Category: NBA

Golden State Warriors podcast with Barbara Mason: Warriors end three game skid in Toronto

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Golden State Warriors guard Jordan Poole looks on during the second half of an NBA basketball game in Toronto on Sun Dec 18, 2022 (AP News photo)

On the Warriors podcast with Barbara:

#1 The Golden State Warriors were looking to improve after losing three straight games and got in the win column with a 126-110 win in Toronto on Sunday.

#2 Stephen Curry and Andrew Wiggins remained out in this game but Draymond Green rejoined the team. The Warriors got a fast start winning the first quarter 36-26 and went on to win the second quarter 32-28 leading at halftime 68-54.

#3 The Warriors did not let their foot off the pedal winning the third quarter 34-26. They let the Raptors make a bit of a run in the fourth quarter but it wasn’t enough as Golden State prevailed.

#4 This was an absolutely amazing game for Jordan Poole who scored a career high 43 points. This was the first game this season that the team was able to win without Curry.

#5 The Warriors continue this road trip tipping off against the New York Knicks (17-13) Tue Dec 20th at Madison Square Garden at 4:30 pm. Barbara how do you see these two teams matching up.

Barbara Mason does the Golden State Warriors podcasts Mondays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Warriors Win On the Road Beating Toronto 126-110

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Toronto Raptors forward Pascal Siakam tries to stop Golden State Warriors guard Jordan Poole (3) from going to the net during the second half in Toronto on Sun Dec 18, 2022 (Canadian Press via AP News photo)

Warriors Win On the Road Beating Toronto 126-110

By Barbara Mason

Sunday evening the Golden State Warriors (15-16) took on the Toronto Raptors (13-17) at Scotiabank Arena. Although playing a pretty solid game against the 76ers on Friday night in Philadelphia the Warriors could not hold off the Sixers in the fourth quarter losing 118-106. They were looking to prove that, yes, they can prove to be relevant in the absence of Stephen Curry. They were on Sunday with a 126-110 win over the Raptors.

Curry and Andrew Wiggins remained out in this game but Draymond Green rejoined the team. The Warriors got a fast start winning the first quarter 36-26 and went on to win the second quarter 32-28 leading at halftime 68-54.

The Warriors did not let their foot off the pedal winning the third quarter 34-26. They let the Raptors make a bit of a run in the fourth quarter.

This was an absolutely amazing game for Jordan Poole who scored a career high 43 points. This was the first game this season that the team was able to win without Currry. Klay Thompson scored 17 points and the return of Green was also an important part of this win.

He also scored 17 points with seven rebounds. Green got the team on the scoreboard to start the game with three shots from downtown. Golden State had a great defensive effort in this game. This win snapped a three-game losing streak although the team is still struggling on the road with a 3-14 record. Kevon Looney finished with 11 points and 11 rebounds.

The team high for the Raptors was Pascal Siakam with 27 points followed by Fred VanVleet with 22.

The Warriors continue this road trip looking to get back to .500 on Tuesday night taking on the Knicks. Tipoff is scheduled for 4:30 PM.

Kings starters enjoy big night in 122-113 win over Pistons

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Sacramento Kings forward Domantas Sabonis (10) drives on Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren (0) in the second half at Little Caser’s Pizza Arena in Detroit on Fri Dec 16, 2022 (AP News photo)

By Daniel Dullum
Friday, December 15, 2022

A dominant performance by Sacramento’s starting five, led by center Damontas Sabonis, sparked the Kings to a decisive 122-113 win over Detroit Friday night in The Motor City.

Sabonis scored 23 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists, as the Kings’ starters outscored the Pistons’ starters 99-66. The Kings had seven players reach double-figures, including all five starters.

De’Aaron Fox had 24 points and nine assists for Sacramento, with Keegan Murray next with 20 points, Harrison Barnes had 19 points and Kevin huerter had 13. Malik Monk had 11 points and six assists off the Kings bench, and Terence Davis scored 10 points in 17 minutes.

The Kings’ starters outscored Detroit’s 35-8 in the third quarter.

Bojan Bogdanovic was the top scorer for Detroit with 22 points, followed by Jalen Duran with 15 points and 13 rebounds. The Pistons (8-23) also had 14 points from Saddiq Bey and a 13-ooint effort from Marvin Bagley III.

Sacramento led 93-86 after three quarters. The Pistons pulled to within 106-100 midway through the fourth quarter, but Harrison Barnes stepped up with a 3-pointer, stripped Bogdanovic and converted a layup to put the Kings up by 11 points with 5:46 to play.

BROWN FINED BY NBA
The NBA announced on Friday that Kings head coach Mike Brown was fined $25,000 by the league for what was termed “an explosive ejection” in the Kings’ 124-123 win in Toronto on Wednesday. The NBA said in a statement that Brown was fined for “aggressively pursuing and directing profane language toward a game official.”

Brown was assessed two technical fouls and ejected with 9:09 remaining in the third quarter of Sacramento’s win over the Raptors.

The Kings (16-12) host Charlotte on Monday night.

Depleted Warriors Fall To 76ers 118-106

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Golden State Warriors’ Donte DiVincenzo, right, tries to get a shot past Philadelphia 76ers’ Joel Embiid during the second half at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia on Fri Dec 16, 2022 (AP News photo)

Depleted Warriors Fall To 76ers 118-106

By Barbara Mason

A huge question looms going into the Warriors (14-16) game Friday against the Philadelphia 76ers (16-12). How relevant will Golden State be without Stephen Curry?

The 76ers are hot at home and this was a very tough game for the Warriors who dropped it 118-106. It does not stop with Curry, the team was missing Andrew Wiggins and Draymond Green as well. It was critical to keep the fouls and the turnovers to a minimum.

The Warriors after Friday’s are now on a four-game road skid and are on a three game losing streak with the loss to the Sixers. They needed to take care of the ball because opposing teams are scoring way too many points off those turnovers.

The starting line up for Golden State on Friday were: Klay Thompson, Kevon Looney, Jordan Poole, Jonathan Kuminga and Donte Divincenzo.

Friday game recap: The Warriors got a fast start courtesy of Donte Divincenzo who was four of four from downtown and the rest of the team needed to catch up with him. They had an eleven-point lead at one time but Philadelphia came back to within four points.

Golden State answered and led 29-22 with three minutes left in the quarter. The Warriors were shooting 74% in the opening quarter and led 38-33 after 12. They were nine of 12 from beyond the arc.

The 76ers did not lead once in the first half. The Warriors took a 57-55 lead into the locker room. Golden State cooled off in the second quarter but managed to hang onto the lead going into halftime.

Golden State had a great first half but the second half was all Philadelphia. They won the third quarter 33-24 and the fourth quarter as well. Joel Embiid finished with 34 points and 13 rebounds. James Harden also had a great night with 27 points. The Warriors just ran out of steam in the second half.

The Warriors came out with the right energy but they could not sustain it. Poole got a late start but did finish with 29 points. Divincenzi had 17 points with 10 rebounds. Looney was equally impressive with 11 rebounds and 14 points.

Golden State travels next to Toronto to take on the Raptors. Tipoff on Sunday is scheduled for 3:00 PM.

Warriors Fall Short On the Road Again Losing to Pacers 125-119

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Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) attempts a shot between Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner (33) and forward Aaron Nesmith (23) during the first half in Indianapolis on Wed Dec 14, 2022 (AP News photo)

Warriors Fall Short On the Road Again Losing to Pacers 125-119

By Barbara Mason

Wednesday night the Golden State Warriors (14-15) took on the Indiana Pacers (15-14) at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. This is another road trip for the Warriors which has been a tough tough ride so far this season. The Pacers are 6-1 when leading after the first quarter and the Warriors are 1-9 when trailing after the first twelve minutes.

With four minutes left in the first quarter the Warriors had a 20-11 lead. Stephen Curry had been doing the majority of the heaving lifting. The Pacers crept right back into this game for the remainder of the quarter and lead 27-26 at the end of the first.

The Pacers poured it on in the second quarter leading after two quarters 74-54 in a total reversal. The Warriors began to turn the ball over and their shooting was erratic. With two minutes left in the half Indiana was 14 of 20 and had seven three’s. It was an amazing quarter for the Pacer’s after losing their last two games.

The Warriors gave up a 31-11 run in the quarter and Curry had scored half of Golden State’s points. The team needed the rest of the squad in the second half especially on the defensive end of the court. With the exception of Curry the rest of the team had gone pretty quiet.

The Warriors turned the tables on the Pacers after the half. They had been down 25 and cut the Indiana lead down to three 83-80 with under four minutes left in the third quarter. The Pacers led after three 93-87. The Warriors suffered a blow when Curry went to the locker room with an apparent shoulder injury.

The team would have to possibly finish this game without Curry. The absence of Curry, Klay Thompson and Andrew 12 Wiggins weighed heavily on Golden State. The turnovers continued for the Warriors and the five point deficit turned into . It did not get any easier for the Warriors when Draymond Green got ejected. Despite that Golden State fought to the end. They got to within a one possession game with 1:15 left on the clock. They just came up short losing 125-119.

The second quarter was the killer for the Warriors. They had not given up 47 points to any team in the entire league this season. Prior to his left shoulder injury Curry had shot for 38 points. The Warriors were missing some key components in this game but did play three amazing quarters.

Poole lit up in the second half shooting for 20 points. Donte Divincenzo and Moses Moody both finished with 15 points. Jonathan Kuminga did a great job guarding Tyrese Haliburton. This Golden State bench was outstanding in the second half. The team just got started far to late.

Friday night the Warriors travel to Philadelphia to take on the 76ers at Wells Fargo Center. Tipoff is scheduled for 4:30.

Kings hold off Toronto 124-123

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Sacramento Kings guard De’Aaron Fox (5) drives as Toronto Raptors guard Fred VanVleet (23) and forward Scottie Barnes (4) defend during the second half  in Toronto on Wed Dec 14, 2022 (Canadian Press via AP News photo)

By Daniel Dullum
Wednesday, December 14, 2022

Clutch free throw shooting by Sacramento in the final 32 seconds helped the Kings hold off the Toronto Raptors 124-123 Wednesday at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto.

The Kings, who had six players score in double-figures, improved to 15-12; they trail Phoenix by one-half game in the NBA Pacific Division standings. Toronto slipped to 13-15.

DeAaron Fox made a 15-foot jumper from the top of the key with 1:07 remaining in the fourth quarter, giving the Kings a 120-115 lead. Fred VanVleet responded with a 14-foot driving bank shot to pull the Raptors to within 12-117 with :47.5 to play.

After the teams swapped turnovers, Harrison Barnes sank a pair of free throws with :31.8 to go, putting Sacramento up 122-117. With :21.4 left Scottie Barnes was fouled in the act of shooting, and sank one of two at the line.

The Kings’ Malik Monk was fouled while shooting by Thaddeus Young, and made one of two free throws with :19 to play, giving Sacramento a 123-119 lead. Twelve seconds later, VanVleet scored on a short hook shot, pulling the Raptors to within 123-121.

Sacramento called a full timeout after VanVleet’s basket, and Fox was fouled while shooting with :05.9 left. Fox made 1-of-2 foul shots, and after a Toronto timeout, VanVleet missed a long 3-point attempt.

Fox led the Kings with 27 points and 10 assists, while Monk scored 24 points off the bench. Domantas Sabonis scored 21 points and grabbed 20 rebounds to go with seven assists, Terence Davis had 10 points, followed by Harrison Barnes with 12 points and eight boards, and Keegan Murray with 10 points.

VanVleet popped in a game-high 39 points for Toronto, to go with eight rebounds, five assists, four steals and a block. Scottie Barnes had 27 points and 10 assists for the Raptors, with Pascal Siakam adding 19 points and six assists.

The Kings’ Eastern road trip continues Friday, when the face the Detroit Pistons.

Bucks coast to 128-111 victory over Warriors

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Golden State Warriors’ Draymond Green shoots past Milwaukee Bucks’ Brook Lopez during the first half at Fiserv Arena in Milwaukee on Tue Dec 13, 2022 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

On Tuesday night, the Golden State Warriors got off to a rocky start on their six-game road trip. They had to face the Milwaukee Bucks, owners of the second-best record in the Eastern Conference. The Bucks, NBA champions in the 2020-2021 season, had a height advantage over the small-ball Warriors for the 128-111 win.

The Bucks started seven-foot Brook Lopez and 6’11 Giannis Antetokounmpo in the forecourt. The tallest player in the Warrior lineup was Kevin Looney. Looney is 6’9 and plays hard, but the taller players in the Buck lineup caused problems for the Warriors all night. 

The Warriors’ Andrew Wiggins missed his fourth consecutive game with an adductor strain in his groin. The Warriors started Jordan Poole in his place. The Warriors scored the first seven points of the game. The Warriors were leading 11-7 when Milwaukee went on a 20-5 run to go ahead 27-16. The Warriors never came close to regaining the lead. The Bucks finished the first quarter leading 38-27.

The Bucks’ defense bottled up the Warriors offense in the second quarter. The Warriors only saving grace was the large number of threes they made. They made 11 but could not score in the paint. Milwaukee made three threes in the first half. They led at the end of the first half 64-52.

The Warriors could not stop Giannis when he drove to the basket. The Bucks’ Bobby Portis, Jr., coming off the bench, knocked down 14 points. Milwaukee shot 57% from the floor. The Warriors measly 38.5%

The Bucks continued to play well in the second half. The Warriors could not pierce the Bucks’ defense. Milwaukee increased the lead at the end of the third quarter. The Warriors won the fourth quarter 34-33, but it was not enough.

Game Notes and Stats: The Warriors are now 14-14 for the year. The Bucks are 20-7. Only Boston has a better record. The Celtics beat the Lakers in LA Tuesday night to improve to 22-7.

The Bucks held Stephen Curry to 20 points. Curry made three threes. Jonathan Kuminga was second with 19 points. Kuminga also had three threes. Poole had 18, and Klay Thompson had 14. Jonathan Lamb had eight, and Patrick Baldwin, recalled from Santa Cruz, knocked down two threes

Giannis, Grayson Allen, Khris Middleton, and Portis, Jr. were the Milwaukee players in double figures. The Bucks outrebounded the Warriors 62-42. The Bucks had 48 points in the paint and held the Warriors to 30.

One of the game’s oddities was that the Warriors went to the free throw line just once in the first half. They made just one of the free throws. The Bucks had 13 and made 11. Things evened out a bit in the second half. 

The Warriors didn’t help their cause, as they committed 18 turnovers. The Warriors were tagged for six technical fouls. The Bucks had four. Ten technical fouls indicate a lot of dissatisfaction with the calls made by the referees.

The Warriors play the Indiana Pacers Wednesday night in Indianapolis. The road trip then goes to Toronto, Philadelphia, New York, and Brooklyn. 

Kings embarrassed by 76ers 123-103; Sac sixth loss in ten games

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Philadelphia 76ers’ Tobias Harris goes up for a dunk during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Sacramento Kings, Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2022, in Philadelphia at the Wells Fargo Center. (AP News photo)

Kings Embarrassed By 76ers 123-103

By Barbara Mason

Tuesday night the Philadelphia 76ers (15-12) hosted the Sacramento Kings (14-12) at Wells Fargo Center. The Kings are in fifth place in the Western Conference playing some great basketball right now although they did lose their last game to the Knicks 112-99. Prior to that Sacramento beat the Cavaliers 106-95. The Kings just couldn’t hold on and lost by a big margin to the Sixers Tuesday night 123-103.

The Kings trailed at the end of the first quarter 39-32. They needed to make a push in the second and do their best to contain Joel Embiid who already had 16 points to start the quarter. Tobias Harris had shot for 15 points. Turnovers were hurting the Kings already with seven early in the second quarter.

Not a single King had double digits through the opening quarter. Philadelphia went on an 11-0 run early in the second quarter and extended their lead to 53-35. The Kings had a huge hole to dig out of. That hole continued to grow and at the half the Kings had given up 80 points in the first half. They trailed 80-55 in an absolute blow-out.

The Kings continued to trail through the third quarter. They just were not able to get on top of Philadelphia. Embiid continued his rampage shooting for 29 points through three while Harris and James Harden each had 17 points. The Kings did have a better quarter and a 17-7 run but the 76ers had a 101-83 lead after three.

The embarrassment continued through the fourth quarter. Poor shooting, poor defense, turnovers and barely a triple in sight, although they did hit a few more in the second half, was all Sacramento could manage. The game had turned into a glorified practice for the 76ers.

De’Aaron Fox just wasn’t on task only shooting for 13 points. Domantas Sabonis had the high score with 22. Malik Monk had 16 off the bench and Terence Davis had 12. The Kings just could not handle Embiid who finished with 31 points followed by Harris and Harden both with 21 points.

The Kings will continue on their road trip taking on the Toronto Raptors tomorrow. They will try to put this game behind them. Tipoff is schedule for 4:30 PM.

Golden State Warriors podcast with Barbara Mason: Will Warriors get deal done with team president Meyers?

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Bob Meyers Golden State Warriors team president seen here in this 2017 photo. Meyer’s contract is set to expire in June 2023 and there has been no word on negotiations whether Meyers will renew or not. Meyers has been with the club since 2011. (AP News file photo)

On the Warriors podcast with Barbara:

#1 Will the Golden State Warriors get a deal done with their president of basketball operations Bob Meyers whose contract expires in June. Meyers contract is entering the final months of his eight year deal while Warriors owner Joe Lacob insists that the Warriors love Bob and hopes he can stay on for a long time.

#2 Despite what Meyers says there is no guarantee that a deal would get done. Meyers is the architect of four NBA Championships for Golden State and a two time executive of the year award winner yet and still the Warriors (14-13) have had some tough patches this season, some tough roster decisions, a $500 million payroll and a luxury tax bill for the 2022-23 season.

#3 Meyers could reach a deal with Golden State because in the case of the Toronto Raptors team president Masai Ujiri who took the Raptors to the championship during his tenure he and the Raptors managed to reach a deal in the closing weeks of the 2021 season.

#4 The Warriors managed to get by the Boston Celtics (21-6) and stay a game over .500 with a 123-107 win at Chase Center in San Francisco on Saturday night. Warriors Klay Thompson led with 34 points followed by Stephen Curry with 32 points.

#5 The hot Milwaukee Bucks (19-6) host Golden State Tuesday night at the Fiserv Center in Milwaukee. The Bucks have won six of their last seven games and are looking for more.

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

Knicks Randle and Barrett score 27 defeat Kings 112-99

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Sacramento Kings guard Matthew Dellavedova (8) drives to the basket against New York Knicks guard Immanuel Quickley (5) during the first half at Madison Square Garden in New York on Sun Dec 11, 2022 (AP News photo)

By Jessica Kwong

NEW YORK, NY. — The Sacramento Kings have shown promise in the first third of the season – but took a step back at Madison Square Garden on Sunday night, falling 112-99 to the New York Knicks.

Sacramento had their worst start in two dozen games to a sold-out crowd in New York City. They had an opportunity to turn the game around when Knicks star Julius Randle was ejected in the third quarter, but failed to rise to the occasion.

“Julius kind of had his way with us. Big strong player and we didn’t execute anything, we talking about executing going into the game, so he got us on our heels,” said Kings head coach Mike Brown.

“You’ve got to give their whole team… the coaching staff to their players on down credit because they kicked my behind and all the other coaches and players in our locker room on the behind today.”

The Kings were ahead 9-8 but then allowed the Knicks to go on a 28-10 run. Sacramento trailed 36-22 at the end of the first quarter. The Knicks lead by as many as 19 points and ended the half ahead 66-50.

Domantas Sabonis and Harrison Barnes pulled their weight, but needed help from the rest of the team. Sacramento was 6 of 21 from the three-point line. Meanwhile, Randle had 27 points for the Knicks.

Sacramento made a decent push at the start of the second half and got within 11 points when Keegan Murray scored with 9:21 left in the third quarter. Randle was ejected with 3:35 left in the third after contesting a non-call and getting two technicals. That gave the Kings a chance to catch up and turn the game around, which they did not manage to do. Murray made a basket with 9:21 left in the third but the Knicks responded with the next six points.

Isiah Hartenstein made.a tip-in that boosted the Knicks to a game-high 21-point lead with less than two minutes left in the third. The Knicks lead 95-80 at the end of the third.

A free throw by Sabonis brought the Kings within 11 points with 1:41 left in the game. The Knicks won their fourth consecutive game for the first time since late March 2022.

Sabonis posted 17 double-doubles in 24 appearances this season. He tied Nikola Jakic for the lead in the NBA. The Kings were without De’Aaron Fox and Alex Len, who were out with injuries.

The Kings (14-11) continue their road trip to on Tuesday against the Philadelphia 76ers. Tip-off is at 4 p.m.