Category: NBA

Warriors lose to Hornets 106-91 in Charlotte

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Photo credit: @warriors

By Ana Kieu

The Golden State Warriors looked to snap a 3-game losing skid on Wednesday at the Spectrum Center against the Charlotte Hornets. Did it happen? Nope!

The Warriors’ starting five featured D’Angelo Russell, Glenn Robinson III, Eric Paschall, Draymond Green and Willie Cauley-Stein. Russell returned to the Warriors lineup after missing nine games with a sprained right thumb.

The Warriors had their game faces on to start the game, but soon enough, they found themselves in a 28-20 deficit at the end of the first quarter and never picked themselves up off of the ground. Though, Kevon Looney went straight to the rack with 21.4 seconds left in the first.

The Warriors flew down the floor, like, say, when D’Angelo Russell rose up and threw down a one-handed dunk in traffic with 3:51 left in the second quarter. The Warriors trailed the Hornets 58-54 at the halftime break. The Warriors’ four-point deficit made it look like a comeback was probable, but they were unable to rebound in the second half.

The Warriors’ ball movement was pretty in the third and fourth quarters, respectively. Marquese Chriss’ swish was the perfect way to describe prettiness in the third quarter. Also, De’Angelo Russell had 13 points in five minutes to close things out.

But the Warriors’ physical poetry in motion wasn’t enough. The Hornets outscored them 28 and 20, respectively. The Hornets won 106-91.

With the win, the Hornets improved to 9-14. With the loss, the Warriors fell to 4-19.

D’Angelo Russell led the Warriors with 18 points, 2 rebounds and 2 assists. Eric Paschall had 16 points, 6 rebounds and 1 assist. Alec Burks had 15 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals. Willie Cauley-Stein had 8 points, 7 rebounds, 2 blocks and 1 steal. Glenn Robinson III had 8 points and 2 rebounds. Ky Bowman had 7 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal. Kevon Looney had 7 points, 3 rebounds and 1 assist. Draymond Green had 5 points, 6 assists, 3 rebounds and 3 steals. Omari Spellman had 5 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 block. Marquese Chriss had 2 points and 4 rebounds. Jordan Poole added 1 assist.

The Warriors face the Chicago Bulls at the United Center on Friday, December 6 at 5 pm PST.

Sacramento Kings podcast with Charlie O: Kings getting consistent scoring from Barnes and Hield

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Photo credit: aroyalpain.com

On the Kings podcast with Charlie O:

#1 The Kings came back after a four-game road trip to defeat the Denver Nuggets on Saturday 100-97 and then played the Chicago Bulls on Monday night and lost it 113-106.

#2 Talk about the recent consistent scoring from the Kings’ Harrison Barnes.

#3 Buddy Hield has come into his own, consistently scoring in the Kings’ top three.

#4 Talk about the Kings defense. For example in their game against the Denver Nuggets last Saturday, they held them to just seven points in the fourth quarter and they closed in on the Bulls on Monday night.

#5 The Kings head to Portland to face the Blazers on Wednesday. Talk a little about what’s in store for the Kings.

Join Charlie O for the Kings basketball podcasts Tuesday nights at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Kings suffer frustrating loss to the Bulls, 113-106, when their comeback falls short

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By Morris Phillips

SACRAMENTO–The rope-a-dope strategy employed by the Kings that shocked the Nuggets on Saturday didn’t translate on Monday against the visiting Chicago Bulls.

The Kings again spotted their opponent a sizeable lead, but this time the comeback fell short. Behind 28 points from Laurie Markkanen, and 20 from Zach LaVine, the Bulls survived Sacramento’s fourth quarter rally to win 113-106.

The Kings failed to climb within one game of .500, falling to 8-11 on the season. The loss also dropped the Kings a game behind the Suns–who won in Charlotte Monday–for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

The Kings had won 8 of 13 coming in, including their unquestioned best win of the season to date over the Northwest Division-leading Nuggets, in which they trailed by 17 at the half, only to rally for an overtime win, 100-97. Against the Bulls, the Kings trailed by 11 at the half, and 10 after three, but could get no closer than 102-100 with 2:18 remaining.

Buddy Hield led the Kings with 26 points, despite missing 10 of his 13 3-point attempts. Afterwards, he pointed to the Kings’ slow start as the reason for the loss.

“When you give a team confidence, they come back and bite you quick,” Hield said of the Bulls, who had lost both of their previous stops on their current road trip, and seven of nine.

After a fast start, things unraveled for the Kings in the second quarter, when the Bulls surged to a double-digit lead behind their five reserves that saw action.

Rookie Coby White, Ryan Arcidiacono, Thaddeus Young and Denzel Valentine each hit a 3-pointer, and along with center Daniel Gafford combined to shoot 8 for 15 from the field. Meanwhile, the Kings’ reserves committed seven turnovers as the home team fell behind by as much as 16 points, 47-31 with 3:20 remaining before the break.

Hield and Harrison Barnes combined to miss 11 of their 15 shots attempts in the first half, as Sacramento was again without Marvin Bagley III, De’Aaron Fox and Harry Giles.

Bogdan Bodanovic, the Kings’ spark off the bench, admitted afterwards that his balky, left hamstring has forced coach Luke Walton to put him on a minutes restriction where he’s limited to five minutes on the floor in any stretch. Since missing the Kings’ road game in Brooklyn on November 22, Bogdanovic has logged fewer than 30 minutes a game, and failed to make at least half of his shots from the floor. On Monday, Bogdanovic finished with 11 points, on 4 of 9 shooting.

For the Bulls, the win marked the first time this season their two, young stars, LaVine and Markkanen have each reached 20 points in a game.

“We’re still encouraging him,” LaVine said of Markkanen. “He had a great game. He needs to play that way all the time.”

The Kings start a four-game road trip in Portland on Wednesday with stops in Dallas, San Antonio and Houston after that. The Kings are in the midst of a stretch where they play 12 of 16 games outside of Sacramento.

Hawks fly past the Warriors 104-79 in Atlanta

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Photo credit: @warriors

By Ana Kieu

The Golden State Warriors arrived in Atlanta with the hopes of snapping a 2-game losing skid with a win over the equally lowly Atlanta Hawks on Monday night.

The Warriors’ starting five featured Alex Burks, Glenn Robinson III, Eric Paschall, Kevon Looney, and Willie Cauley-Stein.

Golden State started things off with a Willie Cauley-Stein slam early in the first quarter. The Warriors made the game tough for the Hawks in the first, and on another note, Marquese Chriss flew high and knocked down a jumper. The Warriors led 23-20 at the end of the first.

Atlanta, however, stormed back in the second quarter. The Hawks outscored the Warriors 29-17 in the second, thanks to some key plays such as the De’Andre Hunter bucket, which was perfection. The Warriors trailed 49-40 at the halftime break.

Both the Warriors and the Hawks turned defense into offense in the third quarter, but it was Atlanta who made things happen at home. De’Andre Hunter continued to make it with buckets on his 22nd birthday. The Hawks then took a 20-point lead, which likely shocked the Warriors, who entered the game with a similar record.

Atlanta put the game out of reach, but Golden State had something to be thankful for. Eric Paschall scored 20 points, which helped him have his seventh 20-point game of the season (7-of-9 from the field) along with 8 rebounds and 5 assists.

Atlanta showed no signs of slowing down, and frankly, didn’t play much in the final minute of the fourth quarter. The Hawks won 104-79.

With the win, Atlanta improved to 5-16. With the loss, Golden State fell to 4-18.

Eric Paschall led the Warriors with 24 points, 9 rebounds, and 6 assists. Alec Burks scored 15 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists. Ky Bowman had 10 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 assists. Omari Spellman had 10 points, 9 rebounds, and 1 assist. Marquese Chriss had 8 points, 5 rebounds, and 1 assist. Glenn Robinson III had 6 points, 4 rebounds, and 1 assist. Willie Cauley-Stein had 4 points and 4 rebounds. Kevon Looney added 2 points and 2 rebounds.

The Warriors visit the Charlotte Hornets in Charlotte, N.C. on Wednesday, December 4 at 4 pm PST.

Warriors come close, but still lose to the Magic 100-96

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Photo credit: @warriors

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors met the Orlando Magic at the Amway Center in Orlando Sunday evening. The Warriors, with nine healthy players, gave the Magic a tussle, but still lost 100-96. The game was not decided until the final 10 seconds. The Magic’s Evan Fournier made a layup to clinch the win for Orlando.

The teams played a very competitive first half. The Magic won the first quarter 26-22. The Warriors won the second 29-25. The first half ended with the score tied at 51. Eric Paschall tallied 14, and Glenn Robinson kicked in with 13 to lead the Warriors. Evan Fournier had 15, and Terrence Ross, coming off the bench, had 12 for Orlando.

The teams continued to play nip and tuck basketball. Neither team could gain any separation from the other. The Magic finished the third quarter with a one-point advantage 72-71. It was more of the same in the fourth quarter. The game was in doubt until Fournier put it away with a layup with 9.3 seconds left in the game. The Magic led by four, and that was curtains for Golden State. Orlando won 100-96.

Game Notes and Stats: All five Warrior starters were in double-figures. Draymond had 11, Eric Paschall 17, Glenn Robinson 19, Will Cauley-Stein had 11 points and 12 rebounds for a double-double, and Alec Burks pitched in with 12. Backup point guard Ky Bowman finished with 12. The team shot 39.6% from the floor and connected on six threes in 23 attempts.

Evan Fournier tied a career-high with 32 points. He made six threes in 10 attempts. Terrence Ross had 19, Markell Fultz 14, and Jonathan Isaac added 14. The Magic shot 42.5% from the floor and made 11 threes in 33 attempts.

The Warriors lost for the fifth time in the last six games and are now 4-17 for the year. The Magic improved to 8-11.

Up Next: The Warriors play a back-to-back game Monday night in Atlanta against the Hawks. The game will start at 5 pm PST.

Kings come back to beat Denver 100-97 in OT

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Photo credit: @SacramentoKings

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO — Saturday marked the return home for the Sacramento Kings after a long road trip. The trip took the Kings through the cities of New York, Washington D.C., Boston, and Philadelphia. It was a tough trip for the Kings who went 1-3 beating the Washington Wizards. The Kings were looking to continue their climb back to .500 against a formidable opponent in the Denver Nuggets on Saturday afternoon. The tip-off was set for 2 PM PST.

In the first quarter, the Kings struggled early. No one on the Kings could seem to hit a shot and Denver began knocking down their’s after struggling in the opening minutes as well. With 2:00 minutes remaining in the first quarter, the Kings were already down 27-13. The rest of the quarter the Kings were able to put up a few more points to cut the deficit to 27-17 going into the second quarter.

In the second quarter, Yogi Ferrell ran the point, the Kings offense seemed to show life in the early minutes for the second. In the opening 2 minutes of time, the Kings managed to cut the lead to 5 points. However, the Nuggets starting piling on again after that. The Nuggets would put up a total of 57 first-half points compared to the Kings’ 40. This obviously wasn’t what Luke Walton and Co. planned for the first half. The King’s fans let out a subtle chorus of boos as the team headed into the locker room. Garry Harris led all scorers in the first half putting up 20 points. The leading scorer for the Kings was Harrison Barnes, who had 8 points for the Kings. If the Kings hoped to come back they needed to shoot better. Specifically, be better from long range.

In the third quarter, the Kings played better than they had all game. That’s not to say there wasn’t room for improvement. The Kings outscored the Nuggets 27-18, which was a marked improvement on both ends of the floor. Led by Harrison Barnes (12 points in the 3rd), the Kings managed to cut the deficit 67-75. The Kings would need to make a big ground in the fourth quarter to have a chance.

In the fourth quarter, the Kings still struggled to hit open shots. Namely, Buddy Hield really struggled. Buddy had a considerable number of open shots that he was unable to knockdown. Regardless of the shooting struggles, the Kings managed to hang tough. With 3:20 left in the game, the score was 87-80 and the Kings had a chance to execute. The Kings managed to do just that. The Kings were able to come back and tie the game with a Buddy Hield layup with 22.9 seconds left. The Kings then got the defense stop with a Rashaan Holmes block and it sent the Kings to overtime. In overtime, the Kings and Nuggets would battle and trade baskets. The game would come down to the final 14 seconds with the score 98 to 97 Kings up. Buddy Hield would be fouled on the inbound and make both his free throws. From there, the Kings got a stop and would go on to win 100-97.

The Kings stay home to host the Chicago Bulls on Monday at 7 PM PST.

Heat burn the Warriors 122-105

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Photo credit: @warriors

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors traveled to South Florida to face the Miami Heat Friday night at the American Airlines Arena.

The Heat–with a rebuilt roster–started the season with a 12-5 record. Also, they were 7-0 at home this season. The Heat’s main rivals in the East are the Boston Celtics, Philadelphia 76ers, Toronto Raptors, and Milwaukee Bucks. The Heat acquired Jimmy Butler from the 76ers, and Meyers Leonard came to Miami from the Portland Trailblazers. Duncan Robinson, who was a teammate of the Warriors’ Jordan Poole at Michigan, was a two-way player last season. Kendrick Nunn played for the Santa Cruz Warriors last year.

The Heat’s bench listed Kelly Olynyk, Goran Dragic, and Tyler Herro. These were the players that led the Heat to an easy 122-105 win over the Warriors.

The Heat thoroughly outplayed the Warriors in the first quarter. They outscored the Warriors 41-21. They were led by Duncan Robinson’s 12 points. Robinson made four threes in four tries.  The Warriors trailed 21-6 with 6:06 left in the quarter. Warriors head coach Steve Kerr inserted Ky Bowman, Omari Spelman, and Marquese Chriss. The Warriors played better, but still finished the quarter trailing by 20 points. They knew that it would be difficult to overcome a 20-point deficit.

The second quarter was a showcase for Jordan Poole, Omari Spellman, Marquese Chriss, and Willie Cauley-Stein. Poole connected on three consecutive threes. These players won the quarter 37-30 and finished the half 71-58.

The Warriors continued to play well. At one point, they cut the deficit to seven. The Heat refused to let the Warriors back into the game. They won the quarter 24-21 to finish the third quarter with a 16-point advantage.

The Heat increased the lead to 27 early in the fourth quarter. The Warriors fought back, but they could not catch the Heat. They outscored them late in the period, but it was not enough.

Game Notes: With the loss, the Warriors drop to 4-16. The Heat improved to 13-5.

Jordan Poole had a career-high 30 points to lead the Warriors. Jordan made 5 threes in six tries. Eric Paschall, who scored just one point in the first half, finished with 17. Alec Burks had 16, Cauley-Stein had 14, Omari Spellman had 12, and Marquese Chriss had 10.

The Heat had six players in double figures. Goran Dragic led Miami with 20. Tyler Herro had 19, Duncan Robinson had 17, Jimmy Butler had 16, Kelly Olynyk had 15, and Kendrick Nunn had 15.

The Warriors shot 39% from the floor and were 10-for 28 from 3-point range. Miami shot 54% from the floor, and they made 13 threes. The Heat made 14 more buckets than the Warriors. The Warriors outscored the Heat 35-21 at the free-throw line.

The Warriors turned the ball over just nine tries.

Up Next: The Warriors play the Magic in Orlando Sunday afternoon. The game will start at 3 pm PST.

The Warriors meet the Atlanta Hawks Monday night in Atlanta. That game will begin at 4:30 pm PST.

Embiid goes off as the Sixers beat the Kings 97-91

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment
Sixers B
Photo: @Philadelphia 76ers

by Charlie O. Mallonee

The Sacramento Kings wrapped up their four-game road trip in Philadelphia on Wednesday on a “low note”. The 76ers Joel Embiid exploded for a game-high 33 points and 16 rebounds to lead his team to a 97-91 victory.

Embiid really was in need of a good game after being held scoreless in his team’s loss to the Raptors on Monday night. Embiid said he didn’t feel any pressure to have a “statement game”, but he was happy his team came away with the “W”.

3rd Quarter letdown

After trailing by just one point at halftime, the Kings put themselves in a great position to steal this game on the road. After starting a bit slow in the third period, Sacramento came alive and kept the score close until midway through the quarter.

The Kings went into a 3:04 scoring drought at the end of the third quarter which allowed the Sixers to outscore them 29-19. Philly led 76-65 after 36 minutes of play and the Kings would never be able to catch up.

SAC outscored the 76ers in the final quarter but it was too little too late. The Sixers (12-6) won the game 97-91.

Spotlight on the Kings

Looking at the final box score there is one glaring stat that jumps off the page. The Kings (7-10) went to the free throw line only nine times on Wednesday night and converted just four of those opportunities. An NBA team is not going to win a game going to the charity stripe just nine times.

To give you a comparison, the 76ers went to the line 24 times in the game – a very acceptable number. They went 20-for-24 (83.3%) from the stripe which helped them to win the game.

Ironically, the Kings outscored the Sixers in the paint 40-38 even though they were facing Embiid, Al Horford and Tobias Harris.

The biggest lead for Sacramento in the game for SAC was one point. The 76ers held a 17 point lead in the fourth quarter.

The Kings also had a tough night from “downtown”. They shot just 9-for-34 (26.5%) from beyond the 3-point line.

Sacramento scoring:

  • Buddy Hield was the team’s high scorer putting 22 points in the book. He had a tough night shooting going 9-for-24 overall and 3-for-12 from 3-point land.
  • Dewayne Dedmon came off the bench to put up 18 points and grab six rebounds.
  • Bogdan Bogdanovic added 17 points hitting 7 of 15 shots.
  • Harrison Barnes scored 14 points and grabbed nine rebounds.

Focus on the Sixers

Sixers A
Embiid had a big game @ Philadelphia 76ers

The 76ers blocked 10 Kings shots in the game while SAC blocked just three of the Sixers shots.

Philly scoring:

  • Matisse Thybulle came off the bench to score 15 points. He went a perfect 5-for-5 from the field and hit 3 of 3 from behind the 3-point line.
  • Forward Tobias Harris scored 14 points.
  • The veteran Al Horford scored 12 points and hauled in seven rebounds.
  • Point guard Ben Simmons recorded a double-double putting up 10 points and grabbing 14 rebounds.

Up next

The Kings return home and will host the Denver Nuggets on Saturday afternoon at the Golden 1 Center.

The Sixers will face the Knicks on Friday night at the Garden.

Warriors find a way to win as they down the Bulls 104-90

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Photo credit: @warriors

By Jerry Feitelberg

SAN FRANCISCO — The Golden State Warriors, after losing to the Oklahoma City Thunder Monday night, found a way to close out the game, and they recorded their fourth win of the season defeating the Chicago Bulls 104-90 at Chase Center.

The Warriors’ Draymond Green returned to action Wednesday night. He had been out with a sore heel. His experience and leadership helped the Warriors avoid the letdown that occurred Monday night. The young Warriors played well on both ends of the court. They played well on defense as they out-rebounded the Bulls 54-42. On offense, they moved the ball to find the open man and recorded 31 assists in the process.

The Bulls grabbed an early 9-1 lead in the first quarter. The Warriors then went on a 10-0 run to lead 11-9. The Warriors continued to play well, and they finished the first period leading by eight 25-17. The Bulls offense came to life in the second quarter. The Bulls’ Zach LaVine led the charge as he knocked down 18 points to cut the deficit to five 53-48 at the end of the first half. Eric Paschall the Dubs with 14, Glenn Robinson had 8, Alec Burks 7, and Omari Spellman kicked in with 7 points and 10 boards.

The Warriors continued to build the lead. They led 69-59 when Chicago went on a 10-0 run to tie the game at 69. The young Warriors did not quit. They knew what happened to them Monday night. Eric Paschall, Marquese Chriss, and Omari Spellman all came through with crucial buckets to put the Warriors ahead 78-73 after three periods of play.

In the fourth quarter, the Warriors–with Draymond Green on the floor–held the Bulls at bay. The Bulls made it a 3-point game 86-83. It was at this point that the Warriors went on a 16-2 run. Alec Burks knocked down two threes. Draymond hit a three. Paschall and Spellman each made a key bucket. These players played like the Warriors of the past five seasons. They won by a final score of 104-90.

Game Notes: With the win, the Warriors improve to 4-15. Chicago falls to 6-13.

Eric Paschall led the Warriors with 25 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists. Alec Burks had a double-double with 23 points and 10 rebounds. He also recorded 7 assists. Omari Spellman also had a double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds. Glenn Robinson and Marquese Chriss each had 11.

The Bulls’ Zach LaVine provided most of the offensive punch for Chicago. LaVine had 36 points, 5 assists, and 5 rebounds. LaVine made 4 threes in 9 tries. The only other scorer in double figures for Chicago was Tomas Satoransky, with 19 points. Lauri Markkanan and Wendell Carter had 8 points each.

Up Next: The Warriors travel to Miami to face the Heat Friday night. The game will start at 5 pm PST.

Sacramento Kings podcast with Charlie O: Kings winners 7 of 11, lose to Celtics by one

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Photo credit: goldengatesports.com

On the Sacramento Kings podcast with Charlie O:

#1 The Kings lost a close battle with the Celtics 103-102 in Boston Monday night. Ironically, the same score the Kings beat the Celtics by in Sacramento.

#2 Bubby Hield gave it all he got this time scoring 41 points, but it wasn’t enough to beat the Celtics.

#3 Harrison Barnes whose had a hot hand of late scored 20.

#4 The score was close in the fourth quarter the Celts were just a little better 28-27 in a real razor-close quarter.

#5 The Kings get Tuesday off and face the 76ers in Philadelphia Wednesday night.

Sacramento Kings podcasts are heard each Tuesday with Charlie O at http://www.sportsradioservice.com