Category: NBA

Barnes and Monk lead Kings in scoring defeat Pacers 137-114

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Sacramento Kings De’Aaron Fox (right) welcomes former teammate and Indiana Pacer guard Buddy Heild (24) back to Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Wed Nov 30, 2022 (AP News photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings were back in action on Wednesday night. However, it was no ordinary weeknight game. Wednesday marked the return of Tyrese Haliburton. Haliburton was the subject of much controversy last year as he was moved at the trade deadline for former All-Star Domas Sabonis.

The NBA community and Haliburton himself have widely scrutinized the trade. Haliburton quickly became a fan favorite before the surprise trade. Haliburton has been very vocal on Twitter about his displeasure about leaving Sacramento, and he has backed that up with excellent play. The Kings were set to take on the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday at 7 PM PST. The King dominated the Pacers 137-114.

In the first quarter, the Sacramento faithful were out in full force. Every time Buddy Hield got the ball, they would reign down boos from the rafters. On the court, the Kings played one of the better quarters of the season so far. The Kings outscored the Pacers 33-20 in a solid offensive show. However, the defense is what stood out. Harrison Barnes started the game out hot, scoring eight points in the first.

In the second quarter, the Kings continued to put up a formidable fight on the defensive end. The Pacers picked up the offensive pressure in the second quarter, but the Kings continued to play solid defense. The Kings limited the Pacers to 28 points in the second quarter.

The Kings scored 29 points in the second quarter to take a 62-48 lead into halftime. Barnes led the way for the Kings in the first half, scoring 13 points. Former King Hield scored 13 for the Pacers. If the Kings kept up the defensive intensity, they would come away with a win.

In the third quarter, the defense was not great for the Kings. However, it wouldn’t matter because the Kings offense took over. The Kings scored a massive 45 points in the third compared to the Pacers’ 35. The Kings would take a 106-83 lead into the final 12 minutes of the game. It was all but a done deal in Sacramento. The only question was could the Kings seal the deal?

In the fourth quarter, the Kings did just that. The Kings finished the game strong and defeated the Pacers 137-114. It was maybe the best game played by the Kings this year. They played well in the first half, winning the defensive end of the floor and, in the second half turning up the offensive jets.

It was an impressive win for the Kings, who improved to 11-9 on the season. The Pacers fell to 12-9. The Kings and Pacers both scored 31 points in the fourth. Yet, that doesn’t tell the whole story before the Kings bench came into the game. The Kings ran away from the Pacers in the fourth at one point up more than 30 points.

Barnes led the Kings in victory, scoring 22 points. Jalen Smith led the way in defeat for the Pacers, scoring 22 points. It was a fabulous win for the Kings after a rough three-game losing streak.

Up Next: The Kings travel to LA to take on the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday at 1 PM PST.

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: His name is Freedom, and he Means it

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Enes Kanter Freedom photographed before he made a trip to play in China for the Boston Celtics (photo from CNN)

His name is Freedom, and he Means it

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

Enes Kanter Freedom played in the NBA; he is 6’10” 250 pounds center and played from 2011 to 2022. His conviction cost him his high-paying job. He changed his name to Enes Kanter Freedom as he continues to speak against the president of his native Turkey as well as injustices in China.

Enes Kanter Freedom sacrificed his career as a professional basketball player to be a voice for the voiceless. This is one of his quotes: “Whatever happens in life, always stand for the truth. Stand for justice and stand for whatever you believe in, even if it means sacrificing everything you have,”

Freedom, who has spoken out against human rights abuses at the hands of the Chinese Communist Party and has raised awareness surrounding the mistreatment of Uighur, Tibetans, Hongkongers, and Taiwanese, as he received an award as Most Valuable Patriot from the Fox News Network this year,

Professional basketball player Enes Kanter Freedom accused the National Basketball Association (NBA) of hypocrisy over its decision to host a “civic engagement night” the day before Election Day, the mid-term elections here in the US, while remaining silent on the Chinese “dictatorship” that he says the league is “profiting off of.” and: “The NBA’s biggest backer is China — so when they promote Civic Engagement here, do they care to comment about a dictatorship they are profiting off of? The NBA constantly told me ‘we don’t want to get involved in politics’… I guess what they meant to say was ‘we don’t want to “upset China”

Kanter Freedom has been targeted by the Turkish government for his outspoken nature and was dropped from the Houston Rockets this year but the pushback hasn’t stopped him from advocating for those who need it most. In 2021, he took his activism to new heights when he became an American citizen, changing his name to “Freedom”. “The reason I wanted to add “Freedom” behind my jersey was to remind every child in America how blessed they are in the best place in the world,” he said. “I believe America is going to have even better years going forward. That is giving me so much motivation to fight for what’s right. I represent freedom. That’s, like, the best thing that I could do.”

Some athletes get the call for justice causes and lose their jobs, in 2016 San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick took a knee for black justice and since then never returned to the NFL. Enes Kanter Freedom is an opinionated ex-basketball player who spoke publicly about the NBA involvement in China a country where human rights abuses are well documented worldwide and recently lost his job, but he seems to be happy and at peace.

Enes Kanter Freedom, nickname Enes The Menace, played in the NBA and his basketball skills made him a star in the NBA but his activism has made him more of a hero and well-known all over the world, even in the countries where the NBA is not that big.

The irony is that while Enes Kanter Freedom paid a price for speaking the truth, even the US government and other organizations are on his side. It is well documented that the U.S. government and human rights organizations have accused China of using slave labor, especially in the Xinjiang region. If you want to know more, here is the US State Department site ttps://www.state.gov/forced-la

Freedom to speak your mind is a beautiful thing. We just witnessed the USA 1-0 victory over Iran in the World Cup. The Iranian government threatened their payers for not singing their national anthem. The Iranian government could torture and imprison the families of these soccer players in the Islamic republic which is totally controlled by the government. Those Iranian soccer players are as courageous as any athletes in the world and deserve our respect and admiration.

Like Enes Kanter Freedom for speaking against the NBA and their affiliation with communist China, he can do that because he lives in the US where you can speak your mind. One of the most famous athletes in US history, Muhammad Ali when he refused the draft, to be inducted into the US Armed Forces citing his religion forbade him from serving.

It cost him a lot, like the stripping of his heavyweight title, a suspension from boxing, and a $10,000 fine which in 1967 was enough to buy a home in the US. Not to mention the criticism inside the US Armed Forces serving at that time. I was serving at that time in the US Army and Muhammad Ali was not very popular among the troops. If you believe in free speech, you have to respect these athletes.

Join Amaury Pi Gonzalez for That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcasts heard each Tuesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Warriors Lose A Close One to Mavericks 116-113

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Dallas Mavericks forward Tim Hardaway Jr is fired up with the crowd after hitting a three pointer against the Golden State Warriors in Dallas on Tue Nov 29, 2022 (AP News photo)

Warriors Lose A Close One to Mavericks 116-113

By Barbara Mason

Tuesday evening the Golden State Warriors (11-11) traveled to American Airlines Center to take on the Dallas Mavericks (10-10). This match-up will be a clash between two super-stars Stephen Curry and Luca Doncic. Doncic is the number one shooter in the NBA and Curry is second.

The Mavericks have lost four in a row while the Warriors come into this game after beating the Minnesota Timberwolves Sunday 134-114 but just couldn’t hold and to beat the Mavericks and dropping the contest by three points 116-113 on Tuesday.

The Warriors got a slow start in the first quarter. They were getting some good looks but just were not shooting well. The Mavs came into this game very hungry after losing four and they were very aggressive to start this game. Mid-way through the quarter Dallas led 15-4. Golden State continued to miss shots and with four minutes left on the clock the Warriors trailed 23-6.

After the 47 point first quarter lead Sunday in Minnesota this quarter was a stark contrast. This was an extremely sloppy start for the Warriors. Dallas led after the opening quarter 36-24. The final minutes of the first saw Golden State starting to hit shots. They had held Dallas to 41 % but they were not protecting the ball. They had four turnovers in the early minutes of the game and would finish the game with 17.

In the second quarter the Warriors started to grind back into this game. They turned a 17 point deficit to two points with 5:48 until the half. They started keeping Doncic off the line turning this quarter around. At the two minute mark Golden State had tied the game at 50. With 0.30 left on the clock the Warriors took the lead 54-52. The Warriors owned the second quarter winning it 30-19 but did trail at the half 55-54.

After three quarters Dallas continued to lead 92-87. The Mavericks would hang onto the lead through most of the fourth quarter although the Warriors did have the lead several times. The Mavericks Spencer Dinwiddie was ejected in the final quarter for a flagrant foul two, a blow for Dallas but they managed to hold on to the game.

This game came down to the final shot. With 4.1 seconds left on the clock and trailing 116-113, the Warriors took a timeout. Golden State had the chance to tie up this game. The call made was a good one. A pass in to Klay Thompson who had an open look but just came up short. After a horrendous start the Warriors lost a winnable game. They fought hard to tie up the game and lead at times. The Warriors undoing was the lack of shots from the perimeter shooting at around 25%.

Curry had the high for the Warriors with 32 points and Jonathan Kuminga had his first double double of the season. He finished with 14 points and 10 rebounds. It was a tough night for Thompson who not only missed that critical shot from downtown at the end but finished 1 of 6 from deep and five points.

As expected Doncic was a force in this game finishing with his fifth triple double. He had 41 points, 12 assists, and 12 rebounds in this first meeting of the season with Golden State. Dallas had ended their four-game losing streak.

The Warriors will back home at Chase Friday taking on the Chicago Bulls. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 PM.

Kings lose by 5 to Suns 122-117; Sac drops three straight games

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The Sacramento Kings Malik Molnk (0) takes a jump shot against the Phoenix Suns center Deandre Ayton (22) and guard Damion Lee (10) at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Mon Nov 28, 2022 (@ SacramentoKings photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings were back in action on Monday night in Sacramento. The Kings were fresh off multiple days of rest and a tough east coast road trip. The Kings had a three city swing that took them through Memphis, Atlanta, and Boston.

The Kings went 1-2 on the trip dropping the last two games in Atlanta and Boston. On Monday they hoped to reverse the tide against the Phoenix Suns. Tip off was set for 7 PM PST in Sacramento. The Kings lost to the Suns 122-117.

In the first quarter, it was a fairly even game for both sides. The Suns came out with a bit more offensive power than the Kings out scoring them 31-26 in the first quarter. Kevin Huerter was keeping the Kings in the game early.

In the second quarter, the Kings played very well. Defense was still to be wished for but the Kings managed to score 38 points on the Suns in the second quarter. The offensive showing was impressive given that the Suns are one of the top defenses in the league. The Suns scored 32 in the second. Heading into halftime the Kings led the Suns 64-63.

In the third quarter, it was all Suns. The Kings went from a high powered offense in the second to only managing 20 points against the Suns in the third quarter. The third quarter is really where the Kings lost the game. The Suns scored 28 points in the third to take a 91-84 lead into the final quarter.

In the fourth quarter, the Kings put up a fight. However, it ultimately wasn’t enough to stop Devin Booker who lead with 44 points and led the Suns in scoring. The Kings outscored the Suns 33-31 in the final quarter but it wasn’t enough to overtake Phoenix. The Kings lost the game 122-117.

The Kings had a chance to have the last possession of the game only down three points but were unable to grab the rebound after a great defensive stop. It was a frustrating game for the Kings who received a sub par performance from star De’Aaron Fox. Domantas Sabonis had an impressive game with 17 points, 9 assists, and 10 rebounds.

Malik Monk led the way for the Kings with 30 points. However, the story of the night was the dominating performance from Devin Booker who scored 44 points. The Kings will turn their attention to the next game to rebound.

Up Next: The Kings stay home to take on the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday at 7 PM PS

Golden State Warriors podcast with Barbara Mason: Warriors try to make it four in row face Dallas Tue night

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Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) and Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert (27) vie for a rebound in the second quarter at the Target Center in Minneapolis on Sun Nov 27, 2022 (AP News photo)

On the Warriors podcast with Barbara:

#1 If the first quarter was any indication, Golden State (11-10) is back in championship form. They were nothing short of amazing. They led after the first 12 minutes by 20 points 47-27 shooting at 72%. 

#2 Minnesota made a bit of a move to start the second quarter. The Timberwolves (10-10) cut their deficit from 20 to 13 which prompted a Warrior time-out with 11:17 left in the half. 

#3 The Warriors pulled it all together as Jordan Poole went into attack mode and extended their lead back out to 57-38. Minnesota was struggling from beyond the arc and the Warriors wanted to go into halftime with the momentum they started the game with.

#4  Stephen Curry had the high with 25 points closely followed by Poole with 24. Klay Thompson had 21 points with critical three’s from Thompson and Curry to finish off Minnesota 137-114.

#5 The Warriors tip off against the Dallas Mavericks (9-10) Tuesday night in Dallas. The Warriors always have battled the Mavericks in Dallas how do you see this one on Tuesday night.

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

Huge First Quarter Gives Warriors Road Win Over Timberwolves 137-114; Third straight win for Golden State

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The Golden State Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins (22) throws down on the Minnesota Timberwolves Rudy Gobert (27) at the Target Center in Minneapolis on Sun Nov 27, 2022 (AP News photo)

Huge First Quarter Gives Warriors Road Win Over Timberwolves 137-114

By Barbara Mason

Sunday afternoon the Golden State Warriors (11-10) took on the Minnesota Timberwolves (10-10) at Target Center. The Warriors have only won one game on the road and of late have been playing some outstanding basketball. They have, of course, been excellent at Chase Center and Sunday’s game will have a lot to say in regards to how this team is playing whether it be on the road or at home. This time on the road where they had a big first quarter to defeat the Timberwolves 137-114.

If the first quarter was any indication, Golden State is back in championship form. They were nothing shot of amazing. They led after the first twelve minutes by twenty points 47-27 shooting at 72%. It could not have been a better start for the Warriors and they would have to keep up the furious pace. through three more quarters.

Minnesota made a bit of a move to start the second quarter. The Timberwolves cut their deficit from 20 to 13 which prompted a Warrior time-out with 11:17 left in the half. Golden State needed to keep their foot on the pedal against a very good Minnesota team.

The Warriors pulled it all together as Jordan Poole went into attack mode and extended their lead back out to 57-38. Minnesota was struggling from beyond the arc and the Warriors wanted to go into halftime with the momentum they started the game with. Golden State has started games hot in the first quarter and not in the second and this is something they want to put in the rearview. Golden State had a 76-56 halftime lead.

The Warriors hung onto the lead through the third quarter. They won the first quarter but came away even in the second and third quarters. Going into the fourth quarter Golden State had a 109-89 lead.

The Timberwolves made things a bit tight trailing by ten points with 5:29 left in the game. Golden State pulled it together courtesy of stars, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Poole with a little icing on the cake thanks to a triple from Donte DiVincenzo.

There were six Warriors in double digits this afternoon. They shot 57% from the field and had 20 from downtown. Draymond Green had his first double double of the season. Curry had the high with 25 points closely followed by Poole with 24. Thompson had 21 points with critical three’s from Thompson and Curry to finish off Minnesota.

Anthony Edwards had the high for the Timberwolves with 26 points but they couldn’t keep pace with the Warriors. When push came to shove they fell short.

The Warriors continue this brief road trip taking on the Dallas Mavericks Tuesday night. Tipoff is scheduled for 4:30 PM.

Warriors Handle Utah 129-117

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Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson (11) drives past Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen, right, during the first half at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Fri Nov 25, 2022 (AP News photo)

Warriors Handle Utah 129-117

By Barbara Mason

Friday night the Golden State Warriors (10-10) defeated the Utah Jazz (12-9) 129-117 at Chase Center. The Warriors are coming off a 124-107 win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday. The Jazz last game was a loss at the hands of the Detroit Piston 125-116.

The Warriors had a great start winning the first quarter 37-23 really taking it to the Jazz. Golden State had a 59-51 lead at the half. It had been a slow start for Klay Thompson and the team would need him in the second half.

The Warriors built on that halftime lead winning the third quarter 38-35 and leading after three 97-86. Thompson had to get involved in this game and he sure did in the third quarter. He got going with 2:39 left and it was lights out for Thompson sinking shot after shot from downtown.

We saw a furious pace explode from both teams in the fourth quarter. The Warriors continued to hold a ten plus lead throughout the quarter. The Jazz were unable to cut the deficit. Both Stephen Curry and Thompson were shooting at 50% from downtown extending the Warriors lead 100-116 with 6:44 left in the game. Golden State had defended the three well in this game holding the Jazz to 27%.

With under five minutes left the Warriors had their biggest lead of the game 121-102. The Jazz made a bit of a run, a 9-0 run but it was to no avail. Every time the Jazz got going, the Warriors would answer and most of the time it was via a shot from downtown.

The Warriors have now won two games in a row, not surprising since they were at Chase. Golden State has looked like world champions in their last two games. Every starter in tonight’s game finished with double digits. Curry had 33 points, Andrew Wiggins with 20 and Thompson with 20. Jordan Poole was again terrific with 19 points off the bench.

The Warriors will next go on the road taking on the Minnesota Timberwolves Sunday afternoon. Tipoff is scheduled for 12:30 PM.

Celtics Blow-Out Kings 122-104

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The Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) takes a drive around the Sacramento Kings guard Kevin Huerter, left during Fri Nov 25, 2022 game at TD Garden on Fri Nov 25, 2022 (AP News photo)

Celtics Blow-Out Kings 122-104

By Barbara Mason

Friday night the Sacramento Kings (10-8) traveled to Boston to take on the Celtics (15-4) at TD Garden. The Kings are coming off a loss to Atlanta 115-106 from Wednesday night. The red-hot Celtics came into this game after beating the Mavericks 125-112 last Wednesday. The Celtics are the third best three point shooting team in the NBA and were a tough assignment for Sacramento beating the Kings 122-104 Friday night.

Game recap: The first quarter was all Boston winning it 34-23. The Kings had ten turnovers which turned into 11 Celtic points and De’Aaron Fox did not score until the final 1:31 of the quarter.

They would need Fox if they had any hopes of beating the Celtics. The Kings also needed to limit the turnovers because you are not going to beat many teams committing ten turnovers let alone a team with the talent of Boston.

The Kings really settled down in the second quarter. With two minutes left in the half they trailed by a single point. After a terrible start to this game the Kings trailed by a couple 64-62 at halftime in a huge turnaround. Fox came to life with 14 points, 11 of them in the second quarter and Domantas Sabonis had 12 points.

The Kings had great work off the bench from Malik Monk hitting nine points and Davion Mitchell with 10. In the second quarter the Kings only had two turnovers.

The Celtics went on a 16-0 run to end the third quarter leading by the score of 94-84. At 10:12 the Kings tied up the game and actually took the lead for a time but it was short-lived as Boston went on the crazy run.

Boston took this game over leaving the Kings in the dust as they distanced themselves from Sacramento. With 4:30 left in the game the score was 115-90 in a blow-out. The Celtics had gone on a 37-6 run and it was all but finished for the Kings. The Kings went on a slight run but it was far too little too late. The final was 122-104.

The Kings have now lost two in a row, They will next take on the Phoenix Suns Monday night at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 PM.

Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson: Kings seven game win streak snapped but not drive and determination

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Atlanta Hawks forward AJ Griffin (14) attempts to pass during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Sacramento Kings in Atlanta on Wed Nov 23, 2022 (AP News photo)

On Sacramento Kings podcasts with Jeremiah Salmonson:

#1 Wednesday night the Sacramento Kings (10-7) took on the Atlanta Hawks (11-7) at State Farm Arena. The Kings are coming off a win over Memphis Tuesday 113-109 while the Hawks lost to the Cavaliers on Monday 114-102.

#2 The Kings trailed at the half 72-57. Sacramento lost the first quarter 35-26 and the second quarter 37-31. The Kings were struggling defensively and were challenged in trying to contain the Hawks Trae Young.

#3 Although the Kings dominated in the paint it was those turnovers that really hurt them in this game. De’Aaron Fox had a slow start but finished with 18. Malik Monk had a monster game with 27 points off the bench. 

#4 Young had 35 points for Atlanta getting open consistently throughout the entire game. The Hawks didn’t have a great fourth quarter but the Kings just didn’t take advantage of their let-down.

#5  Friday night the Kings will travel to Boston to take on the Celtics at TD Garden. They will get a chance to rest tomorrow after taking on this challenging road trip. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:00 PM.

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

Golden State Warriors podcast with Jerry Feitelberg: Warriors don’t allow Clippers any ground in 124-107 win

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Golden State Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins (22) smiles after making a 3-point basket against the Los Angeles Clippers at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Wed Nov 23, 2022 (AP News photo)

On the Warriors podcast with Jerry F:

#1 Jerry, the Golden State Warrior (9-10) Andrew Wiggins lead with 31 points a season high as the Warriors defeated the Los Angeles Clippers (11-8) at the Chase Center 124-107.

#2 Wiggins shot 12-18 and for the second time tied his totals for most three points this season with six and also scored 20 or more points in his third straight game.

#3 Warriors guard Stephen Curry whose been under FTX litigation threats didn’t let that bother him a bit scoring second on the Warriors leaderboard with 22 points.

#4 Klay Thompson finished with 18 points and was really excited about his accomplishments on Wednesday night. Thompson raised his arms to get the fans pumped up after a one handed slam dunk.

#5 The Utah Jazz (12-8) have lost five of their last seven games. The Jazz lost to the Detroit Pistons in their last game 125-116. The Jazz tip off with the Warriors this Friday night at 7:00pm at Chase Center.

Join Jerry for the Warriors podcast at http://www.sportsradioservice.com