Category: NBA

Warriors take down Spurs in San Antonio 112-102; Win ends Golden State’s 3 game skid

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Golden State Warriors forward Trayce Jackson-Davis (32) drives to the basket against the San Antonio Spurs forward Zach Collins (23) at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio on Mon Mar 11, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State (34-30) Warriors were in San Antonio on Monday night to face the San Antonio Spurs (14-51). The Warriors wanted to avenge their loss to San Antonio last Saturday night in San Francisco.

The Spurs did not play two of their starters on Saturday. However, Victor Wembanyama ( 20.7 PPG, ten boards per game, and Devin Vassell (19.5 PPG) were back in the lineup.

Stephen Curry was still out with an ankle injury. The Warriors had to figure out a way to stop the Spurs—the Warriors needed players to step up to achieve that goal. The veteran point guard, Chris Paul, rose to the occasion. The Warriors’ play action in the third quarter sent them to a 112-102 win.

The Spurs started Monday night’s game the same way they started in San Francisco last Saturday night. They played well in the first quarter, shot 62% from the floor, and connected on six three as they raced out to a 10-point lead 37-27.

The Warriors’ offense came to life as they erased the deficit and tied the game 43-43. The Warriors and Spurs swapped the lead several times before the first half ended. San Antonio held a two-point advantage at the end of the first half.

Klay Thompson paced the Warrior attack with 12 points. Chris Paul had 11, Andrew Wiggins 10, and Brandin Podzienski hit three threes to finish with nine. The Spurs’ Wembanyama led his team with ten. The Warriors trailed 60-58.

.The Warriors fell behind by five, 72-67, to start the third quarter. The Warrior’s defense shut down the Spurs’ attack. Golden State went on a 23-2 run to grab a 16-point lead, 90-74. Thompson, Jonathan Kuminga, Trayce Jackson-Davis, and Podzienski. The Warriors finished the third quarter leading 90-78.

The Spurs’ Victor Wemanyama connected on two threes to keep the Spurs within striking distance. The Warriors answered every San Antonio challenge and held on to beat the Spurs 112-102.

Game Notes: The Warriors are 34-30 for the season, 15-5 in the last 20 games, and have 18 games left. San Antonio fell to 14-51. 

The Warriors had six players in double figures. Kuminga led the Warriors with22. Thompson with 21, Paul had 19 points, nine rebounds and eight assists. Andrew Wiggins had 16, and Podzienski had 14. Podzienski also had eight rebounds. Rookie Jackson-Davis had a double-double with 13 points and ten rebounds.

Wembanyama tallied 27 points and 14 rebounds. Keldon Johnson had 16, and Zach Collins, coming off the bench, had a double-double with ten points and ten rebounds. 

The Warriors play the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday in Dallas. The game will start at 5:30 pm.

Golden State Warriors podcast with Barbara Mason: Warriors continue to struggle without Curry in the line up

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Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga (rear) and the San Antonio Spurs guard Devonte Graham (4) reach out for the basketball at Chase Center in San Francisco on Sat Mar 9, 2024 (AP News photo)

On the Golden State Warriors podcast with Barbara:

#1 Warriors had a scare Thursday night in the late fourth quarter when Stephen Curry suffered a right ankle sprain. The MRI had came back clean a relief for the team.

#2 With Curry out with the injury this team had to collectively step up led by Klay Thompson, Jonathan Kuminga, and Chris Paul. The Spurs also had their star Victor Wenbamyama out with a sprained ankle.

#3 The Spurs came into this game with a lot of energy outplaying the Warriors in the first half. San Antonio averages about 29% from beyond the arc but in this game they were shooting 62% at times.

#4 The only bright spots in this game were Thompson and Kuminga. Other than that the Warriors were outplayed the entire game.

#5 Monday night the Warriors travel to San Antonio to take on the Spurs for a second time. The Warriors will closely follow the progress of Curry’s ankle and hopefully he can return sooner rather than later. Again it will be up to the Warriors to step up against the Spurs that has struggled all season.

Join Barbara Mason for the Golden State Warriors podcasts each Monday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Rockets get one of their best road wins defeating Kings 112-104 however lose Sengun

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By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings were back in action on Sunday afternoon in Sacramento. The Kings welcomed in the Houston Rockets on Sunday. The Rockets were coming off a victory on the road in Portland on Friday, 123-107.

The Kings were coming off back-to-back wins against the Lakers on the road and the Spurs at home. The Kings defeated the Spurs 131-129 on Thursday night. It was a nail-biter game as the Kings won with a last-possession bucket. The Kings were set to take on the Rockets on Sunday at 3 PM PST as they looked to move to 12 games over .500. The Kings fell to the Rockets 112-104 on Sunday afternoon.

Game recap: In the first quarter, the Kings came out of the gate strong. They managed to jump to an early lead by outscoring the Rockets 30-23. Kings center Domantas Sabonis immediately impacted the game. Domas finished the quarter with eight points, eight rebounds, and four assists. Keegan Murray also started hot, scoring eight first-quarter points.

The Kings played well in the second quarter. However, the Rockets were able to make up a little ground in the game. The Rockets were able to make a run late in the second quarter to cut the Kings lead to 59-54.

The Rockets outscored the Kings 31-29 in the second quarter, partly thanks to Fred VanVleet. VanVleet hit two big three-pointers late in the quarter to bring the Rockets to within five points. Sabonis had a 14-point and 10-rebound double-double by halftime to lead the Kings.

In the third quarter, the game came to a screeching halt. The Kings offense completely disappeared in the third quarter as they had only scored seven points at 4:36 in the third. The Kings couldn’t buy a bucket, and the Rockets kept a steady offensive pace during the quarter.

The Kings were outscored by the Rockets 32-14 in the third to dig themselves a big hole. The Rockets would lead 86-73 heading into the fourth quarter. The Kings were shooting 4/22 on three-point attempts thus far in the game, which was the biggest issue. The Kings also had a bad stretch of turnovers that saw the Rockets extend their lead.

In the fourth quarter, the Kings fought, but ultimately, they came up short against the Rockets. It was another meltdown game for the Kings against an opponent they should have defeated. The Kings’ storyline of losing against bad teams has become a tired one this season, but it prevails as the central theme.

The Kings outscored the Rockets in the fourth quarter 31-26, but it was too little too late. The Kings fell to the Rockets 112-104. Leading the way in defeat for the Kings was Sabonis, who scored 25 points. VanVleet led the way in victory for the Rockets with 22 points. It is worth noting that with 30 seconds left in the game, an apparent knee injury. He was wheeled off the court in a wheelchair.

Up Next: The Kings will take on the Milwaukee Bucks inside Golden One Center in downtown Sacramento on Tue Mar 12. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 PM PST.

Spurs Muster Just Enough To Get Past Golden State 126-113

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Despite Golden State Warriors Klay Thompson’s team leading 27 points the Warriors struggled against the team with the worst record in the NBA the San Antonio Spurs at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Sat Mar 8, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

The San Antonio Spurs (14-50) have struggled all season; they have not shot over 50% from downtown yet they did not struggle tonight against the Golden State Warriors (33-30). The Spurs outplayed the Warriors the entire game winning by the score of 126-113. The Warriors struggled without Stephen Curry on the floor.

Game recap: The Spurs came into the opening 12 minutes with a lot of energy leading after the first quarter 32-27. San Antonio took that energy into the second quarter outplaying the Warriors and five minutes into the quarter the Spurs had a 44-32 lead forcing Head Coach Steve Kerr to take a time-out.

The Spurs were shooting 51% from the field and 54% from downtown. The Warriors were laboring at 36% from the field and the long ball. They were simply being outplayed so far in this game and their frustration was obvious.

With six minutes left in the half, San Antonio had taken their largest lead of the game 48-34. The Spurs continued to extend their lead and Kerr continued to take time outs trying to get these guys going.

It was a fractured first half of basketball for Golden State. Klay Thompson got going in the latter minutes of the half which got the crowd at Chase going as well. Thompson was the only Warrior in double digits in the first half. He was 3 of 7 from downtown. The Spurs continued to hush the crowd with ten triples and at the half San Antonio led by 19 points 62-43.

The Warriors needed to wake up in the second half of this game if they wanted to win. They were struggling defensively allowing the Spurs to shoot at 62% from beyond the arc. San Antonio was outplaying the Warriors at every turn. This was also a very disappointing offensive effort for Golden State. They had a lot of work to do in the second half. They were desperate for some offense.

The Spurs opened the third quarter with a bucket in the paint and a 21 point lead. Golden State found some rhythm and began to chip away at the Spurs lead. The 21 point San Antonio lead had dissolved to 12, 66-54.

With so much time left in this game, the Warriors had turned this game around trailing by only nine points. San Antonio was making a lot of mistakes and missing shots looking like a different team compared to the first half.

With under seven minutes left in the quarter the Spurs got some momentum going pushing their lead back to 76-59. After three quarters, San Antonio continued to lead 96-79. The Warriors worked hard in the third quarter getting to the line which was great but they missed eight free throws. The Warriors did win the quarter 36-34 and had one more quarter to comeback.

The Spurs kept knocking down triples in the fourth quarter. They had not shot at 50% once this season and here they were shooting at 58%. Mid-way through the fourth quarter, the Spurs led 110-94 clocking 17 triples.

This had been an uphill climb for Golden State the entire game and it was Thompson who was giving his team any sort of chance to win. With under five minutes left in the game, San Antonio had a 20 point lead 114-94.

Jonathan Kuminga came on strong in the second half and with under four minutes had 24 points to his credit. It was just too little too late for the Warriors. The final was 126-113 in favor of San Antonio. The Spurs had their 14th win of the season.

The Warriors were outplayed in every category in tonight’s game. Thompson had the team high with 27 points and Kuminga heated up in the second half with 26 points. They were the only bright spot in this game as they got totally dominated.

Game notes: Saturday night the Warriors took on the Spurs at Chase Center. The Warriors took to the court without their leader, their offensive weapon Curry out with a right ankle injury. Thankfully Curry’s MRI revealed no structural damage to the joint and classified the injury as a sprain.

When he will take the court again is unknown but he will be re-evaluated on Tuesday. The Spurs are having their woes besides a disappointing season; they are also missing their star Victor Wenbamyama due to a sprained ankle. Golden State will be leaning on Thompson, Kuminga and Chris Paul. In Curry’s absence Thompson had to carry this team to a win with only 20 games left in the regular season Thompson scored 27 points.

Golden State will travel to San Antonio to take on Spurs for a second time on Monday night. Curry will not be on the floor but the Spurs Wembanyama is expected to play which may prove to be tough for the Warriors. Tipoff for this game is scheduled for 5:00 PM.

Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson: Kings host Rockets Sunday at Golden 1

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Sacramento Kings guard De’Aaron Fox (5) celebrates with forward Domantas Sabonis (10) in the first half against the San Antonio Spurs at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Thu Mar 7, 2024 (AP News photo)

On the Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah:

#1 The San Antonio Spurs (13-51) are one of the worse teams in the NBA yet you never how things will turn out on any given night such as the Sacramento Kings (37-26) who battled to last 7.7 seconds against the Spurs when the Kings Domanta Sabonis threw down the game winning basket in the Kings narrow 131-129 win on Thursday night.

#2 Sabonis led the Kings with 31 points on Thursday, Sabonis said that it looked ugly with one minute left in the game so he stepped up and fixed it with a winning basket.

#3 The Kings De’Aaron Fox scored 17 of 33 points in the fourth quarter of the game and ended up getting fouled out.

#4 One thing that held the Spurs back was they were without their leading scorer Victor Wembanyama who has a strained right ankle and is also expected to sit out against Golden State on Saturday in San Francisco.

#5 The Houston Rockets are next for the Kings. The Rockets (27-35) 12th place in the Western Conference. The Rockets have lost six of their ten games. But you never know the Spurs were struggling and gave the Kings fits do you see the same for the Rockets at Golden 1 on Sunday afternoon at 3:00pm PDT?

Join Jeremiah for the Sacramento Kings podcasts Fridays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Sacramento Kings game wrap: With 7.7 secs left Sabonis throw down gets Kings 131-129 over Spurs at Golden 1

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Forward Domantas Sabonis (10) takes off down the floor after scoring against the San Antonio Spurs in the second half at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Thu Mar 7, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings were back in action on Thursday night. The Kings were coming off the first night of a back-to-back that saw them make a stop in Los Angeles. The Kings were in LA on Wednesday night to take on the Lakers.

The Kings went down early to the Lakers but ultimately came out with the win 130-120. On Thursday night, the Kings returned home for the second night of the back-to-back against the San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs were coming off a loss to the Rockets on Tuesday, 114-101.

On Thursday, the tip-off was set for 7 PM PST inside Golden One Center. The Kings beat the Spurs 131-129 on Thursday night.

Game recap: In the first quarter, the Kings came as expected on the second night of a back-to-back. The Kings came out sluggish in the first quarter. The Spurs would outscore the Kings 31-30 in the first quarter to a slim early lead.

De’Aaron Fox was largely silent for the Kings in the quarter, scoring no points. Domantas Sabonis and Harrison Barnes led the way for the Kings in the first quarter with six points each. Devin Vassell led the Spurs with eight points.

In the second quarter, the Kings took off. Similarly to the previous game against the Lakers, the Kings had a sub-par first quarter and took command in the second.

The Kings outscored the Spurs in the second quarter 41-28. In the first half, the Kings were led by Sabonis, who scored 17 points. He was well on his way to another triple-double if he kept it up. Vessell led the way for the Spurs in the first half with 14 points.

The Kings let the Spurs back into the game in the third quarter. In the tale of two quarters, the Kings melted down in the fourth. The Spurs outscored the Kings 36-29 in the third to come to within five points of the lead.

The Kings would lead 100-95 going into the final quarter of action. Could the Kings maintain the lead and hold off the young Spurs without Wemby?

In the fourth quarter, the Kings and Spurs found themselves in a dogfight! The Spurs were up late in the quarter as Fox fouled out. The Kings and Spurs would go back to back until Sabonis got a steal and a dunk to put the Kings up 131-129 with 7.7 seconds in the game. That bucket would seal the deal.

The Spurs missed two shots in the final possession to lose the game 131-129. The Kings were outscored by the Spurs in the final quarter 34-31, but it was to no avail. It was a big win for the Kings, even if it came in ugly fashion.

Up Next: The Kings will stay home to take on the Houston Rockets on Sunday at 3 PM PST inside Golden One Center

The Warriors lose a nail-biter to the Chicago Bulls 125-122

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The Chicago Bulls center Nikola Vucevic (9) tries to reach in for the basketball against the Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson (11) in the first half at Chase Center in San Francisco on Thu Mar 8, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors (33-30) played a back-to-back game Wednesday and Thursday nights at the Chase Center. The Chicago Bulls (32-32) were in San Francisco after beating the Sacramento Kings on Monday and the Utah Jazz last night.

The Bulls were going for their third straight win on the road. The Warriors bounced back from a 52-point loss to Boston on Sunday to beat the Milwaukee Bucks by 35 last night. The Warrior fans were hoping that their team could knock off the Bulls.

The Bulls, led by DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic, gave the Warriors more than they could handle. The game was a dogfight until the last few seconds before Chicago pulled ahead for good. The Bulls won 125-122.

The game was a nail-biter. The Warriors got off to a good start in the first quarter. They grabbed an early 13-point lead, 31-18. The Bulls started an 11-0 run by making a three. DeMar DeRozan put four points on the board when he was fouled, making a three-pointer, and the quarter ended with the Warriors ahead 31-25.

DeRozan made the first bucket of the second period to bring the Bulls within four. The Bulls outscored the Warriors 28-28 in the second quarter to finish the first half leading 63-59. DeRozan and Vucevic led the Bulls attack with 18 points each. Klay Thompson was hot in the first half.

Thompson put 16 points on the board for the Warriors. Jonathan Kuninga and Andrew Wiggins each had eight. Draymond Green had seven points, six rebounds, and six assists. The Bulls’ defense put the clamps on Stephen Curry. Curry had just five points.

Neither team could pull away. Green and Brandin Podzienski made baskets to tie the game at 63. Curry made a three to give the Warriors a one-point lead 66-65. The two teams fought tooth and nail. The lead changed hands several times until the Bulls went on a 19-4 run at the end of the third quarter to lead 99-89.

The Warriors were unfazed. They stormed back to take the lead, 108-107. The teams tied at 114-114 and again at 116-116. There were 13 ties and 20 lead changes at this point in the game. Curry had to leave the game with 3:51 left to play.

Curry appeared to have suffered an injury to his leg. Curry went to the locker room and did not return. With 58 seconds left, Green fouled out. The Bull’s DeRozan made it 118-116. Thompson connected from downtown to put the Warriors ahead, 119-118.

DeRozan answered with a bucket, making it a three-point play as he was found. The Warriors then fouled Vucevic. Vucevic made both free throws. Chris Paul made a three to bring the Warriors within a point, 123-122. Unfortunately for the Warriors, time was running out. With just 2.1 seconds left, the Warriors fouled DeRozan. DeRozan made both free throws to end the game.

Game Notes: With the loss, the Warriors are 33-29. They are 14-5 in their last 19 games. Chicago improved to 31-32.

The Warriors could not stop the Bulls’ two top offensive threats, DeRozan and Vucevic. The Bulls had five players in double figures. DeRozan scored 33 points, eight rebounds, and four assists and made three threes in six attempts.

Vucevic’s numbers were similar to DeRozan’s. Vucevic had a double-double with 33 points and 11 rebounds. He also had five assists and connected on three threes in six tries. Coby White added 20, Jevon Carter, 10, and Ayo Dosunmo had 14 for Chicago.

The Bulls shot 53% from the floor and connected on 16 threes. Thompson made five threes, and the Warriors as a team had 11. 

The Warriors had seven players in double figures. Curry finished with 15 but did not score in the fourth quarter. Thompson finished with 25, and Green almost had a triple-double. Green had 11 points, nine rebounds, and 12 assists. Kuninga had 19, Podzienski 11, Moses Moodey 10, and Chris Paul 15. The Warriors shot 45% from the floor and made 11 threes in 42 attempts. 

The Warriors welcome the San Antonio Spurs to the Chase Center on Saturday night. The fans will see the Spurs’ rookie sensation, Victor Wembanyama, in action. Wembanyama is 20 years old and stands seven feet four inches tall. He is averaging almost 21 points a game. The game will start at 5:30 pm.

Warriors get back on win track rout Milwaukee Bucks 125-90 at Chase Center

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Golden State Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins looks to pass the ball against the Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) in the first half at Chase Center in San Francisco on Wed Mar 6, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

Golden State Warriors, who were trounced by the Boston Celtics last Sunday in Boston, returned home to face the Milwaukee Bucks, the team with the second-best record in the NBA’s Eastern Conference.

The Bucks fired their coach earlier in the season and brought Doc Rivers to right the ship. Things didn’t go well for Milwaukee after Rivers took over. However, the Bucks got their act together and had won six straight after the All-Star break.

The Warriors won three games on the four-game road trip. The only blemish was Sunday’s massacre in Boston. Warriors’ head coach Steve Kerr said the team had to flush the loss down the toilet. The Warriors did just that as they crushed the Bucks 125-90.

The Warriors came to play Wednesday night. The Warriors scored 40 points in the first quarter. Andrew Wiggins returned to the starting lineup after missing four games for personal reasons. Brandin Podzienski also returned to the starting lineup after missing two games with a sore knee.

Stephen Curry and Jonathan Kuminga paced the Warriors’ offense in the first 12 minutes of the game. The Warriors led 40-32 at the end of the quarter.

In the second quarter, the Warriors played well on both ends of the court. Klay Thompson tallied ten points, Gary Payton II, nine, and the Warriors won the quarter 38-26 to finish the first half leading 78-56. Steph Led the Attack with 17. Kuninga was a force on offense as he tallied 16.

The Warriors shot 64% from the floor. They made 12 threes in 19 tries. Milwaukee shot 50% from the floor, but they could not find a way to stop the Warrior offense in the first half. Milwaukee’s only advantage in the first half was at the free-throw line.

The Bucks had 12 free throws and made eight. The Warriors went to the free-throw line just once in the first half. Curry made both free throws.

As NBA fans know, leads can quickly disappear in the second half. The Warriors have been guilty of blowing big leads in the fourth quarter. Milwaukee’s stars Giannis Antetokoumpo and Damian Lillard could get hot and lead the Bucks back into the game.

The Warriors, on the other hand, have owned the third quarter for many years. The Warriors loved to come out and blow away their opponents in the third quarter. If they hoped to win, the Bucks knew they had to stop the Warriors offense and take control of the game.

Milwaukee stopped the Warriors’ offense cold. Milwaukee went on a 19-5 run to close within six points of the lead, 83-77. At this point, Steve Kerr inserted the rookie Trayce Jackson-Davis. Davis turned things around for Golden State.

The Bucks won the quarter 23-15, but Jackson Davis was excellent on both ends of the court. Davis blocked two of Giannis’ shots, and TJD knocked down six points. The Warriors led by nine, 93-82, after three periods of play.

Milwaukee felt they had figured out how to get back into the game. They were wrong. The Warriors’ second unit of Moses Moody, Davis, Podzienski, Curry, and Draymond Green stopped the Bucks’ offense. The Warriors won the final stanza 32-9 to propel the Warriors to a very important bounce-back win 125-90.

Game Notes: With the win, the Warriors are 33-28. They have won 14 of the last 18 games. Milwaukee falls to 41-22. The Warriors split the season series with the Bucks.

The Warriors shot 56% from the floor, made 19 threes in 39 tries, and had 37 assists on 51 made baskets. On defense, the Warriors outrebounded the bigger Bucks 57-45. The Warriors had ten steals and a season-high 13 blocks. 

Curry paced the offense with 29 points, eight rebounds, and six assists. Curry also made six threes. Jonathan Kuminga added 20 points. Klay Thompson finished with ten. Green had 12 points, six boards, and six assists. Green connected on two threes in the fourth quarter. Jackson-Davis had quite a night. The 24-year-old rookie from Indiana tallied 15 points and six rebounds in 18 minutes of playing time.

Antetokounmpo led the Bucks with 24 points. Lillard had 20. Lillard made five threes, and he is now tied with Reggie Miller for fourth place in the NBA making threes. 

The Warriors must put this game behind them as they face the Chicago Bulls on Thursday night at the Chase Center. The game will start at 7 p.m.

Despite Slow Start, Sacramento Takes Care of Business in Los Angeles 130-120

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Los Angeles Lakers forward Anthony Davis (3) defends and the Sacramento Kings guard De’Aaron Fox (5) tries to get the shot in first half action at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Wed Mar 6, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

The Sacramento Kings (35-26) had a horrible start in the first quarter of their game against the Los Angeles Lakers (34-30). It was like night and day between the opening quarter and the second quarter. Sacramento won the second quarter 44-20 and they kept their foot on the pedal for the rest of the game. The Lakers challenged at times but the Kings held on for the 130-120 win at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.

Game recap: Wednesday night the Kings take on the Lakers in Los Angeles looking to get back on track. The Kings are currently in seventh place in the Western Conference while the Lakers are in ninth place with only a game and a half separating the two teams.

Both will be playing for the win trying to avoid the dreaded play-in game. Sacramento needs to get a strong start, and most of all they need to finish strong and keep an eye on those turnovers.

They had 18 turnovers in the Chicago game. The Kings will be playing with a full roster while the Lakers will be missing at least three players with Cabe Vincent, Jarred Vanderbilt and Christian Wood out with injury.

There is also an outside possibility that LeBron James and Anthony Davis may not play now being listed as questionable. The Kings are 2-0 against the Lakers this season. This game carries major importance for both teams and it will no doubt prove to be a battle.

The Kings did not get the start they wanted with three turnovers, one unforced, in the early minutes of the first quarter. It was an ugly start for Sacramento. They looked to be completely out of sync and needed to generate some second chance shots as well as more efficient offense.

The Lakers continued to cruise leading 30-13 with four minutes left in the opening quarter. The Kings had fouled six times, the Lakers had a single foul and the Kings had ground to make up going into the second quarter trailing 28-37. The Kings did close the quarter with a 10-0 run after trailing by 19 points and Sacramento was starting to come around.

The Kings turned up the pace to start the second quarter cutting the Laker’s lead to six points 40-34. Malik Monk entered the game bringing his trademark energy as this game began to turn in favor of Sacramento.

With six minutes left in the half, the Kings had tied up this game at 48 and seconds later taken the lead 50-48. Monk was making incredible decisions shooting for 17 points in 13 minutes and Sacramento had it all going on.

Monk had really spear-headed this King’s comeback. With less than two minutes left in the second quarter the Kings had taken a 64-51 lead in this turnaround. Sacramento had sucked the energy out of Crypto.com Arena. At the half the Kings had taken a 72-57 lead. They had a 44 point quarter and won the second quarter by a landslide 44-20.

De’Aaron Fox finished the first half with 20 points closely followed by Malik Monk with 19. The Kings had really turned the triples around hitting 10 of 20. Davion Mitchell was a perfect 4 of 4 from downtown. Sacramento would need more of this intensity in the second half.

The Lakers put together a 9-2 run to win the third quarter 35-32. The Kings lead had been cut but every time the Lakers challenged, the Kings answered continuing to maintain a double digit lead going into the fourth quarter. Sacramento needed to hang onto the lead, they needed to finish this game. With only a 12 point lead, the Lakers were within striking distance.

Los Angeles continued to push and the Kings pushed right back taking a 21 point lead 118-97 four minutes into the fourth quarters. The Laker’s continued to hang around cutting the King’s lead to 12 points 120-108 with under five minutes left in the game.

With under three minutes left on the clock this game became clutch; Sacramento had to finish this game. The Kings refused to let this game go winning 130-120.

This was the third straight win over the Lakers for the Kings this season. Fox had the high for the game with 44 points. Off the bench, Monk really got this game going in favor of Sacramento in the second quarter finishing with 26 points.

There was another triple double for Domantas Sabonis with 20 rebounds, 12 assists and 16 points. This guy never ceases to amaze. After the slow start, the Kings started to play lights out basketball and hung on for the win.

Every starter for the Lakers had double digits but they could not match the play of the Kings tonight.

Post game notes: There is so much going for the Kings right now. Sabonis leads the league in rebounding, double-doubles and triple-doubles. He has 43 consecutive double doubles right now. The Kings have an ace on the bench who just may be the leading candidate for sixth man this season in Monk.

Of course the Kings also have clutch player in Fox who is supported by the above mentioned along with Keegan Murray, Harrison Barnes and Kevin Huerter. With so much talent their win/loss pattern is sometimes confusing. Last Friday Sacramento beat the first place Minnesota Timberwolves 124-120. They went on to lose to the Chicago Bulls after leading for all but the final minute of play. The team managed to turn the ball over three times in the final 1 1/2 minutes missing critical baskets. They couldn’t close out this game.

As the season begins to wind down every game is critical. Thursday night, the Kings take on the San Antonio Spurs at Golden 1 Center. The Spurs have struggled all season holding down last place in the West. San Antonio comes into this game looking to play spoiler and Sacramento needs to respond. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 PM.

Sacramento Kings podcast with Tony Renteria: Kings hope to stop King James and Lakers tonight in the Southland

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The Chicago Bulls guard Coby White drives on the Sacramento Kings Malik Monk (0) at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Mon Mar 4, 2024 (AP News photo)

On the Sacramento Kings podcast with Tony R:

#1 The Sacramento Kings (34-26) got shut down by the Chicago Bulls (29-32) in a four point loss 113-109 at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento.

#2 One of the keys to the Bulls victory was in the fourth quarter holding the Kings to just 18 points as opposed the Bulls 36. The Bulls had to come back from behind in this game and the defense made the difference in the fourth quarter.

#3 Bulls point guard Coby White led in scoring with 37 points and power forward DeMar DeRozan led contributed with 33 points.

#4 The Kings wanted to counter with De’Aaron Fox who had 20 points and Domantas Sabonis finishing behind Fox with 18 points but it was a matter of not enough points all around and the Bulls just simply shutdown the Kings offense in the at fourth quarter.

#5 The Kings battle the tenth place Los Angeles Lakers 33-29. The Lakers have won six of their last ten games. How do you see the Kings taking on King James and the Lakers tonight at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.

Join Tony Renteria Tuesdays for the Sacramento Kings podcasts at http://www.sportsradioservice.com