Category: NBA

Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson: Kings take out Spurs for fifth straight win in a row in San Antonio

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Sacramento Keon Ellis (23) reaches for the basket in first half action at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio on Fri Nov 17, 2023 (AP News photo)

Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah:

#1 The Sacramento Kings (7-4) beat the San Antonio Spurs (3-9) in a game that was close until the final minutes of the game. 

#2 This was their fifth win in a row in an amazing resilient effort winning 129-120. 

#3 The Kings handed the Spurs their seventh loss in a row. De’Aaron Fox finished with 43 points.

#4 Fox also had eight rebounds, seven assists shooting at 58% from the field. This guy just seems to play better and better with every game.

#5 The Kings  take on the Dallas Mavericks next Sunday with tipoff scheduled for 4:30 PM in Dallas. Jeremiah how do you see this match up?

Join Jeremiah Salmonson for the Kings podcasts each Friday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Kings Beat Spurs In a Thriller 129-120; Sac on a five game win streak, face Mavericks in Dallas Sunday

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The Sacramento Kings De’Aaron Fox (5) tries to get a drive in on the San Antonio Spurs Jeremy Sochan (right) at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio on Fri Nov 17, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

The Sacramento Kings (7-4) beat the San Antonio Spurs (3-9) in a game that was close until the final minutes of the game. This was their fifth win in a row in an amazing resilient effort winning 129-120. The Kings handed the Spurs their seventh loss in a row. De’Aaron Fox finished with 43 points.

The Sacramento Kings (7-4) took on the San Antonio Spurs (3-9) Friday night at Frost Bank Center . They continue their road trip after beating the Los Angeles Lakers Wednesday night 125-110 at times leading the Lakers by as much as 20. LeBron James did a great job in the fourth quarter attempting to lead his team to a comeback but fell short. The Kings held on for the win in a great start to this current road trip.

Game recap: The Spurs got a fast start leading 9-0 inside of two minutes forcing Head Coach Mike Brown and the Kings to take an early timeout. The Spurs didn’t back down at all and the Kings were having offensive trouble from the start. Halfway through the first quarter the Spurs were already 4 of 6 from downtown leading 23-7.

With a couple minutes left in the first quarter the Kings chipped away at the Spurs lead and when the clock expired Sacramento trailed by two points 31-29. They had a nice turnaround after trailing by quite a significant margin.

One minute into the second quarter, the Kings had taken their first lead of the game 33-31. Sacramento continued to hang onto the lead in the first half of the quarter. The Spurs refused to go away and mid-way through the quarter had taken back the lead 43-42. The Kings battled back and this game was tied at 62 when the the first half came to an end.

The Kings owned most of the third quarter taking as much as a 16 point lead mid-way through the quarter. The Spurs turned the quarter around trailing by four points with just over three minutes left in the third.

San Antonio continued to threaten cutting the King lead to a single point 88-87. With under two minutes left in the third Malik Monk hit his 5th three of the night. Every time the Kings built a lead, the Spurs erased it and after three quarters the Kings held a 95-94 lead. The Spurs had overcome a 16 point deficit.

The Spurs took the lead to start the fourth quarter 98-95. Seconds later this game was tied at 98 and the Kings Kevin Huerter, Harrison Barnes and Keegan Murray were desperately needed to step up in this game.

As the final quarter wore on, this was anybody’s game. In the final minutes Sacramento pulled it all together with some great defense winning a very challenging game 129-120. The Spurs had a great game and very nearly pulled off a win.

The Spurs Zach Collins had the high for the game with 28 points and the remarkable Victor Wembanyama had 27 points and 9 rebounds.

De’Aaron Fox finished the game with 43 points, eight rebounds, seven assists shooting at 58% from the field. This guy just seems to play better and better with every game . There was absolutely no rust to shake off after he missed five games with an ankle injury just coming back three games ago.

The Kings have now won five games in a row and will take on the Dallas Mavericks next Sunday with tipoff scheduled for 4:30 PM. This will be the ultimate challenge for Sacramento and they will need all hands on deck for this one.

OKC Thunder roll over the short-handed Warriors 128-109; Golden State suffers fifth straight loss

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Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren (7) takes a jump shot over the Golden State Warriors guard Moses Moody (4) in first half action at Chase Center in San Francisco on Thu Nov 16, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors (6-7) knew they would have to be at their best to beat the young and talented Oklahoma City (8-4) Thunder squad. Warriors guard Stephen Curry was out of action due to knee soreness, and Draymond Green was suspended for five games.

Warriors head coach, Steve Kerr, inserted Jonathan Kuminga and Dario Saric into the starting lineup. Chris Paul was the leader of the first unit. The last time the two teams met in OKC, the Warriors won 141-139.

The Warriors had to find a way to hold down the Thunder offense. Well, the Warriors had seven players in double figures. All the players contributed on offense. The Warriors came back from a seven-point deficit at halftime to climb within a point of tying the game at 84 in the third quarter.

The fans were on their feet, cheering the team on. OKC broke the game open as they were red hot from behind the three-point arc. The Thunder made 19 threes to roll over the Warriors,128-109.

The Warriors started well in the first period. The Warriors led 15-13 when the Thunder went on a 27-9 run to end the quarter leading 39-24. The Warriors didn’t help their cause, as they committed seven turnovers in the period. The Warriors shot 36% from the floor, while OKC shot 56%.

The Thunder continued to roll over the Warriors for most of the second period. OKC increased the lead to 19, 59-40. Dario Saric, Andrew Wiggins, and Chris Paul sent the Warriors on a 20-8 to end the first half trailing by seven, 67-60. The Warriors went to the locker room feeling that they had turned things around.

As mentioned above, The Warriors did play well in the third quarter. They came within a point of tying the game. The Thunder led 84-83. That would be the closest the Warriors would ever get. The Thunder continued to make three-pointers. OKC’s Isaiah Joe was seven-for-seven from downtown. The Thunder closed out the third quarter, leading 94-85.

OKC poured it on in the fourth quarter. They beat the Warriors 34-24 in the fourth quarter to win the Game 128-109.

Game Notes: The Warriors lost their fifth game in a row, and their record is now 6-7. OKC has won five of their last six and are now 8-4. The teams play again on Saturday at the Chase Center,

The good news for coach Kerr was the play of his reserves. Jonathan Kuninga led the Warriors with 21 points, six rebounds, and two assists. Saric had 12, Andrew Wiggins had 12, Paul had 15, Moses Moody had 12, and Brandin Podzienski had 13 points and eight rebounds.

Kevon Looney was everywhere. Looney scored 13 hard-earned points, and he snagged eleven boards. Thompson played well in most aspects of the game. Thompson moved well without the play, was excellent on defense, set up screens, and assisted on shots.

However, Thompson could not find the basket. He scored five points. He made just one basket from the floor in ten tries. Every time Thompson had the ball in his hands, two OKC Defenders were on him to keep him from taking good shots.

The Thunder had six players in double figures. Isaiah Joe finished the night with 23 points. As mentioned earlier, he made seven threes in seven tries. Shea Gilgeous-Alexander led OKC with 24. Jalen William had 16, Josh Giddey had 19, Cason Williams had 10, and Chet Holmgren had a double-double with 13 points and ten rebounds.

The schedule has not been kind to the Warriors at this point in the season. The Warriors play OKC Saturday night, the resurgent Houston Rockets, The Phoenix Suns on the road, and the San Antonio Spurs.

The Warriors will have to pull out all the stops to get some wins against these teams. Let’s hope that Thompson and Wiggins return to their past greatness.

Golden State Warriors podcast with Jerry Feitelberg: Warriors try and put Timberwolves in season battle to rest; Golden State sets up for OKC tonight at Chase Center

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Minnesota Timberwolves Rudy Gobert (back) and the Golden State Warriors Klay Thompson (11) scuffle at the Chase Center in first quarter action on Tue Nov 14, 2023 (AP News photo)

On the Warriors podcast with Jerry F:

#1 Jerry talk about how things got out of hand early and quick in the first quarter on Tuesday night at Chase Center between the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Golden State Warriors starting with the Timberwolves Jordan McDaniels grabbed the shirt of the Warriors Klay Thompson that just simply started bedlam.

#2 Then there was the Warriors guard Draymond Green who put the Timberwolves Rudy Gobert in a headlock as Gobert was trying to play peacemaker and pull the players apart. Realizing this Green was the one who got tossed out of the game and there was talk that he could face a suspension.

#3 Warriors head coach Steve Kerr now was without Green and Thompson who both were tossed. Green for putting Gobert in a headlock and Thompson for fighting with McDaniels. McDaniels also got tossed as well. Kerr revamped the line up with  rookie Brandin Podziemski as the shooting guard.

#4 The Warriors and Timberwolves had seen each other on Sunday night at Chase Center and got together again on Tuesday night. Do you suppose there was some bad blood leading into the second game on Tuesday that precipitated these fights overlapping from Sunday’s game?

#5 The Warriors play the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday night at the Chase Center. The game will start at 7 p.m. The Warriors would like to put the memory of they’re in season game with the Timberwolves behind them soon enough.

Join Jerry for the Golden State Warriors podcast each Thursday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Sacramento Manhandles Lakers – Win Fourth In a Row 125-110; Kings beat LA despite LeBron’s triple double in the Southland

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Sacramento Kings guard De’Aaron Fox (5) arms raised and forward Harrison Barnes (40) during a time out as the Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) looks on at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Wed Nov 15, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

The Sacramento Kings (6-4) had an amazing first quarter en route to a 125-110 win over the Los Angeles Lakers (6-6). They handed the Lakers their first home loss of the season as they outplayed them through the first three quarters. This is the first of a six game road trip for Sacramento and a very positive way to start it.

Game recap: The Kings got a great start in the opening quarter scoring 32 points in nine minutes. With less than two minutes left in the first quarter Sacramento had a 37-19 lead. Both Domantas Sabonis and Kevin Huerter had ten points apiece in the quarter. The Kings made six shots from downtown and were looking to continue to control the pace of this game going into the second quarter with a 38-25 lead.

After leading by as much as 20 points in the opening quarter, the Lakers erased that lead pulling to within eight points in the early minutes of the second quarter. Fast break points favored the Kings so far in this game and at 8:59 Sacramento held a 46-35 lead. With 0.1 left on the clocks the second quarter Fox hit a 27-foot jumper and the Kings took a 72-59 lead into the locker room.

Fox already had a 21 point game with Sabonis coming in with 19 points. So far in this game the Kings were dominating the glass. Sacramento finished the half with ten shots from downtown.

Sacramento finished the third quarter with an amazing 16 shots from downtown with Kevin Huerter responsible for six of them. He was having another solid game as the Kings continued to dictate the pace of this game going into the fourth quarter with a 104-80 lead.

The Kings were leading the Lakers in points from the field, shots from downtown, rebounds and only had ten turnovers through three quarters. The 24 point Sacramento lead was the largest they had in the game so far.

The Lakers got a fast start in the fourth quarter scoring six unanswered points. The Kings called a hasty time-out needing to get their offense back on track. It was a horrible start in the final quarter for Sacramento. They let their 24 point lead dwindle to 16. After missing numerous shots to start the quarter the Kings offense started to heat up again although they were committing too many turnovers with five in the quarter.

Both teams were shooting at 50% and the Sacramento offense began to struggle with five minutes left in the game. The 24 point lead that the Kings took into the fourth quarter had been cut in half with the Lakers trailing by a dozen. Sacramento was able to pull it together enough to win this game. This was the Laker’s first home loss of the season.

LeBron James gave his team an outside chance to win this game in the fourth quarter finishing with 28 points. D’Angelo Russell also had 28 points for Los Angeles. The Lakers did have 23 turnovers which hurt them.

Sabonis had the high for the Kings with 29 points and 16 rebounds. Fox and Huerter had 28 points apiece. Harrison Barnes chipped in double digits with 13.

Game notes: Wednesday night the Kings traveled to Los Angeles taking on the Lakers at Crypto.com Arena. The Kings had embarked on a six game road trip that started Wednesday night. The Kings came off a win over the Cavaliers Monday night 132-120 that saw the long-awaited return of Fox.

Fox did not disappoint and finished with 28 points. Sacramento had four starters with 20 plus points in that game and they extended their winning streak to three games. Huerter had a terrific night with 20 points and going 6 of 9 from downtown against Cleveland. Keegan Murray and Sabonis also had an outstanding game last Monday.

The Kings sure started this road trip on a positive note with the win Wednesday night. They will be looking to extend their four game winning streak Friday night taking on the San Antonio Spurs with a scheduled 4:30 PM tipoff.

Warriors Lose Second Game to the Timberwolves 104-101 In a Thriller; Golden State gets swept in in season game

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Minnesota Timberwolves forward Jordan McDaniels (left) grabs some of Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson’s jersey (right) in the first quarter at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Tue Nov 14, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

The Minnesota Timberwolves (8-2) beat the Golden State Warriors (6-6) 104-101 in the second game of their two-game series. Warrior guard Stephen Curry was out for this game with a knee strain and to make matters worse, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green were ejected less than two minutes into the game.

The Warriors took on the Timberwolves for a second time in as many nights. After losing the first meeting 116-110 on Sunday the Warriors couldn’t even the score Tuesday night. The Warriors were without Curry who was out with a reported knee strain. The injury isn’t expected to sideline him for very long which is great news. It didn’t fuel the rest of the team in their now fourth straight loss. They couldn’t pick up the slack; they really missed Curry who was out of the line up.

Game recap: This first quarter was a crazy one with three ejections in less than two minutes. The first incident occurred when Thompson and Jaden McDaniels were both ejected after getting into a fight to start this in-season tournament game.

Seconds later Green was ejected for putting Rudy Gobert in a headlock. The Warriors were now down three of their starters, and losing two additional players for this game was not the way Golden State envisioned their start. The rest of the team had a nice start to the game winning the first quarter 30-22 really picking up the slack. They had a terrific opening quarter.

The second quarter was a close one going to the Timberwolves 32-29. Despite losing the quarter the Warrior continued to hang onto the lead 59-54.

A very close third quarter went to Golden State 24-22 and a 83-76 lead going into the fourth quarter. It was crunch time. Minnesota cut the Warriors lead and actually took the lead mid-way through the quarter.

The remainder of the game was either a tie or a one to two point swing. With 51 ticks left on the game clock Minnesota had a one-point lead 99-98. The Timberwolves Mike Conley nailed the coffin shut when he hit a shot from downtown with 9.1 seconds left in the game giving Minnesota the lead and the game. The Timberwolves continue to be one of the hottest teams in the NBA.

The Warriors got some amazing things from Dario Saric with 21 points and Chris Paul with 15. Top dog in this game was Brandin Podziemski with 23 points a career high for him. Kevon Looney had 12 rebounds.

This was a wild game for Golden State being so short-handed and competing so hard and just coming up short. Golden State responded so beautifully after the way this game started, picking up the pieces and almost winning this game. The high for Minnesota was Karl Anthony-Towns with 33 points and 11 rebounds and Gobert chipping in 13 rebounds of his own.

There will be little rest for the Warriors taking on the Oklahoma City Thunder Thursday night. That game is scheduled for 7:00 PM.

Warriors lose a hard-fought battle against Timberwolves, 105-101; Green and Gobert get ejected after brawl; Golden State drops fourth straight game

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Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson (11) front center, guard Draymond Green left gets into a first half brawl with the Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert (back) at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Tue Nov 14, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors (6-6) did not have guard Stephen Curry in Tuesday night’s starting Lineup. The Warriors had the veteran Chris Paul sub for Curry, and Steve Kerr started Dario Saric instead of Kevon Looney. Klay Thompson and Draymond Green were in the Warriors starting lineup. The Warriors ended up losing their fourth straight game and getting swept in the two game set by the Minnesota Timberwolves (8-2) 105-101.

Things went downhill quickly. With less than two minutes played, Thompson and the Wolves’ Jaden McDaniels got into quite a skirmish. It appeared that McDaniels grabbed Klay’s arm as the teams were in transition.

Thompson took umbrage with McDaniels holding his arm, and McDaniels answered by grabbing and ripping Thompson’s jersey. Green put a chokehold on Rudy Gobert as the Wolves’ Gobert attempted to pull the players apart. The referees ejected Thompson, Green, and McDaniels. Not a single point was on the scoreboard when this happened. The Warriors head coach, Steve Kerr, had to revamp his lineup quickly.

Kerr inserted rookie Brandin Podziemski as the shooting guard. The young man, drafted in the first round by the Warriors, showed the fans at Chase Center that he could play in the NBA. While the Warriors fell to the Wolves, Podziemski wowed everyone in the arena.

Up to this point in the season, Curry was the only Warriors to put 20 or more points on the board this season. Podziemski played 38 minutes and recorded 23 points, seven rebounds, five assists, and one steal. Podziemski made three three in eight tries. Kerr now knows the young man from Santa Clara University will be getting more minutes of playing time in the future.

Minnesota, even without McDaniels, had four stars in their lineup. Karl-Anthony Towns had a season-high 33 points. Towns pulled down 11 boards and made five threes. Anthony Edwards finished with 320. Edward made a three late in the fourth quarter to put the Wolves ahead 96-95. 

The Warriors behind Podziemski, Dario Saric, and Chris Paul won the first quarter 30-22. The Wolves had to be surprised at the play of the Warriors’ reserves. The Warriors maintained the lead at the end of the first half, leading by five, 59-54. 

The Warriors continued to play well in the third quarter. Saric and Podziemski continued to put points on the board. Podziemski hit a three at the buzzer to put the Warriors ahead by seven, 83-76. The Warriors had to play well in the fourth quarter if they hoped to upset the Wolves.

Minnesota came into the game, owning the best defense in the NBA. The Wolves stopped the Warrior offense cold at the start of the fourth quarter. The Wolves went on a 7-0 run to tie the game. From that point until late in the quarter, it was a dogfight.

Neither team could pull away. Saric hit a three to make it 98-96. Towns hit a three to put the Wolves ahead by one, 99-98. The Wolves Michael Conley knocked down a three to increase the lead to 104-98. Moses Moody connected on a three to close the gap to 104-101. It was too little, too late. The Wolves ran out the clock to preserve the win.

Game Notes: The Warriors lost their fourth game in a row to even their record at 6-6. Minnesota improved to 8-2

Saric had 21, and Podziemski 23. These two players join Curry as the only players to score 20 or more points in a game this season. Kerr had to be pleased with the contributions of Moody (11), and Chris Paul (15). Backup Guard Cory Joseph had six, and Gary Payton II added seven.

There may be additional penalties for the melee early in the game. Draymond Green may be suspended for attacking Rudy Gobert and putting a choke hold on him. 

The Warriors play the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday night at the Chase Center. The game will start at 7 p.m.

Kings Defeat Cavs 132-120; Fox 28 pts and Murray 25 pts lead in Sac’s scoring

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Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen bottom left defends against Sacramento Kings center Alex Len top left whose trying to tip the ball in the basket at Golden 1 Sacramento on Mon Nov 13, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings were back in action on Monday night. The Kings were set to welcome in the Cleveland Cavaliers after two days off over the weekend. The Kings had last played on Friday against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Kings defeated the Thunder en route to their first NBA in-season tournament game of the year. On Monday, the Kings welcomed Donovan Mitchell and the Cavaliers at 7 PM PST. The Kings got a boost before tip-off as De’Aaron Fox returned from his ankle sprain after missing five games. The Kings trounced the Cavs in a commanding 132-120 win. 

In the first quarter, the Kings and Domantas Sabonis took control early. The Kings offense came out with high intensity. The lift Fox brings the Kings offense was apparent. Fox scored seven points as Sabonis added 11 in the quarter to get the Kings going. The Kings outscored the Cavaliers in the first quarter 33-25. 

In the second quarter, the Kings looked to build on the eight-point first-quarter lead. The Kings weren’t able to add to the lead in the second quarter. However, they did maintain exactly an eight-point advantage.

The Kings and the Cavaliers would enter halftime with the Kings leading 68-60. Fox and Sabonis had a tremendous first half for the Kings, with Fox scoring 15 and Sabonis 16. Donovan Mitchell led the way for the Cavaliers with 12 points in the half. Defensive intensity would be the game’s key in the second half for the Kings if they were going to win. 

In the third quarter, the Kings broke out. The Kings scored an impressive 42 points in the quarter to take a commanding lead. The Cavaliers were only able to muster 29 points as the Kings separated. The Kings offense could do no wrong in the quarter as the Cavaliers struggled to get back on defense. The Kings played a complete game as they led the Cavaliers 110-89 going into the final quarter. 

In the fourth quarter, the Kings took a step back as the Cavaliers upped the intensity on the offensive end. The Cavaliers offense put up 31 points in the fourth quarter. On the other hand, the Kings offense dropped off to a 22 point output in the final quarter of the game.

However, the Kings massive 21 point advantage would hold up as they defeated the Cavaliers 132-120. The Kings were led by Fox who had 28 points in his return from injury. Donovan Mitchell led the Cavaliers with 22 points in the game. 

Up Next: The Kings go on the road to take on the LA Lakers on Wednesday at 7 PM PST.

Golden State Warriors podcast with Barbara Mason: Warriors on 3 game skid lose first of two games with Timberwolves at Chase Center

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Golden State Warriors Klay Thompson (11) and the Minnesota Timberwolves Karl-Anthony Towns (right) go for the basketball at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Sun Nov 12, 2023 (AP News photo)

On the Warriors podcast with Barbara:

#1 The Golden State Warriors (6-5) could not stop the best offensive team in the Western Conference Sunday night. Golden State lost their third game in a row falling to the Minnesota Timberwolves 116-110.

#2 Minnesota is loaded with a plethora of talent in Karl-Anthony Towns, Anthony Edwards, Mike Conley and Rudy Gobert. This was a tougher matchup than Saturday night’s game against Cleveland.

#3 Barbara, Minnesota head coach Chris Finch talked about finding ways and strategies on improving winning games and like you talked about in your recap last night Finch and the Timberwolves have found ways to win like they did against the Warriors on Sunday.

#4 Talk about Anthony Edwards scored 33 points and was followed up by Karl Anthony-Towns who scored 21 points. Towns also had a season best 14 rebounds which shows you that hurts the Warriors on rebounding against the Wolves.

#5 The Timberwolves will try and sweep this two game set on Tuesday night at Chase Center for a 7:00 pm PT tip off. How do you see this second game going down after you saw how the Timberwolves perform against the Warriors on Sunday night. Like you said in your recap it’s tough to win the second game when your on the road like the Timberwolves are.

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

Warriors Drop Third In a Row to Offensive Giants – the Timberwolves 116-110 in the first of two game set

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Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry gestures after making a three point shot against the Minnesota Timberwolves at the Chase Center in San Francisco in first half action on Sun Nov 12, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

The Golden State Warriors (6-5) could not stop the best offensive team in the Western Conference Sunday night. Golden State lost their third game in a row falling to the Minnesota Timberwolves 116-110.

After a tough loss Satrurday night in a game that seemed to go on and on for what seemed like an eternity the Warriors were back on the court at Chase Sunday night taking on the Timberwolves in the first of two games with the Timberwolves.

Minnesota is loaded with a plethora of talent in Karl-Anthony Towns, Anthony Edwards, Mike Conley and Rudy Gobert. This was a tougher matchup than Saturday night’s game against Cleveland. Golden State was challenged by the sheer size of Minnesota.

Game recap: The first quarter was a close one with the Timberwolves taking as much as a five point lead but the Warriors erased the Minnesota lead going ahead 25-19 at 2:50 in a ten point swing. The Timberwolves fought back tying up this game at 25 with 1:43 left in the first 12 minutes. With one tick left on the game clock Warriors guard Stephen Curry made a layup giving the Warriors a 31-29 lead after one quarter.

The Warriors led for a minute in the second quarter 38-30 at 9:43 but Minnesota came charging back tying up the game 38-38 at 7:18. The game was tied again at 6:01 40-40 with the Timberwolves Rudy Gobert making a huge impact with spectacular play.

The Warriors had trouble keeping Minnesota off the glass due to their size. The Timberwolves had gone on a 22-8 run in the second half of the second quarter and led at the half 54-51. The Warriors were trailing at the half but they had Curry and a whole second half to get this game done.

They were only shooting at 38% to the Timberwolves 47% and so they had to be pleased with this slight deficit. Minnesota had gotten the best of the Warriors from downtown as well shooting 37% to Golden State’s 20%. Looking at only a three point deficit, the Warriors, a second half team was in great shape despite trailing.

With 8:36 remaining in the third quarter the Timberwolves continued to hang onto the lead 65-60 and with under six minutes left in the quarter Minnesota started to pull away. The third quarter turned into a disaster as the Timberwolves began to distance themselves from Golden State now leading 85-71 with under two minutes left in the quarter.

The Warriors were having trouble containing the best offensive team in the league. As has been seen so often, it was Curry doing all the heaving lifting with 25 points and Klay Thompson the only other starter with double digits. Going into the fourth quarter Minnesota led 89-73 and the Timberwolves had sucked the life out of the Chase Center crowd.

The pace in the fourth quarter began to quicken and the Chase crowd began to get involved although Minnesota continued to hold a 98-84 lead halfway through the final quarter. Minnesota was relentless striking back every time the Warriors made a move. The Timberwolves are to make some serious noise in the Western Conference this season.

The Warriors just could not stop the Minnesota penetration falling to the Timberwolves 116-110. This was the Timberwolves sixth win in a row. Curry was the high score for both teams with 38 points. Dario Saric was the high off the Warrior bench with 11 points. Anthony Edwards had the high for Minnesota with 33 points.

Golden State will get another shot at Minnesota this coming Tuesday in this two game series. It is always very difficult to beat the same team twice in a row and Minnesota just might see a different result. Tipoff for this game is scheduled for 7:00 PM at the Chase Center.