Category: NBA

Tatum Leads Team Giannis To Victory 184-175

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Team Giannis forward Jayson Tatum (0) drives during the first half of the NBA basketball All-Star game Sunday, Feb. 19, 2023, in Salt Lake City (AP News photo)

Jayson Tatum Leads Team Giannis To Victory

By Barbara Mason

Sunday evening the NBA All-Star Game took place after an amazing weekend of events. This was the 72nd year that this event has taken place, this year held in Salt Lake City. This game got underway after Mac McClung blew the crowd away on Saturday night winning the Dunk Contest with a run of spotless scores.

This year’s captains based on the number of votes were Giannis Antetokounmpo and the incomparable LeBron James. Team Giannis defeated Team LeBron 184-175.

The two captains for the first time ever, drafted their teams just ahead of the game. They first selected from the reserve pool and then chose from the players named All-Start starters.

Giannis Antetokounmpo took the stage with his very own playbook. The reserve players he chose were Damian Lillard, Jrue Holiday, Shai Gilgeous- Alexander, DeMar Derozen, Pascal Siakam, Bam Adebayo and Domantas Sabonis. His starters were Jason Tatum, Ja Morant, Donovan Mitchell and Lauri Markanen.

LeBron James chose Anthony Edwards, Jaylen Brown, Paul George, Julius Randle, De’Aaron Fox and Jaren Jackson Jr., Tyrese Haliburton as his reserve players. His starters were Joel Embiid, Kyrie Irving, Luca Doncic and Nikola Jokic.

“Big Brothers Big Sisters” was the charity chosen by Team LeBron and “Raise the Future” was Team Giannis’ choice.

The first quarter was as close as a game could be. Giannis Antetokounmpo hit the first basket of the game and seconds later “King James” tied up the game. The contest would pivot back and forth with neither team taking more than a three point lead. After the first 12 minutes the game was dead even 46-46 and the two teams would split the cash for the opening quarter. Each of their charities would receive $50,000.

At halftime Team Giannis led 99-92. They won the second quarter 53-46 and along with it the $100,000 going to “Raise the Future”.

The third quarter went to team Giannis 59-49 and they were on a roll leading 158-141. The target score was set in the fourth quarter at 182 with no commercials and no clock. Jayson Tatum tore through the second half of play with 55 points. Damian Lillard hit the winning three, the final 184-175 in favor of Team Giannis. They would earn $550,000 for “Raise the Future” and team LeBron would come away with $200,000 for “Big Brothers Big Sisters.”

The second half was played without their captains. James had sustained a hand issue while dunking in the first half and so the two captains watched from the bench. The MVP award went to Jason Tatum who broke the all-time scoring record. Tatum had a lot of help from Donovan Mitchell with 40 points. On team LeBron the high score was Jaylen Brown off the bench with 35 points. Kyrie Irving and Joel Embiid both came away with 32 points.

It was a great evening for all the fans in person and watching from their living rooms. The greatest names in the world of basketball put on an exciting show as we have seen year after year. It was a great night out for not only the fans but the players as well.

These players will now head back to continue the 2022- 23 season with games resuming this coming Thursday.

Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson: Fox and Sabonis look forward to representing Kings at All Star game

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Sacramento Kings Domantas Sabonis (left) and De’Aaron Fox (right) will represent the Kings at the NBA All Star Game this weekend on Sun Feb 19, 2023 in Florida (photo from NBC Sports Northern California)

On the Kings podcast with Jeremiah:

#1 Jeremiah, the first half of the season ended for the Sacramento Kings (32-25) not so well in Phoenix as the Kings were defeated rather handedly by the Phoenix Suns (32-27) at Footprint Arena on Tuesday night.

#2 The Kings by and large did get some high scoring by De’Aaron Fox with 35 points and Domantas Sabonis with 24 points but it wasn’t enough to win the game for the Kings.

#3 The key part of the Suns victory was they kept the Kings from scoring by some double teaming and strangling the paint the Kings for some crucial parts of the game got their inside game shutdown.

#4 On defense for the Kings couldn’t plug up the hole for the Suns Devon Booker 32 points and Deandre Ayton with 29 points.

#5 Fox and Sabonis are representing the Kings at the NBA All Star game this Sunday Feb 19th talk about the season they’ve both been having and what you look forward to see them doing this weekend at the NBA All Star game.

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

Golden State Warriors podcast with Jerry Feitelberg: Warriors end first half with loss to Clippers; Lack of defense plays a big part in loss

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Try as they may the Golden State Warriors battled through their contest against the Los Angeles Clippers at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Tue Feb 14, 2023 (AP News photo)

On the Warriors podcast with Jerry F:

#1 Tuesday night the Golden State Warriors (29-29) took on the Los Angeles Clippers (32-28) at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles and couldn’t hold on getting beat by ten points 134-124. 

#2 The Clippers took an early lead in the opening quarter 31-23. Los Angeles kept pushing taking a ten-point lead before the Warriors began to turn things around.

#3 They won the second quarter 42-30 and had four players in double digits, Jordan Poole, Jonathan Kuminga and Anthony Lamb all had scored 11 points. Donte DiVincenzo had ten points and the tide of this game had turned in the second quarter. 

#4 The Warriors offense went cold in the fourth quarter. Golden State ran into a fully loaded Clipper team and suffered their 29th loss of the season 134-124.

#5 Next game for the Warriors Thu Feb 23 at Crypto Arena in Los Angeles against the Los Angeles Lakers. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 PM.

Jerry Feitelberg does the Golden State Warriors podcasts Thursdays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Golden State Warriors podcast with David Zizmor: Warriors now have lost three of last four games going into All Star break

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The Golden State Warriors guard Jordan Poole (3) drives towards the bucket defended by the Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (2) at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Tue Feb 14, 2023 (AP News photo)

On the Warriors podcast with David:

#1 Tuesday night the Golden State Warriors (29-29) took on the Los Angeles Clippers (32-28) at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles and couldn’t hold on getting beat by ten points 134-124. 

#2 Dave, you saw Kevin Durant get traded from the Brooklyn Nets to the Phoenix Suns who are in the same division as the Warriors. When Durant was available not that the Warriors would acquire him wouldn’t somebody like that be a big help to Golden State at the juncture.

#3 Next game for the Warriors will take on the Lakers at Crypto.com Arena on Thu Feb 23. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00. PM. Warriors were defeated in their last meeting with the Lakers 109-103 Sat Feb 11 at Chase Center.

Join David Zizmor for the Warriors podcast each Wednesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Fully Loaded Clippers Beat Warriors 134-124

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Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard, right, shoots as Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga defends during the first half at Crypto Arena in Los Angeles on Tue Feb 14, 2023 (AP News photo)

Fully Loaded Clippers Beat Warriors 134-124

By Barbara Mason

Tuesday night the Golden State Warriors (29-29) took on the Los Angeles Clippers (32-28) at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles and couldn’t hold on getting beat by ten points 134-124. The Warriors came off a win Monday night against the Washington Wizards 135-126 at Chase Center in San Francisco. After trailing in the first quarter of that game, the Warriors turned the game around scoring 42 points in the second quarter.

Andrew Wiggins had his best game since his return to the court although he was not in the starting roster for Monday’s game which will make this game even tougher for Golden State. The Clippers on the other hand are fully loaded with their entire lineup healthy.

The Clippers took an early lead in the opening quarter 31-23. Los Angeles kept pushing taking a ten-point lead before the Warriors began to turn things around.

With seven minutes left in the half Golden State trailed by a single point 42-41. With 6:42 left in the second quarter the Warriors took the lead 43-42 in an impressive turnaround. At the half the Warriors had managed a 16 point reversal and led 65-61.

They won the second quarter 42-30 and had four players in double digits, Jordan Poole, Jonathan Kuminga and Anthony Lamb all had scored 11 points. Donte DiVincenzo had ten points and the tide of this game had turned in the second quarter. This was the second game in a row that the Warriors had a 42 point second quarter.

Golden State needed to take the same energy into the second half. They only had five turnovers so they were protecting the ball and the defense was cooking against a very tough duo in Paul George and Kawhi Leonard.

As good as the Warriors had played, the Clippers were equal to the task and erased the Warriors half time lead. With 6:22 left in the third quarter Los Angeles led 84-83. The Clippers continued to press and with 2:59 left in the quarter led 96-89. The Warriors began to suffer mental lapses committing turnovers and empty possessions. Los Angeles had their largest lead of the night 105-93 after three quarters.

The Warriors offense went cold in the fourth quarter. Golden State ran into a fully loaded Clipper team and suffered their 29th loss of the season 134-124. The absence of Stephen Curry and Andrew Wiggins has been a challenge for Golden State and they were unable to keep the pressure on the Clippers for four quarters.

Every starter for the Warriors had double digits, Jordan Poole with the high of 28 points. The bench had 42 points but the loss of focus in the second half was the deciding factor that beat the Warriors. Golden State is now 29-29 going into the All-Star game.

Next game for the Warriors Thu Feb 23 at Crypto Arena in Los Angeles against the Los Angeles Lakers. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 PM.

Kings no match for Suns Booker and Ayton in 120-109 crushing at Footprint Arena

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Sacramento Kings guard De’Aaron Fox (5) who led with 35 points but the effort wasn’t enough as the Phoenix Suns came away with an 11 point win at Footprint Arena in Phoenix on Tue Feb 14, 2023 (@SacramentoKings photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

PHOENIX–The Sacramento Kings were back in action on Tuesday night in Phoenix as they took on the Suns. The Kings were last on the court on Saturday when they took on the Dallas Mavericks on the second night of a back-to-back at home. The Kings lost the first night of the two-game series against Dallas.

However, the Kings managed to lock down an overtime win on Saturday 133-128. On Tuesday, the Kings would look to secure a win in the last game before the All-Star break. The Kings will send Domas Sabonis and De’Aaron Fox to the festivities in Utah as All-Stars. Kevin Heurter will travel to Utah to compete in the NBA three-point challenge. On Tuesday, the Kings fell to the Suns 120-109 in Phoenix.

In the first quarter, the Kings played a solid opening quarter. The Kings defense was solid with the exceptions of Ayton and Devin Booker who scored eight and nine points respectively. Fox started the Kings out on the right foot scoring seven points. The Kings defense overall was solid even with a few missed assignments. The Kings outscored the Suns 29-27 in the first quarter.

In the second quarter, The Suns came out hot in the quarter and were able to maintain the pressure throughout. The Suns scored 35 points in the second quarter compared to the Kings who only scored 29 points. The Kings defense could not contain Josh Okogie, Chris Paul, and Booker.

The three players scored a combined 41 points in the first half. The Kings would enter the second half down 62-58. However, the Kings did put up a fight in the first half. Fox had 16 points as he was leading the Kings. The Kings would need to go off on the offensive end in the second half if they wanted to defeat the Suns.

In the third quarter, the Kings and Suns were trading shot for shot. Both teams scored 28 points in the third to keep the score at 90-86. The Kings defense continued to not be able to contain the Suns. Also, the Kings offense was missing some of the burst you typically see. Shots were not falling as easily for the Kings on Tuesday night.

The difference in the game was the Kings shooting under 50% in the game and the Suns shooting over 50%. The Suns were simply making more out of their possessions than the Kings. In the fourth quarter, the Kings would need every ounce of offense to make the comeback happen.

In the fourth quarter, the Kings weren’t able to muster the offense needed to make the comeback. The whole game the Kings appeared outmatched. However, the Kings kept the game close and stayed in the fight. The Kings were outscored by the Suns in the final quarter 30-23.

The Kings offense couldn’t get on a run all night long. The Kings fell to the Suns in the valley by the final 120-109. The Kings were led by an impressive Fox who scored 35 points in the game. Booker torched the Kings as usual as he scored 32 points in the game.

Up Next: The Kings will be off for the All-Star break until February 23rd. When the Kings return to play they will take on the Portland Trailblazers at 7 PM PST in Sacramento.

Warriors win a shootout by downing the Washington Wizards 135-126

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Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson (11) shoots against Washington Wizards forward Deni Avdija (9) during the first half at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Mon Feb 13, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors (29-28) snapped a two-game losing streak Monday night by beating the Washington Wizards (26-30) 135-126. The Warriors’ Andrew Wiggins had his best game since returning from a groin injury. Klay Thompson was hot in the first half. Kevon Looney had a double-double.

The Warriors’ bench all helped get the win for Golden State. Donte DiVincenzo, Ty Jerome, JaMychal Green, Jonathan Kuminga, and Moses Moody were excellent at putting points on the board.

The Warriors attacked the rim all night. As a result, the disparity at the foul line disappeared. 

The game could have started better for the Warriors. The Wizards came out firing. Kristaps Porzingis, the seven-foot-three giant from Latvia, scored 16 points in the first quarter. Bradley Beal added ten as the Wizards shot 74% from the floor and led the Warriors 39-29 at the end of the quarter.

Draymond Green and Jordan Poole had to sit on the bench in the second quarter as they each committed three fouls. Warriors head coach Steve Kerr called on DiVincenzo, Moody, JaMychal Green, and Moody to get momentum going. The players did what Kerr wanted.

The Wizards led by 15 early in the second quarter. Thompson found his stroke as he could connect on three-point shots. The Warriors went on a 10-1 run to trail by one, 59-58. The Wizards regained the lead momentarily. Thompson made another three, and Jerome’s bucket put the Warriors ahead 63-62.

The Warriors kept rolling, finishing the first half leading 71-66. They outscored the Wizards by 15 points in the second period. Thompson had 20, Wiggins and DiVincenzo each had 11. Porzingis led the Wizards with 18. Beal knocked down 16, and Kendrick Nunn, coming off the bench, had 11. Both teams were hot. The Wizards shot 66% from the floor, the Warriors 59.6% 

The Warriors kept the momentum going in the third period. JaMychal Green made three threes in the period. The Warriors continued to drive to the basket, picking up fouls along the way. The Warriors increased the lead to 18 late in the third quarter,106-88. However, they allowed the Wizards to score the last five points of the period to trail.

Everyone who follows the NBA knows 13-point deficits can be overcome in the fourth quarter. The Warriors lost their last two games by failing to produce in crunch time. They did not want to lose again by letting a team overcome a double-digit deficit.

The Wizards cut the deficit to nine by scoring the first four points of the fourth quarter. Kevon Looney made a bucket to stop the run. The Wizards picked up where they left off and made it a 108-101 game. The fans were starting to get nervous. The Warriors regained their composure. Looney, Wiggins, Poole, and Thompson played like the champions that they are. The Warriors increased the lead to 12.

Game Notes and Stats: With the win, the Warriors are 29-28. The Wizards fall to 26-30. 

The Warriors had six players in double figures. Wiggins led the team with 29 points. Wiggins made three threes. Thompson had 27 points, and he made four threes. Poole had 14 and three threes. Looney finished with a double-double, 13 points, and 13 rebounds. Looney played 31 minutes Monday night.

DiVincenzo had 17 points. DiVincenzo made five threes. JaMychal Green knocked down 4. JaMychal made four threes in four attempts. Jerome added nine, and he recorded seven assists.

The Warriors shot 58% from the floor. They made 20 threes in 40 tries. They outrebounded the Wizards 40-36 and recorded 40 assists on 52 made baskets. The Warriors ran the court well. They found the open man and made the shots needed to win.

After the game, Steve Kerr said, “this was Andew Eiggins’s best game since he’s been back.” Kerr also remarked this about Wiggins,” he got us a lot of key buckets.” Kerr also praised JaMychal Green, DiVincenzo, Jerome, and Moody.

The Wizards’ Porzinga led his team with 34. Beal added 33. The only other Wizard players in double figures were Nunn with 13 and Delon Wright with 11.

The Warriors are off to Los Angeles to play the Clippers Tuesday night. The game will star at 7 pm.

Golden State Warriors podcast with Barbara Mason: Warriors hope to snap two game skid tonight against Wizards at Chase

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Golden State Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins (22) shoots against Los Angeles Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell (1) during the first half at Chase Center San Francisco Sun Feb 12, 2023 (AP News photo)

On Golden State Warriors podcast with Barbara:

#1 The new-look Los Angles Lakers (26-31), playing without LeBron James, who was out with a sore foot, won the game in crunch time to down the Golden State Warriors (28-28), 109-103.

#2 The Lakers acquired guard D’Angelo Russell from Minnesota on Thursday. The Lakers also added Jarred Vanderbilt and Rui Hachimura to their lineup. The Warriors’ Stephen Curry is out with a knee injury, and the team will re-evaluate his status after the All-Star break. 

#3 The Warriors were hoping to atone for their loss in crunch time to the Portland Trailblazers Wednesday night.

#4  The Lakers scored to lead 107-101.Donte Di Vincenzo made a two-pointer to trail 107-103. The Warriors needed a miracle to win the game, and the miracle didn’t happen.

#5 The Warriors host the Washington Wizards at the Chase Center Monday night. The game will start at 7 pm.

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

Kings Best Dallas In Overtime 133-128

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The Dallas Mavericks Kyrie Irving in the air (left) can watch the Sacramento Kings DeAaron Fox (5) right gets some hang time after throwing down at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Sat Feb 11, 2023 (@SacramentoKings photo)

Kings Best Dallas In Overtime 133-128

By Barbara Mason

After losing to the Dallas Mavericks (31-27) Friday night 122-114, the Sacramento Kings (32-24) played the Mavericks Saturday night in a back-to-back and ended up with a split taking game two 133-128.

Last night the Kings had a forgettable first quarter losing it 45-25 which made all the difference in the game. The Kings won the remaining quarters but it was the first quarter that set them behind the eight ball for the remainder of the game.

The Kings were determined to play an improved first quarter in tonight’s game but they would face another challenge with the return of Luca Doncic.

The first quarter was indeed improved for Sacramento winning it 34-32. They did not win the second quarter but it was another close one with Dallas winning it 32-28 and leading at the half 64-62.

It was a toss-up at the end of the third quarter with the two teams deadlocked at 24 and the Mavericks hanging onto a 88-86 lead. It was anybody’s game going into the fourth quarter.

With 52.3 left on the clock this game was tied at 112. As the clock expired at the end of the fourth quarter the score remained knotted at 114 apiece. De’Aaron Fox took the final shot in regulation, a three-point jumper that missed.

Overtime was a dog fight as the two teams fought for the lead . The Kings took a 123-119 lead with two minutes left in overtime. The Kings had a 127-123 lead with less than a minute left in the game.

The Mavericks Kyrie Irving hit a 26-foot three pointer and with18.4 left on the clock the Kings had a 127-126 lead. De’Aaron Fox hit a couple of free throws to extend the Kings lead to 129-126. In the end it was Doncic who missed a game tying shot. It was a wild and crazy game that brought out the best of both teams.

Again it was Fox at the line winning the game for Sacramento finishing with 36 points. Fox hit two shots at the line with 18.4 left. Domantas Sabonis had 14 rebounds, every one of them critical, and 22 points. Terence Davis had 22 points off the bench and Trey Lyles had 14. This was a great team effort after the disappointing game last night. Sacramento more than made up for it.

The Kings defense had their hands full with Doncic (27 points),Irving (28 points) and Josh Green (23 points). They handled Dallas in a great defensive and offensive effort.

The Kings will next take on the Phoenix Suns Tuesday night leading up to the All-Star game. Tipoff is scheduled for 6:00 PM.

Lakers hang on to down Warriors 109-103

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Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) shoots against Los Angeles Lakers forward Rui Hachimura during the first half at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Sat Feb 11, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The new-look Los Angles Lakers (26-31), playing without LeBron James, who was out with a sore foot, won the game in crunch time to down the Golden State Warriors (28-28), 109-103.

The Lakers acquired guard D’Angelo Russell from Minnesota on Thursday. The Lakers also added Jarred Vanderbilt and Rui Hachimura to their lineup. The Warriors’ Stephen Curry is out with a knee injury, and the team will re-evaluate his status after the All-Star break. The Warriors were hoping to atone for their loss in crunch time to the Portland Trailblazers Wednesday night.

Neither team could get anything going in the first quarter. Buckets took a lot of work to come by. Each team seemed out of sync. The Warriors committed seven turnovers in the first 12 minutes of the game. The Warriors finished the first period leading by one point, 22-21.

The Warriors’ offense came to life in the second period. The Warriors raced to a 39-31 after Kevon Looney’s basket. It was the Warriors’ biggest lead of the night. The Lakers kept coming back as they tied the game at 49 late in the first half. The Warriors held on to lead by two, 53-51, at the end of the first 24 minutes of the game.

For most of the third quarter, neither team would give an inch. If the Warriors had the lead, the Lakers found a way to either tie the game or take the lead. The game was tied six times until late in the period. With the score tied at 79, the Lakers scored the last quarter six points of the period to lead 85-79. The Warriors gave the Lakers a big break when they fouled Jarred Vanderbilt at the buzzer.

Trailing by six entering the last 12 minutes of the game is relatively easy to overcome. All the Warriors needed was for someone to get hot. That someone was Jordan Poole. Poole was the only player on the floor to put points on the board until late in the quarter. Poole scored 17 points to bring the Warriors within three, 96-93.

Backup guard, Ty Jerome, tied the game at 98. The Lakers went on a 7-0 run to lead 105-98. Donte DiVincenzo connected on a three. The Lakers scored to lead 107-101. Di Vincenzo made a two-pointer to trail 107-103. The Warriors needed a miracle to win the game, and the miracle didn’t happen.

Game Notes and stats: With the loss, the Warriors are now 28-28. The Lakers are 26-31.

The Warriors had six players in double figures Saturday night. Poole led the team with 29. 17 of his 29 points came in the fourth quarter. Di Vincenzo and Jerome were the other Warriors to score in the fourth quarter. Di Vincenzo had five, and Jerome had two. Andrew Wiggins, Draymond Green, JaMychal Green, and Klay Thompson failed to score.

Thompson was ice-cold in the fourth quarter. Thompson took 80 shots and missed on all eight attempts. Thompson had 15, Wiggins 12, Draymond Green had 12 points and ten rebounds, JaMychal Green had eleven, and Jerome ten.

The leading scorer for LA was Dennis Schroder, with 26. Hachimura had 16, Anthony Davis 13 points and 16 rebounds, and Vanderbilt 12. D’Angelo Russell, in his first game as a Laker, knocked down 15. 

The Lakers shot 45% from the floor, the Warriors 41%: the Lakers made eight threes, and the Warriors 12. The game was won at the free throw line for the second game in a row. The Lakers made 21 free throws in 26 tries. The Warriors made eleven in 12 tries. The ten-point difference at the free throw line won the game for LA.

The Warriors host the Washington Wizards at the Chase Center Monday night. The game will start at 7 pm.