Category: NBA

Lakers outplay the Warriors on both ends of the court for 127-101 blowout

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by Jerry Feitelberg

Oakland- The Los Angeles Laker, a team on the rise with the addition of LeBron James, Rajon Rondo, and Ivaca Zubac, thoroughly outplayed the defending NBA champions, the Golden Stae Warriors, Christmas night at Oracle Arena. The Lakers head coach, Luke Walton who was an assistant under Steve Kerr in 2015 and 2016, had his young and upcoming team outscore, outrebound, and out defense the Warriors. The Warriors, who had a record of 15-3 at Oracle this season lost by 26 points 127-101. All the Warrior losses at Oracle this year have been by more than twenty points. The Warriors need help. General Manager, Bob Myers, has work to do to get the team some players that can come off the bench to, hopefully, ignite the offense. One such player, who is a restricted free agent, is Patrick McCaw. It might be time for the team and the player mend the rift.

The two teams played a close game until late in the first quarter. The Laker went on a 12-2 run to finish the first period leading 32-25.  The Lakers, in the second quarter, continued to pressure Kevin Durant, Steph Curry. and Klay Thompson. They double-teamed the Big Three at every chance and gave opportunities for Draymond Green, Kevon Looney, Jonas Jerebko, and Andre Iguodala to pick up the slack. Iguodala responded by knocking down 16 in the first half. The Lakers held KD, Klay, and Steph to a total of 18 for all three. LeBron James and company raced out to a 65-50 halftime lead.  James had a double-double with 17 points and 10 boards in the first 24 minutes of action. The Lakers controlled the boards pulling down 27 while the Warriors total was 17. The Lakers Ivaca Zubac, filling in for former Warrior JaVale McGee, who was sidelined with a bout of pneumonia, proved to be too much to handle as he cleared the boards and added 8 points. The Lakers shot 58% from the floor, and they held the Warriors to 39%. The

The Warriors, who have been so good in the third quarter, failed to slow down the Laker onslaught. The Lakers increased the lead to 16 71-55. The Warrior then started a comeback. With the score 76-62, Steph Curry hit his first three-pointer of the night to make it 76-65. Steph hit another three, and the crowd at Oracle came alive. The Warriors closed the gap to two trailing 78-76. It was around this time the LeBron James suffered what appeared to be a groin injury, and he left the game. That was as close as the Warriors would come as the Lakers finished the quarter leading 91-82.

The Lakers refused to let the Warriors back in the game. The veteran guard, Rajon Rondo, took over the game for the Lakers and they increased the lead to fifteen 100-85 with nine minutes left in the game. The Warriors scored just three points in the first three minutes, and their doom was sealed. Warriors coach Steve Kerr raided the white flag and sent in the scrubs to finish the game.

Game notes and stats. The Warriors are now 23-12 for the year, but many people are worried that the team does not have the depth that they have had in the past. The three big men, Pachulia, McGee, and West, are gone. Kevon Looney’s play has improved, but he can’t do it alone. The Warriors are waiting for Demarcus Cousins to return from an Achilles heel injury suffered last January. Cousins has been working out with the Santa Cruz G-League and practicing in Oakland with the Warriors. The Warriors don’t want to rush him back too soon, but, hopefully, he will be ready soon. It will take a while for him to get back into game shape.

The numbers show the dominance of the Lakers. They had seven players in double figure. Zubac had a double-double with 18 points and 11 rebounds. Rondo knocked down 15, and he recorded 10 assists. LeBron finished with 17 points and 13 boards. Kyle Kuzma had 19, Brandon Ingram 14, Josh Hart 12, and Lance Stephenson 11. The Lakers improved to 20-14.

Andre Iguodala had a season-high 23 points to lead the club in scoring. KD finished with 21, Steph had 15, and Klay, who is mired in a shooting slump, had a season-low 5 points.

The Lakers shot 55% from the floor. They made 13 three is 33 attempts. They outrebounded the Warriors 49-37. The Warriors shot 39% from the floor and made nine three in 36 attempts.

The Warriors face another tough opponent when they play the Portland Trailblazers at Oracle Arens Thursday night at 7:30 pm.

 

Sacramento Kings podcast with Charlie O: Kings make an 11-point comeback on Pelicans for 122-117 win Sunday

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sacbee.com photo: The Sacramento Kings’ Bogdan Bogdanovic (8) takes aim against the New Orleans Pelicans Darius Miller (21) Sunday night at Golden 1 Center.

On the Kings podcast with Charlie O:

#1 The Sacramento Kings’ Willie Cauley Stein loves the deuces, scoring 22 points, 17 rebounds and getting a double double in the Kings’ win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday 122-117.

#2 Bobby Hield continues to lead the Kings with 28 points. He’s been a huge impact player in the Kings’ success.

#3 What does that say about the Kings to overcome an 11-point deficit in the fourth quarter and come away with a five-point win? The Kings were down at one time 19 points.

#4 The Kings’ Anthony Davis with 26 points and D’Aaron Fox with 19 points. Both these players are big contributors each night.

#5 The Kings travel to LA to play the Los Angeles Clippers Wednesday. Charlie sets this one up. Also, join reporter London Marq for exclusive coverage.

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

Cardiac Kings do it again with a fourth quarter, come-from-behind 122-117 win over the Pelicans

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment
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Harry Giles III tips the ball back into the basket Photo: Charlie O. Mallonee

By Charlie O. Mallonee

The Sacramento Kings won their second consecutive come from behind in the fourth quarter game on Sunday night as they defeated Anthony “the Brow” Davis and the New Orleans Pelicans 122-117. The Kings trailed the Pelicans by as many as 19 points in the contest, and frankly, it did not appear that the home team would have enough momentum to overcome the New Orleans lead.

The Kings had trouble putting the ball in the basket right from the beginning of the game. At one point in the first quarter, Sacramento was shooting just 25-percent from the field while New Orleans was hitting more than 50-percent of their shots. The Pels dominated the paint and were converting high percentage shots. The Kings were not taking bad shots, but their shots were not dropping.

The Kings shooting improved in the second quarter (48.1-percent) and they were able to match the Pelicans point for point. Each team scored 33 points in the second period. Buddy Hield led the scoring attack for SAC with nine points. New Orleans was paced by Jrue Holiday who hit 7-of-9 shots for 14 points.

At the half, New Orleans held a 69-58 lead over Sacramento.

The third quarter was dominated by a former Wildcat and Sooner. New Orleans center Anthony Davis scored 13 points and grabbed six rebounds for his team as they scored 27 points in the period. Buddy Hield led the charge for Sacramento scoring 11 points in the third. He went for 4-for-4 shooting (3-for-3 from 3-point land). The Kings won the quarter 28-27. At the end of 36 minutes, the Pelicans held a 96-86 lead over the Kings.

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Koufos and Miller jump ball in 4th quarter Photo: Charlie O. Mallonee

The Kings went on a comeback run that saw them outscore the Pelicans 36-21 in the final quarter. Sacramento was paced by De’Aaron Fox and Bogdan Bogdanovic who each scored nine points in the period. Buddy Hield stayed hot as he recorded eight points. Willie Cauley-Stein hauled in nine of his career-high 17 rebounds in the final 12-minutes. The Kings went on a mission in the final quarter and they were not going to be denied. When the final buzzer sounded, the Kings (18-15) had defeated the Pelicans (15-19) 122-117.

Willie Cauley-Stein had a monster game

The Kings center played just over 35-minutes in his team’s victory. He scored 22 points and made it a double-double as he pulled down a career-high 17 (four offensive) rebounds. WCS shot 10-for-19 from the floor and went 2-for-4 from behind the 3-point line. The big man also made three steals in the game.

 

 

 

 

De’Aaron Fox posted a double-double

The Kings versatile point guard made it a double-double game in the win over the Pelicans on Sunday night. He scored 19 points and dished out 11 assists. Fox also added two steals. He did all of this while still nursing a sore shoulder injured in the game on Friday with Memphis.

“Buddy Buckets” was amazing again

Buddy Hield was the leading scorer in the game on Sunday. He put 28 points in the book in 36-plus minutes of playing time. Hield shot 11-for-16 from the field and hit 6-of-11 from behind the 3-point arc. He also pulled in six rebounds.

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Buddy Hield lets it fly from 3-point land Photo: Charlie O. Mallonee

Bogi comes up Big

Bogdan Bogdanovic is finding his legs and really getting into the flow of the game. On Sunday afternoon, he scored 24 points shooting 7-for-16 from the floor. Bogdanovic hit 2-of-5 from long range and converted 8-of-9 from the charity stripe. He also dished out seven dimes.

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Bogi sinks one from the free throw line Photo: Charlie O. Mallonee

Coach Joerger summarizes the game

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pelicans numbers

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  • Leading scorer Jrue Holiday with 27 points, seven rebounds, and six assists
  • Anthony Davis scored 26 points pulled down 17 rebounds (double-double) plus four assists and four blocked shots
  • Julius Randle put up 18 points and grabbed nine rebounds

The Pelicans were extremely frustrated after the loss to the Kings. Giving up a 19 point lead and losing by five points will make you walk the aisle of the plane all the way back to the “Big Easy” out of frustration.

Up next

The Kings next game will be on Wednesday, December 26 at the Staples Center versus the Los Angeles Clippers. The Kings lost to the Clippers at the Golden 1 Center on November 29, 133-121.

The Pelicans next game will be in Dallas on December 26. New Orleans beat the Mavs on December 5th, 132-105.

Warriors outlast the Clippers in a heart-pounding thriller 129-127

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Photo credit: @warriors

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Warriors had their hands full as the Los Angeles Clippers made 13-of-16 3-point shots in the first half and 18-for-23 in the game. The 13 3s in the first half were a franchise (and NBA) record for the Clippers. The Clippers were raining down 3s on the Warriors, and the team had to find a way to play defense. The Warriors were facing a club that loves to run and were able to find men open to attempt the 3-point bombs.

The Clippers this year bear no resemblance to the Clipper teams of the past five years. All-Stars Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, and DeAndre Jordan are playing elsewhere. The Clipper offense now features Danilo Gallinari, Tobias Harris, Montrezl Harrell, and Lou Williams. Williams’ eyes light up when he plays the Warriors. The last time he played at Oracle Arena, he torched the Warriors for 51 points. The last time the Warriors played the Clippers in LA, they lost 121-116 in overtime. The Warriors wanted to even the score Sunday night. The Warriors did just that as they won a thriller 129-127.

The first half was a fast-paced affair. As mentioned earlier, the Clippers were raining down threes. The connected at a record pace as they made an NBA 13-in-16 attempts. The Warriors attempted 16 3s, but connected on five. What kept the Warriors in the first half was their ability to go to the free throw line. The Warriors did not miss a free throw, and they outscored the Clips 24-10 from the charity stripe. The game was tied at 48 when the Clips went on a 9-2 run to take a 7-point lead. The Clips increased the lead to 11 71-60. The Warriors went on a 7-0 run to finish the first half trailing 71-67.

The scoring leaders for LA were Gallinari with 14. He was 2-for-2 from three-point range. Tobias Harris knocked down 19, and he was 5-for-5 in 3-point attempts. Lou Williams, coming off the bench tallied 11, and he made one 3-pointer. The Clippers shot 52.2% from the floor and an astounding 81.2% from 3-point land.

Steph Curry led the Warriors with 22. Kevin Durant had 14, Draymond Green had 11 and Klay Thompson added 7.

In the third quarter, as they have done so many times, the Warriors got their offense going, and their defense shut down the Clipper offense as they outscored them 36-23 to finish the third quarter leading 103-94.

The Clippers started the fourth quarter on an 8-0 to cut the deficit to 1. The fans were squirming in their seats as the Clippers appeared to have found the key to success.  The Warriors were able to match the Clippers until LA made a bucket to grab the lead 117-116. Durant hit a shot to put the Warriors ahead 118-117. Curry made a 3 and was fouled. He made the free throw to complete a 4-point play. Durant followed with a 3, and the Warriors led 125-117 with time running down. However, the Clippers would not capitulate. They came back to tie the game at 127. The clock was running out, and the Warriors had the ball for the last shot. The Warriors brought the ball down for the final shot. Curry drove down the lane and mad the layup with just 0.5 seconds left in the game. The Clipper called a timeout so that they could take the ball in the forecourt. They needed someone to make a catch and shoot. They tried, but their attempt failed, and the Warriors finished with the win 129-127.

Game Notes and Stats: Steph Curry led the team with 40 points. Kevin Durant had another double-double with 35 points, 12 rebounds, and five assists. Draymond Green finished with 14. Klay Thompson, mired in a mini-slump, added 14. Kevon Looney tallied 10 coming off the bench. Jonas Jerebko started in place of Looney and scored 7 points.

The Clippers were led by Tobias Harris’ 32 points and 9 boards. He made six 3s in seven attempts. Danilo Gallinari put in 25 and had 11 rebounds. He hit five 3s in five attempts. Lou Williams had 25, Avery Bradley had 12, Montrezl Harrel had 13, and Patrick Beverley added 10.

The Warriors shot 45.2% from the floor and made 14 threes in 40 attempts. The Warriors, on defense, made 9 steals and blocked 8 shots. They committed 7 turnovers compared to the Clippers’ 15. The Clippers shot 53.7% from the floor and made 18 3s in 23 attempts good for an amazing 78.3%

The Warriors improved to 23-11, and the Clippers fell to 19-14.

Up Next: The Warriors meet the Lakers on Christmas Day at 5:00 pm. It will be the first meeting of the season for the Warriors and the rebuilt Lakers.

The Lakers’ all-star forward, LeBron James, has had this date circled on the calendar ever since he signed with the after the end of last season.

Durant, Jerebko lead the Warriors to a 120-116 win over the Mavericks

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Photo credit:@warriors

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors, humbled by the Utah Jazz Wednesday night in Salt Lake City as they made a season-low 18 assists, found their mojo Saturday night as Kevin Durant, Jonas Jerebko, and Steph Curry all played well as they defeated the Dallas Mavericks 120-116 at Oracle Arena. The Warriors trailed 61-58 at the end of the first half, but they put their game into gear in the third quarter behind a sterling effort from Jerebko. The Warriors finished the third quarter on a 17-6 run to lead 94-87.

The Warriors went on a 10-2 run to start the fourth quarter. They led 111-93 after Jerebko scored his 23rd point of the night and it looked as if the game was over. However, this is the NBA, and the Mavs refused to quit. With the score 113-102, the Mavs started to cut into the deficit as they went on a 13-2 run. The Warriors led by one point, 117-116, when Kevin Durant hit a 3-pointer with 14.2 seconds left in the game. Warriors’ coach Steve Kerr was yelling to his team to get the ball to Durant. Durant responded with the big bucket, and the Warriors escaped with the win.

Game Notes and Stats: The Warriors improve to 22-11 for the season, and Dallas falls to 15-16. Dallas has been unbeatable at home this season but has only two road wins. The Warriors were led by Wesley Matthews 25 points. Matthews made 7 3-point shots to keep his team in the game. 19-year-old phenom Luka Doncic tallied 19 points, and he made three treys in six attempts. Former LA Clipper DeAndre Jordan kicked in with 12 points, but he was a monster off the boards as he pulled down 23 rebounds. J.J.Barea, Jalen Brunson, and Dorian Finney-Smith finished in double figures.

The Warriors had five players in double figures. Kevin Durant finished with a double-double. He scored 29 points to go along with 12 rebounds and 8 assists. Durant connected on three 3-pointers in 5 attempts. Draymond Green also had a double-double with 14 points, 10 boards, and 5 assists. Curry had 22, Thompson had 14, and Jonas Jerebko had a career-high 23 points and six rebounds. He made two 2-pointers and was all over the court making plays in the third and fourth quarters. He gave the Warriors a huge lift coming off the bench.

Up Next: The Warriors meet the LA Clippers Sunday afternoon at Oracle Arena at 5:30 pm.

It was an ugly win, but it was a win: Kings beat Grizzlies 102-99 Friday night

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GrizSac Title
Graphic@SacramentoKings

By Charlie O. Mallonee

The Sacramento Kings held the lead over the Memphis Grizzlies just twice in their game on Friday night at the Golden 1 Center. SAC took the first lead of the game 2-0 and would not lead again until there was just 1:17 remaining to play in the game when they would retake the lead over the Grizzlies 98-97.

The Kings (17-15) would hold on to win the game 103-99 to hand the Grizzlies (16-16) their fifth consecutive loss. The victory snapped a two-game losing streak by Sacramento.

Memphis brought their “Grind House D” to SAC

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Photo@SacramentoKings

The Grizzlies love to slow the game down and get physical with their opponents under the bucket. The “new” Kings want to get out and run the floor in order to drive the opposition into exhaustion.

On Friday night, the Grizzlies controlled the pace. Memphis set the pace and forced the Kings to play the Grizzlies style of basketball until the fourth quarter. In the final 12-minutes, Sacramento changed the dynamic.

Memphis held the Kings to a field goal percentage of just 37.5% (33/88). It is incredibly rare for an NBA to walk away with a victory when they shoot under 40% in a game.

Sacramento turned in a respectable performance from behind the 3-point line. They hit 15-of-41 attempts from downtown (36.6%). The Kings also had a decent night at the charity stripe, converting 21-of-29 free throw attempts (72.4%).

The Grizzlies outscored the Kings in the paint 34-32. Sacramento won the battle of second chance points 10-8. To no one’s surprise, the Kings won the battle for fastbreak points 21-13.

Memphis outrebounded the Kings 44-42.

Key stats that tell a big story

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Flying Fox @SacramentoKings

The Kings committed just 10 turnovers in the contest and those miscues resulted in 16 points for the Grizzlies.

Memphis recorded 18 turnovers that resulted in 27 points for Sacramento. The Griz will look at the turnovers and cringe for some time to come because they may well have cost them the game.

The Kings also won the battle of steals. SAC made 10 thefts in the game while MEM was able to steal the ball just seven times.

Key Performers

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Photo@SacramentoKings

Kings

  • Buddy Hield was the game’s leading scorer posting 28 points for the game. He shot just 9-for-24 from the field, but hit 6-of-13 from 3-point land. Hield also added eight rebounds.
  • De’Aaron Fox recorded 14 points and eight assists for Sacramento in the victory. Fox also made five steals in the game. His defense in the final period was a real difference maker.
  • Bogdan Bogdanovic also scored 14 points in the contest but shot just 3-for-9 from the floor. However, all three of his baskets were 3-point buckets. Bogdanovic also went 5-for-8 from the free throw line.
  • Willie Cauley-Stein recorded a double-double in Kings victory. He scored 12 points and grabbed 13 rebounds versus the Grizzlies. He also dished out four assists.
  • Iman Shumpert and Nemanja Bjelica each scored 11 points in the game.

Grizzlies

  • Mike Conley was the Grizzlies leading scorer with 23 points. Conley hit a career-high seven 3-point baskets in the game.
  • Former King Garrett Temple added 17 points for Memphis.
  • Marc Gasol put 12 points and eight rebounds in the book.
  • All five of the Memphis starters scored in double figures.

Up Next

The Kings will wrap up their 3-game homestand on Sunday afternoon when they will host Anthony Davis and the New Orleans Pelicans.

The Grizzlies travel to Los Angeles and will face the Lakers on Sunday.

Run Out Of Town: Thunder Rout Kings, 132-113 Despite Hield’s Career-Best Effort

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By Morris Phillips

SACRAMENTO — What would Paul Westhead think?

The former Lakers, Nuggets, Loyola Marymount and Oregon coach, the “Guru of Go” would have an acute appreciation for Wednesday’s Thunder and Kings game at Golden 1 Center. With the breakneck pace, running and shooting, the two teams attacked each other relentlessly in transition and in halfcourt situations for 48 minutes. Defense? Yeah, they played a little, not like the 79-year old coach’s 1990-91 Nuggets, still the NBA’s most porous outfit, that allowed 130.8 points per game.

So what advice would Westhead offer the two teams, already married to the run-and-gun game, and committed getting up a shot in half the duration of the 24 second clock?

Of course, Westhead would offer that less memorable but essential element: make the opponent uncomfortable. Sure, every team will accept an invitation to run, but on their terms. In order for the system to work as it came closest at LMU, the opposition must be made to feel uncomfortable–and out of breath. Sort of a careful-what-you-ask-for conundrum cooked up for the NBA hardwood.

On Wednesday, the resolute Thunder made the short-handed Kings feel uncomfortable, especially in the game’s decisive, second quarter.

Paul George had 15 of his game-best 43 points in the second quarter in which the Thunder saw their 3-point lead swell briefly to 20. George ended the first quarter complaining to the officials that he was fouled by the smaller De’Aaron Fox on a drive to the hoop. While the replay showed Fox dislodged the ball from George cleanly, and the non-call was correct, the 6’11” All-Star simply doubled down his efforts, scoring on similar drives three times in the opening moments of the second.

“One of the things we wanted to do is play closer to the rim,” Thunder coach Billy Donovan said after he sensed his club settled for too many 3-point shots in their October 21 loss at Sacramento. “I felt we needed to play closer to the basket.”

With George and Russell Westbrook attacking the basket, the Kings found themselves getting pushed around in the paint. The Kings allowed their fourth opponent in the last five games to score at least 130 points, and this time, the rebounding disparity was especially glaring.

“We’ve got to get better individually guarding the basketball, and we’ve got to get a little bit more active in our help,” coach Dave Joerger said of his Kings, who were outrebounded 66-43 by the Thunder.

The King trailed by 71-52 at the break, and only briefly reduced Oklahoma City’s margin to single digits in the second half. Down 88-80 with 3:47 remaining in the third, the Kings’ rally stalled. Then George opened the fourth with nine, consecutive points and the Thunder ran away, their eight win in the last 11 games.

The Kings played without Iman Shumpert, Bogdan Bogdanovic and William Bagley and briefly turned to seldom used Ben McLemore in the second to provide a spark defensively. Sacramento fell to 16-15, and into a tie for 10th place with Memphis in the jam-packed Western Conference.

The Kings were led by Buddy Hield, who scored a career-best 37 points in 35 minutes. Hield had seven made threes, but missed 14 of his 25 shot attempts. Fox added 28, and Willie Cauley-Stein had 13 points, seven rebounds.

The six players to see action off the Kings’ bench combined to miss 17 of their 21 shot attempts. Besides McLemore, Skal Labissiere and Frank Mason saw floor time in the absence of Shumpert, Bagley and Bogdanovic.

The Thunder got 19 points, 17 assists and 11 rebounds from Westbrook, a triple-double for the superstar that highlighted the evolving nature of his game.

The Kings look to avoid falling back to .500 on Friday night in a matchup with the Memphis Grizzlies at Golden 1 Center. Game time at 7:00 pm.

Jazz send the Warriors down to defeat, 108-103

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Photo credit: nba.com/warriors

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Warriors traveled to Salt Lake City to face the Utah Jazz at Vivint Smart Home Arena on Wednesday night. The Warriors knew they would have their work cut out for them if the Jazz would be able to play their style of game. The Jazz did that as they played a slow tempo, half-court game that featured them using as much of the 24-second clock before making a shot and, on defense, slowing down the Warriors’ fast-paced game.

The Jazz’ big man, Rudy Gobert, kept the Warriors from getting to the rim all night long. The Jazz hounded Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant, and Steph Curry. Curry, to his credit, was able to put points on the board as he led the team with 32 points. He made five three-point shots in nine attempts. Klay failed to make a three and Durant was made two threes in seven tries.  The Jazz hit 16 threes in 42 attempts. Kyle Korver made four, and Jae Crowder killed the Warriors as he made five treys to lead the Jazz to the win.

The game was close for three quarters. Utah won the first quarter 24-21. The Warriors made two threes in the first 12 minutes of play. Steph hit one, and Jonas Jerebko knocked down the other. The Warriors got the offense going in the second quarter as they outscored the Jazz 34-32 and trailed by one at the end of the first half 56-55. Curry led the Warriors with 21 and Durant added 12. Thompson was held to four. The Warriors’ bench added 8. Gobert led the Jazz with 11 points and 11 boards. Joe Ingles and Jae Crowder each had 9.

In the third quarter, the Jazz hit seven three-point shots. The Warriors defense shut down the Jazz near the basket, but they could not stop the outside shooting. Kyle Korver and Jae Crowder kept making three and the Warriors finished the third quarter trailing 84-80. The Warriors could not hit a bucket to start the fourth quarter. The Jazz increased the lead to 11, 98-87. The Warriors made a comeback at this point. They went on an 11-2 run to make it a 2-point game 100-98. The Jazz increased the lead to 106-100 with less than 1:50 left to play. Durant hit a three to make it 106-103 with 17 seconds left. The Warriors had the ball and had a chance to tie if they could make a three. They got the ball into Curry’s hands. Curry was going for a three when the ball was knocked out of his grip. The referees ruled it would be the Warriors’ ball with 2.8 seconds left. After a review of the play, the refs reversed the call, and the ball went over to the Jazz. The Warriors fouled Donovan Mitchell. Mitchell made both free throws and the game was over. The Jazz won 108-103.

Game Notes and Stats: With the loss the Warriors drop to 21-11. The Jazz’ record is now 15-17 for the season and has won four straight while at home.

Steph Curry led the Warriors with 32. Kevin Durant had 30. Klay Thompson finished with 12, and no other Warrior was in double figures. Draymond Green had 8 points and 12 rebounds. Kevon Looney had four. The Warriors’ bench tallied 17 points, and their output did not help the Warriors’ effort. The Jazz had six players in double figures. Joe Ingles led the jazz with 20. Gobert finished with 17 points, 15 rebounds, 6 assists, and 4 blocked shots. Donovan Mitchell had 17, Jae Crowder 18. Korver 12, and Derrick Favors 12.

The stats showed how the Jazz stymied the Warriors’ offense. The Warriors recorded only 18 assists. This would indicate that they were not able to move the ball as well as they normally do. The Jazz had 30 for the night. The Jazz outrebounded the Warriors 52-48 The Warriors had 10 steals and 9 blocks on defense. The Jazz countered with 7 steals and 7 blocks. The Warriors committed 12 turnovers. The Jazz turned the ball over 16 times.

The loss was the first of the season for the Warriors when they held the opponent below 40% shooting.

Kevin Durant passed Gary Payton to move into 32nd place in scoring.

Up Next: The Warriors return home to face the Dallas Mavericks Saturday night at Oracle Arena. Game time will be at 5:30 pm.

Headline Sports with London Marq: Schumer says Integrity fees out for sports betting; Kings hope for a win against OKC tonight; This is Kittle’s month–now headed for Pro Bowl; plus more

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Photo credit: @truthout

On Headline Sports with London:

#1 The No Integrity fees for sports leagues, which would be a cut in revenue for teams. New York Senator Chuck Schumer (D) said the law was to protect the consumer from corruption.

#2 The Sacramento Kings were rolling until they ran into the Minnesota Timberwolves last Monday night and got clobbered by almost 30 points. The Kings have Oklahoma City Thunder, do you see a recovery tonight?

#3 The San Francisco 49ers’ tight end George Kittle had a career day against Denver on Dec. 9th with 210 yards third most in NFL history.

#4 It’s hard to contain the San Jose Sharks. They got anther big win a 4-0 shutout over the Minnesota Wild and have won five straight games.

#5 The Oakland Raiders continue to have problems on and off the field losing to Cincinnati, getting sued by the City of Oakland and trying to find a new place to play in 2019.

London Marq does the Headline Sports each Wednesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Sacramento Kings podcast with Charlie O: Can Kings get the taste of Minnesota out and put a stop to OKC Wednesday night?

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sactownroyalty.com photo: The Sacramento Kings Skal Labissiere (7) asks “what gives” as teammate Harry Giles III (20) looks on in the Kings’ 30-point loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night at the Target Center.

On the Kings podcast with Charlie O:

#1 The Minnesota Timberwolves had just too much fire power on Monday night for the Sacramento Kings. The Wolves’ Andrew Wiggins led all scorers with 17 and the Kings’ Bobby Hield topped scorers with 21 points.

#2 Kings head coach Dave Joerger had 13 players even players who have not played in a long while come off the bench and get minutes. Was this because the Wolves were piling on or because he thought he could right the ship with a rotating lineup?

#3 Skal Labissiere–it was his ninth time playing and he got some minutes. While Labissiere was happy to get in the game. he hasn’t seen much action at this season.

#4 The Kings were in over their heads at the Target Center against the Wolves in the 30-point loss. With Wiggins, the top scorer with 17, is it an indicator that all the players in this one were all shooting the lights out no matter who they were? Did they find a weakness in the Kings’ game plan?

#5 The Kings host the OKC Thunder on Wednesday night at Golden 1 Center. Will the Kings need to put their shoulder into this one much like the game in Minnesota? How does Charlie see this one?

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