’ quick turnaround with a game against the Suns in Phoenix on Tuesday.

“We continued to do what we wanted to do offensively,” Walton said. “We got better and made some progress tonight.”

The win interrupted a stretch of nine losses in 10 games for the Kings, including Saturday’s two-point loss to the Pelicans in which the NBA admitted Derrick Favors should have been called for an offensive foul on the game’s final play for over aggressively setting a screen on the Kings’ Ariza that created a path for J.J. Reddick to get the basket for the game-winning layup.

Entering Monday’s game, the Kings had an NBA-worst 10 losses by five points or less.  The Warriors anemic shooting–almost from the outset–put an end to the Kings adding to that dubious total of close defeats.

The Warriors missed their first 15 3-point attempts, and scored just 40 points before the halftime break. That break was just minutes after Kerr went ballistic, frustrated with whistles that went in favor of the Kings on one end, and against the Warriors at the other. Kerr’s choice words got him tossed in short order. Ironically, Kerr opted to sit Draymond Green, after he was ejected in the Warriors’ home game on Saturday against Detroit, saying the veteran needed a mental break, caused by a draining season of losing following five straight trips to the Finals.

In getting ejected by Goldenberg, Kerr appeared to be needing that same break.

Ariza was the Kings’ catalyst early with three, first half dunks, and a pair of threes in the team’s burst that extended their lead to 15 early in the second quarter. Fox with his quickness, and Buddy Hield rediscovering his shooting stroke also put the Warriors at a disadvantage.  Then with the visitors already reeling, the Kings came up with eight made threes in the third quarter to extend the lead to 30.

“It was just to be aggressive, get to the basket, and just try to create, obviously make free throws,” Fox said.

The Kings played without Bogdan Bogdanovich, who was still suffering from the flu, and Marvin Bagley Jr., who continues to be out with a sprained foot.

Mike Bibby, the Kings’ standout point guard from the 2002 Sacramento team that reached the Western Conference finals attended the game and received a nice ovation from the crowd. Willie Cauley-Stein was greeted by a mixture of cheers and boos in his first game back in Sacramento after he signed with the Warriors in the off-season.

Holmes was injured in the third quarter, and left the court in visible pain while holding his shoulder. The 6’10” forward/center has proven to be indispensable for the Kings with his scoring and rebounding, and any prolonged absence would put the Kings in a tough spot. Holmes leads the Kings with 13 double-doubles and his constant presence has made Dewayne Dedmon expendable.

Marquese Chriss was waived following the game, a move the Warriors felt was necessary in order to free up a roster space for emerging guard Damion Lee, who is signed to a two-way contract that would limit his availability for the remainder of the season. The 22-year old Chriss is a Sacramento native, and was forced to greet his friends and family after the game following the news of his release.

 

Kings trounce Warriors 111-98 at Golden One; Warriors on a five game skid

stlouisdispatch.com photo: Golden State Warriors Willie Cauley Stein (2) dribbles against his old Sacramento Kings teammate Buddy Hield on Monday night at Golden One Center in Sacramento

By Jerry Feitelberg

It was not a good night for the Warriors (9-29) as they played the Sacramento Kings on Monday night in Sacramento. The Kings, who had lost nine of the last 10 games, were hoping to get back on the winning track. The Warriors wanted to snap their four-game losing streak. Sacramento realized their hope and won easily 111-98. The final score did not reflect the drubbing absorbed by the Warriors.

The Warriors were missing D’Angelo Russell, Draymond Green, and Kevon Looney. Eric Paschall started in place of Green, and Ky Bowman took Russell’s spot in the lineup. The Warriors had another poorly-played first quarter.

They started well and had an early 6-0 lead. The Kings tied the score at 10 and then had their first lead 13-10. The Kings maintained the lead for the rest of the game. Sacramento went on a 12-2 run to lead 20-12. The Warriors just could not get their offense going, and the quarter ended with Sacramento ahead 26-19.

The Kings continued to play well while the W’s look flustered. The Warriors could not make a three-point shot to save their life. They tried thirteen times and missed all thirteen. It was the first time in 20 years that the Warriors would go o-for-10 or more on threes in a half.

The W’s offense could not put the ball in the basket. With six minutes played in the second quarter, they put just five points on the board. Late in the quarter, the W’s head coach Steve Kerr was tagged with a double technical. The Kings’ De’Aaron Fox was fouled driving for a basket.

Kerr argued that Fox was fouled before the shot left his hand. The referees said that the basket was a continuation of the drive. Kerr lost the argument and had to leave the game. Mike Brown handled the coaching chores for the rest of the way. The Kings won the quarter 26-21 to lead 51-40 at the end of the first half.

The Kings blew away the Warriors in the third quarter. They outscored the W’s 38-24. They led by thirty 85-55 at one point. With the score 65-44, Glenn Robinson knocked down the first three of the night. The Kings finished the third quarter in the driver’s seat, leading 91-64.

The Warriors, in the fourth quarter, found their offense. They won the quarter 34-21, but they could not overcome the 27-point deficit they faced at the start of the period. With the score 111-85, the Warriors scored the last 13 points of the game. It was not enough, and they lost their fifth in a row 111-98.

Game Notes and Stats- Glenn Robinson led the W’s with 16. Omari Spellman had 13 points and 6 rebounds. Eric Paschall had 12, Alec Burks 10, Damion Lee 8, Marquese Chriss 8, and Ky Bowman 8.  The W’s shot 39.5 % from the floor. The Warriors made 5 threes. The Kings made 15. The 30-point difference won the game for Sacramento.

Buddy Hield and De’AaronFox each had 21. Former Warrior, Harrison Barnes had 18. Trevor Ariza also had 18, and Cory Joseph finished with 12.

The Warriors’ record dropped to 9-29. Sacramento improved to 14-23. The Warriors return home to face the Milwaukee Bucks at the Chase Center. The game will start at 7 p, PT.

Kings lose by a bucket 117-115 to New Orleans

nbcsports.com photo: New Orleans Pelicans vs. Sacramento Kings Sat Jan 4th at Golden One Center

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings finally snapped the losing streak. On Thursday, the Kings managed to beat the Memphis Grizzlies to snap the streak. Saturday night, the task at hand was the New Orleans Pelicans coming off a back to back in Los Angeles. The Kings, fresh off of a day’s rest at home, were looking to make it two in a row at home. The tip-off was set for 7 PM PST.

In the first, the Kings got off to a slow start. The Pelicans got out to a 22-8 lead with 5:18 remaining in the quarter. From there, it was all Kings. The Pelicans only added another three points as the Kings stormed back to take a 26-25 lead at the end of the first. Buddy Hield dropped eight points for the Kings in the quarter while JJ Redick led the way with eight for the Pelicans.

In the second, neither team really went on an extended run. The Kings and Pelicans traded leads and the Pelicans managed to score 27 compared to the Kings 22 in the second quarter. Buddy Hield disappeared in the second and scored no points as Harrison Barnes and De’Aaromn Fox led the way with seven points apiece. J

J Redick finished the half with 16 points and Lonzo Ball was the runner up with seven. The Kings would go into halftime down 48-52 looking to come out with better energy in the second half.

In the third, the Kings would bounce back. The Kings put up 32 points in the third over the Pelicans 24 to take an 80-76 lead into the final quarter. The Kings, who were led by Harrison Barnes and Buddy Hield who finished the third with 21 and 17 points respectively.

The Pelicans were led by Jrue Holiday who had 17 points through the first three-quarters of play. The Kings would look to finish off the Pelicans in the fourth.

In the fourth, the Pelicans started to pull away. They put up good shots in the early minutes and took back the lead from the Kings. The Pelicans had pulled away to a 14 point lead with 4:04 to play. However, the Kings managed to put together good possessions to make it a game late. Aided by Buddy Hield hitting two three-pointers, the Kings were right back in it with the game 112-109 and 31.5 seconds to play.

After a few fouls by the Kings and ensuing free throws, the Kings were down four with 5.6 remaining. Nemanja Bjelica managed to hit a wild and one three-pointer to tie the game. Unfortunately for Kings fans, what happened next was not great. The Kings had a defensive breakdown on the inbound and allowed JJ Redick to get a layup to put the Pelicans up 117-115.

The Kings then just tossed in the inbound without a timeout and time expired. The Kings lost 117-115. Harrison Barnes led the Kings with 30 points as Buddy Hield was right behind him with 24. The Pelicans leading scorer was Lonzo Ball who finished with 24 points. Ultimately the Kings were done in by the 21 turnovers they committed. The Pelicans scored 29 points off of those turnovers which was the difference in the game.

In the locker room the Kings were pretty down. It’s been an upsetting last three weeks for the Kings as they look to get back on track. They hope to do that in Mondays matchup against the Warriors.

Up Next: The Kings stay home to face the Golden State Warriors on Monday evening at 7 PM PST.

 

Warriors lose their fourth in a row fall to Pistons 111-104

sfgate.com photo: Detroit Pistons’ Bruce Brown, left, looks to shoot against Golden State Warriors’ Jacob Evans (10) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Saturday, Jan. 4, 2020, in San Francisco.

By Jerry Feitelberg

San Francisco- The Warriors returned home to face the Detroit Pistons Saturday evening at the Chase Center. The Warriors, who have had a rough season, were meeting an opponent, the Pistons, that they thought they could beat.

The Pistons had lost three in a row and came into the game with a record of 12-23. The Warriors were with D’Angelo Russell again. Russell suffered a right shoulder contusion against the Dallas Mavericks last week. The W’s are hoping that he will be back in the lineup on Monday when they play the Kings in Sacramento on Monday.

The Pistons arrived in town with players whose names are not well-known here on the West Coast. Sekou Doumbouya is a 19-year old rookie filling in for Blake Griffin. Many fans are seeing Tim Frazier, Tony Snell, and Sviatoslav Mykhailuk for the first time. The only name people might recognize is Detroit’s center, Andre Drummond.

The Warriors had Willie Cauley Stein back in the lineup. Willie missed the last couple of the game with the flu. Ky Bowman started at point guard in place of Russell.

The teams played a very competitive first half. The Pistons won the first quarter 25-23, but the ‘s came back and outscored them by five in the second quarter to finish the first half with a 59-56 advantage.

The second half was a different story. The Pistons’ head coach Dwane Casey inserted the veteran Derrick Rose into the game at guard. Rose was the key to the Pistons surge to win the game. Rose scored 22 points off the bench, and the Pistons outscored the warriors 55-45 to win the game 111-104.

Game Notes and stats- The only starter in double-figures for the W’s was Damion Lee. Lee had 14 points but was -18 when he was on the court. Alec Burks led the Warriors with 27 points. Burks connected on three threes and was plus 10.

Omari Spellman had a big night with 23 points, five rebounds, and four threes. Draymond Green had two points, six boards, and three assists. Draymond was hit with back-to-back technical fouls with 4:57 left in the third quarter.

Draymond had to leave the court. Steve Kerr had this to say about Draymond: “The last couple games he’s looked tired,” “I think you’ve got to remember that he’s the lone the guy, lone holdover from the group that’s been to the finals five years in a row. He looks tired to me. I’ve been trying to give him a night off here and there. We probably need to do that. I think he’s just kind of worn out emotionally and physically.”

The Pistons had five players in double figures. Rose led with 22. Sekou Soumbouya had 16, Mykhailuk 14, Bruce Brown 14. Andre Drummond had a double-double with 14 points and 18 rebounds.

The Pistons made 43 field goals. The Warriors had 33. Each team made 11 threes/ The Warriors had the advantage at the free-throw line. They made 27 free throws, the Pistons 14. The Pistons shot 51.8% from the floor, the Warriors 40.2%

The Warriors’ record dropped to 9-28. The Pistons improved to 13-23. The W’s travel to Sacramento to face the Kings Mondy night.

Golden State Warriors coverage by Jerry Feitelberg home and away at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Kings end drought beat Grizzlies 128-123; Fox and Hield lead in scoring

@ NBA Media Ventures

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–The Kings have already hit rock bottom. They are now just lingering at the bottom of the ocean on the ocean floor. Unfortunately, that’s really the only way to put it. The Kings are looking for anything to build on at this point. Having lost 8 straight, the Kings entered into Thursday nights game desperately needing a win. The opponent was the Memphis Grizzlies who were 13-21 coming into the game. The tip-off was set for 7 PM PST at Golden One Center.

In the first, the Grizzlies got off to a roaring start. They shot 58% overall and 55% from deep to take a commanding 42-26 lead over the Kings. The Kings managed to put up 26 points on 43% overall and 33% from deep. Jaren Jackson Jr. showed up in a big way for the Grizzlies dropping 14 points on 5-7 shooting in the first. Leading the way for the Kings in the first was Buddy Hield who scored 12 points. The Kings would need to right the ship in a hurry before they let this game too out of reach.

In the second, the Kings took the lead about as quickly as the Grizzlies got it in the first. The Kings erupted for 37 points in the second quarter and held the Grizzlies to 18 points to take a 63-60 lead going into halftime. Richuan Holmes dropped 13 points in the second alone to lead the Kings in the first half with a total of 15 points. De’Aaron Fox also played well in the first half putting up 10 points. The Kings would hope to keep things going in the second half to snap their eight-game losing streak.

In the third, the Kings defense fell flat again. Like the first quarter, the Kings weren’t able to control the Grizzlies offense. The Grizzlies scored 37 points. So far in the game is was the tale of two quarters. The Kings managed to score 27 points but gave up the lead 97-90 going into the final quarter. The Kings only hoped they could replicate what they did in the second quarter in the final twelve minutes of action.

In the final quarter, the Kings battled back and the game was tied with 7:08 left. The Kings had put themselves in a position to win, and they did just that. The Kings snapped their eight-game losing streak by scoring 38 points in the fourth to win 128-123. The Grizzlies managed to score 26 points in the fourth but it wasn’t enough. Leading the way for the victorious Kings was De’Aaron Fox who scored 27 points followed by Buddy Hield who scored 26. For the Grizzlies, Ja Morant led the way with 23 points.

In a game the Kings desperately needed to win, they managed to pull it out. It wasn’t pretty, but they got it done. The Kings improved to 13-22 on the year. Don’t look now but the Kings are still only two games back of the eighth seed. All hope is not lost Kings fans.

Up Next: The Kings stay home to take on the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday evening at 7 PM PST.

Warriors lose their third in a row in Minnesota 99-84

photo from sfchronicle.com: Minnesota Timberwolves forward Robert Covington (33) and center Gorgui Dieng (5) defend against Golden State Warriors guard Damion Lee (1) in the first half of an NBA basketball game Thursday, Jan. 2, 2020, in Minneapolis.

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors, still without the services of D’Angelo Russell, Willie Cauley-Stein, and Kevon Looney, lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves 99-84. The T-Wolves were also short-handed Thursday night. Their big stars Karl-Anthony Towns, Andrew Wiggins, and Jeff Teague were not available either.

There is a saying in basketball that says that you cannot win the game in the first quarter. It doesn’t mean that you can’t lose the game in the first quarter. The Warriors lost the game in the first quarter. Minnesota had a slight lead 15-13 when they went on a 16-2 run to win the first quarter 34-19.

They maintained that advantage throughout the game. The Warriors finished the first half trailing by seventeen 58-41. The Warriors were flat on both ends of the court. They couldn’t make shots. They couldn’t defend, either.

The W’s did win the third quarter by three points to trail by 14 heading into the final period of action. They closed to within eight, but the T-Wolves answered the challenge and won the game by fifteen 99-84.

Game Notes and Stats- The numbers show how poorly the W’s played. The Timberwolves took 18 more shots than the Warriors. The T-Wolves shot 40% from the floor. Usually, when a team is held to 40%, they lose. That was not the case Thursday night.

The T-Wolves connected on thirteen three. The W’s had three. The Warriors were outrebounded 52-43. The Timberwolves had 17 offensive rebounds. The best the W’s could do was 7.

The W’s missed D’Angelo Russell. Russell scored 82 points in his last two games against Minnesota. The leading scorer for the W’s was Glenn Robinson. Robinson had 16 points and 6 rebounds. Draymond Green was not a factor offensively.

Draymond scored two points. He had 3 boards and 6 assists. Eric Paschall, rounding into shape after missing a few games due to injury, helped out with 13. His former Villanova University teammate, Omari Spellman, had 10. Jacob Evans tallied 9.

Robert Covington led the T-Wolves with 20 points and 10 rebounds. He made four threes. Shabazz Napier had 20 points, 3 rebounds, six assists, and two threes. Nez Reid 13, Kelan Martin 12, Jarrett Culver 10, and Josh Okogie 7.

The Warriors fall to 9-27. The Timberwolves are now 13-21 for the season. The Warriors return home to face the Detroit Pistons Saturday night at the Chase Center. The game will start at 5:30 pm PT.

 

David Stern, who helped transform the NBA, dies at age 77.

jewishtelegraphicagency.com file photo: David Stern poses for photos with the media in undated photo

By Jerry Feitelberg

David Stern, who led the NBA from February 1st, 1984 to February 1st, 2014, passed away on New Year’s Day after suffering a cerebral hemorrhage three weeks earlier. Stern, who was born in Teaneck, New Jersey, worked at his father’s deli in New York City as a young man. He learned the value of hard work there. He received his undergraduate degree from Rutgers University and his law degree from Columbia.

Stern went to work for the prestigious law firm of Proskauer, Rose, Goetz, and Mendelsohn, which happened to represent the NBA. He joined the NBA in 1978 as general counsel under then-commissioner Larry O’Brien. From 1979 to 1981, the NBA Finals, in those dark days, were shown on tape delay. They were broadcast at 11:30 pm Eastern Time.

Stern helped negotiate a drug testing policy in 1983. The NBA was the first major sports league to do so. He also had the league adopt a salary cap aimed at helping small-market franchises stay alive.

When Stern took over in 1984, teams were struggling to stay alive. Stern also benefitted from having star players such as Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, and Michael Jordan. Stern had a domineering personality. He also had vision and instinct to lift the league from the dark days to the new levels of prosperity and popularity. The NBA is now enormously popular here in the United States and all over the world. The games are now televised in more than 200 countries and in 40 languages. Also, this will be the sixth year in a row that the NBA will have at least 100 international players.

In his time as commissioner, Stern grew the NBA to a 5 billion-dollar a year enterprise. TV revenue increased 40-fold. The league added 7 new teams to create a 30-team league. Stern started the Women’s NBA League in 1997, and the NBA developmental league, now known as the G-League in 2001.

These examples will illustrate the changes that occurred. In 1985, Jerry Reinsdorf bought the Chicago Bulls for 16 million dollars. In 2014, Steve Ballmer bought the Los Angeles Clippers for two billion. Charles Barkley had this to say about David Stern: “I think people see all the money in sports and think that it was always like that,” Barkley said this recently on the program “Inside the N.B.A.” “When I got to the N.B.A. in 1984, which was Commissioner’s first year, the average salary was $250,000. It’s almost $9 million now. And he is largely responsible for that.” Some players are now making as much as 40 million dollars a year.”

Davi Stern leaves quite a legacy. His family, and his NBA family, can be very proud of the accomplishments of this man. Rest in peace.

Short-handed Warriors lose in overtime to Spurs 117-113

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors, playing without D’Angelo Russell and Willie Cauley-Stein, forced the San Antonio Spurs into overtime. The Spurs won the overtime period 17-13 to defeat the W’s 117-113.

The Warriors used their 16th different starting lineup Tuesday night to take on San Antonio. The Warriors and Spurs are both having subpar seasons. The Warriors, as they have done in the last five games, played typical Warrior basketball. They moved the ball well as the recorded 31 assists. They had 5 steals and 6 blocks on defense. Coach Steve Kerr had to pleased with their effort. “We’re having a productive season; we’re just not having a winning season,” Kerr said. “I’ve enjoyed coaching this team, I just told them that. I enjoy coming in every day and working with these guys because they play hard, they play for each other, and they care about that game. So, I’m not too concerned about the record.”

The Warriors, as they did Saturday against Dallas, started well. They won the first period 32-25. The Spurs bounced back in the second quarter to outscore the W’s by five to finish the first half trailing 55-53.

The Warriors scored just 45 points in the second half. The Spurs were two points better, and the game ended in a tie. The game was up for grabs. The Spurs’ Dejounte Murray knocked down seven points in the 5-minute overtime to lead the Spurs to the win.

Game Notes and Stats. D’Angelo Russell, who suffered a right shoulder contusion on Saturday when he slammed into Luka Doncic’s hip, was not available and will be evaluated on Wednesday. Willie Cauley-Stein missed the game with an undisclosed illness. Willie will also be assessed on Wednesday.

Alec Burks led the team with 28 points, 4 assists, and 4 rebounds. Burks made 4 threes in 5 attempts. Glenn Robinson 3rd had 25 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and connected on 3 threes. Damion Lee continued to play well. He had 20 points, 7 boards, and 2 assists. Draymond Green had a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds. He also had 9 assists.

DeMar DeRozan led the Spurs with 24. LaMarcus Aldridge had 15, Patty Mills 18, DeJounte Murray 15, and Bryn Forbes 14.

The Warriors dropped their second in a row and are now 9-26 for the season. The Spurs improved to 14-18. It was the first time since 1996 that the Spurs finished the year (2019) with a record below .500.

The Warriors meet the Minnesota Timberwolves Thursday night in Minneapolis. The game will start at 5 pm PT.