Headline Sports with London Marq: Arguing on the court, closed door locker drama, team is struggling on the floor, or is there nothing to see here?

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Photo credit: @morrisgriffin_

On the Headline Sports podcast with London:

#1 Are the Golden State Warriors finally melting down after years of success and starting to soften their foundation after Draymond Green got into a jawing match with team superstar Kevin Durant in Golden State’s loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday night?

#2 The Warriors had lost two of their last three before Tuesday night. Green sat out Tuesday night’s game against Atlanta for misconduct and will lose $120,480 pay.

#3 Has this team that has been so successful for at least the last four years start to show cracks? Green has been noted as the most vocal on the team.

#4 Durant, Klay Thompson, and DeMarcus Cousins are scheduled to be free agents next season even with their success. Can these players be leaving and will the Durant-Green argument be a distraction for Golden State?

#5 They were arguing and dissension was on the sidelines on Monday night amongst them Green with Durant, Green with DeMarcus Cousins. Does Green need to sit down and shut up?

London Marq does Headline Sports each Wednesday at http://www.sportsrasdioservice.com

Home is where the heart is: Cal Bears easily handle the Hampton Pirates 80-66

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Photo credit: @Pac12Network

By: Ana Kieu

The California Golden Bears defended Haas Pavilion after a 80-66 win over the Hampton Pirates on Tuesday night. In case you didn’t know, Hampton men’s basketball is based in Hampton, Virginia (go look it up if you don’t believe me!).

Anyhow, it was a good win for the Bears, who showed the Cal students, alumni and fans that home is where the heart is. The Bears’ starting lineup consisted of Darius McNeill, Paris Austin, Justice Sueing, Matt Bradley and Andre Kelly.

The Bears pounced on the Pirates from the get-go. Paris Austin opened the scoring with the first basket of the game and Justice Sueing followed up by hitting two from the line. The Bears trailed by only one point at the time, but they overcame adversity and went on a 10-0 run–thanks to scores from Austin, McNeill and Connor Vanover–midway through the first half. The Bears brought a far-fetched 48-31 lead to the locker room at the end of the first half.

The Bears slightly cooled off in the second half. The Pirates outscored the Bears 35-32, but the game was pretty much out of reach for the visiting team.

At a media break, Hampton closed the lead 54-44, while Cal was unable to score in 3:06 (minus the fact that Kelly led the Bears with four points at the time. The Bears picked up the pace, which led to four Bears in double figures with under six minutes on the scoreboard. The Bears then went on a 7-0 run in the last 2:25 to close out the game on a high note. Also, note that Austin hit a three-pointer to extend the Bears’ lead back to double digits.

The Bears got a 80-66 win over the Pirates in their home opener. Austin led the Bears with 20 points and six assists in the victory. As a result, Austin earned the Opus Bank #12Best moment tonight.

Notes
The Bears’ nonconference schedule includes more than 18,000 miles of travel.

The bulk of Cal’s nonconference travel comes in a 20-day span between roundtrip travel to China (November 2 to 10) and Brooklyn, N.Y. (November 16 to 21). Other stops away from Haas Pavilion include Fresno, Calif. and a trip through the Caldecott Tunnel to face Saint Mary’s.

No other team in the nation will travel more during their nonconference slate than Cal.

Up Next
The Bears return home to host the Detroit Titans on Thursday, November 15 at 7:00 pm PT on PACN.

Warriors take down the Hawks 110-103

Published on by rxsluggerLeave a comment

Photo credit: @warriors

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors returned home to face the Atlanta Hawks Tuesday night at Oracle Arena. The Warriors, still missing Steph Curry, had to face the young Hawks team minus their All-Star forward Draymond Green. Green and Kevin Durant had a verbal confrontation last night late in the game against the Los Angeles Clippers. The dispute spilled over into the clubhouse and was still not resolved on the flight home. The Warriors’ management suspended Green without pay for one game. The reason given was that Green had “committed conduct detrimental to the team.” The Warriors had to come back from the loss to LA and regroup. They did not play well in the first half, but played Warrior basketball in the second half to outlast the Hawks 110-103.

The Hawks, who are in rebuild mode, hired Lloyd Pierce as their coach after Mike Budenholzer resigned. Budenholzer had the worst year of his career with Atlanta last season and moved on to coach the Milwaukee Bucks. Pierce inherited a young team with players that are not yet well-known in the league. The Hawks do have on their roster two former Warrior players: Kent Bazemore, and Jeremy Lin. Another familiar name is the 41-year-old veteran, Vince Carter. The Hawks feature rookie Trae Young, who came into the game averaging 18 points per game. Taurean Prince and Alex Len are two names that are not well known in Oakland, but both players performed well against the Warriors Tuesday night.

The Hawks frustrated the Warrior offense in the first quarter as they held the Warriors to just 20 points. They outscored the Warriors by three to lead 23-20, and the fans in the stands were starting to squirm as the Warriors’ offense sputtered through most of the game Monday night in Los Angeles. The two teams scored 29 points in the second quarter, and the first half ended with Atlanta ahead 52-49. The Hawks held the Warriors to just 39.5% shooting from the floor. Durant led the offense with 15. Klay Thompson, who scored 7 in the first half against LA, was held to 9 points Tuesday night. Jonas Jerebko hit two three-point shots and finished the half with 8. Quinn Cook had 7, and Jordan Bell added 6. Atlanta was led by Carter and Prince. Each player had 11. Alex Len had 8, Bazemore 7, and Deandre Bembry kicked in with 8.

Warriors’ head coach Steve Kerr must have told the team to get their act together and play Warrior basketball during the halftime intermission.  The third quarter started with Atlanta increasing the lead to five 54-49. With Atlanta, ahead 58-55, the Warrior offense came to life as they went on a 17-2 run to grab a 10-point lead 70-60. The Hawks refused to bend, and they were to end the third quarter trailing by six 82-76. The Hawks still had a chance to upset the Warriors.

The Warriors were determined not to lose. The offense was sparked by Thompson, Durant, Cook, Jonas Jerebko, and Andre Iguodala. The Warriors expanded the lead to 14 101-87, but had to hold on for dear life as Atlanta kept coming back. The Hawks cut the deficit to five 106-101 with 1 minute and 41 seconds left to play. Durant scored the next 4 points, and the Warriors held off the Hawks 110-103

Game Notes and Stats:  With the win, the Warriors improve to 12-3, while the Hawks’ record drops to 3-11.

Kevin Durant paced the Warriors with 29 points, 6 boards, and 3 assists. Jonas Jerebko had a double-double with 14 points and 13 rebounds, which was a career-high. Jerebko knocked down four 3-point shots. Klay Thompson finished with 24. Quinn Cook had 18.

The Atlanta attack was led by Taurean Prince’s 22 points. Alex Len had 14, Bazemore 18, Bembry 13, Carter 11, and Jeremy Lin 10. The Hawks’ outstanding rookie, Trae Young, was held to just 4 points.

The Warriors finished the night shooting 42.9% from the floor. They made 12 three-point shots in 27 attempts.

Up Next: The Warriors head to Texas for 3 games in 4 nights. They start the trip with against the Houston Rockets Thursday at 5:00 pm PT. They’ll then play Dallas on Saturday at 5:30 pm PT and the San Antonio Spurs Sunday at 4:00 pm PT.

Thornton Joins Elite Company, Scores Game-Winner 5-4 Over Nashville

Published on by Matthew HarringtonLeave a comment

Photo credit: @Sharkfan20

By Jerry Feitelberg

The San Jose Sharks won a seesaw tilt Tuesday night at the SAP Center, seeing a 3-0 lead dissolve into a 4-3 deficit before rallying for a pair goals and 5-4 win. Joe Thornton scored his 400th goal, Joe Pavelski scored twice, Marcus Sorensen had a three point night. Erik Karlsson and Tomas Hertl also notched milestone assists for San Jose’s second win in as many games at home.

The game-winning flurry began with just under seven minutes left oimregulation and the Sharks trailing 4-3. Joe Pavelski netted his second goal of the game and 10th of the year to pull the game even, then Joe Thornton netted the game-winner just 13 seconds later, his 400th NHL goal.

“Jumbo” became just the seventh player to record 400 goals, 1,000 assists and appear in 1,500 games, accomplishing the third feat earlier this season. He joins Jaromir Jagr, Mark Messier, Gordie Howe, Ray Bourque, Ron Francis and Steve Yzerman as the only players to do so. Six of those players are in the Hockey Hall of Fame, with number 19 set to join them when he hangs up his skates.

San Jose led 3-0 after a first period they dominated, out-shooting the Predators 18-5, but the roles were reversed in the second.

Craig Smith scored on a deflection off his skate 4:43 into the period, then a turnover spring Filip Forsberg for a breakaway that he buried just 40 seconds later. Forsberg would beat Jones five-hole with 2:08 left in the period to tie the game heading into the final frame. Nashville pulled closer in the shot differential category after outpacing the Sharks 18-6.

Rocco Grimaldi scored 2:43 into the third period, challenging Joakim Ryan for a Puck at the Predators blue line. The forward picked the puck up and worked Ryan off his back, finishing the play with a back-hand fore-hand deke and his first goal of the year after getting called up in late October to give the Preds a 4-3 edge over a then-lifeless Sharks side.

It looked like San Jose would continue their strong home at and early in the contest after beating the Calgary Flames Sunday. Marcus Sorensen scored 5:09 into the game, outwaiting Predators goalie Juuse Saros, who committed to the butterfly with the forward in the crease. Sorensen was able slide to the side for an open net and his third goal of the year.

Joe Pavelski scored his ninth goal of the year on a power play tip 7:05 into the first, but the assists were the real milestones. Erik Karlsson picked up his 400th career assist, the fifth-most by an active defenseman, and Tomas Hertl’s secondary helper marked his 100th of his career in his second game back from an injury.

Antti Suomela netted his fourth goal on some puck luck thanks to a gaffe from Forsberg. Forsberg went to pass the Puck to a teammate in the defensive end but his rocket hit the boards and bounced dead-center in the slot. Suomela was waiting for it on the forecheck, ripping it over Saros’ glove for a 3-0 edge with just over three minutes left in the first.

The Sharks had their opportunities often, going on five power plays, but only scoring on the one try. Martin Jones made 31 saves in the game. The Sharks continue the homestand Thursday against old friend Patrick Marleau, new enemy John Tavares and the Toronto Maple Leafs.

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: A’s Bob Melvin Is a Manager for All Seasons

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Photo credit: @Athletics

By: Amaury Pi-González

A’s manager Bob Melvin was awarded the 2018 American League Manager of the Year by the BBWAA (Baseball Writers Association of America), which was a well-deserved award from an A-1 manager and A-1 gentleman. The Oakland Athletics are a very lucky organization to have him as their leader.

Melvin’s A’s won 97 games, that is 22 more games that any other team from 2017 to 2018. This is the third time in his career that Melvin has won it and the second time he has won the award with the A’s in 2012. He beat Alex Cora, whose Red Sox won a team-record 108 games during the regular season, then went on to win the World Series. Cora, also known as “The Pride of Caguas,” finished second. In third place, Tampa Bay Rays’ skipper Kevin Cash, who lost players like Evan Longoria and Jake Odorizzi last season, yet in the toughest division in baseball won 90 games to finish third between the Red Sox and Yankees, which are two of the most resourceful teams anywhere.

Melvin has won it three times: 2007 NL Manager of the Year with the Arizona Diamondbacks, 2012 AL Manager of the Year with the A’s and 2018 AL Manager of the Year again with the A’s. In the history of the A’s, only Melvin (2012, 2018) and Hall of Fame Manager Tony LaRussa (1988, 1992) have won this award. Melvin’s A’s had the lowest payroll in baseball, yet he continued to motivate and teach his young players to respect, listen to, and play hard for him. Last week, the A’s announced they are bringing back all their coaches and that was also good news for Melvin.

We wish Melvin a great offseason and happy holidays to him and his family and hope to see him in Arizona just a few months.

Congratulations, Melvin!

San Francisco 49ers podcast with David Zizmor: 49ers just couldn’t seal the deal on Giants in fourth quarter, fall 27-23

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Photo from mercurynews.com: SANTA CLARA, CA – NOVEMBER 12: San Francisco 49ers starting quarterback Nick Mullens (4) throws against the New York Giants in the second quarter at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Monday, Nov. 12, 2018. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)

On the 49ers podcast with David:

#1 The New York Giants just got by the San Francisco 49ers on Monday Night Football 27-23. The game was tied at 20-20 going into the fourth quarter.

#2 Quarterback Nick Mullens of San Francisco threw for 27-39, 259 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions. How will Dave rate Mullens’ Sunday performance?

Join David each Tuesday for the 49ers podcast at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary podcast: Caribbean Series has a rich history that goes back to 1949; What a great three-game series in Baja California

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Photo credit: mlb.com

On That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary podcast:

#1 The Mexicali Baseball Series was played this week in Baja California, but taking a look at the Caribbean Series, how important was this event for Spanish speaking baseball and its rich history going back to 1949?

#2 The Caribbean Series was revived in 1970, but was without Cuban participation and went on a hiatus in 1981.

#3 Cuba did win in 2015 when they returned as a guest in the Caribbean Series.

#4 The Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. won the National League Rookie of the Year Award, hitting for the season .293, 78 runs, 64 RBIs,and 26 home runs.

#5 American League Rookie of the Year Award went to Los Angeles Angels’ Shohei Ohtani, who hit .285, 59 runs, 61 RBIs, 22 home runs. Ohtani pitched with a 4-2 record and a 3.31 ERA.

Amaury Pi-Gonzalez does News and Commentary each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Foxy and Fast: Kings end 14-game losing streak to the Spurs

Published on by moepeaLeave a comment

sacbee.com photo: Kings guard Bogdan Bogdanovic passes to a teammate as San Antonio Spurs forward Rudy Gay, right, defends Monday at Golden 1 Center. Bogdanovic led the Kings with 22 points in a 104-99 victory

By Morris Phillips

SACRAMENTO — If one element stands out–and all of them were on display Monday–in the Kings’ NBA resurgence, it’s De’Aaron Fox’s ability to shoot the basketball.

Fox’s 3-pointer with 4:38 remaining was the first of consecutive 3-pointers that put the Kings up 98-90, propelling them to a 104-99 win over the Spurs, their first win after 14 consecutive losses to the traditional Western Conference power.

Fox finished with 19 points on 7 of 9 shooting, and again was the pace leader in the Kings’ high-octane attack that kept the San Antonio defense on its heels for the majority of the night. Six of the 10 Kings that saw action scored in double figures led by Bogdan Bogdanovic with 22 points.

The Kings improved to 8-6, winning after a disappointing home loss to the Lakers on Saturday, and for now, kept their name above the line in the conference playoff stack, one-half game ahead of the Jazz, Lakers and Pelicans.

“We have to defend home, you know? We slipped up and missed one last game so this one was a must-win mentality coming in,” Willie Cauley-Stein said.

The Spurs were without Paul Gasol, Lonnie Walker IV and Dejounte Murray, but saw the return of former King Rudy Gay, who had missed the previous three games with a heel injury. The Spurs missed 21 of 31 3-point attempts in a game that was statistically even in most other categories.

“We’ve got to be able to fight through and win on the road,” Dante Cunningham said.”

Fox turned heads nationally with his triple-double on November 1, making him the youngest player in NBA history to record one with 30 points and 15 assists or better. But quietly, his overall consistency shooting the basketball may be a bigger story. After shooting 41 percent from the field, and 30 percent from three last season, Fox has seen those numbers take a significant jump (49 percent, 41 percent from three).

With Fox’s superior speed, the improved shooting makes the second-year point guard a matchup nightmare. Matched up with Bryn Forbes and Patty Mills on Monday, Fox was too much to handle for the Spurs, who fell to 7-5.

Warriors fall to the Clippers 121-116 in OT

Published on by rxsluggerLeave a comment

Photo credit: nba.com/warriors

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Warriors played the Los Angeles Clippers at the Staples Center on Monday night. They were on the short end of the score as the Clippers beat them 121-116 in overtime. This Clipper team, coached by Doc Rivers, does not resemble the Clippers of past seasons. Guard Chris Paul was traded to Houston before the start of the season last year. Blake Griffin was sent to Detroit halfway through the 2017-18 season, and center DeAndre Jordan is now with Dallas.

The revamped Clipper lineup now features Marcin Gortat at center. Gortat came to LA when the Clippers sent guard Austin Rivers to Washington. Forwards Danilo Gallinari and Tobias Harris have led the Clippers in scoring. Gallinari is averaging 19.4 point-per-game, and Harris ‘ average is slightly better with 20.4 PPG. Patrick Beverley and Shai Gilfeous-Alexander hold down the guard positions. Montrezel Harrell and Lou Williams are the key players coming off the bench for LA.

The Warriors fell behind early in the first quarter and the only time they didn’t trail in the entire game was when they tied the score at 28 with 2:21 left in the first quarter. The Clippers regained the lead and led by four, 34-30, after the first 12 minutes of action.

The second quarter was more of the same. The Clippers maintained the lead and every time the Warriors closed the gap, the Clippers responded with a bucket. The Warriors trailed by two 57-53 with 3:32 to play in the first half. LA increased the lead to 60-55, but the Warriors cut the lead to one 62-61 on a Kevin Durant 3-pointer. LA responded with a bucket and finished the first half ahead 64-61.

Durant was the only Warrior in double figures in the first half. He finished the half with 21 points. Klay Thompson was second with seven. Thompson went cold and was 3-for-11 in the half. Quinn Cook had 4, Kevon Looney 6, and Andre Iguodala 7.

The Clippers had four starters in double-digits. Gortat had 10, Gallinari 12, Harris, 11, Gilgeous-Alexander 10, and Harrell had 9 coming off the bench.

Thompson hit a bucket to start the third quarter, and the Warriors trailed by one. The Clippers went on a 6-0 run and led 70-63. The Warriors could not get anything going as LA continued to outplay them on both ends of the court. The Warriors, who had just three turnovers in the first half, turned the ball over eight times. There was no spark in their play. With 1:26 left, Kevin Durant had to sit down as he committed his fifth foul. Things looked bad as there was no one to pick up the slack on offense and the defense could not stop the Clippers. The Clippers led 90-81 after three quarters.

LA continued to take the game to the Warriors. They led by 13, 103-90, as the game was winding down. Warriors’ coach Steve Kerr inserted Durant back into the game and the Warriors, behind Thompson and Durant, went on a 16-5 run to tie the game at 106 as time ran out and the game went to overtime.

The Warriors went ahead 109-106 when Andre Iguodala knocked down a three. With 3:53 to play, the referees called a foul on Durant, and he was done for the night. Thompson hit a three to put the Warriors up 111-108. The Clippers came back and tied the game. The Warriors tied it again at 113. The Warriors’ nemesis, Lou Williams, made a two-point shot, but was fouled on the play. Williams made the free throw. The Clips increased the lead to 116-113, but Thompson connected on another three to tie it at 116. The Warriors did not score again. Williams scored the last five points of the night, and the Clippers won 121-116.

Game Notes and Stats: Steph Curry did not play Monday night. However, Draymond Green and Shaun Livingston returned to action.

With the loss, the Warriors are now 11-3 for the year, and the Clippers are now 8-5. The new-look Clippers beat both the Milwaukee Bucks and the Warriors in overtime.

Kevin Durant had a monster night for Golden State in a losing effort. He knocked down 33 points, recorded 11 rebounds, and had 9 assists.

Klay Thompson scored 31. Thompson had seven in the first half and got hot late in the game to score 24 in the second half.

Andre Iguodala was the only other Warrior in double figures with 14.

The Clippers had four starters in double-digits: Gortat had 12, Gallinari 14, Harris 17, Gilgeous-Alexander 18, Montrezel Harrell, who came to LA from Houston in the trade for Chris Paul, had a big night with 23 point and 8 rebounds. Lou Williams kicked in with 25. Williams had 11 from the floor and was 14 for 14 from the 3-point line.

Up Next: The Warriors return home to host the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday night at 7:30 pm PT.

49ers Collapse Again on Primetime, Lose 27-23 to Giants

Published on by joelamiLeave a comment

Photo credit: @49ers

By: Joe Lami

SANTA CLARA — In life, there are only three certainties: death, taxes, and the 49ers blowing a half-time lead. On Monday Night, closing out a game continued to be a problem for San Francisco, as they dropped their third game of the season with a halftime lead. It also marks the sixth time the 49ers have conceded a fourth-quarter lead under Kyle Shanahan.

This time, they handed the New York Giants their second win of the season and Eli Manning his 36th fourth-quarter comeback of his career in the 27-23 loss at Levi’s Stadium on Monday Night Football.

Finishing has been a staple of Shanahan press conferences all season, yet the second-year head coach can’t seem to correct the problem that has been following him since his epic Super Bowl LI collapse.

The 49ers went into the half with a 13-10 lead thanks to Robbie Gould knocking down field goals from 53 and 36 yards and Matt Breida finding paydirt on a three-yard rush.

Breida later caught an 11-yard touchdown pass, becoming the first 49er to score on a rush and a catch since December 2012.

However, the defense started to collapse in the third allowing ten points in just 3:38 to bring the Giants back into the game. Big plays set up the Giants with excellent field position that they capitalized on to bring things even to start the fourth.

The 49ers had trouble getting to the quarterback all game long with an uninspiring pass rush on an offensive line that was allowing four sacks per game coming in. Defensive coordinator, Robert Saleh, continued his overly conservative play-calling leading to the only sack of the game coming in the fourth quarter on a third-down play with the game tied. It was one of just three QB hits the 49ers collected since the blitz was hardly dialed up.

On the subsequent drive, the 49ers drove downfield but had to settle with a field goal instead of putting the game away.

“I thought we had a chance to step on their throat there and we didn’t. We let them back in it fast. [We] kept them around too long and then we didn’t make the plays at the end and had every opportunity to and just as a team, players, coaching staff, we didn’t get it done” said Shanahan.

The Giants took over the game-winning drive with 2:46 remaining.

The 49ers took two defensive penalties to extend the Giants drive that ended with Manning throwing his third touchdown of the game and the first for Sterling Shepard.

Manning finished throwing 19-of-31 for 188 yards and the three scores for a 110.7 passer rating. He found his favorite receiver, Odell Beckham Jr., four times for 73 yards with two of them going for touchdowns, both on blown coverages.

Saquon Barkley was handed off to 20 times for 67 yards, averaging just 3.4 per carry.

In his second career game, Nick Mullens came down to earth throwing 27-of-39 for 250 yards, a touchdown, and two interceptions. A bobbled catch from Marquise Goodwin caused the second one. Overall, Mullens did everything you could’ve asked from a third-string quarterback making his second career start.

George Kittle was once again the most reliable receiver for the 49ers, catching nine of 10 targets for 83 yards.

The 49ers now head into the bye week with a 2-8 record, giving Shanahan an extra week to figure out how to finish a game.