Curry leads the Warriors to a 132-100 rout over the Pacers

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Photo credit: @warriors

By Jerry Feitelberg

Steph Curry scored 23 points in the first half to lead the Warriors to a 132-100 victory over the Indiana Pacers Monday night at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Steph was 9-for-10 from the field and connected on all 5 3-point shots attempted. He connected on a 3 as the buzzer sounded to give the Warriors a commanding 69-48 halftime advantage.

The Warriors led from start to finish. With the score tied at 16, the Warriors went on a 24-6 run to finish the first quarter with a 40-22 lead. The Pacers’ leading scorer, Victor Oladipo, was not available as he injured his knee and underwent a season-ending surgery to correct the problem. His replacement, Tyreke Evans, also was not able to play. The Pacers started Edmond Sumner, who made his first start in the NBA.

The Warriors, behind Curry, Klay Thompson, and Kevon Looney, continued to expand the lead. They finished the first half 69-48. The Warriors shot 59.6% from the floor. They made 6 3s in 12 attempts and recorded 20 assists in the half as they moved the ball well.

The Pacers played well in the third period. they scored 31 points against the Warriors defense. The Warriors, however, scored 32 and led by 22 heading into the final period of play. In the fourth quarter, DeMarcus Cousins played very well. He made several buckets and the score was 115-90 and 7:46 left to play, Steve Kerr had Curry, and Kevin Durant watching from the bench. Thompson exited with 6:50 left and Cousins departed with 4:50 to play. Kevon Looney, Quinn Cook, Damian Lee, Marcus Derrickson, Jordan Bell, and Shaun Livingston finished the game for the Warriors.

Game Notes and Stats: Draymond Green did not play Monday night as coach Steve Kerr gave him a night off. Jordan Bell started in Green’s forward position and played well. Bell, who has not been as consistent as he was a year ago, recorded 8 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists. Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson each finished with 16. DeMarcus Cousins had a season-high 22 points, 6 boards, and 4 assists in 34 minutes of action. Kevon Looney had a career-high with 15 points to go along with 5 rebounds and two assists. Curry led the Warriors with 26, and he made 6 3s.

The Warriors finished the 12-day, 5-game road trip undefeated. It was the fourth time in Warrior history that the team went undefeated on a road trip of 5 or more games. The Warriors won their 11th game in a row and the 10th road game in a row. The Warriors are now 36-14 for the year while the Pacers drop to 32-17.

Up Next: The Warriors return home to host the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday night at Oracle Arena. Game time will be at 7:30 pm.

Cal Bears basketball podcast with Morris Phillips: At this rate, Cal can only reboot and play for pride now

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Photo credit: @CalMBBall

On the Cal Bears podcast with Morris:

#1 The Utah Utes head coach  Larry Krystkowiak saw his offense get it in gear against the Cal Bears instantly on offense, but the defense took awhile to get it in gear, but once they did, the Bears were pretty much done.

#2 The home floor didn’t help for Cal. They lost 82-64. They’ve struggled at home and have not won game this season.

#3  Krystkowiak said in the postgame presser that the first half was a shootout and that the offense was expending with a lot more energy. Knowing the struggles of the Bears and with the Utes climbing on offense did the Bears even have a chance to shut the Utes down in that first half.

#4 The Utes helped their own cause in the Pac-12 standings with their fourth straight win and now in a second place tie with USC.

#5 Cal’s attendance is shrinking with each loss and the fans and alum can’t give away a ticket as Cal drops to a 5-15 record. Cal’s next home game this Sun Feb 3 against the Stanford Cardinal.

Morris is the Cal Bears beat writer and does the Cal podcasts with Michael Duca weekly at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Former Giants managing partner Peter Magowan dies at 76

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Photo credit: @SFGiants

By Jeremy Kahn

Peter Magowan, who with a last effort kept in 1992 kept the San Francisco Giants from moving to Tampa, Florida died on Sunday from complications from Cancer, he was 76 years old.

Magowan, who grew up watching the Giants in New York, where he was born and then as fate would have it, Magowan and his family moved to San Francisco, just months after the Giants moved to the Bay Area.

It was Magowan, who formed a group of people to buy the team from then owner Bob Lurie for $100 million. That winter, Magowan signed Barry Bonds to a contract worth $43.5 million over a six-year period.

After the 2008 season, and 16 years at the helm, Magowan stepped down as President and Chief Executive Officer.

Just two years later, the Giants won the first World Championship since 1954, and within a five-year period, the team would win the World Series in both 2012 and 2014.

“Peter’s mark on the Giants and the San Francisco community can be felt throughout the ballpark, in which he was intimately involved in the design and planning and throughout the daily operations of the organization,” Giants president and CEO Larry Baer said. “He set forth a Giants vision to create a winning culture and to serve our fans and the community. Over the past 25 years, we have followed through on his vision and his impact on our community will be felt for decades to come.”

Prior to the coming to the Giants, Magowan worked for Safeway Inc., and was the chairman and CEO from 1980-1993 before he stepped down after he took over the Giants.

Magowan was a big fan of Willie Mays, as he gave the Hall of Famer a lifetime contract after he took over the team. He also brought back to the organization the late Willie McCovey, who passed away on October 31 at the age of 80 and Orlando Cepeda, and the two were named Special Advisers.

Peter Magowan has been a part of my life for a long, long time, first as a fan watching me play in New York and then, remaining a fan when we moved to San Francisco,” Mays said. “Along the way, he became my friend. Peter would call me often to check in. He and Debby cared about me and it was so easy to care about them in return. It’s hard to find the right words just now, but in losing Peter, I’ve lost a great, great friend. He was like my godfather. No one can replace him.

Magowan will be inducted into the Giants Wall of Fame at the team’s annual Fanfest on February 9.

He is survived by wife Debby, five children and 12 grandchildren.

NCAAB podcast with Michelle Richardson: Without Azubike and DeSousa, Wildcats have their way with Hawks; Duke comes back to beat George Tech; OSU gets the better of UW; plus more

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Photo credit: @KentuckyMBB

On the NCAAB podcast with Michelle:

#1 Udoke Azubuike is out with an injury and Silvio DeSousa is in ineligible. Wihout their key players, the Kansas Jayhawks (16-4) couldn’t turn the corner to the Kentucky Wildcats (16-3) 71-63. The score is reflective of the lack offense needed by the Hawks.

#2 Duke (17-2) got a win over Georgia Tech (11-9) on Saturday 66-53. The Blue Devils got hoop help from RJ Barrett with 24 points and 11 rebounds Duke won it coming back from behind.

#3 Washington Huskies (16-4) defeated the Oregon State Beavers (12-7) 79-69 Saturday . The Huskies’ Jaylen Nowell (19) and Nahziah Carter (18) both led in scoring and the Beavers’ Stephen Thomson Jr (30) and Tres Tinkle (18) led OSU in scoring.

#4 Michelle’s final thoughts

NCAAB podcast is every week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Clippers lead the game wire-to-wire, down the Kings 122-108 on Sunday

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lac bogie
Photo @SacramentoKings

By Charlie O. Mallonee

Have you ever had one of those days at the office when you show up and you feel that your rhythm is just a half a beat off? For you “old schoolers,” everyone in the workplace is moving at 45 rpm while you are dragging at 33 1/3 rpm. The was the kind of day the Kings had on Sunday in Los Angeles versus the Clippers as they lost 122-108 to close out their six-game road trip.

Sacramento never held a lead in the game on Sunday. The Clippers largest lead of the game was 25 points. LAC held a 16 point advantage — 67 to 51 — at the half.

The Kings came out in the third quarter playing with improved energy and appeared to ready to make a game of it. In the fourth quarter, Sacramento twice closed within five points of the lead, but the Clippers were able to go a scoring barrage that would allow them to open a lead as large 19 points in the final period to end Kings hopes of a comeback victory.

The victory upped the Clippers’ record to 28-22 for the season while the loss drops the Kings back to .500 on the year at 25-25. The loss dropped the Kings’ record on the road trip to 2-4.

Early Start
The Kings did have to battle an early start in the “City of Angels” on Sunday. Because the Lakers also have a home game scheduled on Sunday at the Staples Center, the Clippers always have to play the early game. That game has to tip-off by 12:30 so the second game can begin by 6:00 PM.

The early start may have been a problem, but then again, this is a young team that should be able to handle time diversity easier than older veterans.

Playoff Picture at Game 50
LAC holds the eighth and final playoff berth in the Western Conference with the win on Sunday. They are 7.5 games behind the conference-leading Warriors. The Clippers have won three consecutive games and are 4-6 in their last 10 games.

Sacramento is in 10th place in the Western Conference 3.0 games behind the Clippers for the final playoff spot in the West. The Kings are now on a one game losing streak and are 5-5 over their last 10 games.

From the Game Book
Kings

lac kings 5
Kings starting five Photo: @SacramentoKings

Team Stats

  • SAC shot 39.8% (37/93) for the game. NBA teams do not win shooting under 40%
  • It was a horrible 3-point shooting night: 8-for-36 (22.2%)
  • 44 rebounds – 8 less than LAC
  • The Kings recorded just 18 assists. That is not their game. They average 25.8 assists per game
  • The team committed 12 turnovers that resulted in 18 points for the Clippers
  • Two positives: 12 steals and six blocked shots

Player Stats

  • De’Aaron Fox was the Kings’ leading scorer with 21 points. He shot 8-for-16 from the field with one 3-pointer
  • Bogdan Bogdanovic came off the bench to put 19 points in the book. He was a monster at the free throw line, converting 8-of-9 opportunities
  • Buddy Hield and Iman Shumpert scored 16 points each in the game. Hield went just 2-for-7 from downtown
  • Marvin Bagley III did not start, but added 14 points, hitting 5-of-10 shots in the game
  • Willie Cauley-Stein flirted with a double-double as he scored nine points and grabbed 12 rebounds

Clippers
Player Stats

lac beverley
Graphic @LAClippers
  • Montrezl Harrell came off the bench to score a game-high 25 points. He shot an incredible 11-for-13 for the game
  • Tobias Harris scored 18 points, including going 4-for-4 from the charity stripe
  • Shai Gilgeous-Alexander put 17 points up on the board by going 7-for-7 from the free throw line
  • Patrick Beverly tried to post a triple-double by scoring 16 points, hauling in 10 rebounds and dishing out eight assists

Team Stats

  • The Clippers shot 47.7% (42/88) overall versus the Kings
  • LAC hit 11-of-29 (37.9%) of their 3-point field goal attempts
  • Los Angeles converted 27-of-29 opportunities from the free throw line (93.1%)
  • They dished out 35 assists and made just 19 turnovers to very close to that magic 2:1 ratio

Up Next
The Kings return to Sacramento and will host the Atlanta Hawks for the only time this season. Hawks guard Jeremy Lin has been rumored to be a trade prospect for the Kings.

The Clippers will host the Hawks on Monday night at Staples Center.

2019 Pro Bowl: AFC earns soggy 26-7 blowout over NFC

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Photo credit: Shawn McCullough, Sports Radio Service

By Daniel Dullum
Sports Radio Service
Sunday, January 27, 2019

The 2019 Pro Bowl kicked off in Orlando, Fla., in the midst of a rain shower, 94 percent humidity and a game time temperature of 54 degrees.

Meanwhile, in Honolulu, Hawaii, it was 73 degrees, partial clouds, and 57 percent humidity. The NFL used to play the Pro Bowl in Honolulu, but Commissioner Roger Goddell had the game moved to Orlando for better stadium perks and amenities for himself, his friends, and the league’s owners.

That, and ongoing issues regarding the condition of Aloha Stadium, which needed major renovations and upkeep. Hawaii last hosted the Pro Bowl in 2016, with no guarantee of the game returning, which is unfortunate — it was a major reason for the best players to show up after years of prominent no-shows.

Today’s scene is reminiscent of when the league played the Pro Bowl in Kansas City in 1974. Nonetheless, Suzy Kolber and Lisa Salters had no trouble rocking their rain gear, working the sidelines for ESPN on ABC.

These days, the Pro Bowl has an odd way of starting — there are no kickoffs. Possessions begin at the team’s own 25-yard line. Special teams players are still selected, more as an honor.

As for the game, proudly presented by Verizon, the AFC jumped to a 17-0 halftime lead and eventually prevailed 26-7.

At 11:26 of the first quarter, Kansas City QB Patrick Mahomes threw an 18-yard touchdown pass to Colts tight end Eric Ebron to open the scoring. The AFC extended its lead in the second quarter on a 1-yard plunge by Chiefs fullback Anthony Sherman and Jets’ kicker Jason Myers’ 31-yard field goal.

Myers’ 47-yard field goal at 4:06 of the third quarter put the AFC up 20-0. The NFC found the end zone at 9:05 of the fourth quarter when Dak Prescott of Dallas connected with Atlanta tight end Austin Hooper for a 20-yard scoring play.

The AFC closed out the scoring with 19 seconds remaining, when Houston quarterback Deshaun Watson tossed a 6-yard TD pass to Jacksonville cornerback Jalen Ramsey. Trailing by 19, the AFC went for two and the pass was incomplete.

Mahomes, the offensive most valuable player, completed 7 of 14 passes for 156 yards and a touchdown. Tyreek Hill of Kansas City was the AFC’s top rusher with 24 yards on two carries, and the Los Angeles Chargers’ Keenan Allen caught four passes for 95 yards.

NFC leaders: Seattle’s Russell Wilson completed 5 of 8 passes for 68 yards, Ezekiel Elliott of Dallas gained 33 yards on three attempts, and Davante Adams of Green Bay caught two passes for 41 yards.

The New York Jets’ Jamal Adams was the defensive MVP.

This is the final year of a three-year contract to play the Pro Bowl at Camping World Stadium in Orlando. As of Jan. 27, the attendance has yet to be announced.

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: A Talk With A’s Top Prospect Jesus Luzardo

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Photo credit: sportingnews.com

By: Amaury Pi-Gonzalez

On a sunny Saturday afternoon at Jack London Square where the 2019 Oakland A’s Fanfest took place, dozens of thousands of A’S and baseball fans in general tasting one of the appetizers of the 2019 season, the Fanfest, and in a couple of weeks, Spring Training, and the start of the season not far behind either.

The Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum and Hall of Fame had the kiosk closer to Scott’s Seafood Restaurant, fans stopped by to talk baseball. Others got information on the museum and this year’s new A’s stars. La Pedrique, the A’s first base coach first stopped y to sign and meet the public, then later talented 21-year-old prospect, Jesus Luzardo.

Luzardo is a 21 years old and extremely personable with a big smile. He truly enjoyed meeting A’S fan for the first time. I talked to him in Spanish. A Miami, Florida resident, he is totally bilingual. He was born in Lima, Peru, but most of his family is from Venezuela and he identifies himself as a Venezuelan.

While Luzardo signed autographs and posed for photo with A’s fans, I learned a lot about this young prospect. Of the top 100 MLB prospects, he comes in as #7.

When I asked him about the feeling of wearing the A’s uniform, he responded: “It is great, it is tough to make it to this level, and I am very happy today.” Originally from the Washington Nationals organization, the rookie lefty told me he is good friends with ex-A’s lefty Gio Gonzalez, as they both live in the Miami area.

He told me “Gio helped me the time we spend together.”

I asked him about what type of pitcher he considers himself to be in power and in control. He told me “Everything, I can throw the fastball also a breaking pitch and I can be funky also.”

Luzardo is currently single, but told me he has a girlfriend with a huge smile. Al Pedrique, the A’s first base coach, is also from Venezuela, and prior to Luzardo, he came over to our kiosk to sign autographs. Pedrique believes this kid is “the real thing.”

When I asked Luzardo, who will report to Mesa, Arizona, for Spring Training, about making the rotation this season, he responded “We will see, but I am ready for Spring Training.”

According to scouts, Luzardo throws around 98 miles per hour and other secondary pitches. For his age, I found him to be very confident and very smart,when it comes to baseball. He told me he had been playing all his life and to be here is truly a dream come true. Many fans already have known about him and were excited to meet him, wished him good luck. One guy said to him that he will be in the A’s pitching rotation this year.

The opportunity is there for Luzardo. We all know the A’s have a very good young talented lineup, so pitching will be the main focus, especially starting pitchers and aside from Frankie Montas, Luzardo is one of the other young arms that could definitely win a position in the A’S 2019 starting rotation. He came to the A’s from Washington in a trade with closer Blake Treinien, and he could be the missing link for what could turn out to be a great trade for the A’s.

Buena suerte a Jesus Luzardo, muchacho con mucho talento y personalidad.

Translation: Good Luck to Jesus Luzardo, a kid with a lot of talent and personality.

NHL podcast with Daniel Dullum: NHL puts together another successful All-Star Game

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dailyherald.com photo: Pacific Division’s Marc-Andre Fleury, left, of the Vegas Golden Knights, defends against a shot-attempt by Central Division’s Patrick Kane, of the Chicago Blackhawks, during the second half of a semifinal of the NHL hockey All-Star Game in San Jose, Calif., Saturday, Jan. 26, 2019

On the NHL podcast with Daniel:

1 Metropolitan Division wins All-Star 3-on-3

2 Pacific Division loses 10-4 to Central; Metro beats Atlantic 7-4

3 Many highlights in Skills Competition

4 Brenna Decker to get her NHL Skills money; Kendall Coyne Schofield wows fans at Fastest Skater event

5 Austin Matthews honors ex-Shark Patrick Marleau in All-Star Skills Competition

6 Puck electronic tracking is coming to the NHL

Daniel Dullum does the NHL podcast each Sunday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Making Themselves At Home: Utah the latest visitor to take advantage at Haas Pavilion, win 82-64

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By Morris Phillips

BERKELEY, CA–Utah needed to do two things: get their offense cranked up to take advantage of one of the nation’s worst defenses, and play the typically, stingy ball-hawking defense that Larry Krystkowiak-coached teams are known for.

To Krystkowiak’s dismay, the Utah offense kicked in immediately while his defense took its sweet time to show up.

But once both phases were in sync, the host Cal Bears couldn’t keep pace. Instead of igniting their fans, the Bears went quietly, trailing in all but the game’s first four minutes in a 82-64 loss.

“We did a good job defensively in the second half,” Krystkowiak said. “The first half was kind of a shootout and we were expending a lot more energy on offense, but we slowed the game down and got that figured out in the second half.”

The Utes won their fourth straight and remained in a second place tie with USC, two games behind league-leading Washington. The Bears remain winless in conference play, and haven’t captured a Pac-12 contest since February, a streak that’s approaching a year in length.

For the dwindling number of fans supporting the Bears at Haas Pavilion the streaks are even more dire. The 18-point loss marked the 13th time in 52 games under coach Jones that Cal has lost by double-digits at home. And at 5-15, 0-8, with 11 games remaining, the Bears are drawing closer to a second, consecutive 20-loss season, which has never happened previously in the history of the program.

“We all have pride. This doesn’t feel good. We’ll hit the reset button, come back together and figure it out,” Jones said.