Boston Celtics, from left, Jae Crowder, Jaylen Brown, Isaiah Thomas, Terry Rozier and Marcus Smart walk out to the court after a timeout during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Los Angeles Clippers, Monday, March 6, 2017, in Los Angeles. The Clippers won 115-102. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
The Boston Celtics are coming to Oracle Arena and the Celts are a team that has given the Golden State Warriors fits like in last season’s game. The Celts have aggressive defense and Brad Stevens is really good coach. He’s done a good job as any trying to find ways to stymie the Warriors on offense
You might remember the Warriors had that great offense to start the season and Boston was the last streak in that game and it was barely a win they had to go to double overtime at the Garden to pull that one out. The Warriors were so exhausted and the next night they had to play Milwaukee and they lost that one.
Sacramento Kings center Willie Cauley-Stein (00) in the second half of an NBA basketball game Monday, March 6, 2017, in Denver. The Nuggets won 108-96. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
The Sacramento Kings are in the middle of a five game losing streak if you had to evaluate some of the good things that are happening and what they would hope would happen personnel wise for the Kings. One of the things they were looking for who was going to become the team leader once DeMarcus Cousins left the team. Cousins was the team leader just because he was the big bad guy.
He was the star when he was in Sacramento and the universe circled around him. He was the player that was going to pick up the mantle and be the leader. Forward Aaron Affalo has really stepped up and become that leader. Especially since Rudy Gay would have picked up a lot of plays but Rudy right now isn’t there. Gay is rehabbing he’s not traveling with the team. Affalo who is a very sharp guy, kind of a mild mannered in his style not only on the court but off the court too.
Cleveland Cavaliers’ Andrew Bogut (6) grimaces after getting hurt in the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Miami Heat, Monday, March 6, 2017, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)
by Jerry Feitelberg and Charlie O
It was supposed to be an eventful start a new beginning for former Golden State Warriors star Andrew Bogut who was dealt at the NBA wavier wire deadline this week. The injury prone Bogut who starred for Golden State had arrived previously at the Warriors with an ankle injury before the Warriors first Finals appearance in 2015. He was plagued by injuries when playing with the Warriors who won a championship in the 2014-15 season and lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals during the 2015-16 season.
Bogut was part of those two Warriors finals teams only to be dealt to Dallas after the post season last season. When Bogut didn’t quite pan out for Mark Cuban and the Mavericks he was then dealt to the world champion Cleveland Cavaliers with the hopes of providing the Cavs some rim protection. So one minute into his Cleveland career Bogut entered the ball game and 0:37 in Bogut on defense tried to defend against the Miami Heat’s Okaro White at 11:36 in the second quarter Bogut managed to injure his left leg and went down.
Bogut had to be helped off the floor by the Cav’s training staff and the expression on Bogut’s face reflected shock saying “what just happened here” The Cavaliers spokesman Joe Gabriele released a statement from the club regarding Bogut’s condition, “Cavaliers Center Andrew Bogut experienced a left leg injury during the second quarter of Monday’s game in Cleveland vs. the Miami Heat. Initial x-rays and evaluation at The Q revealed a fractured left tibia. Bogut was taken to the Cleveland Clinic for further imaging and evaluation and additional updates will be made as they become available.”
This comes as somewhat of a shock to those who covered Bogut at Golden State and then not so much a shock. The shock value was Bogut only got to play less than a minute for the Cavaliers. A team he hoped to help in the post season and possibly face his former teammates at Golden State and show his former team that he could be an asset for the Cavs and show the Warriors some payback for dealing him away at the beginning of the season.
It was not to be as the Warriors knew all full well having had Bogut on the team who had suffered a number of lower body injuries and particularly to his ankle. He first came to Golden State with an ankle injury but was able to flourish and help Golden State become that contender you see now. He lost some of his luster and he was dealt to Cleveland from Dallas. The Cavs liked his potential because of his physical strength below the rim to stop the offense’s inside game. But after Monday night’s injury the Cleveland Cavaliers will never know what could have been for Andrew Bogut in the 2017 post season with a fibia injury the recovery might take him past the NBA Finals in June.
Jerry Fietelberg covers Golden State Warriors basketball and Charlie O covers Sacramento Kings basketball for http://www.sportsradioservice.com
Denver forward Wilson Chandler, back, brings the ball up the court as Kings center Willie Cauley-Stein drops back to defend in the first half on Monday, March 6, 2017, in Denver. David ZalubowskiThe Associated Press
By: Eric He
As the Sacramento Kings adjust to life without DeMarcus Cousins, they’re finding quickly that it includes more losses. Sacramento suffered its fifth straight defeat on Monday in a 108-96 loss to the Denver Nuggets. The Nuggets with the win now move into a four game lead over the Kings for the last and final spot for the playoffs in the Western Conference, “At this point, everybody’s on the same page,” center Willie Cauley-Stein told the Sacramento Bee on Monday night. “We’re trying to win. We’re trying to get to the eighth spot just for the story. It’s going to help guys’ whole outcome of their game if we can continue to make strides and win.”
Wilson Chandler scored a career-high 36 points to pace the Nuggets, shooting 13-of-23 from the field and grabbing 12 rebounds as well. Chandler got off to a hot start with a 16-point first quarter to help Denver end its five-game losing skid. “It’s the toughest thing in the world,” Kings guard Ty Lawson said. “To come here on a back-to-back, especially. Mile high, your legs are heavy. My legs were heavy before the game, so it’s tough. We’ve just got to keep working.”
The Nuggets pulled away in the third quarter when they outscored the Kings 33-23. Denver led 90-73 after three, and was up by as many as 21 points early in the fourth. The Kings were able to cut into the lead as Denver struggled shooting the ball, pulling with nine points late in the game.
Still, Denver, fighting for a playoff spot, pulled off the win.
The Kings had seven players finish in double figures, with Darren Collison’s 17 points leading the way. Kosta Koufus added 14 points and Buddy Hield had 14 off the bench.
Sacramento’s quest to end its losing streak won’t come easy; the Kings play the Spurs on the road on Wednesday.
Atlanta- The Golden State Warriors were blitzed by the Atlanta Hawks in the first quarter of the game in Atlanta. The Hawks, coached by Mike Budenholzer, had lost two games in a row at home and wanted to get untracked against the Dubs. The game started well for Atlanta but they were not happy at the end. The Hawks outscored the Dubs 42-35 as Dennis Schroder was on fire. He made five 3-point shots in just 12 minutes of action. Steph Curry and Klay Thompson were ice cold. However, the bench, sort of maligned this year as they did not perform as well as they did last year, came to life in the second quarter. They were led by the veteran Andre Iguodala who turned up his game several notches Monday night. Ian Clark also made his presence felt as he tallied 10 points. Klay Thompson, who was saddled with three fouls, sat out most of the quarter and did not score a point in the half. Steph Curry could not hit a three and he scored just 7. The Hawks led 53-37 but the bench including newcomer Matt Barnes and veteran Shaun Livingston as well as Iguodala, Clark, David West, JaVale McGee was able to close the deficit to just 4 points trailing 55-51. The Hawks increased the lead to six 62-56 but the Dubs held tight and ended the first half by 5 66-61. Iguodala tallied 14 to lead the Dubs in scoring. In fact, the Warrior bench scored 41 of the team’s 61 points. The starters contributed just 20.
The Warriors, who have dominated third quarters all season, took it to Atlanta. Klay Thompson made some baskets, Steph was able to make threes and the Warriors defense was superb. They took the lead for good when Steph hit a three to give them the advantage 72-20. They never trailed again in the game. Patrick McCaw hit 2 3-pointers. Klay, Steph, and Andre put the Dubs up by 4 at the end of three periods of play 94-90.
The Hawks started the 4th quarter with a three to trail by one. David West made two buckets and Klay made a trey. Steph and Andre each made two more three-pointers as the Dubs led by nine 111-102 with 3:36 left to play. The Warriors defense held and they won 119-108.
Game Notes and Stats. The starters picked up the pace in the second half. Steph ended the night with 24 points, nine assists, and 4 rebounds. Draymond Green was also outstanding both on offense and defense. The numbers show 12 points, 6 assists, and 8 rebounds. Pachulia had 8, McCaw 9 points and 7 rebound, and Klay finished with 13, all in the second half. Andre Iguodala looked like the Andre of old. The veteran scored 24 points to go along with 4 assists and 5 boards. Ian Clark finished with 10. David West knocked down 10 and Matt Barnes, in his 3rd game as a Warrior, had 5 points, 3 assists, and 7 rebounds. The Warriors made 41 field goals and shot 47.1% from the floor. They made 20 3s in 44 attempts good for a percentage 45.5%. They also had 33 assists which indicated they had good ball movement and finding a man open. On defense, they had 10 steals and 4 blocked shots. Dennis Schroder scored 23 for Atlanta. Paul Milsap had 20, former Dub, Kent Bazemore added 18, and Tim Hardaway, Jr pitched in with 19.
The Warriors improve to 52-11 while Atlanta drops to 34-29. The Warriors return home to face the Boston Celtics and Isiah Thomas Wednesday night at Oracle Arena. Game time will be at 7:30 pm.
Arron Afflalo puts the ball up for the Kings Photo NBAE
If you are Dave Joerger this morning, you are probably having an agony and ecstasy moment over your coffee. The ecstasy is your team played a great game on Sunday versus a very talented playoff bound Utah Jazz squad. The agony is your team let a 16 point lead slip away and you lost in overtime on a tip-in with 1-tenth of a second left on the clock.
Joerger really had a good attitude after the game on Sunday. “It was good. Arron Afflalo, like I said pregame, has really stepped up into the leadership position. I thought he really set the tone for us. I think he made four of his first five, five of his first six. He was aggressive. He did a great job at (defending) Gordon Hayward.
Afflalo scored 17 points shooting 6-for-12 from the field and 4-for-4 from the free throw line. He had four rebounds and three assists. Afflalo was one of seven Kings to score in double figures.
“It was good,” said Afflalo after the game. “I was extremely proud of my teammates. Everybody was engaged on both ends of the court. We played with a purpose to win tonight. It’s going to be a true test of our will to take a tough loss like this and play the team (Denver) tomorrow (Monday) that we’re trying to catch for the eighth spot.”
Garrett Temple returned to the court
Garrett Temple returned after missing 11 games Photo NBAE
Garrett Temple returned to action for the Kings on Sunday night after missing 11 games with a partially torn left ham string. Temple scored 11 points on 4-of-9 shooting including two 3-point baskets to go with four assists and three steals.
“Well certainly he has a positive impact,”, said Dave Joerger. “We were better defensively whether he was in there or not. He is certainly a positive defender and a solid positive contributor for sure.”
Willie Cauley-Stein played with intensity
Cauley-Stein dunks it over Gobert Photo NBAE
“That was a playoff game for us,” opined Joerger. “We played with playoff intensity. If a guy plays 12 minutes of that, that’s better than four (quarters) in summer leagues where he plays 38 minutes. Summer league, you just get minutes, they keep score and that’s great. This is where you find out where you are as a player and what you need to work on. The intensity of competition is a fantastic experience.
Cauley-Stein put up 15 points while shooting 6-for-12 and grabbing 9 rebounds. “WCS” also had Three assists, two steals and one blocked shot.
The Kings have now lost four in a row
The Kings have now lost four consecutive games and their record has fallen to 25-37 for the season. Sacramento has fallen to 11th place in the Western Conference three games behind Denver in the eighth and final playoff spot. They are tied with the Timberwolves while Portland and Dallas stand in between them and the Nuggets.
Kings (25-37) must face the Nuggets (28-34) Monday night in Denver
The Kings have the tough task of playing the Nuggets in the second game of a back-to-back set on the road at high altitude in Denver. The Nuggets are coming off a loss to the Hornets and are anxious to take advantage of the fact that 8 of their next 11 games at home.
FiveThirtEight.com projects that the Kings have just a 17-percent chance of winning the game in Denver (ouch!). The second game of a back-to-back on the road coupled with the high altitude seems to the influencing factors. This lopsided prediction is out there despite the fact the Kings are 2-0 versus the Nuggets this season. The second Kings win came after the DeMarcus Cousins trade to New Orleans but that win came in Sacramento.
The Jazz were thrilled to escape Sacramento with the overtime win
“It’s a big lift,” said Jazz head coach Quin Snyder.”I think particularly, Sacramento played well. We made some plays to win the game, but they did a heck of a job and probably deserved to win. I like to think our guys did some good things and we were able to steal one. It gives you a lift. There’s no question about it. With plenty more to go right now, you can’t rest on that any more than you can with getting beat.”
The Jazz also have a back-to-back
The Jazz flew home to Utah where they will host the New Orleans Pelicans in the second game of a back-to-back set. Both teams are coming off wins on Sunday. The Pels picked up their first win with DeMarcus Cousins on the roster by beating the Lakers in Los Angeles.
Utah will be looking to increase their 1.5-game lead over the fifth-place Clippers. The Pelicans are in 13th-place in the Western Conference 3.5-games out of playoff contention.
The Kings lost to the Utah Jazz on Sunday night 110-109 in OT with literally 1-tenth of a second left on the clock. It took a replay decision in New Jersey to decide the final outcome of the game. It was exciting, frustrating and exhausting all at the same time.
— Sports Radio Service (@SportsRadioSrvc) March 6, 2017
You can watch the final 1.6-seconds of the overtime period in these highlight clips from the Utah Jazz of Rudy Gobert (sorry you will have endure a 15-commercial) by just clicking on the link. Gobert – who has been a Kings killer – posted a double-double recording 16 points and 24 rebounds (6 OR) in addition to scoring the game winning bucket.
— Sports Radio Service (@SportsRadioSrvc) March 6, 2017
Gobert on the final game-winning basket
“I was rolling because I thought he was going to pull up into the shot and I didn’t know if I had time to get the rebound or not. When I saw the ball of on the side, I just tipped it in.”
Kings head coach Dave Joerger’s analysis
“This was a playoff game for us. We played with playoff intensity.”
Kings have no time to rest
The Kings headed to the airport after the game and flew to Denver where they will play the Nuggets on Monday night. Sacramento is three games behind Denver who is in the eighth and final playoff slot in the Western Conference.
New York City- The Golden State Warriors ended a 2-game losing streak as the Splash Brothers regained their shooting touch and sent the Knicks down to defeat 112-105 Sunday afternoon at Madison Square Garden.
The Dubs played well in the first quarter as they led the Knicks 29-18. However, they went cold in the second quarter. Steph Curry was, as usual, on the bench for the first six minutes of play. The Dubs scored just 2 points in the first 5 and 1/2 minutes of action. Thy trailed the Knicks 50-49 at the end of the half.
Curry and Klay Thompson led the Warriors to an 8-point lead after three. The Dubs led the Knicks by 2 with 90 seconds left. Steph made a layup and a three-pointer with just 5.6 seconds to give them an 84-76 advantage. The Knicks closed the gap to one 97-96 but Steph found Klay, and he drained a three to put the Warriors in the driver’s seat. The Dubs held on to win 112-105.
Game Notes and Stats. Steph Curry made five three-point shots and passed Chauncey Billups for 10th place in three-point shots made. Steph scored 31 and had 6 assists and 8 rebounds. Klay Thompson knocked down 29. Matt Barnes made his first start as a Warrior filling in for Kevin Durant. Barnes had 3 points, 2 assists, 3 boards and 1 blocked shot. Draymond Green’s stats were 13 points, 4 assists, and 7 rebounds. Zaza Pachulia pitched in with 10 points. David West scored 7, JaVale McGee had 5 points and 4 rebounds. Andre Iguodala helped out with 6 points, 4 assists and 3 rebounds Patrick McCaw and Ian Clark each had 4 off the bench. The Knicks’ Derrick Rose led them with 28. Big Kristaps Porzingas had a big night with 24 points and 15 boards. Carmelo Anthony was held to just 15. Bench players Justin Holiday had 10, and Ron Baker scored 9 for New York.
The Dubs shot 45.5% from the floor and 37/1% from beyond the 3-point arc. Steph, in his last 3 games before Sunday’s contest with the Knicks, was just 4 for 31. The Knicks outrebounded the Warriors 47-35, but the Warriors were still excelled on defense as they had 11 steals and 3 blocks. The Warriors improve to 51-11 while the Knicks fall to 25-38.
The Warriors face the Atlanta Hawks Monday night in Atlanta. Game time is at 4:30 pm. They return home to face the Boston Celtics at Oracle Arena on Wednesday, then hit the road again as they fly to Minneapolis to face the Timberwolves on Friday night and play the San Antonio Spurs Saturday night in San Antonio. The schedule makers did not make it easy for the Warriors.
“We have (Bogdan) Bogdanovic coming over next season as another asset.” Sacramento Bee February 25, 2017
If you thought Serbian shooting guard Bogdan Bogdanovic was going to finish his season in Turkey and fly to Sacramento ready to put on a Kings jersey ready to play, you would be wrong. The Kings obtained the rights to Bogdanovic as part of a draft-night trade with Phoenix that sent Marquese Chriss to the Suns.
More on Bogdan Bogdanovic, I'm told Fenerbahce has him signed for 2017-18 season with buyout in excess of $1M. https://t.co/nuxjVPktce
Bogdanovic was drafted in the first-round (27th overall) of the 2014 NBA Draft by the Phoenix Suns. The shooting guard decided to remain in Europe to play for Fenerbahçe of the Turkish Super League in part to avoid the NBA Rookie pay scale.
Now that three years have passed, Bogdanovic can negotiate a contract that pays him up to the maximum of a free agent with 0-6 years of experience in the NBA. A max deal at that contract level is projected to be $26-million dollars per year under the new CBA. Bogdanovic is not going get 26-mil but he is throwing down the gauntlet that he is not going to settle for $3 to 5-mil per year. This guy and his agents are looking for a major payday.
After researching his value, I still have no real idea where to place the “Euro” shooting guard on the salary chart. My guess (this is a pure “WAG”) is that Bogdanovic’s agent will be looking for a 3-year, $30-million deal with a one-year player option. This player and his agent have played hardball for three years, this will not be an easy negotiation.
Bogdanovic is having a very nice EuroLeague season. He is averaging 13.3 points per game while shooting a 55.2-percentage for 2-point shots and 38-percent from 3-point range. He scored a season-high 27 points against Olympiacos Piraeus on February 23rd. By all accounts, he is a talented and still developing player with a tremendous upside.
Here is the downside. If Bogdanovic joins the NBA next season, he will be 25-years old. That is almost ancient by today’s NBA standards where first-round draft picks are 19-years old. A team will be asked to make a veteran level dollar investment in a player who will have a shorter career in “the Association” and has never played a minute in the NBA.
Bogdanovic might come into the NBA and have an instant impact while becoming an All-Star. The more likely scenario is that he will come into the league as rookie with a big learning curve and struggle like most rookies do while he adjusts to playing basketball at the highest level in the world.
Bogdanovic at the advice of his advisers has already played a very dangerous game with the NBA in order to up his contract value. If he spurs the Kings for next season, he takes an even more calculated chance that teams will want to invest big money in a 26-year old rookie. The “Euro” star needs to remember the big, new CBA money will not stay uncommitted for long.
For the Kings, this is a time to be prudent. They now have two first-round picks in a star-studded draft. They really like Bogdanovic’s game or they would not have included him in the Phoenix deal, but they need to cautious. Before backing up the “money dump truck”, the Kings must remember Bogdanovic has played zero minutes in the NBA where it is a brand-new game.
SACRAMENTO–There was a time if you did not make the roster of an NBA team going overseas to play basketball was really a players only real option. Yes, there was the Continental Basketball Association that ultimately gave way to the NBA Development League, but the money was not good and the chances of moving into “the Association” were slim to none.
Now that players are being drafted after just one year of college basketball experience, the need to have player development teams similar to the system baseball uses has become a necessity. Rather than losing control of players to teams in Europe and Asia, NBA teams are establishing a true player development system of their own.
There are currently 22 “D-League” teams and the league will expand to 25 teams next season. It will not be long before every NBA team owns a D-League team of its own. The new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) expands each teams roster from 15 to 17 players next season. There are special pay provisions for players 16 and 17 on the roster depending on whether they on a the team’s D-League roster or NBA roster. A D-League team could have up to five NBA contract players on its roster beginning next year.
The sleepy, little D-League is now a thing of the past. The D-League (which next season will become the NBA Gatorade League) is about to become the most important player development tool the NBA has in its arsenal.
The game on Friday night featured the Reno Bighorns (owned& operated by the Kings) and the Raptors 905 (owned& operated by the Toronto Raptors).
This was my first time to see an NBA D-League game in person
— Sports Radio Service (@SportsRadioSrvc) March 4, 2017
I was interested in seeing several things in this particular game:
I was curious to see the level of play and where it fits between college and the NBA game
This game also offered a chance to see center Georgios Papagiannis play extended minutes that he does not get with the Kings
This match up also provided the chance to see one of the best teams in the D-League. Raptors 905 came into the game with the best winning percentage in the league
— Sports Radio Service (@SportsRadioSrvc) March 4, 2017
The level of play was obviously not NBA-like but it was also a real cut above Division-I basketball. The pace was fast and furious plus they love to shoot the ball from beyond the 3-point arc
Papagiannis was very interesting to watch work around basket especially with his soft-touch half-hook shot that can be very effective and almost impossible to stop because of his height and length
905 showed why they win so many games by outscoring the Bighorns 36-16 in the second quarter and took a 57-42 lead into the locker room at halftime
Bighorns made it close in the third but could not hold on in the fourth
The Bighorns behind the play of David Stockton (6 pts, 1 ast) and Kendall Marshall (6 pts, 5 ast) outscored 905 26-20 in the third quarter to cut the Raptors lead to 77-68. It appeared that the momentum had swung over to Reno but things changed rapidly in the final period.
Both teams shot 6-for-20 (30-percent) from the floor in the final period. The difference came in 3-point shooting. 905 converted 3-of-8 from long range while the Bighorns hit only 1-0f-6 shots beyond the arc. The Raptors won the quarter 17-13 and the game 94-81.
Raptors 905 now has a record of 30-9 on the season and 6- 0 versus Western Conference teams. The Bighorns are now 13-25 for the season.
— Sports Radio Service (@SportsRadioSrvc) March 4, 2017
Raptors 905
Brady Heslip was the game’s leading scorer with 33 points in 33 minutes on the floor. He hit 8-of-15 shots from beyond the 3-point arc
Yanick Moreria and Antwaine Wiggins each added 11 points
905 hit 12-of-31 (38.7-percent) tries from long-range
Raptors are now 6-0 this season versus Western Conference teams
Their road record improves to 15-2
Bighorns
Former King David Stockton was the leading scorer for Reno with 20 points. He also had three assists and three steals
Georgios Papagiannis posted 17 points shooting 8-for-19 from the floor. The big man also had six blocked shots in contest
Kendall Marshall recorded a double-double with 13 points and 13 assists
Isaiah Cousins — who the Kings drafted in the second round — scored 11 points and grabbed seven rebounds. Cousins played his college basketball at Oklahoma with Buddy Hield who just joined the Kings in the DeMarcus Cousins trade with New Orleans
Sports Radio Service 